For decades, styling mousse has been a favorite product for those looking to add body and volume to hair. Derived from a French word meaning "foam", mousse is exactly that: a foamy lightweight product which is applied to damp hair prior to blowdrying. Mousses work best on those with fine or limp hair, and best results are achieved by applying the mousse to the root area of the hair.
As a professional stylist and salon owner with over a decade of experience, I have tried just about every mousse on the market. Here, in my opinion, are some of the best mousses currently available.
1. Davines Universal Mattering Mousse. Davines is a manufacturer of luxury haircare products which are found in only the best salons. This styling essential provides volume with a natural un-sticky finish. Hydrolized wheat proteins and panthenol moisturize and protect the hair, leaving it shiny and soft. Davines mousse provides a medium hold, perfect for almost any style.
2. Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Mousse. This is one of the more popular products in Alterna's highly-touted Caviar line, which contains ingredients designed to combat the effects of aging on the hair, making it an ideal choice for those with fine and thinning hair.
3. Goldwell Flexi-Whip Mousse. I hate the way this product smells, and I hate the packaging. However, I love the way it performs. This may very well be the Subaru Outback of haircare products- not much to look at, but it's reliable and gets the job done. Goldwell Flexi Whip Mousse is a rich and thick foam with slightly more hold than its competitors. At under twenty dollars for a large bottle, this mousse gives you the most bang for your buck.
4. Zerran Radiant Finish Mousse. This wonder peppermint-scented mousse is made by a tiny company that manufactures some of the greatest haircare products in the world. Radiant Finish Mousse is a non-aerosol mousse made with natural ingredients that add just the right amount of hold and body.
5. TIGI Catwalk Extra Strong Mousse. The problem with many mousses is that they are great on fine hair, but fall flat when used on thicker hair textures. This product is especially designed for those with thick hair. It is also safe to use on hair that has been chemically processed.
After trying out hundreds of mousses in my career, these are five products I would gladly recommend to any client looking for volume and body.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Friday, January 6, 2012
Alterna Hemp Organics Pomade vs. Redken Water Wax
Welcome to another round of Haircare Face-Off!, the best and most unique beauty battle online. Each week two competing products square off in a head-to-head challenge. This battle features two pomades, one made by Alterna, the other made by Redken. Let's take a closer look at the competitors:
Alterna is a company which produces high-performance haircare products using organic and botanical ingredients. Alterna's pomade is part of their popular Hemp Organics line, and is designed to add high shine and texture to all hair types, especially color-treated hair.
Redken is one of the largest and best-known manufacturers of salon haircare products in the world. Inspired by 5th Avenue, Redken appeals to those with a serious sense of style, and is a favorite brand among hairstylists, fashion-forward clients, and celebrities. Water Wax Shine Defining Pomade has been one of their top-selling products for years.
In an earlier battle, the underdog Alterna mopped the floor with Phyto in the battle of sulfate-free shampoos. Can Alterna pull off another upset against a true haircare heavyweight like Redken? Redken already has a perfect 2-0 record in Haircare Face-Off! and is looking to make it three victories in a row. This will certainly be a terrific battle.
As always, each product will be scored on a 1-10 scale in performance, ingredients, sensory appeal/packaging, and value. Let the battle begin!
Performance: Both products got the job done on salon clients, but then again pomades are practically foolproof- even cheap pomades work pretty well. In fact, I've even made homemade pomade from a "recipe" I found online and it performed as well as most salon-quality pomades, so I wasn't expecting any miracles. However, the Alterna pomade added more shine than the Redken product, and the shine seemed to last longer. In order to prove my theory, I applied both pomades to mannequins and allowed them to sit for a few days. After three days, hair styled with the Alterna pomade held its shine, while the Redken pomade seemed to absorb into the hair, leaving the mannequin's hair looking dull. The Alterna pomade was also easier to emulsify in the hands prior to applying it to the hair. Alterna wins this round. (Alterna:10 Redken:8)
Ingredients: Redken's Water Wax contains the usual pomade ingredients like castor oil, glycerin, and propylene glycol. It also contains wheat protein and wheat starch, which could present a problem if you have gluten allergies. Unfortunately, Redken Water Wax contains ethylparaben and methylparaben. Alterna's Hemp Organics pomade also contains the three necessary pomade ingredients (castor oil, glycerin, propylene glycol), as well as botanical ingredients like hemp seed oil and extracts of carrot, fennel, sunflower, cucumber, avocado, and cranberry. The pomade also contains sunscreen, making it ideal for color-treated hair. Even though the Alterna pomade contains methylparaben and propylparaben, the overall paraben content is lower than that of Redken Water Wax. Plenty of beneficial ingredients allows Alterna to win this round easily. (Alterna:9 Redken:6)
Sensory Appeal: Alterna Hemp Organics pomade has an incredible orange fragrance, while the Redken Water Wax has a light, clean, unisex perfumed smell. Neither product's packaging is unattractive, but Alterna's container looks trendier and more modern. (Alterna:10 Redken:8)
Value: Alterna Hemp Organics pomade retails for 14.00 and comes in a 2-ounce container. Redken Water Wax comes in a 1.7-ounce container that retails for between 14.00 and 18.00 when purchased from a reputable online store. (Alterna:10 Redken:9)
And the winner is....
Alterna Hemp Organics, winning every individual round and cruising to an easy victory over Water Wax, handing Redken its first Haircare Face-Off! defeat. In this battle, the Alterna pomade did everything the Redken pomade could do, only better. But Alterna really pulled ahead when it came to the quality of ingredients. As a result, Alterna's Haircare Face-Off record improves to 2-0, while Redken stands at 2-1. (Final Score: Alterna Hemp Organics Pomade-39 Redken Water Wax-31)
Alterna is a company which produces high-performance haircare products using organic and botanical ingredients. Alterna's pomade is part of their popular Hemp Organics line, and is designed to add high shine and texture to all hair types, especially color-treated hair.
Redken is one of the largest and best-known manufacturers of salon haircare products in the world. Inspired by 5th Avenue, Redken appeals to those with a serious sense of style, and is a favorite brand among hairstylists, fashion-forward clients, and celebrities. Water Wax Shine Defining Pomade has been one of their top-selling products for years.
In an earlier battle, the underdog Alterna mopped the floor with Phyto in the battle of sulfate-free shampoos. Can Alterna pull off another upset against a true haircare heavyweight like Redken? Redken already has a perfect 2-0 record in Haircare Face-Off! and is looking to make it three victories in a row. This will certainly be a terrific battle.
As always, each product will be scored on a 1-10 scale in performance, ingredients, sensory appeal/packaging, and value. Let the battle begin!
Performance: Both products got the job done on salon clients, but then again pomades are practically foolproof- even cheap pomades work pretty well. In fact, I've even made homemade pomade from a "recipe" I found online and it performed as well as most salon-quality pomades, so I wasn't expecting any miracles. However, the Alterna pomade added more shine than the Redken product, and the shine seemed to last longer. In order to prove my theory, I applied both pomades to mannequins and allowed them to sit for a few days. After three days, hair styled with the Alterna pomade held its shine, while the Redken pomade seemed to absorb into the hair, leaving the mannequin's hair looking dull. The Alterna pomade was also easier to emulsify in the hands prior to applying it to the hair. Alterna wins this round. (Alterna:10 Redken:8)
Ingredients: Redken's Water Wax contains the usual pomade ingredients like castor oil, glycerin, and propylene glycol. It also contains wheat protein and wheat starch, which could present a problem if you have gluten allergies. Unfortunately, Redken Water Wax contains ethylparaben and methylparaben. Alterna's Hemp Organics pomade also contains the three necessary pomade ingredients (castor oil, glycerin, propylene glycol), as well as botanical ingredients like hemp seed oil and extracts of carrot, fennel, sunflower, cucumber, avocado, and cranberry. The pomade also contains sunscreen, making it ideal for color-treated hair. Even though the Alterna pomade contains methylparaben and propylparaben, the overall paraben content is lower than that of Redken Water Wax. Plenty of beneficial ingredients allows Alterna to win this round easily. (Alterna:9 Redken:6)
Sensory Appeal: Alterna Hemp Organics pomade has an incredible orange fragrance, while the Redken Water Wax has a light, clean, unisex perfumed smell. Neither product's packaging is unattractive, but Alterna's container looks trendier and more modern. (Alterna:10 Redken:8)
Value: Alterna Hemp Organics pomade retails for 14.00 and comes in a 2-ounce container. Redken Water Wax comes in a 1.7-ounce container that retails for between 14.00 and 18.00 when purchased from a reputable online store. (Alterna:10 Redken:9)
And the winner is....
Alterna Hemp Organics, winning every individual round and cruising to an easy victory over Water Wax, handing Redken its first Haircare Face-Off! defeat. In this battle, the Alterna pomade did everything the Redken pomade could do, only better. But Alterna really pulled ahead when it came to the quality of ingredients. As a result, Alterna's Haircare Face-Off record improves to 2-0, while Redken stands at 2-1. (Final Score: Alterna Hemp Organics Pomade-39 Redken Water Wax-31)
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Biosilk Silk Therapy vs. Pravana Silk Degrees
Silk takes center stage for this edition of Haircare Face-Off!, the only blog where two rival products square off in a fierce head-to-head battle. In this installment we will put two silk-based serums to the test. Let's meet the competitors:
Biosilk Silk Therapy is one of the oldest and most successful products created by a company renowned for creating revolutionary products. Farouk Systems is the company which brought the world the uber-successful CHI flat iron as well as the Sunglitz highlighting system. Biosilk Silk Therapy is the original leave-in silk serum which promises to replenish and reconstruct hair while being weightless.
Pravana is a relative newcomer to the industry, perhaps best known for their ammonia-free ChromaSilk haircolor. Founded in 2004, Pravana's mission is to create highly-sophisticated formulas which utilize nature as well as technology. Silk Degrees is one of their top-selling retail products.
Can the new kid on the block topple the reigning king of silk-infused haircare products? That's what we're here to find out. As always, each product will be scored on a 1-10 scale on performance, ingredients, sensory appeal and packaging, and value. Let the battle begin!
Performance: Usually it takes me a few days to decide whether or not I like a product, but I knew going into this battle that both products were terrific. I first used Biosilk over a decade ago while I was a novice hairstylist, and I've used Pravana since the company's inception in 2004, so I was very interested to see how these two silk serums compared. In the end, I concluded that Biosilk absorbs better into the hair and has better conditioning properties. However, Pravana Silk Degrees added much more shine to the hair. Ultimately it came down to weight; Biosilk is very lightweight, while Pravana is slightly heavier, which means it could make fine hair look greasy. Close round, but Biosilk takes the early lead by the narrowest of margins. (Biosilk:10 Pravana:9)
Ingredients: Pravana Silk Degrees has added ingredients which make it excellent as a thermal-protection product, ideal for blowouts. Even though Biosilk doesn't market itself as a thermal protectant, it contains many of the same ingredients. Both products contain cyclomethicone and dimethicone, which are my two favorite ingredients in shine products. Unfortunately, Biosilk contains parabens, while Pravana Silk Degrees is paraben-free. The Pravana product also contains plenty of botanical ingredients, such as gardenia and rosemary extracts, jojoba oil, and cacao seed butter. Biosilk loses this round by three points on account of having two parabens and very little in the way of natural ingredients. (Pravana:10 Biosilk:7)
Sensory Appeal: Biosilk feels better on the hands and practically melts into the skin, unlike Silk Degrees. Neither product has a strong fragrance, though Silk Degrees smells less perfumey in my opinion. Biosilk definitely has the better bottle, recessed in the middle to allow for easier handling. The Silk Degrees bottle is just plain ugly to look at, reminding me of some budget-priced product found on a dollar store shelf. (Biosilk:8 Pravana:7)
Value: Pravana Silk Degrees comes in a 5.06-ounce bottle, with a suggested salon retail price of 21.00, translating into a little over 4.15 per ounce. Biosilk Silk Therapy comes in different sizes, but the best value is the 5.64-ounce size which retails for around 22.00. Since neither product has a distinct advantage in value, this round is a draw. (Biosilk:10 Pravana:10)
And the winner is.....
Pravana Silk Degrees by a hair (no pun intended)! The venerable Biosilk put up a good fight but lost by a single point, and it all came down to ingredients. An abundance of botanical ingredients and a lack of nasty parabens gave Pravana the edge. (Final Score: Pravana Silk Degrees-36 Biosilk Silk Therapy-35)
Biosilk Silk Therapy is one of the oldest and most successful products created by a company renowned for creating revolutionary products. Farouk Systems is the company which brought the world the uber-successful CHI flat iron as well as the Sunglitz highlighting system. Biosilk Silk Therapy is the original leave-in silk serum which promises to replenish and reconstruct hair while being weightless.
Pravana is a relative newcomer to the industry, perhaps best known for their ammonia-free ChromaSilk haircolor. Founded in 2004, Pravana's mission is to create highly-sophisticated formulas which utilize nature as well as technology. Silk Degrees is one of their top-selling retail products.
Can the new kid on the block topple the reigning king of silk-infused haircare products? That's what we're here to find out. As always, each product will be scored on a 1-10 scale on performance, ingredients, sensory appeal and packaging, and value. Let the battle begin!
Performance: Usually it takes me a few days to decide whether or not I like a product, but I knew going into this battle that both products were terrific. I first used Biosilk over a decade ago while I was a novice hairstylist, and I've used Pravana since the company's inception in 2004, so I was very interested to see how these two silk serums compared. In the end, I concluded that Biosilk absorbs better into the hair and has better conditioning properties. However, Pravana Silk Degrees added much more shine to the hair. Ultimately it came down to weight; Biosilk is very lightweight, while Pravana is slightly heavier, which means it could make fine hair look greasy. Close round, but Biosilk takes the early lead by the narrowest of margins. (Biosilk:10 Pravana:9)
Ingredients: Pravana Silk Degrees has added ingredients which make it excellent as a thermal-protection product, ideal for blowouts. Even though Biosilk doesn't market itself as a thermal protectant, it contains many of the same ingredients. Both products contain cyclomethicone and dimethicone, which are my two favorite ingredients in shine products. Unfortunately, Biosilk contains parabens, while Pravana Silk Degrees is paraben-free. The Pravana product also contains plenty of botanical ingredients, such as gardenia and rosemary extracts, jojoba oil, and cacao seed butter. Biosilk loses this round by three points on account of having two parabens and very little in the way of natural ingredients. (Pravana:10 Biosilk:7)
Sensory Appeal: Biosilk feels better on the hands and practically melts into the skin, unlike Silk Degrees. Neither product has a strong fragrance, though Silk Degrees smells less perfumey in my opinion. Biosilk definitely has the better bottle, recessed in the middle to allow for easier handling. The Silk Degrees bottle is just plain ugly to look at, reminding me of some budget-priced product found on a dollar store shelf. (Biosilk:8 Pravana:7)
Value: Pravana Silk Degrees comes in a 5.06-ounce bottle, with a suggested salon retail price of 21.00, translating into a little over 4.15 per ounce. Biosilk Silk Therapy comes in different sizes, but the best value is the 5.64-ounce size which retails for around 22.00. Since neither product has a distinct advantage in value, this round is a draw. (Biosilk:10 Pravana:10)
And the winner is.....
Pravana Silk Degrees by a hair (no pun intended)! The venerable Biosilk put up a good fight but lost by a single point, and it all came down to ingredients. An abundance of botanical ingredients and a lack of nasty parabens gave Pravana the edge. (Final Score: Pravana Silk Degrees-36 Biosilk Silk Therapy-35)
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