Hair Care | Beauty and Fashion Tech

Tassi Now Available on Open Sky

I love my Tassi hair band (read previous Tassi Review). This simple little terry cloth band is so useful for keeping hair out of your face without ruining your hairstyle, and I also use it in the shower when I want a quick clean up without washing my hair.

I now have the Tassi available for sale in my Open Sky shop! A wide variety of colors are available and it is only $14.95. Check it out!

Popularity: 1% [?]

Hair Art Duet Brush

I love this straightening brush! The HairArt Duet Brush has ceramic plates that will retain heat and provide shine while you used the brush and your hair dryer to straighten your hair.

I found that the brush was quite easy to use—easier than a flat iron. Just like using a flat iron, it can get a bit tricky in back, but it was much easier for me to use in back than a flat iron is. I like the look better than that of a straight iron too. The brush allows you to straighten your hair without getting everything so stick straight that the hair is just flat. Basically, you can still have some bounce and body. The brush is also pretty effective for flipping ends up or under.

At $15, it is much cheaper than a flat iron as well!

Note: This review is based on a product given to me by a representative of the company. For more, please see my disclosure page.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Kate Winslet at the Golden Globes: Makeup By Lancome, Hair by Fekkai

Kate Winslet looked a beautiful as ever at the Golden Globes.

Kate Winslet appears backstage at the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards

Celebrity makeup artist Jillian Dempsey did Lancôme ambassador Kate Winslet’s makeup. Here is how:

Kate’s look was clean and luminous. Armani Luminous Silk Foundation showed off Kate’s naturally beautiful complexion. To create contoured cheekbones, Jillian used Avon Be Blushed in Blushing Nude and highlighted the cheeks with a brightener. Jillian Dempsey For Avon Professional Kohl Eye Liner in Navy played off the midnight hues of Kate’s dress. Several coats of Lancôme Hypnôse Mascara in Excessive Black really made Kate’s eyes pop. For Kate’s matte lip, which she requested, Jillian topped lip liner with Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge in Rich Cashmere for a soft, pretty finish.

For Kate Winslet’s hair, Renato Campora for Frederic Fekkai was inspired by the idea of a glamorous woman leaving her hotel room in a rush. He created a sexy, low chignon with an undone feel and lots of texture. Here is how to get the look:

On wet hair Renato applied FEKKAI COIFF™ STRONG HOLD VOLUME MOUSSE mixed with FEKKAI ADVANCED™ BRILLIANT GLOSSING™ CREAM. These two products together provide the right balance to create a texture that leaves the hair hydrated. With the hair still wet, he created a side part and placed pins curls throughout the entire head and dried the hair with a diffuser. Once the hair was 80 percent dry, he removed the pin curls. Renato used his fingers to produce texture and finished drying the hair with the diffuser. He then applied FEKKAI Salon Technician Color Care™ Anti-Fade Top Coat throughout the hair for shine. Next, he softened the ends by using a curling iron. He then applied the FEKKAI Au Naturel Dry Shampoo all over the head to give the final look some modernity and volume. After that, Renato formed the chignon, by pulling the hair down into a low pony tail; he wrapped the rubber band around once and created a loop with the hair when you take it through the pony tail the second time. Campora used long hair pins to secure the pieces to the side and played with the texture to make the chignon. He left loose pieces in the front to frame and soften the face. This allows the hair in the front to blend with the chignon in the back perfectly, so there is no contrast. Finally, he finished with FEKKAI Full Blown Volume™ Lifting Hairspray and dried with a diffuser to maintain the look.

By the way, Armani foundation is incredible, I can’t recommend it enough. Look for it, along with Lancome and Fekkai items, at Sephora.com.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Wen Hair Products

I haven’t tried Wen products, but had been thinking of trying the Wen Sweet almond Mint Texture Balm until I read the below article syndicated from Total Beauty. Now I think I’ll skip it. But I might order some of the Wen Cucumber Aloe Cleansing Conditioner!

Have you tried any Wen hair products?

Best and Worst of Wen

Wondering if Wen products really work or if it’s all hype? See what the buzz is about

You’ve probably seen a Wen infomercial, or if not, you may have heard of it. The all-natural brand was created by celebrity hair stylist Chaz Dean, and is “a new approach to the way you cleanse your hair.” TotalBeauty.com readers share their six favorite Wen products, as well as two they won’t be reordering.

See products

The Worst: No. 2: Wen Lavender Cleansing Conditioner, $28

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 5.9

“I could not do anything with my hair. It would not hold style or shape …”

No. 1: Wen Sweet Almond Mint Texture Balm, $26

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 4.4

“You have to be very careful otherwise your hair will stick together and get an almost greasy look to it …”

The Best: No. 6: Wen Tea Tree Cleansing Conditioner, $28

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 7.3

It “takes away dandruff, cleanses and conditions hair, strengthens hair [and] moisturizes” all in one …

Want to see the rest of the best? Click here!

Popularity: 1% [?]

Arbonne Hair Care Review

Arbonne is a Swedish Company that specializes in skin care and cosmetics. They also have a line of hair care products. Arbonne works through a consultant based system, so getting the products usually requires going through a consultant (Arbonne is a multi-level marketing MLM program). So, despite reading some rave reviews of Arbonne products, I put off actually doing any Arbonne reviews. Then I found some products on Amazon, so I purchased some. I am providing links to several different sources on there.

One of the first items I grabbed was an Arbonne FC5 Nourishing Daily Shampoo & Conditioner Set. I’m constantly looking for the perfect shampoo and conditioner and Arbonne made me rather happy with their FC5 items.

Arbonne FC5 Swiss Nourishing Daily Shampoo is color safe and moisturizing, without being too moisturizing—just what I was looking for. I have had oily hair lately, despite having highlights, and most shampoos formulated to deal with oil will strip color or make my ends too dry. So, the Arbonne shampoo was a decent middle road for me. The shampoo is fairly low lather, but not no later, and feels thick and rich. The smell is a bit interesting though, and was a bit strong for my tastes. It is kiwi, which I’m not a huge fan of. But it won’t keep me from otherwise using, liking, and recommending the product.

Arbonne FC5 Swiss Nourishing Daily Hair Conditioner is medium in texture. While the Arbonne conditioner doesn’t seem like it will detangle well when initially applied, it does a bang up job at it when rinsing. Like the shampoo, it also provided a nice middle road for me. I felt that I got sufficient detangling and moisture, yet my hair did not quickly get oily like it would with many other moisturizing brands. The scent from the conditioner was also not nearly as strong as it was with the shampoo.

Overall, I ended up with soft silky hair. The Arbonne FC5 hair care combo also did a great job at smoothing. I was able to blow my hair straight much easier with it than I often am able to do with other products. So there is another bonus. Arbonne products can be on the expensive side, but the shampoo was a good average price in my opinion. The conditioner container is a bit small for the price point, but you also do not need to apply as much of it to get decent conditioning.

Popularity: 1% [?]

DHC Light and Smooth Shampoo and Conditioner

I love DHC skin care products, especially their olive oil cleanser (read previous DHC cleanser review), but they have many other nice products as well. Lately, I have bee a fan of their hair care items.

New at DHC (or at least new to me) is their Light and Smooth Shampoo and Light and Smooth Conditioner . This combo has been perfect for my fairly normal hair that tends to get rather wavy when I want it it straight. The shampoo is moisturizing enough to smooth things, while the conditioner is light enough to also smooth, but not make my scalp oily, which is a problem for me lately with heavier conditioners. DHC Light and Smooth conditioner is also one of the best detanglers that I have used in awhile, which surprised me, considering the “light” in the name. But the light texture runs through the hair well and keeps tangles at bay.

DCH offers free samples with every order and if you get their catalog, it also always includes samples. If you want to try their olive oil skin care, also check out the DHC Olive Essentials Mini Set .

Right now, there is also free shipping for new DHC customers on orders of $75+

Popularity: 1% [?]

Total Beauty’s 10 Worst Hair Straightening Products

This material, syndicated from Total Beauty, is a bit interesting to me because I don’t really agree with their take on the shampoos/conditioners listed as long as you have dry hair. I suspect that the low ratings come from people with normal to oily hair hoping to get some straightening from them. Unfortunately, often the ingredients that best smooth hair do add some oil. Anyway, here it is:

10 Worst Hair Straightening Products

Want to get rid of frizz or curls? Steer clear of these products

Looking for a smooth, sleek, straight style? Well, don’t attempt one using any of these hair straightening products. TotalBeauty.com readers say the ones on this list left them with poufy, frizzy or worse — greasy — hair. Check them out so you know what to avoid.

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No. 10: L’Oreal Paris Vive Pro Smooth Shampoo, $3.99

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 6.5