A brush is a brush is a brush.  Right?  Wrong!  FHI Heat is out to prove you 100% wrong about what your brush needs are.  They recently launched a professional brush series that is supposed to restore your hair’s natural resiliency and shine as you use them.  The science behind this uses the same technology as FHI Heat’s blow dryers, which basically creates negative ions.  When negative ions are heated, they help lock moisture into the follicle and keep hair looking glossy.

Did I love ‘em?  Read the rest of this entry »

Spa Sister’s Microfiber Hair Towel($12.00) purports to quickly absorb moisture from the hair.  It’s supposed to reduce the amount of time you’ll spend blow drying your hair.  The towel is a big bigger than a regular hand towel (the “medium” sized towel - bigger than a wash cloth, smaller than a bath towel), and it is incredibly lightweight and feels quite thin.  I imagine it’s the microfiber that keeps it so featherweight.  I have long, thick hair, so I’m always on the lookout for anything that minimizes my drying time, so I jumped on this product when I heard about it.

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You know how people always recommend that you get a professional bikini wax done before attempting it yourself at-home? Well, LISTEN TO THEM! I am telling you from experience that this is probably the best way to go about it. You will see how it should be done; you get a real, live visual experience and can file it away for future use. It is not to say that my at-home bikini waxing experience was regrettable, but it did not go as smoothly as it could have gone.

I recently received Parissa’s Quick & Easy 2-in1 Roll-On Body Sugar ($19.99) waxing kit that’s good for legs, body, eyebrows, face, and bikini. So it’s pretty much the mega-kit of waxing kits because it’s ready to take on any unwanted hair wherever it may grow! You also get 20 large, reusable (!!) wax strips. Yes, I said reusable, and yes, they really are reusable!

The best part about the wax kit is the wax itself. It is a sugar-based wax that you heat up quickly in the microwave, then roll onto the hairy bit. Apply the wax strip, then remove lightning-fast in the opposite direction as the hair growth. It isn’t painless, don’t let someone fool you that it’s painless! There may be some lucky ladies who don’t experience much pain, but for the rest of us? Probably some involved. The faster you do it, the less painful it is–much like pulling a bandaid off. Back to why the wax itself is awesome: it washes off with complete ease. No matter if you’re a pro and get the job done or if you can’t get it and want to give up, you can wash off any excess or residual wax easily with lukewarm water. What I like about it is this means you don’t have to worry about sticky wax clinging around, but also if you can’t handle it or it’s not working out–you can pack up the kit and not have to keep truckin’.

The second best part is the reusable strips. The strips are large, which is great for larger parts of your body (I imagine you might be able to cut and trim if you wanted to be all DIY with it), and since the wax dissolves so easily, the strips rinse right now. I set them out on a towel to dry, and then back in the box they go.

I give this kit a big thumbs up! It’s budget-friendly, will last you awhile (with the reusable strips–also eco-friendly), and it’s pretty easy to use. The only exception is I advise anyone wanting to use it for the bikini area to make sure they have a good grasp on how to do it and not just go gung-ho into it (like I did, stupidly!).

Get Parissa at Ulta, Whole Foods, and www.parissa.com.

It took me awhile before I was swayed by the abilities of higher end hair dryers. I mean, I had survived for years off of a travel-size hair dryer from some random brand. Granted, I also loathed to dry my super thick and too long hair, so I seldomly did so. Enter the T3 Featherweight. Fell in love with the concept that I could actually blow dry my hair in a whopping five minutes–yes, five minutes!

Eager to try out other brands, I tested out FHI Heat’s Nano Salon Pro 1900 ($270.00), which is a bit more heavy duty than my Featherweight. What I disliked about the Featherweight (mostly the placement of the buttons) is not present in the Nano Salon Pro. I love that there were two speed and three heat settings you could change (plus the cool shot button). Also, unlike the Featherweight, the Nano Salon Pro comes with a diffuser already, which is great. No extra shopping around or trying to find one that works and fits well… (I never bothered to find one, as I’m hair-stupid anyway!)

It dried my hair about as fast as the Featherweight (perhaps a minute or two more), but it definitely impressed me as much as I remember the Featherweight did when I first used it, compared to old school blow dryers. The handle on the Nano Salon Pro is more ergonomic, which is good for my carpal tunnel ridden wrists!

I liked this blow dryer, and it is less expensive than the Featherweight (plus, on sale at Misikko!)–all positives in my book! With the buttons in a place where you’re not always in danger of accidentally turning your dryer off, I think this one is a bit better than the Featherweight. I ended up passing this on to my mom, though, because she blow dries her hair more often and could actually utilize the different heat/speed settings. (Hey, like I said, I’m totally a dunce about hair, so simple is all I really need!)

Find FHI Nano Salon Pro 1900 at www.misikko.com.

Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Relaxing Balm ($15.95) is a lightweight balm to help smooth stray hairs and strands that is humidity resistant. It is meant to work in conjuction with your blow dryer, so be sure to apply this to towel-dried hair (e.g. damp hair), and then blow dry to finish smoothing. The scent of the Super Skinny Relaxing Balm is a subtle green apple, which ends up drying down virtually scentless (that’s probably a good thing!). This is very much a uni-tasking product, and since my hair is low maintenance, I don’t personally have a need that this product fills. However, I do get stray flyaways from time to time, and this does reduce the amount I get, so that is helpful!

Find a salon near you that carries Paul Mitchell products at www.paulmitchell.com.

Biolage Scalptherapie Oil Control Treatment ($16.00)

The purpose of this product is to minimize the effects of oily scalp and hair with a “refreshing mist.” To apply, you simply mist it onto your scalp to ward off greasiness and flattening of your ‘do. As I am only getting into the world of hair products, I can’t say that I would incorporate this into my usual routine if only because it is such a targeted and specific product. I’m lucky enough that my hair doesn’t get noticeably greasy until day 3 of unwashed hair.

I liked using this on warmer days, because it was “refreshing” against my scalp, and it is a nice option to use when you’ve forgotten to wash your hair because you’re way too busy procrastinating over a Constitutional Law midterm.

Would you use this product? Have you?

Terax’s Crema ($20.00), Hydrate Botanica ($20.00), and Gloss ($16.00)

Crema is a daily conditioner suitable for all hair types that has a very light, more herbal-natural scent (though not the “bad” natural scent, ha!). It is an intense moisturizer that helps to heal and restore split ends and breakage. It is supposed to alter the pH level of your hair, open the cuticle to increase moisture, and reduce frizziness. To apply, add to damp hair after shampooing and leave on for 1-2 minutes. For deeper conditioning, leave on for up to fifteen minutes.

What I really liked about this was that it told me how long to leave it in my hair for, because I always wonder how long is the right amount for many hair care products (especially since I am hair care-stupid). I also loved that a small amount was enough for all of my long, thick hair, and I didn’t feel like it got stuck or used up halfway through application. I felt like it let me “spread” it all over my hair with a single dollop-always a huge plus in my book! And can I just say that deeper conditioning and regular conditioning in the same product is phenomenal?

Hydrate Botanica is a leave-in moisturizer that is supposed to help refresh normal and stressed hair. It is lightly scented with cucumber and green tea, culminating in a nice, herbal-esque aroma. It advertises its “Naturina Complex,” which is exclusive to Terax products. This particular complex includes Vitamins A-D, chamomile, yarrow, nettle, fennel, sage, and hops. It sure does sound natural to me! All of these extracts are meant to infuse hair with antioxidants to help against environmental damage to hair/scalp.

I’m not really a leave-in conditioner kind of gal, mostly because I am low-maintenance when it comes to hair. Less is totally more for me! It does leave my hair feeling soft, but I just always feel like I should be washing my hair after putting product in it, especially a conditioner. The scent is lightly floral and reminds me spring. Unlike traditional rinse-out conditioners, this product is much thinner and more liquid. I found that I had to be careful or else I would spill way more than I needed onto my palm. Overall, I felt like this would better serve someone who preferred or required a leave-in versus a rinse-out conditioner.

Gloss is a finishing serum to help tame flyaways with a concentrated silicone serum that also adds shine without weight (and there is no oil in it). They use Vitamin E to also protect against free radical damage (can I show my hair care ignorance-I didn’t know free radicals damaged the hair!). I really liked this for when I left my hair down, because I could easily smooth it over the crown of my head to minimize strays, frizzies, and flyaways, which I hate to see. The bottle is small in size (though I think you’ll get plenty of uses out of it), so it’s totally convenient to stash in your purse for on-the-run fixes.

Have you tried Terax products? If so, what did you think? Favorite products?

T3 Bespoke Labs Featherweight ($200.00)

T3’s Featherweight Dryer revolutionized styling for professionals and women everywhere with T3’s pioneering use of Tourmaline and innovative design. With its sleek, lightweight design, this dryer boasts up to 60% faster drying time than conventional dryers and controls the frizz, improves the shine and delivers healthy-looking, well-conditioned hair. Perfect for everyday use and a real time-saver in the morning.

The secret is T3’s patented Flawless process for infusing high-quality tourmaline deep into the ceramic componentry of the tools to create the maximum negative ions and far infrared heat, eliminating static electricity, decreasing drying times and creating sleeker, shinier, healthy-looking hair. As well as first-class patented technology, the range of T3 tools include premium features such as pro-length, swivel cords which ensure ease of use for top notch results.

Before I get the  dryer’s effectiveness, let me tell you more about my hair and routine, so you can understand my own expectations in a dryer.  I have normal hair in terms of dryness or oiliness, but I have a lot of hair, and it is very thick.  Whenever I go to my hairdresser, I am bound to hear, “You have enough hair for two heads!”  Generally, when I get my hair trimmed (layers), I also get it thinned a bit.  However, it has been quite awhile since I’ve had a trim, so I’m sporting fairly long hair (past my breasts), and it has thickened since my last thinning.

Normally, I never blow dry my hair dry from start to finish.  Usually, I throw my hair up in a towel for twenty minutes or so and vigorously use towel-drying to get rid of a lot of the water.  I’ll blow dry my hair in five minute intervals (I hate blow drying, it feels like such a waste of my time!), and it will take approximately 15-20 minutes of high-heat blow drying to dry completely.

I have been toying around with the idea of purchasing a more high-tech, high-end blow dryer, like the T3 Featherweight, which I have heard raves about.  The idea of paying $200 for a dryer is something that makes me cringe, because I simply could not believe that it would be worth it.  I mean, I’ve been using a Conair that I probably paid $20 for that’s travel-size with a retractable cord, so it was a big leap.

It is worth the price.  As soon as I received my T3 in the mail, I went to take a shower and wash my hair, because I could not wait to see whether it would live up to the hype.  I asked my boyfriend to time me from start to finish–I was going to stand there until it was done, no matter how much time went by–and guess what the time was?  Five minutes.  Five full minutes and my long, thick hair was entirely dry from root to tip.  For me, that’s about a 60 to 75% decrease in the amount of time I need to get my hair dry.   The way the air blows out is in a conical shape, sort of a precise shape, and it doesn’t come out too hot, despite being an 1800 watt dryer (whew!).  It is incredibly light, weighing in at 13 oz (honestly, it felteven lighter than that to me!), which is always a plus.  My hair also dried with good volume and few flyaways, which is always a concern. 

The only drawbacks about this product is that on the Featherweight model, you have two speed settings (high and low), plus a cool shot, but the speed settings is right on the handle and it is pretty easy to flip it on/off while admist drying.  I’d probably want more of a button than a flip switch, but I imagine you get used to it once you are conscious of it.  Also, I very much loved the retractable cord feature on my previous blow dryer, because it makes it a breeze to pack and put it away.  Nonetheless, these are small negatives, and the positives completely makeup for them.

I do wish I had tried out the Evolution model instead, after realizing how easy to use it would have been (I was totally intimidated by the eight speed/heat settings and whatnot–I thought it would be more dryer than I needed).  But when T3’s dryers come with a four year warranty, I don’t see the Evolution in my future any time soon!

Have you tried one of T3’s dryers?  Loved it?  Hated it?  Share your review!

– Get more information on T3 and its range at www.t3tourmaline.com.

SamyPure All Natural Smooth & Shine Shampoo/Conditioner ($5.99 each)

Sometimes I am skeptical about natural products, because I haven’t had the best experienes in the past with this genre of products. I am happy to say that SamyPure’s Shampoo and Conditioner system works as well as my last reviewed shampoo set by Herbal Essences. I actually found the shampoo lathered quite nicely! The scent is a pleasing spring-floral blend with just a touch of fruity sweetness underlying it (very, very subtle–not at all overwhelming).

I liked the way it felt in my hair, and it left my hair silky and smooth, which is always desirable (duh). I didn’t notice any change in my normal hair texture (I don’t have any hair problems, so I judge hair products’ effectiveness more on whether they give me hair problems), so I give this set a thumbs up.

I was thinking that it was a salon product, but in fact, it’s a drugstore product. Why did I think it was a salon product? Because it is a 100% Vegan product, which means no animal testing, no animal by-products, etc. I know several readers absolutely abhor animal testing, and some make sure that their products are Vegan-approved.

What’s great about drugstore products is you can often find a detailed list of ingredients and information about them online, like Walgreen’s has everything you need to know about this conditioner.

Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Shampoo & Conditioner (each $2.99 for 12 oz.) is part of Herbal Essences line of new products devoted to protecting and caring for long hair. Me? Yes, totally long hair, and I have always been a fan of the Herbal Essences line (really, I think from the beginning nearly!). I switch shampoo/conditioner often, but it was good to try their newest release.

I love the scent, which is red raspberries, because I am a raspberry addict. You know what’s great? I use these products, and I find myself compelled to match with philosophy’s raspberry sorbet shower gel! I digress… the scent is subtle, not overwhelming, and I found my hair was soft smelling throughout the day. It isn’t an overly sweet or cloying scent, so I think most people will enjoy it.

While my hair is far from fussy, I did notice that I could go longer between washes before my hair would seem oily (3 days versus usual 2). And these products do not do anything for drying time, I swear my hair dried faster since starting to use these (10 minutes versus 15, with a regular, aging blow dryer). I even asked the PR rep about the drying time, and she said it doesn’t–but it did for me!