Hairstyling

2015 Holiday Gift Guide – Under 15

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I’ve thrown out some things here-and-there that could make decent gifts, but I haven’t set out to make a whole guide. But because I’m a skeptic, I have to look past the enticing glittery packaging.

Maybe you’re looking for gifts for your friends or family. Maybe it’s a gift exchange with a coworker you don’t know so well. If you need to stuff a stocking, too, there’s a lot of good ideas in the 2015 Holiday Gift Guide – Under $15.

Also, before we get into the list – if you’re in the United States, don’t go shopping tomorrow. It’s a dick move. Tomorrow is a day for a lot of things, and shopping isn’t one of them. Happy Thanksgiving!

wetbrush

The Wet Brush, $9

I’ve sung the praises of this brush, and even gave one away. If your recipient that has hair that requires brushing, this is a win.

Turbie Twist Stock Photo

Turbie Twist, $12.50, pack of 2

Keeping to the theme of haircare, this is something I think many people (at this point) might not buy for themselves (because of the understandable As Seen on TV stigma). That said, it is an inexpensive, practical beauty tool that I’m really satisfied with. If you wanted to make this part of a larger gift solution, maybe pair it with a leave-in treatment and a facial masque.

More after the jump…

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I Am Styling Inept

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Seriously. Sure, I have my bun snap thing that makes a tidy bun easier than boiling water, but if I have to do anything to my hair beyond just looking fairly presentable for work? Forget about it. You have hair wizards like Kate from The Small Things Blog who are like, “No, it’s so easy!” (No sass to you, Kate) but I’m over here, all thumbs.

I Am Styling Inept - Hot Tools 1.25" Barrel

I went to a wedding mid-June and wanted to (obviously) not look like a clown. I brought my 1.25″ barrel iron (forgot my dryer, though, the shame…was able to borrow the bride’s, though!) to try to help. Unfortunately, because I am not a hair wizard, my hair wound up in a curled, low-slung, side pony. Did it look bad? No. Was it at all what I wanted? Absolutely not. Did it hold for anything? BAHAHA. No.
 pantene_stylersmousse

Despite mousse,

tresemme_heat

despite heat protectant,

garnier_anti-humid

despite gratuitous hairspray pre- and post-curl, alas…it was hilariously bad. Fortunately, I was nowhere near being the center of attention so it didn’t matter. Not even a blip on the radar! It’s just indicative of my overall problem – I can blow dry my hair or set it in rollers, that’s about it.

You see all these makeup or other beauty bloggers who have fabulous hair constantly – I can’t help but wonder if they go get blowouts before photos? No hate, I just can’t fathom how the hell normal people conduct this level of coif wizardry.

S.O.S.

I am styling inept. Please send help. I need self-help course for hair.

Will trade makeup application and witty, sarcastic humor for help with hair. Am admittedly slightly jealous of those of you with skillz, but not enough to be toxic. Hair Yoda? Anything?

Wanted: A Hairstylist

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My hair needs are not complex. I don’t change my mind every twenty minutes. I don’t want to go blue-black one day and then be lifted to platinum blonde two months later. I don’t abuse my hair with heat, and when I do use heat, I use protectants. I don’t subject my hair to a gauntlet of DIY chemical voodoo (with the exception of my DIY hair glaze treatment, which hasn’t been done in a year – but I’ll be doing it soon!).

At Home DIY Hair Glaze Before and AfterMy fabulous hair, circa Spring 2014.
I miss the length, but contending with it was intense!

I am not one of those people who walks into a salon for a haircut and goes, “Well I want a trim, but also a change but don’t want to sacrifice length!” This, I’m sure, is an obnoxious thing to hear from clients. Most of the time, I DO just want a trim – and can demonstrate both verbally (ie, “two inches!”) and physically (with my hands) what I want. I bring pictures, but not 200. I don’t, “fight,” my hairstylist in the chair by moving when she needs me to be still, or tilting my head when she needs it straight. I don’t creepily keep my eyes open during shampoos. I never use my phone in the chair (that might change if I had a lengthy service like color or perming).

I try to be a good client, or, at least, as good as I can be based on my general knowledge of what annoys stylists.

Ulta Salon Haircut

And yet it is so unbelievably hard to find a stylist worth a damn! It’s been six months since my last cut, and the disappointing cut I got at Ulta has grown out a bit. I didn’t want to return there yet (and definitely not to that hairstylist), so I went elsewhere.

What I wanted from the service:

  • Approximately an inch off the longest lengths.
  • General tidying of everything else (don’t cut old layers back in); nip the ends to clean them up.
  • Even out anything that is uneven.
  • At the very front, add subtle layers with the shortest at the shoulder.

This is not an involved haircut whatsoever. Although she asked what I wanted, she did not confirm her understanding or do any kind of thorough consultation. She didn’t ask what I normally do with my hair, if it has been chemically treated, etc. nor did she give me the opportunity to speak up about it – and she didn’t touch it, either, to get a feel for its texture. But you better believe she didn’t fail to ask me if I wanted to buy product!

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March 2015 Favorites

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March 2015 Favorites
March 2015 Favorites
1. Travelon Sleep Mask, $8 / 2. Contigo Grace Water Bottle, $11 /
3. Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics, $29 / 4. The Wet Brush, $9

A-ha! You thought, “Oh, first Wednesday of the month fell on the first day of the month…no favorites until next week.”

April Fools on you – I actually managed to get my March 2015 Favorites up regardless!

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Worth it? Wet Brush

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A similarly skeptical friend (the one who alerted me to the Silkn Flash & Go Freedom) recently got her hair done. At the salon, post-wash, her stylist used an amazing hairbrush on her hair. It made quick work of detangling (finishing in just a few brush-strokes) and didn’t tug or pull a single time – she found out that it was called the Wet Brush. She was so impressed that she bought one from the salon on the spot and shared her experience with me soon after.

The Wet Brush - Stock Photo

She tried it out at home to ensure that it was not just some hairdresser magic, and enjoyed the same results – both with wet and dry hair. She found that the bristles flex as needed to gently pass through hair without tugging.

I’ve been using a classic Denman for the past year or so, being tired of yet another $5 Conair that inevitably breaks, is hard to clean, or whose nubby-tipped bristles lose their tips, scratching my scalp and yanking my hair. The Denman is fine, it works, but it isn’t winning any Outstanding Hairbrush awards in my book. I wasn’t really looking to replace it, though (if it ain’t broke, etc). I figured if I wanted to, I’d look into a Tangle Teezer or a dupe of it.

But with her endorsement of the Wet Brush, I was curious. I found that it is not a salon exclusive, but that you can buy it from Amazon.com, Sally Beauty, and Target, among other places for about $8-9. That’s not bad. I still wasn’t planning on it right away, but kept the idea in the back of my mind.

I renewed my Sally Beauty membership last month and still had the resulting $5 off coupon to use, plus their nearly-always-available 15% off circular coupon. I stopped in when I was nearby and rather than getting even more gel nail polish (though their new Nail Studio is pretty neat!), I picked up the Original Wet Brush – between my membership discount, the 15% off, and the $5 off, I got the brush for $2.69. They had one that had boar bristles (says it is great for Dry Shampoo users) as well as the ones I was looking to try, but I opted for the original for the sake of science.

The Original Wet Brush Packaging

The Brush Itself:

I prodded the Wet Brush’s bristles in the packaging. They do flex, but they seemed to flex a little differently each time I touched, depending on the angle and amount of force I applied. It was neat, I thought. The brand says the unique flexibility is owed to their IntelliFlex bristles tipped with SofTip nubs to ensure gentle use. To be frank, I don’t care for the silly marketing names. The bristles aren’t, “smart,” bristles. They are, however, a neat polymer that does allow them to flex as needed to provide just the right amount of resistance. I’m more interested in how they achieved that than I am in them passing it off like it is an intelligent device.

When I unpackaged it at home, I was pleased to find that the brush has a relatively slim profile – the bristles are by no means short, but the plastic back is flat and not bulky.

The Wet Brush - Profile

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