Hot Tools Black Gold Charcoal Infused One-Step Blowout

A bulky blow dryer in the hand.

For one week I used Hot Tools One-Step Blowout dryer (price $80). Other retailers have a blow dryer wand including: Revlon ($59), Conair ($48) and Dyson ($500). The Hot Tools unit is marketed as a blow dryer used by professional stylists.

Did I like it? Yes ... but not as much as my Conair 1875 Watt 3-in-1 Styling Hair Blowdryer (see photo below; cost $20). If you already have a blow dryer you like, you definitely will not need a wand (also called a hot air brush). My Conair Styler does everything the new wands do better! There is no rod to wrap your hair around, but it doesn't matter!

The Hot Tools hot air brush is easy to use and has good heat output to dry thick hair quickly just like my Conair Styler. But as I said, my type of blow dryer performs several functions better! Moreover it only costs $20 versus $80 for the new Hot Tools wand.

The Hot Tools Blowout is heavier and bulky, while the Conair Styler is sturdy, yet light and compact. The Conair blow dryer has 3 attachments, which are detachable. Not so with the Hot Tools' (or Revlon's) blow dryer wands, which have a single non-detachable brush. If after time and use, the bristles fall or wear out, you must buy a new blow dryer. You can replace my Conair Styler's 3 attachments as needed like you can with the Conair and Dyson wands. But jeez, look what you're paying for the Dayson wand ... $500!

I expect the new one-step wands to be more advanced, as well as, more convenient to use over my Conair Styler, but, their bulky bodies make them less so in my experience. The fact that I can twirl my hair around a rod isn't an advantage. The motion doesn't add greater volume, or body to my hair over the Conair Styler, nor do I end up with curls at the ends with staying power. It seems I get the same, if not more, volume with my reliable Conair Styler by blowing out my hair upside down (i.e. with a downward tilted head).

And too, my Conair Styler adds more shine and smoothness to my hair than the Hot Tools wand type. I think this is due to using a comb attachment, as opposed to, going through my hair with the bristles of a brush. And as mentioned, with the Hot Tools wand, you only get one option, a non-detachable brush to blowout your hair. The Conair Styler's comb tames frizz better.

Surprisingly, Conair's comb attachment is gentler on my scalp also. Even though the Hot Tool's brush doesn't scratch my scalp, it leaves it raw ... and I'm unsure if this would feel more severe over a longer period of use.

Still the champion!

Finally the Conair 1875 Styler blow dryer dries my hair in less time (under 5 minutes). Its compact body allows you to move it through a full head of hair faster and with more passes. The Hot Tools wand (i.e. hot air brush) is more of a workout to use, requiring more turns of the wrist to pass over and through the hair. Its bulk makes it slightly awkward to use.

Don't get me wrong: Hot Tools One-Step Blowout does its job of drying the hair straight with less frizz. Everybody on the Internet is loving the new blow dryer wands. Yet they are not comparing them to the Conair 1875 Styler blow dryer, and I am. 

The verdict is in: The Conair 1875 Watt 3-in-1 Styler is still the champ. Better performance for less cash! To straighten long,  medium, or short length hair, I highly recommend it over the hot air brushes ... at least for now. Wait for the next generation of wand blow dryers to become slimmer, cheaper and come with detachable combs and brushes.


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L'Orèal's Air Dry It Hair Series

I wash and blow dry my hair every day, but sometimes I get tired of the ritual, and even with heat protecting conditioners, it's healthy to give hair a break from heat. Unfortunately avoiding electric stylers and heat usually leaves your hair untamed and messy. A sad, unappealing sight that can now be remedied! L'Oèal has launched an exciting series of styling products to give hair: body, shine, smoothness and texture, sans the heat, i.e. by letting it air dry naturally. Best of all, the new stylers do their work without leaving your hair, sticky, flaky, crunchy or stiff. The end result is soft, touchable hair that has fullness, hold, shine and texture.

L'Oèal's Advanced Air Dry It hair stylers include:

1) Ruffled Body Mousse - Perfect for curly and wavy hair. Creates a soft, ruffled look. Extra tip: Flip head upside down and scrump the ends with your figures to add volume.

2) Undone Style Cream - Perfect for straight or wavy hair. Gives an undone, soft and shiny look. Extra tip: Apply to the ends of the hair for added smoothness.

3) Waved Swept Spray - Perfect for all hair types. Produces a natural , textured, wavy look. Extra tip: Spray on wet and braided locks of hair for extra waves.

These new hair products save time: Natural, effortless, shiny, full, smooth hair ... minus the heat. Wow, envision going away without packing your blow dryer, straightener or curling iron! Each product costs under $5.


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Diptyque Toiletries Are Exquisite

Despite the friendly staff and comfortable, clean setting, hotel life minus the vacation is idiotic. Nonetheless, there are several perks that come in small bottles:

Each morning the hotel dispenses mini Diptyque shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and lotion. Sourire jusqu'aux oreilles! Perhaps Diptyque is best known for its high end scented candles, which are pleasant and never overpowering. Just like its subtle aromatic candles, the French retailer's toiletries are exquisite. Let's take a closer look:

1) Shampooing Shampoo - The shampoo, as well as, conditioner and skin gel have notes of bergamot, green mandarins, peppermint and neroli. Each is very clean smelling and gentle. The shampoo thoroughly cleans all hair types.

2) Apres-Shampooing conditioner - The conditioner adds moisture and shine to every hair type. It tames without weighing tresses down.

3) Gel Lavant Shower Gel - A multi-tacker: In addition to fresh shower gel, I use it to hand wash a piece of clothing in a hotel sink. Gentler on my hands then Woolite or dish washing liquid: Add a squirt to hot water; soak the article until the water cools to lukewarm; rub a bit and raise. Hang overnight to dry. 

4) Lait Fris Fresh Lotion for the Body - I wanted to love this product too, but no. It smells musky and cheap like dollar store lotion; and instead of moisturizing my skin, it feels tight and dry. Pass!

Squeezing the luxurious products out of their bottles is not easy (requiring two hands), but worth the effort! Fabulous beauty finds!

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LUSH Shampoo And Conditioner Bars

Sunday, April 22nd is Earth Day, a time to celebrate and show respect for our environment. One way we can take better care of our planet is to reduce our consumption of plastic. Much on it ends up in landfills.

LUSH, the retailer of "fresh homemade beauty" products, makes scent-sensational, herbal blends of solid shampoo bars and conditioner bars that are also environmentally friendly. The botanical  shampoos and conditioners come in the form of solid pucks. They remove the need for storing product in plastic bottles.

Compact and lathering up well, one small bar lasts for 3 - 4 months, or about 80 hair washings. Costing $10 - $12 per bar, it is the equivalent of a few 8 ounce bottles of liquid shampoo, so you might even save a few bucks. Another advantage, they are easy to take on trips.

Lush offers a variety of different formula's of shampoo and conditioner bars to add shine, volume, calm an itchy scalp, stimulate new hair growth, or just clean and smell amazing. You choose your treatment according to hair type and decide if you want to buy the silver tins for an additional $3.95 to house your shampoo and conditioner bars. At times the tins are given away with the purchase of the soaps. Look for it to happen on Earth Day!

Watch how a LUSH shampoo bar is made.

Jason And The Argon Oil Shampoo Bar and Jungle Hair Conditioner Bar

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Bangs Are Back

Photo: Pruetrend.com

Reportedly, bangs are the next big hair trend. Never completely out of style, now they have a new name: Fringe, as in, "There's a fringe for everybody." 

Photo: Elle - Salma Hayek

Like a lot of little girls, I wore bangs for about 10 years. I wore them again for another 10 years shortly after graduating from college. I will probably never willingly cut my hair into bangs again. Why you may ask?

Photo: Elle - Bella Hadid

Because bangs are a commitment. When I had bangs I bought a  professional pair of hair scissors in order to trim the fringe myself in between haircuts. If you can't trim your own bangs, you will be booking hair appointments every 2 weeks.

Photo: Elle - Jennifer Garner

And growing bangs out takes patience galore and aplenty of awkward in-between lengths before they reach the measure of the rest of your hair. You get accustomed to looking stupid and trying stupid things while growing out your bangs, including securing the fringe with bobby pins, barrettes, mousse, hair stray, even swallowing vitamins in an attempt to accelerate the growing process.

Photo: Elle/Getty - Rihanna

Now that I'm older, I like my oval face (winkles and all!) without bangs better. So fringe on people, straight across your forehead ... no fringe benefits for me this time around. My days of the fringe have ended. How about you?


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Fashion Hendricks' 5 Must-Have Products For Summer Hair

Today we are in for a treat! Fashion Hendricks, celebrity hairstylist and owner of Manhattan's popular NYC Weave Studio, is sharing 5 of her favorite hair products for the summer with the readers of THE SAVVY SHOPPER.

Ms. Henricks is passionate about making clients look and feel beautiful! Her trendy salon has glowing reviews from tons of returning customers; and the distinguished hair stylist has appeared on television shows, such as Jerseylicious, The Nate Berkus Show and Tyler Perry's Meet The Browns.

Here are Fashion's 5 picks to tame and style your tresses all summer long. They are suitable for every hair texture to counter the elements of the dog days ahead, including: sun, humidity and heat.

1) Watermelon Love Drops (by Fashion Hair Solutions) - A humidity frizz buster and heat protectant. With a light scent of watermelon, it adds a clear shine to dry hair. Won't weigh hair down and protects hair from sun damage. Fashion says, be sure "to bring this little bottle of awesomeness to the beach!" 

2) It's A 10 Minute Styling Serum (available at any drugstore) - The serum protects colored hair, seals the cuticle and resists humidity.

3) Shaper Plus (by Sebastian) - This is Fashion's go to light hair spray, which she says is a must! Even after lots of brushing, this light spray still holds a style!

4) Bee Mine Luscious Balanced Cream Moisturizer (by Bee Mine Natural & Organics) - This moisturizer will single handily restore your hair to good health "after abuse from the sun, heat styling and saltwater," according to Fashion: "It repairs ends and strengthens hair from root to tip."

5) Got2b Ultra Glued Invincible Styling Gel (available at drugstores, Walmart and Target) - For vertical styles and smooth, sleek ponytails. Fashion likes this gel because "it's not sticky and won't disappoint. It keeps every strain in place! Talk about taming, this one is it!"

Well, lucky SAVVY SHOPPERS, you now have the wisdom of a hair professional! These hair products really work ... without breaking the bank. Many thanks, Ms. Fashion Hendricks, for your awesome recommendations! Here's to a summer of good hair days!

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Top Heat Protectors For Blow Dryer And Flat Iron Users

Photo: Farouk

Every day I wash and blow dry my hair. Some days I also get out my flat iron to eliminate frizz. If you apply heat to your locks daily like I do, it is essential for the health of your hair to use a spray on/leave in hair protector before you blast and fry your locks dry.

Usually I don't like styling products in my hair. What's the point of a wash if your hair feels stiff from mousse, gels and volumizers? So I don't use them. The one exception is a heat protector:

My favorite is Tresemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer. While it guards against heat damage during a blow dry, I can't feel the product in my hair. It leaves my hair clean, soft and shiny. It seems to reduce frizz too. On windy days, I also spray it on dry hair to get out tangles. 

Garnier's Frutis Style Flat Iron Perfector is another effective spray-on treatment. It's a close second only because I do feel product coating my mop of fine hair after a blow dry. For coarse hair, this may not be the case. Containing argon oil, it is sold as a straightening mist. The spray tames frizz and leaves hair looking sleek.

Choice is good! Tresemme (about $6.50 for 8 ounces) is slightly more expensive than Garnier (about $3.50 for 6 ounces), but both are sold at the corner drug store where there is often a 2 for 1 deal, so you can try them both to decide which is best for the texture of your hair. Thereafter, you can benefit when one of them goes on sale.

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Are Expensive Flat Irons Better?

The IZUTECH Flat Iron is $200 smackers

Yes, sometimes they are better, but not necessarily. When you use a flat iron to straighten, you are frying your hair. Just like a good kitchen skillet, a good flat iron gets hot quickly and conducts heat evenly. It lets you straighten strains of hair with a single pass. The frizz is conquered while doing the least amount of damage to the hair.

Look for ceramic, titanium, or tourmaline plates. Some of the super cheap flat irons might be made of materials that don't conduct heat as well as ceramic, titanium or tourmaline does; or have a thin ceramic, or titanium coating (over aluminum) that wears out fast. Look for solid not coated plates.

One-inch plates are perfect. Smaller than one inch, and the process of straightening takes all day; and over one inch is hard to control. Speaking of control, look for a flat iron that allows you to adjust the heat. Smooth, floating plates -- they extend beyond the surface -- won't pull or break off your hair.

Personally, I own a $19.99 model, called the BioSilk Ergonomic Tourmaline Flat Iron that I got at Bed, Bath and Beyond. It is made by Farouk, the same manufacturer of the popular, high end CHI Flat Irons. It heats in 10 seconds. Purchasing it was pure dumb luck. I give it 5 stars for performance and durability.

While I wouldn't settle for a lemon, I don't like paying $100+ for a flat iron since they all burn out eventually with use. So if you take a chance on a flat iron for less, go with one made by a company well known in the hair industry. They know the terrain, and you can return what doesn't work out. Also examine the flat iron: Like the looks and feel of it.

The Remington Anti-Frizz Therapy Straightener is getting raves. Under $45, it has the important features, plus excellent customer satisfaction. Again, I'd rather replace two of these than one $100+ flat iron. Pay the piper only if you get value. Unfortunately, hair appliances don't last twice as long because they are twice the cost. So perhaps you don't need the top of the line, you just need a straightener that performs as it should. Leave some bucks in your wallet on this buy!

Next I'll write a follow up blog on heat protectors, a hair styling essential when frying your hair. :) Stay tuned!

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Make Waves With This Y.S. Park Ion Diffuser

Make Waves With This Y.S. Park Ion Diffuser

Photo: Y.S. Park: The diffuser comes in two sizes.

The Japanese have invented a softer, better hair diffuser. Women with curls or waves often use a plastic diffuser over a blow dryer to tame and style their hair. It reduces frizz.

The Y.S. Park Ion Diffuser is cloth, not plastic. It weighs almost nothing. Top stylists report that using the Japanese diffuser leaves a wavy head of hair shinier, smoother and softer ... all in less blow drying time than when using traditional diffusers. Hairstylists also say that unlike other diffusers, this one stays put; ties prevent it from falling off the nozzle as you blow dry.

The nylon mesh on the front is infused with silver and titanium to produce negative ions, which reduce both blow drying time and static electricity.

Leave it to the Japanese to develop innovative beauty tools! Get better results faster -- cute ringlets and luscious waves with greater ease. This sounds like a terrific investment!

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Hair Tools: Goody Spin Pins

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Hair Tools: Goody Spin Pins

I have fine hair, but lots of it. Although cut uniform in length, it's slippery, or something. Bobby pins and barrettes will slide out of my hair even before I step away from the mirror, but these spin pins will secure an updo. I have no idea how they work, but they do. Hair stays in place. Each of the spin pins claim to do the job of 20 bobby pins. You simply twirl you hair up, twist it into a bun and literally screw the pins in.  

When you want to take your bun out and let your hair down, you unscrew the spin pins by turning them in the opposite direction, as you would with regular screws. They have round edges and don't seem to harm the hair. The only mistake you can make is twisting your bun too tight. A tight bun is too dense, and you won't be able to spin the pins through your hair with ease. Using them, you can create a polished or messy bun. Available in two colors: light (for blonds) or dark (for everybody else). Costs: $6.

Photo: BabesInHairland, their channel here

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