The Year In Beauty: These Are My Favorite Things, Part 5

Without further ado, here's the fifth and final installment of my and Beauty Blogging Junkie Amber's favorite beauty products of 2010. I figured 2011 is as good a time as ever to... post the last post in our series. Which I should've done in 2010, but whatever. I was busy watching "Hoarders" and not making resolutions.

Here are the beauty products we discuss. As you can tell, I veered off course and discussed my seashell shoes and a Marc Jacobs pen that looks like lipstick. Kinda counts, right?

Me: LA Looks Cashmere Curls Gel (the holy GRAIL of curly hair products), Lancome 020 Le Rouge L'Wren Scott Nail Polish (which is highly sold out, unfortunately -- I got the last one in all of Saks), Haus of Price Shoes,  Marc By Marc Jacobs Lipstick Pen, and MOR Cosmetics bath and body products

Amber: Sally Beauty Supply Femme Couture Mascara Set (with glitter mascara!), Beverly Hills Skin Care Advanced Youth Recovery Cream, Philosophy The Supernatural Superbeautiful Foundation SPF 20.

 

Oscar Blandi Raffinata Straightening Balm = Straight-Up Perfect

($19, Oscar Blandi, Sephora.com)

UPDATE: I'm using this on my curls now, and it actually works AMAZINGLY well as a smoother and defrizzer. I mixed it with my gel and applied (liberally) when my hair was still wet, and seriously, my hair looks better than it has in weeks.

I have had THREE hair cuts in the past month and FOUR blowouts (I have thick, curly hair that frizzes as though it were getting paid to do so) in the past 10 days (there's obviously a story there), and I've tried a handful of straightening products that just didn't deliver. Which is so not the case, however, with Oscar Blandi's Raffinata Straightening Balm. It's designed to minimize blowdrying time, but since, um, I've had my share of the blowdryer, I tried it out to see if it'd maintain and revive my blowout. Oscar Blandi and his unparalelled Straightening Balm instantly annihilated my frizz (and it's about 17,000 degrees in the shade here in New York right now), and smoothed out my layers without weighing them down or making them greasy, sticky, or too slick. My hair looked thick and wavy but polished. You only need a small dab of the cream-based product to achieve near-magical results. And it smells fresh and clean, like shea butter. Sold.

PEACOCK FASHION AND BEAUTY NEWS, EVERYONE!

I fucking love that now people just SEND me peacock updates. I suppose I should set a Google alert, but it's like y'all are just doing it for me, and Googs alerts are so cold and impersonal, and you guys send me stuff with love.

Anyway, thanks to FashionBinge reader Britt for alerting me to the fact that a PEACOCK design won the International Fantasy Hair Competition! Model Amaris Brown endured hours of painful hair-did-ing to look like a beautimous peacock. The hair design was created by the OBVIOUSLY brills Kevin Carter of The Artistry of Hair from Farmington Hills, Michigan. LOVES!



Meanwhile, the talented Jami Attenberg sent me this absurd yet inspiring image of peacock makeup on ShinyRedBalloon. For srs. She suggested I create peacock eyes for my wedding. Or, let's not and say I did? Or, just look at the fun but REEEEdick pic.

Cashmere Curls = PERFECT Curls For UNDER Two Bucks!

++ UPDATE: Moar curly hair tips here! ++

($1.79, LA Looks, Drugstores and Such!)

Do NOT laugh. LA Looks' Cashmere Curls gel gives you (read: me!) SPECTACULADO curls, and this shiz is under $2. PERFECT CURLS for less than the price of a LATTE, people! I'm using it in this photo, and, I'll be like the fourth to admit, my hair looks phenoms:

... And I'm only saying that because people said that on Facebook, totally unsolicited. And because if you have curly hair, you NEED to get LA Looks' Cashmere Curls.

And now, I will allow Boyz II Men to express the sentiments that are totally similar (except a bit more exaggerated, and way more Hilfiger and silk PJs) to the way I feel about Cashmere Curls.

Boyz II Men - New Music - More Music Videos

Spending YOUR Money: Philip B Truffle Conditioner

And now, it's time for a feature that will heretofore be referred to as "Spending YOUR Money" -- as in, things that I would gladly buy... with YOUR money. Get it?

($75, Philip B)

At $75 per 6 oz, Philip B White Truffle Nourishing Hair Conditioning Creme is SUPER pricey for a hair product. But here's the thing: it fucking empowers your scalp to grow ACTUAL TRUFFLES, which you can then harvest and sell at a premium. So, with the price of truffles having risen up to $3,500 a pound, the $75 is really just an investment in a lucrative future! Bonus: really gorge hair! Another unforeseen benefit: just sprinkle some head-grown truffles over some Kraft Easy Mac and voila -- your very own DIY version of Waverly Inn's now-$85 mac and cheese with truffles. (Grr, inflation! Because $55 for mac and cheese was SO much more reasonable!)

But back to Philip B's pricey fungus-infused conditioning creme: the site doesn't tell you much about it except that it contains amino acids (it'd better!) and "restores intense moisture and repair without weighing down your hair!" Um, for $75, I except a BIT more copy!

Only two Makeup Alley users and two Total Beauty users reviewed it; one of the former effused "the best hair I have ever had, It's just so gorgeous and lush!," while one from the latter claimed "meh."

I think I'll hedge my bets for a more middle-of-the-road option:

($27, Philip B, PeterLouisSalon.com)

Philip B Chocolate Milk Body Wash -- still a bit pricey, but ultimately, I'd probably rather smell like Quik than 'shrooms.

BTW: Because surely you were DYING of curiosity, this is what Philip B looks like -- a well-coiffed cross between Ty from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Fabio.

Now, Philip, bro, MOVE! THAT! BUS!

New York Times To New York Ladies: Don't Wash Your Hair

If the New York Times told you to jump off the Williamsburg Bridge, would you do it?

I know that I personally would jump off the Brooklyn Bridge because it's so much cooler than the Williamsburg Bridge. But for realzorz, the Times is all like, hey, looks like ladies aren't shampooing their hair.

Um, duh. Any good pageant queen will tell you -- dirty hair is stylish hair!

And anyone who's heard me go off on my curly haircare rant KNOWS that I've been preaching the no-shampoo gospel for nigh on five years or so. I bought the book Curly Girl (yes, I actually bought a book about hair care, but only because it was just $10 and because I had a Barnes & Noble gift card and because one of my gay bestie's other girl besties bought it and swore it changed her life, so I figured, why not change mine?), written by Devachan founder Lorraine Massey, who's quoted in the article.

I followed her #1 cardinal rule of curly hair -- no shampooing. That was back in the day, and now I haven't used the shit in YEARS, except for maybe once when I went swimming or something. And, no joke, my hair went from "blah" to "huzzah." If you've got curly hair, chances are it's dry (I can't speak to the greasy haired ladies, but you've told me that the idea of not washing daily is a totes no-go, and I believe you). And shampooing, per Massey (AND, supes importantly, per ME!), will only dry it out even more. Seriously, as soon as I stopped using shampoo, it was 1,2,3 Impacto on the hair hotness tip. I still wash it -- probably up to five times a week -- scrub it and use a shameless amount of conditioner. Just no shampooey. It's all the difference in the world between frustrating, frizzy hair and totally transformed curls that take almost no time at all.

I also totes recommend Devachan -- I've been going there for years. It's expensive but worth every cent, especially if you don't wear your hair curly but you're ready to make the jump. They totes takes tons of time to walk you through the whole curly hair maintenance process.

If you don't live in New York, Devachan (I swear to God, I don't work for them -- that's how miraculous their skills are), check out Stylist's Devachan curly hair photo gallery.

Also, the Times article goes on about shampoo alternatives (cheesecloth? uhhhh no thanks), and I've been loving on "Dry Clean Only" by Sebastian ever since I was old enough to legally enter bars, back in ye olden days when smoking anywhere within four inches of an alcoholic bev was still allowed. It's essentially Febreze for your hair. That sounds gross, but if your hair be rockin' it, what's the point in wasting all that water (and time) if you were only in a smoky spot for like 10 minutes -- long to enough to pick up some smokage but not enough to merit a total rewashing, IMO. Or if you have a rad -- and expensive -- blowout. It's not so easy to find, but it's worth the time spent tracking it down. Just a few spritzes and you're good.

Anyway, as far as I'm concerned, there's absolutely no reason to wash your hair every day. Skipping a day or two is good for the planet and good for your hair. That also means that it's time to substitute the "I'm washing my hair excuse" with "I'm color coordinating my sock drawer."

Alright, 'Bingers. True confessions: how often do you wash? And... to shampoo or not to shampoo? THAT is the other question!

Katherine Heigl's New Helmut Hair!

(Photo via WebstersIsMyBitch.com)

Eeeeee. Katie! Why you done did that? I might be able to deal with the cut, but the color? Eek! So washed out. Please let this be for a role or something. Seriously, if I had her hair (pre-this pic, natch), I'd just sit around and bask in its lovely bounciness all day. Just sit there and watch TV and just appreciate myself and my hair so fucking much. So why the change? Also, here's a little-known Biblical fact: there are a few lost lines contained within Ecclesiastes 3, verses 1–8 that translate roughly to:

"There is a time for a 29-year-old to look like present-day Tippi Hedren and/or Diane Sawyer and a time for a 29-year-old not to look like present-day Tippi Hedren and or/ Diane Sawyer."

And lo, this is one of those times. Turn, turn, turn.

I swear it's not too late!

Hair Miracle! Cristophe Beverly Hills "Purely Natural" Conditioner

($7.99, Cristophe Beverly Hills, CVS)

The other week, I was sent Cristophe Beverly Hills' new "Purely Natural" conditioner and, admittedly, thought little of it. But, since my hair is long, dry, curly, thick, often unruly and usually frizzy (lucky me!), I go through about a bottle of conditioner a week. I ran out of whatever else I'd been using (the fact that I can't even remember what it was should highlight my indifference), and I figured I might as well give it a shot.

Sweet sassy molassey! This stuff is a mini hair miracle! It's tamed my not-so-"fierce" frizziness and added a lovely layer of shine without the gunky greasiness, AND it's kept my scalp from doing undesirable things.

It has a nice light fragrance (I detect a hint of what smells like anise), and it's got no parabens (yay!), and apparently that's very good because they're apparently bad. What it does contain: alcohol (boo!), but it also clearly contains magic! Oh yeah, and here's more magic: it's only $7.99 (at CVS). I've spent far more on far lesser products, so I'll definitely be dropping that when I run out -- which will surely be soon.

Chloe Sevigny: Blonde Beauty

Yes, we know we hated on her clothing line, but that doesn't mean that we, like MollyGood, can't admire Chloe Sevigny's most beautymous hair. Here she is, at her Samsonite Black Label party (Anyone go? We were gonna but we were working AND we feared the Fashion Week lines at Cellar Bar given its proximity to the tents), embracing two of-the-now trends at once: florals and conservative 1950s/60s-style silhouettes with cornsilk hair like that of a beauty queen.

Sigh. Anyone know how to affect this look without actually being born Chloe Sevigny and/or rich enough to afford a live-in hair stylist?

And speaking of Chloe, here's one party we're grateful we weren't invited to!

Beauty Buys That Blow!

Styledash has the 12 beauty products that basically suck, according to TotalBeauty.com.

The funny thing is, I actually use about four of them. Here's their take versus mine, which is obviously far superior, because it is.


Smashbox Lip-Enhancing Gloss
Their beef: "Color only lasts through a half-hour commute, and it's hard to ignore the plastic aroma and grainy texture while you're wearing it."
My take: I agree that it doesn't last long, but I have their True Color gloss in Protege, and it's a perfect non-megawatt simple neutral gloss for daywear. And I disagree about any funky texture or smell of yuk.


Revlon Tourmaline Ionic 1875 Watt Hairdryer
Their beef: "... don't let buzz words like 'ionic' and 'ceramic' seduce you into buying it. Bad design and bogus claims had me ready to go back to the louder, heavier Elchim 1800. Despite having multiple settings, this dryer's heat was too intense and its frizz-fighting 'Ion Select Dial' futile."
My take: I agree that there's not much super ionic or tourmalinic (???) about this dryer, but it absolutely fights frizzos (and I should know), and it gets lotsa points for its lack of jet-engine-blast volume. And hello -- it's $35. Perf.


Redken All Soft Gold Glimmer Perfecting Shine Treatment
Their beef: "'Shine treatment' brings a serum texture to mind, but this was a thicker, gel-like goo infused with golden flecks. When sparingly applied from hair ends to mid-shaft, you can expect to get some separation and added texture -- which is odd because it's meant to soften and add shine to hair. (It didn't.)
My take: WTF? I absolutely adore this product. It's a frizz-fighting WEAPON OF FUCKING MASS DESTRUCTION! And it adds an overwhelming amount of shine with a minimal amount of gooey goopiness. The only thing I agree with here is yes, it does smell like a tropical isle. Which rules.


Maybelline New York Define-A-Lash Washable Lengthening Mascara
Their beef: "A mascara that promises "zero clumps" with "stunning length" and "clean definition" at this price sounds too good to be true -- and it is. The reason it doesn't clump? The formula is so thin, you'll need at least two coats to get decent lash definition. Then it starts clumping."
My take: Um, did we use the same product? Yes, this is a VERY thin mascara -- I'll give them that. And you need to use about four coats, not two. BUT, it's an indispensable tool for lengthening, lifting and separating. It's the Wonderbra of mascaras, if you will. I use it as a base and then add a thicker mascara on top of it for maximum effectage. Next to Maybelline's sub par, super-overhyped Great Lash mascara, this thing Speaking of thickening mascara -- I used to use Benefit's Bad Gal mascara, which nearly gives you Tammy Faye Baker eyes, in an awesome way, until my sister and I both concluded -- it ends up migrating from your eyelashes to your undereyes by COB, no matter what. Boo. So now I'm kind of back on the market as far as thickening mascaras go.


Anyway, tell us which beauty products you love/hate/feel indifference/ blind rage toward.