Your Hair Will Thank You With Shininess

This lovely little bottle is precisely what I’ve been missing in my life. My foray into the ombre effect hair world has left my poor strands damaged and dry. While I love the look, I don’t love all of my resulting split ends. Also, for many, many years (or, um, just over 30 of them) I was not aware that I needed to put product on my hair BEFORE drying and styling it. This, from someone who devours fashion and beauty magazines and websites like they’re the last ever cupcakes off the Hostess assembly line (side note: WHY GOD WHY?!).

Yes, apparently I am that dense.

Bleached ombre ends or not, I’ve finally jumped on the clue bus (got a few steps on with John Frieda a while back) and will happily enjoy the ride with ECRU New York Acacia Protein Oil.  With this serum, there are no parabens, it’s color safe, and it includes a bunch of awesomely hair-healthy sounding ingredients like Acacia Collagen, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Almond, Apricot Kernel and Extra Virgin Argan Oils.

I found it worked best with my fine hair two ways:

1)      When applied to damp hair from halfway down ONLY. My bangs have a tendency to get a little too greasy looking for my liking on their own and this definitely didn’t help.

2)      When applied to the ends of dry hair. Totally tamed my fly-aways and added shine.

Follicular-ly fantastic! 

(Try saying that five times fast!)

Feeling Frieda

For too many years to count I have sadly been involved in BHB- Bad Hair Behavior. 

That's right. I straightened. I colored. I curled. I even crimped. Not to mention using the blow dryer on high in order to speed up the primping process. And I did all this without any sort of hair protector. The damage is currently evident in my split ends and daily frizz. Even with a great hair cut, if I don't change my ways, this damaging cycle will continue. Which is why I am so excited to have found the John Frieda Frizz-Ease Original Formula Hair Serum. 

Frizz-Ease is beloved across the beauty industry board and was even voted Allure Magazine's 2011 Reader's Choice Award. The accolades are well deserved. Dispensing one pump of this fine concoction throughout the lower ends of my battered soaking wet tresses truly brought it back to life. My hair felt soft, looked shiny and those wretched split ends weren't so noticeable. I can only imagine the wonders it shall do once I get a necessary upcoming trim! 

Nick Chavez: Cello-Gloss

Nick Chavez
Cello-Gloss

You probably don't know Nick unless you're an avid QVC watcher/shopper. A few years ago, my mom was hooked on Nick.
I finally tried his Cello-Gloss product, which is supposed to add shine and renew hair color, for those damaged (aka fried) or just looking a little worse for chemical indulgences.
Having recently gotten highlights - the first sign of spring - I thought I'd give them a little help in retaining their luminescent loveliness. Here's how it went:
Take shower, shampoo hair. Pour out shockingly dark product, consistency similar to runny conditioner. Notice a slight yet unpleasant smell. Massage into hair, as directed, creating taupe foam. Place shower cap on. Rinse off, get out of shower, wrap up in towel. Re-read directions and wonder who the hell is going to run their hair dryer for 15 minutes straight. I make it 10 before getting totally fed up and wondering if the motor on my dryer is going to burn out. Meanwhile, little trails of brown water are drippling down my neck and cleavage. Get back in shower, rinse out product and re-shampoo in cold water. Shivering ensues. Get out, don the ever luxe towel turban, get dressed, etc. After the usual 15 minutes in the turban, I blow dry.
Result: The dullest looking hair I've ever had! Cursing ensues. Thank God I hadn't planned on leaving the house!
Conclusion: I hate Nick and his stinkin' product! Later, I dumped the rest of the bottle down the drain and happily placed it in the recycling bin! Ba-bye!