Tired of Drying Shampoos? Try WEN Hair Care by Chaz Dean!

I have been wanting to try WEN’s Cleansing Conditioner for a while now. I love the idea of a cleanser that is not harsh on the hair and that does the job of cleanser and conditioner in one product.

WEN® Pomegranate Cleansing Conditioner ($28.00 USD) is the newest formula of a universal cleanser designed to give all hair types the moisture and hydration they need to stay healthy, shiny and manageable. It is an incredibly rich, yet lightweight formula that thoroughly cleanses and also gives body, volume and a smooth, polished finish. Other uses besides cleanser and conditioner are deep-conditioner, leave-in conditioner, detangler, and shaving cream.

The Pomegranate formula claims to leave hair healthy, shiny, moist, clean, soft, light, and manageable. The active ingredients are

Pomegranate Extract: Has anti-oxidant properties comparable to wine or green tea. It is also incredibly hydrating.
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein: Protein derived from soya beans. Increases strength and manageability.
Organic Aloe Vera Leaf Juice: Healing, moisturizing, antifungal, antibacterial properties.
Rosemary Extract: Amazing antioxidant properties, stimulates hair growth and fights scalp problems.
Chamomile Extract: Calming, soothing, with antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties. Also used for dry, flaky skin.
Marigold Extract: Helpful as an antiseptic, healing wounds and reducing inflammation.
Menthol: Has local anesthetic and counter-irritant qualities. Can also reduce itching and tenderness.
Wild Cherry Fruit Extract: Soothing and anti-inflammatory.
Panthenol Pro-Vitamin B5: Acts as a penetrating moisturizer. Reduces split ends, smooths skin and strengthens hair as it seals in moisture.

I also tested the WEN® Replenishing Treatment Mist ($32.00 USD).  Infused with a unique blend of restorative botanicals and extracts, the multipurpose WEN® Replenishing Treatment Mist can be used to revive and restyle hair in between cleansings and can also be used as a light-weight formulation in place of a leave-in conditioner for those with hair lacking volume or body. Misting your hair with the WEN® Replenishing Treatment Mist will aid in rejuvenating dry, frizzy, dehydrated hair by giving it the moisture it needs to remain soft, healthy and luxurious. The WEN® Replenishing Treatment Mist can also be used for extra hydration to refresh the face and/or set make-up, and it is also very beneficial as a moisturizing spray on the body.
After cleansing with  Cleansing Conditioner, mist the midshaft and ends of your hair with the WEN® Replenishing Treatment Mist thoroughly. Rake and twist your fingers through your hair until the spray has been completely absorbed into your hair. Follow with the WEN® Styling Creme & Volumizing Treatment Spray. You may also mist on dry/styled hair to add extra moisture and hydration.
What I think: I like these products, but there is a learning curve in using them, especially the cleansing conditioner since it is such a different way to wash hair. I suggest that you follow the instructions carefully.
I have noticed that my hair has changed over the couple of weeks that I have been using WEN®. It first made my hair a bit frizzy, but now my hair is softer and shinier. I have recently colored my hair and the color is staying rich and dark (like it should be). My hair is also starting to get thicker. Over time, I think it will even improve more!
I also really like the treatment mist. It smells refreshing and it tames my hair when it becomes frizzy.  I used it on wet and dry hair. I think it will also be great in the summer, maybe I will keep it in the fridge for a refreshing body and face spray!
Visit www.chazdean.com or www.qvc.com to purchase. Enjoy!

Clairol Nice ‘n Easy Color Blend Foam

Clairol Nice ‘n Easy Color Blend Foam

I usually cover my grays at home. Of course it is much less expensive than going to a salon, but these days new formulas make it fairly easy, too!

This year, Clairol Nice ‘n Easy is making this even easier for women who color at-home with a new formula.  Nice ‘n Easy Color Blend Foam ($8.00 USD) offers women a breakthrough usage experience, alleviating many of the application burdens associated with at-home hair color while maintaining the same dimensional color result they know and love from Nice ‘n Easy.   This new, easy-to-apply hair color formula begins as a liquid, then applies as a foam. And it puts dimensional hair color right at your fingertips

Like traditional colorants, the tint and developer come separately in liquid form, but they mix and combine easily in the custom-designed foamer bottle. To produce the foam, simply shake the mixture with the cap on. Then using the foamer top, squeeze the foam into your gloved hand. The unique foamer bottle helps ensure control and consistency of the foam throughout the coloring process. When you squeeze it from the bottle, it stays in your gloved hand without dripping. Then simply use your fingertips to work it into your hair for ultimate precision.

Color Blend Foam gives you six times more product volume versus a traditional liquid or crème colorant, offering effortless and complete coverage. With Color Blend Foam, it’s easy to cover every strand over your entire head. Once it is applied to your hair, your hair’s natural oils collapse the foam. The resulting liquid is drawn through the hairs, allowing the color to penetrate hair quickly and evenly from root to tip. Color Blend Foam will not begin to collapse until it’s applied to your hair.

I really liked using this formula. Once I combined the tint and developer, I shook it up, then squeezed the bottle and the foam appeared I then applied it first to my scalp and then all over with my gloved hands. It was very fast and easy. I then wiped the excess away from my hairline and temples and it stayed in place for the 25 minutes it took to develop. After I rinsed it out and dried my hair, I was left with a rich color that entirely covered my grays!

You can purchase this fab hair color at a drugstore or mass market retailer near you. Enjoy!  

Smell Sweet This Valentine’s Day With Thymes, One and Bodycology

There are so many ways to try a new fragrance. And these great choices are perfect to give or treat yourself for Valentine’s Day.

Bodycology Midnight Garden Body Cream ($4.99 USD) –For Daily Rejuvenation: Smooth over skin, giving special care to dry or rough areas such as hands, elbows, knees and heels – for softening that feels like blissful indulgence
Beneficial Ingredients: Moisturizing Aloe Vera, Shea Butter and Nourishing Vitamins E & C.

Violets, lavender and rose mingle to produce a fragrance that is reminiscent of a moonlit garden. You can purchase this at Walmart.

One Lotion Massage Bar ($9.99);Blended with the finest moisturizing butters and essential oils, the calming bar instantly melts into skin to release tension and help you unwind. Just massage onto skin, concentrating on tired muscles and sore areas. Housed in an eco-friendly, recyclable tin, the Lotion Massage Bar is a loving indulgence you can feel good about. You can purchase at  Target Stores, Target.com and Walgreens.com

Thymes Offerings Love Candle ($26.00); It’s a scent evocative of a heartfelt emotion. Each time the recipient lights The Offerings Love Candle by Thymes, her home is filled with feelings of warmth. With a blend of heady tuberose, dewy jasmine, golden apricot nectar and exotic Hinoki wood, The Offerings Love Candle envelops the room with a rich, comforting aroma that burns cleanly for up to sixty hours. Housed in an opaque cream glass with subtle white starburst designs, The Offerings Love Candle makes the perfect adornment for your dresser or bedside table. And, as a unique expression of Valentine’s Day love, the inner packaging of The Offerings Love Candle can be personalized with your own inspired inscription. Simply handwrite your loving message on the inside flap of the candle’s box.

Purchase this and other great products at  www.thymes.com.

Cricket Friction Free Paddle Brush

Cricket’s Friction Free Paddle Brush

Flyaway hair driving you crazy this winter? Besides loading your hair down with product, you can tame that wayward hair with a friction free brush by Cricket. Cool huh?

Designed with comfort, performance and results in mind, this brush is crafted using a special blend of polymers to reduce friction caused by brushing, combing and styling hair.  Friction makes locks lose their shine.  Bristles are ion-infused with tourmaline to impart moisture into the hair, reducing static electricity and creating incredibly smooth shine.

What I think: This brush instantly detangles mine and my daughters’ hair — it glides right through without pulling. I also notice that when I use the brush my hair it is smoother and less static-y. Very nice!

The Friction Free Paddle Brush ($9.95 — $12.99)is available at www.amazon.com and other beauty supply stores.

Dry Skin Driving You Crazy This Winter? Soothe It With New Products for Hands and Body

When the weather gets cold and dry (and blizzards like it did in Kansas City this week), skin and nails really need to be nourished.  My hands and feet especially have been cracked and my cuticles are peeling. I have taken this opportunity to try new products (or ones that are new to me) to get my skin feeling soft and hydrated.

Cures by Avance Hydrating Body Silk ($26.00 USD) is a weightless body milk which claims to transform the skin. I like to use this after a shower to lock in the moisture. My skin feels silky and soft afer use. To purchase, visit  www.curesbyavance.com

It’s a known fact that winter air completely zaps the essential natural oils found in  skin and hair but unfortunately, attention to the nails has long been neglected. Due to the sub-zero effects outside and the bone-dry heat that is pumped indoors, the nails take a real beating – quickly becoming dry and brittle which results in cracks, painful splits and very short-lived manicures (the shame!)
 
In order to prevent and combat these harsh effects, protect nails with Perfect Formula’s Daily Moisture ($29.00 USD)– a tried and true treatment that keeps nails long, strong and healthy. Formulated with Keratin, the main protein that makes up nails, Jojoba Oil, an excellent moisturizer that is similar to the natural lubricant of skin, and Vitamin E, this product instantly nourishes and strengthens dry, thirsty nails even in the most treacherous conditions. 
 
To use, simply brush Daily Moisture on top of nails, under nails and on cuticles daily. Can be used on polished or natural nails. purchase at http://www.perfectformulas.com or QVC.com.

Caudalie Vine Body Butter ($36.00 USD) is deeply hydrating, with a delicious light scent and velvety texture melts into skin and provides all the therapeutic benefits and efficiency of Vinothérapie Spas. This lotion is perfect for anyone with very dry to damaged skin wanting an ultra nourishing, repairing and luxurious treatment. Apply morning and evening, massage gently into skin in upward motions.

I love the scent of this lotion, it is a bit fruity and is very refreshing. I like to apply it to my hands, feet and legs after shaving. Visit www.caudalie-usa.com to purchase.

Enjoy your hydrated skin!

Find a New Fragrance For Your Hair, Body and Home For Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is a great time to try new fragrances for your body, hair and home to set the mood for romance and to make yourself feel sexy.

NEST Fragrances Bar Soaps ($16.00 USD) — These lightly scented French-milled soaps contain shea butter and almond oil to create a rich, luxurious lather while and nourishing the skin with antioxidant vitamin E. Available in: Moss & Mint, Bamboo, Moroccan Amber, Orange Blossom, Wasabi Pear, and Grapefruit. I tried the Orange Blossom and I loved it. This is a flowery, romantic scent that is perfect for this season! Purchase at Neiman Marcus or online at neimanmarcus.com

Designed for dry and frizzy hair, the LOVE Smoothing Shampoo ($22.00 USD) uses prickly pear extract to provide intense moisture to hair and scalp.  Rice Proteins create a protective layer on the hair and Olive Oil acts as an emollient while Indian Fig Extract heals hair cuticles, leaving hair manageable. LOVE Smoothing Conditioner ($25.00 USD) works to replenish both hair and scalp, restoring heat-damaged hair with Vitamin E, moisturizing with rice bran wax and nourishing hair and scalp with borage oil. The blend of moisturizers and silicones leaves hair soft, silky and manageable and loved. The fig scent is fantastic, too. Visit www.davines.com for salon locations.

The Bath and Body Works Black Currant Vanilla Massage Oil ($16.00 USD)  — This sexy oil is fragranced with at combination Black Currant and Vanilla.  Vanilla Absolute soothes and calms to instill feelings of comfort. The soothing oil blend contains Sunflower Oil, rich in the antioxidant Vitamin E, to moisturize skin and help keep it young looking. Massage into freshly cleansed skin or add to warm running bath water for the ultimate relaxing bath. Visit www.bathandbodyworks.com to learn more and to purchase.

Designed to evoke over 19 different moods, emotions and locales from around the world, the moment you inhale one of TOCCA’s Candle ($36.00 USD) fragrances, you are instantly transformed to a place far beyond your current reality. Available in 26 fragrances ($36 each). I love the Bianca Candle. With notes of green tea, lemon and a dash of sugar, Bianca leaves you sitting seaside in Italy, enjoying life and sipping tea. Approximate burn time: 60 hours. Visit www.tocca.com or www.sephora.com to purchase.

Enjoy the romance!

Make Your Lips Kissable This Valentine’s Day With Napoleon Perdis, beautyADDICTS and L’Oreal

 

Want to add a little sparkle to your look in time for Valentine’s day? The easiest way to update your look and feel fab is trying a new lip gloss or lipstick. Here are a few new ones to help you change things up and to enjoy your Valentine’s kisses?

Inspired by the fabulous success of the Chandelier Shine nail polishes, Napoleon Perdis introduces 12 ultra glossy lip glosses in a perfectly matched pack.  From top to toe you’re covered with the Chandelier Shine Lip Gloss pack ($15.00 USD), which includes one lip gloss and one nail polish. the perfect accessory to compliment any polished look.  From soft French Pink to the dark hues of Moroccan Velvet and Santorini Sunset, these hues let your lips and nails shine! 

Chandelier Shine Lip Glosses add brilliant texture and glide smoothly (never sticky) for that camera ready pout.  With the added benefit of marine collagen, Chandelier Shine Lip Gloss delivers lip repairing properties, keeping lips moist and full, while contouring for a sweet supple look.  The nail polishes provide long-lasting shine and amazing chip free technology.  The UV protectors prevent yellowing and nail hardening. 
 
I love this lip gloss. I have it in Ritzy, a dark red with warm undertones. I usually don’t wear red as I prefer softer lip shade, but I really like this one. This can be very opaque, so I just apply a little and press my lips together so it blends sheerly. Very pretty! You can also go for the wow factor by applying it full on.  This kit is available in  12 shades from a pearly pink to a dark red. You can purchase this at Zappos.com.
 
Another great gloss is the beautyADDICTS SweetLIPS Gloss ($17.00 USD). This new high shine gloss hydrates with soothing Vitamin E and Jojoba Butter that moisten and heal battered lips. Not to mention, SweetLIPS will leave you tasting as good as you look with a hint of Vanilla.
 
Available in four shades that look great on all skin-tones:
Glow – Blush is the perfect special occasion pink
Express – Sheer Peach is a beautifully natural shade with a touch of coral
Motivate – Lilac is a fun lavender-pink
Seduce – Black Cherry is a deep berry shade that creates the perfect glam-lip

This yummy gloss really hydrates my lips! I have the Motivade shade and it is sweet and Spring-y. These glosses are not sticky an feel great on. Visit www.beautyaddicts,com to learn more and to purchase!

Want a lipstick that will withstand Valentine’s kisses? Take your lips to the next level with L’Oreal Infallible Le Rouge ($9.99 USD). This revolutionary and innovative formula delivers bold, luscious color that lasts all day long, making it the ultimate beauty indulgence.  Infallible Le Rouge Lipcolour offers up to 10 hours of vivid, hi-definition colour and shine, while hydrating Vitamin E keeps your lips moist and comfortable. Discover the truest color payoff in a creamy, conditioning base.

I have the Perpetual Peach — the color that Jennifer Lopez wore at the Golden Globes. This color is so soft and pretty, perfect for day wear or for night with a bronze smoky eye. Don’t worry if this is not your color — it is available in a whopping 30 shades. Visit www.lorealparisusa.com to learn more and you can purchase at drugstores and mass market retailers near you!

Enjoy!

Love QVC? Love tarte? Check Out These Exclusive Products!

Love QVC and tarte? QVC is lucky to carry select tarte products before they are available anywhere else. I tried a couple of fun tarte eye makeup products recently — the  smooth operator™ Amazonian clay eye base and the  emphasEYES™ aqua-gel eyeliner in indigo shimmer.

I have recently become a fan of eye base. A good one smooths the eyelid and increase the staying power of eye shadows. Tarte’s smooth operator™ Amazonian clay eye bas is naturally brightening and utilizes the intuitive power of Amazonian clay to balance oily lids and hydrate dry areas around the eye. The waterproof primer leaves your lids soft and smooth, allowing shadow to remain truer to color and last all day.

skinvigorating™ ingredients:
·         beeswax: is used as a waterproofing agent, and creates a natural protective barrier between the skin and the environment
·         Vitamins A: antioxidant that helps remove free radicals, promotes collagen production and retains moisture
·         Vitamin C: inhibits melanin oxidation which improves skin’s brightness and clarity
·         Vitamin E: natural preservative that also acts as an anti-inflammatory emollient and protects against free radical damage
·         Amazonian Clay: this nutrient rich clay is extracted from the banks of the Amazon River where the nutrients are at their highest concentration. As nature’s most perfect ingredient this multitasking and total skin balancing clay has been known to:
o    Remove surface oil to mattify lid area
o    Hydrate dry area around the eyes
o    Give skin area around the eyes an overall smooth and even appearance
o    Reduce the appearance of dryness and flakiness
o    Improve the appearance of skin clarity and texture
 
I love the matte finish of this primer. If you are in a hurry, applying this then a little eyeliner and mascara well get you out of the house quick and looking great! But if you do apply shadows over it, they will last all day long! 

The revolutionary emphasEYES™ aqua-gel eyeliner has been around for awhile now. It claims to capture the high pigment concentration and staying power of a gel pot in an effortless pencil, no brush required! Even more unique is the proprietary formula which encapsulates rich mineral pigments in a 50% water concentration. By a process of hydrous pigmentation, cooling and refreshing pure water absorbs into skin to hydrate and replenish the delicate eye area, leaving behind an intense, long-wearing and pigment-rich color. Fortified with vitamin E, cucumber and aloe this soothing aqua-gel eyeliner maintains moisture balance in the skin while treating with healing free radical fighters.

Skinvigorating™ benefits:
Water: pure water delivers and retains moisture to replenish and hydrate skin
Aloe leaf extract: soothing, healing and antiseptic properties help maintain moisture balance in the skin
Cucumber extract: rich in vitamins A &C and helps soothe skin
Mineral pigments: colors and dyes derived from natural minerals soothe and soften the skin
Vitamin E: natural preservative acts as an anti-inflammatory emollient and fights free radical damage 
 Due to this unique formula:
DO NOT over advance the pencil tip. Due to the soft nature of this formula breakage may occur of pencil tip is over-advanced.
ALWAYS secure cap tightly after use to prevent drying. 

Indigo shimmer is the new color exclusive to QVC. It is very dark, almost a black-blue with a little bit of shimmer. Very dramatic. I love rimming my eyes with this pencil before going out. The only thing is that the formula is so soft that you have to apply it very lightly. I have broken off the tip a couple of times. But the pigment pay-off and smoothness of application is worth it.

Both product are formulated without:
parabens
mineral oil
petrolatum
phthalates
sodium lauryl sulfate
synthetic dye
synthetic fragrance

Visit www.qvc.com to learn more and to purchase. Enjoy!

Kym Johnson From Dancing With the Stars’ California Ulta Appearances

Dancing with the Stars’ Kym Johnson presents
THE DANCING WITH THE STARS HAIR EXTENSION COLLECTION
AT ULTA, Burbank and West Hollywood

The Dancing with the Stars Hair Extension collection and Kym Johnson of Dancing with the
Stars put beautiful hair in the spotlight with a new line of hair extensions inspired by the cult-
favorite show. Kym will be visiting two Ulta stores in one day along with a team of hairstylists
to offer beauty tips, behind-the-scenes hair styling secrets and do-it-yourself tricks for re-
creating the hottest Dancing with the Stars looks – just in time for creating a date-ready look for
Valentine’s Day!

Join Kym at Ulta on Saturday, February 12, 2011 as she demonstrates how the Dancing with the
Stars Hair Extension collection offers quick and easy hair transformations for every occasion.
Guests purchasing $20 or more in Dancing with the Stars Hair Extension collection product will
have a chance to meet Kym in person.

HairUWear® offers instant access to must-have hairstyles inspired by Dancing with the Stars,
bringing the thrill and excitement of the cult favorite show to fans everywhere. With the Dancing
with the Stars Hair Extension collection, you can recreate all the statement-making looks featured
on the show at home, transforming everyday hair into star-studded style. Select styles are
developed with heat-friendly Tru2Life® technology and can withstand up to 350º heat, so you
can style your extensions as you would your own hair. Each piece in the Dancing with the Stars
Hair Extension collection is available in multiple matchable shades.

WHAT:
Ulta in-store appearance with Dancing with the Stars’ Kym Johnson at Ulta, Burbank and Ulta,
West Hollywood

WHEN:
Saturday, February 12, 2011
11:00AM-1:00PM in Burbank, CA
3:00PM-5:00PM in West Hollywood, CA

WHERE:
ULTA, Burbank
Burbank Empire Center
1351 N. Victory Place
Burbank, CA 91502
Phone: 818-565-5646

WHERE:
ULTA, West Hollywood
West Hollywood Gateway
7100 Santa Monica Blvd. Suite 210
West Hollywood, CA 90046
Phone: 323-878-2524

Look Awake With Three Custom Color Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed!

I have noticed that lately my peepers are looking pooped! The cold air always makes me look tired, plus I am still tired from the holidays and from working out (I am trying to get fit this year). So how can I look awake when I don’t feel awake??? 

Introducing: Bright Eyed & Bushy Tailed ($37.50) From Three Custom.e Color.  This is a problem-solving duo featuring a new Eye Brightening Eye Shadow and their cult-favorite Light Clarifier Pencil. Here are the descriptions of the products:

Eye Brightening Shadow – This peach-toned shadow counteracts blue undertones that can make eyes look tired. The satin finish subtly reflects light for a fresher, livelier look!
Light Clarifier Pencil – Apply this nude-toned pencil to the lower inner rim of the eye to make them appear brighter, instantly! This shade compliments all skin tones and is water-resistant to last all day long.

I have to say that this system really works! The peach shadow is really pretty and makes my eyes look clearer. If I am just running around, I will wear this alone. If I am going out or to work, I add a brown or green shadow to the crease and outer corner of my eye.  The pencil is a little miracle. I put it in the inner rim of my lower lid and it looks great. But I also put a little under my eyebrow and smudge, I place it in the inner corner of my eyes and even on the cupid’s bow of my lip. It can brighten up so many areas! This is very much a multi-tasking product.

Visit www.threecustom.com to learn more and to purchase!