What Is It With My Hair?!?!

Timing is everything.  Seriously.  Take my hair for example.  I don't know what exactly it is about it, but when I reeeally need some damage control (thank you multiple process bleaching followed by a razor cut), I can't seem to locate the fix.  When my hair seems to be back on track and looking fairly snazzy, I have hair repair product falling into my lap.  Go figure.  

A few weeks ago, I received a complimentary Aveda Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair through my Vogue Influencers Network to take out for a test drive.  A few of you may remember another hair repair product that I tested out about a year ago through Sephora and Vogue (and if you don't, you can hop back in time to it by clicking right here), and if you recall (or re-read), you'll also notice that I was initially at a loss for what the product actually did and/or didn't do.  Why?  Probably because my hair was already looking and feeling pretty good at that point.  Of course, since that trial I have encountered some big 'ole nasty.


The good news?  After using that previous product in conjunction with my Aveda Color Conserve shampoo and conditioner on some seriously fried fringe, it works magic on crunchy bleached hair, and frayed split ends.  The slightly bad news?  Because my hair was already being propped up by a different repair product (and I couldn't just not use anything for any period of time with the knowledge that I could not feasibly wear a hat 24/7), I had a little difficulty in seeing any drastic change for the better in my mop after using the Aveda Daily Hair Repair.  Back to good news?  I also didn't see any change for the worse after switching to the Aveda Daily Hair Repair.  Yay for everyone who has to see my hair on a daily basis! I am also happy to report that it didn't leave my hair sticky, oily, or weighed down - just soft and smooth.  Oh, and even more good news?  It costs less in my market than the other product I was using.     


I'm a little sad that I don't have any before or after pictures worth sharing with you, but what I can share with you are Aveda's bragging rights about the product.  Aveda’s Damage Remedy™ Daily Hair Repair is 97% naturally derived (from plants and non-petroleum minerals), instantly repairs damage by 26% (after 1 application of Daily Hair Repair in a clinical tensile test), and helps protect from heat styling. With the plant power of Damage Remedy™ Daily Hair Repair, it’s your daily dose for healthy-looking hair.  After using it myself, I can't speak in percentages, but I don't see anything that doesn't support the claim.  Plus, it smells like all of the other Aveda products -- fantastic.


Speaking of other products, have a look at the whole damage remedy line just queueing up for the next hair disaster.

The gentle daily shampoo helps repair damage with quinoa protein, while nurturing with rich coconut and babassu-lending new life to hair. 

The daily conditioning formula with quinoa protein helps repair and re-moisturize damaged hair - infusing it anew with healthy movement, silkiness and shine. 

The intensive weekly treatment deeply penetrates to help repair, seal and smooth even the most damaged hair. 

The Damage Remedy™ Daily Hair Repair helps protect from heat styling with wheat protein and detangles with soy oil. 

The kit uses the power of pure plant oils and quinoa protein, so it restores health, silkiness and shine. 

Think you might be ready to try some out for yourself?  Hop on over to Aveda.com, and check out all of their offerings for your whatever hair needs you might have right now.

If you like what you see, join in!  Just click the 'Join This Site' button at the top right of the homepage to keep up with Vogue fashion exclusives, new product launches, events, beauty reviews and more.  See it first, hear it first, know it first.

Ring in the New Year with Great Hair Tips from Frederic Fekkai & the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund

Looking for some hair help for the upcoming New Year's Eve bash you're headed to?  Why not take a tip from the looks Frederic Fekkai created to compliment the designs of fashion's brightest new talents at an exclusive CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund runway presentation?  All of the hair looks suggest ease, effortlessness, and elegance -- as perfect for your New Year's plans as they are for the runway.


Get inspired by having a look at this never-before-seen runway event video courtesy of my Vogue Influencer Network, followed by invaluable 'do-it-yourself' instruction, and then say hel-lo to 2012!!


(Press PLAY to begin video)


Frederic Fekkai paired with celebrity stylist Renato Campora to create these modern twists on the classic ponytail to be shared here with you.  Which one will you be sporting in the new year?

Top tip: Apply Fekkai Full Blown Volume™ Styling Whip throughout the hair until the entire head is damp. 2 Blow dry the hair using a large round brush. 3 Once the hair is mostly dry, straighten hair with a flat iron, separating into sections, while applying Frédéric Fekkai Essential Shea Tame and Style Pot de Crème to add shine. 4 Create a deep, exaggerated part to the right side of the head.  

Top tip: Depending on hair length and fullness, add the appropriate hair extensions. Pull the hair back into a low ponytail. Secure hair with a band, and spray with Fekkai Coiff™ Sheer Hold Hairspray for added hold. 2 Take a small section of hair from the underside of the ponytail and wrap it around to conceal the band. 3 Secure the look by blow drying the ponytail to lock in the straightness of the hair.

If you like what you see, let me know!  Click the 'Join This Site' button at the top right of the homepage to keep up with Vogue fashion exclusives, new product launches, events, beauty reviews and more.  See it first, hear it first, know it first.

Revlon All Access Summer Imaginarium, Why Not?

Ahhh ... summer is finally here, and what to do?  One of the great things about summer is feeling like you have time to sit back, relax a little, and get away.  Well, unless you're me ... but I digress.  Part of the whole appeal of loosening up and taking a break is really not so much in where you go or what you do, but how you yourself are changed and impacted by whatever it is that's different for you; and hopefully this is a good thing.  Think about it, part of the reason you come back from a vacation feeling refreshed is because you've been able to get a different perspective that you can take back and apply in your every day life - you have a slice of time where you can be someone slightly (or not-so-slightly) different from your norm.  Instead of rhetorically asking 'Why?', you instead ask 'Why Not?'.


Well, if you're looking to break from your routine without dropping a wad of cash to go sweat it out with all of the other families vacationing with their kids while on summer break; or if you're on a quest to find that mysterious, sultry, diva 'alter ego' to cut loose while you are vacationing in a place where no one knows your name, then look no further.  The folks at Revlon have come up with an iPhone app that gives you that daily spark of beauty and fashion inspiration to challenge yourself to go above and beyond what might be your daily norm.

Revlon All Access brings you exclusive, daily beauty and fashion insights directly from Revlon All Access experts Gucci Westman, June Ambrose, Polly Blitzer, and Annabel Tollman.  Much like a summer holiday, it almost dares you to try new things and come away feeling like you've explored something new.  Some of the daily tips may be a little extravagant for your typical Tuesday or Wednesday, but isn't that kind of the point?  So just allow yourself to ask 'Why Not?' and give it a try. It may just be the thing that helps you make every day a mini getaway ... or at least gives you a different enough perspective to imagine yourself into feeling like it is. 

This is where today's tip took me!

Poolside Posh: big turquoise earrings (by Amrita Singh), check; slicked back low bun, check; strong lip, check; dramatic silhouette, double check.

If you don't think I have absolutely lost my mind at this point, then you can download the app for free here, and see where it might take you.  Happy summer holiday!

Beauty and the Beach: Couture Color Pequi Oil Hair Treatment

Ahhhh ... the warm sunshine, the gentle breeze, the sound of the surf, and the light scent of coconut wafting to meet you as you breathe deep to take it all in.  Maybe I've been a little 'vacation challenged' the past few, but that was my first impression of the 'Couture Color Pequi Oil Hair Treatment' sample bottle I received from the Sephora Hot Now List (courtesy of the Vogue Influencer Network) before even using it on my hair.  I'm assuming it was the Pequi fruit that I was smelling and not coconuts.  Though on second thought, maybe not - does anyone out there know what a Pequi fruit smells like?  At any rate whatever I am actually smelling comes across as coconut-y, which always makes me think of sunblock or tanning oil and a beach.  A private tropical beach ... with white sand, crystal clear water, and les garcons bringing me fruity drinks ... while a I relax the day away under a large umbrella with a mysterious floppy hat and large sunglasses on.  Oh, those were the days (just humor me here a little bit and let me have my dramatic moment of longing, thank you).

Anyway, I digress.  I suppose the one thing to keep in mind about this tropical smelling hair oil, is that it is not a styling product, but is in fact, a hair TREATMENT (as in, what you probably think I need to look into after going on and on above about far away beaches).  Though I read the label on the bottle and everything on the box it came in, I think somewhere in the back of my mind I was still expecting a styling product, and because of this, was initially a little lost as to what affect it was supposed to have had on my hair after the first use.  After grappling with this problem for a few, I then realized the real deal and noticed what it actually does for my hair instead of what it wasn't doing.

I have been using one of those hair serums that smooths, seals, and makes all things shiny, but also has a tendency to work as a light styling aid as well (which I think is where I was drawing the comparison).  As far as I can tell, this old standby basically works as a 'hair band-aid' by covering up all of the damage instead of correcting it.  It also has a very specific usage amount that you must not go over if you don't want to look like a scraggly wet greased cat.  That said, the second thing I noticed about the Pequi Oil Treatment, was that it was super lightweight - I actually used it before shampoo, after shampoo, and before styling with no heavy greasy weighed-down outcome.  (As a side note, I tend to have fine, thick hair with a natural wave to it that I usually wash every other day.  I can push it one day longer if I need to, though it does start to get a little oily for me on that 3rd day).  Also, as advertised my mop was nice and soft and had a smooth healthy shine to it.  Though I still do feel the need for a touch of a finishing product out of habit, I don't know that I necessarily need one for my daytime style since my hair seems smooth without feeling greasy, soft, and with no visible split ends.  I also haven't noticed any product build-up at all to this point, which can be a problem with other oils or serums used for shine.  I'm interested to see how my 'naked' hair may or may not improve with continued use.

Overall, I think once I readjusted my expectations of what the product was supposed to do as a treatment and not as a styling tool, I am really enjoying the results.  It's also nice to know that my hair is being protected by the alcohol-free formula with antioxidants, Vitamins A&E, and proteins.  After the drying effects of the mid-atlantic winter, I'm sure my hair probably appreciates the pampering.  Actually, I'm sure after the torture we all put our hair through, there are a lot of reasons our locks could use a little extra pampering.  Do you know when I really think this would be perfect time to use though?  After a day at the beach ... a private tropical beach ... with white sand, crystal clear water, and les garcons bringing you fruity drinks.  Sigh.

Turning Heads at Salon 604

Today I was very lucky to have been able to participate in a shoot for a new website for Salon 604.  While it was personally flattering to have had my little noggin requested for showcase in the new site, it really wasn't so much about my head, as much as it was about the person (and place) that gives me the good hair that happens to be showcased on my head.  Though Salon 604 is a relatively new salon in the area, I have been making regular visits to my favorite stylist, Vildan Ocalan, for about the past six or seven years now and was even driving from Washington, DC back to Richmond, VA for a time just to get Vildan to do my hair.  (Living in DC, I was constantly getting stopped and asked who did my hair, and saw that alone as a reason to make the drive).  Vildan is a wonderfully gifted stylist,  and is always giving me great hair that never fails to get the right kind of attention.  More importantly, she is an equally wonderful person that immediately puts you at ease and makes you feel at home in her chair.  After following her through several interesting salon incarnations,  she and a group of stylists with similar values - Cindy Som, Leila Rowe, & Nadia Baramki have established their own personal niche by opening Salon 604 (formerly known as Salon Bleu) in May 2010.

With so much going on for today's shoot I almost forgot to snap some shots to share, but did end up with a few.  I'll be sharing the link to the professional shots on the website once it's done, but until then I hope you enjoy the preview below.  If you live in the Richmond area and are looking for some great hair, don't hesitate to give them a call at: 804-353-0933!

Doesn't she do a great job?!?!