The Daily Beauty Break

Hello there beautiful people. So I went from blond to brown again this week…..sad, but necessary…just can’t afford the 7 week touch ups being blond requires…bittersweet because for moi brown really does flatter my skin tone better and requires way less makeup. But I digress….that must be why I am all about the hair lately…

Anyhoo- been meaning to tell you about my love for Matrix Sleek Look Shampoo & Conditioner (both <$15) for months now…I love,love this stuff…..it really tames my course mane and gives great shine…..it’s super thick and literally can clog the shower drain if you don’t watch it….Just what my fried-n-died do needs! When I have the dough that’s where my money goes!!!

BUT (nothing new) I am so broke…..and after seeing my girl Lianne’s video and post about her Suave experience over at TheMakeupGirl…..”silky,silky now” (btw she’s giving away a YEARS worth of Suave so go check it out!!!) I decided to “get real” and bought the way cheaper Suave Professional Sleek Shampoo and Conditioner (both under $3 bucks..). at Walmart the next day.

THE VERDICT: While the Suave didn’t feel anywhere near as luxurious, thick and creamy (okay that sounds REALLY gross…get your head out of the gutter J) I was pleasantly suprised at the final results…the Sauve conditioner is especially thinner but it washed out extremely slow leaving my hair coated and soft. My blowout afterwards was just as shiny, just as soft…Not bad for $6 bucks VS $26!!! So funny because when I told my hairdresser she was like, “GIRL, just call me and I will TAKE you to the supply house so you don’t have to use that crap”. But really, Suave did a great job……..

So until that Xmas bonus comes in I’m a Suave girl……….

Be Beautiful Ya’ll!! (and if you have any Hi/Lo Beauty Booty coups you better dish…)

Hey beautiful people. I have SO been meaning to tell you about this wonder product….if you have hair like moi (fried-n-died) then Sebastian’s Whipped Cream Light Conditioning Style Whip ($18.99) is SO for you….I’ve never been a “mousse” type of girl (except for in the early 90’s) but this is SO not your typical mousse.

This creamy whip (yes, it really does have the EXACT same texture as whipped cream) gives good blow-out………It’s got tons of protein and moisture so your hair dries shiny and hydrated.  I got to say GOODBYE to my usual brittle blow-out…and let’s just say Whipped Cream makes for a very satisfying hair-twirling experience…..

Oh, and I got mine from the wonderful people at my favorite mag, Allure. If you want your own FREE STUFF go check ‘em out…they are giving away the ENTIRE NARS Fall Collection. Holy Orgasm….Believe the hype my beauties!

Be Beautiful……..

Hello my pretties…So have you seen Eva on the cover of Allure for November? It’s good to see her back to her former glory and I LOVE the look her makeup artist Stephane Marias gave her….He struck a great balance between strong eye makeup and a more nude face.  Eva’s darling freckles are there for all to see……I think there is nothing sexier than letting a “little skin” show through….

SO, my pearl from this month’s issue? Finally, the coveted and best kept secret of celebrity hairdressers world-wide will making it’s debut next month in the US at Target…..Loreal’s Elnett Hairspray($13.99) has long been smuggled in suitcases of the celebrity hair dressers from overseas…but no more!!! (well, maybe….)

Elnett has long been a celebrity hairdresser must-have because it supposedly is one of the only hairsprays that you CAN’T go overboard with…Supposedly it adds body and texture to the hair without weighing it down or resulting in helmet head…..But it also looks like (due to different EPA standards) the US version of Elnett will be TAD bit different…(different restrictions of propellants here vs. Europe)….BUT not enough of a difference for moi! I’ll definitely be looking for it my next trip to the “Big T”!

Be Beautiful…..

Hello beauties….So, not to brag or anything..but I have been having some seriously soft, GOOD hair days this last week or so! I’ve also been a hair-twirler my entire life (my mom swears I did this in the womb)…so keeping my hands OUT of my hair has never been an option…especially now that it just feels so SOFT (and looks pretty shiny, I must admit)…So (of course) I just had to tell all of you about my latest leave-in cocktail….

I just happened to mix together my Aussie Moist Leave-In Creme ($3) and my Biosilk Silk Therapy ($12)….I would say 2/3 parts Aussie and 1/3 part Silk….the humectants in the Aussie and the silicones in the Silk make for some seriously “twirl-able” hair…..And I like that it qualifies for my Hi/Lo Beauty Booty Section….Seriously, with the economy like it is (not that I haven’t always been broke) anything that can save me a buck and make my more expensive beauty products last longer is a VERY GOOD thing.

So if you have thick, coarse (over-processed, bleached, fried-n-dyed) hair like moi…give these two a go…You’ll thank me later!!!

Be beautiful Ya’ll….

SO beautiful people…..LOVE your curls but don’t LOVE how they droop at the end of the day? I picked up this tip from a dear client and friend who has THE most gorgeous head of auburn curls….

Instead of piling on more hairspray (as I usually do) to refresh and de-frizz…try a light spritz of a light detangling spray all over your head and then scrunch softly with your fingers …..I use the same one that I use on my daughter’s hair to get rid of her horrible knots post bath…..AG Conditioning MIst Leave-in Conditioner ($<20).  This stuff smells like grape heaven and my daughter actually likes it when I spray it on her tangled mess…..

TRY IT…you’ll be so happy at the results!! Your curls will regain their bounce and shine and you won’t end up feeling (and looking) like you are wearing a hay bale on your head at the end of the day…………

Be Beautiful Ya’ll!

A partner in beauty crime turned me on to this little bad boy….Osis Dust It- Mattifying Powder. This silicone powder instantly provides lift and separation to fine, flat hair. You can sprinkle it directly on the roots for instant volume or shake it onto hands and run through hair for full-on BIG HAIR. I’ve been using it at photo shoots and it ROCKS!!!

I love this stuff because it eliminates the need to backcomb…gives you all the volume you want without hurting my already “chemically-challenged” mane…….NICE!!! OSIS Dust It retails for around $20 bucks (all little goes a long way….). I would recommend getting it from SleekHair online because I searched out all the big box beauty supplies with no luck!

Be Beautiful…….

Hola my beauties! So I have been LUSTING after THE original Mason Pearson brush for as long as I can remember…..especially since I started working on my book a few years back and started (had to in the Dallas market) doing A LOT of hair…..

And you all know how I am all about anything “O.G”…… Well the Mason Pearson is THE original boar-bristle brush….the brush was invented in 1885 and is so darn good that they haven’t changed the design one bit!!! (except to make the handle faux tortishell)….

Why is this brush so damn great? Because nothing distributes oil from the scalp like a natural boar-bristle…and as it spreads the shine the bristles help to close the cuticle…..creating THE most beautiful, shining hair from even the nappiest mess…It’s how the stars get those “movie star” waves I just lust after… I use a boar-bristle brush at ALL my photoshoots to finish off EVERY hairstyle…..including at home on my own hair after each blowout…

Tip: This is how I bring back life to MY own hair after I blow it out…. I take a PEA-size amount of (you guessed it the “original” ) Biosilk SILK and apply it to my hair…concentrating it on the middle to ends of the hair shaft…then I take my good ol boar bristle and brush away from the root to tip….it takes like two seconds and it’s SO worth it!!! I get loads of smoothness and shine and (BIG PLUS) never have to flat iron my poor bleached mane. Try it sometime!

Someday I’ll splurge and get a “REAL” Mason Pearson……I used the sell them at Nordstrom back in the day and thought they were “allright”…what a youngster I was. A full-size Mason Pearson will run you about $150 at Drugstore.com but you’ll have it for life.

It’s good to have dreams……..

Brush Beautifully Y’all!

Uggghh…SO I got my weekly Ulta catalog in the mail, along with my coupon for my FREE nail polish and $3.50 off…..all excited to get this AWESOME deal from Stila….a $90 value for only $40 bucks!!!! I needed mascara anyways…and well Lip Glazes are always in need…the colors are extremely wearable for EVERYONE , so I needed it (well need is a relative term) for a bunch of photo shoots I have coming up next week.

….So I searched a bit to no avail, until I finally asked the checker and she said they won’t be out until NEXT week. DOH!

Don’t ya’ just HATE that.…….

Be Beautiful (and check your dates) Ya’ll…

I found AG Hair cosmetics a few months back….what’s not to love…..”cosmetics for your hair?” Right up my alley of course….But what I think really makes AG different and their products superior is that AG products are “made by hairdressers for hairdressers”..which means as the customer we get to reap the beautiful results.

So when I saw that they developed a new shampoo and conditioner to complement their Number One selling styling aid….Re:Coil Curl Activator Styling Cream...I knew that I had to try them.

Now I have wavy hair mind you, but dear hubby is a full-blown curly head. Poor guy…if he doesn’t have the right products he suffers from severe Brillo-head. So I knew it would be A. good for me on days that I decide to scrunch and go for the curl and B. good for him everyday!

And happy to say..once again AG fufilled thier promises…..the Re:Coil Shampoo/conditioner/stying cream trio helped my hair hold it’s curl all day…it behaved wonderfully without having to use my usual aresonal of products (always resulting in severely crunchy hair)..so I am happy because now I can go curly AND have hair that can be touched!

And hubby? His hair turned out hot! The products helped his curls fall in line perfectly without giving him that “greaser” look.

And as always AG Hair Cosmetics shampoos are sulfate-free (but still lather beautifully) and this new Re:Coil shampoo and conditioner ($20 each) smells like an Orange Creme-sicle……Yummy!

Highly recommend for all you curly tops!!!!

You can get AG Hair Cosmetics at your local fine salon. To find a location near you click on here to use thier salon locator.

Be beautiful ya’ll…..

As some of you know I am a guest author at one of the web’s most established and popular beauty blogs…TheMakeupGirl. Lianne (Editor in Chief) is my partner in beauty crime (home girl knows how to hail a cab in NYC…let me tell you!..lol) ….and she’s a former model. Lianne is also an active makeup artist in the DC area who knows what works for women of color.

Check her out and show some love…….I’ll still be writing for Lianne from time to time, so I highly recommend adding her blog to your beauty arsenal y’all!

Be Beautiful………….