Hair

Welcome for her first Hump Day Hair Day!

Katehrm777 here, to hopefully share some of my hair wisdom that a lifetime of varying hair disasters has provided.

Children can be extremely cruel sometimes. As a wee young lass, I had ringlet curls that with age turned increasingly into an enormous puff ball that could not be tamed. Hairdressers swore they had never seen such texture before and had no idea how to work with it. My mother could not even figure out how to get it into a ponytail. My friends often commented that I looked like a lion. But nothing compared to the trauma that would ensure on the last day of school of sixth grade.

I had ordered a brand spanking new blue vinyl skirt and vest set from the American Girl catalogue (why? That is not relevant to this story and thus I do not have to answer for my horrifying sixth grade fashion sense). I wanted to wear it on the last day of school and I waited anxiously for it to arrive. It finally arrived and I went to school full of pride and happiness in my "cute" new outfit. Then on the bus ride home my brother's friend announced to the entire bus that I looked like an enormous blue condom with pubic hair coming out of the top. My hair was never to be worn curly again (nor was the blue vinyl outfit). That summer I found my first flat iron, got my hair chemically relaxed and my hair has not been seen au natural in public since.

However getting my hair straight involves a several hour long process of protein and condition treatments, blow drying and flat ironing so I try to wash my hair as little as possible. However I also love the look of freshly washed, clean hair. What's a girl to do? Enter Oscar Blandi Pronto dry shampoo!

Here's what Oscar Blandi has to say about Pronto:
"This hair reviver is a busy girl's best friend: it refreshes your hair and scalp in between washings, so you can touch up your tresses without the use of water."

I simply apply a little bit of Pronto to my roots by parting my hair in several locations and then shake it through the rest of my hair and my hair looks just washed! As an added bonus, for those of us who are not exactly natural blondes, Pronto helps to minimize appearance of dark roots in between colors. And despite the white color of the powder, it works on the darkest of brunettes as well.

So ladies tell me..Has Pronto let anyone else go 2, 4, (gasp) 7 days between washes? Was anyone else permanently traumatized as a child into the beauty choices they make today?

Oscar Blandi Pronto Buy It Here!

Yikes! For some reason LA gals this didn't email blast out! So sorry my computer let me down!~Meg

Meg here, so I always complain about my hair. It's dry and brittle and oily at the scalp. On top of it, my hair has several different hair colors blended in the back since my patience is pretty low and I just grab a box at the drugstore to fix it. You know when you do that it makes you afraid to go to a real professional. Like when you haven't been to the dentist in a long time.

I was afraid Marco would "tssk tssk", me for doing it myself.

I was a little nervous walking into the zen Marco Peluso studio. Was Marco going to chew me out for turning to the box for so long? Why was my hair just so blah? Was he going to cut it all off ala Mia Farrow pixie?

"Hmm, well, it's no so bad. I mean, I understand that you can't come in all the time and we can fix this up. I would tell your readers that they can do it themselves but every once in a while they should see a professional to just even it all out and fix the hard to reach places."

How cool is Marco to say that? That literally was the first time I wasn't scolded by a hairdresser for not coming in.

That's one of the many awesome things about Marco, he's realistic. He also doesn't give you any sell or song or dance. He's an artist and I told him to just look at my tresses and I trusted his creative decisions.

Marco turned my mousey-tri colored mess (I'm working on the picture of the results-hope it will be up by this afternoon-scanner issues) into a hair commercial. He used paint brushes and foils and painted deep caramel low lights, buttery warm highlights and an over-all tone that didn't wash me out but projected a golden glow around my face. With the grey issue, being an all-over brunette is just not feasable anymore. With my pale skin being a blond makes me look ill. When Marco finished blowing my hair out and swirled my chair around, I had Giselle's multi-hued locks (if he could give me Giselle's ab's I'd kill for him).

Marco's™ Color Anti-Frizz Leave-In Conditioner with Collagen Color Guard, was reviewed on Megs makeup before Read Comments Here! and everyone went wild for it. Marco has one word Collagen! Collagen! Collagen! I need it in my skin, I use to inject it in my lips and now, I find out~Your hair has it, it's anti-aging, but guess what we lose everywhere as we age? Yup, Collagen. Here I am picking Marco's Collagen obsessed brain!

Collagen, It is really the plumper for youth, skin and hair? Why do we need it and why does the sun deplete it?

As we age, our body loses its ability to produce and repair collagen, which is the structural scaffold of skin and hair. Daily factors such as environmental pollutants, heat styling and color processing further compromise the collagen protein structure of hair causing the hair to become brittle and dull -- in essence making the hair shaft resemble a road full of potholes.

Your products are the only ones concentrating on Collagen and its anti-aging benefits. What led you to this Holy Grail?

I spent many years of my career working in the lab with the chemists at major haircolor manufacturers, creating color products and haircare to prevent color fadage. I went back to a well-respected chemist who is a longtime family friend, and asked him to create a product system on my behalf specifically to prevent premature color fade, as well as boost condition, haircolor longevity, vitality and tone. It was really a beautiful thing that happened: several formulas with which we worked contained collagen, or at least a form of collagen. I therefore asked if it would be possible to include a form of collagen in each and every product to prevent premature color fade, and he said yes! That’s how it started.

Last but not least..Lets get to know you!

The #1 tip I wish I could give to every women about her tresses?

Condition, condition, condition. Even women who care deeply about their hair, whether it’s for work, or career purposes, or just to look and/or feel good, often overlook it. Many women forget or are unable to spend time deep conditioning their hair. If they could just find a little time every other day or at least once a week, they would improve their hair health. I will be launching an easy-to-use product in the near future that will aid in the much-needed deep conditioning and reconstructing of hair.

Why my products take care of you like nobody's business?

Collagen literally fills in the holes in the hair, much like tar fills in potholes on a road. That’s what hair looks like. The hair shaft, when exposed to sun, wind, heat from styling, and especially color processing, has holes in different areas. These ‘holes’ can cause the hair can look dull, dry, lifeless, and can cause the color to fade. The collagen in my products literally fills in these gaps, and closes the outer layer of the hair. The collagen actually works to seal in the color and create shine and luster.

I LOVE all of my products but if I could just suggest one it would be?

Marco™ Color Anti-Frizz Leave-In Conditioner with Collagen Color Guard™. This signature product is an ultra luxurious, light and airy leave-in conditioner expressly formulated to replenish the hair’s own natural reserves. It’s a must have for all hair types, for any woman with any length of hair, whether it’s fine or thick or coarse or wavy, it all depends on how much your hair needs. My Anti-Frizz Leave-In Conditioner can literally change the hair in one application. Celebrities such as Carol Alt and Stacy Keibler cannot live without it, along with most of my female clients. In fact, I have to send Carol gallons of it on a regular basis. Use it on towel-dried, freshly shampooed hair, just a few pumps, for best results, either before a blow dry, or simply to let the hair dry on its own. Everyone just loves it!!!

My theme song?

Any 80s music whatsoever. Duran Duran, Howard Jones, The Cure, Madonna, or any cheesy 80s TV show theme song, like Dynasty or Falcon Crest.

LA Ladies do yourself a favor and let Marco clean you up for Summer! Ladies with hair~Get some Collagen!

Learn All About MARCO PELUSI HERE!!

Every Saturday, Kate brings you the best of Sephora as only an insider can!

We'll its all over and I'm finally done. I took my last final about four hours ago. I had brunch with my best friend and our favorite professor. I finished college! It's a little sad. But I am on to bigger and better things. I'm going to take over the world, one lip gloss lover at a time! So I'm very sorry about my absenteeism the last couple weeks. I just had to get all my ducks in a row. Finish and defend my thesis. Take my exams. Pack up my stuff. (Where does it all COME FROM?) So I've barely even had time to surf the internet (that's a lie...). But they have some super fun new stuff for summer at Sephora. AND voting has also begun for the 2008 Best of Sephora awards!

I am really pleased to see that they have really changed up the nominees this year instead of the same old products. I have a feeling maybe we'll have some surprise winners this year...I guess we'll have to wait until a little later in the year to find out. But here's some of the interesting ones!

Best Concealers: Makeup Forever Full Cover, The Balm TimeBalm, Bare Escentuals Bisque, Benefit Boi-ing, and Amazing Concealer. The TimeBalm is my personal favorite, but I've never tried that Makeup Forever one. I hear its good. Im not fans of B.E. or Amazing anyhow. Go Time Balm!

Also in the Foundation category I was surprised to see the Dior AirFlash aerosol spray among Bare Escentuals (duh), Makeup Forever Mat Velvet, Philosophy the Supernatural and Smashbox High Definition. I have a can of the DiorFlash. I use it sparingly because its $60. But it gives the most amazing, airbrush finish. You skin looks so flawless!

I've also had a change of heart in Primers in the past year. I was of course a devotee of the oldie-but-goodie Smashbox Photofinish, but then I fell in love with Laura Mercier (not a nominee). But late in the year Laura Gellar Spackle has come to be my favorite. It just makes your makeup STAY! Its awesome! I can leave out the yucky fake-raspberry scent of Benefit's "That Gal" And the "oil slick" feel of Perfekt. I vote for Laura Gellar!

The Tress Tamer category is interesting as well because they have three prodcuts (Fekkai Glossing Cream, Phytodefristant, and Ojon Elastic Spray) against appliances -- the GHD iron and the T3 hairdryer. I don't really understand why the lumped them all together. I'm loyal to my Fekkai Glossing Cream but the Phytodefrisant is a relatively recent acquisition. It's a natural product and it has really made my hair sleeker!

Ladies, go forth, explore the categories, and let's have a not-so-secret ballot box here!

Meg here with a great new line to tell you about..Blow Styling Products! I was lucky enough to receive the entire line and boy oh boy is it great! There is nothing I love more then a smart entrepreneur unless it is a smart woman entrepreneur. You see, ideas really are a dime a dozen. Oh, I use to have many brilliant and wonderful ideas. My nickname used to be "Kramer" The devils in the details! The follow through is essential! So many times I had thought "EUREKA!" just to wait years for time to go by and kick myself as someone else became rich! There is little recourse in "darn, I thought of that!"

Here's what I think one of the best things about Blow Styling Products are..The beginning of the "Blow Bar", the best ideas are when they are created out of a need that women could actually use. Instead of the hhmming and hawwing these 3 bestfriends got together in NYC and did something about it. They created Blow salon in the meatpacking district. A place where women could gather to feel fab and glam and get fast and affordable mani-pedi's, makeup application and their now famous, signature blow-outs at the "blow bar". Their dream was so right on target with the feeling of other New York women they've now added another Blow to the Upper East Side. Tr'es Chic!

A trip down my ideas..Dog DNA I was watching Oprah a few years back and she had on scientists that has a company that would send in a swab of your cheek to their DNA lab and spit out exactly who your ancestors were and from what village from like a million years or something ago. I look in the mirror-I'm pale. I look at my diningroom table, there's a Guiness open, my last names O'Brien. My guess is I come from potato harvesters that liked to imbibe. That's not worht $300. What is? I can't tell you how many hours of my life I have spent debating what dog breeds must have mated to create Bear and Penny. Hours upon hours. That is why I thought, forget humans.We need Dog DNA for our mutts! Lo and behold, listening to NPR last week, someone else thought that but is just now making millions.

The Talking Vibrator Want to eradicate men? Then look no further! For $19.95 your talking vibrator will say "If you lost more weight you'd be disgusting" and "I love a more mature woman," "You deserve that bag!" "If they don't want you then they're jealous or gay" "God, how am I the luckiest man alive?" I even have the commercial worked out, a well dressed woman walks into a swank restaurant, pulls into her purse, taps the maitre'd, looks straight into the camera and says "Table for two" Then winks!!

Epstein Bar way before NYC came out with their BED Lounge I thought about Epstein Bar. Who says disease can't have its perks? I hate getting ready on a Friday night. The shower, the hair the makeup the outfit. Why, if you couldn't just jump into your Nick and Nora's couldn't you go relax at everybody's favorite watering hole Epstein Bar? As far as I'm concerned, the only thing Hefner ever got right was living in his robe.

megsmakeup.com Need I say more??

Alright, obviously I should be part of some government think tank. I won't bore you with more of my crackpot...Um..Brilliance!

Blow Styling Products really are fantastic, they're great for anyone that does a lot of heat styling, flat ironing, curlers or relaxers. They really have thought it through. From the time you shampoo up to the end with their "climate neutralizer" you're very well taken care of. The price is decent too as this has been lasting me quite a long time. I'm also a sucker for cool packaging and I really dig grabbing for these in the morning. I mean, I'm even motivated to use them showering on a Friday night at 8pm (Epstein Bar~where are you?)

Ladies, please let me know if you've tried Blow, I'd love to write more but I just had this idea....

Blow~Buy It Here!

Every Thursday Rachael Robbins brings you the best of her DD's!

For the most part my motto is “The bigger the better”. I say for the most part because there are obviously some things I don’t want to be big. My thighs, for example. But as far as boobs, hair, eye lashes, bank account, wang, house, wardrobe, jewelry collection, celebrity status....I want them all BIG!! For my boobs, I get them bigger by tailoring my bras, stuffing chicken cutlets in there, and doing the old bronzer-in-the-clevage trump l’oeil trick. When my bank account gets bigger, I will switch to the old getting-implants-trick! Eye lashes, well everyone knows I am a HUGE fake eyelash junkie! I keep Ardel in business. Bank account.....still working on that one! Wang......I got nothing there. Unfortunately, no make-up can change the size of a guys wang. House: slow process. But that can be rectified by slave driving my husband to make more money (see bank account). Wardrobe: thank god for outlets!! Anyway, I could go on and on but I won’t because I want to talk about BIG HAIR!!


Getting my hair big can sometimes seem as challenging as changing the size of a guys.....bank account (you thought I was gonna say wang! Get your minds outta the gutter!). I have VERY fine, super straight hair, that has been over processed to the point of breakage. So, it takes some steps to get great big hair. I just discovered an amazing alternative to my usual volumizer (which is Pytologie’s Phytovolume) and that alternative is Sally Hershberger Supreme Head Supreme Lift For Normal To Thin Hair (available at Walgreens) . When I section my hair off to blow it dry, I apply this fine mist to each section and blow it out with a great big round brush, and then set it in a large Velcro curler. Just as the product claims, it really plumps up fine hair. The way I place the curlers in my hair is: three going straight back from my bangs, and two on each side (the side curlers can be put in vertically or horizontally, whichever works for your hair style). After the curlers are in place I spray them lightly with another one of my DD favs, Nexxus Maxximum Super Hold Styling and Finishing Spray . I recommend the pump because the aerosol smells really strong. This hair spray is great because it can also be used a little heavier on your roots after you tease. It can be combed thru after it dries. It NEVER flakes or causes residue build up and has “NexxusSpheres that deliver time released nutrients, antioxidant vitamins and uv protectors to continuously nourish and protect hair from damaging heat, sunlight, pollution and other harsh elements” And frankly, my poor hair can use all the TLC and protection it can get.

So I will tease! Spray! Coiff! Plump! And take advantage of a DD from a famous hairdresser, because until I get that BIG bank account or my celeb status BIG BIG BIG the only way I can experience Sally Hershberger, stylist to the stars, is by buying her products from Walgreens! But you know what? This line is so kick-ass, I don’t even feel like I’m missing out on anything (except that big jewelry collection........)


For the most part my motto is “The bigger the better”. I say for the most part because there are obviously some things I don’t want to be big. My thighs, for example. But as far as boobs, hair, eye lashes, bank account, wang, house, wardrobe, jewelry collection, celebrity status....I want them all BIG!! For my boobs, I get them bigger by tailoring my bras, stuffing chicken cutlets in there, and doing the old bronzer-in-the-clevage trump l’oeil trick. When my bank account gets bigger, I will switch to the old getting-implants-trick! Eye lashes, well everyone knows I am a HUGE fake eyelash junkie! I keep Ardel in business. Bank account.....still working on that one! Wang......I got nothing there. Unfortunately, no make-up can change the size of a guys wang. House: slow process. But that can be rectified by slave driving my husband to make more money (see bank account). Wardrobe: thank god for outlets!! Anyway, I could go on and on but I won’t because I want to talk about BIG HAIR!!

Getting my hair big can sometimes seem as challenging as changing the size of a guys.....bank account (you thought I was gonna say wang! Get your minds outta the gutter!). I have VERY fine, super straight hair, that has been over processed to the point of breakage. So, it takes some steps to get great big hair. I just discovered an amazing alternative to my usual volumizer (which is Pytologie’s Phytovolume) and that alternative is Sally Hershberger Supreme Head Supreme Lift For Normal To Thin Hair (available at Walgreens) . When I section my hair off to blow it dry, I apply this fine mist to each section and blow it out with a great big round brush, and then set it in a large Velcro curler. Just as the product claims, it really plumps up fine hair. The way I place the curlers in my hair is: three going straight back from my bangs, and two on each side (the side curlers can be put in vertically or horizontally, whichever works for your hair style). After the curlers are in place I spray them lightly with another one of my DD favs, Nexxus Maxximum Super Hold Styling and Finishing Spray. I recommend the pump because the aerosol smells really strong. This hair spray is great because it can also be used a little heavier on your roots after you tease. It can be combed thru after it dries. It NEVER flakes or causes residue build up and has “NexxusSpheres that deliver time released nutrients, antioxidant vitamins and uv protectors to continuously nourish and protect hair from damaging heat, sunlight, pollution and other harsh elements” And frankly, my poor hair can use all the TLC and protection it can get.

So I will tease! Spray! Coiff! Plump! And take advantage of a DD from a famous hairdresser, because until I get that BIG bank account or my celeb status BIG BIG BIG the only way I can experience Sally Hershberger, stylist to the stars, is by buying her products from Walgreens! But you know what? This line is so kick-ass, I don’t even feel like I’m missing out on anything (except that big jewelry collection........)

Any other Nexxus or Sally fans to help you on your big quest?