Review: David Babaii for WildAid

Here's a hair truth: Most shampoos and conditioners are full of sulfates. Sulfates = salts = drying = sucks the color right out of your hair. And basically every shampoo on the shelf under $15 is full of them. Yeah, L'Oreal came out with Ever Pure and those are about $7 a pop, but they smell a bit manly I was convinced I could do better. Of course, I was right.

David Babaii for WildAid Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner smell like a delicious pina colada. Created by celebrity stylist David Babaii and hippie princess Kate Hudson to benefit global wildlife preservation organization WildAid, they're a trifecta of goodness: sulfate free, eco-friendly and cruelty free. (Can you imagine a reason to EVER test a hair product on anything but human hair? I simply can't. Hair is dead and it's a waste product.)

Price: $10 for 13.5oz.- and $1 of it goes directly to WildAid. It's nine parts an investment in preserving your dye job, one part charitable giving. When you think about it, its just a couple of dollars more than the L'Oreal junk. I bought mine at Ulta.

Verdict: Smells like a delicious pina colada. Conditioner needs to be left on for several minutes to do the job, which is kind of annoying. Beats Pureology in price and scent, but not in performance.

Ghetto Fix: Make Your Own Dry Shampoo

In an effort to make my color last longer, I've been trying to shampoo my hair less frequently. Unfortunately, with baby-fine hair, dirtiness = stringiness. Unacceptable. Time to try a dry shampoo.

The cheapest one I found was at Sally Beauty for $7.49 called Batiste - I spritzed a little and it smelled like a toilet cleaner (not to mention the bottle looks like it's a scented vagina spray from the 1940s.) I checked Sephora next and everything was about $15-$40 for either a tiny spray can or a bottle that looked 15% full of baby powder. I looked at the ingredients on all of them - cornstarch was the key. I decided to make my own and total shocker - it worked.

What you need:
- A hair color applicator bottle with a narrow tip ($1.79 at Sally Beauty or any beauty supply store)
- Baby powder ($6ish at any drugstore. I HATE the smell of baby ass so I got the cucumber melon kind - very light and fresh)
- A funnel or a plastic bag

To use: Open the top of the applicator bottle and pour in the baby powder using either a funnel or a plastic bag with the corner cut off. Put the lid back on and apply the powder by gently squeezing the bottle and running the point of the applicator bottle along the hairline and part. It will require a little bit of rubbing in - but so do the pricy brands.

Bonus effect: If you're a bottle blonde it can help mask the appearance of dark roots.

Pureology Super Smooth

If you don't like floral scents I'll tell you right off the bat to steer clear of Pureology's latest line Super Smooth, which launches next month. I don't mind a little flower power, although even for me the fragrance is a bit too strong when I use the shampoo ($27 for 10.1oz.), conditioner ($27 for 8.5oz.) and serum ($24 for 2.5oz.) all in the same day.

That said, you can't really go wrong with Pureology products if you have color-treated hair. The zero-sulfate formula with UVA/UVB sunscreens keep the wear and tear on your dye job to a minimum and the natural oils, shea butter and aforementioned geranium all contribute to awesome moisture. The hair masque (an OMG $50 for 5.1oz.) is great too, but the price is a bit much.

Product Review: Pureology Essential Repair Hair Care

For the past two months, my daily go-to shampoo and conditioner have been the new Essential Repair products by Pureology.

Who it's for: Anyone looking for great moisture, a vegan product, and/or to preserve the vibrancy of their dye job. My hair feels thicker and softer because of moisturizing ingredients like soymilk, olive oil and chamomile.

The line also includes masks, split end treatment, and a leave-in conditioner. Thanks to daily use of the shampoo and conditioner (which I have just about used up) I haven't had to bust out the heavy artillery quite yet, but I did give the split end treatment a try. I know full well you can't "heal" split ends and you need to have them trimmed every six weeks or so, but my hair does appear less frazzled at the ends in the meantime. Oddly, the product smells a little bit like pita bread.