Change of Address

Hello!

To make things less confusing & more search-able,

we are COMBINING our blogs!

Now just go to brainybeautyblogs.com for all product reviews!

Perfume reviews still available on perfume fiend.

Menfolk-- Gifted Guys Groom is still up & running for you.

New from LUSH

From the great minds at LUSH:

LUSH is known for the frothy fun it brings to bathtubs and showers, but we get serious when it comes to giving good hair. All of our hair care products have a trained trichologist behind them, our founder Mark Constantine. Trichology is the scientific study of the hair and scalp, which includes the identification, diagnosis and treatment of hair and scalp conditions. LUSH is interested in TREATING problems, not just masking them - although we do like to mask the hair with nutritious ingredients from time to time. In an effort to help you manage your mane, we’ve created three limited edition haircare gifts launching in LUSH stores and www.LUSH.com on July 18th for the most common hair conditions.

VOLUME AND SHINE: Take hair up a couple of notches with our Volume and Shine set. Our Big shampoo uses sea salt to conjure up more volume than you thought was possible while our lightweight Veganese conditions without flattening hair. Switch it up with our Ultimate Shine shampoo bar and Marilyn hair treatment for shiny hair you can see from miles away.

• Contents: Marilyn, Big Shampoo, Ultimate Shine Shampoo Bar, Veganese Conditioner

PROTECT AND NOURISH: If your hair is a frizzy, dry or simply out-of-control, this is the set for you. Curly Wurly shampoo shows hair who’s boss with coconut and vanilla while Jasmine and & Henna Fluff Eaze smoothes with jojoba and Brazil nut oil. R&B revives and balances misbehaving hair and Jungle conditioner keeps everything tame.

• Contents: Jasmine & Henna Fluff Eaze, Curly Wurly Shampoo, R&B, Jungle Conditioner

BALANCE AND REPAIR: Wipe the slate clean and start over with the Balance and Repair set. Rehab deeply cleanses while Retread conditioner nourishes hair with yogurt, soy milk and olive oil. The H’Suan Wen Hua hair treatment is an extra step that pampers hair with avocado and eggs.

• Contents: H’Suan Wen Hua, Rehab Shampoo, Jumping Juniper Shampoo Bar, Retread Conditioner

Miss Jessie’s Partners with Black Girl with Long Hair to Celebrate Natural Hair in Chicago

Chicago, IL. -- On Sunday, July 24, 2011 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. leading natural hair company Miss Jessie’s will team up with award-winning, Chicago-based website Black Girl with Long Hair for the July Chicago Naturals Meetup, a day-long celebration of the growing natural hair community in Chicago.

Held at the Little Black Pearl Art and Design Center in Chicago’s historic Kenwood neighborhood, the July Chicago Naturals Meetup will include a giveaway of 400 gift bags, containing full-sized Miss Jessie’s products, as well as, an hour long styling demonstration by Titi and Miko Branch, founders of Miss Jessie’s. " We are so happy about the opportunity to meet with this prestigious group of Chicago Naturals and can't wait to share tips and hair stories about the journey into natural hair," says Titi and Miko. There will be more than 40 local vendors, natural women, selling everything from jewelry to vintage clothing to beauty products. The event is open to all hair types – relaxed, transitioning and natural.

“This event is not just about hair care, it’s a celebration of the natural hair culture and community that has grown in Chicago,” says Leila Noelliste, founder and editor of Black Girl with Long Hair, “It’s an honor to have a leading, internationally recognized natural hair company come on board and share in what we’re doing here. The reputation of the Miss Jessie’s brand adds real legitimacy to an already notable event.”

Since their start in March 2010 Chicago naturals meetups have grown from 40 to more than 600 attendees, with women flying in from Detroit and New York.

ABOUT MISS JESSIE’S

Sisters Miko and Titi Branch are the founders of Miss Jessie’s™, a hair care collection developed specifically for those with naturally curly, kinky, and wavy hair, as well as Miss Jessie’s Salon in SoHo, NY. With a reputation as “The First Ladies in Curly Hair Care,” Miss Jessie’s™ products are well-known throughout the hair care industry, and have a loyal curly cult following across the country and world.

For more information visit www.missjessies.com

ABOUT BLACK GIRL WITH LONG HAIR

Founded in April 2008 by journalist Leila Noelliste, Black Girl with Long Hair quickly became a leading voice on natural hair care and culture. It has been recognized by TheRoot.com as one of the 30 most influential black blogs and received the 2010 Black Weblog Award for Best Culture Blog. It is one of the highest traffic black beauty blogs, with an average 20,000 daily views.

For more information visit bglhonline.com

Summer's Hot Hair Tips from Pureology'​s Natasha Sunshine

With Summer just around the corner, Natasha Sunshine, Owner of Byu-ti Hair Therapy, A Pureology Salon gives quick and easy haircare tips that will keep hair looking fabulous and leave more time to do the things you want to do, like get to the beach!

1. Use a leave-in conditioner every time you wash and follow with a spray that has UV protection like Pureology Essential Repair Colour Max to keep sun damage to a minimum and your colour looking fresh all summer long.

2. Don't skimp on your upkeep. Reserve your summer salon visits in advance to keep your hair colour vibrant and your ends free of damage.

3. Air dry as much as possible. For girls with curls or waves, use a cocktail of Pureology Essential Repair Instant Repair and your favorite styler (I love Pureology Colour Stylist Nourishing Nectar sculpting gel!). Then twist your curls away from the face and let dry naturally. Once dry, scrunch for soft but defined waves.

HOT TIP: Slick hair into a clean ponytail or ballerina bun with Pureology Essential Repair Colour Max before heading to the beach for extra sun protection.

Red Door Hair Help for Summer

Skip the frizz and unwanted bulk and volume with these hair styling tips from top stylist - Zahir Ziani, the National Creative Director at Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spas – A Luxury Day Spa & Hair Salon.

· Don’t touch! – Playing or touching your hair can loosen the style out of its shape and create friction causing hair to expand, increasing volume and frizz

· Be cool – Skip blow drying and heated styling tools when you can in the summer. Excess heat can your damage hair cuticles and cause parched, frizzy hair

· Go long – When temperatures and humidity are at their highest, control your hair by keeping it long and heavy. The trick I use with all my clients is to add in curl to the ends with a roller so hair becomes “anchored” or weighed down

· Accept change – The texture of your hair will fluctuate with the seasons, so the products you use in spring may not be effective for smoothing hair and taming frizz during summer. The Kerastase BAIN OLÉO-RELAX is a perfect summertime beauty essential!

· Wear SPF – Hair, like skin, needs protection from harmful UV exposure. Look for hair care brands that offer sun protection with a minimum of SPF 15. Also similar to your skin, use hair care products formulated with antioxidant vitamins (A, C, E) to prevent against free radical damage. Add a vitamin B complex supplement to your beauty regimen to maintain health, shiny hair all year long

· Bounce-back – Use fabric-wrapped elastics; they are gentle on your hair and less likely to cause breakage and frizz. If you only wear non-metal elastics, do not wrap it around your hair more than twice. Before you go to bed, remove any elastic gently, as it can tangle hair during the night

Last but not least, make sure you visit your hair stylist at the start of every season to make sure you have the right cut and products to maintain smooth, shiny hair.

LUSH: Cynthia Sylvia Stout Shampoo

Cynthia Sylvia Stout Shampoo-- sounds like a tongue-twister, works like a dream!

It seems as though LUSH can't make a bad product.

Doesn't smell like beer as in day-after-cleaning-from-the-party, just lemony and spicy and frothy.

Thoroughly cleans without leaving me with straw-hair.

It has been muggy, rainy, and gross here for the last two weeks-- Cynthia Sylvia Stout + Living Proof Frizz-Free conditioner= no humidity 'fro for me!

Feathers in your hair

Steven Tyler, hair idol?

Usually, not so much; but loving the feathers!

You can get the same look with Fancy Feathers by Bling Strands. One of the BB has feathers, it looks AMAZING (love you, Trish)!

You can mix and match Fancy colors & choose how many feathers you want. There are 8 color groups and 12 individual colors to choose from. Note: Fancy Feathers are best applied by salon professionals.