Luxury Parlor Blog Reviews

Dry Hair Top Picks 2012

2012-03-05T15:01:10Z

Dye, pollution, sun exposure and fatigue really take their toll on your hair, right? Your hair isn’t standing up very well to everything you’re throwing at it, and it’s looking more and more dry and matted. Even shampoo for damaged hair doesn’t seem to be doing much, and you’re thinking the only way to sort it out is to get a new ‘do. Right? Wrong!

Don’t be so quick to go for the chop : a bit of DIY salon care is all you need, using the right products for your hair, and regularly.

Your hair might be dry because it’s naturally wavy or curly (this stops amino acids from working on the whole length of your hair) or because you’ve used de-colourant or detergent shampoo that has destroyed your amino acids.

What you need
What dry hair needs most is an even ‘coverage’ of amino acids to give it back its softness and shine. The most important thing is to use a specially-formulated nourishing shampoo and then a good de-tangling conditioner or hydrating balm after each wash. Rinse your hair in cold water to give your follicles a bit of a kick and make your hair shinier.

You need to keep your hair deeply nourished by using a mask or conditioning treatment twice a week. The best for your hair is a non-greasy conditioner that you apply bit by bit, massaging thoroughly over the whole of your head and then covering with a hot towel and cling film or aluminium foil. Leave for at least 40 minutes, if not all night. Rinse, shampoo and condition, and avoid blow-drying unless you have to.

Our favourite products for dry hair
1. Kerastase Bain Satin 3 Shampoo
2. Kerastase Masquintense Mask
3. Manipulator Daily Conditioner, Tigi
4. Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Conditioner

Review Of Macadamia Hair/Ulta Haul

2012-05-02T21:02:55Z

Macadamia Natural Oil™ products meld the lightweight and nutrient-rich properties of Macadamia nut and Argan seed oils to revitalize even the most problem hair, nourishing from root to tip for effortless health and beauty.

Macadamia Natural Oil™ is a premium, professional hair care line focused on healing and beautifying problem hair via a modern application of Macadamia and Argan oils. Our focus is on the curative powers and results of our time-tested, nature-based ingredients.

Quick and Refreshing Fixes for Your Hair

2012-03-01T19:16:10Z

Once in a while you will have a perfect day as far as your hair is concerned. Your hair looked great all through that day and you have to get a shower in the evening. You know for certain that your hair will not look any thing like before once you have your shower. Still you get that shower, even after having a shower the previous evening or the same day morning.

You need not shampoo your hair repeatedly to get great results. There is nothing wrong in not shampooing once in a while. As you wash your hair more and apply hair products, the volume of stuff getting on to your silky flocks increases drastically.

Skip your regular hair washing by covering your hair in a towel or piling your hair on to a shower cap before you take your shower. In order to keep your hair not smelly or not looking or feeling bad when you skip this shampooing, you can follow these steps and you will have gorgeous hair.

Freshen Up

You can find a perfume for your hair the same way you have a perfume and body spray. Many good brands have great fragrances for your silky hair. Herbal Essences Style Refreshing Mist from Clairol is a good example. This spray comes in a discrete spray bottle and is sure to make you feel good about your hair with its tantalizing floral perfumes.

You may wash your hair every time you take a shower. You can use shampoo and conditioner as well. Skip the blow drying part, especially during the summer months. Put your hair up by twisting and set it in place with the help of some bobby pins or hair pins. You may opt for a classic braid or try some sexy style with help of claw clips.

De-Frizz and Smooth Out

When you are running late for a party or a date, after a long day at work, and you may find yourself without enough time to have a shower and dress up. In this situation, you can use the help of styling products or some anti-frizz gel to keep your hair in place.

If going to a party or date without taking a shower is out of the question, then you can go for a really fast shower and get going. Use a leave in conditioner or an anti-frizz hair gel on to your hair and get your hair dried as per the instructions of the product. In case you have enough time to let your hair dry the natural way, do it that way.

Preserve

Even if you do not have enough time to take regular care of your hair and make up, you could still take an occasional glance at yourself and see if the hair is behaving as you were expecting it to be or if your make up is leaking. Now do not do this in the middle of the party by having a mirror in hand or during the date. Avoid looking at your reflection on any tinted cars near by.

You can always take a break to the ladies room and take a look and do some emergency patch works on your make up or hair do with help of water or any styling/make up products available on you.

Split End Tips and Preventions

2012-05-02T21:03:20Z

Split End Causes

Split ends are less likely to occur in well conditioned healthy hair, but any hair type can become damaged and develop split ends. The key is identifying the causes of split ends and minimizing or avoiding causing the damage where you can.

Genetics – hair that is naturally dry or brittle is very prone to split ends.
Over handling your hair – excessive touching of your hair or over brushing your locks should be avoided.
Heat styling abuse – cut down on the time spent using your hair straightener, blow-dryer, curling iron or hot hair rollers.
Hair chemical processes – hair color, perms or chemically straightening your hair can all lead to split ends.
Outside elements – too much fun in the sun, wind or water (swimming at the beach or in chlorinated pools) can be a factor.
Washing your hair too much – using harsh shampoos or roughly handing your hair when it’s wet and when you wash it can contribute to split ends.
Brushing your hair with the wrong brush – swap sharp plastic hair brush bristles for natural bristles.

Split End Treatments

The only treatment for split ends is to cut them off. Any advertisement that you see for a product that claims to repair split ends only masks the problem. Those type of products will coat your hair shaft and smooth the splits temporarily back together but they don’t repair them. The split is still there and will continue to move up your hair shaft, causing more issues. Make sure your visit your hairstylist as soon as you see any split ends to have them taken care of ASAP.

Split End Prevention
To prevent split ends from occurring, or reoccurring, you’ll need to work out what hair care habits you have that could cause split ends and change your behavior. This could mean…

Protecting your hair with heat protection products when heat styling.
Starting a regular hair care routine which involves deep conditioning weekly or monthly.
Using a hair brush that has natural bristles. Detangling your hair before getting it wet to minimize any damage caused when your hair is at its most vulnerable.
Always handling your hair delicately and as gently as possible when brushing, styling, washing and drying.
We hope these tips will help you to take care of any existing split ends and avoid further splits in the future.

To find a hairstyle to show off your split end-free locks, take a look at our virtual hairstyles today!

Look Younger with Skin Care: A Guide to Gorgeous Skin

2012-05-02T21:01:07Z

- Make sure you exfoliate every day. You need to do this after washing your face at night. Use a scrub that is soft on your skin. Sugar or oatmeal can be used as a scrub as well.

- Regular use or even daily use of facial masks is good for your skin. You need not buy it always. You can make one on your own using mashed fruits or vegetables like banana, avocado etc. One of the best natural mask is plain yogurt.

- Apply some skin treatment or moisturizer always on your face, either day or night. Give importance to your skin and apply some skin treatment, once you wash it at night. The treatment could be any thing like alpha hydroxy acids, vitamin A, vitamin C or some type of special cocktail treatment. Once it is set, apply a coat of moisturizer over it. Repeat the same process every morning as well.

- Never go for the costliest or cheapest cosmetic products. Products in the medium range are known to give the best results. Those products have quality ingredients and they usually deliver great results also. The only way to find the right product for you is by doing the good old “Trial and Error” method. Keep on experimenting with different brand products until you find the right product for you.

- Keep on hydrating your skin all along the day. You can create your own product by adding a few drops of rose essential oil or chamomile on to a spray bottle of distilled water. You can spray it on regularly over the day even on top of your make up, shaking it a little bit before each use. You may use a commercial product as well.

- Be gentle on your face. Pulling, tugging, scrubbing etc. on your face is not advisable. Never treat your face roughly while cleaning it, moisturizing it or applying make up on it. Thus you can reduce the possible number of wrinkles or skin damage on your face.

L’Oreal’s ‘Pill for Grey Hair’

2012-05-02T21:03:34Z

When news broke this week that L’Oreal was developing a pill to prevent grey hair, it made headlines around the world. But scientists say the pill, which has not yet been created, produces more questions than answers.

Bruno Bernard, head of the Hair Care, Quality and Color team at L’Oreal, first spoke about the cosmetic company’s research, telling the Daily Mail the pill will be based on a fruit extract that mimics an enzyme called TRP-2, which isn’t present in hair follicles.

TRP-2 helps make pigment-producing cells called melanocytes. In theory, the presence of TRP-2 could prevent hair from going gray.

Ideally you would take [the pill] for your whole life, but realistically we’d encourage people to start using it before their hair goes grey because we don’t think it can reverse the process once it has started,” he told the UK paper. “We have a watertight proof of concept, and we think it will have a market among men as well as women.

3 Best Hair-Thickening Shampoos and Conditioners

2012-05-02T20:55:29Z

1. Nexxus Diametress Luscious Hair Thickening Shampoo and Sublime Volume Luscious Bodifying Conditioner ($14 shampoo, $15 conditioner;)

Nexxus’s shampoo and conditioner increased the diameter of hair more than any other brand we tested, so this set should add volume to almost any style. Several consumers noted that they liked the volume and body of their hair after using these products, which also made tresses softer, thicker, and more manageable. Most agreed that these products truly made their hair look thicker, though a few worried that their fuller hairstyles had a bit more frizz and flyaways.

2. Best Manageability
Bumble and bumble Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner ($21 shampoo, $22 conditioner; salons)

The thickening duo from Bumble and bumble received the highest score from testers for making hair more manageable. Testers also rated this shampoo and conditioner set highly for increasing the smoothness, softness, and overall healthy appearance of their hair. They raved that Bumble and bumble’s products banished limp locks — one panelist even had a co-worker ask if she’d changed her style because her hair was so notably different. Take note: While these products thickened blond hair well in our labs, they did not boost the diameter of gray hairs much.

3. Nice Scent
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner ($11.50 shampoo, $12.50 conditioner; salons)

This hair-care duo received one of the highest scores from our testers for its lemon-sage scent. Further, Paul Mitchell’s shampoo and conditioner set earned excellent marks in the lab for its ability to thicken blond hair. Though these products weren’t able to thicken gray hairs as well, they still got great reviews from our consumers: One liked how her hair really felt clean, while another commented that these products didn’t weigh her hair down.

Are You Starving Your Hair? Tips For Balanced Tresses

2012-05-02T20:58:20Z

Did you know the human body requires fat in order to be able to properly process and absorb vitamins and nutrients? Yes, it’s true.

Whether you get your vitamins from supplements or eat carefully to get nutrients from your daily food supply, if you live on only fat free or very low fat meals, your hair will definitely start to suffer.

The lack of fat can also have a negative impact on skin and nails.

Eat Healthy Fat For Lush Hair

Hair utilizes fat stored in the body to thicken and develop luster or shine. Does this mean you should go out and do fat laden meals to get a blinding shine for your tresses?

No, the key according to nutritional experts is to eat a well balanced meal with some healthy fats. Healthy fats which are also known as unsaturated fats include avocadoes, black and green olives and nut butters such as almond, cashew, peanut butter, sesame and sunflower seed.

Other great shine and hair healthy foods include macadamias, hazelnuts, pecan, almond, cashews, pistachios, brazil nuts, peanuts, pine nuts and walnuts. Seeds are also great for thick lush tresses, especially sesame, pumpkin, ground flaxseed and sunflower seeds.

Nutritional experts say the best foods of the unsaturated fat family are albacore tuna, salmon and extra virgin olive oil.

Fats which won’t help grow lush healthy tresses include saturated and trans fats.

Saturated fats include those found in meat and other animal products. Trans fats are found in foods with labels such as “hydrogenated” or partially hydrogenated”.

Lean Protein Helps Hair Grow

Nutritionists and trichologists preach the hair growing gospel of lean protein. Since human hair is almost 100% protein, it needs a constant supply every day to keep it growing.

When protein isn’t provided in adequate supply, hair growth will stall and possibly falter. In fact, without the proper supply of protein, hair may start to thin and may even start to shed.

Protein can alo be found in some of our favorite shampoo’s conditioners and hair masques. We recommend:

1. Davines Defining Protein Sculpting Lotion pH 4.0, 250ml/8.5oz
2. Biosilk Fruit Cocktail Reconstructing Treatment
3. Davines Momo Moisturizing Shampoo pH 5.5, 250ml/8.5oz
4. L’Oreal Professionnel Serie Expert Intense Repair Shampoo

Seasonal Strand-Savers

2011-11-21T15:41:02Z

BackNextChristopher Coppola/Studio D

1. HYDRATE YOUR SCALP Fight wintertime flakiness with this easy treatment: “Massage in five to 10 drops of jojoba oil, and sleep with it in overnight — it’ll balance the pH of your scalp. Wash it out in the morning,” says Laura Boton, owner of Sine Qua Non Salon in Chicago. Try Desert Essence 100% Pure Jojoba Oil . No worries: It won’t leave your pillow greasy.

2. SKIP A SHAMPOO — OR SULFATES Detergents can contribute to dryness, especially if you have fine hair. Shampooing less often is really the best option in winter — or, use a shampoo sulfates free.

3. DON’T GO OUT WITH WET HAIR It may not lead to a cold, but it can cause split ends, says stylist Nicholas Penna Jr., owner of SalonCapri in Newton and Dedham, MA.

4. CHOOSE THE RIGHT HAT FABRIC Wool can create tangles, and nylon can cause static, says Rodney Cutler, founder of Cutler/Redken Salons: “Stick to hats with silk liners, which keep hair smooth.” And choose a loose fit so as not to put a dent in your hairstyle.

5. STAY SMOOTH Tote a purse-size hairspray in case you do have static; its alcohol will neutralize the charge. Or try Bumble and Bumble Shine On Finishing Spray, which both enhances shine and tames flyaways. If you prefer an alcohol-free option, try a pinch of grooming cream.

3 Fall/Winter 2011 Hairstyle Trends

2011-11-21T15:41:59Z

From loose curls and romantic updos to tight ponytails and sleek buns our set of Fall/Winter 2011-2012 hairstyle trends is an endless source of a-list beauty inspiration for the forthcoming Fall/Winter 2011-2012 season.

Fall/Winter 2011-2012 Hairstyle Trend – UPDOs

There is nothing more practical, romantic and easy-to-do than all kinds of braided hairstyles. Many designers are likely to agree with this statement having opted for various kinds of braids to complement their fashion shows. Be creative and add your own details in the looks fashion gurus have already offered. Opt for the simple braided hairstyle as seen at Lanvin or Carlos Miele and complement it with fashionable hair accessory. Or go for a twin braids with parting in the middle a la Y3. Besides, milkmaid braids and side-swept braided hairstyles are also making a comeback for Fall/Winter 2011-2012.

Fall/Winter 2011-2012 Hairstyle Trend – UPDOs

Fall/Winter 2011-2012 Hairstyle Trend – BANG

We’ve already told you that bang has made a strong comeback in 2011. The same goes to Fall/Winter 2011-2012 season and catwalks studded with fringed hairstyles are the additional confirmation to it.

Recommendations:

- Sexy Hair Big Sexy Blow Dry Volumizing Gel
- Redken Curl Wise 14 Curl Defining Cream
- Paul Mitchell Freeze and Shine Super Spray 8.5oz