Aveeno Nourish & Revitalize Shampoo & Conditioner: Product Review

September 29, 2009 04:00 PM | Comments (0) | Posted in budget beauty, product review, shampoo, hair care, Product Review, aveeno

What: Angela trys to get healthy with Aveeno Nourish & Revitalize Shampoo & Conditioner
The Lowdown: Aveeno is one of those brands that’s just slightly more expensive, but comes with a reputation that leads us to expect good value for our hard earned buck. Since my hair is colored regularly and fried with blow dryer and irons (either curling or straightening, depending) daily, I’m always open to a product that will help compensate for some of the inevitable damage.
The Aveeno Nourish & Revitalize line promises to help “protect hair’s intrinsic moisture balance from everyday damage, invigorating it with new life”, and in just three washes to help repair damage and provide the “three key elements that give hair life — strength, softness and shine.” Sounds good.
So after three days use, any difference? Sadly, not so much. Yes, my hair was reasonably soft, but also weighed down which, when you have fine hair like mine, is a big drawback. As for strength and shine—not any more than what I get from my regular shampoo and conditioner (which, for the record, are Dove Go Fresh Energize Therapy Shampoo and Alberto VO5 Shower Works Hot Oil). Perhaps more than three days use would be in order to get maximum results, but with the conditioner being so heavy—and the fact that the shampoo has ammonium laurel sulfate which can strip color—I’m switching back to my regular tried-and-true routine.
The Verdict: Nay. Not terrible, but didn’t deliver the results I’d expect for around $7 a bottle.

Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion

August 25, 2009 06:29 AM | Comments (1) | Posted in product review, shampoo, hair care, Product Review, pantene

What: Angela smooths things over with Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion hair products
 
The Lowdown: Pantene is a name you’ll see at the top of a gazillion women’s magazine lists of drugstore beauty products. And like all other beauty products, with each new day comes a new line, new formula, the next big thing. Seems like these days we’ve come full circle—I remember years ago when the Aussie products came out, they had all kinds of “natural” ingredients—evolutionary at the time. The popularity of that waned, but with all our green talk these days natural is back in a big way, and Pantene is on it with their “Nature Fusion” line. Fortified with things like cassia, ginger, calendula, aloe vera, avocado, bamboo, and grapeseed (whew!), they promise smoothness, strength and softness. Well that’s all I’ve ever really wanted from my hair—but do they deliver?
 
In a word, yes. Now, I have no idea which of the aforementioned ingredients, or any combination thereof, does the trick, but having tried both the “Moisture Balance” conditioner and the smoothing creme, my blow-drying session ended with soft smooth hair that actually has body. And that’s quite a trick, seeing as I rarely dare to use a daily conditioner on my fine thin hair lest it wilt like last weeks lettuce. But the Nature Fusion not only did NOT weigh my hair down, it seems to have added a little life. Which, having lived with this dilemma my entire life, is priceless.
 
The Verdict: Yea. A product that lives up to its claims, for a budget price.
Buy It: Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion Moisture Balance Conditioner, $4.99, Walgreens.com, and Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion Smoothing Creme, $5.99, Drugstore.com

Free Ulta Hair Care Clinic

July 9, 2009 07:02 AM | Comments (1) | Posted in budget beauty, free stuff, hair care, ulta

It’s time to call summer 2009 as the summer of free beauty clinics (see Sephora’s Free Make Up clinics). ULTA stores nationwide are stepping in to help women reinvent their coifs during these hot and hazy summer months.  Starting Sunday July 5th, the Salon at ULTA’s pro Designers will host a series of FREE workshops demonstrating the techniques we need to know to create salon styles at home.  Choose from two customized workshops:

Turn Up the Volume- Learn quick tricks to create maximum volume, boost and body
Workshop Schedule

  * Sunday, July 5th - 11:00am-1:00pm
  * Saturday, July 11th - 10:00am-Noon
  * Sunday, July 12th - 11:00am-1:00pm
  * Saturday, July 18th - 10:00am-Noon

Tame Your Mane- Learn industry secrets to help you gain control of even the wildest head of hair
Workshop Schedule

  * Sunday, July 19th - 11:00am-1:00pm
  * Saturday, July 25th - 10:00am-Noon
  * Sunday, July 26th - 11:00am-1:00pm
  * Saturday, August 1st - 10:00am-Noon

Pre-book your appointment today for a FREE one-on-one consultation with a Salon Designer to receive personalized tips. First-time guests also can take advantage of 30% off Hair Color or a $30 Signature Cut at the Salon. Walk-ins are always welcome, but only those with reservations will be guaranteed a seat for this event. To book an appointment call 1-800-968-5823 or visit ulta.com to find an ULTA location near you.

Five Tips for Getting a Haircut on a Budget

May 19, 2009 01:00 PM | Comments (2) | Posted in budget beauty, beauty advice, beauty tips, hair care

A good hair day puts you in a great mood, and a good hair day that lasts several weeks, if not months, is pretty much priceless. But don’t tell your hairdresser that. While we don’t suggest you sacrifice your locks to an unimaginative stylist, or cut your own hair (leave that kind of crazy behavior to the boys), we do suggest that you stay on budget.

Beyond donating your hair to charity or going for a minimalist style that you can improve with products, these five tips will get you a good haircut for less.

1. Bring a picture and be clear about what you want. Whether you’re going in for a simple trim or a dramatic change, ask for exactly what you want. That way you can avoid getting ripped off for a la carte services you didn’t ask for in the first place, and you can leave with the look you originally dreamed up. A cheap, cheap haircut isn’t worth it if you have to follow it up with another appointment to fix it, or you have to spend hours every morning taming your hair, or you have to buy a set of hats/wigs to cover up the mess.

2. Let someone practice on you. Get an uber-cheap or even free haircut at a training session. Aspiring hairdressers need someone to practice on and that could be you. Sound scary? No worries, a pro is always on hand to make sure everything goes according to plan. Call your favorite salon or a nearby beauty school to see if there are any opportunities. For starters, check out Vidal Sasson’s promotion page.

3. Ask friends and coworkers with great hair for their connections. What places do they go to get their hair cut? How much did they pay? Sometimes this is the most efficient way to find an affordable hairdresser. Plus, if your friend has a long-time relationship with a stylist, you could get a good deal - like free coloring.

4. Find a coupon or special. It makes so much sense, yet so many fail to do it. A little research goes a long way. Look up coupons online or call up some salons and ask when they’ll have an upcoming special (don’t forget to dig into the details; a special may not be all that special after all). Salons all over your town offer up deals from time to time, so just make sure you’re in the right place at the right time!

5. Get your hair cut on a Monday or Wednesday. These are the least trafficked days for most salons, so your cut is much-needed business and your money will go far. Plus, you’ll get lots of attention when it’s slow. Downside: typically, the best stylists only work during the busy times. If you choose a high-end salon to begin with, however, you should be good.

Are there any tips you can add to this list?

Cristophe Beverly Hills Purely Natural Clarifying Shampoo and Conditioner: Product Review

July 17, 2008 09:28 AM | Comments (0) | Posted in product review, hair care, hair products, Product Review

What: In the quest for a wallet-friendly, all-natural shampoo and conditioner, Karie lathers up with Cristophe Beverly Hills Purely Natural Clarifying Shampoo and Conditioner; $2.99 to $7.99

The Lowdown: I’ll admit: I’m a pretty simple person when it comes to shampoo and conditioner. They should leave my hair feeling soft and manageable, and should smell divine. I’ve never actively sought an all-natural formula before—probably because of the high price tag associated with the adjective “all-natural”—but considering all of the scary information out there now about parabens and whatnot, maybe I should add this requirement to my haircare checklist. Luckily, Beverly Hills celebrity stylist Cristophe, who works magic on the tresses of Nicole Kidman and Jessica Biel, has launched an all-natural, sulfate- and paraben-free haircare line, Purely Natural, that squelches high prices, so even us mere mortals can enjoy his magic touch—but does it deliver? Yes and no.

I’m not one to use clarifiers, but I’m game for any type of beauty first encounter, so I gave the Clarifying Shampoo a whirl. Used once a week, it claims to rid your mop of all the gross styling-aid buildup and environmental pollution you put your poor strands through. (And you know you do!) Did it leave my hair squeaky clean? Yes, but it also made it feel like a Brillo pad and it stripped my red-dyed hair of some of my prized hair color (to be expected, I suppose, since it’s a clarifier). Thankfully, the Conditioner, which is rich in vital vitamins and minerals, as well as naturally derived elements that absorb harmful UV rays (a bonus for us color-treated ladies), left my hair feeling silky to the touch with no heaviness or residue whatsoever—which, my fair Fashionistas, we all know is a feat in itself. All products from the line contain keratin A to reduce breakage, vitamin C to pump up the shine factor, and creatine to add strength to wimpy hair (like my own). And the scent? It’s fragrance-free, but I swear it smells a bit like marshmallows. Yum.

Yea or Nay: If you want to keep your hair color, say “nay” to the Clarifying Shampoo. If you want an affordable, all-natural conditioner that leaves your locks glistening, scoop up Purely Natural Conditioner.

Buy It: @ CVS. Shampoo, $7.99 and Conditioner, $7.99

Nexxus Humectress Luxe Ultimate Moisturizing Leave-In Spray: Product Review

March 23, 2008 09:54 AM | Comments (0) | Posted in product review, hair care, Product Review

What: Robin spritzes her hair with a conditioning treat; Nexxus Humectress Luxe Ultimate Moisturizing Leave-In Spray, $9.99.

The Lowdown: If you were constantly scrubbed, brushed and scalded with heating appliances, you’d want all the love you could get, right? That’s why I picked up the latest offerings from Nexxus. With coconut oil and honey extract, this lightweight spray is supposed to continuously nourish and hydrate your hair as well as keep it looking bouncy and shiny. I just sprayed it all over my damp locks, dried it (with the help of my new Blo & Go, of course) and my hair never looked healthier.

Yea or Nay: Yummy fragrance and no oily buildup makes this spray a yea.

Buy It: Drugstores nationwide

Sally Hershberger Supreme Head Shagg Spray: Product Review

January 27, 2008 11:07 AM | Comments (0) | Posted in product review, hair care, Product Review, hair spray, sally hershberger

What: Robin puts Sally Hershberger Shagg Spray, $12.50, to the test.

The Lowdown: Want a haircut with celebrity hair stylist Sally Hershberger and it’ll cost you $800—and that’s if you already live in NYC. But if you just want to try her products, you’re in luck. Hershberger has recently pulled a Mizrahi and created Supreme Head, an affordably priced product line available exclusively at Walgreens. Since the stylist is most touted for her sexy shaggy cut, I was dying to try the Shagg Spray—youspray it into dried hair, quickly blast some more heat afterward, and tousle with your hands for that messy, piecey look. Needless to say, I was hooked after one try. The texture lasted all day and my hair didn’t feel greasy at all.

Yea or Nay: Absolutely yea. What’s more, you can go to www.SallyHershberger.com and access an instructional “how-to” video to learn exactly how to use any of her products. Genius.

Buy It: For $12.50, at Drugstore.com.

L’Oreal Vive Pro Style & Body Infusing Conditioning Treatment

January 13, 2008 11:15 AM | Comments (0) | Posted in product review, hair care, hair products, loreal, Product Review

What: On a quest for perfectly soft and conditioned strands, Robin reaches for L’Oreal Vive Pro Style & Body Infusing Conditioning Treatment, $3.74.

The Lowdown: I confess: I’ve fallen into a shampoo and conditioner rut. I’ve been using the same stuff on my hair day in and day out and I should know better. The L’Oreal Vive Pro Style & Body Infusing Conditioning Treatment is a weekly deep conditioning treatment that says it “transforms unmanageable hair into soft, supple hair that holds its style.” It also claims to “deliver ultra-light moisture that conditions without weighing hair down” and “restores silkiness and shine to dull hair.”  After shampooing, I applied a quarter-sized amount to my strands and let it do its magic for three minutes. The color was a bubble gum pink and smelled fruity and floral, and afterward my hair felt soft but not buttery like it has after using some other deep conditioners in the past. Upon styling, my hair was a touch shinier and fairly flyaway-free.  The next day, my hair still looked pretty darn good—so I skipped the shampoo, took a brush through it and went.

Yea or Nay: I say Yea. It’s not as deep-conditioning as a hot oil treatment is, but it definitely has more muscle than a daily conditioner.

Buy It: @ Drugstore.com

 

 

Product review: Loreal Enhanced Formula Ineral Hair Fixer, $8.29-$8.75

August 4, 2007 08:38 PM | Comments (0) | Posted in product review, hair care, loreal, Product Review

What: Sabina reviews a product that fixes hair that’s been ruined by chemical treatments, $8.29-$8.75

The Lowdown: You know how the instructions on bleach packets and peroxide bottles tell you they’re not meant for use on chemically processed hair and how the instructions on the boxes of hair relaxer tell you they should never be used on bleached hair?

Well, turns out… they’re not kidding! (as I recently learned the hard way.)  I’m a hair product junkie and this isn’t the first or even the second time I did something drastically stupid to my hair and ended up in tears. This time my hair turned into rusty orange crunchy stuff and a good five inches had to be cut off.

Now, I might have finally had to learn my lesson for good after this disaster and had to resort to a Britney, if this truly miraculous product hadn’t come along and saved the day.

Loreal Enhanced Formula Ineral Hair Fixer is a set of six pills, a bottle of watery liquid strangely referred to as lotion and a developer bottle to mix the pill with the lotion solution. You place it on your hair and after the first use (there are enough pills in the package for six uses) you will begin to notice that the texture and the feel of your hair starts to improve.

Yea or Nay: An absolute yea. 

Buy it: Sally Beauty Supply, $8.29 or Hairproducts.com, on sale for $8.75