Kiehl's Superbly Smoothing Argan Hair Pak

I have very simple requirement from my hair care products: they should thoroughly moisturize, shine, detangle without making me use excessive force and not make my scalp itch. You'd be surprised how few conditioners and hair treatments actually hit the spot. One that does and even exceeds expectations is Kiehl's Superbly Smoothing Argan Hair Pak. This is a rich and creamy hair mask, to be used after shampoo (I alternate between Tela, L'Occitane and the occasional deep cleansing with Head'N'Shoulders. Seriously).

Kiehl's directions are to leave the Argan Hair Pak in for at least 3 minutes. I recommend a minimum of 5 minutes and even longer if you can swing it. The longer it's in, the more buttery soft it makes my hair- the results are absolutely amazing. I end up with shiny and silky hair, the waves are open and stay in place without frizzing, there's no hint of dryness even when I spend all day inside, blasting the heating. The mask is also a superb detangler- pesky knots just melt away after five minutes of treatment. And the best thing: all that is done with a silicone-free formula, which means my scalp remains itch free (actually, it's in the best shape I've seen my scalp in forever).

Bottom Line: It's so good I don't mind the unpleasant pharmacy-like smell.

Kiehl's Superbly Smoothing Argan Hair Pak ($25, 8.4oz) is available from select department stores (Saks, Bloomie's, Nordstrom) and kiehls.com.

Photo of Jean Shrimpton and her amazing hair from myvintagevogue.com

Tela Beauty Organics- Shampoo & conditioner For Curly Hair

As unbelievable as it may seem to anyone who knows me as an adult, I spent my tween and teen years convinced that my hair was the ugliest thing about me. My hair is extremely thick, dense, unruly and carries the visible proof of the diverse nationalities that were incorporated into the genetic material of East European Jews. If you look closely you'll see that some of my hair is very dark brown and curly. Other parts are wavy-to-straight and range in color from auburn to light red. For someone who grew up in the 1970s and 80s, this hair was not a good thing, as there were no products in the known universe that could make it soft, shiny and un-crazy.

I only learned to like my hair and allowed it to grow back from its 80s spiky cut when leave-in conditioners and anti-frizz creams became efficient and available. Hair goop became my friend and I used these products heavily and religiously. Nowadays I rely on good shampoo and conditioners and only supplement with styling products when the weather or my hair demand it.

I wasn't familiar with Tela Beauty Organics until the products were sent to me. After several weeks of use I can say I've found a true love. The Curly shampoo and conditioner are among the best I've ever tried. Both are gentle but effective and are great detanglers without the need to pull and yank. My hair is incredibly soft and manageable and I haven't used a styling product in weeks, even though I have a couple of Tela items waiting to be tested.

It's worth remembering that the weather here in the Northeast has been relentlessly hot and muggy, so it's hard to assess how these Tela shampoo and conditioner fight dryness. Still, not suffering from humidity-induced frizz is a miracle.I love that I can just let my hair be and allow its weight to do all the work of keeping it in place.

Looking at the content of both shampoo and conditioner reveals an unusual amount of natural ingredients and essences, and not just at the tail-end of the list. It seems like there really is a large percent of good-for-you-stuff in there, so maybe that's the secret. Both products have a light lavender scent that lingers close to the scalp even 24 hours later.

Bottom line: I really really like it.

Tela Organic Shampoo and Conditioner ($28, 8.4 oz each) are available at Barneys as well as from select Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus locations. I received them for consideration from the company's PR team.

Photo: myvintagevogue.com

Oribe Shine Supershine Moisturizing Cream

Longtime readers know that I used to go through gallons of leave-in goop until I switched my conditioner and hair mask to products with high shea butter content. That made all the difference and now I only need a little extra moisturizer on the ends and/or when I use a flat iron. A great side effect of goo-detox is no limp hair days and no issues with product residue that takes away the shine and makes my scalp itch like crazy.

I'm more selective now about the stuff I do use. It has to be effective in small amounts and to smell good. I was already familiar with Oribe Signature shampoo and conditioner. They are excellent and I use the shampoo quite often (the conditioner only comes in a 6.8 tube which lasts about two weeks and costs twice as much as the L'Occitane conditioner that comes in the same size), so I decided to try Oribe Shine Supershine Moisturizing Cream, a leave-in conditioner.

Right now it's my favorite product in this category (but I'm notoriously fickle about this kind of stuff). It's the perfect weight for this time of the year- gives just the right amount of moisture but not too greasy/heavy. The shine and smoothness are just as promised, and while I haven't straightened my hair recently, I have a feeling it would be a great help in that department. The scent is the same as the other Oribe products I've tried- very much like a flat version of Uncle Serge's Nuit de Cellophane. And that's a very good thing.

Bottom line: Next on my hair agenda is trying their moisture hair musk.

Oribe Shine Supershine Moisturizing Cream ($49) is available from select salons, top department stores and oribe.com. I bought mine at Bergdorf Goodman.

L'Occitane Aromachologie Repairing Hair Mask

It occurred to me that I never shared my most trusted hair care product. I did talk about L'Occitane hair care product in general, and they are, indeed, awesome. The best one is Aromachologie Repairing Hair Mask. This is a heavy duty, fix-every-hair-sin and bring it back from the dead product. If you're a normal person with a reasonable amount of hair on your head you'd probably only use it occasionally and to fix issues like over-processing, chlorinating and sun damage. It'd be too rich for you on a regular basis. But if your hair is dry, super thick and/or very long (thus requiring extra care to ensure shine and moisture), the Aromachologie Repair Musk should be part of your routine.

I have a very long hair. I keep it at mid-thigh length because that's how I like it. It's also very thick and can get dry very easily if not fed shea butter and cake (well, only the shea butter) on regular intervals. I've been using the Aromachologie mask regularly for nearly three years, some weeks on an almost daily basis if I feel the need. It's that good and is partly responsible to the health of my hair.

L'Occitane Aromachologie Repairing Hair Mask ($29, 8.4 oz) is available from every L'Occitane store and online.

Photo by Nina Leen, 1947

Living Proof Wave Shaping, Curl Defining No Frizz Styling Treatment for Thick to Coarse Hair

I might be the only one in and out of the blogsphere who isn't singing the praise of Living Proof's Wave Shaping, Curl Defining No Frizz Styling Treatment for Thick to Coarse Hair (try saying it three times). On paper, it seemed like the perfect product for me: My hair is wavy-curly, it's thick and tends to frizz if not treated with moisturizing products.

The problem is this product isn't really moisturizing. I tried using a little, I tried using a lot, the end result was a coarse, crunchy hair with no significant frizz reduction. To be fair, I tested it during some of the most humid days in NYC, but I also used it in much nicer (and more hair-friendly) days. It was the same.

Since it was clear the No Frizz Styling Treatment was actually drying my hair, I tried using it over other products. There was some improvement, but still, the defined waves were crisp to the touch, and I could get better results with the hair creams alone, so why bother?

I've heard the No Frizz Styling Treatment is a lot more effective when used with heat- blow dryers or curling irons. But I don't use heat except on the rare occasions I'm straightening my hair (which I didn't bother in crazy August humidity), and since this is a wave and curl defining product, the whole thing is moot. I'm back to products from Sebastian, Jonathan and Carol's Daughter, that let me keep my rule of only one styling cream at any time.

Living Proof Wave Shaping, Curl Defining No Frizz Styling Treatment for Thick to Coarse Hair ($24, 4 oz) is available from Sephora, online and in store.

Photo of Jean Shrimpton from bygonefashion on livejournal.

Matrix Sleek Look Shampoo and Conditioner- A Rant About Packaging

Matrix Sleek Look shampoo and conditioner are great products. The are gentle and nourishing, great de-tanglers, never irritate my hyper-sensitive scalp and don't require tons of goop as finishing products (except during this time of the year, when frizz is king). I like them and they're part of my rotation, as evident by the product level in my bottles above.

There's just one issue. Look at this bottles- the only difference between the shampoo and the conditioner's bottle is the color of the cap (one is a darker orange, and don't even get me started on the nail-breaking caps. They're the devil) and the numbers- 1 on the shampoo and 2 on the conditioners. The label itself is printed in a small font, so it's not very obvious at a glance. Now, think of yourself taking a shower and washing your hair before your first cup of coffee in the morning or while already half asleep at night. How observant are you? And while my eyesight is still as good as ever, what about those who can't read without their glasses?

That's why I'm always grateful to brands that make significantly different packaging for their shampoo and conditioners. Matrix has other product lines, like Biolage, which had more thought put into this very issue, so why not this semi-exclusive salon line?

Matrix Sleek Look shampoo and conditioner (about $14 each) are sold in select salons. Mine were PR freebies.
Photo by me.

Oscar Blandi Luce

Oscar Blandi Luce looks like a conditioner. But it isn't one, as I've learned the hard way.

Luce is a light glossing treatment. I'm all for shine, which was why I picked this cute (but utterly inconvenient) bottle to begin with. But the problems started from the first use. I followed directions and started by washing and conditioning my hair (using the Oribe Signature products), then applied Luce, covered with a shower cap and gave it time to work. As I rinsed it, I could already tell that my hair felt too thick and had a weird texture. The problem with this product is the way it coats, thickens and separates each and every hair. I have too much hair for it to be a good thing, and no amount of goop in the known world could conquer the frizz.

But I'm a beauty blogger. I do my research and I try stuff so you don't have to. Which is why I didn't toss the bottle. I've read that this Oscar Blandi product needs continued use before you can expect to see results, so I kept applying it for another couple of weeks. While there was a little less frizz and my curls looked a bit shinier than usual, it still was not making me happy. I also made the grave mistake to test Luce without using a conditioner first. It was one bad hair day from hell. This product has absolutely no detangling capabilities and it doesn't nourish hair. At all.

I have yet to test Luce before straightening my hair with the styling iron. But frankly, since hair-ironing requires a couple of extra products (protective cream and finishing serum) as it is, I'm a bit reluctant to go this way.

Bottom line: Oscar Blandi Luce is not for me. My hair has enough shine as it is, since I don't color it and I use heavy duty masks and conditioners, so whatever gloss this products adds isn't worth the hassle of an extra step in the shower or the thick, frizzy hair that comes with it.

Oscar Blandi Luce ($25 for 8 oz) is available from Sephora and beauty.com. I bought it online, but can't remember from which one of these two stores.

Pantene Pro-V Red Expressions Shampoo- The Case Of The Mysterious Bottle

I have no idea why I had a bottle of Pantene Pro-V Red Expressions Shampoo in my product stash. I didn't buy it, that's for sure, and since my hair has never been red and there wasn't a matching bottle of conditioner next to it, I can only assume it was sent to me with other random products and got shoved under the sink, waiting for salvation.

I dug it out a few months ago and it's been residing in my shower and getting an occasional use, just because it's red and it's there. But I have to say, red or not, this is a pretty decent shampoo, even if I can't comment on the color preserving issue.

Pantene Pro-V Red Expressions Shampoo smells like apples, which is not something I like in perfume or lotion (it actually makes me gag), but has a nostalgic quality in shampoo. It lathers nicely and feels very pleasant on my scalp and hair, leaving a clean feeling without any itching or dryness. I always use it with heavy duty deep conditioning masks, and it never clashes with these products. The red color is a bit weird and I always make sure to rinse the tub well after use to make sure there's no freaky looking residue. It doesn't affect my dark brown color, but I think my hair looks a bit more shiny after I wash it with this shampoo, or maybe it's just my imagination. In any case, I like it a lot better than I'd expected.

Pantene Pro-V Red Expressions Shampoo can be found at your local drugstore for around $6. I have no idea how it got into my possession, so I assume it was a PR freebie.
Photo: Getty Images

Oribe Hair Care: Signature Shampoo And Conditioner

Celebrity hair stylist product lines seem to be exempt from the yawns, groans and ridicule that follow items such as Paris Hilton perfumes and Ramona from the Real Housewives of NYC skin care. Then again, these products seem to be at least above the average, even if no one actually believes the hair guru worked in the lab and concocting the perfect serum.

Oribe has been one of the biggest names in the industry for decades and was responsible for many runway and cover looks as well as for gossip items from the feud that was or wasn't with Jennifer Lopez to a story about Linda Avengelista throwing a backstage tantrum and sticking her head in the sink, threatening to run the water over her newly coiffed hair just before the show was about to begin, unless Oribe changes the style he gave another model, which was too similar to hers. His work usually features drama and volume and he has a refreshing respect for curls.

The Oribe hair care line is taking the image and reputation to new heights. It starts with the packaging: the ivory-and-black boxes could just as well hold perfume. They call to mind the iconic Serge Lutens box. The bottles are sleek, beautiful and free of the cluttered graphics and print you expect to find. Dark colors, muted and minimal script and the Versace-inspired logo. It's obvious that someone put real thought into the design as everything is easy to grab and hold. The shampoo and the conditioner bottles have a completely different shape, so you wouldn't reach for the wrong one even if you're still half asleep and/or not wearing your glasses.

Normally when it comes to high-end hair products I go straight for the stuff that stays in my hair and isn't washed right away, meaning styling creams, serums and curl-definers. But in this case I received the Oribe Signature shampoo and conditioner (for daily use), so I've been testing them in recent weeks.

The first try is always the scariest. Not just because of the risk for an allergic reaction and scalp itch, but because I never use any additional products for the initial test. Nothing- it's just me and the shampoo/conditioner against a world of frizz. April showers are probably not exactly the best environment for such endeavours, but to my surprise I didn't find myself with hair that is trying to reach the moon when I ventured out on a rainy night with my newly washed locks. Everything stayed in place and felt soft and manageable with only a reasonable amount of frizz.

Close inspection has shown that my hair was clean, shiny and felt great. The delicate floral scent is far above the average and it lasted for a very long time (but without projecting into the stratosphere). Repeat use has shown that Oribe Signature shampoo and conditioner are among those rare ones that require minimal styling products as a follow up. I use either a smoothing balm or my beloved Sebastian Whipped Creme and that's it, so I'm happy and nearly goop free.

The line has a couple of styling products that seem very interesting: A curl defining cream and especially the Supershine Moisturizing Cream, which is described as "Especially loved by medium-to-thick and extra-long hair". I just wish they'd take into account that us, carriers of the extra thick and long hair need bigger bottles.

Thankfully, I wouldn't need to hunt the Oribe line at various salons (these places freak me out. I always feel like everyone there is eyeing my hair and plotting ways to cut it. I'm only half kidding). It is sold at Bergdorf, Blue Mercury and on the company's website.

Both the Oribe Signature Shampoo ($29.00 250 ml /8.5 fl.oz ) and Conditioner ($34.00 200 ml /6.8 fl.oz) were part of goodie bag at a Bergdorf Goodman event.

Photos: Oribe with Alicia Keyes from http://www.geniushair.com/, Coco Rocha in a flaming Oribe creation from models.com, bottle from oribe.com

Frederic Fekkai Protein Rx® Reparative Treatment Mask

One of the biggest improvements in recent years as far beauty products go is the great selection of heavy duty, overachieving hair products. Ten years ago there was very little fabulousness outside of Aveda salons. Nowadays things are easier and my hair is grateful.

I've been pretty devoted to L'Occitane products lately, but brand monogamy is not my thing, which is how I found myself with a tub of Frederic Fekkai Protein Rx® Reparative Treatment Mask. I've been testing it under harsh conditions: when using Hair & Shoulder shampoo (to wash out silicone buildup from another product) and after toasting my hair with the flat iron.

The first thing you'll notice is the delicious vanilla scent. The second is the straightforward, no hassle directions: just slather it on and leave for 10-15 minutes. No need for towels, shower caps or ancient rituals. It was easy to wash off and the results are great every time: soft, shiny and easy to manage hair.

Once again, my only complaint is the small packaging- I have a lot of hair and 5.5 oz is enough for about 8 uses.

Fekkai Protein Rx® Reparative Treatment Mask ($29) is available from Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom and Sephora, among other places. I bought it from Beauty.com in my infamous last order.

Image: Veronica Lake from allposters.com

Jonathan No-Frizz Hydrating Balm- Taming Of The Shrew

My biggest issue with styling products of the balm variety might have come to an end. Most leave-in conditioners, shine sprays and silicon drops that are good for the dry parts of my hair tend to make my scalp itch. On the other hand, gels and anti-frizz creams that keep things in place are fine to use near my face and hair roots, but can make everything else sticky and/or stiff.

Jonathan Product No-Frizz Hydrating Balm is a serious multitasker. It does a very decent job in the anti-frizz department even when I'm not using a styling iron. It just makes things ever so smooth, gives them a little shine while keeping the rest of the hair soft and fluffy. It opens my curls and makes them more wavy, but hair remains bouncy and not weighed down or limp.

I was happy to see that shea butter is a star player in this balm. The ingredient list has quite a few chemicals on board but also many essential oils and plant extracts to make me feel less toxic. The product is vegan and I loved the little "celebrity tested" label. It makes one think that maybe Heidi and Spencer were put into good use after all.

Jonathan Product No-Frizz Hydrating Balm ($26 for a 5.1 oz tube. It also comes in a 1.7 oz size) is available from beauty.com as well as from Sephora in store and online, which is where I bought mine.

Photograph by Charmante -Sterling, Inc, NYC

Ojon Tunu Elastik Cleanser And Conditioner

Hair has been on my mind a lot lately, as you might have guessed last week. I've been testing the Ojon Tunu Elastik system lately, but it took me a while to post because it's not the stuff for everyday use. And if I'm saying a hair care product is a bit too heavy, you can imagine what it would be like for a person with a not insane hair.

The Ojon Tunu Elastik cleanser (you really can't call it a shampoo. It's more of a cleansing lotion) and conditioner would be a very effective restorative treatment for those of us who abuse their locks with heat and color. They are very rich and nourishing, excellent for detangling and I like using them when I'm planning to unleash the styling iron on my curls. But this also means that the Tunu system can considerably weigh down one's hair. The biggest issue I have with it is the lack of shine. No matter how soft it makes my hair, years of shampoo commercials have conditioned most of us to expect at least some shine, if not the full (impossible, I admit) digital effect. Tunu doesn't give that.

The scent, however, is a whole different story. It's a sweet vanillic thing, of the kind that causes certain men to want to bury their faces in your hair and inhale deeply. There's something to be said for that.

Ojon Tunu Elastik cleanser ($25) and conditioner ($27) are available from Sephora online and in store, as well as from QVC. I received both as a PR freebie.

Photo by Derek Cole from AllPosters.com

Oscar Blandi Smoothing Hair Cream Trattamento Di Jasmine

My hair has never been happier. Every hair care product I've tested in the last six months has been a success, and the result is a simple, almost minimalistic routine. I wash, condition and use small amount of just one leave-in product, be it a curling mousse or a smoothing serum or cream, and that's it. For someone with the amount of hair I'm sporting, this is a huge improvement that saves time, money and general fuss.

Oscar Blandi Smoothing Hair Cream that also answers to the romantic sounding name Trattamento di Jasmine, is a (very) thick conditioner. The directions tell you to leave it for 3-15 minutes and recommend wrapping your hair in a towel and then covering the whole thing with a shower cap, because it performs better if there's some heat involved. I skip the towel, because there's no shower cap in the world big enough to host both my hair and a towel. I just pin it up with a clip, wear the shower cap and do my thing. In my experience, 5 to 10 minutes are more than enough to get excellent results.

It's a bit odd at first. The cream is thick and the hair feels heavier and texturized after you wash it off, as though you've used a volumizing or a no-grease product, which scared me when I first used it (the last thing I need is more volume. My hair would take the entire Easter Seaboard). But once the hair is dry and everything was in place, with or without a styling product I could tell things are smoother and significantly less frizzy. A good shine and a very pleasant low-key jasmine scent (no sillage, you need to bury your nose in my hair to smell it, but please don't) make this a great product that has earned its place in my rotation.

Oscar Blandi Smoothing Hair Cream ($26) is available at Sephora, online and in store. My original travel size was a GWP, I've bought a full size since.

Image: The Jasmine Fairy by Cicely Mary Barker, shamelessly swiped from an eBay auction.

International Orange Bath And Body Products

A couple of months ago, before going away for a full week out west, I realized I needed to overhaul and repack my supplies. That was one of those times when what used to be my linen closet and has slowly converted into a beauty product Aladdin's Cave has come in handy, as I found a set of travel size items from International Orange, a San Francisco spa and yoga center (named after the color of the Golden Gate Bridge). The 1-2 oz bottles were the perfect size, and had exactly what I needed: deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion.

The first thing I noticed when started testing was the scent. It was exactly what one would expect from a swanky spa: first grade essential oils, all smelling live, herbal and utterly intoxicating. Looking at the ingredient list on each bottle, the products seem to live to their promise of being all natural (the web site also says "organic", but the bottles don't). There aren't any active ingredients other than plant extracts and oils and no synthetic fillers, stabilizers, SLS, parabens or anything one needs to look up at those scary safety guides online (you know the ones: you type in what's in your lip gloss and the site tells you it's carcinogenic). Almost everything has bergamot and other citrus oils (take that, IFRA), and there's also crisp lavender and dreamy jasmine.

So, everything smelled great. It (almost) transformed a standard Vegas hotel shower into a dreamy spa (if only the water pressure was up to par). The shampoo and hair cream were nice and would satisfy anyone with normal hair, but my thick mane needs a little more TLC, especially when it comes to conditioning, so the 2 oz jasmine-tuberose cream was depleted long before the week was over.

My favorites were the gentle body wash (lavender bergamot) and the body lotion. The latter with its white lotus, bergamot and tuberose scent combination and aloe leaf, safflower, avocado and jojoba oil base (plus shea butter, wheat germ oil and lots of other goodies) is absolutely amazing. It goes on a bit more sticky than I like, but absorbs quickly and leaves the skin nice and soft. I wish the scent lingered longer, but it doesn't and 20 minutes later I can apply perfume. Of course, it makes me crave tuberose...

The one product I dearly suggest you avoid is the deodorant. Sorry, but grape alcohol and rosemary extract do not make a good anti-stinker. Thankfully, I've learned to be suspicious of all-natural underarm products and had backup (and wet wipes in my bag). Otherwise I would have been found frantically scouring the area for the nearest CVS. The liquid in the bottle might make a good pillow spray, but don't expect it to do anything other than smell calming.

IO products are available from the spa's website. The large samples/travel size ones I got were a PR freebie.

Image: bergamot from essentialoils.org

Favorite Things 2008

In what has now become a blogging tradition, a group of us (Many thanks to Grayburn for all the hard work) brings you our favorite things of the year. I recently went through my lists from previous years (2006 and 2007), wondering if I should write a post about which products have become perennial loves, but quickly realized I'd have to copy almost the entire post. More than 90% of the previous years favorites are things I've repurchased and still using regularly.

So here it is, not necessarily new releases, but all are items I discovered and loved in 2008. Links go to my original reviews.

1. Skin Care: Liz Earle cleansing products
Gentle, effective and smelling good. What more can you ask from something you put on and wash off?

2. Bath and Body: Bliss Sesame Carrot Scrub
The scent alone is good enough to be included in this list, but it also provides excellent exfoliation and skin softening. If only they had a matching body butter.

3. Hair Care: L'Occitane hair products
Shampoos, conditioners and hair masks that made a huge difference: My hair looks and feels better and I'm using less goop than ever before. And everything smells great.

4. Hair Styling: Sebastian Whipped Creme
The one product I do use on a regular basis. It's whipped cream for the hair, define curls without making them crunchy, sticky or anything other than soft, manageable hair. Imagine that!

5. Nail Polish: OPI-The French Collection
There was something about this collection that stood out among all the other seasonal/limited editions and other new polishes. The colors managed to look both edgy and elegant, while offering something to everyone. You Don't Know Jacques, a dark taupe, is probably the most memorable, with Tickle Me France, a nude mauve that should become a classic.

6. Palette: Bobbi Brown Mauve
Bobbi Brown is the undisputed Queen Of Palettes. The Mauve one from fall 2008 might be my favorite one so far. Yes, even more than the Chocolate. Muted, flattering colors with only a hint of shimmer and the prettiest blush one could ask for have made it into a makeup bag essential for me.

7. Lipstick: Chanel Rouge Allure in Attitude
As always, I find myself buying and wearing more Chanel lip color than any other brand. Rouge Allure lipstick in Attitude seems to work for just about everyone. A rosy red (reddish rose?) with just enough personality and completely wearable. And like all Rouge Allure products, it's kind to the lips.

8. Foundation: Benefit You Rebel (Lite) and Some Kind Of Gorgeous
Both the tinted moisturizer and cream-to-powder foundation made my life easier. Perfect light texture, sheer coverage that still performs beautifully and gives that most-wanted even look.

9. Powder: Laura Geller Balance-n-Bronze
A finishing powder with a hint of bronzer that matched my skin like nothing else. How good is this one? I'm already on my second compact.

10. Mascara: Givenchy Phenomen'Eyes
No lash left behind. In a year full of gimmicks, this mascara delivers like nothing else. Not for the faint of heart, but when I want to go all the way, this is my mascara of choice.

11. Perfume: Onda by Vero Profumo
Reminding us what perfume can and should be, Vero Kern from Switzerland has created a powerful masterpiece. All three of Vero's scents are now available in the US (from Luckyscent/Scent Bar in L.A.) and are worth trying. Onda is what Tim Gunn calls "soul stirring".
(My 2008 Perfume Retrospective is here)

For more suggestions, please visit the other participants:

Beautiful Makeup Search

Beauty 411

Beauty Talk

Beauty Tyrant

Binary Star

'*:.blu3.:*'

For The Love of Beauty

Grayburn

Life Of A Ladybug

lily loves mac

Make Do Style

Miss Whoever You Are

Perfume Shrine

Platinum Blonde Life

Searching the Inner Me

Slap Of The Day

The Beauty Alchemist

Urbane Girl

Ask the Non-Blonde: Avoiding "Plane Hair"

Lisa from Boston is asking:
"My hair seems to be like yours: long, wavy and very thick. It's quite dry, but I'm good at keeping it shiny and happy. Except when I travel. Do you have any advice about how to keep hair from becoming frizzy, smelly and dry?"

I know the feeling. Flights aren't exactly a trip to the spa, with their germy, dry, recycled air. This is the one occasion I slather thick coats of products over every part of me, from hair to feet. So, the answer is in the goop.

I wash my hair a few hours before boarding the plane (the night before, if it's obscenely early), and work a considerable amount of a rich hair cream into it. I like Carol's Daughter hair balm, because it's very moisturizing and a little of it is more than enough. Also, the very strong scent wards off airplane smells. You do need to be careful and not overdo it with this product, as if your hair is not very thick, it'll get stringy/greasy. But the right amount for the right hair would do the job. You can also pick a drugstore leave-in conditioner (TreSemme anti-frizz smoothing creme or Garnier Fructis. Both are good, but I don't like their scents), and do the same.

Once thoroughly gooped, I put my hair up in a (big, heavy) bun and forget about it until I reach my destination. A quick wash and my hair is as happy and shiny as ever, no trauma and no need for a rescue treatment.

Image: 'La Bell Dame Sans Merci' by John William Waterhouse (1849-1917). That's one interesting use for long hair.

L'Occitane Hair Products: How I Became (Almost) Goop-Free

When normal people need to pack hair products to take on a trip, they either get those mini bottles of popular brands you find in every drugstore or they decant whatever they're using into empty 1 oz bottles you can usually buy at the same drugstore in their travel section.

These options do not work for someone whose hair is at mid-thigh length (I recently cut off a few inches), so I usually buy the smallest regular size shampoo and conditioner bottles of some decent brand like Matrix and ask myself if I'd ever be able to travel light (the answer to that is a big NO). Back in June I was facing quite a bit of travel, domestic and abroad , and upon taking inventory, realized I need to replenish my stash. I had several things to pick at the L'Occitane store, like their mini hand cream tubes and other luggage-friendly items, so I had a look at their hair care offering and realized they were a good size for me.

I chose a bottle of Aromachologie Repairing Shampoo and tube of Shea Butter Ultra Rich Conditioner. My expectations were mostly that the products wouldn't suck. I was used to applying quite a bit of hair goop according to need, so I never counted on the stuff that washes down the drain to provide my hair with much. But I was in for a very big surprise.

There's only so much I can say about any shampoo. If it's good, it cleans well without stripping the hair and the scalp. If it's bad it makes me itch. L'Occitane Aromacologie is good, effective and gentle enough, and also smells herbal and green, which always makes me happy. I dislike the synthetic fruit notes you find in most mass market hair products.

The big story here is the conditioner. The texture is thinner than I expected and my hair seemed to soak it up instantly, so much that there was very little left to rinse off. But the result was a fully hydrated mane, soft, manageable and healthy looking. I cut back drastically on the amount of leave-in conditioners and other styling products. I simply don't need much, especially on days when the weather isn't anti-hair.

Now, if it only came in family-size packaging...

L'Occitane hair products are available from their stores and online. I buy mine at my local mall.

Good And Bad Hair Days: Sebastian Whipped Creme

Sorry. I just had to post this picture of Tyra Banks and her crazy crimped hair. Suddenly it's 1984 all over again.

For those of us who prefer their hair untoasted, there's something better.

I haven't used any curl enhancing products in a very long time. Usually I found them either drying or sticky and stiff. I tend to prefer overachieving moisturizing leave-in conditioners, but the trade-off is losing my curls. still, soft, manageable hair is non-negotiable when you have about 3' of the stuff on your head.

I probably wouldn't have tried Sebastian Whipped Creme had it not arrived here, but I'm very happy I gave it a chance. It promises to nourish and define curls, leaving them soft and bouncy. This is exactly what happens, and I'm happy to report that I haven't had a bad hair day in weeks. I towel-dry my hair like I always do, shake the can (it's just like a whipped cream container, including a nozzle that dispenses these cute rosettes that look edible), spray into my palm (probably double the normal amount, but my hair is also at least twice as long and thick as the average person would have), distribute it through my hair and forget all about it.

The result is perfect full ringlets that don't stick, puff or fly away. I still use the tiniest drop of hair cream right above my forehead, just to keep that part frizz-free, but that's all I need. The Creme has a pretty strong scent that's a bit too much on the plastic gourmand side, but once in my hair it dries down nicely and my hair just smells faintly sweet if you sniff it up close.

Sebastian Whipped cream is available from amazon.com ($18.96). I got it as PR freebie from Allure Magazine that has some impressive giveaways throughout the month of August.

Image: Dlisted

Stink, Stank, Stunk

Last week I told you about a beauty oopsie I made while traveling. I asked you about your own beauty horror stories and was glad to see there weren't that many. Apparently my readers know better. The best (or worst,depending on your point of view) comes from my mother, who recently decided to make an all-natural scalp revitalizing hair mask. The recipe was simple:

Take one egg yolk, one tbs of freshly grated onion juice and one tbs olive oil. Mix together until emulsified then apply to your hair roots and scalp with
a pastry brush. Leave for 20 minutes and wash hair.

My mom, a beauty savvy non-blonde, says she has no idea what possessed her to put the smelly mixture on her head. She suffered quietly the whole 20 minutes before rushing to wash it off. The problem? Even double rinsing and using a proper hair mask didn't make the smell go away. It haunted her till the next day, turning her stomach frequently. She was too traumatized to even notice any benefits to her scalp.

What's the worst smelling thing you ever applied to your hair? Did it work?

Image: Art.com

Creme of Nature shampoo and conditioner

It's a well-known secret that if you have a very thick and dry hair, the ethnic product aisle is a wonderland full of little fixes and surprises, from carrot oil to ultra-nourishing shampoos and creams. Those who straighten, flat iron or use any kind of harsh treatments on their hair are even more likely to find relief for stressed tresses among the heavy potions and lotions.

Creme of Nature seems to be emerging from under the ethnic label and into greener market. The products are now made with some certified organic ingredients and include a long list of natural oils and plant extracts. However, they still contain quite a few chemicals, colors and the eyebrow-raising SLS (in the shampoo I tested) and parabens (both shampoo and conditioner). It's especially weird that the Red Clover & Aloe Soothing Shampoo, which is formulated for a flaky scalp has SLS, a known irritant, in it. Personally, my scalp is very sensitive and many famous brands' shampoos make me itch terribly, but Sodium Laureth Sulfate does not affect me. I found the shampoo to be mild and rich enough to help detangle my hair. Still, I don't get why they had to use this ingredient.

The big success from this line, as far as I'm concerned, is the Jojoba & Olive Oil deep conditioning treatment. When they say "deep conditioning", they really mean it. It took me a couple of tries to realise that I don't need any additional product after using it. That's a new experience for me: I'm a leave-in conditioner addict, but this heavy-duty conditioner does a remarkable job making my hair as soft and manageable as can be, to the point that any additional product just weighs it down. I never expected such results.

I also tried a couple of the leave-in products, but they were too rich and heavy even for me. Those are probably better for real ethnic hair that has a different texture than mine, and perhaps for chemically processed hair (mine isn't and has never been. For the record, I don't even blow dry it). It's not that my hair got too greasy, but it lost some of the bounce in the open waves and the shine that the deep conditioning treatment gives it.

The products I tried smell soapy and herbal. The scent doesn't overwhelm or lingers too much, and, thankfully, it's not fruity like too many other hair products. All in all, I like the shampoo, love the deep conditioning treatment, but will have to skip the leave-in products.

I received four free products for testing from Creme of Nature's PR. The products are available nationwide at a suggested retail price of $7.99- 9.99. For more details see their website.