Emma Watson at the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 premiere in London

When Emma Watson chopped her locks after she wrapped filming on the Harry Potter franchise, I applauded her bravery. When I was young and impulsive, long hair would be chopped off at a whim. But, of course, several months later came the “what the hell did I do that for” sobs when the arduous grow in period began.

Of course, starlets have armies of people who keep growing out hair looking gorgeous for stuff like, oh, the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 international premiere, where the actress showed off a beautiful new bob, courtesy of Rodney Cutler, founder of Cutler Salon (with locations in NYC and Miami).

The deceptively simple style is a decidedly modern take on the famous bob of the celebrated silent film actress Louise Brooks. The retro style is modernized with interior layers and soft, sweepy bangs (a look for my own bangs that I am constantly striving for, but my soft and sweepy is decidedly not).

Hoping to steal some ideas for my own not sweepy bangs, I asked how this look was achieved. Here’s the skinny from the the hair  guru himself, Rodney Cutler!

• To achieve Emma’s look, I applied Redken Sheer Straight and Redken Root Lifter and then wrap blow dried the hair so that strands would appear naturally straight.
• I then gently flat ironed hair pieces from mid to the ends of the hair shaft, lightly flipping out the ends, and sprayed Redken Fashion Work 12 Hair Spray to ensure the style would hold up on the Red Carpet.
• Finally, I wanted to make sure her hair balanced the beautiful dress, so I backcombed the crown to give it just a touch of height, and finished off with Cutler Shine Tattoo.

The result is absolutely magical.

Regular readers know about my hair issues.

Like how I love to experiment then have my stylist fix my major screw ups! And ya’ll know that I am uber lazy about blowing out my hair.

Hayleigh Hatcher, a stylist at blow, the new york blow dry bar, was kind (brave) enough to answer some hair questions and share some inspiring tips to help get hair gorgeous for the holiday season.

1. Let’s say I actually DID blow out my hair on a regular basis, what products am I not using but should be!

When blow drying your hair at home, the most important products to have are heat protectors.  Besides protecting your hair these products have styling capabilities as well.

For finely textured hair use Heat Is On.  For medium to coarse textures use Weather Girl.  Both add shine, and lock in styles. A new product that I’m loving is Ready Set Blow – it is an express blow dry lotion that cuts down blow dry time (so it minimizes the heat damage to your hair) and also helps set the look.

2. Do you have a natural, out of your cupboard solution that should be used by people who blow dry regularly?

The health of you’re hair begins with good nutrition!  When at home, reach into your cupboard and go for foods rich in vitamins especially Vitamin B complex.  Foods such as peanut butter, whole grains, and eggs are rich in biotin and promote a healthy scalp and hair.  This also prevents hair loss. Being conscious of getting the right nutrients will certainly show in your hair.

Oh, that’s just like skin care! And, another aside, I have been really digging some all natural, no sugar added peanut butter these days. Try it on apples!

3. Now my big burning question: I hate blowing out my own hair because after about 2 minutes, my arm feels like it is going to fall off. How should I hold the drier to counter this?

When blowing out you’re own hair there are a couple tricks to prevent tired muscles:

1. Get comfortable, I find sitting is more relaxing.

2. Get ambidextrous. It may be hard at first but try switching off arms.  If you are right handed, pre-dry holding the dryer in your left hand.  That way, when you start with the brush you have more energy.  If you are too strained take a break, it only takes about 30 seconds for muscles to recover.

3. Always use the brush with your writing hand.  You will have more control and that arm tends to be stronger anyway!

A big thanks to Hayleigh and blow for sharing some brilliant advice! I am looking forward to trying Ready Set Blow–I’ve been hearing raves about it–as well as Heat Is On. Stay tuned for reviews!

Hayleigh is going to share even MORE hair tips with my Product Junkies! Wait, what are Product Junkies? Why the readers who are loving BeautyOlogy’s weekly email newsletter, Product Junkie! Sign up here! It’s totally free.

I am in love with two curl-enhancing products from the TIGI Curlesque hair care collection.

My friends with pin-straight or crazy curly hair are always quick to point out how fantastic it is to have wavy hair. Theoretically, the waves enable me to wear hair that’s either curly OR straight, depending on my mood.

Since the grass is always greener, particularly when talking hair, I have coveted both the super straight and super curly variety. While I love the sleek, blown-out look, I don’t have much time to muss and fuss with blowing out my hair. And when I try to get the curl going,  I end up with the wavy-in-all-the-wrong-places look that often includes a bit of frizz.

With a little help from the tremendous Jonathan, co-owner of Blush Salon in the tony neighborhood of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, I now have an easy, no fuss way to give my boring waves a little boost.

In freshly washed, still damp hair, apply about two pumps of Tigi Catwalk Curlesque Leave In Conditioner. Then, work about a half of a palm-full  of their TIGI Catwalk Curlesque Lightweight Mousse into the hair, concentrating on the middle and ends. Scrunch up the hair to get the curls to form and let it air dry.

According to Jonathan, the addition of the leave in conditioner prior to the mousse helps weigh the curls down slightly, giving them a beautiful, slightly elongated shape without frizzing or kinking them out.

The end result is soft, flowing curls.

I love the simplicity. The process adds only a fraction of time to my morning routine.

Dsiclosures: The TIGI links are Amazon Affiliate links. The TIGI products tested were purchased by me.

Photo by jeferonix on Flickr

Right in the heart of hipster heaven sits Woodley and Bunny Salon and Apothecary, a recent Best of New York pick for “Prime Cuts.” And next Thursday, June 3, from 5 – 8 PM, send your main squeeze over to get a $10 Telly Savalas for the summer.

After you drop off your dude, take your favorite main squeeze (you know, your dog) down the block to Dog Addiction for a $20 shave down. (Check out the awesome video on their home page, and yes, I could watch it forever.)

Hair from both buzz cuts will be donated to Matter of Trust, a fantastic organization that is aiding the clean up the Gulf oil debacle using hair. Human hair, dog hair, goat hair, it all absorbs oil! (Hence why we shampoo!) And Matter of Trust is creating booms out of the donated hair to help sop the crap up. It’s pretty damn awesome.

Shave down both your lovable mutts for a great cause!

Woodley and Bunny is located at 196 N. 10th Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. For appointments call (718) 218-6588.

Dog Addiction is located at 243 Berry Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. For appointments call (718) 599-1656.

Frederic Fekkai is my go-to hair care line when I do something naughty to my hair.  I became a full fledged beauty editor when his salon really hit big and his product line was first launched, so perhaps I have a soft spot for anything Fekkai related. But nostalgia aside, his Protein Rx (Amazon affiliate link) line, infused with a milk and soy protein complex, saved my hair when I made a misguided attempt at henna.

So, when finances began to get tight, I decided to try my hand, once again, with at-home color. This time, however, I was going to spend a little more and go for the good stuff. I was going to go with Fekkai. It’s a bit of a financial commitment $30 a pop, but I’m still saving coin.

Frederic Fekkai’s color system (Amazone affiliate link) uses the brush-and-bowl professional method for application. The consistency of the color is much thicker than the usual at-home, squeeze-the-bottle brands. It definitely helps ensure a more even coating.

But–and this is a big but–it’s hard to manage the brush-and-bowl application on your own, particularly when trying to reach the back. To ensure even coverage, I recommend partnering up with a pal for a hair color party. Or, you can have your significant other do the work. Manly Man Husband could have quite a career as a Fekkai colorist.

The scent of the color is much milder than the usual at-home suspects, and the color definitely did less damage to my hair–no breakage or dry, split ends in sight after use.

However,  after about four weeks, it seemed like the blond color I chose was turning brassy. Another color application (roots for 30 minutes, whole head for 5) seemed to remedy the situation, but once again, at the end of 4 weeks, the color went back to the brass. So, I decided to switch my color from blond to red because the brassiness was getting on my nerves.

I have to preface this with a disclaimer–red refuses to stay in my hair. Even when I have it salon done, permanent red will simply wash right out. When I was in college, my stylist gave me a gorgeous red color that promptly turned pink after a week.

So armed with my hard-knock red-head knowledge, I decided that I would not wash my hair for FIVE days to try to let the color set. I bought his at-home glaze to use to try to keep the color vibrant and protected. I even left the color on for 15 minutes longer than the directions recommend (based on the helpful advice from the Bloomingdale’s sales woman).

But after simply rinsing the color out of my hair, I had a strawberry streak in the front right section as the blond peeked through. Poor Manly Man Husband thought he missed a pretty big spot, but the next hair wash was even more telling–more strawberry streaks, even after waiting FIVE days to wash it. However, the good news is, after about three weeks, it’s not pink. It actually looks almost natural. I am curious to see if the color rinses out in the next go-around.

For the price, it’s quite a financial commitment compared to the drug store colors out there, but I am still saving money with the DIY process. Even though I seem to be having some problems with the color at the end of 4 weeks (and I wonder if the brassiness of the blond had to do with the color rinsing out), it’s around the time that I should be re-coloring anyway, so it’s something I can live with.

The lack of damage to my hair is what blows his cheaper competition completely away.  For this alone, I think it’s worth the significantly higher price point.

The relentless blonding of my hair leaves it dry, brittle and pretty frizzy. Finding a shampoo that will hydrate and control the frizz is a challenge. My friend Ginger turned me on to Davines, a boutique hair care company from Italy, and their NouNou line for color treated hair, which includes their Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner (Amazon affiliate links). And now that I am down to the bitter end of the bottles, I am ready to talk about my results.

Except, I am kind of ambivalent about this one, and I am not sure why, since the results were definitely good.

For hydration, NouNou was amazing. I have one spot of hair, directly above my right temple, that turns into a mini-frizz ball immediately after a shower. If I don’t smooth it out with a little oil and a comb, the frizz ball remains a kinky, flyaway disaster. NouNou was the only shampoo and conditioner combo that tamed this mess. I also noticed less breakage and split ends over the past several months of using the product. But my color seemed to fade out a bit, although I suspect this was the result of using an “at home” (rather than salon) color and not a result of NouNou.

The shampoo is very lightly fragranced, but the conditioner smells so concentrated out of the bottle that I almost returned it. It’s not unpleasant (it has a sort of spicy scent) but it is strong. Luckily, the scent is not at all overpowering on the hair like it is in the bottle.

The bottles last a long time–my initial purchase was in July or August and I am only now running out (worth noting that I shampoo/condition every other day). I did however get some inconsistent lathering with the shampoo. Some days a little went a long way, other days I felt like I needed to use more product to get the job done.

I can’t really wrap my head around why this shampoo/conditioner combo is so hydrating. There’s a lot of ingredients to muddle through on the list, and the ones they highlight on their marketing material show up towards the bottom.

For example, Davines touts the use of Chestnut Milk to nourish and hydrate, and it comes mid-point on the ingredient list (which is not bad). But the third ingredient listed is glycerine, which a favored humectant in skin (and hair) care products because of its ability to hold moisture. I suspect that the glycerine may be more of a contributing factor to hydration than the Chestnut Milk.

The conditioner includes tomato extract to protect the hair from free radicals–and most cosmetic experts say it’s one of the strongest antioxidents out there.  Regardless of its antioxident properties, lycopene protects the skin from UVA/UVB rays. I don’t think its much of a stretch to assume it would do the same for hair. And sun exposure is often a culprit for color fading. So theoretically it could help there, although, as I mentioned, my color did experience some fading.

Bottom line, I this is a terrific hydrating shampoo and conditioner combo, which I would definitely buy again because of its great results. But I think Davines used a few beauty buzzwords whose contribution to these great results may be tenuous.

While every beauty brand sells on buzz words and great packaging, it’s the results that matter most. So for results for color treated, dry, damaged hair, yes Davines NouNou is definitely recommended for your arsenal.

Dear Ronie,

I love you with all my heart. Please don’t be angry. I am not cheating. I am just really really curious.

I have held back for close to a year now, but I can no longer resist the urge. I am sorry for not being stronger, but it has been calling me for too long.

If it breaks my heart, I will beg you to mend it. And even if it doesn’t break my heart, I promise I will always come back to you. You have given me some of the best color of my life, and for that I will always return.

Love,

NYCEsthy

PS-I haven’t done it yet, but I will soon. Will take before and after pics!

I have seriously needed new shampoo and  conditioner, and I have spent  the last few months  gazing longingly at Alterna’s Hemp Organics line at the spa. The stylists kept telling me how awesome it was, but I have had such unfortunate experiences with organic shampoos (including hemp based ones) that I was really skeptical. Last weekend, I took the plunge and purchased the repair shampoo and conditioner for my color treated hair.

In a word, phenomenal! It is hydrating, shine boosting, and keeps my hair tangle free. Big bonus is that it is sulfate free, and the goodies (including white tea and avocado) are free from pesticides and fertilizers. Highly recommend!

I left you, dear readers, with a cliff-hanger at the end of
the first installment of Human Lab Rat, which detailed my failed attempt to
color my hair sans chemicals. 

With my hair the color of an oxidized penny, I pulled a hat
down to my ears and ran to the only place I knew could help—Frederic
Fekkai.  I stumbled through Henry
Bendels with my hippy-dippy hat covering half of my face, shoving past the
perfume Nazis to get to the back of the cosmetic section where I saw the
displays of Fekkai’s lux products. 
As I starred at all the bottles, a sweet voice behind me sing-songed “may
I help you?” 

I turned to her, wild eyed, and whispered, “I henna-ed my
hair.” 

Her eyes opened as wide as mine. “WHY would you do a thing like
that,” she was almost as mortified as me. 

“It’s breaking. My hair is brittle and breaking like straw,”
I was half way between laughing and crying, as I pulled my hat off so she could
survey the damage.

She took the bottle of clarifying shampoo out of my hands.

“You don’t need this, yet,” she said. “Don't worry about fixing the color. Right now, you need
to strengthen.”

She handed me two bottles of Fekkai’s Protein Rx Shampoo and
Conditioner, advising me to also get some of the Protein Rx Hair Mask and use
that once or twice a week to help with the breakage.

While I would have loved to get the bad-penny color out
with a good clarifying shampoo, my hair was already so fragile that I needed to
inject it with some serious vitamins before I could attempt to fix the color.

Fekkai's Protein Rx products were nothing short of a miracle. They contain
soy and milk protein, which reinforces and strengthens weak and damaged hair.  Within a week, my hair was much
stronger and no longer breaking off. 
After a month, the only tell-tale sign of my henna disaster was a lingering
greenish undertone, which was fixed with a professional color job (I will save
that five hour ordeal for an epilogue).

Now that my hair is Fekkai-ed back to health, the protein products are
side-lined in the shower.  Too much
protein can make healthy hair stiff. But I have my weapon in reserve should I
get the itch to experiment again.

Human Lab Rat is a new semi-regular feature where I
experiment with more extreme (i.e. not easily reversible) or unusual beauty
treatments and technology.

My pilates instructor, Nancy, has a head-turning mane of hair.
It is long, thick and luminous. The color is a striking and vibrant shade of
red, streaked with coppery highlights. It is the kind of color that is either
enviously natural, or the mark of a sensational colorist (the one that uses the
smallest brush to apply highlights with startling precision and unbelievable
patience).

I was having a bad-hair year.  My at-home hair coloring for the past two years left my
color less than dazzling—ranging from too brassy to too muddy.  I have been short of time and cash to
get my listless hair in the hands of a pro. I also wonder what all the chemical
processing has done to my hair, not to mention my entire body.

When I found out Nancy colored her hair—herself—with henna,
it was like hair manna from heaven. I could get gorgeous color from a product
that was not loaded with questionable chemicals. I ran to Whole Foods and
picked up a package of red henna that said it would turn my shade of blond into
a copper.  My dull hair was about
to get a seriously healthy makeover!

I raced home and ripped open the package, ready to get my
henna on. Then I read the instructions…. 
Since I bought the henna powder, I needed to mix it myself with water.
Distilled water, boiled in a non-metal container. And I needed a shower cap to
wrap my hair once the henna was applied. I needed a kitchen scale, to weigh the
powder out in ounces.  A tiny voice
of doubt starting ringing in my ears, as I hoofed it over to the drugstore in
search of distilled water.  I
called my husband.

“So, this henna stuff,” I choked out. “I have to get
distilled water. It needs to boil in a non-metal pot. I think I may be over my
head. This is a lot different than pouring the developer into the color and
shaking well.”

“You’ll be fine. How hard can it be?” he offered helpfully.
“We have an electronic kitchen scale under the sink.”

Of course, the next time he wants to buy something
ridiculous (like a kitchen scale we have not used in the three years since we bought it) and I say to him “when are we ever going to use XYZ,” he will
remind me of this very moment.

“I am kind of scared of the henna,” I shared with him.

“And you AREN’T scared of all the chemical crap you use!” He
was clearly done being my henna coach. 
But point taken—I got the goods and went home to mix up my concoction.

I measured and boiled and mixed and cooled. I pretended I was
a cosmetic chemist coming up with a marvelous new hair color “Devilish Red.” I
was getting excited again.

Even the gruelingly bizarre application process did not
deter my newfound excitement. Henna is not a smooth application process.  It’s goopy and sandy and impossible to
get out of a squirt container. You basically have to slop it on your hair with
your hands until everything is saturated. It sounds easier than it is.

Once applied, I put on the shower cap, wrapped that in a
towel, and settled down in front of the TV for a two-hour wait.  But I guess creating the new hottest
hair color is pretty exhausting and I fell asleep. For the entire night.

I woke up the next morning at 6 AM.  I wasn’t terribly concerned since I had
read that henna could be left on over night—the longer it sits, I read, the
deeper the color.

It took several washes to get the grit out of my hair.  When I finally blew it dry, my color
was…  Well… I was hoping for a
deep rich red with copper highlights. 
This was more like a lightly rusted penny—the red was more on the green
side. 

While the color was bad, the texture was worse.  I can fix a rusty penny, but not while
my hair was bone dry and brittle. 
It was so fragile that it broke off by simply brushing my fingers
through it.

Bottom line, henna appears to be much friendlier to thick, coarse hair.  If, like me, your hair is baby-fine, proceed with caution.  From what I have been told since my
misguided mission, putting henna over a prior chemical processes could have
contributed to all the damage. A patch test with henna is a must—you need to
know how your hair will react before slathering the grit all over your
head. 

Part two will explore how I finally escaped my henna hell
and brought my hair back to health.