I met Jose Eber at his Two Rodeo salon in Beverly Hills when I got my makeover from Edgar. I was actually surprised to see him in the salon but little did I know, he is there almost everyday, so I told Cynthia, the manager, that I wanted to meet him and she was like, "yeah, go ahead, go say hi". Again, little did I know, he has no pretense and apparently does not know how majorly huge and famous he is - he is totally humble, perfectly charming and heart warmingly sincere. I went and introduced myself, talked about various things, including the very botched up haircut I got a few months ago and am waiting to grow it out. He immediately saw what the problem was, the layers on top were way too short, and offered to fix it for me ......HIMSELF!! Uh, I was like, I thought you don't take new clients anymore and only consult, but he said, "Of course I will do it for you darling. And you will look gorgeous because you are gorgeous". Wow, I was in love already, he didn't even have to fix my hair =) He is a firm believer in inner beauty and says his true talent is in knowing what his clients want. Of course, his talent for transforming that knowledge into gorgeous hair is what put him on the map.

I am one of those people with really straight hair. Yes, it's shiny; yes, it's healthy, but it's STICK straight, as in totally boring, not to mention slippery and hard to put up in an updo. I usually let it air dry (as I am doing now while I work), I don't color it and rarely use anything on it, so it's about as healthy as hair can be, but I've always envied friends with wild curly hair (though they say they'd kill for mine; the grass is always greener isn't it?). In my bathroom, you will find a plethora of curling irons, sponge curlers, hot curlers, velcro curlers, steam curlers, etc. I even got a perm once about 15 years ago, (I say once because it was the most hideous thing I've ever done to myself and never repeated.) all in my quest for that tousled, messy, just rolled out of bed sexy hair.

I have never been able to find anything that gives me the natural wavy/curl I so crave. The curling iron left clamp marks, the hot curlers made it look too bouncy circa Lucy Ewing 1985, and all the other curlers made curls that lasted about as long as it took to do my makeup. But today, I found the ultimate solution for the curl challenged! The Ginalli curling iron is a simple and lasting (the curls lasts 2-3 days!) way to get princess worthy tresses. It comes with a heat-resistant glove because it does not have a clamp, which means you'll have flawless curls. So you just wind your hair around it, hold for a few seconds, and voila! Perfect waves or spirals, depending what you like. If you like tight spirals, wrap small flat pieces of hair around it. If you like the loose and sexy bedroom curl, twirl the piece of hair before you wrap it. So simple and so gorgeous! $140 for the large 25cm size Cilindrico (the one I got) and around $120 for the smaller sizes.

I alternate between five or six brands of shampoo, and my shower is starting to eerily resemble shelves at salons. My poor husband has no idea what he is putting on his hair and body, and often uses whatever is closest to him. The reason I use so many brands is because I've never really found one that I can't live without, (though I have many I "like") so I just keep switching around depending on my hair needs. But I think I have discovered the ultimate in hair care and can now throw away all the random bottles in my shower! Leonor Greyl, (a well known Parisian brand in Europe, but little known in the United States) is possibly the most luxurious and amazing hair care I have ever come across. (Jump to see the details!)

I try to make a point of buying items that support charities when I can, and I was excited to hear that 100 percent of the profits from the sale of the limited-edition Hollywould for Biolage Weekender go to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. The bag was originally created for celebrities during awards season. It is made of tumbled white patent calf leather, with a removable shoulder strap and a hidden interior compartment. The bag is filled with brand new Biolage styling products. I’ve always loved Biolage—everything smells great! Biolage stylers are enriched with botanical extracts to add body and shine to your hair. The new stylers don’t launch in salons until May, so you’ll get them first! You can purchase the bag for $300 here.

I received the greatest hair tip today (not that I need it, but I am sure many of my readers are lovely blondes):

“If your blonde went brassy, you can create your own at-home violet shampoo to brighten your dull color by adding 3 tablespoons of grape juice concentrate to your favorite shampoo. It will cancel out any warm, dull tones,” says Shawn La’Yave, hair colorist and stylist at DEX New York.

Since I usually end up spending an embarrassing amount of money on shampoos and conditioners, I was so pleased to find this little gem from Alba Botanicals for less than $10 (now I will have more money to splurge on bags)! I have fine hair and wash it once a day (against Beauty Snob's advice but it goes so limp!) but I found this mango shampoo to be gentle and effective for daily cleansing. It doesn’t leave any residue behind and it didn’t strip my hair and scalp of natural oils. The shampoo has a nice rich mango scent, not overpowering, but a fresh and yummy way to invigorate your morning! The conditioner is equally great... After using most conditioners my hair feels heavy or like there is a film on it, but this one was moisturizing and rinsed out completely. My hair tends to get a greasy feeling by the end of the day, but Alba hair products managed to keep my hair clean and soft all day!

Mango Moisturizing Hair Wash- $8.95
Mango Moisturizing Hair Conditioner- $8.95

How gorgeous did Marion Cotillard, Best Actress Winner, look on Sunday night? Robert Vetica of Frederick Fekkai tended to her cascading wave of tresses.

THE LOOK: To get Marion ’s modern day Veronica Lake look, Robert first blew out her hair smooth in the desired direction to create the deep left part. The left side was blown away from her face, while the right side was blown out from side to front so hair falls naturally on her shoulder. Robert then curled large sections starting from left, behind the ear to the around the back, using a 3/4 inch barrel curling iron. The hair was kept in place around the perimeter of her head. For the front, Robert curled the hair sideways towards the back to give the hair a not so uniform look. The trick to achieve this loose wave look is to curl big sections.

All PRODUCTS BY FEKKAI: Coiff Shape and Set Mist, Coiff Magnifique Finishing Cream, Coiff Fini Sheer Hold Hairspray.

Once again, the best hair looks on the runway came from Orlando Pita, fashion hair guru to shows such as Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, Doo Ri, YSL, Michael Kors, Valentino, Gucci, Dior and many others. Orlando partnered with T3 at Carolina Herrera and Doo Ri for the following glamorous looks:

Carolina Herrera, the look & inspiration - Backstage at Carolina, Orlando created a fresh take on the half up, half down do (when I interviewed him last year, he told me this is one of his favorite looks!). With such a regal, sophisticated collection using bold hues like chartreuse, and equally amazing accessories to match, Orlando’s hair complimented the collection with an experts touch. “I wanted to keep the focus on Carolina’s collection but at the same time, not ignore her desire for a polished look. I am inspired by the imagination of the clothes – the soft flow and texture of the fabrics. Hair was shiny and smooth to compliment that.” Orlando sectioned the hair into two parts, brought only pieces from the sides and secured with a band. To finish the look, he wrapped a strand of hair around the band. Some models wore long and flowing scarves, attached at the ponytail and other adorned fedoras with exaggerated feathers.

I use men's razor, the same kind my husband uses actually, which lead to the constant bickering of "did you use my razor?", which lead to the argument of whose hair is coarser, my leg's or his face's. I am happy to announce that we have left this battle behind and moved on to other more pointless ones. I am using women's razors again because they finally made one powerful enough for me, the Venus from Gillette. I want 4 blades or 5 blades or however many blades he has, why can't I get the same treatment in razors? I don't want these dinky, cutesie, gel infused, contour shavers that contours itself out of shaving all my hair. I don't need my razor to look "lady like", I want one that works. The Venus has 5 blades, yes count them, 5!! It is contoured and has the gel around the edges which does add some benefits. I am not against these things, I just don't want them to distract from the job of shaving. Instead of having the tiny strip of the shaving gel right above the blades, this razor has it all around the outer frame so the gel has a chance to get on the skin surface instead of just going directly into clogging the blades. I still used shower cream when I shaved, somehow I just don't have enough confidence in the gel alone. The slight contour does make it easier for that part of the leg next to the shin that is curved, a totally straight razor would require a couple of passes there. When you buy the initial package, it comes with one extra razor and a handy holder and dispenser that suctions on your shower wall. No more rusty blades causes by razors sitting on a wet surface. No more razor mix ups but more importantly, I am getting a great shave that leaves my legs totally smooth.This new razor launches on Feb. 12, you can get it at Drugstore.com for $11.99 for the starter kit (comes with a razor, 2 cartridges and the shower pod).

I have this adorable blue coat that I bought when I was studying abroad in Paris. Every winter, I pray for the cold weather to get here faster and stay forever so I can wear it without looking ridiculous. Unfortunately, no matter how super cute I look, I usually get sick of the cold weather after about a month (which would be right now) and start complaining about it being too cold. (I didn't move to Texas for nothing!) So in the spirit of the Spring Break that I know is just around the corner, here is a product that I can't wait to use after a lazy day on the beach. PHYTO PLAGE Moisturizing Hair and Body Wash with Bamboo Marrow gives you plenty of moisture and is best used after prolonged exposure to the sun. I know this will come in handy around March when I'm burned to a crisp praying for cooler weather. Phyto Plage Moisturizing Hair and Body Wash with Bamboo Marrow, $20.00, Beauty.com.

Left: Jada Pinkett Smith, a devoted fan of Carol's Daughter products

We thought it fitting to celebrate Martin Luther King Day with a profile on a woman who not only had a dream, she made it a reality. In 1993, Founder Lisa Price had a dream, she wanted to create quality beauty products for women, men and children of all skin types and needs. She transformed her hobby and love for fragrance into a skin care business and from that love Carol’s Daughter was born. Inspired by nature, the unique line includes over 300 products for face, hair, body and home - allowing for product combinations and possibilities that are endless for every man, woman and child regardless of skin type, tone, or need!

All of the products are presented with an abundance of love and quality ingredients. The concentrations in the moisturizers are among the highest you’ll find tested on people, not animals and do not contain harmful additives or cheap fillers. I got a ton of stuff to test out for you beauty snobs and I now smell and feel yummy!

1. Jamaican Punch Body Butter: I have to confess when I saw the dried apple slice on top of the body butter, I had an urge to eat it (I know- so weird but I love dried apples!). But it's not just the apple, the body butter smelled intoxicatingly delicious! Full of natural oils, it was just the thing my skin needed this week in this crazy cold and dry weather. $18

I have really thin hair. I shy away from wearing it down because it falls flat so easily and I end up looking more casual because my hair is hanging limply around my head. That problem was totally solved when one of my friends sprayed my hair with Heat Seeking Liquid Hair Plumper from T3. This stuff is really amazing! It coats the hair without weighing it down and makes it feel like every strand of hair has tripled. I had awesome, flouncy cocktail party hair that stayed bouncy and full all night. This works with the heat so apply it on towel dried hair and blow dry to your heart’s content. You will be sure to turn heads the rest of the night! $38 at Sephora.com

(Post by Beauty Snob Michelle)

Now that I’ve mastered my new flat iron and hair dryer from Conair I decided to take a huge step and try out the new ceramic rollers that came with them. I don’t often curl my hair as it’s straight as a stick and doesn’t hold curl very well so I recruited my Snobtastic roommate who has thick amazing hair to help. We both curled half of both our heads and sat around watching Ugly Betty and figuring out how we would use the curlers in everyday life. The curlers were pretty good. Like I said, I don’t have a lot of experience with curling my hair but one of the first things I noticed was that the clips don’t hold very well, even on my thin hair. My roommate was having serious issues but figured out that if you curl your hair towards your hair rather than away, the clips hold better. Anyways I really liked these curlers for one big reason. I’m a klutz. If there is something to hurt myself on I will do it. (I have hundreds of scarring memories from the 80’s and my unfortunate use of a curling iron on my bangs.) While you can tell that they are hot, they don’t burn you and they don’t have any sort of weird, hot smell. When we took out the rollers the result was pretty good! I had big, bouncy curls (that promptly fell out two hours later) and my roommate has tiny springy curls. The best thing about the set is how quick and easy it is. If you’re getting ready to go out and suddenly decide to curl your hair, this is the set for you. It takes about 10 min to heat up and about 15 to get a good curl. $54.99 infiniti.conair.com

(Post by Beauty Snob Michelle)

I’m kind of vain about my hair. I’ll admit it. Because of that I’m really fussy about what I put on my hair and what sort of instruments I use to style it. Heat can be really damaging and if you don’t have the right instrument you can fry your hair really quickly. (Trust me. I know this from a sorry experience in high school.) I recently was lucky enough to get my hands on some of Conair’s Nano Silver products and I was really impressed. I’m pretty anti-hairdryers and I felt really comfortable with the line’s Hair Styler. My irrational fear that my hair is frying was lessened with the addition of the cool blast button that cools down the air coming out of the mouth of the dryer. For me, the best part of the dryer is the concentrator attachment. It’s a funnel-like part that concentrates the air into a thin line. I have straight hair and I felt like this was the best way to dry it while keeping it's body.

Arguably the past decade's most accomplished hair stylist, Orlando Pita is a driving force within fashion and beauty, having just been named one of the most influential people in the world of fashion by W Magazine, October 2007. His innovation and influence can be felt in experimental editorial fashion and beauty features, and in prominent campaigns, and runway spectacles worldwide. Season after season, his looks define contemporary style.

Pita has created looks for Kors, Versace, YSL, Prada, Valentino, Dior, Gucci, Galliano, and Zac Posen and has carried his expertise through many of their campaigns. Pita's trend establishing style is featured regularly in Italian, French, and American Vogue, Allure, and W. Through the strength of his collaborations with leading photographers including Irving Penn, the late Richard Avedon, Steven Meisel, Craig McDean, and Mario Testino, Pita contributes to the most dominant and respected image-making today. His views, tips and expertise are quoted regularly in publications worldwide.

It is no surprise that his unrivaled body of work has caught the eye of Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, Julianne Moore, and Jennifer Connelly as well as Madonna, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce who are all clients of Pita. In 2004 Pita opened his salon, Orlo, in New York. Understated, yet elegant, his salon atmosphere is quite relaxing and free of clutter, enabling only truly beautiful work to be created and admired.

So when his PR rep contacted me and said he'd be in town for ONE day and that she could set up an appointment for me with him to style my hair, I jumped at the chance!

It has been two days since I massaged my hair with the Plump and Boost Products, blew it dry with the Evolution blow dryer, and straightened it with the Duality iron but my hair is still fabulous. There is no flaking nor residue from the products and the last two mornings I have woken up with bouncing beautiful hair! If it seems I am seriously addicted to T3 it is because I am, who doesn't love having great hair day in and day out? I have really exciting news for you but you'll have to wait until the end of the month to find out. Let's just say that some of you loyal Beauty Snobbers will be scoring dryers, irons and products from T3 in November. Is that hint enough?

In the meantime, T3 has launched the Jet Set, a travel dryer in our favorite shade, PINK! Don't let the small size fool you, it packs as much power as the Evolution but the price is substantially less at $130. It also comes with its own travel case so you don't have to worry about it being knocked around in your luggage. The matching pink Mini iron is also a must have for our jet setting beauties. Both available at Nordstrom. By the way, I hope you are planning to come to Nordstrom to meet Orlando Pita and T3 creator Kent Yu today at noon. I will be there, can't wait to meet them and have my hair styled by Orlando! See you soon :)

Available at Lane Crawford in Asia

After reading Kelly's review of the T3 Evolution blowdryer I became obsessed with trying it for myself, I ordered it and then decided I needed the T3 Duality iron (to straighten or curl) as well. As I browsed around on the T3 website to see what other fabulous items I must have, I discovered T3 has partnered with Orlando Pita (of famed NYC salon Orlo) to develop a line of hair products! Those of you who have been living under a rock the last few years, Orlando Pita is one of the most talented hair stylists on earth. Seriously, from Supermodels to Oscar winners, he has a client roster that would make the paparazzi weep!

I have always splurged on my hair because I think luxury should start at the top of your head and end at your feet (you spend $700 on a pair of Louboutins, a T3 Evolution blowdryer costs less than half that amount plus you'll use it every single day for many years! How often and how long will you be traipsing in those 5 inch Loubies?). Apparently Kent Yu, creator of T3 Evolution blowdryer felt the same way. It all started when he noticed that his wife would dress in the finest designer clothes, use the best beauty products in the world but finish it all off with a $30 hairdryer from a local pharmacy! He then set out to seek out the highest grade ingredients to create a blowdryer that won't damage our hair, weigh 3 lbs, nor strain our arms. He found the answer in Tourmaline and the rest is beauty history and how could I not participate in a part of that?!?!? I ordered both products (Plump and Boost) along with the Evolution blowdryer and Duality iron and my package came yesterday just in time for the flurry of parties I have on my calendar this week.

I immediately tested out my new Evolution blowdryer to see what it could do, as Kelly said, it dried hair incredibly fast! I timed it and it took me exactly 5 minutes to dry and style soaking wet hair! I then plugged in the Duality iron, turned it on and it became hot before I had a chance to pick it up- it took a mere second to heat! It then took me about 2 minutes to do what I wanted, which is to create sleek and smooth hair with a bit of curl and body at the ends. What usually takes me 20 minutes now takes me 7 minutes!

The T3 products were also amazing ($38 each), I got small samples of the Boost and Pump (one for blowdrying and one for the iron) and both are lightweight, greaseless and made my hair super shiny! I did my hair this morning at 9am and had a packed day of appointments including an opening party for Cartier at 7pm, 10 hours later my hair was in the exact style as it was when I did it thanks to the T3 products! Life is good when you have good hair days and I plan to everyday with my T3 tools and products.

Even more exciting is T3 creator, Kent Yu, and Orlando Pita's visit to Dallas this Friday, I am scheduled to have my hair styled by Orlando and I am so excited I can hardly contain myself! I will also be interviewing him so stay tuned! Those of you lucky beauties who live in Dallas should stop by Nordstrom on Friday between 12-5 pm, Orlando and a T3 stylist will be on site to give complimentary styling!

Until then, you must order an Evolution dryer ($300) and Duality iron ($160) (voted best beauty product by Allure) today! Or try the original Featherweight dryer, it's $200 and also voted best beauty product by Allure magazine (how many other beauty companies can boast two products voted the best by the beauty bible? Trust us, it will be the best money you will ever spend on beauty products. T3 also offers a 4 year warranty on all of its products so what are you waiting for? Buy it online here or join me at the Dallas Galleria Nordstrom on Friday and test it in person!

Left-Kent Yu, creator of T3, Right- Orlando Pita

Available at Lane Crawford in Asia.

I am currently obsessed with the Skin Deep Website, a safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products from researchers at the Environmental Working Group. I have been on it all weekend looking up every brand in my bathroom, it was shocking how many items in my bathroom are rated "high toxicity" and that may cause cancer, render me infertile amongst many other scary hazards! Go through the site and search for your favorite products to see what you come up with. I could not find my favorite luxury brands such as La Prarie, Natura Bisse, Sisley or La Mer on the site, hopefully it is because their products are tested extensively to avoid causing hazard? (or maybe they were too expensive for the scientists to buy and test?).

There seems to be a pattern of beauty companies across the board with body lotions being listed as highly toxic even if their other products are of low or no risk (For example, Skinceuticals C&E ferulic is safe but the Skin Firming Body Cream is a high hazard- I am throwing mine in the trash tonight!). In fact, I am so freaked out that I have decided to use my son's baby products from California Baby (rated 0- low hazard) on my body until further notice. I am not one to scare easily and often ignore the urban legends of lipstick accumulating in the stomach etc but this really got my attention! Of course I will do more sleuthing with doctors in order to validate the site's claims, let me know what you beauties come up with.

Here's a thought, perhaps the reason Aveda products tested so high for toxicity is because they do not do any testing on lab rats....

I saw this at Sephora and my immediate reaction was, what can a $300 blow dryer really do to make it worth that amount of money? But my curiosity was piqued so I had to give it a try. To get a better sense of what I had here, I read through the product info and there were all these technical jargon like T3's tourmaline technology, ionic and infrared properties, ceramic components, softAire™ flow management chassis, blah blah blah. What will all that do for my hair is all I am concerned about. They claim the T3 is ultra lightweight, will dry your hair 70% faster, the ionic and infrared properties from the tourmaline (it's an actual gemstone they use) make your hair smooth, sleek and shiny and that fizz is eliminated by the closing of the hair cuticles.

The first claim is easy, yes this dryer is very light, but heavy blow dryers was never on my list of things to gripe about. 70% faster? I don't know about 70% faster but I have a lot of thick hair so this feature was especially important to me. It does dry my hair much much faster, probably 50% faster and that is quite a feat for my head of hair. I tried this on my 2 year old daughter and it probably did dry her fine wispy hair close to 70% faster (I actually timed all this) and that alone is worth $300 to not have to struggle with her every night with the hair dryer! The most important claim is that this will make your hair sleek, smooth, shiny and fizz free. Oh, it does all that and so much more!! Surprised? I was. So much so that I brought this around to get my family and friends to try it out. Throw away your flat iron because this makes your hair so smooth - no fly aways and completely soft ends. I believe it does close the hair cuticles, my hair actually felt softer and it styles on command with a round brush while drying, something my hair has NEVER done. I have a really good cut right now so for everyday all I have to do is dry my hair and toss it around for a look that would normally require 30 minutes of wrangling - but in about 7 minutes (to clarify, it normally takes 15 minutes to dry my hair, but it takes 30 minutes to dry and style, now it takes only 7 minutes!). My sister has major color and highlights and after 2 uses, her color became brighter and incredibly shiny. I stopped using conditioner on my daughter, she is tangle free when I dry her hair with this dryer.

Is all this worth $300? A resounding YES! My sister, mom and friends all want one and they all had the same reaction I did, which was, "There is nothing you can do to make a $300 blow dryer worth the money". I spend quite a bit getting my hair done and I know many of you do, too. The whole idea is to have beautiful hair and this will do that. And instead of getting special conditioning treatments at the salon to undo damage, why not do your hair a favor and just stop the damage in the first place? Well, there you have it, one of the strongest testimonials ever on Beauty Snob! T3 Bespoke Labs Evolution Dryer at Sephora.

Post by Beauty Snob Michelle

Once upon a time I had a long-distance relationship. His job had him firmly planted in his town so to make things work it required me getting on a plane a lot. Over the course of many months I learned a lot about traveling (and how to put on makeup in the gross light of an airport bathroom). I also learned the hard way that your hair will not look good after a 4 hour flight if all you do is run your fingers through it. It will be flat and limp and defeated from the recycled air and the static inducing fabric on the seat covers. So I invested in a travel brush. No a crappy little five dollar CVS one, a real hairbrush that I would want to keep track of. I choose this Frederic Fekkai one. It’s a bit pricey, but I went with my sunglass theory (If I spend a little money I’ll feel invested in it and be extra careful and make sure it doesn’t break) and I haven’t regretted it once. This brush is magic, I’m convinced. A few brushes after a long flight and my hair begins to look normal again. It’s also handy to have a set of travel brushes as well as home brushes so you don’t loose them transporting them back and forth from bag to bathroom. $55 at Sephora. Frederic Fekkai Travel Brush

Post by Beauty Snob Michelle

I have bangs. They usually waver between actual eyebrow length and long side swept bangs depending on if I have time to get a haircut that month. Right now they are long and chunky and across my face sort of like Anne Hathaway’s in The Devil Wears Prada. I’m telling you all this so you can understand that my bangs are a constant struggle and as much as I love my hairdresser (Hi Michael!) I don’t always get to take as much advantage of the free bang cuts as I’d like. They grow like weeds and there was one experiment with my kitchen scissors and a badly lit mirror that I can’t even talk about! So anyway, I went out and brought myself some proper haircutting scissors. Now I want to make it clear that I don’t advocate cutting your own hair unless you’ve been properly trained to, but sometimes time gets crunched and you have no choice. I got these Tweezerman scissors and they definitely work better then the ones I keep in my kitchen junk drawer. I get my hair cut ever six weeks but my bangs need a trim about every two weeks. These come in really handy and give a nice smooth cut. $25 at Sephora,com Tweezerman Hair Shears

Post by Beauty Snob Michelle

It’s been gross in Boston lately. Hot beyond compare and the humidity has been disgusting! I tried to go for a run the other day and I felt like I was drowning on the air. My usually cooperative hair has decided to go AWOL and replace itself with hair that frizzes up and generally does not cooperate with anything I’d like it to do. I was at the park the other day with my dog and was horrified to see what my hair looked like when I got back! It was frizzy and poofy and all sorts of bad. I immediately ran out to look for something to tame my mess. I ended up buying Jonathan Product Humidity Lock-Out Shine Spray and so far I love it! It contains minerals and antioxidants that lock out humidity and help to protect your hair. It also creates a slight shine that makes your hair look fresh and clean as opposed to frizzy and heat-ruined. I’ve been using it about twice a day and it has totally helped in this gross, gross heat. The more I try Jonathan Product, the more I absolutely love all of the line! $32 at Sephora. Jonathan Product Humidity Lock-Out Shine Spray

Post by Beauty Snob Michelle

Years ago I tried a shampoo that was made from plant essentials and it tore my hair apart. I swear, it fell out and was rough feeling and I couldn’t get a comb through it to save my life. (My hair is stick straight and I could usually tie it in a knot and it would just fall out.) Plus, the shampoo I used smelled gross. It was like my hair had expired past its shelf life. Needless to say I’ve stayed away from using any products that have plant essences on my hair. However, I broke my ban when I received So Pure’s cooling shampoo and conditioner. It’s made with Mint and Rosemary and 100% pure plant. It also smells amazing. It smells a little woody, but the mint far overpowers it. The only problem was that once I got in the shower, the mint that smelled so nice just moments before was more overpowering then you could possibly imagine. It started first with my eyes and I was blinking profusely. It was like my shower was filled with the menthol tablets I shower with when I’m sick. The real weirdness began when my head started tingling. I know the bottle said it was a cooling shampoo but the results were more drastic than I imagined. It felt as though someone had smeared a cream made out of Altoids all over my head. It wasn’t unpleasant, just something I’ve never experienced in the shower before. On the total upside, my hair looked fabulous! It felt a little rougher than my regular shampoo, but I got a lot of compliments about how it looked and smelt! see sopurenaturalbalance.com for a sales location near you.

I am very fickle when it comes to shampoos and conditioners and am constantly trying different brands. I came across the Cornelia Signature line of hair products while browsing the site to choose treatments for my next trip to NYC (Kelly's sister, Eva, went there last month and has not stopped raving about it - you will read about it later), with a name like Shine Defining shampoo and conditioner, of course I had to try it!

I was surprised to see how pretty the packaging was when I received my goodies, and even more surprised that it was made in England instead of a random cosmetic plant in Jersey. Each box has a silhouette of a tulip and the packaging resembles something you'd buy at Neiman Marcus, it is obvious that Cornelia really made the effort to make its products as high end as its services. I used the shampoo and conditioner this morning and my hair is definitely shinier and softer; it has a fairly strong fragrance from essential oils which made me feel like I was in a spa all day but many of you may not. I loved that the fragrance was floral and not some vanilla or chocolate concoction that are usually popular with spa products, as Kelly always says- we do not need to smell like food! Cornelia Zicu, the owner of Cornelia Day Resort created this line with scents that reminded her of the tranquil forests from her childhood in Romania which is deeply invigorating and calming. I also got the moisture balancing body lotion which has the same fragrance; I can smell it as I type right now and I feel so pampered, it is a light lotion that works well in the heat of summer and made my skin soft, not greasy. Shampoo $35, Conditioner $37, Body Lotion $60. Now that I've experienced the products, I really can't wait to experience the spa but until then, I asked Eva to share her day at Cornelia Day Resort with us.