Beauty, Charm & Style

Growing up with long hair leads to snarls, snags, rat’s nests and an unruly mane atop my sensitive scalp.  And after every bath, my mother would sit me down to brush out my locks, only to be met with one big mess.  As she worked her way through the tresses, I would scream, squirm, protest, plead for mercy and then end up just crying.

Once, when I was about 9, I clearly remember finding a huge rats nest in the back of my hair, and rather than risk the pain of the comb, I cut it out.  I took a pair of scissors and very rationally and unapologetically cut a chunk of my hair out.  And I would do it again.

But luckily, I’ve managed to find a detangling conditioning rinse that prevents any of these tragic hair deaths – Fresh Pomegranate Conditioning Hair Rinse.

Fresh Pomegranate Conditioning Hair Rinse

Passing the first test or smelling amazing, Fresh brand Pomegranate Conditioner smells lush, airy and as if it was delivered straight from heaven.  Working the conditioner into my ends and working my way up to my scalp, the conditioner feels light and weightless, and without the heavy consistency most conditioners have.

Even after I rinse and ring and towel dry, my hair smells amazing.  It is the hair you want when you’re cuddling up with your gentleman on the sofa and you just know he’s smelling your hair because he keeps kissing your head.  That’s what my hair smells like.

I used to think that to detangle my baby fine hair, I would have to use a heavy conditioner that coats my hair and doesn’t fully wash out even after a long rinse and leaves my hair limp and dull.  But once again, I have learned a lesson and found something worth sharing.

The Breakdown:

• 8.8 oz bottle
• $24.00 each
• Pomegranate extract and sunflower extract, safeguard hair from the sun and other harsh elements
• Doesn’t weigh hair down, anyone can use it!

Tips:

• I rinse my hair with cold water.  This may just be a way of waking myself up in the morning, but my hair feels softer throughout the day when I do this.

Air Travel takes a lot out of a girl.  You’re tired, grumpy and always feel less than fabulous. What I have learned with my years of frequent flying is:

1. Don’t try to sneak a large bottle of face toner in a carry on bag – they will catch you and you will get embarrassed.
2. There is no graceful way to run through an airport when late for a plane – inevitably you will look like a character from “Home Alone.”
3. Air travel dehydrates a body faster than running a marathon.

And with dehydration comes a sore throat, scratchy skin, and straw hair.  So I fix my body with a glass of water, I fix my face with a ton of night cream, and I fix my hair with a hydrating hair masque – Alterna TEN Hair Masque.

Alterna 10 Hair Masque

Washing off the stink of travel and the smell of recycled air can be the best part of travel. Home at last, with regular sized bath products and full Caboodle of makeup, I’m back to my regular old self.

I wash my hair as usual, and after a nice rinse, I ring my hair out, turn the water off and towel my locks a little drier.  I take a big heaping handful of the Alterna 10 hair masque and massage into my hair.   Then to make sure no strand is left behind, I take my large toothed comb and run in through my hair.

A three minute wait time, just enough time for a good, clean leg shaving and a quick salt scrub for the feet.  I turn the water back on and rinse my hair.  Ooooh, it feels so soft and smooth.  Wanna feel?

It is important to keep your hair hydrated.  One of the biggest mistakes made in hair care is letting your hair get too dry.  Over washing, too may products  and color treatments all lead to dry damaged hair, which is not attractive and not sexy to run fingers through.  So at least once a week a good hydrating treatment allows hair to maintain it’s glossy look and silky feel.

The Breakdown:

• $55 a jar
• 5.1 fl. Oz.
• For all hair types

Tips:

• For more intense results, wrap hair using a warm, moist towel for 5-10 minutes before rinsing.

At a picnic this weekend, I looked wonderful.  Donning a sultry, yet stylish summer dress, cute sandals and a sleek ponytail, I was perfect for an afternoon in the park.  The wind on the other hand had a whole different plan.

Whipping my hair about, my ponytail is still strong, but those baby whispy hairs and my bangs have gone amuck.  I’ve gone from sleek to freak; from Barbie to Bride of Frankenstien. The wind has officially killed any plans I had of having a good hair day.

But wait – what’s in my purse?! Could this be a contraption that would control my wind blown hair and allow me to continue my care-free afternoon.  Why, yes it is.  It’s Cutler’s Specialist Fly-Away Control Stick.

Cutler Fly-Away Stick

This Fly-Away Stick contains tourmaline, the latest innovative ingredient to combat frizziness and static as well as a special blend of conditioning agents including shea butter and essential oils creates smooth and shiny hair.

So out and about in the park, with my bangs flying every which way, I simply pull out my control stick and run a small bit through my whispies.  The added texture keeps my fly-aways in control and my hair is back to the sleek, sophistication it was before I left the house.

Not like a thick balm or palm aid, my hair is not weighed down, nor is it dulled.  In fact, my hair is shiner than before.  The kind of shine you see in shampoo commercials – THAT kind of shine.  And best of all – it is small enough for my purse. I can carry it around for any occasion where my hair needs to be reminded who’s the boss.

The Breakdown:

• 50 mL/1.7 oz stick
• $23.00
• A combination of Shea Butter, Pistachio Oil, Coconut Oil, Castor Oil and Sunflower Seed Oil provide conditioning properties and add shine to hair.
• Eucalyptus extract protects hair

Tips:

• Can be applied to wet OR dry hair!

For most of my life, I have gone between short hair and long hair, spending months growing out my hair and then suddenly (and often irrationally) cutting it short, only to immediately start growing it out again.  Currently, I’m growing it out.  And as I grow  my hair, I take extra care to keep it healthy, hydrated and free of split ends.

With hair best described as virginal (no products, no dye) and I’m extremely cautious as to what I put on my hair. I keep my hair pretty mush “as is,” but today I’ve decided to try WEN’s Lavender Cleansing Conditioner as way to quickly infuse my hair with vitamins and moisture.

WEN Lavender Cleansing Conditioner

While researching what I was about to put on my hair (a lady needs to be educated) I discovered the real secret behind WEN.  Developed by stylist Chaz Dean back in 2001, WEN has taken the shampoo out of the cleanser. It sounds crazy, but just as soap can dry out your face, shampoo can strip your hair and scalp, leaving it dry and dull.

I rinse my hair with water for about two minutes, which gets rid of any dirt, pollution or grime my hair encountered that day.  The directions on the bottle suggest for my medium length hair, I need to use between 16 and 24 tiny pumps.

The lavender sent is powerful and strong, but not overwhelming and I have visions of my hair smelling like fresh lavenders all day.  Lavender is a naturally relaxing and calming aroma and has been used since the Roman times, where they believed the scent to rejuvenate the skin. And, according to my book on the language of flowers, lavender means constancy, which is a great way to approach hair care, no ups and downs, just always perfect hair.

Evenly massaging the cleanser in my hair, I leave it in for about 5 minutes, allowing for all the natural extracts to soak in till I rinse my hair with cool water.  (Don’t use hot water to rinse your hair) Getting out of the shower, my hair is tangle free and I can tell my hair is going to be silky.  I dry and style my hair as usual. It seems I have found my weekly hair revitalizing and hydrating treatment!

The Breakdown:

• 16 oz pump bottle
• $28.00
• Contains soothing ingredients, including Organic Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Lavender Extract, Cucumber Extract and Chamomile Extract
• Safe for all hair types, including color treated hair

Tips:

• Thoroughly rinse hair after application.
• Secret Tip – Can also be used when shaving your legs instead of shaving cream.