Category: hair

Argania 1640 100% pure argan oil

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Argan oil is all the rage now. Think Moroccan Oil and Josie Maran’s argan-oil infused cosmetics line. Moroccan Oil, in actuality, is mostly silicones.

Argan oil is an organic oil pressed from the seeds of the Argan tree (Argania Spinosa), which grows only in southwestern Morocco. Argania 1640 works directly with Cooperative Agricole Argan Mogador in Had Draa, Morocco to support female artisans who grind the seeds and press the oil by hand.

The argan nuts are cracked to release the seeds
Argan oil is pressed from the seeds

[googlemaps https://www.youtube.com/embed/B4wjumLNjOM” width=”420″>

I was delighted to receive a 15-ml bottle of Argania 1640 100% pure argan oil from the company. With my package, I received a note that the argan oil was hand-pressed only weeks earlier. The bottle is made of brown glass with a dropper in the cap.

Argania 1640 100% pure argan oil

I use Argania 1640 100% pure argan oil to smoothe and add shine to my hair, treat dry patches, and moisturize my dry, ratty cuticles. In my experience, plant oils are the best for moisturizing cuticles. Argania 1640’s web site describes other ways to use argan oil. I want to try the recipe for strengthening nails.

Psssssst!

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Recently, I received an email from PR for Freeman Beauty, and one of the Freeman brands that she promoted was Psssssst! the original spray dry shampoo Psssssst!

Psssst! dry shampoo

Psssssst! That takes me back. As I told PR for Freeman Beauty, I’m old enough to remember the classic Psssssst! radio spot (download) when Psssssst! was a Clairol brand.

Psssssst! – there’s something new | Psssssst! – instant spray shampoo | Clairol freshens your hair – instantly | with P-s-s-s-s-s-s-t | Psssssst! – is not a wet shampoo | oh, no Psssssst! – is not a dry shampoo | oh, no | spray and brush is all you do | then go | ’cause Clairol freshens your hair – instantly | with P-s-s-s-s-s-s-t.

She wrote back:

Haha, I loved your response! That’s right…the ORIGINAL! … Also, I quite like your blog, you keep hinting at your “seasoned” age, but it’s enlightening and refreshing to get perspectives other than the 20-something age group (this is coming from a 24 year old!).

I don’t know whether to feel better or worse. The last time I heard someone described as “seasoned,” another person muttered, “yeah, like compost.” 🙂

5 Biggest Black Beauty Myths

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Featuring advice from MUA @AshuntaSheriff.

See the 5 black beauty myths you have to read to believe
5 Biggest Black Beauty Myths

This is a TotalBeauty.com African-American hairstyles article
From not needing sunscreen to not being able to pull off blonde hair, African-American women get a lot of bad beauty messages. To put an end to the lies that are still being told, we talked to beauty experts and asked them to debunk the biggest African-American beauty myths. Finally, the truth is here.

Cosmetics Executive Women name most innovative beauty products

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Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) recognized the most innovative beauty products of the year at the 18th Annual CEW Beauty Insiders’ Choice Awards. The award-winning products ranged across 29 categories including cosmetics, hair care, skin care, nails, and more.

CEW’s most innovative beauty products of the year

Visit the CEW web site to see the winners, finalists, and entries.

The Style Page discovers six (non-food!) uses for coconut oil

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In my post Seven fave skin care products, I teased:

In a subsequent post, I’ll reveal a product that adds sheen to the skin and protects the skin from the elements. It also adds shine to the hair and smooths flyaways. And it’s 100% natural, food-grade, vegan, and organic! Interested??!!

The suspense is over. The miracle product is: coconut oil!

I don’t mean to push Barlean’s over other brands, as I have no basis for comparison, but this is the brand that the staff in the personal care department of Whole Foods recommended and I bought.  The difference is that she uses it for cooking purposes (including popping corn!) and I use it on my skin and hair.

Barlean’s is solid in the jar at room temperature, but liquefies when rubbed in the hands.

Six uses for coconut oil:

  1. Use as a makeup remover.
  2. Apply coconut oil on dry patches over your regular serum or moisturizer.  Coconut oil provides a barrier to the elements: good to know in colder weather.
  3. Apply to add shine to the legs.  Coconut oil is water-resistant and lasts through more than one bath.
  4. Apply a layer of coconut oil on the legs before shaving. It provides “slip.” You don’t need a body wash or shaving cream or gel.
  5. Coconut oil is a hair care staple for women in the tropics.  Apply it to the hair for shine.  Until I “discovered” coconut oil, I bemoaned the lack of shine in my hair.  
  6. Use coconut oil to tame flyaways.
  7. Use coconut oil as a substitute for those highly fragranced hot oil pre-shampoo treatments.  I comb coconut oil through my hair and cover my hair with a disposable shower cap and a terry turban over the shower cap to let the oil penetrate.

Barlean’s costs $16 for a 16 oz. tub, whereas rms beauty charges $18 for a 2.5 oz. jar of its raw coconut cream.  I find Barlean’s perfectly serviceable, and see no reason why I should be paying more for less.

It works … it really works!

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Toppik hair building fibers

Last year, I lost WADS of hair. I chalked it up to severe stress in my life, which also caused me to abandon this blog.

It was difficult to style my hair in such a way to cover the excessively thin spots on my head. I recall having read in Allure that Toppik works to cover thin or balding spots.

You might have seen Toppik advertised in the SkyMall catalogue that you find in airplane seat pockets. Given the dubious claims for other personal care products that are advertised in SkyMall, it’s easy to doubt the claims for Toppik.

Toppik consists of keratin fibers that bond with natural hair. It is as easy to use as it says – just shake it on. I find that only a light touch is necessary. I use a rattail comb to lift my hair, section by section, and shake Toppik on the thin spots on my head. It really masks the thin spots on my head and makes it look that I still have a full head of hair. I no longer feel self-conscious about my hair.  Now I take Toppik to the salon when I get my hair styled.

Toppik comes in nine shades. I chose dark brown – it blends perfectly with my colored hair. You may buy Toppik through its web site, SkyMall, and Sally Beauty Supply (where I got mine).  The regular size costs $20-25, and for me, it’s worth every penny.

Article first published as It works … it really works! on Technorati.

TouchBack – Allure Best of Beauty Award Winner

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TouchBack by ColorMark

TouchBack by ColorMark received a Best of Beauty award from Allure. It is a marker that deposits temporary hair color to cover white roots.

I got my first gray hairs at 16. By the time I was 30, most of my hair was gray, but I was reluctant to take the plunge and completely cover my gray. I actually had reverse highlighting, in which strands of my hair were pulled through a perforated cap and dyed brown. Finally, my hairdresser persuaded me to get all over color.

My white roots become obvious 4 weeks after I get my hair colored. I decided to try out TouchBack to see how well it works. I color my hair dark brown. As the hair for the models with dark brown hair on the web site looked darker than mine, I tried TouchBack in Medium Brown. The web site recommends that if you are between colors, choose the lighter color. Maybe Dark Brown would have been the better choice: the changeover from TouchBack in Medium Brown to my permanent hair color was not seamless.

TouchBack comes with a fine-tooth comb that can be used as a skin shield at the temples and hairline; however, to make it work, you need to have significant regrowth. Given the small amount of regrowth (between 1/4″ and 1/2″) I had, it was difficult to cover the white hairs at the hairline without smudging. I used a rattail comb to lift a section of my hair (on the part) and apply TouchBack just shy of the scalp to prevent smudging. It minimized the appearance of white roots, and is a temporary fix until you apply permanent color.

TouchBack is easier to use than Joan Rivers Beauty Great Hair Day™, which I reviewed in 2009. A makeup artist at Soft Surroundings in St. Louis did an excellent job of applying Joan Rivers Beauty Great Hair Day™ to mask the white roots and thin spots on my head, but it is too much effort to do at home.

You may purchase TouchBack through its website, Sally Beauty Supply, or Beauty.com.

The fine print: The PR firm representing TouchBack provided me with a sample of  TouchBack in Medium Brown.

Hair and skin issues solved

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Who knew that Neosporin could trigger rashes in some people? Experts recommend at-home treatments, and if those treatments don’t solve the problem, then office treatments are recommended.

TotalBeauty.com
12 Major Hair and Skin Issues — Solved!

Get help for everything from cystic acne, hair breakage, psoriasis and more
12 Major Hair and Skin Issues -- Solved!

Sure, we all get the occasional breakout or dry patch of skin, but if you’re suffering from a more serious hair or skin issue then you need serious help. That’s why we asked Dr. Heidi Waldorf, director of Laser and Cosmetic Dermatology at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, Arielle N. B. Kauvar, M.D., director of New York Laser & Skin Care, Jerry Teuschler, Principal Scientist for Proctor and Gamble Beauty and Grooming Science, and Head & Shoulders hairstylist Ryan Trygstad to weigh in. They gave advice for the big issues facing TotalBeauty.com readers, so read on for relief from your hair and skin woes.

See issues

Joan Rivers Beauty Great Hair Day™

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When my husband told me that I was losing hair, I didn’t want to believe it. When I saw that I could see straight through to my scalp under overhead lights, I could no longer deny that I was losing hair. I began looking for solutions to make my hair look lush.

Enter Joan Rivers. Skin pulled tightly across her face, due to multiple cosmetic surgeries (how much further can it be stretched?). Relentless hawker on QVC. Former comedienne.


Joan Rivers Beauty Great Hair Day™

Joan Rivers Beauty Great Hair Day™ is a matte powder that you brush on your hair to mask thinning hair. The directions tell you to use the pointed end of the brush to create parts in your hair for application. A fine-toothed comb, like a rattail comb, works better. The instructions also recommend that the user stop about ¼” before the scalp: Joan says that’s to prevent your hair looking like a wig, or, I might add, like a bad dye job.

When liberally applied, according to instructions, Joan Rivers Beauty Great Hair Day™ does what it says it does: it gives you the appearance of a fuller head of hair. It really doesn’t work for touchups, particularly for those pesky hairs along the hair line.

You may find Joan Rivers Beauty Great Hair Day™ on QVC.com and in the mail order catalogs Time for Me and Soft Surroundings.

Living Proof No Frizz hair care

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The Washington, DC metro area is infamous for its humid weather: I’m surprised that TotalBeauty didn’t name Washington, DC among its 13 Worst Hair Cities.

In humid weather, my hair frizzes and becomes unmanageable. I’ve tried traditional silicone-based products, such as John Frieda’s Frizz Ease® serum, but silicone-based products weigh down my hair and don’t provide significant relief from frizz.

I received some LivingProof NoFrizz hair care products, which are silicone-free. NoFrizz did the trick where silicone-based products failed. My hair stays smooth in humid weather.


LivingProof NoFrizz hair products

How do No Frizz products work? The Beauty Brains (my favorite source for evaluating beauty claims, along with Paula Begoun) write,

Living Proof uses a type of chemical known as a PolyfluoroEster (or PFE for short) to smooth the hair shaft and prevent moisture from being absorbed. … But PFEs (which are Teflon-like compounds) are VERY good at lowering surface tension, and so in theory they could provide the three main benefits [frizz prevention, dirt repellancy, and shine and color enhancement] that Living Proof claims on their website …

Read more from The Beauty Brains article Are Living Proof No Frizz Products Good For Curly Hair? Also read the review Living Proof NO-FRIZZ Keeps Frizz From Frazzling You! (love that title) by Advice Sister Alison.

You may find Living Proof No Frizz hair products at Sephora stores and Sephora.com.