Hair

I’ve always been a big fan of Frederic Fekkai’s products, but for some reason, I hadn’t used a lot of them recently.  (There was a time when I was obsessed – and I mean, obsessed – with their Apple Cider Clarifying Shampoo.  It smells insanely good and works really well on my hair).  Then I got the opportunity to try Fekkai’s Brilliant Glossing Shampoo and Conditioner, so I jumped at the chance.

The great thing is, their products are every bit as good as I remember.  The Brilliant Glossing Duo also has a great scent to it – it’s light and fresh, the best kind of fragrance to smell in the morning when you’re trying to wake up.  The formula is also fantastic.  A little goes a long way, which is nice because Fekkai products are definitely a bit of a splurge (an 8 ounce bottle of the shampoo is $24).  I noticed results after only a few times using the products – my hair looks shiny and feels softer, but I also love the fact that with only a little product, it’s also tangle-free and doesn’t weigh my hair down.  Using them together just makes my hair look like the best version of itself, and isn’t that what great products are supposed to do?  Well worth the splurge!

I normally (and sadly) avoid hair powders because the fragrances within them irritate my scalp, but if you’re traveling, or you’re trying to stretch the life of a great blowout or hair extensions, it’s hard to resist the lure of a good tinted hair powder. So when I received a sample kit from a new local company called Finley to try out, I went for it.

I was pleasantly surprised that the finely milled, silica- and tapioca-starch-based formula — while fragranced — didn’t irritate my skin at all. (Note: This doesn’t mean it’s free of common irritants. In addition to fragrance, it contains aluminum starch octenylsuccinate and several colorants such as carmine, so beware if you have sensitive skin or allergies.) On the other hand, the company credits itself with using minimalist packaging instead of aerosol cans.

Available in four shades — black, dark brown, golden blonde and white — Finley Hair Powder, $18, comes in a deceptively small bottle. You really only need a few modest shakes here and there to soak up grease and fluff roots, so the price tag isn’t so much of a shocker. The bottle lasts longer than it looks like it will. And it sure beats plain old cornstarch (my kitchen-ready standby). Give it a shot if hair powder is your thing.

Last night, I stopped by Kiehl’s unveiling of its environmental partnership with Golden Globe winners Michael C. Hall (“Dexter”) and Chloë Sevigny (“Big Love”) in support of the Waterkeeper Alliance, an organization dedicated to preserving and protecting water from polluters. As I’m someone who loves to hang out in the ocean and observe marine life off the coast of California, this is an issue that hits close to home, especially with the abundance of waste, plastic bags, oil pollution and nuclear disaster coverage that have unfortunately become part of our lives. But it’s not just the ocean that needs our attention, it’s the rivers, lakes, streams, even groundwater, that affect us and our health on a daily basis.

To show its support, Kiehl’s USA President Chris Salgardo presented the Waterkeeper Alliance with a giant check for $100,000 at Kiehl’s beautiful Santa Monica store while Sevigny, Hall and Santa Monica Baykeeper/Executive Liz Crosson look on smiling. Chloë’s brother, Paul Sevigny, DJ’d the event while guests sipped on cocktails and checked out stacks of Kiehl’s Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque, featuring limited-edition label art designed by Sevigny and Hall (see Sevigny’s, left). One-hundred percent of the collection’s proceeds go to the Waterkeeper Alliance.

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After a week of pre-Oscar parties like Vanity Fair’s and the Sheer Cover-sponsored Dare2Care benefit, tons of celebrities and a few of us lucky beauty bloggers braved the ice-cold, blustery winds on the beach in Santa Monica today to stargaze at the annual Independent Spirit Awards. There, Black Swan took home top awards and celebrity spottings included ISA and Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo (had to take a photo), Nicole Kidman (in a stunning L’Wren Scott red lace pencil dress), a very pregnant and glowing Natalie Portman (in a short yellow Givenchy number), Zoe Saldana (in awesome, vermilion Brian Atwood pumps), and Uma Thurman and newcomer Jennifer Lawrence (both most elegant in all-white Dolce & Gabbana).

Backstage doing touchups for the presenters was sponsor Aveeno‘s official spokesperson and branding consultant Patrick Melville, whose clients includes Demi Moore, Heidi Klum, Tom Cruise and Harry Connick, Jr., to name a few. An absolute sweetheart with an intriguing New York-London accent, Patrick was very calm, cool and collected despite having to touch up so many aggressively wind-blown hairstyles. So calm in fact, he just decided to “go with it” and not “fight nature.” (Beachy waves and messy updos galore!)

Aveeno had quite possibly the most serene lounge set-up in the area, complete with Aveeno Active Naturals product displays (new Nourish + Moisturize Conditioner, Positively Nourishing Calming Body Wash, Daily Moisturizing Lotion and Skin Brightening Daily Scrub). Celebrities like Diego Luna enjoyed drinks and snacks in the chic, Art Deco-inspired, glitter-adorned ELLE Green Room. Other sponsors, some of whom had awards in their name, included Jameson (the official house spirit of the evening along with G. H. Mumm Champagne), Piaget, Acura, Stella Artois, LG Cinema 3D, HTC, smartwater and Netflix. All in all, despite the cold, it was a great, laid-back ceremony filled with tons of humor (thanks in part to host Joel McHale) and stars who seemed like they were in the best of moods — the perfect ramp up to tomorrow’s much-hyped Oscars!

I’ve been using Parisian hair care brand Leonor Greyl (a rumored celeb favorite that’s gone on tour with both Madonna and Gwen Stefani) off and on for about a year now, and I must say their beautifying oils are not only some of the most glamorous “natural” products I’ve encountered, but the Huile de Palme (for hair) and Huile de Magnolia (for face and body) are quite the little miracle workers when it comes to moisturizing dry skin and hair.

Free of the chemicals and additives found in most hair products (sulfates, parabens, silicones, etc.), Huile de Palme (literally “palm oil”) is an environmentally friendly blend of botanical and vegetal oils that protects hair health from the elements, such as sun, surf and chlorine. It’s a pre-shampoo treatment, so you can apply it to dry hair and leave it on anywhere from a few minutes to overnight, depending on your hair texture and/or conditioning needs. (more…)

Who among us doesn’t take Oprah’s word when she says that she loves something?  No one I know (such is the power of O).  Celebrity stylist Andre Walker has been working with Oprah for years, so when I got the opportunity to try his new Keratin Shampoo and Conditioner, I jumped at it. (more…)

This Valentine’s season, I’ve been to so many events with so many experts that are supposed to help us think “inside the head of a man” when it comes to dating.  Most of the girls, of course, wanted to know what kind of look attracts guys- and the answer that I heard over and over again, is that guys love romantic yet natural, wavy hair.  The good news is, that is also my favorite look- and one that I’ve spent the bulk of my adult years trying to achieve.  Luckily, I finally came across my holy-grail hair tool this past year- the T3 Twirl 1.25″ Curling Iron- which has really just made my hair life so much better! (more…)

Another holiday, another panic attack: What on earth is there left to get for the man in your life? Well, a good home-cooked meal should work, but if that’s not your idea of a special gift, I suggest you say “I love you” with:

… a Hot Shave
I recently got the chance to check out Alexander’s for Hair, a mid-range, family-owned, all-in-one spa and salon in west L.A., and I thought, “What a great place to take my [insert any family member here]!” Formerly the male-targeted Reeder’s Barber Shop, complete with beers and flatscreen TVs, Alexander’s for Hair has undergone a recent makeover to suit its growing clientele base, offering more services for both men and women as well as eco-friendly hair products by Eufora and high-quality GRAM skincare by Dr. Bernard Gramlich (you should see his skin!). Helmed by new owner Krissy Smith and her mom Jeanne Phares, the salon has both a small-town feel and a cosmopolitan flair — perfect for those who want luxurious treatment but find super-high-end salons and spas either intimidating or just not worth the extra dough. Best of all, while you’re loved one is getting his Signature MVP Hot Shave, you can indulge in a Eufora Deep Conditioning and Scalp Treatment (free this month with any color service), a fantastic facial, a mani-pedi or a delightful (and affordable) deep-tissue massage (ask for Barbara!). Ah, the perks of co-ed bliss.

Alexander’s for Hair is located at 11515 W. Pico Blvd. in Los Angeles. Call (310) 473-0462 to make an appointment. Readers, mention the code AFHGO through February and you’ll get 30 percent off your service!

… Custom Kicks
If the love (or like) of your life is a label-savvy jet setter who frequently blends street style and upscale threads (or just likes any of the aforementioned), he’ll appreciate the new G3 collection by Ryz, the brainchild of former president of Adidas America and Adidas Japan Rob Langstaff. (more…)

I can be kinda hard on my hair, what with the two showers a day (I know it’s bad to wash it that much, but I hate getting into bed feeling dirty and Los Angeles is so hot that it’s impossible not to most of the time).  Plus, I blow dry it every day and occasionally put it up, so I feel like it deserves a pick me up every once in a while.  Recently, I’ve been turning to Kerastase’s Chroma Reflect Masque whenever I want to get it back into shape.

The masque is specially formulated to bring radiance to color-treated hair, so it’s absolutely perfect for those of us who want to condition our hair without affecting the shade in any way.  It smells yummy too – fresh and clean, which I love in my hair products.  You apply it to clean, damp hair, massage it in so your entire head is covered, then relax with a magazine or a glass of wine for approximately 10 minutes while it works.  When I rinse it out, my hair is so soft and it doesn’t have a knot in it (which is really great for me because my hair knots like crazy).  Once it dries, it’s shiny and just looks overall much healthier.  I’ve been using it about once every week or 10 days or so and it’s really helped my hair get back into shape and kept it looking good.  It’s a little pricey at $58, but those of you who have used Kerastase products before know that they’re worth it.  Everyone needs healthy hair!

If you’re already racking your brain about what to do for Valentine’s Day and all you’ve come up with is “Dinner out or dinner in?,” consider taking pause from all the hustle and bustle at a quiet oasis such as Spa Luce. A seasonal offering on the spa menu, the delightful aromatherapeutic Spa Luce Valentine’s Day Couples Massage, $370, gets my vote for best investment in relaxation. It features massages performed side by side in the couples room, a mineral-salt soak in a hydrotherapy tub built for two, and a complimentary bottle of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries.

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