Hair Care, Personal Hair Care

With the weather starting to feel like summer, I’ve been on the hunt for products to keep me moisturized and protected from the sun from head to toe. As to not to exclude hair, I tried out Davines’ SU Sun Care line, which is a range of hair care products to help combat sun and summer fun consequences. I’ve been using the Moisturizing Replenishing After Sun Shampoo ($19.50) for the past month and a half, and I’m loving how soft my hair is.

It has a very earthy/herbal-y kind of scent, but it doesn’t turn me off. I think I am holding neutral on the scent, which is fine, because it doesn’t linger beyond washing my hair. My only concern with this product is the packaging, because I found that it was really easy to get more than you wanted. The way I fixed this was just being conscious of it.

Otherwise, it’s been doing a fab job of keeping my hair looking healthy and feeling silky. When we get deeper into summer, I’m definitely giving the Nourishing Replenishing Mask a try!

13 Bridal Hairstyles for Brides To Be

Guy Kremer created this modern up-do. Sweep hair to the sides, splitting just off-center. Pin and gather hair into a bun, pulling some pieces/sections out and twist.

See twelve more hairstyles for your big day!

Royston Blythe Salon created this sleek up-do by using large rollers on hair, then pinning them up on either side.

The Urban Retreat Artistic Team created a sleek, twisted up-do by knotting the back of the hair into twists, then securing with bobby pins. This style is recommended for long hair.

The Royston Blythe Artistic Team modeled this look after an elegant, vintage bride. They used L’Oreal Professional products to create the tousled curls that are loose at the bottom as well as additional curls piled on the top of the head.

For a messier bridal look, try loose, tousled curls pinned on top of the crown, with a few curls left to hang loosely by the sides of your face.

Stylist Vivienne Mackinder created this sophisticated up-do by setting hair in rollers, then pinning pieces in the front to create a “pouf”. The back of the hair was pinned up and teased for voulme.

Anne Veck was inspired by the “American Dream,” when created this look. Bangs are left loose and slightly swept to the side, while the back of the hair is softly curled with a medium-sized barrel curling iron. A tiara is added to the top of the head to help hold and add shape to the style.

Again, stylist Anne Veck used the “American Dream,” to set the tone for this look. Similarly styled to the previous hairstyle, this look is all about soft waves and romantic curls.

Go for a simple, but soft look like this one styled by Anne Veck. Pin bangs to the side, while leaving one piece to fall and frame the face. Twist the sides of the hair and then secure with pins. Curl and brush out to create loose curls to hang in the front and back.

Ishoka Salon created this youthful hairstyle by using a large braid as the centerpiece.

If you’re all about volume and big hair, consider tighter curls. Pin the majority up and tease to make it look playful, but allow a few to fall.

Sometimes simple is the best way to go. A mixture of curling and waves makes this bride look effortless and gorgeous at the same time.

Using mousse, style bangs to add slight volume, then use to sleek and sculpt bangs to frame the side of the face. Pin a large flower to the opposite side for bridal beauty.

10 Bridal Hairstyles for Brides To Be

Royston Blythe styled this model’s hair into a modern up-do by crimpnig hair, lighting backcombing it, and adding extensions by Racoon International. Try this voluminous up-do that’s both feminine and romantic. Allow a few tendrils to escape the ‘do to frame your face. If you have bangs, you can add a volumizing product and lightly blow dry them to give them some height. Using a glittering hair pin helps to accent the entire hairstyle.

See nine more wedding hair styles!

The Royston Blythe Salon created this “vintage bride” look by adding hair extensions by Racoon International. They styled the hair by pinning it loosely in place for a “sexy in the city” look.

Go sexy and youthful with this twist on a ponytail. Royston Blythe used Racoon International hair extensions to add additional pieces to complete the look. Hair was tonged with large barrel tongs, then pinned into a loose ponytail.

Look like a princess on your wedding day! Royston Blythe recommends this look for a classic bridal look with a fringe and lots of messy curls in the back. To add volume and create the “puff”, take a large section of hair from the top of your head, tease it, and pin it into a bun. The addition of a glitzy tiara completes the look.

The Royston Blythe Artistic Team modeled this look after sexy model Bridget Bardot. Create tousled height, then pin into place at the crown leaving the rest of the curls to fall onto the shoulders.

Stylist Richard Ward created this classy up-do/twist by weaving hair together in pieces, then holding together with well-placed bobby pins.

Bernard Connolly styled this model with an image of elegance in mind. With a sleek swept up bang on one side and shiny, pinned up curls on the other side. Make sure you blow dry hair with a round brush to add volume. You’ll likely want to use hot rollers or regular rollers and let your hair dry, then define your curls with a large barrel curling iron.

Stylist Patrick Cameron used a simple braiding/twist technique to create this elegant look. He added glamour by placing jewelled hair accessories on the lower part.

Claibornes Salon swept up all of the model’s hair into an easy up-do. They pinned and piled loose curls on the top of the hair, and they let a few tendrils fall. The insertion of a glittering flower intensifies this hairstyle.

Hair stylist Anne Veck wanted bridal elegance, and she did so with these sleek, vintage curls kept close to the scalp.

Note: Not every hairstyle will work for you, and not every hairstyle would suit your personal style. These are hairstyles on models for wedding/bridal photoshoots for salons, and on that count, they may be more dramatic than your typical bride would prefer.� It’s a collection of various styles to showcase different textures, themes, and coifs–not just classic updos.

Oscar Blandi Pronto Wet Instant Volumizing Shampoo & Conditioner ($24.00 each) are new and available only at Sephora. The shampoo helps remove product and dirt build-up while adding volume to your tresses. The set is also meant to work in conjunction with Oscar Blandi’s Pronto Dry Shampoo for those who are busy bees and can’t always find time to wash their hair (or just need an extra day or two between washes!). Both the shampoo and conditioner are scented with a lemony-citrus fragrance.

The conditioner helps to hydrate and detangle hair while also adding volume. It uses AquaFlex technology, which is a polymer that “coats the hair, delivering body, water-resistance, a non-sticky finish, and remarkable manageability for a magnificent mane—rain or shine.” Both products are formulated without GMO, parabens, petro-chemcials, phthalates, sulfates, or synthetic dyes. It also does not contain PPG, MEA, DEA, TEA, or formaldehyde donors. These products have also not been tested on animals.

My hair is pretty thick, so products that say “volume” tend not to work for me. I allow them to admit defeat with dignity, though, knowing that they had a very uphill battle when attempting to add volume to my hair. I did feel like my hair felt lighter, and it dried a little faster than usual when I let it air-dry. In terms of volume, I wouldn’t say my mane reached its full volumizing potential, but it did get a little boost that was nice for those days when I’m too lazy to style my hair (aka most of the time).

I’m actually a big fan of citrus-based scents, so the lemony fragrance didn’t bother me, though I’ve heard others mention it’s a bit too strong. I can’t tell you the same, as I liked it and was happy to have my shower smell like fresh squeezed lemons. The shampoo is more heavily scented than the conditioner based on my experience thus far, though.

Despite being sulfate-free, the Pronto Wet Shampoo does a great job of lathering up so I feel like I can get a good cleaning going on. I just find that without the lather, I’m not really sure where the product is getting, so I’m always worried I’m missing spots. I also think my hair eats shampoo/conditioner, so without the lather, it’s tough to get the product all over without using a ton.

My hair felt softer, healthier, and it had a really nice shine to it overall. I have to qualify my review a bit and let you know that my hair isn’t particularly fussy. It’s quite healthy on its own–as a result of rarely coloring or styling it–and no real texture or unruly problems like frizzy curls either. For those looking for more natural shampoo/conditioners, this is a good bet. The price isn’t too steep, because the bottles will last you several months (they’ll probably last me at least six months. And hey, if you like lemon, I think you might really like these!

Only at Sephora

TRESemme’s 24 Hour Body Collection features a full range of hair care products ranging from shampoo/conditioner to styling products like sculpting gels and foaming mousse. I personally wanted to try out their 24 Hour Body Conditioner and the 24 Hour Body Root Boost (’cause y’all know I need some root lifting like nobody’s business!)

The Conditioner is described as a lightweight conditioner that helps to keep it soft and prep it for volumizing products. I would completely and emphatically have to agree with its ability to make your hair feel like silk. It smells like traditional shampoo/conditioners — lightly perfume-y fragrance, but nothing too distinct. I didn’t find the scent was heavy or overwhelming. I like a very soft scent, and if it lingers, it’s fine, I just don’t want to have a cloud of it around my head, so this one worked out for me. The Conditioner is also a really good budget beauty item to have, because for under $10, you get 32 fl. oz. of product (aka a huge bottle)!

The Root Boost worked surprisingly well! First, my roots are heavy. All of my hair heavy–super thick and way too much of it. This kind of makes all volumizing, lifting, etc. products have a tough hill to climb to work. I spritzed this on my roots alone (though they say you can use it for all over volume, too), blow dried, and voila! I had a great hair day, because the top of my head wasn’t totally flat. I found that my hair also didn’t fall flat after an hour or two (as it is prone to do), which was a huge plus. I know the product talks about thickening hair up, but I can’t speak to that–my hair is naturally thick and I couldn’t really tell. This is definitely now part of my hair styling arsenal. Whenever I blow out my hair now, this is a must-use product!

See my good hair day…

P.S. If my bangs are lookin’ a little different, it’s because I cut them myself, LOL. They just grow out ridiculously fast, and my stylist isn’t particularly close to me (and I’m busy), so I never get around to trimming them. Enter in Temptalia’s “bright” idea of self-chopping. I think it went OK, though they were initially too short. I figured within a couple of days, I’d have the perfect length anyway!

Marco Santini pictured on the right (in blue)

Marco Santini is the co-founder of Ion Studio, and he has been in the beauty industry since 1986 (that’s the year I was born!). Ion Studio recently opened up in 2008, and it is Manhattan’s first green salon–it used recycled and eco-friendly building materials and it is powered by wind.

“There is magic behind a good haircut,” says Marco of the switch. “Very few things can make a person feel as beautiful and confident, and I have yet to find something more rewarding than styling.”

Marco shared these awesome how-tos on getting the best curls at home for Temptalia readers:

Hair How-to: Waves

To create Botticelli waves, prep damp hair with a product like Davines Defining Texturizer to help hold the curl. Dry hair completely. Facing the mirror, hold a one inch medium-sized curling iron with the tip of the iron facing down. Take large sections and twist hair around the iron, rolling the sections of hair perfectly down to the end. Hold each section around the iron for 20 seconds. After each section, use a mild hairspray like Davines Defining Invisible Hairspray. When all of the sections are complete, use a soft brush to brush out the curls. This will soften curls, achieving a more natural wave.

Hair How-to: Spiral Curls

To create spiral curls, make sure to have hair pins close by. Separate hair in large sections from the hairline at the neck to the middle of the ear and from temple to temple. Hold the curling iron with the tip facing upwards towards your head, take a small piece of hair from one of the sections. Use the blade of the iron to hold the hair in place while you wrap each section around the iron. Let the hair set on the iron for 20 seconds. When it is done, keep the curl intact by pinning the section close to the scalp. Repeat this technique until all sections are complete. When you’re finished with all of the sections, remove the pins. Run your fingers through the tights spirals to loosen them up. Flip your head upside down while shaking the curls. This will add volume to the top and defined spiral curls throughout the head.

Lush Retread Conditioner ($22.35 for 8.4 fl. oz.)

I’m usually a big fan of Lush products, but this product left me wanting more. I found that this conditioner didn’t work as well as conditioners I’ve tried in the past (AG Hair, Herbal Essences, etc.), but what dismayed me is I felt like I needed to use quite a bit in order to cover all the hair I wanted to condition. I feel like if I used this as my regular conditioner, I’d probably go through the jar in a month–and I have shorter hair now! I think the problem I have with it is I can’t “work it in.” It just feels like it stays put wherever it first comes in contact with my hair, so I can’t spread it or work it through my hair at all.

The scent of Retread is an organic-floral kind of scent. There’s that more traditional organic scent (though not nauseating), but you can sniff a little perfume-y floral-ness to it, as well. The scent does linger a bit in the hair after rinsing the product out, and it’s one of those smells you either love, can put up with, or just hate. Since it lingers, you’ll want to try to do a sniff-test before you bring it home with you! (I was mostly indifferent, personally!)

I do feel this product is better suited as a leave-in conditioner or a hair mask worn for five minutes or so outside of the shower with damp-to-almost-dry hair. I think wrapped up in plastic, it will condition better. Since it would be used more as a treatment than part of your day-to-day routine, it would also allow you to stretch the product out over time and get more value out of it.

AG Hair Cosmetics dv8 texture spray ($20.00) is a spray designed to define, texturize, and style hair without giving you build-up at the end. I like to spray it on damp to dry hair to help add texture and make my hair look more “piece-y.” What’s great about this product is you can spray it into your roots, blow dry, and then you’ll see some nice volume and definition. You can also just use it to keep your hair a little more “in place.”

Trust me, I’m lazy in the morning. I’m even lazier because I spend most of my day blogging in my home or going to school, so there’s just few occasions where I need to get dressed to the nines. I’ve grown accustomed to lazing around, playing with the puppy, and the like, so any product that can multi-task I get excited over. This is why dv8 is so exciting, because it’s very much like a pomade, but it’s in a spray formula. It can do so much in so little time, and you don’t have to get pomade all over your hands either.

Use this to help cut back the time you spent getting ready in the New Year — it launches in North America January 1st, 2009.

Frederic Fekkai Spray On Hair Crystals ($18.50) is sophisticated glitter for your hair. Launched at a perfect time when holiday parties abound, this product is a fun and flirty foray into hair glitter. If you’re wary of glitter in the hair, the particles are very fine and lightweight–not like craftstore glitter in the least. I don’t find that this product gunks up my hair or acts like a hair spray (doesn’t give me any hold really…), which is a plus, in my book. I’d hate it if it made my hair hard and crunchy!

It took some experimentation to really get the product to work for me. You can’t just do short spritzes, you have to press and hold and let it mist all over your hair, then release. When I did short spritzes, you could hardly see any glitter. It made a huge difference to hold it down and apply in a single hold. I really liked the result — it was this soft mist of fine crystals all over my hair. Very festive! If it was fashionable (and you know, super inexpensive) to go around with hair glitter everyday, I would so be there.

Each bottle contains 45+ uses according to the bottle packaging, which is good, I suppose. I really don’t know what to expect in terms of usage, and I’m sure it’ll vary from person to person depending on how much you use in each setting. It comes in three shades (champagne, copper, and bronze) — and you’re probably best off going with the one opposite your natural hair color. I have both copper and bronze, and I do like them–I think I prefer copper just a tad more. For me, it really works because of the soft brown-red tones in my hair. I gotta return one of them (I think it’s bronze), because the spray nozzle stopped functioning after about four or five usages :( But I’ll be exchanging it for a new one, rather than returning it altogether.

My biggest beef with this product is the scent.� IT STINKS!� It only stinks when you’re spraying it–which is this scent of chemicals up the wazoo–so the scent doesn’t linger in your hair or anything.� I think I might not be used to hair products, because maybe if I was, I wouldn’t be so adverse to this.� Like I said, though, the scent is only when you’re initially spraying it on your hair and then it is gone.

Anyone else try this? What’d you think?

P.S. — No photos, because this doesn’t photograph well.� I tried on about four different occasions to no avail! Sorry! :(

Stylist David John shares these three quick and easy styles for fabulous holiday hair in minutes!

Stand apart from the sleek stands of seasons past by adding some curls! Run a large barrel curling iron through hair and create a strong side part. Spray each section with hairspray before curling to create a crisper curl. Not only does this protect hair from heat, but also makes for a sexy, retro glam look.

Go for the gusto and treat yourself to a clip-on hair extension! Available in Sally’s Beauty, choose a color that matches your own or have your own hair dyed to match. Clip in the back for added length/fullness. Wear curly, straight, in a sleek high ponytail or chic low bun. Extensions are easy, breezy, versatile and fun!

Glam up your ponytail. Super sexy and playful, simply create a side part and brush hair back with hair spray. Ponytail should be medium to low height and secured. Take small piece of hair and wrap about rubber band to conceal. Fasten with bobby pin or sparkly barrette for an elegant twist.