Jack & Hill: A Beauty Blog - make-up, cosmetics, perfume, and the substance of style

California Baby

When I decided that this would be the summer I took advantage of the lap pool at our homeowners' association clubhouse, I didn't think I'd be able to find a swimmers' shampoo that didn't contain sulfates, to which I am allergic. Then a beauty publicist sent along samples of California Baby's Swimmers' Defense Shampoo & Bodywash, which is now my new favorite bath product, not only because it doesn't itch and will keep my hair from turning green (until I decide on a nice shade of hunter or lime and do it on purpose), but because it doubles as shampoo and bodywash, something I've always, always loved in a product. When I was in my 20s, with hair 1/2 inch long, I often kept a bottle of Polmolive in the shower and nothing else. I know, I know. But what can I say? I love fussiness in my luxuries, by not in my day to day routines.

The other great thing about this stuff is that it smells like sun and summer. It's the best smelling hair product since Bumble & Bumble's Alojoba, and the conditioner smells even better. Full disclosure: I have yet to get in the pool. Sigh.

Redken Real Control

I was very happy to get samples of Redken's new Real Control line of haircare products for "dense/dry/sensitized hair" in the mail a couple of weeks ago, as my fried-to-a-fare-thee-well bleached mop has the texture of something you could use to exfoliate a rinocerous.

Today I made time to use the Intense Renewal mask. I find hair masks to present certain scheduling issues. Like, what am I supposed to be doing for the recommended 15 minutes conditioning time, and where should I be doing it? Does this mean I should shower twice? Or just stand there until I prune or freeze? I compromised by leaving the mask on for just five minutes while shaving, but that was plenty; lo-and-behold, my hair has resumed its pre-bleach job texture, which is pretty miraculous. It's as if I have the hair of a 12 year-old Danish girl.

Tia Williams at Shake Your Beauty reports similar results from using this stuff on her naturally curly Dominican hair, and adds something else she learned from Kaz Amor at a Redken event: "The reason my hair gets frizzy in humid weather is because it's lacking its own moisture, so my hair needs to draw it from the air. If it's already moisturized--ie, these fab products--it won't need to do that."

Unfortunately, the shampoo in this line includes a sulfate, which I can't tolerate (lauryl, laureth, they're all itchy to me), but the daily conditioner is very nice when used after my Aubrey Organics, if not as miraculous as the mask. It's worth noting that Jackie tried the shampoo and conditioner and found it too weighing on her "normal" hair, so this really is a specialty product line for those of us with Brillo hair.

I wish I could give you a link, but the stuff ain't available until June, and Redken's website is mum on its very existence.

Minty fresh and manly

The only high point during my last hair fiasco was the salon scalp treatment I got during one of the salon shampoos. The minty-cool-hot Biolage scalptherapie conditioner the shampoo girl slathered on my crown tingled so much it was almost like a drug trip. True, I've never tried crystal meth, but I imagine this is what it makes the inside of the head feel like.  I don't know if this is good for the scalp or irritating--tingling can go either way in my experience. But it was spectacularly pleasant, and reminded me of the good old days when I wore nothing but stilettos and carried a bottle of minty-cool-hot Absorbine Jr. in my purse to soothe away the resultant damage throughout the day.

I get the same effect from Redken for Men's Chill Blast anti-dandruff leave-in treatment. I had been using the whole suite of minty Go Clean products for a week before I even noticed the "For Men" subtitle on the label. Product labels have too much information lately, and I'm tired of locating designations such as "sugar free" "nonfat" and "seizure inducing" only after I've consumed a product. It's too much like dating.

But the Redken Chill Blast gives me the same experience as the Biolage product, and seems not to have negatively impacted my estrogen levels, so what the heck.

Burts Bees Knees

I bought this Burt's Bees Super Shiny Grapefruit & Sugarbeet Conditioner for my boyfriend, whose hair is longer than mine. He didn't take a shine to it, or it to him, whichever, but I used it up and then bought another bottle. That is saying a lot, because I am so squarely in the try-anything-once camp that the only things I've ever bought two of are shoes.

It's a nice, light conditioner that doesn't make my hair droop, but what I'm compelled by is the scent. I know the label says grapefruit and sugarbeet, but to me it smells like fresh-cut geraniums: tart and earthy, fresh without a hint of sugariness. I've had grapefruit hair products before, including an apocryphal grapefruit and rosemary shampoo by a long-defunct company by which all shampoos are measured. This isn't in that league, but then nothing ever will be, by definition.

Y me

I just opened a FedEx box and to my delight found the long-awaited product line by Yuki Sharoni, who has done wonderful things with my hair on two occasions.  Here they are on my dining table.  I dabbed a little of the Final Paste finishing cream on right away, and it meets my first criterion for hair products, which is that it smells great.  Nettle is the signature ingredient in these  products, but the most unique thing about them is the bottle.  This will look great on the shelf in the mid-century modern bathroom I will have someday....  I will be trying the shampoos and conditioners in the coming days, and will report back soon.  Yuki gave me my last haircut, which was three months ago, and it's held up amazingly well throughout the grow-out process--as you can see at right.  If you are planning on growing your hair out, go get Yuki to give you your last short cut.  Or if, like me, you have no intention of growing your hair out, but are simply too lazy and/or busy to get it cut regularly, go see Yuki.

Desert Island Kit

This isn’t the kind of island where you must learn to make your own bra out of coconuts after your 747 crashes on the way to the Mary Kay convention.  This is a desert island of the mind, a perfect, if minimal place—sort of a cross between a Tibetan monastery and the Golden Door Spa.  But to get there, you have to travel light.  Here’s what I’d throw into my kit if I were leaving today:

Eyes:  Estee Lauder two-in-one eyeshadow Storm Duo; Stila brow filler & #10 brush

Lips:  Tony & Tina lip quartz in Garnet

Face:  Thumbellina powder by Valerie of Beverly Hills; Tony & Tina’s herbal powder blush in Self Healing

Body:  Enessa’s Invigorating Body Polish 

Hair:  Bumble & Bumble’s Alojoba shampoo & conditioner

Fragrance:  Christian Lacroix

What’s in your kit?  Click on the “comments” link below this post and let us know…..

Sebastian Shaper Volume Boost Conditioner

Ever since my boyfriend's frightfully chic French mother gave me some big Velcro rollers to experiment with, I am all about the big hair. She also gave me loads of Kerastase products that are supposed to boost volume - two hair masks and a Bain Satin shampoo. The shampoo quickly became my favourite, though I have not had time to try out the hair masks. (Actually, I'm saving them for some dreamed-of day when I have hours on my hands to prepare for a very important social function - such as an evening in my local pub, where Kate Moss is always smoking pack after pack of Marlboro Lights and showing none of the ill effects of having done so since age 12.)

In LA last month, I picked up some Sebastian Shaper Volume Boost Conditioner. I was looking for something good, priced less than an actual haircut, and which would give me big hair.

This does the trick - when used with a round brush, blow-drier, and Velcro rollers. It does always feel, though, as if it hasn't quite rinsed out, and makes your hair a bit difficult to comb (and thus, to hold the round brush under and blow-dry). But I like it. For everyday use, I stick with Aveda Rosemary & Mint Conditioner or the Body Shop Nettle Conditioner (until I use it all up, at least), because my hair couldn't take the stress of the big hair routine more than a few times a week*. But as volumising conditioners go, this $8.99 wonder works for me.

*I asked my hairdresser in LA for tips on how to make the Velcro roller experience less stressful on my scalp and hair - I now have lots of tiny, broken hairs along my part - and he had no suggestions. Unless "Don't use them very often" counts as helpful. I don't think it does.