Another Model Musician

Model Karen Elson - made famous for her "bad bob" back in the 90's - is releasing an album this summer. Looks like she's in the Carla Bruni league of multi-skilled mannequins who can actually sing and write a decent song. Download it for free here, or check it out the video:

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.

Ricky's NYC is Online

How did I miss this?! When I lived in NYC's West Village, trannylicious beauty supply store Ricky's was a weekly stop-off for me. They have everything you could possibly need to complete your look, from velcro rollers to glitter to the kind of clip on ponytail that scares you every time you open the bathroom closet. It's enough to give any product junkie a beauty boner (speaking of which - they also sell sex toys.) Not only is it piled high and deep with goodies, but the vibe inside is fun even if the staff is a smidge fresh - it's like a Sephora on rave drugs.

For years I've checked to see when they'd finally get on the whole e-commerce bandwagon because I love the loose shimmer powders they carry by a brand called Matisse, and to my amazement yesterdays Google of "Ricky's NYC" was a fruitful one!

What's better? Currently they have a sale for 20% off a vast array of items with code ANNUAL20 - including Matesse cosmetics. It ends November 30, so get on that shit before your local Beyonce impersonator wipes it out. If you live in NYC, Long Island or Miami, go explore your local Ricky's in person.

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.

Welcome to my Layer

Redken’s Layer Lift 07 came into salons in April 2009. This non-aerosol spray gel smoothes out your frizzies while its volumizing formula brings out your layers.

When I first applied it, it was a tad sticky but that could just be from my recent onset of self-diagnosed OCD. (Geez, it has been a while since I last posted.) I combed it through my damp hair with my fingers, tousled a tad, and then ran a dryer on cool through my hair for about a minute.

I’m pretty happy with the results. It does help with a layered look, which is extremely helpful especially when you’re a few days overdue for a trim. (Please don’t judge me.)

Get Beach Hair (Even When You're Landlocked)

Since it was discontinued several years ago, the faux-beachifier known as John Frieda Beach Blonde Ocean Waves has left scores of rabid fans high and dry without a replacement. The product has such a cult following that old bottles are selling on eBay at a premium. Don't believe me? Here's an OMG for you: check out the price of ONE bottle on Amazon!

I personally had never found a replacement, but didn't love it enough to pay a 2600% markup. Last month I hit the web to see what former Frieda freaks were using for a beach spray these days. These were the top contenders:

1.) Sedu Beach Beauty Sea Salt Spray ($8.95) was highly regarded by reviewers on several beauty sites as an Ocean Waves alternative, so I ordered a bottle. The coconut scent is vaguely similar, but the product left my hair feeling a tad TOO oily.

2.) DIY Beach Spray:
- sea salt -water -dash of coconut or olive oil
- shake well and spray
I could barely tell anything was in my hair. Giving that a "Meh."

3.) Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray ($22) basically took the cake and then baked another one. Not only is it non-drying, great smelling (although not coconutty) and contained in a portable size bottle, but it serves as a root-lifter, volumizer and texturizer all in one. One spritz and you'll be praying to the hair gods that they never discontinue this one. I love it more than I ever loved Ocean Waves. I'm actually beginning to wonder if the peeps at Bumble and Bumble are the hair gods?

Featured Find: Bumble and Bumble's "Bandball"

I buy hair elastics probably once a month, but somehow I can never find one when I need one. Are tiny elves stealing them in the night? Who knows. Regardless, Bumble and Bumble came up with a totally cute solution with their new release, the Bandball.

The bands are metal-free so they won't damage your hair, and they come in four cute summery colors (including a great neutral taupe that will work with just about any haircolor.) For $20 you score 100 chances not to lose that damn elastic.

It's limited edition, so grab yours as soon as they go on sale (I got a sneak peek, but they will be available on the Bb. site any day now) cause the winter version completely sold out.

Keep the Brass Out of Your Summer Blonde

If you're looking for a quick and easy refresher for your summer highlights, Redken's new Blonde Glam Color Enhancer is a MUST.

How it works: Once a week I work the violet-tinted cream of the Perfect Platinum shade into damp hair and leave it in for about 5-10 minutes before rinsing. Each use deposits a little hint of toner to counteract any brassiness that may have occurred due to minerals in my shower water, or simple fading of the toner my colorist used. (The product also comes in a Warm Vanilla shade for golden blondes.)

Cost: $17 for 8.5 oz.

Buy It: Find a Redken salon near you by using the locator in the upper left corner on Redken.com

Win It: Install the Redken 10,000 Blondes application on Facebook and add your photo and you could win free samples.

The Old Way: I used to buy little bottles of violet pigment at Sally Beauty and add them to my shampoo, but it never distributed evenly and the impact on my color was not as strong. The $17 on the Redken solution is totally worth it!

Bar Refaeli Pimps Garnier Hairspray

The model best known as Leonardo DiCaprio's teenage girlfriend has been hired as the spokesmodel for Garnier Fructis Anti-Humidity Hairspray, to launch this month.

I love that drugstore brands hire millionaires to hawk products you know they would never, ever use. I mean, I'm a mere mortal and I don't use Garnier products. I'm expected to believe SJP rubs $12 lotions on her face?

[PRNewsFoto/Garnier]

Hair vs. Hair

Try Celebrity Hair Wars on Marie Claire's site. I just wasted 20 minutes of my life!

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.

Flashy Beaded Headbands Under $50

Click image to enlarge in new window

[Clockwise from center: Tinsel queen headband, $9.95 at FreePeople.com; Vintage beaded headwrap, $24, UrbanOutfitters.com; Beaded applique headwrap, $24, UrbanOutfitters.com; Serpentine headband, $48, Nordstrom.com; BeSomethingNew vintage metal headband, $60, Etsy.com]

P.S. I found so many great headbands made by hand with vintage materials at Etsy seller BeSomethingNew's shop. Check her out.

Sun Saviors for a Burnt Babe

The Boston area got its first serious beach day this week, so I took advantage and drove up the coast to Maine for a little outlet shopping and sunbathing. When I arrived home, I was totally sunburnt and my hair looked like dried seaweed. Enter the great new summer products I just received for testing!

Clinique just put out a great new batch of sun care products, including After Sun Rescue Balm ($20 for a big tube), which is saving my back quite literally at the moment. The balm is rich and soothing and so far has kept me from peeling. It also absorbs easily and doesn't leave a weird feeling residue like plain old aloe gel. I'm also digging the super-rich, unscented SPF 30 Face Cream ($17.50)for it's non-greasy moisturizing power. At that price, I'm ditching my Neutrogena SPF 20 Anti-Wrinkle moisturizer, which actually costs more.

I washed the sea salt and sand out with Redken's new Color Extend After-Sun Shampoo ($13)and After-Sun Mask ($15). Together they restored my hair to it's silky self after just one shower, and left it with some UV protection to boot. All the products in this line contain mango oil and have a very flowery scent. (If you're scent-sensitive they may not be for you.)

If your hair is medium to thick, the Sparkling Shield ($16) spray on color protector adds intense shine (it's full of miniscule gold glitter particles). Fine hair should be tied back first if you plan to use this product, as it can make it look thinner and oilier.

Clinique also just released a new line of sunless tanning and bronzing products - I haven't tried the airbrush spray or tinted lotions yet, but the dual-colored Almost Bronzer SPF 15 ($28.50) has prompted me to toss all my cheapo Maybelline (too dull) and Bonne Bell (too sparkly) powder bronzers. This one is PERFECT and worth the markup! It goes on very sheer and has just a tiny hint of shimmer in it. This coming from a fair skinned girl who has never found a shade that looked human before.

Review: Redken Color Extend Haircare

Redken's new, reformulated Color Extend product line was released this month, and I've been exclusively using the entire line since I had my color and highlights done on Monday. So far, so good!

First Impression: Every product in the line carries a common, very understated scent that is definitely unisex - nothing fruity or flowery about it, but no stinging chemical scent either. I had to really concentrate to notice it. It's a "warm" fragrance.

Cleanse and Condition
Color Extend Shampoo ($13) and Conditoner ($14):
The shampoo is gentle, and the conditioner is rich, but not heavy. Both are perfect for regular daily use -though I wish the conditioner did more in the way of detangling. Like most of the products in this line, they contain cranberry oil for shine and vibrancy, UV filters to protect color against fading, and a ceramide complex to strengthen hair that has been weakened by chemicals in the coloring process. I noticed a reduction in breakage over several days, which is cool.

Treat
Total Recharge ($16) is the spray on strengthening treatment made for use after shampooing, soon after a salon color is applied to help lock it in. It was a pain in the ass trying to cover my long hair with spritzes in the shower, but it at least detangled my hair a bit. This product can also be used as a leave-in conditioner, and I suspect it would be more easily used as such.

Rich Recovery ($15) is a weekly deep conditioning treatment for color treated hair, and really does the job as far as damage control. Most colored hair has survived some degree of damage and needs to be treated at least once a week to restore moisture and shine lost through heat styling and general wear and tear. It serves as a replacement for a retired Redken product called Highlight Fuel - so if you were a fan of that, give this one a go.

Finish
As I said, the conditioner does not help a great deal with detangling - but a dollop of the Shine Enrich ($16) serum did the job while adding a glassy shine to my hair. It is lightweight enough to use on my baby-fine hair without pulling it down.

NOTE: Redken also has a line called Color Extend Sun, with a shampoo and a mask for post-sun exposure (I'm hoping to try these on my beach vacation this summer!) and a water-resistant sheilding serum meant to protect hair from chlorine and sun-damage.

Hair Trend Alert: Little Braids

One hair trend I'm loving this spring (especially since my bangs are at that totally obnoxious stage of growing out where they poke me right in the eyes) is the tiny braid. It's popping up on women with really expensive hairstylists all over Hollywood.

How to do it:
I first noticed the mini-braid trend on Jen Aniston at the Oscars. This headband-esque, medium-small braid, also featured on Nicky Hilton, can be worn when hair is up or down. You'll need a way to secure it unless you have very textured hair. Use bobby pins or a clip if hair is down - just make sure it is nondescript as the end of the braid is hidden under the hair. A visible barette or clip will make you look like a 6th grader. If hair is up, make sure the end is pinned or tied in with the rest of the hair, and mist a bit of hairspray over the base.

The braids featured on Mary Kate and LC are skinny enough that they should stay intact on their own, whether hair is worn up or down. I would pinch a dab of gel on the end of the braid just to be sure. These braids can be strategically placed, but I prefer them sort of haphazardly strewn about the hair - especially when it is worn down and wavy.

Nicole Richie: Jewelry "Designer"

Nicole Richie has launched her new jewelry collection "House of Harlow 1960" - complete with a lookbook starring... herself! Gotta love that celebutante modesty.

Surprisingly it's more reasonably priced than even Heidi Klum's collection -although to be fair, Heidi does tend to use higher quality materials. Prices start at $18 for a 14K gold plated ring and go up to $170 for a crystal faceted headpiece.

You can find the collection at Shopbop.com - which incidentally has a sale going on until Thursday. It's only good if you're planning to blow at least $200 though (one pair of jeans on this site can get you there) - you'll then get $25 off. Use code: TAXBREAK09

To Gel and Back

The product Gods at Bumble and Bumble recently released two new gels (yes, GELS!) While I haven't had much use for the Gellac so far (gives you that hard, slick wet-look hair - great for extreme hairstyles, updos and graphic runway looks), I've got rave reviews about the Bb. Gel "The multi-talented sculpting medium" that works more like a texturizer and leaves hair in a moveable, brushable state. (Don't let traumatic flashbacks of that big pink jug of L.A. Looks deter you - it's called "gel", but it's not even the same species.)

Sometimes the best reviews come from the mouths of dudes, so I'll share my dude's succinct assessment and be done with it: "It makes your hair as sweet as it is when you don't wash it for a day, except without the dirtiness. Bumble and Bumble just doesn't make bad products."

Agreed. You can pick either product up for a reasonable $24. (Free shipping on orders over $50, as always.)

Viva La Curl

All of my bunkmates from my days at Camp Shalom know that curly-haired girls never have good hair days. We have a good few hours before our tresses absorb whatever epoxy we grease our curls with.


Not anymore.


I got my haircut at Rudy's on Sunset last week and my stylist let me try the new Bumble and bumble Defining Creme that is part of the new Curl Conscious line. I'm not going to lie; this product is amazing. My curls were so soft and moisturized I wanted to put them in my mouth and chew them. Most importantly, my hair felt shiny and didn't frizz up after two and a half hours. The product dries soft and this is great news for any curly girl who wants frizz-less locks without looking like overly gelled Bon Jovi enthusiasts.


The most important product, i believe, in the Curl Conscious line is the Reactivating Mist. This product is especially important for curly girls who enjoy taking midday naps and need to revitalize the locks before re-entering the outside world. Again, this product dries soft and you don't need to add any additional gels or creams.


Finally, I was able to try the Holding Foam. This mousse dispenses as a thick liquid so you don't need to use half are bottle every time you style.


Head over to the paisley-designed curlconscious.com. This is a new site, but the coolest part is that you can click on a picture of a model and see how to get their style. If you're curious about this look...






(because I know all of you are because I'm so important)


I applied the Holding Foam generously from root to end.

Big Hair? Yes, Please.

As I've mentioned about a million times, I have the wispiest, most annoying fine hair on earth. All the volumizing shampoos, thickening lotions, and upside down hair-drying in the world just doesn't seem to fatten it within remote range of the Bardot bouffant of my dreams. But I can't stop trying.
That said, I recently made a great advance in the right direction. I discovered PureVolume Thickening Mist by Pureology, a color-safe non-aerosol spray which packs a powerful dose of "oomph" for limp locks.

How: Spritzed on almost dry hair, I blasted it with the blow-dryer (head upside-down of course) and then wrapped it in a high, loose bun for an hour or so.

Verdict: All-day, non-sticky, BIG hair. Scent is light, pretty negligible.

Bonus: It's alcohol free, so your hair stays soft and conditioned by the organic extracts (papaya, lemongrass, etc.) And it contains sunscreens to protect colored hair. It's also vegan and animal friendly.

Price: $21...but you can fall in love with a travel size first for just $5!