Now, if you’re anything like us, you make your first judgment on a hair product based on the way it smells. This one smells ahhh-mazing! But that’s just the beginning. However thin or limp your hair is, Diva Xxtreme Body Styling Glaze will give it a boost. Case in point: my hair post-Brazilian Blowout.

Formaldehyde controversy or no, I’m obsessed with the Brazilian Blowout during the summer months because my hair, while definitely not thin, is naturally wavy, and not really in a cute way. (The waves aren’t consistent; some pieces are straight and some are borderline curly.) Blowing my hair out is somewhat of a task, since there’s so much of it, and humidity ruins my handiwork—so it just makes sense to splurge on this service during this time of year. It allows me the luxury of sleek, shiny, straight hair with very minimal effort for a good 3 months! The one downside of the Brazilian Blowout? Right after I get one, my hair is flat. That’s where Diva Xxtreme Body Styling Glaze comes in.

Just a quarter-size amount of this potion is plenty to give my sleek summer hair the volume boost I crave. I just smooth it on before I blow my hair dry! Best of all, it’s not the least bit sticky or goopy.

Did you receive Diva Glaze in your Beautyfix kit this season? Leave a comment and let us know what you think about it.

image: www.prphotos.com

1. Protect yourself. Consider this one a summer beauty rule, not a tip—you MUST protect your skin from the sun. The younger you are, the easier it is to want to ignore this piece of advice. For those of you in your teens and twenties, it may be hard to imagine a time when sun damage will actually be a tangible thing, but believe you me, your time will come. Unless, of course, you do the smart thing and sport an appropriate SPF with that bikini. And do I really need to tell you again that the sun is bad for your health? I have faith you’ve heard that enough times, but if it needs to be made clear, here it is one more time: wear sunscreen every single day and avoid tanning beds like the plague. And get familiar with self-tanners—they’ll give you the look you’re after without the cancer risk.

2. Less is more. We’ve all been to that beach barbecue or pool party and seen it: the girl with nightclub-worthy makeup melting all over the place. Seriously, even if she used waterproof everything and there’s no meltage, it still looks silly and out of place. Don’t be this girl. Instead, let your natural beauty shine through—use a tinted moisturizer, some waterproof mascara, and some light color on your cheeks, eyes and lips. One of my summer beauty faves: The Multiple by Nars in everyone’s favorite shade, Orgasm.

3.Be kind to your hair. Heavily chlorinated pools can wreak havoc on summer beauty, fading reds and brunettes and leaving blondes with a not-so-lovely green tinge. When it’s hot out, you want to get in the pool. I get that. Do your hair a favor, though, and before you take the plunge, get it wet with clean, pure water. Like a sponge, your hair will absorb the fresh H20, soaking up much less of the chemical-laden stuff in the pool. Also, don’t forget to pack a comb in your bag—don’t even think about detangling wet pool hair with a brush! For good measure, why not also throw in some leave-in conditioner and a big, floppy hat? My hair has a decidedly uncute natural wave/frizz as it dries, so hats are a saving grace for me in these sorts of situations.

Do you have any tried-and-true summer beauty tips of your own? Tell us about them!

stock.xchng user marcos_bh

Hair dye has been around for centuries, and there are so many different types, techniques and colors to choose from that it can be hard to stick to one shade of style for longer than a few months. Unfortunately, those of us who have repeated hair-color-induced identity crises tend to overdo it, and can be left with brittle damaged hair. There are ways to avoid this inevitable damage and still stay spontaneous with your hair color if you use the right products. Understanding the different processing levels is key to keeping your precious locks in tact while they go through regular color transformations.

Temporary Hair Dye

For those of you looking for a way to spice up your look with a shade that is a few shades darker or similar to your natural hair color, temporary hair dye is a great way to add shine and luster without penetrating the delicate hair shaft, keeping it safe and intact. When choosing a temporary color, make sure you are using a “no lift” formula that contains verily low or no peroxide. (Peroxide is what enters the hair shaft; and is a must for shades that require an initial lifting of the base color, but for a temporary color deposit jobs, will just cause unnecessary damage.) Unfortunately, this is only an option if you want to dye your hair with brown hair dye, and is pretty limiting to the adventurous beauty queens. These products only coat the hair with pigment and boost radiance without the side effects of permanent hair dye or bleach.

Permanent Hair Dye

Permanent and Semi-permanent hair color works one level deeper within the hair strand and therefore have a wider range of shades both lighter and darker from your natural color. These work with a higher level of peroxide with opens the hair cuticle to allow the dye inside the cortex. Once inside the cortex the two-step process of removing color (also called lifting) and then depositing the new color on top. This process bonds with the hair much more strongly than a no lift color deposit, and there for provides longer lasting, yet slightly more damaging results.

Hair Bleach

If you have dark hair and want to go 3 or more shades lighter than your natural color, there is no way around it, you have to use hair bleach. The bleach reacts with the melanin in hair, and permanently removes all of its pigment. Bleaching black hair blond can be a tricky and often disastrous process if the person is not familiar with the chemistry of the hair, but these problems can be avoided with a little knowledge.

Normally the goal with bleach is to achieve the pale yellow hue that is actually the natural color of plain keratin (the building block of hair). But way too many people end up with one of those fiery shades of radioactive orange that I am all too familiar with. This happens due to the bleach being removed too early in the lightening process. It’s all a matter or science, and understanding the different nature of color molecules. When bleach starts reacting with the melanin in your hair, it first removes the smallest and easiest blue molecules, and then enters the longer stage of taking out those larger, more resilient red molecules. This takes multiple treatments in some cases, as the bleach will lose its potency after about an hour. It must be reapplied to cut through all that stubborn red and reveal that oh so beautiful pale blond below.

If you are doing an at-home bleach job, be very careful to not over process, as bleach doesn’t stop when it has reached the desired shade, it will keep on eating away at your hair, and could dissolve it completely.

If you don’t trust yourself or fully understand what you are doing, I would highly recommend shelling out the cash to have it professionally done. I have fallen victim to about every hair dying disaster, and believe me when I say, emergency color correction is VERY expensive.

Flickr user limonlucikolata

flickr user chicagophotoshop

2010 was a pretty beautiful year, literally speaking. Aside from a few missteps and casualties (Bump-its anyone? Jersey Shore-esque tans? Anything from the Taylor Momsen makeup bag?), this past year has ushered in some gorgeous new looks and brought relevance to retro trends as well. Below is a list of some of the best beauty trends 2010 had to offer.

• Ombre Hair- Good news for those who despise the monthly trips to the salon for touch-ups! Perfectly maintained hair is out and ombre hair is in!  Celebs like Nicole Richie and Rachel Bilson started bucking the beauty rule of root maintenance this summer.
• Retro hair- Think beehives, a la Scarlet Johanson, and Veronica Lake waves made popular by beauties such as Megan Fox and Angelina Jolie.
• Cat eye makeup and winged eyeliner- A favorite of everyone from Lauren Conrad to the make up artists at fashion week, this easy-to-achieve look dominated the beauty pages in 2010.  With a steady hand and an easy-to-use liquid eyeliner (I prefer Hourglass Cosmetics Calligraphy Liquid Eyeliner) anyone can perfect this subtle, yet sexy come-hither look. Again, please remember, you are going for subtle, not Little J!
• Pixie cuts- For the past couple months, stars have been chopping off their long locks one-by-one to reveal a gamine and gorgeous, yet classic do. Celebrities such as Michelle Williams, Ginnifer Goodwin, Carey Mulligan, Emma Watson, Elisha Cuthbert and Rihanna have all made the cut, literally. Beware though; this hair trend is not for everyone.
• Braids- The braided hair style is my personal favorite look from this year. The mixture of simplicity and versatility, mixed with my laziness and unruly mane, has turned the braid into my go-to hair style.

The worst? There were some doozies! The aforementioned Bump Its, Oompa-Loompa tans, raccoon eye makeup, also snuggies, neon makeup and scraggly extensions (again, bad year for Taylor Momsen) … but the absolute worst beauty trend of 2010? Vajazzling!

stock.xchng user Sammylee

To some people, admitting they have dandruff can be humiliating, and walking into the drugstore to get some medicated shampoo requires a level 10 head-to-toe disguise. But, just like all the other embarrassing creams and OTC remedies for delicate health problems, dandruff shampoo is purchased by millions of people every day.

Some people are plagued with scalp problems year round, but even those with baby smooth scalps can find themselves seeing flakes when the weather is wacky. No matter which category you fall into, the causes and treatment for dandruff can vary, so in order to cure this pesky malady, finding the root of the problem is your best bet in solving it.

The first thing you should do is determine the severity of your condition. If you are experiencing extreme symptoms and nothing you try seems to be making making them any better, it might be more serious than just dandruff. If you have pain, excessive scaling (that might affect other parts of your body as well as your scalp), and redness, a doctor will be able to prescribe you a stronger method of treatment for Seborrheic Dermatitis.  But, if you are just experiencing an itchier than normal scalp and are concerned with having snow-flecked shoulders, there are plenty of things you can try that will combat the problem.

What many people don’t realize is that the cause of dandruff is  an imbalance of yeast and bacteria on your scalp. Before you freak out and jump into a tub full of Purell, know that both yeast and bacteria are necessary for our bodies to function, and different kinds are living in harmony together all over our skin, hair, and our insides. The problems occur when one starts to overpower the other, allowing one side’s population to thrive and the other’s to dwindle. Things like dandruff are the result of a low bacteria count and a high yeast count. This can be caused by internal as well as external factors, but many times the slew of hair products we slather on our hair daily is the culprit.

To maintain optimal scalp health, the right hair products must be used and the wrong ones must be eliminated. Even expensive shampoos are full of oil stripping, moisture sucking ingredients and can ruin all attempts to grow the perfect head of hair. To maintain a flake free scalp year round, look for shampoos that use gentle cleansers like Cocamidopropyl Betaine, which is made from coconut oil. Another good thing to look for in a daily shampoo is an antimicrobial that will make sure to keep both yeast and bacteria in check. Look for fungus fighting ingredients (they usually end in “conazole”) when dealing with dandruff. A good option is DS Labs Dandrene Shampoo. But don’t stop at just the right shampoo. Try to cut out as many after shower products as you can, as they can cause build up when used every day. This applies to hair sprays, mousses, gels, and all other mane control serums, spritzes, and salves that you may be applying more often than necessary.  Replace some of these products with a good quality hair follicle treatment like Alterna’s Life Volume Restore Scalp and Follicle Treatment. This will not only nourish your hair and scalp, but it will also help keep the healthy bacteria and yeast in perfect harmony throughout the day.

Dandruff can be a frustrating condition, but with the right tools, it can be easy to control.  With the right hair-care routine, you will be itch-free and wearing black with confidence again in no time.

Flickr user: irodman

By Jenna

Dry hair is not cute, and it’s just not fun at all. When your hair is dry it starts breaking and can make your fabulous hair cut not so fabulous anymore. It happens so fast that you probably won’t notice the change, but dry, damaged hair is a fact of life and most of us will have to deal with it one point or another.

Although a healthy diet does help the natural production of oil that will naturally condition your hair, dry, damaged hair doesn’t happen on its own.  Split ends and brittle hair are a result of over-processing, blow-drying, straightening, perming and overall excessive styling. Excessive styling with heat can wreak havoc on your hair, leaving it dry, unmanageable, fragile and broken. So can using harsh shampoos, washing it too often, exposure to the sun and wind, over brushing, chlorine, medications and poor nutrition.  If you’re guilty of any of these uber-drying faux pas, it’s never too late to improve your hair care routine.

To start out, don’t wash your hair every day, and do use a gentle shampoo. When you’re over shampooing, you’re stripping your hair of its natural oils, resulting in dry hair. There are a wide variety of shampoos for dry hair, made specially to treat the condition. If your hair gets extra oily between washings, consider using a dry shampoo to give you a fresh look without the water. Also, if you don’t already, use a conditioner every time you wash your hair. This will help infuse your locks with moisture and restore your hair with nutrients and vitamins. Conditioners for dry hair help restore shine, detangle and nourish all hair types.

Dry hair treatments are also available and work wonders on restoring and reviving damaged hair. You can use an overnight hair treatment, scalp oil or a hair mask. Each of these will have amazing effects on fixing dry and damaged hair. Scalp oils contain vitamins to help protect against free radicals and essentials oils to nourish the hair and scalp. By massaging the oils into your scalp, you’re stimulating growth and infusing moisture into your skin and hair. Hair masques are easy to use as well as quick plus, there are many at home hair recipes to use. Generally, wash your hair and apply the hair mask. Let it sit for about 10 minutes and rinse off. They moisturize and help protect and nourish your poor dry hair.

Next time you go out on a windy day, don’t forget your hat!  Not just to be fashionable, but to protect your gorgeous locks! Dry hair products are easy to find and amazing to use. Pay attention to what your hair is telling you. If it’s falling out at alarming rates or breaking off when you brush it, it’s time to put a little effort into restoring your hair into the lustrous mane it’s supposed to be.

Emma Watson's Pixie Cut flickr user skoykkahwin

Forget the Rachel, say goodbye to Posh’s angled bob and peace out to Blake Lively’s tousled tresses. There is a new style on the block and it is taking Hollywood by storm. Meet The Pixie- the IT 2010 hairstyle. For the past couple months, stars have been chopping off their long locks one-by-one to reveal a gamine and gorgeous, yet classic, do. Celebrities such as Michelle Williams, Ginnifer Goodwin, Carey Mulligan, Emma Watson, Elisha Cuthbert, Rihanna, Katie Holmes and Hayden Panettiere have all made the cut, literally. The most recent addition to the ever growing list of short haired beauties is Ashlee Simpson Wentz, whose husband debuted the pixie haircut via twitter. So you think you want to jump on the pixie bandwagon? I got some advice about the 2010 hairstyle trend from Shear Genius contestant and stylist to the stars Janine Jarman—read on and learn how to make this fun look work for you.

Beautyfix: Let’s talk pixie cuts.

Janine Jarman: It makes me so happy to see short hair on girls! To me, short hair looks so feminine—it makes the face and eyes really stand out.

Beautyfix: Are different variations better for different face shapes?

JJ: Yes, there are hundreds of charts online of face shape and hair cuts that are designed to make your face shape look as close to an oval as possible. That’s the ultimate goal, so if you have a square jaw you want to have layers cut down into the jaw and round it out. If you have a heart shaped face, same thing—you want longer layers and a side bang cut down and over so that it makes oval.

Beautyfix: How often do pixie haircuts need to be trimmed to maintain the shape?

JJ: Every four weeks. Short hair cuts need to be cut a lot more often than long hair cuts.

Beautyfix: Any tips on how to gracefully grow out a pixie cut?

JJ: Hair accessories are the best way to grow out any hair-do. Once it gets to chin length and lower, get extensions if it’s that torturous for you.

flickr user rainpie

I have been without a blow dryer for over three months. This statement might shock you, as it did most of my co-workers, but it’s true. My last blow dryer (not the best hair dryer in the world but a trusty $29.99 drugstore brand) had a good run but ultimately went up in flames. Literally, flames…mid blow dry. I’m just not sure why I went all of three months without purchasing a new one. It could have been laziness, cheapness, or a subliminal nostalgia for my youth, when I was a competitive swimmer and had perpetually wet hair. Whatever the reason, I lived by way of air drying and declared a strike against purchasing a new blow dryer. I would even go as far as making a trip to the gym before a big meeting or event, specifically to use their hair dryers. Weird, I know.

Last weekend, I finally buckled. I had 45 minutes to shower and get ready for a wedding, which meant no time for a quick gym/borrowed blow dryer visit. Facing defeat, I made a visit to the beauty supply store by my house, where I stood in shock, taken aback by the overwhelming variety of blow dryers, features and technology. There were dozens of blow dryers, all boasting breakthrough science and revolutionary patents—and not one of them resembled my previous $29.99 model in any way, least of all in price. In a fit of pure frustration, I selected the cheapest (a mere $119!) blow dryer on display, paid, and left.

Grudgingly, I admit that my hair felt so much better after drying it with my new, expensive (relatively speaking) blow dryer. I began to wonder: is there some actual merit behind all the patenting and revolutionary technology?  Luckily, I have a wealth of knowledge at my fingertips, thanks to my extremely beauty-savvy coworkers (after all, our company is called Intelligent Beauty). For this particular question, I quizzed Jac, our non-official hair care expert.  She informed me that while it isn’t always the price tag that determines the best blow dryers, there are certainly key terms, technological aspects and features to look for when purchasing a blow dryer.

Here are some helpful tips:

• Make sure your blow dryer is at least 1800 watts. This ensures adequate power to blow dry your hair. (Lower wattages = more time to dry, resulting in more heat damage to the hair.)
• Ionic Technology is a fairly common phrase in the hair care world. It refers to a technology that generates negative ions that neutralize positive ions in the atmosphere. This process allows hair to dry faster, seals the cuticle, and reduces frizz, leaving hair smooth and shiny.
• A ceramic hair dryer actually has a self-regulating system that senses if the dryer is getting too hot. The air flow is at the right temperature, and the coils are made out of ceramic as well.
• Tourmaline blow dryers utilize a technology that speeds up the drying process by about 60%, which ultimately reduces damage caused by heat.
• Another feature to look for in a good blow dryer: different temperature and speed settings, which allow you to adjust your preferences manually.

The moral of the story? There are several different options fitting for several different bank accounts.  The reigning king of the blow drying world is the T3 Featherweight Luxe, which actually nourishes the hair. For a more budget-friendly blow dryer, opt for something along the lines of the Conair Tourmaline Ceramic Ionic Styler. Just make sure your blow dryer has at least one of the features listed above. It all comes down to amount of time spent drying—less time, less heat, the better the blow dryer!

Flickr User: Dia

Kronos is a line that utilizes T-Sphere technology to get optimal results and performance. Kronos aims to improve the permeation of its active ingredients and helps to target the areas in need helping your scalp and hair be healthier and more beautiful. The Kronos K-Charge Discovery Kit has 4 products in it:

Kronos K-Charge Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner – This moisturizing shampoo and paired conditioner have little bit of a citrus smell to it. They are designed to gently remove excess oils and debris while at the same time adding some volume to it. The conditioner strengthens, repairs and nourishes your hair while providing exceptional moisture. At the same time of cleaning and moisturizing, it’s sulfate free for an added bonus. From using these two, you’ll notice a difference right away when you dry your hair.

Liquid Theory Conditioning Spray – This is a leave in conditioning treatment meant to help moisturize, improve styling and protect from hair color fading. Liquid theory is a fabulous hair treatment to add to your styling regimen. To use, spritz your hair (while wet) from roots to ends and then style away. This conditioning spray tames frizz to give you a sleek look for any occasion.

PHYX – This was available in a larger size from season 1, but it was loved so much why not have it in a travel kit? After all travel season needs little sizes with little cute bags to accompany them. PHYX is an overnight hair treatment masque made to work overnight to repair and replenish your hair. I love all hair masques, but this one is magical and has never had better results. After using this, your dry, unmanageable hair becomes soft, silky and resilient. Don’t let the overnight instruction scare you, once you put this on your head before sleeping, it won’t be rubbing off into an oily mess on your pillow. To use, distribute PHYX throughout your DRY hair before going to sleep. In the morning, shampoo, condition, rinse and style as usual. Gorgeous hair will follow.

Think you’ve tried every frizz-kicking trick in the book? Think again! NaturallyCurly.com, the online oasis for curlies since 1998, provides some unique and unconventional methods of fighting frizz, even in the most humid weather:

frizzy hair	A natural fabric softener can be a great way to make your curls less frizzy. Simply use as any other conditioner and apply after shampooing. Keep some dryer sheets in your purse to use in a pinch and stroke the dryer sheet in a downward motion. Dryer sheets are also great for eliminating static cling. Breast milk is a natural deep conditioner, it contains the appropriate amounts of protein and fat to condition hair and reduce frizz. It also packs essential vitamins and minerals that help combat dry hair. Fill a spray bottle with breast milk, spray locks thoroughly and proceed with your normal hair washing routine. Take one cup of flat, room-temperature beer and work into hair after shampooing, then rinse with cold water. The vitamin B and natural sugars in beer add body and shine, while acting as a natural setting lotion that increases resilience, vitality and hold. Apply KY Jelly just like any gel. Don’t worry: this remedy isn’t x-rated! Use sparingly or mixed in with other products. This paste will condition each hair strand section by section; simply smooth through curls with your fingers. Rinse, and behold silky, restored, beautiful hair. You can also apply to dry hair to define curls and smooth frizz. Leaving the house without knowing the weather report can trip up even the most prepared frizz-fighter. Stay a step ahead of the weather with NaturallyCurly’s Frizz Forecast™.  The Frizz Forecast provides the humidity conditions for your specific area, as well as high and low temperatures for the day.
ABOUT MICHELLE BREYER:
Michelle Breyer Michelle Breyer co-founded www.NaturallyCurly.com, a website for curly hair that she launched with her business partner and friend, Gretchen Heber. Spending most of her life as a journalist, Ms. Breyer never dreamed she would develop the leading source of information for specialty beauty products. It was the Texas humidity that inspired both Ms. Breyer and Ms. Heber to search for information to help them manage their curly hair and find appropriate beauty products. They were frustrated by the dearth of information on curly hair, and the lack of products on the market. One of their curly hair rants, at a brunch, was the inspiration behind NaturallyCurly.com. They launched the site in September of that year with the help of a 14-year-old Web designer. They see unlimited potential for their venture. More than 50 percent of the world’s population has curly hair. Ms. Breyer’s personal experience with her curly hair, and as the mother of a curly haired daughter, has helped her recognize the challenges faced each day by those with curls and kinks. With a deep personal connection, she can relate well to the community, and is a role model to inspire others to learn to love their curls and kinks. Ms. Breyer lives in Texas with her husband and daughter.