The Search for Perfect Skin: Murad, Part 1

I was not blessed with perfect skin. Far from it, my skin is consistently broken out on my nose, chin, forehead, hairline, and even - as embarrassing as it is - my back and chest. As someone who's consumed with thoughts of what I'm wearing, I don't want to have to worry about my complexion on top of that. And, more than anything, I don't want to have to worry about having the skin of a 15 year old while I'm wearing a Celine Spring 2011 inspired outfit; the two worlds just don't mesh.

For years I've tried drugstore products that promise to leave me with clear skin in the blink of an eye, but nothing has worked. So I'm beginning the official Search for Perfect Skin. This search and report entails an overhaul of my sugar-filled diet and a revival of my long dead exercise routine, as well as investment in some high end skincare brands. The first brand I'm going with is Murad and their Acne Complex Introductory Kit:

That's about life size up there

The Murad Acne Complex Intro Kit promises a noticeably different feel in one day, a noticeably different look in three days, and completely clear skin in four weeks. They caution that skin will get worse before it gets better due to the medicine's ability to draw impurities from under the skin. Reviews online are very mixed, about half claiming that the product made their skin worse than ever and another half that it cleared their skin more than they could ever hope.

Currently I'm on day 5, and I've got some mixed reviews myself. The skin on my cheeks and chin, which is usually abnormally soft, feels rough and almost bumpy. Thankfully it doesn't look that way, but it doesn't look clear either. After the first day or so I did notice a difference in the clarity of my skin, but, as the kit promised, it has started to get worse. Small pimples (I hate that word) have begun to pop up here and there, but nothing too embarrassing. The moisturizer, which I have to use more of than the kit recommends, gives my skin a dewy glow, which I appreciate having not gone to the beach like the rest of my friends over spring break. The cleanser and gel do burn when I apply them, but I would expect as much from products containing salicylic acid. Seeing as my skin is getting worse before it gets better, I haven't found much solace in the spot treatment just yet, but we'll see as the weeks roll on.

I promise to be diligent in my skin trials and report weekly on how my skin is clearing up. This segment is really important to me, not only because I'm very personally invested in its results, but because fashion shies away from real acne. Sure, they'll tell you how to blast a break out here and there, but they never address those of us with bad skin year round and almost act as though it doesn't exist. My hope is that not only I can clear up my skin, but help find a product that works and spread the word to other fashion lovers who suffer from the same poor skin problems as me.


Image via Murad

A Very Happy Unbirthday to Me

Hey there, it's me: Katie! Remember me? I used to co-run this blog? Lightyears ago, I know, but I'm finally back from midterms, back from spring break, back from the dead. And hopefully there will be no more unannounced extended leave-of-absences from me anytime soon.

Now it's time to get down to business.

I'm a very frequent user of nail polish; sometimes I wonder whether or not my polish purchases single-handedly kept the nail polish industry afloat during the economic crisis here in the states. Nail polish is my favorite accessory, so I change up my color every two or three days. Naturally this leads me to get bored with all the reds and the pinks and the Chanel-it-colors out there and naturally this urge to find something interesting lead me to a small stroke upon first seeing Deborah Lippmann's Happy Birthday (pictured above). It's like you stuffed the following picture into a tiny glass bottle:

Renders you speechless, doesn't it?

So this afternoon when my friend Hannah pulled Happy Birthday out of her bag and placed it into my hands, I was overwhelmed with joy and also the urge to just kind of paint the stuff all over my hands (I didn't).

This stuff is seriously the greatest. It's a little messy in the picture, but it's hard not to smear when you're shaking with excitement.

Pros: The best glitter nail polish I've ever used. The colors are evenly distributed and the flakes of glitter vary in size, yielding a very cool 3D-like effect. For a glitter nail polish, this stuff dries relatively fast. A few hours after I applied my million coats it would smudge a little if I was doing any manual labor with my hands, but the glitter was easily pressed back into place. Also, I mean, just look at it and ask yourself, what's not to love?

Cons: Difficult to apply with accuracy because it's very thick from all the glitter. Also, it takes a LOT of coats to achieve the effect I got. When I say a lot I mean 6 or 7; my nails are about 1/4 an inch thicker now.

Worth it? DUH!

(Images from style.com, tumblr, and me; Ring, Nashville Flea Market)

Jeremy Scott Fall 2011 RTW

Jeremy Scott stuck with the general 90's trend for fall, but took it in a completely different direction from grunge: 90's pop culture. While I love, love, LOVE grunge, I missed being old enough to dress myself in plaids and safety pins by only a few years. I did not, however, miss the period of the Spice Girls, Tomagotchi, Zenon Girl of the 21st Century, Powerpuff Girls, etc.. The late 90's semi-Japanese inspired semi-out-of-control style of dress was much more a part of my life than grunge ever was until it's recent resurgence. Maybe that's why Scott's Fall collection struck such a cord with me. 90's references in fashion have gotten so serious and dark, that it feels refreshing to see a fun, kitsch, sarcastic take on the trend. As a college student, I can still afford to Manic Panic my pigtails and wear hot pink leather (or pleather) pleated skirts for another year or two without looked absolutely out of my mind, so you can bet yourself that I'll be delving into the fun 90's asap.

P.S.

If the clothes didn't do enough to convince me, this shot of Charlotte Free's hair and makeup definitely did:

(Images from style.com and The Cut)

Vena Cava Fall 2011 Nails

I wasn't overly impressed with the clothes in Vena Cava's fall 2011 collection, but one aspect of the show that I can definitely get behind are the nails.  A lot of the beauty styles seen on the runways are a little intense for everyday life, or just plain outlandish, but this is a simple look that can easily be duplicated to make you feel trendy and ahead of the curve.  Plus, after trying every color of the rainbow on my digits the old-fashioned way, it's time to try something new and innovative.  This is absolutely one that I will be wearing at home

images via refinery29

Thoughts on Fall 2011

"Just like artists make paintings to go on a wall or perform in a way to fit a space, they're designing clothes to fit people's bodies.  It's like watching a moving sculpture."

As much as I hate that it's true; my life is pretty hectic right now.  I returned home from New York yesterday to knocked down curtains and unraveled toilet paper thanks to my rambunctious kitten, I have a decent amount of schoolwork to do, I still haven't unpacked from my trip, and I desperately need a trip to the gym.  All that, plus it's a beautiful 60 degrees and sunny here in southern Kentucky today, and all that I really want to do is sit outside on my balcony and read a good book.

So in lieu of reviewing any shows for now, here are some of my favorite NYFW moments so far: a quote Kalup Linzy gave at the Cynthia Rowley show; buns woven with fabric at Thakoon; Kate Foley's outfit that she wore to Lincoln Center on Sunday; looks that appear to be layered, but are really all one piece so that you don't have to deal with actually putting together layers yourself at Preen; and Alexander Wang's outstanding fall collection that has completely renewed my faith in the young designer.

Sources: first three, the Cut; Preen images, Style.com

Collide-O-Scope

Meet Sally Hansen's Collide-O-Scope Salon Effects nail polish.

If you haven't heard of Sally Hansen Salon Effects, it's basically a peel and stick nail polish kit with all sorts of great patterns and colors. I scoured every Walgreens/CVS/Rite-Aid/Walmart in the vicinity for the great leopard printed nails that I saw on Move Slightly, but after failing to find them, I settled on this Prada-esque camo print that is exactly how a nail polish baby of their Pre-Fall and Spring collections would appear.

See? SEE?!

As with everything, however, there is the good and the bad:

The Good

The colors are super bright and fun. 

The kit comes with a handy little nail file/buffer and wooden stick (technical term?) for pushing back cuticles, which makes it a lot easier to apply the "polish". 

I've gotten a million compliments on them, and I feel like I can stick to my usual wardrobe of mostly black and still look accessorized.

The Bad

They're expensive. One kit comes with a mere 16 "nails" and costs $10, so you can't even apply them more than once.

They're kind of ridiculously hard to apply. Maybe my kit was faulty, because I saw nothing but good reviews on the ease of application. Maybe I'm just bad with my hands. Either way, it took me about 35 minutes to apply those suckers and they still didn't go on very smoothly.

Some of the colors were faded before I even put them on my nails. The continuity from nail to nail isn't that great.

3 days in and my nails are already starting to chip at the tips and pucker upward at the cuticle, despite the fact that they are supposedly chip free for up to 10 days.

So all in all the bad definitely outweighs the good. That said, I can't stop staring at or thinking about my trippy camo nails, so they're at least making me happy, which is all that really counts anyway. Worth it? Not really. Will I buy them again? Probably. Like flowers, this nail kit is expensive and will expire in a week anyway. Only, unlike flowers, I get to wear this product and enjoy it everywhere I go. Hopefully I'll be able to find the leopard print next time I invest in this kit, but if not, I may have to go with the black and white houdstooth. As much as I hate that print, I've got to admit that it looks pretty badass in the pictures I found on Google.

Oh, Honey

Mmmmmm, stock footage

Storytime! I have terrible skin. It wasn't always this way though. For years I took medicine that completely cleared up my skin to the point that it was (in my selfish opinion) flawless. I never had to wash it, I never had to moisturize it, and it had a nice glow in any season with or without makeup. I took this for granted for a long time. Recently, I stopped taking this miracle medicine and now my skin makes me look like a freshman in high school. It's miserable. For months now my skin has just been getting worse and worse despite my strict skincare routine and constant search for an easy, inexpensive way to combat what is seemingly adult acne (ugh...). Storytime and search over, because I think I've found my perfect solution: honey.

I read an article online a couple days ago about how honey is a miracle worker for the skin, clearing it up, smoothing it down, and giving it a healthy glow. I searched for honey masks online and found this great website full of advice and information on how to use honey to clear your skin. For the past three days now I've been wearing a plain mask of just honey (Walmart brand, if we're being specific) for about an hour at night before washing it off with warm water, and I'm already noticing differences. At first my existing acne didn't seem any different, but now I'm noticing that no new pimples are forming and the ones that are there are slowly (but surely) fading away. My face is now soft enough that I almost want to ask strangers to give it a good rub...almost. As far as glow goes, I haven't noticed any change, but maybe after a few more nights with honey smeared on my cheeks I'll have a Natalie-Portman-second-trimester-prenancy-esque glow to show off.

For anyone who wants to try a honey mask (I recommend it to everyone), here are some tips:

• Apply the mask in the bathroom, because your hands will more than likely be a little sticky once it's on.
• Make sure you get ALL your hair away from your face before even opening the honey, even those wispy ones next to your ears. 
• Use a large, flat tablespoon to apply the honey. Just turn the spoon upside down, squirt a dot of honey on the convex side, and apply to your face with the back of the spoon.
• Be careful how much honey you put on the spoon; a little bit goes a long way, and the longer you leave it on, the more it will start to drip if you apply too much.
• Leave the mask on for 10 - 60 minutes, and just rinse it off with warm water (as much as it feels like you'll need soap or a wash cloth to get the honey off, you won't, I promise).

Tobacco Vanille & Dead Sexy

Tom Ford's Private Blend perfumes have been called unconventional by many, but I think that's what makes them so appealing.  I've also never been one for really "perfume-y" scents, so the collection is perfect for me.  I've smelled all of them, just out of curiosity (thanks, Neiman's sample counter), and Tobacco Vanille was by far one of my favorites.  It's described as including notes of tobacco leaf, tonka bean, vanilla, cocoa, a fruit accord, and sweet wood sap.  Whatever's in there, it's amazing.  However, my practical side just can't allow me to splurge on the scent.  Recently, though, I discovered Dead Sexy by Tokyo Milk, and it's definitely the next best thing.  The perfume also has a strong vanilla base, and includes ebony, exotic wood, and white orchid, but is more dry than Mr. Ford's version.  I think, anyways.  I'm not exactly a perfume expert.  At any rate, while both are good, at a tenth of the price, Tokyo Milk's scent is the one that I'm backing.

images via here and here

Product Review: Kiehl's Ultra Facial Starter Kit

I do not buy expensive products because they're made by a trendy company; I pride myself on finding great deals at the Gap and saving money by shopping for groceries with my Kroger Plus card.  However, in instances where I believe that a higher price actually reflects the quality of the good, I have no problem shelling out.  Such is the case with nice leather bags, with DiorShow Mascara, and now, with Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream Starter Kit.

I wasn't overly thrilled with the cleanser.  Not that's there's anything wrong with it, but there's probably not much anyone can do to improve upon the face wash formula that's already been perfected by many companies.  However, the toner and cream blew me away.  I'm not sure whether it's because I've never used toner, or that the products just work that well, but my skin has never felt so rejuvenated and healthy.  In fact, as I sit here, almost twelve hours and one shower later, I still feel incredibly moisturized.  It's like there's a glowing barrier between my skin and the elements surrounding me, and I love it.

A small amount of each product goes a very long way, so I'm hoping that this kit lasts me a while.  If you're looking for a new skin care routine, I would definitely recommend this package to anyone out there.  Although I said I wasn't floored by the cleanser, I'm going to say to go ahead and buy the kit.  The price of a small Ultra Facial Cream alone is actually equal to its price (which includes said cream), so it's definitely worth it.

Jax

White Lightning

JAX

John Galliano's designs for Christian Dior and Alexander Wang's for his namesake line are hardly comparable.  Each is great in his own way; they just represent opposite ends of the fashion spectrum.  While Wang makes clothes for the downtown cool and hipster model set, Galliano's works are made for only the highest of society.

I, like Katie, was not overly excited with Alex Wang's spring 2011 collection.  One thing that I was able to appreciate, however, was the hair and makeup.  Plain, dewy faces went well with the sheen of the clothing, and smears of white paint complimented the construction worker aspect of the show.  I most enjoyed the white paint because, in a world where most every creative possibility has been played out before, this seemed like a fresh take on runway hair.

Then, when clicking through a feature on Style.com, I came across a beauty look from Christian Dior Spring 2010 Couture featuring white, painted hair.  How could I have overlooked this key fact, that Galliano had done it first?  It must have slipped my mind because, while a few of the models had white streaks at the front of their updos, the vast majority did not.  Of course, the look was not executed in the same way at all by Alexander Wang, but the concept is similar enough that it renders me even less impressed with Wang's SS '11 collection.  Alas, there will always be fall in February.

Whose version do you prefer?

Jax

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Yes, this is all of the women in my family wearing matching pajamas on Christmas Eve from Eddie Bauer.

Anyway, a belated merry Christmas to everyone.  Christmas is probably my favorite holiday, not just for presents, but because of the many traditions that my family shares as well.  Although I was ill for the duration of it this year, Christmas was still as joyous and memorable as ever.  That being said, I did get some really great presents that I am oh so thankful for, which I thought that I would share with you all.  So here we go, starting top left and going clockwise.

A men's Field & Stream watch with a leather band, from a local antique shop (this isn't the exact one, but it was as close of a picture as I could find).  I love bulky watches and this one is just the ultimate; great for stacking with bracelets, etc., or wearing alone.

Velvet ballet flats from the Gap.  I, like Katie, have been pretty obsessed with incorporating ballet themed clothes into my daily wardrobe.  So, I was extremely pleased to have received these perfect, go-with-everything shoes from my little sister.  Mine aren't the above purple color, but are a navy blue, which I like much better.

Les Perles de Chanel

Chanel has released their newest crop of nail polishes - cue the immediate sell out of at least one of the colors.

Above is the trio of polishes in Chanel's new Perle collection. The colors are Pearl Drop, Black Pearl, and Peche Nacree.

Now I'm going to go out on a limb here, but agree or disagree: the colors are a let down. They kind of suck. Sorry Karl, but I feel like they're so plain. I personally own almost exact matches of each of those colors, and I usually count on Chanel to give me a nail polish that I don't already have, aka, give me the mission of going out and searching for a cheaper look-a-like color. 

I was inistially most displeased with Black Pearl (the deep green). Isn't it me, or wasn't dark green a prominent nail color a few seasons ago? It feels old. I thought that perhaps Pearl Drop (white) or Peche Nagree (peach), which could be matte based on the picture above, could have potential, but no, I was wrong. Both colors are very shimmery, which cheapens them, in my opinion.

I don't know. Maybe I'm being biased because I love my current color so much.

Yes, I'm a 6-year old girl.

Katie

Fendi Beauty: From Runway to Real Life

JAX

I was going to do this whole great big post about how I loved Fendi's spring 2011 beauty looks, and how you can create this look on your own.  But, after a trillion frustrations with trying to acquire and load these pictures, I'm just going to keep it as simple as possible.

A good place to start when you're choosing a bold lip color is your hair color.  Warmer undertones (i.e., auburn), try a coral lip.  Cooler undertones, try a bubblegum pink.  If you have a really striking hair color like platinum or black, or are just feeling brave, try the violet hued shades a la Abbey Lee (top, left).

The key to making these statement lips look fresh and non-clown-like is a bare face.  That doesn't mean no makeup at all, but try to keep your skin tone even, adding only a hint of blush that doesn't clash with your lip color.  Girls now more than ever are loading on the eye makeup even for a simple trip to the grocery store, but trust me when I say to leave your eyes alone for this look.  You can add a layer of brown mascara, and maybe a swipe of neutral shadow, then you're good to go.

Finding the color that works best for you can be tricky, and I would suggest going a makeup counter to test products before you buy.  My color of choice is Niagara by NARS, a very pink-y coral.  Other colors I would suggest are: Clinique Peach Pop, M.A.C. Neon Orange or Full Fushia, or any array of shades from Makeup Forever.

P.s.  An extra word of advice: If you're a tanning bed addict, this look isn't for you!

Product Review: Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer

KATIE

The holy grail of moisturizers?

It's been about a week and a half since I took the fateful trip to Sephora with my mother and ended up leaving with what I consider to be the YSL Iconic Platform Pump of makeup: Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. Oil-free, no less. I'd been dying to own this raved-and-ranted-about moisturizer since I'd taken up an extreme interest in fashion and beauty magazines and seen good review after good review praising the powers of this skincare product. It's no Crème de la Mer, but then what real person has $130 to spare for one measly ounce of moisture? Not I. Which is why I was simply thrilled that my mother would be willing to pay the full $42 for me to moisturize my face in style every day.

Immediately upon using the product, I noticed that it was not like any moisturizer I'd expected. It's the thickest moisturizer I've ever used, and definitely has more of a foundation consistency. It also takes much more product to cover my face than I would have expected from it's relatively small tube. The color is great though, and I haven't had any blending problems so far. The Nude shade (a bit disconcerting, since the next lighter shade is Porcelain...) never looks streaky or apparent on my skin. One reviewer on Sephora's website aptly made the comment that the consistency issue could be because of the fact that the moisturizer is oil-free; probably true. With that in mind though, I would never want to switch to the oil-full(?) version.

I'll preface this part by saying that I have fairly oily skin and it's been in a bit of break-out mode lately. Over the past week and a half of using the moisturizer though, my skin has been breaking out like crazy. My chin, nose, and forehead are ridden with acne, and my entire face is surprisingly oily for a moisturizer that is oil-free. Once more, it may be my skin's fault rather than the moisturizer's, but I saw that a few reviewers on Sephora's site seemed to have the same problem. Maybe those of us with oily/combo skin just aren't suited for this product. Maybe it's just me. Maybe my skin just isn't suited for expensive, ritzy adult makeup. Whatever it is, it's made me disappointed in this beauty splurge (even if I wasn't necessarily the one splurging).

I plan on continuing my use of this moisturizer just to see if perhaps this bad skin spell passes or if my face becomes accustomed to the new moisturizer and clears up; but thus far I don't have high hopes.

Laura Mercier, merci for your product, but I've got a feeling that I'll be saying "no merci" in favor of a cheaper, less skin-irritating moisturizer from now on.

-Katie

Image from space.nk.apothecary

Nail Toast

JAX

need supply

Remember Chanel's newest really great collection of polishes that I was talking about this past August?  Well, finally I've found the perfect, affordable alternative.  "Toast" by RGB is like a mixture between Brun and Rose, and is the perfect neutral color for pairing with all of the militia inspired layers that I'll be wearing this winter.

Temporary Upgrade

KATIE

When it comes to haircare products, I'm generally not too picky. Drugstore staple brands like Dove or Garnier Fructis are my pick 99% of the time (although, I've splurged for some Redken All Soft shampoo and conditioner...once). I've just always assumed that my hair can't really get all that much better based on what product I use.

Myth; that is a myth.

This past weekend was my Fall break, and I used one of my four, precious, education-free days to visit Jax at her respective university. Unlike me, Jax generally chooses quality over quantity. For as long as I remember, her makeup, jewelry, clothes, etc. have always been more limited in choice than my own, but of a much higher quality than I'd ever dream of splurging for. 

So when I stepped into her shower, I was a bit overwhelmed by her haircare choices: Bumble and Bumble's Seaweed conditioner and Fekkai's volume shampoo. I was nervous. I have a LOT of hair, and those beautiful, expensive plastic bottles were so tiny! I thought I would surely use all of the product in one wash, so I tried to stick to the bare minimum. But even with only a microscopic amount of product, I noticed a difference in the texture (namely, the softness) of my hair immediately. Such an upgrade! My hair was tangle-free, soft to the touch and to the eyes, and relatively shiny without any post-shower product.

While I'd like to say that this haircare upgrade has changed my ways, made me throw out all of my Herbal Essences in lieu of more quality brands, it sadly has not. As much as I'd love to have beautiful, brilliant locks every day of my life, as someone with hair that is thick and long enough to require a full handful of conditioner per wash, I cannot rationalize spending my entire paycheck on tiny bottles of product per month.

But for those of you who can afford to lather up your locks with Bumble and Bumble and the likes, I totally recommend it.

 

 -Katie

(Image from Bumble and Bumble)

Party Like It's Fall 2008!!!

KATIE

Let's play a game:

Who's the Yves Saint Laurent model and who's me?

Oh my gosh! I'm on the left?! You totally got it!

Some friends and I went to a zombie dance party this weekend, and I picked up some black Wet 'n' Wild lipstick from Walgreen's to complete my zombie cat look, and needless to say, I've been having a lot of fun wearing it privately in my room.

-Katie

Rick Owens Hair

JAX

There are few designers that I consider to be as cool as Rick Owens; the New York born, Parisian showing artist whose use of plain leather can be described as nothing short of awe-inspiring.  His more recent collections have slowly been making movements toward a more structured silhouette, a departure from Owens's once constant signature draping, but the transition could not be more beautiful.  

Now, all of that being said, the thing that I could not stop thinking about during his Spring 2011 RTW show was the hair.  After seeing hundreds of collections featuring the usual mane styling tricks with blowouts, curls, braids, and updos galore, the idea of a real statement making headpiece is quite appealing. Geometric bone rose combs were neatly tucked into simple chignons, dramatically sticking straight up or down.  Style.com describes them as, "aliens tiaras--or antennae," but I like to think of them as the former.  Something about these oversized adornments comes off as eerily cool; they're like a cross between creepy and delicate beauty.

A Thick/Frizzy/Mess of a Hair Routine.

KATIE

After reading Jax's post on her foolproof hair routine, I began thinking about what products I use to try to achieve a nice hair style. Upon reflection, I realized that I really only have two products that I find myself consistently returning to; and lucky for me, they are both super inexpensive:

As someone with pretty long hair that is fairly thick, frizzy, and generally out of control, the only thing I have to worry about is keeping it frizz free. Luckily for me, my hair rarely gets oily, so I don't ever worry about how much product I put in it. It is also pretty naturally voluminous (but not in a "I want my hair to have body like hers" kind of way), so weighing it down with oils isn't an issue either. A lot of times, I just let my hair air-dry without product, but, for years now, I've always ended up running over to Walgreens to pick up a bottle of one of these gems when my hair is just getting too out of hand.

Garnier Fructis' Sleek & Shine Serum is really just nice smelling baby oil in my mind (yes, I've used baby oil in my hair; don't judge!). When I get out of the shower, I'll towel dry/air-dry my hair a tiny bit, run a comb through it, and then smooth 4 or 5 pumps of this shiny stuff through the ends of my hair. Not only does it give my hair really nice luster, it keeps frizz and unwanted body to a minimum and leaves my hair with a nice, fruity smelling softness.

But if softness is what I'm going for, Dove's Frizz Control Cream is a miracle worker. I've been on a Sleek & Shine Serum kick for a month or so now, but pretty soon when the heat dies down and my hair stops being severely afflicted by the Southeast's terrible humidity, I'm switching back to Dove. Similarly to the shine serum, I apply a pump or to to my hair after letting it dry only a tiny bit after the shower. This product pretty much does all that Garnier Fructis' does, except it replaces adding shine to adding incredible softness to hair. I mean, incredible softness. This stuff is great for winter, when my hair is usually so brittle and dead that softness is generally a forgotten word to my head full of split ends.

As far as shampoo and conditioner go, I've used some of the cheapest and most expensive brands available, and can't really tell enough of a difference in any of them to stick to one brand (except Pantene; I don't use that crap). As far as products that I've loved in the past, some of my favorite products for in-shower hair care are Herbal Essences' Hello Hydration, Organix's Nourishing Coconut Milk, and Dove's Damage Therapy Intense Repair. They all keep my hair very moisturized and leave it feeling as nice and light as hair can feel when it's about a foot and a half long.

-Katie

(Images from Garnier Fructis and Dove)

A Fine Hair Styling Routine

JAX

via fekkai, bumble and bumble, matrix

After thirteen years of swimming in overly-chlorinated pools, sometimes twice daily, I have finally quit the dreaded sport.  For the first time in my life I have actually been able to take the time to style my hair and treat it properly.  As such, I've been experimenting with different products, trying to find the right combination to get the body I so desperately want.  I have very, very thin hair, so I have to be careful to avoid products that are overly moisturizing.  I have enough natural oils in my scalp to take care of softness on my own.  So I know that this post really doesn't apply to everyone, but I just thought that I'd share my findings with other fine haired girls.

I want to go ahead and say that I have never been a brand snob.  For the majority of my life, I have used lower priced lines like Maybelline, Great Lash, and Suave for my beauty needs.  But sometimes, as much as I hate that it's true, you really get what you pay for.  As is the case with Smashbox Anti-Shine and the Naked Palette by Urban Decay, the same has been proven true with my hair products.  I've tried so many volumizing shampoos, conditioners, and serums that I've lost count, from Garnier to Herbal Essences and everything in between.  By far, my best hair has come from higher priced lines.

I gave in one day and bought a travel set of Bumble and Bumble's Seaweed Shampoo and Conditioner and my local Kroger.  Each cost $8 for a tiny bottle, but they smelt so good and my hair is short, so I figured they would last me a little while.  The shampoo is clarifying, so while it did do a great job at cleansing my scalp, it didn't do much in the way of lift.  The conditioner, however, is incredibly lightweight, reducing the amount it weights down my strands.  I continued using the Seaweed Shampoo for lack of anything better until it was out of stock at Kroger, so I decided to give Fekkai's much touted Volumizing Shampoo a try.  Results?  Outstanding.  A lot of uplifting products have left my hair too-tough and almost sticky, but Fekkai didn't give me any of these problems, while still giving my hair a long lasting boost.  The combination of Fekkai shampoo with the Bumble and Bumble conditioner is more than my thin hair could every hope for.  I top it off with spritzing my damp head with Matrix Biolage Volume Spray (which I've always stolen from my mother) and blow dry with my head upside down.  Even after working out, sweating profusely, and rinsing my hair in the shower (sans products), it still dried to be be fairly bouncy and healthy looking.  Trust me when I said that these products have yielded my best results by far; I haven't had a bad hair day yet to date with this combination.