Have A Perfect Hair Day with Living Proof

Seeing beauty products day in, day out (literally. My day job is firmly ensconced in the beauty industry), it all becomes a blur, so it's only when I settled down to write my review of the Living Proof Perfect Hair Day products that I noticed the "hair feels cleaner, longer" claim on the shampoo. In this day and age of hyperbole marketing, a brand's description of a product (24 hour moisture! 10 hour shine!) is akin to web banner ads – something savvy consumers have trained themselves to ignore – which is why I'm pleasantly astonished to report that the PhD Shampoo actually lives up to those four little words.

Rewind to my moment of revelation: five days post-shampoo+conditioner, I was mulling over whether I needed to wash my hair that day, and decided not to. As for the PhD Conditioner's claim to "improve hair over time," all I can say is my hair never looked better than in my two most recent photo shoots (you can see more pictures in my recent posts on Clinique's new blushes and Rouge Bunny Rouge's new sheer lipsticks).

Applying the PhD 5-in-1 Styling Treatment on damp hair and blow drying normally gives me sleek, straight, shiny Jennifer Aniston hair (sorry, couldn't resist). Unfortunately, in keeping with the tradition of yearning for what we don't have, I don't like wearing my hair completely straight, so the Styling Treatment is not my cup of tea.

All Living Proof products are sulfate-free (yay for chemically treated hair), silicone-free, and oil-free. The Living Proof Perfect Hair Day collection retails for $10-28 and is available for sale at Sephora and Ulta.

Products Used:
Shu Uemura Mechanical Brow Pencil
Guerlain Météorites Baby Glow in Medium 03
Clé de Peau Concealer in Ocher
Sisley Phyto 4 Ombres Eyeshadow Quartet in Dream
THREE Flash Performance Eyeliner Pencil 08
Clinique High Impact Waterproof Mascara
Clinique Sculptionary Cheek Contouring Palette in Defining Nectars
Sisley Phyto-Lip Twist Tinted Lip Balm in Candy

Full disclosure: This entry contains sample product(s) sent by the brand for editorial consideration. This entry also contains affiliate links.

Unwash Bio-Cleansing Conditioner Review

Six months ago, I blogged about being able to go three days between hair washes. My number now hovers around the 3-4 day range (though I used to have to at least wet my hair every other day, and now I can go all three days without it touching water), and even though I'm sure I can surpass it, I'm happy with the way things are – I like my hot showers, thank you very much.

Since then, I knew that the "conventional" wisdom of shampooing every day was probably concocted by a marketing professional. In fact, there is more evidence that the contrary (less shampooing) is better for our hair health. Unfortunately, most of us have been indoctrinated on that misbelief since a young age, and our scalps have adapted to that routine, producing more oil than is necessary. It is a vicious cycle that requires tenacity to break. I had to endure weeks of absolutely disgusting hair when I began extending my washes.

Ever since trying the Unwash Bio-Cleansing Conditioner, I'm quite convinced that even the concept of shampoo is redundant. When using a shampoo and conditioner duo, we are essentially stripping our hair of everything (both good and bad stuff) when using the former, only to rehydrate it with the latter. It becomes more ridiculous the more you think about it.

So, think of this formula – I hesitate to call it two-in-one, because it makes me think of hotel products that dry and tangle my hair like no other, and because we should begin to disassociate hair washing with a two-step process – as a one stop shop for your hair. The instructions are straightforward: in the shower, massage a sizable amount of product into scalp and comb through ends of hair. Rinse.

What you get is surprise, because you really don't need shampoo to have clean hair. In fact, the best part of the process is my hair never gets tangled. The conditioner also smells wonderful and you emerge from the shower with soft, volumized hair. I haven't experienced a routine-changing product in a long time, and this completely blew my existing regimen out of the water (ha!).

You have to admire a company that has enough integrity to post their products' entire ingredient list on their website. For now, you can only purchase Unwash products at specific salons (the company encourages you to nominate your local salon if you would like easier access) but I'm hoping they'll consider an online store presence soon.

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray

If there was a beauty product that deserved its cult status, Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray would be at the top of the list. It's so good that it supposedly sells out during New York Fashion Week. I should know, since I have three bottles stocked up for fear of ever going without.

As a dark-haired girl, I could never successfully use dry shampoo. There weren't many great dry shampoos out there, and even those that were touted as the best left my hair with white residue and a distinct feeling of product overload. When I had long hair, I frequently used the Apres Beach Wave and Shine Spray to muss up my hair. It was the only hairspray I didn't hate because it smelled glorious and didn't leave my hair crunchy.

The equally amazing smelling Dry Texturizing Spray is one of the other reasons I am able to last 3-4 days between washes. While not strictly a dry shampoo (I don't think it absorbs oil), it creates volume in the limpest of locks.

I have gotten ridiculous volume with this hairspray, but I'm lacking photographic evidence... I did use it while taking photos for my recent post on Ilia Jump (note, that is third day hair). The video below also exhibits the full extent of volume you can achieve with the spray, if you put your mind to it:

While not absolutely relevant, famed editorial manicurist Jin Soon Choi also created a manicure to pair with Oribe's Shine Light Reflecting Spray (another great smelling, amazing spray. Highly recommended if you want to add shine to your hair) – a testament to the amazing packaging of all Oribe products.

Oribe Shine Manicure, via oribe.com

I kind of wish she did one of the Dry Texturizing Spray, but the techniques she used for the Shine Manicure is adaptable if you want to attempt your own version. Imagine how amazing a black-and-gold fine criss-cross manicure would look!

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray is available at Bergdorf Goodman (free shipping + return!) for $42. If you travel a lot, I highly recommend splurging a little on the Black & Gold Collection, which includes a full and travel size Dry Texturizing Spray, as well as a complimentary Cote d'Azur Hair Refresher.

Products Used:
Le Metiér de Beauté Peau Vierge Correcteur Concealer Shade 1
Le Metiér de Beauté Peau Vierge Classic Flawless-Finish Liquid Foundation Shade 5
Shu Uemura Retractable Eyebrow Pencil in Seal Brown
Suqqu Balancing Eyebrow Palette 01 Moss Green
THREE Flash Performance Eyeliner Pencil 05
Le Metiér de Beauté Nouvelle Vague Kaleidoscope
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara
Benefit Dandelion
Clé de Peau Beauté Luminizing Face Enhancer in Delicate Pink
Ilia Beauty Tinted Lip Conditioner in Jump
Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray

Big Claims, Big Hair – Alterna Bamboo 48-Hour Sustainable Volume Spray

As one who dabbles in marketing speak (limited quantities left! 24 hours only!) in my other life, I tend to mistrust the labels I see on the boxes and bottles of my products. It continuously astonishes me that beauty companies can make virtually any claim on their products and get little to no consequence for fibbing.

So when a product comes along that does what it claims to do, I regard it first with happy disbelief then with unsustainable glee. Alterna Bamboo 48-Hour Sustainable Volume Spray has big claims – 2 day plumping to 105% of your original hair volume, "hair is left visibly thickened and noticeably more voluminous with healthy shine" – and you know what, it's true.

First, a little about my hair routine. After a lifetime of shampooing+conditioning my hair daily, I've finally managed to cut it down to twice a week (on Wednesdays and Sundays, specifically). The reason I chose to do so was a little bit of buying into the no-poo method and a little bit of making my products last longer. Overall, I can say my hair is now healthier; I can actually go three days before it starts looking like an oily mess (it used to take less than 24 hours). It also takes me three times longer to finish up my hair stuff, which is great on the wallet.

I have stick straight fine hair, but lots of it, which weighs it down. I've used volumizing shampoo and conditioner ever since I was allowed to pick my own products, and while I've found a few that works marvelously (Shu Uemura Muroto Volume line, Kiehl's Rice and Wheat line), I have always wanted an extra product for boost. I wanted it to be weightless and most importantly, have no external effect on my hair (like scrunchiness and residue) other than plumping it.

And here it is.

The product comes in the form of a hair mist (not a cream! non-aerosol!). Three spritzes all over my head while my hair is still damp, then blow dry with my trusty Sultra dryer. The result is soft hair with incredible volume that lasts through the next day.

Alterna Bamboo 48-Hour Sustainable Volume Spray is sold in two sizes, 4.2 oz for $25 and .85 oz for $10 at Sephora.

The Scent of Fresh Meadow - kai

Mood lighting!

As someone who wasn't already acquainted with the signature Kai fragrance, I expected it to be something clean and simple based on the brand's aesthetic, and what a pleasure it was to find out that it was true. It smells like a spring meadow filled with fresh, dewy grass – no flowers, just grass.

(For those who require something more precise, the official description for the fragrance is a "light and intoxicating scent of gardenia wrapped in white exotics.")

What I didn't know was that Kai didn't only produce perfume, but a whole line of bath, body, hair, and even home products, and suddenly I was intrigued. As mentioned numerous times on the blog, I am not a fragrance person, so when something I like finally appears, I cling onto it like my nose depends on it. A quick peruse through the web catalog shows that yes, if I'd like, I could coat myself and everything I own with this fragrance if I so wish. Believe me, I'm very tempted by the Fine Linen Wash.

That said, what I received in the mail was a more sensible starting tester product: their shampoo and conditioner. I brought it over to my boyfriend's apartment and the both of us have been enjoying it steadily for the past two months. He tells me he loves how easily the shampoo lathers and I tell him I love that it smells like clean grass. We both agree that it's a very pleasant product to have in our bathroom.

For all the upcoming holiday travel that you'll be doing, there's also a nifty travel set containing the shampoo and conditioner, body wash and lotion, and bubble bath that'll meet your basic needs. I took this with me on my trip to Chicago two months ago and the entire set – down to the see-through pouch (yay, TSA...) – served me well. I will be flying to Taiwan in a couple of days for a family trip and will once again be checking this in.

Unfortunately, Kai does not have a dedicated e-shop. However, you can find Kai products online at Barneys.com!

Full disclosure: This entry contains sample products sent by PR or the manufacturer for editorial consideration.

Perm-anent Records

So I'm sure you've noticed by now that I've been in a makeup rut (thank you everyone, by the way, for your kind words and generally just not yelling at me about the lack of makeup-ness this past week). I've been trying hard to get back into it, but eyeshadow and lipstick just held no charm over me.

Man. Typing that felt like blasphemy.

Anyway, I'll work as hard as I can to get back on track next week. I've been enamored by all things Keira Knightley recently and there's this particular magazine editorial of her that I'm dying to emulate. As soon as I find the right berry lipstick, you'll see it on the blog.

For now, I offer you a fun fact about me. Two summers ago, I interned at an online publication called Tongue in Chic in Malaysia. For my last assignment, I covered the MTV World Stage press conference and concert. The performers that year were Bunkface (Malaysian band), Tokio Hotel, Wondergirls, and Katy Perry. At the press conference, all the artists took questions from the press and I was one of the many who had my hand up. Anyway, if you're so inclined, you can watch what happened from 6:38 (then ignore the actual question and answer process because it is utterly boring. I should have asked her to pick her top five lipsticks or something).

If you judge me for my unfortunate perm grow-out, I understand. Have a good weekend!

So what impulsive thing did I do this weekend?

I made myself look like an Asian boy (and I'm totally cool with that).

It's going to be interesting navigating this hairstyle. I've never had short-short hair. I don't know how to use wax. I am no longer able to "hide behind my hair," so I wonder if I have to change my makeup as well. One thing I know for sure, I am definitely getting a leather jacket as soon as I find a good one. And hats, I'll need a lot of hats this winter.

So far, I've had mixed responses. I don't doubt most people like my long hair better but I felt it was time for a drastic change. I wanted to try a pixie once in my life and it was the perfect time to do it. Any later, I would have chickened out.

That said, I still have some reviews scheduled with pictures taken before the cut, so do expect a little back and forth for a while. I suppose it makes better sense to post those reviews before debuting the cut, but you know, I'm just really excited my head is so light and I'm not used to not being able to run my fingers through my hair, and stuff.

Also, CHEEKBONES.


For those interested, I had it done at Hisako Beauty Salon located at 47th St between 3rd/Lexington Ave. My stylist was Yusuke.

Sultra The Sophisticate Power Dryer Review

I hope you won't pelt me with carrots (apples are fine. They're yummier and not as sharp), for I am about to recommend a $245 hair dryer and yes, I know it's quite ridiculous. 

Though... I purchase $95 palettes on a regular basis. You should really be used to this by now.

In my defense, I got the Sultra The Sophisticate Power Dryer at 20 percent off during Sephora's Friends and Family sale. It was the only reason that pushed me to venture into hitherto unknown territory. If you've been following the blog for some time, you should know that I'm absolutely useless at styling my hair, and not for lack of trying. I own a curling iron, a straightening iron, Goody spin pins, hair clips, chopsticks, all manner of hair products (volumizing, straightening, curling, blow drying, mousse, spray, you name it I probably have it) and they lay waste in a corner of my room because I am incompetent when it comes to hair, even though it's secretly my favorite feature. 

In the past, I've always used drugstore hair dryers. I mean, a hair dryer is a hair dryer, right? It blows cold/warm/hot air. How much difference can a $20 one and a $200 be? 

(And the answer to that question in any form is always: a lot.)

I tried three methods of drying hair: no dryer, drugstore dryer, and the Sultra dryer. With no dryer, my hair looks like the photos below.

It's a little hard to get pictures for this post, because it's hard to pick up black texture with the lighting and limited space I have. Without a dryer, my hair becomes a huge mass of flyaways and frizz. It looks messy and unkempt, though one pro is that it doesn't feel fried. 

With a drugstore dryer, I can get similar-looking results with The Sophisticate. I didn't take two different sets of photos because they would look exactly the same on camera, but how my hair felt was completely different. With the Sultra, my hair takes on a lightness and a glossier sheen compared to the drugstore dryer. It doesn't eliminate all frizz (note the little flyaways in the last picture), but I think that's as close as natural hair can get. The most important distinction between the two is my hair did not feel burnt and coarse post-drying. With the Sultra, my day-two hair looks better as well.

I don't know what they put in the dryer that makes the difference.Words like "Ionic and Ceramic Infrared" don't really make sense to me as a consumer, and a lot of drugstore hair dryers make similar claims (or at least, use similar words). This was one of those things that I winced at the thought of trying ($245!!) but now cannot live without. If I can take solace in anything, it's that this dryer seems sturdy enough to last me forever. And one dryer is really all I need.

The Sophisticate features three temperature settings for fine, normal, and thick hair. Two air speeds, a cool air blast, and a direction nozzle, which I've been using with a round Moroccanoil Ionic Ceramic Thermal Brush to blow-dry my hair. The results? I've known all my life that my hair is straight, but I didn't know it could be that straight. 

The dryer is by no means perfect. A couple of things take getting used to. First, the button design is not the best out there (see first picture). The air speed setting is located where I'll logically place my thumb, so when I first started using the dryer, I kept accidentally switching it off. The Sophisticate is also particularly loud. I don't ever want to confirm this, but the person who lives in the adjacent room is probably very unhappy about my late night blow-drying sessions. Here's to hoping that the walls are thicker than I thought, or he's a heavy sleeper.

Sultra The Sophisticate Power Dryer retails for $245 and is available at sephora.com. Bonus points for dual voltage!

Let's Talk About Hair

Confession: Sometimes I get more excited about hair than makeup. If I had more skill manipulating hair the direction of this blog might have been entirely different, but alas, another confession: I don't know how to style my hair at all. I can barely even handle a respectable braid. This kills me when I see girls with perfect beachy waves, elaborate updos, simple updos even. I just can't do anything but hope my hair looks pretty when I leave it down.

So, I'm not an expert on hair, but I love it. I love good hair so much that having bad hair ruins my entire day. I mean, if you have bad skin at least you can throw some foundation over it, right? Anyway, a few readers have asked how I style my hair and the simple answer is I don't. I don't own a flat iron and my curling iron is relegated to an unknown back closet somewhere.

The only thing I use for now is the Shu Uemura Muroto Volume Amplifying Shampoo and Conditioner. I have pin straight Asian hair, which wouldn't bother me as much if it weren't also so flat. These two bottles are basically fairy volumizing dust in a bottle. It contains Depsea water, an ingredient widely used in their skincare, which softens and nourishes the hair (my hair has never looked and felt this healthy) while delivering the promised volume. It also doesn't hurt that it smells absolutely amazing (the fragrance listed on the website is Aquarelle).

Shu Uemura Muroto Volume Amplifying Shampoo and Conditioner retails for $48 and $58 respectively. It is a shocking amount to spend on hair, but I don't buy any other product. With these I don't feel the need for hair oils or volumizing gels and mousses. They can be found at certain salons but for convenience I ordered them from shuuemuraartofhair-usa.com. Beware though, as I found out the hard way, once you start using this there is no way to go back.