How To: Blowout Hair At Home Perfectly, Part 1

--By Kim Moshtaghi

Kerastase Bain Oleo-Relax
Shampoo
$33.00 - $105.90
Available at: amazon.com

If I could have anything I want, I would have a personal hair stylist with me at all times. Growing up with curly, frizzy hair, I’m most confident after a blowout. Nothing beats the smooth, silky look of a fresh blowout. After seeing my bank statement, and noticing the jaw-dropping amount of money I was spending on blowouts, I figured out a way to keep the confidence without draining my bank account.

The problem started when I stopped highlighting my hair. I thought I could justify weekly blowouts, but I was wrong. Now I allow myself one monthly blowout, and have invested in amazing hair products that have made my hair livelier between professional blowouts. I realize the value of well-researched shampoo and conditioner choices. Feeding my hair the best product out there has given my hair an opportunity to shine without going to a salon for a blowout.

My girlfriend Katrina Sortino has tried to get me to put faith in Kerastase products for a while. Although I believed her, I didn’t think it was worth the splurge. I finally caved in and gave the luxury hair line a chance. It did everything to give my hair a boost, and more! My hair has never felt so soft and manageable. Kerastase has a product for all your hair concerns, from thinning hair to dry damaged hair. With all kinds of hair products to fit your personal needs, this brand will change the destiny of your hair for the better! It’s definitely a pricey luxury line, but it’s worth it! And it’s the first step, and the needed leg work, to achieve the wanted salon blowout look.

Kerastase Resistance
Volumactive Mousse
$33.00
Available at: amazon.com

For frizzy, curly hair I recommend using the Kerastase Bain Oleo-Relax line. It relaxes the frizz, but doesn’t make hair look limp. It gives hair that bouncy silky-soft look with no effort! Both the shampoo and conditioner are designed for daily use without weighing hair down. I make sure to shampoo my scalp twice to get any gunk out, and avoid oily looking roots after a day. I also make sure to get all of the excess water from the ends of my hair before I apply the conditioner because I want my hair to soak the conditioner in. I shave and lather my body while the ends absorb the conditioner and then proceed to rinse my hair thoroughly with cold water.

There are different products for specific problems or certain hair types. But, if you have similar hair to me and need volume, then I wouldn’t hesitate when purchasing the Kerastase Resistance Volumactive Mousse. This stuff makes hair look the part of full, thick, and healthy hair. Although I have curly hair, it has never been thick and that has made it difficult for me to find a product to create volume without frizz. The Kerastase mousse does the job and keeps the look presentable for about two days post-blowout. I think we found a winner!

Tune in later this week for more products that will make your home blowout a salon success, without the salon price.

.:Part 2:.

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Kim Moshtaghi is a contributing writer for Adventures in the Stiletto Jungle. Born in Germany, Kim is currently based in sunny Del Mar, California, where she also serves as Stiletto Jungle's Director of Sales and Promotions. Kim has a communications degree, a third degree black belt, and a totally covetable Gucci handbag collection.

Review: Batiste Blush Dry Shampoo

--By Kim Moshtaghi

Batiste Blush Dry Shampoo
$7.29
Available at: sallybeauty.com

I have been looking for a dry hair shampoo for a long time. Having curly hair, which I always straighten, I try to wash my hair less to prevent damage. So, I experimented with the Batiste Blush Dry Shampoo to see if it would really accomplish what dry hair shampoos promise.

I usually wash my hair every other day because of the greasiness that occurs in my bangs. But, after using the Batiste Dry Hair Shampoo I wash it every 4th day! This stuff was amazing! You get the bottle shake it well, and spray it on, or around, your roots, and then you get a small fine comb and comb the white residue in. The white residue disappears--voila!

I love the fact that it smells really fresh and clean. I definitely recommend this dry hair shampoo to everyone. Not only did it remove the grease, but it also made my hair shiny and soft. The Batiste Blush Dry Shampoo has everything your hair needs in one bottle.
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Kim Moshtaghi is a contributing writer for Adventures in the Stiletto Jungle. Born in Germany, Kim is currently based in sunny Del Mar, California, where she also serves as Stiletto Jungle's Director of Sales and Promotions. Kim has a communications degree, a third degree black belt, and a totally covetable Gucci handbag collection.



Compare prices on Batiste Dry Shampoo via Shopzilla:

ads from Shopzilla

Girl Talk: Dirty Hair - Do or Don't?

Is Dirty Hair Trendy?

As much as Stiletto Jungle is tuned in to the more practical facets of the world of shopping and style, I do keep a watchful eye on emerging trends-- no matter how far they seem to fall outside of the mainstream. Today's odd blip of the fashion radar can become tomorrow's must-have style in the blink of an eye. It's best to be prepared.

While indulging in my daily read of the always cutting-edge New York Times Style section last Friday I came across a rather astonishing new beauty "trend"-- it seems that regular shampooing is on its way out. Really? What ever happened to the days of lather-rinse-repeat? Remember when sudsing up just once per shower-- skipping the "repeat"-- was rebellious? I was deep in my disbelief when I stopped to examine my own recent dirty hair habits. Could it be that I was taking part in this new trend without even realizing it?

First, I stopped shampooing the day after blowing out my hair. The process was just too painful to repeat every day and dry shampoo was such an easy option. Then, even when I opted for wavy hair, I started to rinse and condition on odd days, finding that my waves were more manageable when I skipped sudsing. Now, examining my week, I find that I only actually use shampoo 2 or 3 times. Wow. Is dirty hair really the hottest new thing? I needed a second opinion. So, of course, I called in the Stiletto Jungle Girl Talk panel. So, ladies, is dirty hair a do, or a don't?

"I wash and condition my hair every day and would feel gross if I went without doing that," offers 29-year-old Po, a Ceres, California, attorney. "I like to use very fragrant products that have a great detangling conditioner since that makes my hair faster and easier to brush, style and then blow dry. Currently, I have no concern about damaging or stripping my hair because my need to feel refreshed from washing my hair outweighs that. Also, my hair is thick and unprocessed, making me believe I have room to do some damage to it.

I do not think that daily shampooing is on its way out; I refuse to believe that any significant percentage of women is interested in the blow-out look-- I certainly am not. Also, it seems that processing hair (coloring, perming, etc.) is more popular now more than ever, so I don't believe that women are becoming more concerned with stripping hair."

BioSilk Silk Therapy
$18.99 (was $24.50-- save 22%!)
Available at: amazon.com

"I have pretty thick, long straight hair. And I do have a confession: I think I have an unhealthy relationship with my locks. They are my safety net... no matter how I look, if I do my hair, my whole package goes up a few points on the hot scale. So, I do wash my hair every day," confesses Pearl, a LA-based music industry diva. "If I don't, I notice that it gets oily around the roots. I also use a dandruff shampoo once a week-- Head and Shoulders right now-- and no, I'm not afraid to admit that either. Dandruff shampoos are fabulous for getting rid of protein build up and giving a really thorough wash. Right now I have switched to using Redken brand shampoos and conditioners. Particularly the Redken Extreme line and also Redken Smooth Down. They both smell really good. Redken has a clean scent that isn't overwhelming and actually smells like shampoo instead of a bunch of overly sweet scented flowers. Love that. After my shower, I spray on this leave in conditioner by Frizz-Ease, followed by Redken Extreme Anti-Snap on my ends. If I leave out this step, my hair looks gross at the ends. After a blow dry, I use Biosilk Silk Therapy all over to tame flyaways and give my hair a little extra boost of moisture. And that's basically it!"

"Dirty hair... ok, I am just not able to go a day without washing my hair," offers Tina, a 35-year-old living in San Diego, California. "I do the shampoo and conditioner thing every morning. The idea of skipping a day is just not something I can do and feel ok about it. I have hair that would not look good if I don't wash it daily. I know they say it isn't good to wash your hair every day, but it my personal preference is to wash it every day!"

Well, it looks like my intuition was right: the majority of women still prefer to wash and condition every day. Despite my own slow transition towards dirty hair, it looks like it will be awhile before ditching the shampoo becomes a mainstream trend. Hey Stiletto Jungle readers: what about you? Do you still suds up every day, or have you started down the dirty hair path?

Don't miss any real-world beauty discussions from the Stiletto Jungle Girl Talk panel. Subscribe to Stiletto Jungle and get free updates by e-mail or RSS. Take Stiletto Jungle with you wherever you surf with the Stiletto Jungle Connect Toolbar featuring Google search.

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Video: Why Dry Shampoo is a Beauty Must Have

I've talked about the wonders of dry shampoo here before. Dry shampoo is a fabulous time and hair saver, particularly for those of us who prefer to keep our hair blown out. If you've never used dry shampoo before the whole concept can sound a little odd. In this video, Ford model Sanli divulges that using Klorane Dry Shampoo is her top beauty trick and she gives a quick demo of how easy it is to use this aerosol dry shampoo. Check it out:

Now that you've seen the video, here's where you can get the Klorane shampoo Sanli demonstrates in the video plus a few more of our dry shampoo and hair powder favorites.

* Klorane Dry Shampoo, $16.00 at CosmeticMall.com

* Rene Furterer Naturia Dry Shampoo, $21.00 at Amazon.com

* Bumble and Bumble Hair Powder, $19.00 - $34.95 at multiple retailers (via Shopzilla.com)

* Cake Satin Sugar Hair Powder, $8.25 & up at multiple retailers (via TheFind.com)


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Power Shower: 16 Products to Get You In & Out Fast

You know the scenerio. It's Monday morning and you've hit the snooze button one too many times. Or it's Friday night and just as you settle in on the couch your BFF calls. She's scored VIP status at the hottest club in town. You need to take the world's fastest shower, but you don't know what part of your routine to sacrifice in the name of speed. You want to be quick and cute. What's a girl to do?

Clinique 7-Day Scrub Cream$16.50
Available at: Macys.com

It's time to Power Shower. No need to sacrifice your beauty routine in order to get in and out and on your way. Shower smarter! My ideal shower goes a little something like this: wash and exfoliate face, shampoo and deep condition hair, wash and exfoliate body, shave, and then get out and slather every inch of my body in lotion. Total time: about 35 minutes. Ouch. That kind of routine gets me nowhere fast. In my quest for a quick, thoroughly beautifying shower I have found some great double duty products.

1. Face. Is you face clean and makeup free, as it should be in the morning? If so, skip the cleanser and head right to exfoliation. After splashing water on your face, use Clinique 7-Day Scrub Cream to slough off dead skin, leaving a brighter you. Still got a full face of makeup 'cause you just got home from work? No need to do makeup remover then cleanser. Neutrogena's Fresh Foaming Cleanser is a makeup remover and cleanser in one. It can melt away even waterproof eye makeup and thick foundation while gently cleansing your skin. I swear by this stuff.

Bliss Mammoth Minty Scrub Soap$18.00
Available at: Beauty.com

2. Body. Exfoliate your body while you wash by pairing an anti-aging body wash, such as Dove Pro-Age or Oil of Olay Age Defying, with exfoliating gloves. You'll be clean and soft in no time. Too rushed to do body wash? The ultimate super quick wash and exfoliate product is Bliss Scrub Soaps. Mammoth Minty Scrub Soap and Herban Jungle Exfoliating Soap are my faves. They pack super strength cleaning, excellent exfoliation, and yummy scents all in one product. I can't even explain how much I love Bliss Scrub Soaps. You'll have to try them to understand.

Klorane Dry Shampoo
$16.00
Available at: CosmeticMall.com

3. Hair. Do your greasy locks absolutely need to be washed? If you have short hair or hair that has not been chemically treated, try a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner. Pantene makes six different ones that are designed for different hair types and really do condition. Have long or processed hair? Yeah, mine is both. I rinse my locks as soon as I step into the shower then I work a walnut sized dollop of Aveda Damage Remedy Conditioner through my hair and let it set while I finish my showering. I rinse just before I get out. The oils in the conditioner actually help break down the excess oils in your hair, while still being super moisturizing. The result is soft hair that is much cleaner. Of course, the quickest way to deal with your hair is to not wash at all. Instead, try hair powder to soak up oils and add volume. Bumble and Bumble and Klorane both make excellent hair powders and good old Johnson's Baby Powder will do in a pinch.

Aveeno Shower & Bath Oil
$7.64
Available at: Amazon.com

4. Shave. I swear by my Aveeno Theraputic Shave Gel and Gillette Mach 3 Razor as the ultimate in hair removal, but sometimes I just don't have the time. When skipping shaving altogether is just not an option I reach for the Schick Intuition All-In-One Razor. It's not perfect-- I think it's murder on your knees and ankles-- but it's quick and it gets rid of enough hair to allow you to wear a skirt without embarassment.

5. Lotion. I refuse to go without moisturizing head to toe after each shower. Period. I've tried those body washes that claim to moisturize while you cleanse, but they aren't enough for me. When I absolutely do not have time to moisturize I turn to Aveeno Shower & Bath Oil. Just before you get out of the shower step away from the water and slather this rich oil all over. It's super quick because you don't need to rub it all the way in. Then, step back under the water to gently rinse away the excess and then pat dry. The result is as close to a head to toe lotion treatment as I have found, and it's lightning quick.

Are you ready to Power Shower? Click on any photo or linked text to link directly to where you can purchase that Power Shower product online. Want the best real-world beauty tips and tricks delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to Stiletto Jungle and get free updates by e-mail or RSS.

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