ProductWhores

Shielo Moisturizes Hair

Before I even review the Shielo line, I have to say when I received the samples the first thing that came to mind was Shia LaBeouf (as I write it, I'm not even sure why as they really don't sound the same, but whatever).  Anyway, because I am not a fan of Shia (again, no real reason but every report I read in my trash mags makes him out to be a jerk despite the fact he's pretty hot), I kept thinking I wouldn't like the products.  Despite my random thought process, I tried the Hydrate Shampoo and Conditioner and was pleasantly surprised.  As it turns out, I'm a huge fan of Shielo!  The Hydate line really adds a ton of moisture (even though I have thick hair, I almost didn't even need the conditioner because the shampoo is so great), and I was stunned at how beautiful they make my hair look and feel.  They are sulfate free, do not strip hair and smell fantastically fresh!  I love this line and am excited to try more of what they have to offer.  They have a line for color-treated which I can only imagine is equally amazing.  No more thoughts of Shia - just Shielo.  Hooray!

Note:  Samples of the above were sent to me by a PR representative working with Shielo. 

Precious Oil

Pureology's Precious Oil is my hair's new best friend. Serious this multi-tasker of an oil reduces frizz, gives my hair amazing shine and has seriously prolonged my color (I'm not even kidding, it's incredible!).  I thought it might weigh my hair down, but it does the opposite.  You only need a few smal drops to make an amazing difference in both shine and texture of your hair.  And if that wasn't enough to run right out and buy the stuff, it smells yummy (think beachy coconut smell).  Best hair oil EVER!  Thanks, Pureology!!

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with Pureology.

Extend Your Color

I have been so into the new trend of bold hair color streaks.  Every time I see a celebrity with one of the new colored 'do's in a magazine, I want it.  But let's face it, most of us can't jump on the bandwagon for a lot of reasons - time, maintenance, expense...  I may work in a creative field, but as much as I loved Kate Bosworth's blue dipped streaks, I don't know if I can pull them off on a permanent basis, or how they'd go over at work.  (Plus, I have to admit, after my traumatic Sun-In experience in 7th grade, I am loathe to play around with anything permanent that isn't done by a professional or even if it is, that could potentially really mess up my normal dark brown shade).  That's why I'm loving Milani Hair's Clip In Hair Extensions.  They're available in five different funky shades - Purple, Blue, Green, Fuchsia and Red - and at only $14.99, they couldn't be more affordable.  Each package has two  strips of 20" length hair in it - it's a good length for those of us with long hair, but if your hair is shorter, it's easy to cut to your perfect length.  Even better is how easy they are to use.  So, so simple. The top of each strip has a clip on it that functions exactly like a barrette - you snap it open, then position it in your hair, then just snap it closed.  It is literally impossible to mess up.  I'm terrible at doing my own hair (seriously, if I try to do anything fancy, it looks like I let a kindergartner wield the brush) and even I mastered this in under a minute.  The shades themselves are super bright and fun too.  I tried Purple and Red and I love the way they complement my dark brown locks and give it a fun pop of color.  Plus, the fact that they're temporary makes them even more fun to play with.  I can throw them in my bag and just clip them in after work if I'm going to happy hour or out with friends.  I might have to pick up the rest of the shades and keep them around, just because you never know when you're gonna want to channel your inner wild child.  So fun!

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with Milani Hair

Make Your Voice Count

Are you a person who likes to takes surveys?  Because my secret confession is that I kinda am.  Even if it's some silly one question poll on like, People.com about Jennifer Aniston's hair, more often than not I'll click on my answer.  I have no idea why.  I guess I just enjoy a good poll!  If you're like me, you'll be interested to hear about L'Oreal's new "2012 Hair Color Census."  Here's all the official info on it:

Have you ever wondered if blondes really do have more fun OR if brunettes truly are the brainiest?  In hopes of getting to the bottom of these hair color stereotypes once and for all, L’Oréal Paris is asking women of ALL hair hues to take the “2012 Hair Color Census,” presented by the brand’s Healthy Look Crème Gloss Hair Color.

Designed to take natural hair color up a notch, Healthy Look Crème Gloss’ digital and interactive “Turn It Up” Facebook campaign invites readers to express their hair color identity by …

Taking the Hair Color Census – Stand up for your shade by answering a short series of questions.  In the coming months, L’Oréal Paris will reveal the findings and set the record straight!  Find out which hair color group is deemed to be the wildest, the most trust-worthy and what else (besides at-home hair color) everyone wishes could be achieved in 10 minutes …

Enhancing Your Facebook Page – Just like natural hair color can always use a little boost, so can our Facebook photos!  Add some glamour to your “social” life thanks to tools for creating customized cover photos, wallpaper and poster images, including editing options for adding a touch of sparkle and cool quotes/artwork to celebrate your hair shade (i.e. Life is Better Blonde).

Experiencing Shade Inspiration AND  Entering to Win – Upload “Before & After” images of your Healthy Look Crème Gloss Color experience for a chance to win a year’s worth of FREE hair color.  Plus, check out the “Who’s Turned It  Up?” image gallery for hair color inspiration and find the Healthy Look Crème Gloss shade that’s right for you.  Bonus: a downloadable $2-off coupon is the perfect excuse to get coloring.

As far as the results, L'Oreal will be getting out the headlines at a later date, but in the meantime, you can click here to check out the app and take the census.  Enjoy, fellow poll people!

Get Taffy Whipped!

Surface Hair Care has released a special-edition Taffy Whip with 10% of all profits going to support Earth Day 2012.  And if that wasn't reason enough to get excited and purchase "the whip" as I have dubbed it, this stuff is the real deal of texturizers!  I love the way it makes my hair look piece-y without the sticky-icky mess that so many texturizers leave in my hair.  You only need a bit, but the results are stunning - it's my new fave texturizer (and it smells of lavendar and vanilla which is lovely!)  The whip is phthalate free and boasts a 100% humidity proof formula, guaranteeing impeccable style and hold.  I love Taffy Whip and I also love taffy (the candy).  Pretty sweet all around.

Calling All Curls!

 

My good friend Kasey has uber-curly, beautiful hair.  When I asked her what she considered to be her go-to products, she didn't even hesitate a moment and screamed "DevaCurl!"  She gushed and gushed and finally I suggested she put some pen to paper to share her experience for all those curly-haired PWs readers out there.  Here you go, folks, a first-hand account from the curliest chick I know!

In the past, I have been a bit of a commitmentphobe when it comes to hair products.  Two pumps into any new bottle of gel, shampoo, conditioner or mousse and I would already be thinking about the next bigger and better thing I was going to buy.  To be fair, this phobia to commit to products is partially hereditary.  However, the main reason is due to the fact that I have incredibly thick curly hair which pretty much has been the bane of my existence since about the age of six, when I came to the sad realization that my hair was never going to feather (sigh…).  So for the past thirty years, I have been in search of a product that would give some control and definition to the mass of curls I have residing upon my head.

Introducing DevaCurl, a "complete collection of hair products specifically developed for a healthy, frizz free, easy to manage curly hair lifestyle."  I nabbed that quote from the company's website because it is completely true (or at least it is for me).  I pretty much use the entire line: shampoo, conditioner, gels and several other miscellaneous items like sprays that re-fresh your curls.  The shampoos and conditioners are low to no lather and sulfate free, which means you can use them every day without drying out your hair or stripping your hair color.  The gel is light and has a pleasant scent, but you can't skimp on quantity.   You need to use a fair amount of it to get results.  Also, the company recommends a particular way of using the products, which at first seems like it won't matter, but they know what they're talking about and following their guidelines makes a big difference. I won't go into the whole procedure right now, since it is a little involved, but I do recommend if you're interested in the products going to a salon and having someone familiar with the products explain how to use them.  On a side note, the products are reasonably priced, with the shampoos and conditioners running around $20 for a decent sized bottle.  If I had any complaints about DevaCurl it would be that I wish there was a little more variety in terms of scents.  I really like DevaCurl and think if you have challenging curly hair you should give it a try.

Second Day Sexy

If you're like me, you LOVE how your hair feels the day after you wash it.  The texture is that crazy-sexy almost beachy wave with extra thickness.  The huge negative is that my bangs always look super-yuck the day after and my hair tends to be very crimped from sleeping so it's difficult to wear it down (I have very thick hair).  Also there's the general feeling of my hair being dirty which bums me out.  Enter Second Day by Unite - my problems are completely solved.  This awesome texturizing paste literally gives your hair the day-after-washing look and feel but without my sacrificing the smoothness of my bangs.  It's so, so awesome and holds for the entire day.  This is one texturizer that no one should be without.  If you haven't experienced Unite products before, definitely go to the site because they are fantastic.  I am a huge fan and I know you will be too.

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with Unite

Color Protect with Shielo

It's kind of stunning how fast my color fades.  Honestly, I felt like I was coloring my hair and two weeks later my shade was already faded.  I am pretty damn psyched to have found Shielo Strengthening Shampoo and Reflecting Conditioner as they have made all the difference in preserving my color-treated hair!  This line is sulfate-free, contains a very low pH level and actually strengthens at the roots.  While I haven't noticed my hair stronger, so to speak, I have noticed my color still looks fantastic and my hair is bouncy and shiny (three things that make me very happy).  Bonus, the shampoo and conditioner smell yummy (jasmine) so I smell delightful the better part of the day (well my head does anyway).  I noticed that they are having a big holiday sale where everything is half-off on their site!  Score!  I felt like I just won money off a scratcher.

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with Shielo

POP in these hair pieces

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  Now that we've stuffed our faces with turkey, cranberry sauce (in the delightful can) and more amounts of pie than I can even admit to myself, it's time to gear up for good 'ol Black Friday.  While there seem to be mass amounts of awesome deals (Sephora, for one, has that 10 for 10 thing happening), I am all about great deals where you don't have to sleep on the street and fight crowds at midnight. So on this lovely Thanksgiving Day, I give thanks for these awesomely cheap hair pieces called POP (Put On Pieces).  They are synthetic (no animals were harmed in the making of   these - which honestly made me think of that all the turkey pardoning today which is why I had to post now), super affordable (10.00) and they look awesome on!  I am digging the 16 inch Tiger Print one in pink - looks so fantastic, especially with dark hair.  Oh, and they are heat friendly so you can curl and straighten to your heart's content.  Oh, and bonus - you can get them online so you don't have to brave the Black Friday crowds.

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with POP

Everyone Loves Elnett

I don't wear hairspray much anymore, which stems from an incident in college where some friends and I dressed up for Halloween as sexy vampires (I know, we had about as little creativity as you can get) and teased our hair.  My hair was really long at the time, so we super-teased it into this crazy mop of ratted knots, basically.  Clearly, no one was thinking ahead because it literally took me almost two weeks of washing it constantly and brushing it all the time and about $50 worth of leave in conditioner sprays from the drugstore to get it even semi-back to normal.  It sucked.  So it basically scared me away from hair products for years.  I got back on the wagon about five years ago, but still, unless it's absolutely necessary, I don't use hairspray.  But when I do, it's always L'Oreal's Elnett.  As far as hairsprays go, it's the gold standard.  It holds all night, but it doesn't make my hair crunchy or remind me of Halloween's past when I try to wash it out.  And it's widely available and not expensive, so it's kind of the perfect hair solution.  Apparently, Olivia Munn likes it even more than I do because she's got an entire basket of cans.  (I admire a girl who doesn't even pretend to show any beauty restraint.  Restraint is overrated when it comes to products.  More is always better!)  Also, I like her top a lot.  It's fun, right?  I wish I looked that cute during my Target runs!