.:: CybeleSays ::.

The season once again is on deck to change! Will you be updating your hair styling products and tools? Here are a few to get you at least thinking about it.

NEXXUS Maxximum Super Hold Styling and Finishing Mist ($10.55/10oz @ nexxus.com) – transitioning from one season to another can wreak havoc on strands. They don’t know what to do! This one will keep strays and flyaways at bay.

REDKEN Guts 10 Volume Spray Foam ($6.99/2oz @ redken.com) – we have all seen that big hair is coming back in a big way. And where does big hair start? The roots of course! This foam will boost strands to get them standing at attention.

BUMBLE AND BUMBLE Mending Masque ($37/5oz @ bumbleandbumble.com) – let’s face it, if your hair is ratty and out of shape, nothing you try is going to help so make sure you get it back in line with a good hair mask like this one.

A change in the season means a change in my hair brush. After all, the materials that style and go though your hair have a life span as well. And they don’t have to look all boring and functional anymore. Take these two for example. This SPORNETTE Hypnotique #5902 Purple Paddle Brush ($26.95 @ spornette.com) combines nylon and 100% boars bristles and is a great staple everyday brush while SEPHORA’s Bamboo Boar Brush ($12 @ sephora.com) has a ceramic-coated barrel and, as the name states, all boar hair bristles. And the thinness of it makes it easy for wielding.

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided for review purposes. Some I bought.

When I say CAROL’S DAUGHTER Monoi Repairing Hair Mask ($29/7oz) is good, I mean it’s gooooood! Since coming off of this system, I’ve been a tad backed up with trying out hair products and I was really curious about these new Monoi hair products they recently put out. The collection was created for those who have problems with hair breakage, which is common with African-American hair. From what I’ve gathered, Monoi oil is made from soaking the petals of Tahitian gardenias in a semi-wax of coconut oil and it’s used as a hair softener among French Polynesians.

Now I’m not sure how far down a list an ingredient can be if it is to be the focus of a product (Monoi is the 9 ingredient in) but maybe you don’t need a lot of the ingredient to benefit?  I guess we’ll just have to take their word for it. Also in it is pro-vitamin B5, sunflower seed extract and Shea Butter so I think no matter what your hair type is, it will benefit from this. I’m so glad I gave this one a spin because it really made my hair feel so silky and soft. Also available, Monoi Repairing Shampoo ($18/8.4oz) and Monoi Repairing Conditioner ($20/8.4oz) @ carolsdaughter.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

CRACK, yup this Styling Treatment is called Crack.

What it is:

• A lightweight, super moisturizing hair fix.
• Smoothes split ends
• Protects from UVA/UVB rays and chlorine
• Provides a barrier from heat and thermal styling
• Adds shine and slip without making hair greasy
• Keeps hair looking healthy and polished all day

How to use it: This micro protein/power peptide infused formula is one that is applied right after shampoo on towel dried hair (I used about a quarter-sized dollop). Work into strands and then blow dry to help it penetrate.

So how did this work? Click below!

Click here to read more

I’ve had some pretty good luck with conditioners from the DAVINES line and I had the opportunity to try another one. Now I’m not sure if it’s the weather in LA or perhaps the time of year but my hair has been kind of unruly lately and a-typically on the dry side. Their new Lovely Smoothing Conditioner really did the trick in getting my strands back on the right track. It really felt like I used a deep conditioner even though this one only required about 2 minutes on the head.

It contains rice wax and an unusually high level of vitamin E as well as Borage Seed Oil, which helps with the hydration and a little goes a long way.

$25/8.4oz @ barneys.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

Ooo, I am tré excited about this next one! You know I get pretty amped when I discover a really great hair conditioner or hair mask. The brand is MACADAMIA NATURAL OIL, which you may remember me touting this brand earlier this year with this product of theirs. And they’ve expanded the product line with a Leave-in Cream, Rejuvenating Shampoo, Healing Oil Spray, among others, and my pick right now, their Deep Repair Masque. The crazy cold and rain we’ve been having in LA in the past two weeks has been really putting my strands through the ringer, so this one arrived just in time. It combines their signature Macadamia and Argan Oils with tea tree and chamomile oils as well as aloe and algae extract.

I’ve used this one two different ways, one right while the shower is going and ring out my hair as best as possible and the other way is the tried and true method of washing and then applying to towel dried hair.$28/8.5oz, $46/16.9oz @ macadamiahair.com.

They also have some great kits available on their site like this travel one shown here, which is a great way to try a variety of products without having to commit to the big sizes and big prices. 

There’s nothing worse than trying out a hair mask and it … well, sucks. I pretty much know that any product from the KERASTASE will not disappoint, so I was excited to try this one out. The Oleo-Relax Slim from the Nutritive Collection ($58/6.8oz @ kerastase-usa.com) and is made for those with thick, dry and hard to manage hair. Not really mine but I can’t resist a good hair mask! It’s contains their own CERA-TRIOLEUM COMPLEX technology, which is a cocktail of three natural oils – apricot, camellia and Pracaxi.

Yes, this is probably more than you should pay for a hair mask but it works, so think of it as an investment where you already have the guarantee. 

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

Sometimes I just need a quick fix. A quick hair fix. I love a hair mask but don’t always have the time to put one on my head so sometimes I have to go longer than I want. With OJON’s new Revitalizing 2-min Hair Mask ($34/6.6oz @ ojon.com), I don’t have to anymore.

This one contains nine exotic oils and butters like Babassu seed oil, Murumuru Butter and Avocado Oil, to name a few, that nourish hair back to life. I would think that using all these rich butters and oils on my hair would weigh it down but surprisingly it doesn’t. How do they do that? And the best part is it does it in the shower in 2 minutes! I don’t think you can get any better than that, right?

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

SHU UEMURA Art of Hair Essence Absolue has pretty much taken the hair product world by storm. It’s sold out three times since it made its debut last fall and celebrity hair stylist like Chris McMillan are pretty gaga for it too. The secret ingredient to it is the Camellia Oil, which they call “liquid gold.” I knew this had to contain more than just Camellia Oil and I couldn’t seem to find the ingredient list on the packaging or their website so I trolled the Internet and finally found one it on makeupalley.com, go figure. Basically, it contains two common silicones (cyclopentsiloxane and dimethiconol) and ethylhexylmethoxycinnamate (sunscreen) and then fragrance ingredients (it does smell really nice. Maybe they’ll bottle it and sell it??) Like these, it seems like this is how these hair oils are put together – a majorly hair beneficial oil sandwiched between, so to speak, a few silicones. Now some peoples’ hair does not react well to silicones, like those with thin or fine strands. Mine reacts more than ok with it and it won't build up on hair.

Use this one as a pre-shampoo treatment, a finishing serum to add luster and shiner to hair or even to protect the hair from the sun this summer. And to answer the title, yes, it really is as great as they say it is. $65/5oz @ shuuemuraartofhair.com.

Disclosure: A sample of the following item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.

How hard are you on your hair? Just brushing itself can hassle strands so I’m glad I picked up KERASTASE Ciment Thermique Heat-Activated Reconstructor Milk for Weakened Hair ($36/4.8oz @ drugstore.com). I mean, I color, flat iron, tease, blow dry and lately use a curling iron on my hair weekly. So you can imagine that my hair needs some sweet lovin’ sometimes and I didn’t really know how well this one would boost the overall look and feel of it. It’s heat-activated and contains the patented ingredient Vita-Ciment that goes to the core of the strand to repair and Vita-Topseal that replicates the protective layer of the hair fibre. Think of this as a hair mask that works while you use the heat of a blow dryer or styling iron! And they claim that it’s results lasts up to 5 shampoos. Big Recommendation.

When does limp hair look good? Never! This one is the conditioner sent from the Gods but one that is challenging their place right now is LEONOR GREYL Masque Quintessence ($137.50/7oz @ leonorgreyl.com). Wow. This hair mask is super hydrating and contains Cupuaçu oil (one of the Rainforests’ most effective moisturizers) and Manketti oil (highly nutrient oil from Namibia).

So if hydration is what your strands are thirsting for, this one will help restore a smooth texture and it smells really nice of fresh orange and linden scent.