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

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

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