Travel-size Beauty

Travel-size Beauty
7/24/13

Whether it's a summer vacation or business travel, mini toiletries can be a woman's best friend- or a space-consuming, leaky nightmare. After many years of travel for both business and pleasure, I've learned a lot of tricks as well as some lessons the hard way. I've already revealed my quart-size Ziploc carry-on bag, which contains several items I don't need duplicates of, like rollerball perfume, eye cream, and lip balm. But what about all the other items, from the shower to styling your hair? I've had one too many mishaps with generic toiletry containers, so they're dead to me. 

Stores like Sephora make a killing off of travel-size items, with little value. It's taken me years to figure out the beauty of store samples, and which stores and brands offer the types of items I like to use. Kiehl's is incredibly generous with samples, particularly if you make a purchase (even small). I live for their deluxe-size shampoo, conditioner, and body wash samples. Many higher-end beauty brands like La Mer and La Prairie are quick to offer samples, since testing pricey products can eventually lead to a purchase of full-size items. Never order higher-end brands online, or you'll miss out on all the potential samples. They'll even make samples for you if they're out of what you want, and trust me when I tell you that their containers are far better than generic drugstore ones.

(click photo to enlarge)

One commonly overlooked travel savior is the Gift With Purchase or GWP. Half the reason I love the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is for the beauty sets, often complete with deluxe size GWPs. Both facial cleansers (Chantecaille and La Prairie), the La Prairie toner, and my La Mer samples (half of them, anyway) shown in the photo above were all GWPs that came with their respective beauty sets. It's a win/win if you already use the brands. Another place to score travel-size or deluxe size toiletries is hotels, of course. Heck yeah I take my daily Kiehl's supply when I stay at the Soho Grand, for instance. High-end hotels have high-end amenities, and you're paying a premium to stay there. Even mid-range hotels are offering nicer toiletries these days like Molton Brown and L'Occitane. If you're paying, it's hardly stealing. I've often had housekeeping leave extras in my room without asking for them. A tip helps!

I always like to bring a facial mask with me to rehydrate my skin after a long flight, and NARS Aqua Gel Luminous Mask is a reasonable size with a trusty closure. For my locks, I rely on my mini bottle of Moroccanoil that I refill from my full-size bottle, and blow dry shampoo to get the most out of my blowouts. Pretty much everything else is in my carry-on Ziploc. Then there's makeup, of course...but that's an entirely different bag. ;)

My verdict? You can never have too many travel-size favorites, no matter what the brand. And never, ever trust those empty plastic bottles they sell at drugstores or pack nail polish in your suitcase. Yes, that happened. 

Safe travels!

Summer Hair Care: Part II
6/10/13

Okay. So we've covered our summer hair care basics with shampoo, conditioner, and deep conditioning and repairative treatments. But now what? I don't know about you, but I'm not one of those girls who can go without product in my hair. Whether I wear it straight or wavy/curly, I need hair help. I want it sleek and humidity-proof when worn straight, and frizz-free and "natural" when it's wavy. And by natural I mean appearing effortlessly beachy and pretty.

If I'm using any heat-styling products like a hairdryer, flat-iron or hot rollers, I always protect my hair with Kérastase Nectar Thermique. It's my foundation for other styling products, and I swear by this stuff. Since it has a creamy consistency, it's easy to mix together with other products. One bottle lasts about four months, depending on hair length, thickness, and blowout frequency. More about this gem with product descriptions in a moment. 

One of my go-to products for many years has been Moroccan Oil. I need to get specific here, because there are tons of dupes on the market. The original brand is one word- Moroccanoil. As you can see in the photo, I purchased a travel size bottle many moons ago and have since reused it dozens of times. The travel size is a total ripoff, but I wouldn't trust a random container to hold this stuff, and I certainly don't take chances with oil getting all over my toiletries when traveling (a lesson you only have to learn once). Imagine for a moment attempting to clean up an entire toiletry bag that's been covered by a water-repelling oil. Not a good time. The large bottle with a convenient pump lasts at least 6 months on long, thick, naturally curly/wavy hair. If it's humid (hello, Jersey & NYC summers) I use a quarter of Nectar Thermique to protect my hair from the hairdryer, add three pumps of Moroccan Oil, mix together in my hands and run my fingers through my hair from roots to ends. If you like your hair extra straight and sleek, add another drop to your palm, rub between your hands, and apply to your dry hair. Follow by using a flat-iron, et voilà! Sleek, straight, frizz-proof summer hair. A word to the wise: don't overdo it with the oils. It's a fine line between sleek and lacquered. 

Another go-to heat and humidity fighting product is Kérastase Elixir Ultime. My stylist uses this on my hair at the salon along with Kérastase Nectar Thermique, but I always worried it would be too light (i.e. frizz!) for me to use at home. Hey, it's not easy using a round brush on the back of your own head! I always loved how light and sexy my hair looked when I'd get a blowout at the salon, so I decided to give it a whirl at home on my own. I put the Nectar Thermique in the palm of my hand, use about 2-3 pumps of the Elixer Ultime, mix together and run through my hair with my fingers from roots to ends. While the process is pretty much the same as Moroccan Oil, the outcome is quite different. This definitely isn't for the 95+ degree humid NYC summer days, but works perfectly for Portland summers which are hot, but generally not humid. The scent is amazing, and it makes my hair smooth and bouncy. Definitely sexy, movie star hair. 

Now I'm going to talk about those summer days when you're sweating two minutes after walking outside. I'm talking to you, Northeast dwellers. The type of day where you just want to throw your hair up in a ponytail and forget about it. Davines No. 14 Sea Salt Primer is fantastic for taming waves and air drying on those days you just want to give up. I've had great success towel drying my hair, running a few pumps of either Moroccan Oil or Elixer Ultime, then liberally spritzing my locks all over with this Sea Salt Primer. It manages to give me beachy waves without being crunchy or stiff. I definitely advise "guiding" your waves with your fingers as it dries. If you see any (gasp) errant frizz, simply use a single pump of Elixer Ultime once your hair has dried. This will be my summer hair lifesaver this year. The Sea Salt Primer can also be used on dry hair, making it a perfect product post-swim or for touch-ups anytime. 

My verdict? All four products are fantastic, and all four serve different purposes depending on your preferences. They last so long that the prices are reasonable. I recommend mixing and matching and having fun with it. And don't forget cute headbands! They've become my summer hair crutch, and actually look really cute. Much more chic than a sloppy updo. Check out the hair accessories boutique at Henri Bendel for a massive selection with prices from $25. Something for everyone. 

- Moroccanoil is $43 for 3.4 fl. oz. and $16.60 for 0.85 fl. oz. 

- Kérastase Nectar Thermique is $42 for 5 fl. oz.

- Kérastase Elixie Ultime is $54 for 4.2 fl. oz.

- Davines N°14 Sea Salt Primer is available through salons only. I think I paid around $40 for an 8.45 fl. oz. bottle

Available at Moroccanoil, Kérastase, & Davines through salons click link for salon locator). 

Summer Hair Care: Part I
6/7/13

Ah, summer. Longer days, warm nights, vacations, picnics, swimming and water sports, convertibles, and lots of time outdoors soaking up the glorious sun. A time to savor time with friends and family doing all the summertime activities we enjoy. It's also a time we slather on a higher SPF, and often change the types of products we use on our faces and bodies. The heavy face creams are replaced by lightweight lotions, we apply less product on our skin, etc. But do we change our hair products? I do, and I'll tell you why.

Regardless of hair type, ethnicity, or damage, sun, age, and chlorine are not our friends. Even the healthiest of locks need extra TLC during summer months. While I've used Kiehl's skincare products on and off for nearly 20 years, I always breezed by their hair products. I'd tried them randomly on and off for years, through deluxe samples from the store and at various hotels, and quite liked them. Then I started chemically straightening my hair (thermal reconditioning, aka Japanese straightening) several years ago and my hair texture completely changed. Mind you, my natural hair isn't exactly a walk in the park either (naturally curly and VERY thick). I mixed up brands seemingly every time I got my hair cut. I used Alterna, Davines, and Fekkai. All were ok...until I began abusing my hair with heat and chemicals. Aside from self-inflicted abuse, we have the bright summer sun to contend with! Yikes.

My stylist recommended Kiehl's Olive Fruit Oil Hair Pak to strengthen, soften, and protect my hair. I figured I'd try the whole line and also bought the shampoo and conditioner. I noticed the richness of the products immediately, and the mild, pleasant scent. It doesn't take much shampoo for my thick hair to lather, and the conditioner is moisturizing without weighing the hair down. I began using the deep conditioner (the Olive Fruit Oil Hair Pak) twice weekly, and what can I say? I was head over heels. I simply shampoo, squeeze out excess water, and liberally apply the hair mask from roots to ends, applying a bit extra on the ends. Instructions indicate you should rinse after 3-5 minutes, but I tend to leave it on for up to ten minutes. It's really easy to fit into your morning routine while shaving your legs, exfoliating, etc. My hair feels like silk after, and is incredibly easy to blowout and style.

Because I'm a beauty product addict, I also picked up a an incredible hair mask by Kérastase at my salon. While it's more than double the price of the Kiehl's mask and is over 1 fl. oz. smaller, it smells insanely good and seems to tame frizz and flyaways after serious abuse...like too much sun, chlorine, and over styling. Blowing out my hair after using this mask is a dream. Now back to that heavenly scent. It's seriously intoxicating, and lingers for that special date night. You could argue that it's totally unnecessary and a major splurge, but hey. I bust it out on occasion and it lasts for months. In fact, both masks last about 3-4 months with regular use. Subtract a month during the summer, as you'll use more product. 

My verdict? Kiehl's Olive Fruit Oil line is outstanding for summer hair care and extremely reparative, as promised. Pick yourself up some samples and try it for yourself. I promise you'll love it too, and the mask will help heal the damage summer's pleasures can inflict upon our locks. I also clearly love the Kérastase mask, but see it as a splurge that I use less frequently. 

- Kiehl's Olive Fruit Oil Nourishing Shampoo ($7 - $48 for travel size up to 1 liter pump)

- Kiehl's Olive Fruit Oil Nourishing Conditioner ($7 - $48 for travel size up to 1 liter pump)

- Kiehl's Olive Fruit Oil Deeply Repairative Hair Pak ($25 for 8 fl. oz. jar)

- Kerastase Masque Nutri-Thermique ($61 for 6.8 fl. oz. jar)

Available at Kiehl's and Kerastase