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Oribe Travel Trios from Birchbox: Volume Set and Surf Set

February 25, 2016

There are two new Oribe travel trios that just launched from Birchbox. I’ve been a lover of all things Oribe for a long time but if you’re like me you probably try items from the line piece by piece due to the splurgy prices. The two sets contain travel sizes of some styling products. One is called the Volume Set ($58) and the other is the Surf Set ($55). I die for minis so I think these two sets are just perfect. Both come in a compact clear zip case to hold for travel. All have that signature soft Oribe scent which is hard to describe but smells very distinct and heavenly.

First up is the Volume Set ($58, valued at $66) which contains three styling products for volume. I’m pretty low maintenance on my hair when it comes to volumizing because I have thick hair to begin with. Sometimes I like to use a texturizing product on the ends to add a bit of oomph to the hair, but I’m big on having soft touchable hair. Lots of volumizing products are great at adding volume but make the hair crunchy. Oribe manages to add volume but keep the hair still relatively soft.

In this set are purse-sized minis of:

  • Grandiose Hair Plumping Mousse (2.5 oz) – This is a shake and dispense kind of foamy product that you apply to damp hair before styling. I use this before blow drying my hair and it adds volume throughout like nothing else I’ve tried. Hair is full and voluminous after using this one. My hair was left with some texture but still soft. On my hair the volume lasted all day long when I tried this in the morning. It really gives the hair a boost at the roots (which is what I look for when I do look for added volume).
  • Thick Dry Finishing Spray (2.2 oz) – This is a product designed to add a boost to your hair if your hair is prone to getting limp after a blow dry. Out of all the Oribe products I’ve tried this is one of the few that didn’t really do much for my hair – but there is a chance I’m not using this correctly. I’ve tried this a number of ways – after a blow dry, as a refresher, as a touch up product, before going out. It doesn’t really add volume or oomph. It does act like a hair refresher if it’s a tiny bit shiny at the scalp area. If you’ve used this please let me know how you use it! Based on reviews I’ve read, if you have fine hair you will see results. For those with thicker hair like mine, you might not see much of a difference.
  • Dry Texturizing Spray (2.2 oz) – This is one of my favorite hair texturizing products EVER. It’s part dry shampoo and part texturizer – I wash my hair daily but sometimes when it gets a bit oily this is the best oil absorber that doesn’t turn my hair white/grey/dusty looking. I know all dry shampoos say to brush out the product and that the white will disappear. Not all dry shampoos are the same and many make my hair look dusty and grey. The one from Oribe just works. It adds texture and volume and smells incredible.
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Next is the Surf Set ($55) which I really adore. This one has items that are good for creating that slightly undone beachy kind of hair look. My hair has a slight natural wave – when I air dry it, it often gets very big and frizzy. Two of these are miracle workers.

In this set you get:

  • Surfcomber Tousled Texture Mousse (2.5 oz) – This is a mousse product that feels on the sticky side on the hands. I find this one best used on wet or damp hair and it will give your hair the perfect piecey-beachy kind of textured hair. I found it easy to overdo so I recommend using as little as possible. You do have to give it a good shake before you dispense. I love the results when using this either blow dried or air dried. Hair is left soft but still feels like there’s some texture in it. For me this is more on the high maintenance side so I probably wouldn’t use this on a regular basis.
  • Après Beach Wave and Shine Spray (2.1 oz) – Is a product that is similar to the Surfcomber in the sense it gives your hair that beachy tousled look, but gives the hair a bit of natural shine. The Après Beach Wave and Shine Spray is my favorite beach-hair kind of styling product. I apply it to the hair after washing and towel drying. I let the hair air dry and the result is a natural wavy frizz-free textured kind of look. I really love this one.
  • Supershine Moisturizing Cream (1.7 fl oz) – This is just as the name implies. It adds shine and moisture to the hair making it look healthy. It adds shine without getting too heavy or greasy looking (even by late afternoon or evening). It helps tame flyaways and reduces frizz. I find it helps a lot when my ends get dry looking or feeling. It’s like magic in a tube. I use it as a styling/finishing product best, but it also works as a pre-blowout kind of product to work through damp hair.

Both sets are winners in my opinion. I’ve rarely been let down by anything I’ve tried from Oribe. The only item I’m not 100% in love with is the Thick Dry Finishing Spray – but I need to consult one of my friends on how to use it as I’m pretty sure I’m not using it correctly. I would buy the full size of all other items (I have multiples in the mini sizes).
You can find the Surf Set ($55) and Volume Set ($58) online at Birchbox. You can buy most of the items in the travel size separately, but you do get a bit of a price break by buying the sets. There’s also the Purse Collection ($72) online which has minis of the Superfine Hair Spray, Dry Texturizing Spray, Apres beach Spray and Anti-Humidity Spray.

I highly recommend both sets, they each focus on achieving different looks for the hair, but you can’t go wrong with either. I love the travel sizes in general because they’re really cute. Even is something is phenomenal and comes with high ratings, I still like to try smaller sizes first.
Do you have any Oribe favorites? Please let me know! I die for the Cleansing Creme.
Both Oribe sets sent courtesy of Birchbox for review consideration.

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Haircare

Hair Care Loves in Rotation

January 25, 2016
I love testing new things in hair care and playing with different kinds of shampoos, oils and tools. Since the summer, my go-to daily shampoo and conditioner has been the Moroccanoil Moisture Repair Shampoo and Conditioner, but I’ve been experimenting with some new items and discovered some new favorites. For a bit My hair is thick and has a slight natural wave to it and extremely prone to frizz without any product or heat treatment. My hair color is natural – it’s never been colored or highlighted (at least not yet). I like to switch shampoos up and alternate frequently – I wash my hair daily, so sometimes I feel like it needs more moisture, other times it needs a clarifying rinse. The two lines of shampoos/conditioners I used up recently are the Moroccanoil and R+Co Moon Shine. If you have any favorites/recommendations please let me know what you think I should try next!

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First up is the T3 PROi Professional Hair Dryer ($350, c/o). In terms of hair dryers, I’ve been a long time fan of Solano tools. In my experience they have been the best for my hair – they dry quickly, leave the hair shiny, smooth, glossy and frizz-free. I decided to give several other brands a try and nothing has given me the same results until I tried the T3 PROi. My beauty friend Rae raved about it and her hair always looks amazing everytime I see her – so I was thrilled to be able to try this. The PROi Hair Dryer comes with a mega hefty price tag but it does not disappoint. It far exceeded my expectations and allowed me to create a salon-quality results unlike anything I’ve tried before. My heart still belongs to Solano but this new one from T3 just might replace it’s spot as my new favorite. (For reference, the last one I bought was the Super Solano 3600 Ion.) The T3 PROicomes with 2 detachable nozzles, three different heat settings, a cool-shot option and two different intensities/speeds. It’s fairly lightweight for a full power full size dryer and easy to maneuver. The description says it’s supposed to cut the dry time – if you blow dry with completely wet hair, it will not (but you’ll still get amazing results). If you towel dry and then spend a couple minutes doing a rough dry first, the overall time to completely dry the hair is shortened compared to other dryers.

There are several different brushes that T3 launched. I decided to order the Freeflow Vent Brush ($17) first to try – it’s a good medium size brush and allows air to flow through the hair allowing for faster dry time. I like the design – it’s simple but aesthetically pleasing and seems very sturdy and well made. I’ve ordered a few more to try – I’ll do a more detailed review once I receive them. Good hair brushes are something I feel like I’m always searching for. I have good basic tools, but most of them look meh.

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Next are three shampoos/cleansers. I’m a traditional liquid shampoo and conditioner kind of girl, but there are some really interesting products on the market that I would have never thought to use that surprised me. Maybe I’m late to the party, but I would have never thought to use scrubs or oils to clean the hair.

Above from left to right:

  • Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt ($52 for 250 ml, c/o) is something that is relatively new to the US. Christophe Robin is a colorist from France and launched his own salon and line of products. Net-A-Porter sent his new Cleansing Purifying Scrub for me to try a few months ago and so when I had the opportunity to meet him in person while he was in LA, I jumped at the chance. I will have a dedicated feature on more of his products soon, but in the meantime you can read about his story here. It was so great to learn about his story and the background behind the creation of his line. The Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt is an amazing clarifying product. It is a grained-paste product that you rub into your scalp. It rebalances the hair and rinses out completely without any residue left behind. It removes impurities and leaves the hair feeling squeaky clean. If you have normal to dry hair, you may need to follow with a moisture mask. For me this is a game changer. You can find his line at Net-A-Porter, Sephora and Saks Fifth Avenue.
  • Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil Shampoo Gentle Radiance Cleanser x Maison Kitsune ($57 for 400 ml, c/o) has been on my radar for a while but the concept of using an oil to wash my hair just didn’t seem appealing to me. Still the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil Shampoo has cult-status and rightfully so. There are several formulas of the Cleansing Oil, the one I tried is the Limited-Edition Maison Kitsune in the Gentle Radiance Formula. It foams up into a really nice lather and cleans the hair really well. For me this is best used as once a week a clarifying treatment (alternating with the Christophe Robin) – at most 2x per week or on days after I work out. I do think it’s absolutely necessary to follow with some kind of rinse out conditioner if you use this one as it can be stripping if you skip. Some shampoos I don’t feel the need to use conditioner after, but this one you do.
  • Oribe Cleansing Crème for Moisture and Control ($44 for 8.5 oz/250 ml) is the most amazing cleansing creme I’ve tried. My local salon always uses some kind of cleansing creme to wash my hair before a cut but I’m particularly sensitive to scented hair products so I never end up purchasing what they use even though the results are amazing. I love all things Oribe although the line is fairly spendy so I feel like I have to keep this brand at arm’s length or it can get very expensive at the rate that I go through hair products. This one moisturizes perfectly and leaves the scalp feeling well nourished but clean. Hair is perfect afterwards – tangle free, smooth and left light and bouncy with a bit of natural shine. I don’t need to search for any other cleansing cremes as I have found THE ONE with the Oribe.
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Last but not least are some hair treatments and finishing products. I’m always trying minis of hair oils, sprays, creams and what not. It takes me forever to use up anything because I have so much in rotation. Scent is a big deal to me. If a hair product smells too floral, too vanilla, too perfumey or strong, I simply won’t use it – no matter how good it is.

Above from left to right:

  • Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil ($49 for 100 ml, also in this travel set) is one of my favorite hair finishing oils. The full size is very expensive but you only need a little bit to coat the ends of the hair so it lasts a long time. It adds the perfect amount of shine to the hair, especially when the ends start to look or feel dry. It is fairly strongly scented but I love the way everything from Oribe smells.
  • Drybar The Chaser Shine Cream ($29 for 100 ml) this has made an appearance on my blog many times. I like it because it adds shine and also helps as a pre-heat treatment. It maintains and controls frizz and leaves the hair feeling ultra soft. My husband likes to use this one too.
  • Shu Uemura x Maison Kitsune Essence Absolue Nourishing Protective Oil ($69 for 150 ml, c/o) smells amazing and has notes of camellia, grapefruit, white essence, musk and heliotrope. This is a multi-purpose oil. The directions say you can apply it on the hair pre-shampoo or afterwards as a leave-in product. I prefer to use it after shampoo either on slightly damp hair before I blow dry or just simply as a leave in product as my hair air dries. It’s nourishing but very lightweight and won’t weigh down the hair or make it look greasy. Hair absorbs it quickly so there’s no residue left afterwards if you touch your hair. One pump is more than enough to cover my hair (it’s a little past the shoulder length). I will definitely be repurchasing this once it is used up.
  • Kiehl’s Heat-Protective Silk Straightening Cream ($17 for 150 ml) this is something I bought in store a while ago. I needed something as an add on to qualify for an in store promo so I decided to try this. I had used the Creme with Silk Groom when I was in college and liked it but it can be very heavy and easy to overdo. The girl at the store recommended I try this since I heat treat my hair regularly. I really like it to help straighten the hair and keep it smooth looking. I found it makes a noticeable difference in the way the hair looks in terms of helping give a more straightened look.
  • Edward Bess Black Sea Hair Hero ($44 for c/o) is my favorite texturizing hair product. It helps add volume, smooths hair, adds texture. Full review in this post here. The bottle is huge and even with regular use it’s lasted me for like forever.
  • Original and Mineral Know Knott Detangling Spray ($26 for 250 ml) is the best detangling product I’ve tried. Some days my hair just feels extra tangled and there are knots in my hair even after shampoo + conditioner. A few sprays of this one makes any comb or brush glide through the hair easily without any tugging or pulling. I tried this at my salon in a mini first and loved it so much I bought the full size.

That wraps it up for new hair discoveries along with favorites I consider staples. Have you tried anything from any of these lines before? If yes please let me know what you recommend. If not, I’m open to other suggestions on what you’ve tried and love 🙂 Do you have any hair products you consider game changers? I’m in the market for a new liquid shampoo and conditioner – what should I try next?

Some items featured indicated with a “c/o” beside the product name were sent free of charge for review consideration. Other items purchased by me.

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Haircare

T3 Featherweight Compact Dryer + SinglePass Compact Flat Iron Set – Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusive 2015

July 22, 2015

I picked up the T3 Compact Styling Set ($150, limited-edition set) from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. It’s a two-piece value set that comes with the Featherweight Compact Folding Dryer (retails separately for $150) and SinglePass Compact Flat Iron (retails separately for $79). I’ve had the compact dryer on my wishlist for a while and the sale helped me pull the trigger. Both are very compact and perfect for travel or if you have limited space in your bathroom. I’ve been testing both for a few days and have comparisons to other styling hair tools that I currently own.

The T3 Featherweight Compact Dryer is really well designed. It comes in a simple sleek black design with a removable nozzle. I like that it’s lightweight but still has a lot of power. The noise level is minimal, it’s designed with a quiet motor which you can still hear but it’s not as loud as others that I’ve tried. The handle absorbs vibration from the motor which is nice so it’s not bothersome if you have to dry your hair for an extended amount of time. It comes with 2 speeds and 2 heat settings along with a cool shot option. I have thick hair that gets frizzy without any hair treatment (product or styling tool) so it takes a long time for me to dry my hair. Dry time with this one was fairly quick – about 15 to 20 minutes when dried in sections.

I photographed the dryer in my hands so you could get a sense of the size. It’s small and compact but not too small. I like that it has a folding option which makes it nice for travel or storage. (On the nails is Chanel Le Vernis in Chataigne, new for fall.)

I now own three hair dryers with this purchase: T3 Featherweight Compact Folding Dryer, Drybar Buttercup Blow Dryer and a mini from Original & Mineral. The best ones I’ve owned were from Solano, in particular the Supersolano which is hands down well worth the price – it makes the hair ultra sleek and shiny and doesn’t overheat the hair. I went through two and after my second one died (after about 6 years) I decided to try new things. I wish I hadn’t because they are just so good.
Onto the ones I own. I’ve had the Drybar Buttercup Blow Dryer for quite some time and really like it. It dries the hair nicely, it’s large but not heavy, noise level isn’t too loud and it comes in a fun bright yellow color. Since it’s a larger dryer there is more room for options. It has three temperature settings, two speeds and self-lock cool shot so you don’t have to hold it down with your thumb.

I bought the Original & Mineral one that came in a Net-A-Porter set which is super cute and compact. It has a lot of power for something that tiny, but unfortunately the design is very simplistic and the handle doesn’t absorb any vibrations so you can feel it in your hand. It does a good job at drying the hair quickly though which is nice.

The T3 Compact Dryer has less power compared to the Drybar, but more power than the O&M. I’ve brought the Drybar one with me on trips although it does take up a lot of space. The T3 is much more travel-friendly. It’s also dual voltage 125V/250V for worldwide use while the Drybar option is 100V/120V and requires a step-down converter + adapter.

Close ups of the options:

The T3 SinglePass Compact Flat Iron is basically a free add-on with the Nordstrom Anniversary Set. I purchased the SinglePass Straightening Iron (full size) a number of years ago and hated it. It left my hair frizzy and made it look fried. Based on the number of rave reviews on the compact version, I decided to give it a try since the set came at a really good price. The SinglePass Compact Flat Iron performs much better than the Full Size (maybe I had a dud), but I would say for me it doesn’t really live up to the name “single pass.” It takes at least two passes per section for my super thick hair but it does leave the hair shiny, sleek and smooth. I could probably section off smaller amounts of hair but it would take 3 times longer to straighten everything. The iron is really well designed and comes with a cap which I wish all flat irons came with.

Comparisons to two other flat irons I own. GHD Bird of Paradise is a full-size flat iron that measures 26.5 cm long with plates that are 2.4 cm x 9 cm. I’ve had this since December of last year and really like it although out of all the flat irons I’ve owned, the HAI Ceramic Convertible Iron is hands down the best one I’ve tried (mine died after I dropped it on a hard surface, but it lasted 4 years before it stopped working).

The CHI Smart Titanium Ceramic Travel Iron is fairly new to me. I received this one at a QVC event a few weeks ago and really like it. I can’t find the temperature listing anywhere but I was told it heats up to 390 degrees. This one measures 22 cm long with plates that are 2 cm x 7.5 cm. For my hair it does a better job at straightening with a single stroke but it is very small so it takes longer to straighten my hair.

The T3 SinglePass Compact Flat Iron by comparison heats up to 410 degrees. It’s similar in size to the CHI. The T3 Compact Iron is 22 cm long with plates that are 2 cm wide x 7.8 cm long.

I’m overall really pleased with the set. I had the Compact Dryer on my wishlist and the Flat Iron with this set was an added bonus. I really like the Dryer – it performs well, it’s compact and well designed. It will be my travel dryer for all my upcoming trips.

For the flat iron I have mixed feelings. With any travel sized flat iron I think it should be expected that it won’t work the same as a full sized flat iron for my super thick hair. The T3 SinglePass Compact Flat Iron works well but it takes more time for me to straighten my hair compared to ones from GHD and HAI. Out of the two travel flat irons I featured, I have a slight preference for the CHI, although the two are very close in performance. The T3 has a more visually pleasing design and the cap is an added bonus for me (even though many brands have an extra storage or carrying case for travel).

That being said I have close friends who are die-hard loyal fans of T3 and swear by the line. Since I don’t need two travel flat irons, I will probably be regifting this one to a friend.

The T3 Compact Styling Set retails for $150 and is currently a Nordstrom Anniversary Beauty Exclusive (it’s a $229 value). In case you miss out on the sale this month, you can purchase the Featherweight Compact Dryer and SinglePass Compact Flat Iron individually. I give the compact dryer a huge thumbs up and the compact flat iron a semi-thumbs up mainly because I am super picky about flat irons in general, but it’s great for the size and travel purposes.

Did you check out the T3 Styling Set from the sale? Do you have any T3 favorites? If not what are your favorite styling tools?

The CHI flat iron was gifted as a press sample. All other items purchased by me.

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Haircare

The Beauty Look Book Hair Care Loves

October 5, 2014

I get a lot of questions about my hair care, both online and in person. Many like the smooth glossy texture, and I usually get comments that I must have really good genes when it comes to hair, but what most people don’t understand is that my hair actually takes a lot of work. I’ve always had super thick unruly hair. Frizz has always been my biggest problem, when I was in high school and early college days, my hair was so thick, fitting a rubber band around it twice to pull it back was always a stretch (I broke quite a few that snapped because my hair was so thick). Color wise, my hair has a natural subtle ombre effect depending on lighting conditions and season (it gets lighter in the summer). It’s basically black but I have natural red highlights are sometimes look really bright, especially on the ends. The lighter color can sometimes make it look dry on the ends even though I’ve never color-treated my hair.

In high school and early college days, my friends told me “you need to try blowdrying your hair, it will change your life.” I went through several hair dryers and straighteners, none of which did anything for me (mainly Conair, T3, and Revlon). I used to be a regular reader on Makeupalley and back in the early 2000’s the message board recommendations and product reviews were a lifesaver.

The second biggest issue I’ve had with hair is sensitive scalp. I don’t have dry scalp issues but many shampoos and conditioners I’ve tried end up drying up my scalp or leave heavy residue which is difficult to rinse out properly.

Over the past decade, thanks to my stylist recommendations, trial and error along with blog recommendations, I’ve discovered quite a few hair products that I’ve fallen in love with. Having longer thick hair means I tend to go through product fairly quickly. I’ve been meaning to do a hair-care loves post for quite some time, but given that I use up items fast and am constantly testing new items, they don’t always last long enough for me to get pictures. I thought a summary of my tried and true might be helpful.

Phyto’s Phytojoba Shampoo (1) is hands down my Number 1 holy grail shampoo. It has the most amazing scent of jojoba with coconut but isn’t overly sweet or overpowering. It’s designed for dry and unruly hair and lathers up into this amazing foam. It’s rich enough for my hair that it treats dryer scalps while moisturizes the hair but doesn’t weigh it down. The only reason why I don’t buy this more frequently is because it has a very fluid texture which is easy to over pour. It is also something I find I go through very quickly (which gets expensive). Performance-wise it’s my all time favorite.

A good everyday shampoo and conditioning duo is Drybar’s Happy Hour Blowout Shampoo and Happy Hour Weightless Conditioner (2). Both have really good scents and give me bouncy shiny hair. The conditioner is one of the few I’ve tried that is truly weightless but still gives the hair that extra conditioning you need. It’s also good to use daily which I find rare with most conditioners.

Kérastase has been on my radar for a long time but they have so many options I found it a bit overwhelming to choose one. I recently ordered the Cristalliste Bain Cristal Shampoo Thick (4), Lait Cristal Conditioner (5) and Volumifique Bain Volumifique Shampoo (6) and have been really impressed. The Cristalliste line is designed for long thick hair, I find both the shampoo and conditioner work really well to give hair a clean smooth look without weighing it down. They clean the hair really well and almost feel like a rebalancing kind of shampoo/conditioner. Both lather nicely and smell amazing as well. The Volumifique Shampoo is designed to give volume and lightness. For me I haven’t seen any volumizing effects but it works wonders in terms of making it feel lightweight and frizz free. With the Kerastase items I’ve tried I can let my hair air dry naturally and not worry about frizz.

Oribe is another favorite line of mine, I’ve tried a number of the sample packets of their hair care and my favorite is the Shine Shampoo and Conditioner (16). When I use Oribe, I tend to use it every 2-3 days, alternating with a different everyday shampoo, mainly because of the high price points, but the items in the line are extremely good and worth every penny. The Shine line gives lush glossy hair with a super smooth finish.

For hair treatments, I usually blow dry and straighten my hair. I like to use treatments that are multi-functional for both pre-heat treating and finishing. A staple in my weekly hair routine is Moroccanoil’s Treatment (14). It gives the hair a smooth texture that helps keep moisture in with blowdrying, it’s also good as a finishing product to smooth ends. A little goes a long way and the bottle will last you a long time. Drybar’s The Chaser (13) shine pomade is a must-have for me in terms of styling/shine products. It’s also good for a pre-heat treatment or post-styling product. There’s nothing like this that gives a lightweight shine that lasts all day without making the hair greasy or heavy looking.

Edward Bess recently launched his Hair Hero (11) on QVC. It’s my do-everything kind of hair product. It smooths the hair, adds texture and adds shine. You can read the full review here.

Dry shampoos have a lot of appeal in terms of time saving properties and styling. I haven’t found one that I could use yet that didn’t leave my hair looking flat, dusty looking or crunchy. Oribe’s Dry Texturizing Spray (12) is a dry shampoo alternative which I find works the best for adding texture and volume to the roots or absorb oil. I almost always wash my hair everyday, but on mornings when I am rushed and need to skip 1 day, this works wonders as a hair refresher.

Having a good shampoo and conditioner routine (along with a well-balanced diet) should be sufficient to keep your hair healthy and well moisturized but sometimes I do need a weekly mask treatment. The Phytojoba Intense Hydrating Mask (15) is my favorite for dry weather and winter months to give my hair that extra boost it needs.

For tools, I’ve been a loyal to Solano Hair Dryers for years. I went through two over the past 13 years and when I needed to a replacement, I decided to try the Drybar Buttercup Blow Dryer (3). My husband bought this for me while we were at Sephora because he thought the packaging was fun (lol). After having such good experiences with the Drybar salons and products, I decided to give it a try. This has an extremely powerful motor but is still very gentle. It’s more lightweight compared to Solanos and more gentle. It comes with two different nozzles, three temperatures and two settings. Most hairdryers I’ve tried come with a switch for cool-air that you have to hold down to keep the cool air flowing. This one has a turn on/off switch for the cool hair which keeps your fingers free. It dries hair fairly quickly and doesn’t overheat or dry out the hair. I can’t say it’s better than Solano, but rather just different. Solano has more heavy duty dryers that are the best I’ve tried. Drybar’s is also excellent and I have no complaints, it’s gentler on the hair and takes slightly longer for me to dry hair, but if you have sensitive scalps or weaker hair, this one is very gentle and easy to use but still effective.

For brushes, I alternate between CHI’s Turbo Paddle Brush (7), Mason Pearson Pocket Brush (9) and Detangling Comb (8) (review on Mason Pearson here).

Last but not least, my favorite hair straightening tool is the HAI Ceramic Convertible Flat Iron (10). I’ve tried several, and this is the one I keep going back to (I’m on my second one). It leaves the hair with a super sleek smooth straight look that doesn’t fry the ends or dry out the hair.

I hope this summary helps give you some ideas on hair care items to try. This is by no means a list of all the items I’ve tried, there are many other items from Phyto, Malin + Goetz, Neutrogena, Kiehl’s etc. that I’ve tried (among my favorite brands for hair), but what I’ve listed includes my absolute favorites.

What kind of hair do you have and what are your favorites?

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Haircare

Edward Bess Black Sea Hair Hero

September 4, 2014

Edward Bess’s hair has been a topic of discussion among many women for quite some time. I have often wondered what products he uses on his gorgeous hair (also a bit envious of his luscious locks). He has released a styling cream called Hair Hero ($38 for 6.7 fl oz/200 ml, made in USA, exclusive to QVC through March 2015). It’s described as a miracle styling cream that “magically boosts volume to new heights, sculpts and defines by adding
texture, and even smoothes and tames hair without weighing it down.” Edward’s Hair Hero comes in sleek black bottle with a pump dispenser. The cap twists to lock the pump when not in use. The bottle is quite large which I’m happy about because it will last a long time.

The texture of the styling cream is semi-thick, it’s a soft white cream that is very easy to work through damp or dry hair. Even though it’s thick, once applied on the hair it feels very lightweight making dry hair feel smooth while giving it a slight textured look. It smells absolutely amazing. The scent is difficult to describe but it’s a wonderful beachy scent, like a mix of tiare, coconut, fresh sea. I can’t wait to see how this is used on Edward’s QVC segment on September 5th. It’s free of parabens and sodium chloride so it’s supposed to be safe for keratin and color-treated hair.

I’ve used this a couple different ways. I have thick unruly hair that has a slight wave. I have to use product everyday to prevent my hair from frizzing up. I don’t color or highlight my hair, but I do blow dry and straighten my hair on a regular basis. I’ve used the Hair Hero on damp hair before using a blow dryer (I’ve always been a Solano fan, but my husband just bought me the Drybar Buttercup Blowdryer because he liked the color, lol). It helped smooth out my hair for the perfect blowout with two pumps. I like to add one more small pump to add to the ends to smooth the hair and keep it in place. My husband noticed the difference immediately and commented my hair looked smoother and more lightweight in a good way.

After application, it does leave a slight residue on the hands (you will need to wash your hands even though it smells incredible). It doesn’t make the hair sticky at all though but rather makes it very smooth. I’ve also used on damp hair and let it air dry. The result is a soft natural wave that isn’t frizzy (which usually happens if I air dry without any product).

Some more shots to show the texture. The Hair Hero gives the hair a smooth finish but still gives it some texture so it’s not flat.

It’s bottom line complete and total love, I can’t get over how amazing it smells, I wish it came in body products. You can find Edward Bess’s Hair Hero exclusively through QVC (through spring 2015). He will be having his first 1 hour segment on QVC this Friday September 5th 9 pm EST. I can’t wait to see how they use it on the show. To stay up to date with Edward Bess and his latest products, be sure to check out his website www.edwardbess.com for news and store listing. You can also follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (his social media handle is @edwardbess).

Many thanks to Edward Bess for gifting me a sample of his new Hair Hero and for enabling me to have smoother hair that smells amazing.

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