We have a winner!

Judy from Minnesota won my “friends don’t let friends use shampoo” contest! Judy will be receiving over $100 in Chaz Dean’s Wen products!

Friends Don’t Let Friends Use Shampoo (+ giveaway!)

One of celebrity stylist Chaz Dean‘s mottos is “friends don’t let friends use shampoo.” If you haven’t already heard about Chaz Dean’s products (or read about them in my previous posting), now is the time to discover the difference between your current hair products and Chaz Dean’s Wen products.

Why?
Chaz just released a new product- Volumizing Treatment Spray. Adding to his extensive line of cleansing conditioners, body cleansing cremes, styling products and lotions, the Lavender Volumizing Treatment Spray came at the request of his many avid customers and celebrity clients (let’s just say he refers to Nicollette Sheridan as “Nicky”). The Volumizing Treatment Spray was designed for use on wet OR dry hair, and can be used for volume and as a finishing spray in place of hairspray. I know- it doesn’t sound possible… but it is! I had the pleasure of meeting Chaz and got a run down of his entire line of Wen products. The theory behind the entire Wen line was to ditch the harsh detergents and chemicals in your current products that cause color fading/stripping, frizz, and dry hair, and use natural, environmentally safe products that make your hair beautiful while keeping it healthy! I have been using the Lavender Volumizing Treatment Spray for a few weeks now and I love it! My hair feels thicker and never falls flat at the end of the day anymore!

To celebrate this great new product, I am giving away a set of Wen products to one lucky reader- valued at over $100!

Win over $100 of Wen Products

Here’s what I’m giving away!

• Wen Tea Tree Nourishing Body Lotion
• Wen Tea Tree Cleansing Creme
• Wen Lavender Cleansing Conditioner (My other favorite! Leaves your hair baby soft and super smooth)
• Wen Lavender Styling Creme
• Wen fig-scented Candle
• Oh, and I threw in some hair bands : )

HOW TO ENTER

1. For 1 entry into the giveaway: Simply leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite hair product is and why- even if it isn’t a Chaz Dean product! Be sure to leave your name and an e-mail address so I can contact you if you win!

2. For an additional entry, Tweet about this giveaway with a link back to this post (http://bit.ly/HU5mg) and @BCISS in the tweet for your entry to count!

Please have all entries in by Midnight on Friday, July 10 (Eastern time). I will announce the winner on Monday July 13. Regardless of whether you win or not- all Wen products can be found on www.ChazDean.com!

Good luck!

BCISS

Stop the Humidity-Hair Horror Show!

This NYC weather has been absolutely wretched for tresses lately- one morning it’s raining and humid and the next is sunny and dry! I have gathered a team of stylists a hem… products… that help me battle the humid/unpredictable conditions!

Redken Outshine 01

FIGHT FRIZZ
I used to not even bother straightening my hair on days I knew it was going to be humid outside- because my baby curls (yes, at the age of 23 i still call them baby curls)  tend to wind up and stick out with the slightest hint of dew in the air. Luckily, I discovered Outshine 01 from Redken. It is infused with shea butter to keep frizz under control, and it leaves hair feeling light- not locked down.

Scruples Rock Hard

HOLD TIGHT

Scruples’ rock hard finishing spray will keep your hair in place without leaving it sticky or tacky. I have found that it can hold curls all day long, and I also use it to keep volume by spraying it under my roots! All of Scruples’ hair products help to improve hair’s inner strength and they contain no animal ingredients or by-products. They can all be found on ScruplesHairCare.com.

Aussie Sprunch Spray

SCRUNCH UP

I do not believe that all hair products have to cost a lot of money to work- and Aussie‘s Sprunch Spray does just what it sounds like- it waves your hair up when you scrunch it while drying. This is a great solution when you are running late and your hair is still a little damp- or when you wake up late to crazy bends in your hair- spray in wet or dry hair and scrunch it up for beach-casual waves! I have been using this product since high school, and I am so glad it is now available in aerosal, too!

Redken Sun Sparkle

PROTECT
Redken’s Color Extend Sun Sparkling Shield is a must for summer hair protection! The spray in solution provides water-resistant protection against UVA/UVB rays, chlorine and other minerals. Apply all day while swimming or at the beach to protect AND create a polished finish.

Scruples Hypershine Spray

REPAIR

I’m sure your stylist has told you that all of those heating tools can do a ton of damage to your hair. Now you can protect and repair with a product that enhances your style while saving your hair- Scruples Hypershine Repair Spray. It can protects hair when applied before styling and then as a finishing gloss when you are done! Enhanced with argan oil, Hypershine  leaves hair both healthy and shiny (and it smells great too)!

WEN Tea Tree Cleansing Conditioner

CONDITION
As I wrote about in a previous post, I received WEN’s Tea Tree Cleansing Conditioner in a gift bag from a fashion event last month. I have since been able to try it out, and I love love love the results of using this as a deep conditioning treatment! It smells refreshing and it leaves my hair baby soft!

Lingerie Done Right- Not Done Repetitively

While I do love Victoria’s Secret and other mass marketed lingerie brands, sometimes I want something more unique. There is just something about wearing a cute/sexy/flirty bra that makes the day brighter- even if you are the only one who knows you are wearing it! These are some of my favorite brands (sans-VS):

Honeydew Intimates

Honeydew Intimates Anchor Set

I recently discovered Honeydew Intimates– a line of pretty intimate apparel with a flirty and sexy twist. The newest collection for spring and summer includes bright colors, girly prints, and great selection of cuts and styles! From polka dot thongs with cute bra-strap adjustable sides to ruffly boy shorts, there is a fit for every girl. My favorite set this season is the anchor boy short and bralet set, shown to the right. After realizing the great prices, the next thing I realized when I first tried Honeydew Intimates was the comfortable and luxuriously soft fabrics! Even wearing the g-string, I felt like I had nothing on. Honeydew Intimates has a bunch of cami sets as well- which I may be investing in soon considering my new obsession. Check them out on honeydewintimates.com!

Follow Honeydew Intimates on Twitter: @HoneydewIntimates

Natori Bukhara Robe

Natori

My Natori robe is my favorite thing to get ready in- it’s super soft and light weight and the cut is flattering, unlike a big fat bath robe. Natori is a bit more expensive, but they are definitely quality products with a great sex appeal. Natori has all sorts of intimate apparel and even different collections (including the great robe pictured), and they can all be found here.

Follow Natori on Twitter: @NatoriCompany

Figleaves

Figleaves Trellis Bra

Figleaves.com is a great place to buy a variety of intimate brands. But did you know Figleaves has its own brand, as well? And they recently expanded their offerings into a clothing line! I still haven’t ordered any of their great new dresses, but they are worth taking a look. The bra pictured to the right is the Trellis Embroidered Bra by Figleaves.

Follow Figleaves on Twitter: @FigleavesHome

E.l.f Follow Up

As Brandi Commented on my previous E.l.f. posting, you get what you pay for when you are buying $1 products. The colored lip gloss I bought was a great red, but I only used the gloss a couple of days before I was scraping the sides of the tube to get some of the last drops. I also bought an eyebrow pencil, which looked fine but felt kind of sticky in my brows and would have been too light for anyone with brunette hair/eyebrows. Finally- the blush brush I bought is actually holding up better than I thought. There is no noticeable bristle loss but it isn’t a very full brush, so I still prefer my older brushes. Overall, I would recommend e.l.f. products only if you wanted to try something new (like how I tried using the eye brow pencil) before you buy the same kind of product from a higher quality brand.

E-card= Economical

A few of my favorite websites have Holiday e-cards featured on their site this year for you to send to all of your friends. So if you are looking to save some postage but still want to send something out, try one of the following:

BCBG Holiday Cards    Choose from one of 3 holiday cards featuring BCBG, Herve Leger and a holiday quote

Sephora Mistletoe Makeover    Like the Office Max “Elf Yourself” campaign but much more beautiful! Sephora allows you to upload a picture of yourself and get four different holiday looks in less than 5 minutes. Send your friends your Merry Makeover when you’re done with a holiday wish!

Bluefly.com    For those of you who always like a sweepstakes- you can go to Bluefly.com and enter their “Fashion your own Holiday Story Sweepstakes” Just pick some adjectives and designer duds from a list, and they create a fashionable mad lib for you to forward on to your friends! The best part is- each e-mail enters you for a chance to win $500 shopping money for Bluefly!

Christmas e.l.f.

I was recently sent a chain e-mail telling me that Nordstrom acquired a makeup company called “Eyes Lips Face” and that the brand was now selling away all of its makeup at $1+ prices. I had never heard of Eyes, Lips, Face before, and after doing some research I discovered this:

e.l.f. Plumping Lip Glaze

The Nordstrom fact may or may not be true, but ELF prices have been the same for at least the last two years! Their philosophy is to provide their consumers products with the same ingredients and packaging technology as higher end, more expensive counterparts- but they sell most of their products @ $1 a pop!  I ordered a few things just to test them out (angle brush, blush brush, red “plumping” lip gloss, and brow pencil/highlighter) but I’m really not expecting anything phenomenal. They have been featured in magazines such as Allure, Okay Magazine, etc., but I’m still skeptical. The great thing is- if I’m disappointed, I’m only out $10! That can’t even buy me 1/3 of a mascara from my usual brands! Has anyone ever tried this brand? If so- leave a comment and tell me what you thought. I will be sure to update you when my shipment gets in.

Bronze Beauty

When you are working full time, like I am this summer, it is hard to maintain a summer tan. I swore to myself to stay out of tanning beds after I graduated college, so now I have to rely on bronzers and beach time to keep a nice color. The following three bronzers are my top picks:

 

 

I recently bought a new bronzer from NARS called “Laguna.” It has a touch of shimmer but just enough so that you can wear it day and night without looking over done. I like the compact it came in and it is long lasting – I’ve been using it daily for a month and have barely put a dent in it.

Available at Sephora, $29

 

 

This blush and bronzer duo from Sugar is perfect for highlighting your cheeks or for all over color. Use with a nice Kabuki brush to apply to collar bone and shoulders for a night out.

Sugar Blush & Bronzer Duo 

Available at Ulta, $28

 

 

My favorite bronzer is made by Prescriptives. It is a liquid powder that goes on with a brush. When it hits your skin there is a cooling sensation, because it has a high water content. This is hypo-allergenic, and gives lots of natural looking color. Check out the Prescriptives website if you haven’t before, they have a lot of innovative beauty products that are all good for your skin. You can even create your own lip gloss in their custom blend section.

Sunsheen Cooling Bronzer Powder

Available at Prescriptives, $35