ProductWhores

Mint Julep

My new favorite shampoo/conditioner combo is the Rosemary Mint duo from Aveda. I bought it awhile ago and just never got around to testing it out, which I'm really regretting now because nothing would've made those 112 degree summer mornings in the valley better than sudsing up with these. They smell fantastic - just like fresh mint from a garden - and they leave my hair feeling extra clean. Even better, my hair seems really full and bouncy when I use it, so that alone makes it worth it. And the yummy scent lingers all day, so if you sniff your hair at 5pm (not that I'm recommending this, because there's enough crazy people in L.A as it is without adding public hair sniffers to the list), it'll smell as fresh as it did when you stepped out of the shower. And how many things can you say that about?

Have a Little Self Control

I have to admit, when I first saw this hair styling stick, I only picked it up because it's packaged like a stick of deodorant and it made me laugh. Why would any company want their hair care to resemble something that you put under your arms so you don't get sweaty and/or smelly? I'm still not quite sure of the marketing implications, but it did lead me to a product I like, so I can't hate it too much.

You're supposed to apply a small amount of the product to your palms and then rub your hands together "to emulsify." Seriously, that's what the package says. I guess Aveda doesn't have too many customers who didn't attend Harvard because I was the vocabulary champ of my third grade class (100% on all the tests, thank you very much) and I still had to look that word up. Anyway... once you have it emulsified, it works on wet or dry hair to let you shape your style. I found that it was perfect for slicking back those pesky flyaways that somehow appear every time I wear a ponytail, so for that alone, it's a worthy addition to my hair care regime. The one thing I noticed is that the package says you can apply the stick directly to your hair for more texture. I wouldn't recommend that - it might give you more texture, but it'll also make your hair look like you dipped that part in Crisco. Too much of a good thing, I guess.

I will say that the packaging is very convenient for traveling, since you can just toss it in your bag and not worry about it spilling. On the other hand, the last time I was in NJ I almost used it in place of my Secret on that first jet-lagged morning, so make sure you're careful about that because sticky armpits are a big beauty don't.