SheFinds» Hair Care

Beauty Roadtest: Sally Hershberger Wants You To Step Away From The Hairdryer

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:00:54 +0000

As someone with wavy hair, I spend hours each week holding a hairdryer. Sally Hershberger, the founder of the famed NYC hair salon created three genius products in her Sally Hershberger haircare line that help the process along–so you can spend time doing better things than making your hair straight.

I love this because it’s such a great deal: get three products for under $30. It includes three ways to make getting your hair prepped easier. I used them all on different days and saved myself a ton of time.

Genius Spray Wax: The light wax doesn’t build up on your hair–spray it on gently. I love this because it holds my hair without feeling hard as a rock–and I don’t have to put my hand in a pot of wax to get the look.
Luxe Layers Protective Blow Out Gel: Gets rid of frizz before you blowdry so you don’t have to spend time flat-ironing your hair afterwards to actually get it straight.
Shagg Spray for Layered Hair – Creates tousled, sexy layers with just a few quick sprays after you’ve finished styling.

Check out more genius beauty finds in our beauty roadtest archives, plus check out the best celebrity hairstyles, and our favorite products for dry hair.

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Fixing Fried Hair (And Keeping It That Way)

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:27:27 +0000

When it comes to my (semi-destroyed) coif, I’m a chemical junkie. I’ve been lightly relaxing my hair for years at this point, and the damage (so it seemed) was largely irreparable. However, I finally bit the bullet and went to Warren Tricomi for the very involved and extremely successful keratin treatment. My hair is smoother, less broken, and requires tens of minutes less styling every day. Needless to say, I’m thrilled.

Now, I just have to retain it. As I learned from my helpful stylist, sulfates are the absolute enemy. Working around that is fine with me – there are enough inappropriate beauty ingredients out there that I don’t mind deliberately excising one of them from my beauty regimen. Ole Henriksen makes a great, gentle, and sulfate-free shampoo that won’t strip the keratin from your hair. To follow, I like Warren Tricomi’s own smoothing conditioner ($38), which is formulated to deal well with naturally thick and curly locks.

Phew. Now that my hair’s in order, at long last, I can style it and keep it up. From dry hair repair to celebrity hairstyles, be sure you’ve got the tips and goods to do the same.

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Soft Curls Vs. Fifties Flip – The InStyler Lets You Have The Look

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:00:44 +0000

What: The Instyler Rotating Iron

Why: I fight with my hair. It’s curly, and I want it straight – but not too straight, because then I have an identity crisis. Enter the Instyler, a noisy but gently efficient heat device that smooths my mop without taking out all the shape.

The noise I mention comes from the barrel, which slowly rotates automatically when you begin running the iron through your hair. What really impressed me was the fact that while doing this, the barrel and the attached high-quality bristle brush didn’t catch on my easily snagged hair. A zero-breakage styling session for me is a rare occurence, so getting through even my initial inexpert attempts with the Instyler, sans snarled hairs, was quite notable.

I also appreciated the device’s versatility – it could be placed close to the roots to create volume, used just on the ends to give tresses a little flip and shape, or employed for all-over straightening or light curling. That’s a lot of bang for your buck in one small appliance.

Get Yours: QVC

Whether or not you heat style your hair, fix parched tresses with dry hair repair. And then move on to a luxurious bath with the best bath products, and treat yourself all over with paraben-free beauty.

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Infusium 23: Back From The Nineties, With The Requisite Makeover

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:30:52 +0000

What: Infusium 23’s drugstore haircare line, which has returned for another run in the aisles.

Why: We’ve been dutifully shampooing, conditioning and leave-in treating with the redesigned Moisturologie and Frizzologie lines for about a week now.

Rebekah says: Infusium 23’s Moisturologie shampoo ($7) and conditioner ($7) did their jobs keeping my thin hair soft and hydrated but not oily – I was particularly impressed that the leave-in detangler ($7) didn’t exacerbate its oily tendencies or weigh it down. I’m reversing my acquired aversion to leave-in treatments.

Susannah says: Frizzologie tamed my hard-to-wrangle wavy hair – I could seriously tell it was smoother as soon as I got out of the shower. The leave-in treatment ($7) followed up on the work started by the shampoo ($7) and conditioner ($7) – I particularly appreciated that it was effective on wet or dry hair.

Bottom-line Review: A set of nice-smelling, sleek-looking drugstore products that shampoo, condition and de-tangle well enough that we want to use up the big bottles. And at $7 for 16 oz., they’re quite a steal.

Get Yours: Drugstore.com

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Non-Bridal White and New Navy Make Waves at the Emmys

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:00:02 +0000

On recent red carpets, jewel tones have taken center stage. At last night’s Emmys, however, it was all about mixing it up, color-wise. While there were the typical bright reds and safe blacks, we saw a lot of risky colors not often spotted at awards shows.

Lots of ladies opted for white (which Ryan Seacrest so wisely noted is a risky color, since hugging, pancake makeup and white satin don’t necessarily make the best bedfellows). January Jones and Olivia Wilde took white a step further, adding racy cutouts to the mix. And Leighton Meester went for the Grecian goddess look to great effect.

For an airy, Leighton-esque dress that doesn’t look too bridal, try Marc Bouwer’s Glamit! silk charmeuse gown ($795). Or get a more wearable take on January’s Art Deco style with White House’s white jacquard dress ($100).

Another color that emerged from jewel tones’ shadow was navy. Christina Applegate, who last year wowed in ice blue, went darker this year in a midnight-and-black asymmetrical gown by Basil Soda. And curvy Christina Hendricks opted for a rare cut in her short-sleeved navy gown with brocade detail.

If you were digging Christina H.’s decolletage-highlighting scoop neck, pick a short sleeved gown like the embellished one from JS Boutique ($180). For a shorter option that features chic black detailing, choose Free People’s mini for $90.

On the hair front, there were a lot of updos, but as the red carpet walkers would have you know, it was hotter than blazes in L.A. yesterday. The ladies who embraced big bodied hair and humidity-friendly waves from the start fared best. Sandra Oh, Alyson Hannigan and Vanessa Williams all went for long, loose waves that stood up to the heat without wilting.

To get glam waves, treat wet locks with Living Proof Wave Shaping, Curl Defining Styling Cream ($24), a frizz-fighting cream that won’t weigh waves down. If you’ve already got a little curl in your hair, enhance it with a spritz of Curly Sexy Hair Curl Power Curl Enhancer ($13) for extra shine and bounce.

To get more Emmys style, we’d recommend a cocktail dress or a celebrity dress, along with some waterproof makeup (in case you need to look good in blazing heat like last night’s starlets).

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Easy Wet Hair Updos You Won’t Even Need A Mirror, Or A Celeb Stylist For

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:00:14 +0000

Nothing puts a damper on pool parties and beach bashes quite like that nagging worry about what to do with wet hair. You don’t have to skip your dip, though— just master these three simple ‘dos. They each require minimal and easy-to-pack products, and once you’ve given the looks a test drive, you won’t even need a mirror to pull them off.

To get Audrina’s messy bun:

Run a dollop of Sally Hershberger Style Primer for Wavy Hair ($12.50) through your hair, finger-combing to bring out some beachy waves. Make a deep side part and sweep hair over to one side in a low ponytail. Twirl your ‘tail a few times around its base and pin randomly. Get a little extra glam by leaving a few tendrils loose in front of your ears. A spritz of Christophe Contours & Styles shaping spray ($5) will hold it all together.

To get January’s braids:

Get smoothed-out strands by working a bit of Living Proof Straight Making No Frizz Styling Cream ($14) through your strands. Create a shallow side part and grab two half-inch pieces of hair near the front of your part. Make two three-strand braids, leaving the ends loose. Gather all of your hair back in a low ponytail or bun, and secure with a snag-free clear elastic ($3.50).

To get Mary Kate’s waves:

To pray a salt-infused spray like John Masters Organics Sea Mist ($16.50) on wet hair to get a faux ocean texture. While finger-combing, alternately scrunch and twist one-inch pieces of hair. Put your index fingers at your temples and sweep upward in a triangle shape until your fingers touch. Secure the little ponytail to one side with an elastic and split-pull to tighten. Finish with a glossy coat of Bed Head Headrush Shine Spray ($16.50) to combat straw-like locks.

Check out more ways to mimic stars’ style in our guides to celeb beauty, swimwear, and jewelry trends.

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Strange Beauty: The Fenugreek Seed Cure-All

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:00:38 +0000

What: Fenugreek Seeds

Why: The high-protein seeds of the fenugreek plant have been used in traditional medicine for everything from diabetes control to hair-loss prevention, but it was just recently that I learned the seeds can be used topically, and mashed into yogurt to create an exfoliating paste for skin or a masque to encourage hair to a) grow quickly and b) grow in curly.

We love a good beauty cure-all, but we haven’t always got the time to get out the mortar and pestle. When it’s an all-in-one item in a reliable bottle that’s needed, Davines SU Replenish Hair & Body After Sun Wash ($24) is an amazing, apricot-oil-filled, moisture-rich wash for both your hair and skin.

Now just don’t expect it to cure bronchitis (another use for fabled fenugreek.)

For other – more convential -beauty solutions, check out our guides on lip balms, self-tanners, and acne treatments.

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Shiny Summer Hair: How To Get It, How To Keep It

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:00:07 +0000

I started fretting about my dull, dry hair a while ago, and this week I more or less fixed the problem with a fancy glaze from Sharon Dorram Color, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. A glaze is a quicker and less extreme treatment than a dye job; it boosts your natural hair color and lays down a layer of shine (which can be clear or lightly colored) on top of the hair shaft. And in theory, the glossy look should last until my hair grows out, but just like with dyed hair, it needs to be treated right. So in the interest of protecting my newly shiny locks with the best-stocked arsenal of products, I got a few recommendations from the salon.

1. To begin, get clean with a color-protecting shampoo. I like Nexxus Dualiste Color Protection Intense Hydration Shampoo ($15) because, in addition to saving the glaze, it helps keep my super-dry hair moisturized.

2. To keep the glaze intact and give the hair itself plenty of nutrients, skip normal conditioner for a full-on masque. Kérastase’s Masque Chroma Riche ($50) contains UV filters and vitamin E, which will guard your color treatment from the sun.

3. Once you head out, give your hair the equivalent of a layer of sunscreen with Pureology Antifade Complex Styling Lotion ($18) which contains a full range of UVA/UVB protectors, so even a full day at the beach won’t do damage.

4. Lastly, if a New York salon visit just isn’t in your schedule, you can intensify your natural hair color and get shiny by taking a gander at an at-home glaze. We’d recommend Frederic Fekkai Salon Glaze Clear Shine Rinse ($28) which does a good job of boosting color and adding some gloss to your strands.

Even if you don’t need to protect treated hair from the sun, make sure you’re up on all the best that summer beauty has to offer.

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Thanks To Paul, Your Hair Won’t Notice Summer’s Icky Humidity

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:00:31 +0000

What: Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Smoothing Serum ($19)

Why: I have fine, naturally wavy hair that has a mind of it’s own from May through September. As soon as the humidity sets in, my hair goes frizzy.

But not this summer— Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Smoothing Serum is my secret weapon. It’s a lightweight silicone liquid that goes on wet hair, making it smoother and decreasing the drying team. My hair remains tame and stays straight despite the unbearable weather.

Get Yours: amazon.com

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Cut Down On Shampooing In The Summer (Without Looking Really, Really Dirty)

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:00:27 +0000

Sometimes you just want to save some time. Sometimes you’re trying to avoid drying your overstressed locks. Sometimes you just don’t feel like it.

Whatever the reason, not washing your hair gets a lot more difficult in the summer with the humidity and muggy weather. But it’s still possible, especially if you take advantage of the 3 products below:

1. Baroness von Luxe Shower Cap ($15)

Okay, this may seem pricey for a piece of plastic that goes on your head, but a good shower cap is crucial for keeping your hair looking good between washes. By keeping the moisture and wetness out from your shower, you’ll make sure those locks don’t start looking stringy.

2. Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo ($11)

Way better than baby powder, this doesn’t clump and blends well into all shades of hair. Also check out our other recommendations for shampooing sans water.

3. Goody StayPut Headbands ($4)

A good gym headband like Goody’s StayPut headbands actually do what their name says—they stay put, which means sweat stays away too. They lay flat on your head and are thick enough to tame flyaways without creating a permanent kink in your hair. These headbands are also cute enough to wear post-workout.

As a last resort, pick up a hat from our Summer Hats Guide and wear it over your locks all summer long.

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