Recently in Hair Category

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.

I have stick-straight hair. It won’t curl for anything in the world. (Trust me, in a more ill advised move, I once tried to get a perm and it totally fell out in 24 hours!) I covet fun, bouncy waves more than any of you could possibly know! So it surprises many people to know that I use a hair straightener. I swear by it in fact. If I’m going to have straight hair, it’s going to be the most well kept smooth straight hair out there! Something that a lot of people don’t know is that straighteners help control your hair while smoothing it out. They keep frizz in check and take care of any unsightly kinks that might develop unexpectedly. Seriously, if I put my hair in a ponytail holder for more than 10 minutes, I get a ridge that won’t fall out for no matter what I try. Anyway, that’s why I’m totally coveting this pocketbook sized straightener from Sephora! It’s small enough to tote around everywhere with me and would be the perfect fix when I’m going in between jobs! It’s got ceramic plates that are better for your hair and it emits the highest level of negative ions for “maximum shine.” Plus, it’s super cute and unobtrusive, which means if I used it at work, it might just look like I was brushing my hair. At $225 it will be one of the pricier beauty tools I own, but I think my hair is worth it! Sephora Professional Cordless Straightener

Post by Michelle

Can someone explain to me how Jessica Simpson is qualified to advise people what they should do to their hair? I was browsing around on Sephora.com and found out that she is selling hair extensions! (Okay, maybe I had heard something about her and Ken Paves starting a wig business together before, but the not-tacky part of my brain must have blocked it out.) They come in a multitude of lengths, styles and colors and apparently for anywhere from $90-$100 dollars, you too can look as classy as Jessica Simpson. (Uggs and mini-skirt not included.) Is there anything this girl won’t hock? I see her shoes everywhere I go, I hear rumors about a jean line and now I have to see her when I log onto one of my favorite beauty sites? She has a beautiful voice and should stick to just singing or following John Mayer around. Honestly, if you’re that desperate for extensions, go to a salon! But if you must have do-it-yourself extensions and you can’t find them at your local mall they’re at Sephora.com hairdo 15" Clip-In Wavy Extensions

Post by Michelle

As I’ve said before, I work two jobs. There are days that I leave my house at 7am and don’t come back home until after midnight. Some days, that takes a huge toll on my hair. I don’t always have room to pack everything that it would take to make my hair look like it did in the morning. So I was super excited when I discovered Ted Gibson Hair Styling Sheets. They’re a slightly damp towlette that you run over the surface of your hair. It smoothes flyaways and helps your hair retain a shape. It’s sort of a mid-afternoon pick me up for hair that is starting to stray. They also come in super handy when it’s humid outside and your hair just won’t stay put. Package of 10 is $25 at Beauty.com Ted Gibson Hairsheet Styling Sheets

Post By Michelle
Really Marc? Really? This is the best you can come up with? I was searching online last night for some cute hair accessories to liven up my summer outfits and I came across this monstrosity. I usually love Marc Jacobs but seriously, who would wear this? It looks like someone took the belt from a denim trench coat and stuck my little niece’s bedazzled patches on it. Don’t even get me started on how it knots on one side. Or how it has a huge elastic piece in the back that’s sure to bunch up and make the back of your hair look uneven and gross. Overall, it just looks cheap, like something you buy in the shampoo aisle in CVS for $4.99 and then you get home and empty your bag and wonder why it was you thought a denim headband with sequined celestial appliques was a good idea in the first place. And this cost $58, not $4.99. Tell me, is it just me that thinks this is taking the 80s throwback too far? Is this fabulously hot or seriously not? You know my vote.

photo courtesy of shopbop.com