.:: CybeleSays ::.

Vote John Barrett For Build-Up Free Strands

I love using a clarifying shampoo every two weeks or so to get rid of build up on the strands and scalp. I color my hair and all the ones I’ve come across all have SLS’s in them, which are known to fade hair color. This one from JOHN BARRETT, 'Be Cleansed' Weekly Shampoo ($30/7oz @ johnbarrett.com), is my latest find and it can be used on color-treated hair! Rejoice! I am! So this one moves up in rotation to once a week since I am a maniac about maintaining my hair color. It has the aforementioned SLS’s but I guess they are somehow able to lessen that damage with some of the other ingredients inside. Anyone know the truth on this? I’ll have to do some investigating and get back to you.

Hair Color Do

Kid tested, Mother approved. Cybelesays tested, Cybelesays approved.

(From L to R):
JOHN BARRETT Be Healed Styling Masque ($38/5oz @ johnbarrett.com)
AG HAiR COSMETiCS Colour Savour Sulfate-Free Shampoo ($20/8oz @ curlmart.com)
PRAVANA Hydrating Intensive Leave-In Treatment ($12.99/10.1oz @ sleekhair.com)

Get Eco Hair

Everything’s coming up green these days. Not just the grass but companies that are giving us alternatives to the norm like hair care line EUFORA. This eco-friendly and organically driven line is based on certified organic Aloe Vera Gel, essential oils, botanical ingredients and environmentally friendly propellants and they’ve been doing it exactly the same way way since 1997. And the products? What I’ve tried so far has been great. What I like most is that instead of using water as a base in their hair products they replace it with the Aloe Vera Gel and then add the essential oils, panthenols and keratin proteins. Here are my picks of the moment from L to R:

• Sculpture Styling Glaze ($22.95/10.1oz) – used before blow-drying for control. Absolutely no flaking!
• Pure Cleanse Shampoo ($20.95/10.1oz) – no sulfates and is good at conquering dandruff.
• Pure Polish Finishing Drops ($28.95/4.2oz) – smoothes strands without leaving any greasy residue behind.

And if you are still wary about using an aerosol hairspray, they claim to have the cleanest aerosol hairspray on the market with .001 environmental impact. All @ eufora.net for a salon near you or 800-638-3672.

Dry Clean Hair With Oscar Blandi

I must say that I had a better experience with this OSCAR BLANDI Pronto Dry Shampoo Spray ($10/1.4oz, $21/3.2oz @ sephora.com) than I have with other dry shampoos. I tried one from a very popular line a few years ago and it was a disaster. I sprayed a little in and then a little more and a little more until I had it the way I liked it but I didn’t realize how much it would “bleed” because it had color in it. Boy, did I make a mess of my pillow that night. I had no idea that the color would come out but then again I might have put too much in. There should have been a warning on the bottle! Either way, that one went in the trash the next day. This one from Senor Blandi is clear so you don’t have to worry about the above. And it’s great for those days when I need a little volume but don’t have time to shower and or style my hair to the fullest. This one also contains rice, wheat proteins, Panthenol and vitamin E to fortify each strand. I never even thought of this but this product won’t cause any build up. Hot-dang!

6/4/08 - addendum - I keep forgetting to add this! I suggest spraying this on your hair outside and then styling inside. The spray has particles that not only go on your hair but everwhere else and show up on surfaces in the room you are spraying it in. Not fun to clean up after the 2nd or 3rd time you use it.

How Vo Can You Go?

Lots of talk about this next person and he now has a line to product line to schmooze with. KiM VO has moved up the ladder of success and into Hollywood pretty darn fast and he still looks like a teenager! Born of Vietnamese-French background, he started his training in New York City and moved to Beverly Hills where he joined two of the cities’ top salons to become one of the top colorists in his field. He has done the hair of many-a celebrity but we don’t really care about that. I’m just amazed at all he has accomplished at his young age of 26! So let’s get to the reason you’re reading this, his product line. They are all made for color-treated hair (we love that) and have a personal touch from his homeland, the ingredient Boket only found in Vietnam. Boket is a bean helps with moisture levels to really infuse each shaft to the max since coloring depletes it. He also includes ME-10 in all the products to enhance the color and mend Keratin.

The two products I tried were the Moisturizing Shampoo ($22/7.5oz) and Moisturizing Conditioner ($24/7.5oz). The Shampoo uses silk polypeptides to clean and Blue Lotus to rejuvenate the scalp and strands. The Conditioner contains Wakame to protect from free radicals and the sun and Meadow foam extract to seal each hair cuticle after washing. And it really worked well as detangling.
After blow-drying, my hair color definitely looked nice and not matte like it sometimes does if I’m not using products specifically made for color-treated hair. And we won’t be doing that anymore! I’ll let you know if any of the other products in the line are worth trying out. All @ kimvo.com

Keep Revealing Your True Color

We’ve never claimed to be experts and we too are learning all the time. Here’s a perfect example - I thought that simply banishing SLS’s from your shampoo was the main thing to do to keep your hair color fresh. Not true. Why would I think this? Who knows why women get different things stuck in their brain! The fact is, you do need a color support product to help keep it from fading as these contain ingredients that will keep it fresh. Armed with this bit of info, I picked up the new KERASTASE Bain Miroir – Shine Revealing Shampoo for Sensitized, Colour-Treated Hair ($32/8.5oz @ kerastase-usa.com). It’s the latest from the hair care giant and it has the latest in technology weaved inside the formula. What I like about this one is not only the obvious, but it also works as a clarifying shampoo to keep each strand vibrant and fresh for as long as possible.

Alive & Kicking

The timing on this next line is right on. It seems that everyone is a-buzz regarding green, organic and eco-friendly. And a Hollywood hairstylist is taking on the hair category with C TONiCS. This line is composed of 100% live organic ingredients that not only treat your hair but also the scalp. Each product is sulfate-free (safe for color-treated strands, yeah!) and is made with various ingredients from around the world, like oils from Sri Lanka, clays from Iceland and herbs from China. You are really getting a global product here!

There are seven products ($25/8oz bottle) and each addresses a different hair or scalp concern. Choose Core, Pulse, Tranquility, Passion, Tantra, Elixir Milk, or Elixir Blossom. Learn more about this groundbreaking line @ ctonics.com

Shu Your Hair

SHU UEMURA just came out with the Art of Hair line. And if they do hair care like they do cosmetics, we’ll be in for a treat. The Full Shimmer Illuminating Shampoo ($40/10oz) and Full Shimmer Illuminating Conditioner ($50/8.5oz) are made for color treated strands (that’s me!) and each contains Rose Musk Oil, which is rich in anti-oxidants. These really gave my color a slight kick and didn’t leave my strands dried out. And the touch of rose scent is really soothing.

And I am also recommending their new Iron Design Protective Thermal Spray ($30/5oz) that is sprayed on before blow drying. All @ 866-914-8750

Phyte Aging With Phyto

PHYTO just came out with their latest botanical duo, Phytodensium. I never thought about this but as we age, the hair on our head decreases in density and can loses its depth of color and shine. Huh? All we hear about is how our skin ages! How often do we think about our hair aging? I guess I need to add this to my list of things to worry about, as I get older. But maybe not that I have these next two in hand. Phytodensium Shampoo ($22/6.7oz) and Phytodensium Anti-Aging Serum ($24/1.7oz) both use key age-defying ingredients. Wanna know what they are? Me either. All I know is that I have always trusted the Phyto line to really take care of my strands. Both @ sephora.com

Love Your Body, Now Love Your Hair

I swear styling products should be by prescription only. I gotta find me a class or something – Hair Styling 101. I just can’t seem to ever get it the way I want! But when it comes to cleaning, DOVE keeps it real, as in real women, as we’ve seen. I’m impressed that they have taken this stance and now they are going one step further and into the hair territory. We all want Hollywood Hair but as this video shows, it takes a lot of time and money and frankly, it’s pretty unrealistic. I think I’ll just stick with giving it my best shot.

One thing I think I have a good grip on is shampoos and conditioners. DOVE Cool Moisture Shampoo and Cool Moisture Conditioner, both in the Cucumber & Green Tea scent, are very gentle to the hair and that smell, I can’t get enough. This duo is not for those who color treat their strands. $7.99/25.4oz each @ drugstore.com