L’Oreal Elnett Satin Hair Spray Review

Once banned from US soils, L’Oreal Paris Elnett Satin Hairspray’s decades of exile have finally come to an end. Elnett debuted nationwide exclusively at Target in fall 2008, but sales were swift and again Elnett fans despaired and resorted to smuggling the contraband into the country. Well despair no more! The iconic hairspray to the stars is back stateside in all its perfect, touchably soft brushable glory!

Check out the full review after the jump!


I was never much of a hairspray user before Elnett, but this slim bottle of golden goodness has really changed my ways. Used by top stylists around the world, Elnett really seems to set the standard for hairspray by delivering long-lasting hold with only a quick spritz along with shine and real touchability (as opposed to all those other hairsprays that promise touchability but cause sticky, nasty helmethead or crunchy hair).

Elnett delivers an ultra-fine mist of product that provides exceptional hold while disappearing at the stroke of brush, meaning you get optimal hold without ever looking like you’ve got product in your hair. This is seriously the only product to control my little flyaway baby hairs (they’ve got a mind of their own) without giving my crunchy, unnatural looking hair. The micro-diffusion technology incorporated into the product allows for even application to set any and all styles, and humidity protection means it’ll really stand up to the elements.

L’Oreal’s Elnett has truly been an amazing product for me, and outperforms other sprays I’ve tried by leaps and bounds. I only have two teeny little gripes, which you know for me is big since I can find something wrong with almost any product LOL. #1 is the smell – oh how I abhor the smell of Elnett, which reminds me of very strong baby powder – not really the ideal choice of scent for my hair. My idea of romance isn’t having my boyfriend lean down to sniff my hair, only to get a nose full of baby powder. The scent does go away after awhile, but get rained on and it’s back with a vengeance! #2 is the spray nozzle – it’s fantastic for releasing a fine mist of product, but it tends to get clogged meaning the spray can go in weird directions, but that’s easily solved by frequent cleaning.

All in all I’d say Elnett is the only hairspray I’ll be purchasing from now on – I’ve even purchased a mini to keep in my purse for those hair emergencies. Definitely check it out!

Availability: L’Oreal Paris Elnett Satin Hairspray is available at mass market retailers and drugstores nationwide. The 11 oz. will run you $14.99 and the 2.2 oz $6.99 (and it’s available in various holds including Strong Hold, Extra Strong Hold and Extra Strong Hold UV Filter).

This review contains a press sample sent to ABS by the brand’s PR representative for blog consideration. I tend to get a good amount of hairsprays to try out, but I haven’t really felt any were review-worthy until Elnett – for me this is the end all, be all of hairsprays! If you have any questions regarding the foregoing, please feel free to contact me at a.beautyful.sentiment@gmail.com.

The Fekkai Shampoo Swap: Trade Your Shampoo For Fekkai’s!

As I’m sure many of you already know, on Thursday, September 17, select Saks locations nationwide will be exchanging any full-sized shampoo you currently own (full or empty) for one full-sized bottle of the new Fekkai Advanced shampoo of your choice (a $23 value) ~ a pretty great deal in my book!

I’d love to hear from those of you planning to take advantage of this wonderful promo!

Protect Your Haircolor This Summer: Introducing L’Oreal EverPure UV Protect Spray

L’Oreal EverPure Sulfate-Free Color Care System UV Protect Spray ($8.99)

As someone who dyes her hair at home quite often, I’ve learned that one of the main culprits of faded, dull color (other than failing to use shampoos/conditioners for color-treated hair ~ this is a must!) is the sun. I know many of you love lying out on the beach on a gorgeous summer day, and while we all think to protect our complexions nowadays with the help of some SPF, so many of us forget to protect our hair!

Of course it’s best to wear a hat, bandanna, or something else that will physically block the sun, but if you’re like me and hate having things on your head, a great alternative is L’Oreal’s new EverPure UV Protect Spray!

EverPure UV Protect Spray is gentle and lightweight enough to be used on daily on all hairtypes (wet or dry). The UV filters in the spray help to protect your hair (and that gorgeous new dye job) from the sun’s harmful rays, meaning healthier, happier, less breakage-prone hair for you!

All of EverPure’s conditioners and masques (they come in various formulations such as Extra Nourishment, rizz Frighting, Volumizing, etc.) happen to contain both UVA and UVB filters (although I have yet to try these myself) so the UV Protect Spray is great for additional coverage on top to help prevent your color from suffering premature fading.

And of course as the name indicates, these products are 100% sulfate free and contain botanical infusions of rosemary, mint and juniper extracts for a soothing aromatherapeutic experience.

Availability: At http://www.lorealparis.com and chain drug, food and mass market retailers nationwide.

Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Collection Review

Group shot of the pretty pretty Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Collection.

Embrace your softer side with perfectly imperfect hair. Layer our products together for soft tousles that beg to be touched – not that they need to beg. And hey, since we work well together to create one luscious look, it’s almost mistake-proof!

Tousle Me Softly Shampoo & Conditioner

Herbal Essences’ Tousle me Softly Shampoo is a fun, clear purple shampoo that leaves your hair feeling clean but not stripped of moisture, plus it has a refreshing violet/pomegranate scent. It’s a nice basic shampoo for those days when your scalp’s just feeling in need of a great thorough cleansing.

Tousle me Softly Conditioner was the one product I wasn’t too crazy about in the collection. It wasn’t terrible, but my hair tends to be dry and prone to tangles at the tips, and this didn’t do much to help the matter. On the bright side, nothing in this collection weighed my hair down at all!

Tousle Me Softly Mousse

This majorly voluminous yet lightweight foam (I’ll admit that I often found myself using this because I just loved the rich thick foam that came from the can) is great for creating some body/texture in your hair without the fuss of hairspray or a gel. I’m usually not much of a mousse user as I’ve always thought mousses were for those with curly hair, but this one has changed my mind.

Tousle Me Softly Tousling Spray Gel

My favorite item from the collection, the Tousling Spray Gel sprays like a hairspray but holds amazingly well like a strong gel. I don’t know how I lived without this before – I spray a little on my pouf while it’s still wet for all-day, non-crunchy looking hold that lasts and lasts. Plus it’s just so darn cute looking!

Tousle Me Softly Flexibly Style Hairspray

This is a soft, light-hold hairspray that I haven’t found much use for. My bases are pretty much covered between the mousse and the gel spray, and while this is great if I need a little extra hold after having used those two products, on its own it doesn’t provide the hold that I need.

Tousle Me Softly Finishing Touch Cream

Another favorite product of mine from this collection. I usually avoid these types of cream products that come in tubs lest they cause the greasy helmet-head look, but run a dab of this through your hair while wet (or dry) and you’ve got great flexible hold and zero flyaways to speak of!

It’s been a long time since I’ve tried an Herbal Essence product, and these aren’t going to rock your world, but for the girl on a budget it’s always nice to know that there are affordable alternatives out there. Plus who doesn’t want products to help her achieve that carefree, tousled look?

Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Nourishing Styling Treatment Review

Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Nourishing Styling Treatment ($19.95 for 4.2 oz)

A few weeks back I introduced you to Sexy Hair’s latest product from its Healthy Sexy Hair Line: Soy Renewal Nourishing Styling Treatment, and here at last is my review! I basically basically started salivating when I saw the words “Argan Oil” emblazoned across the front of this bottle as I’ve experienced firsthand how healing and nourishing a little bit of this golden oil can be.

I tend not to use too many products in my hair, so I love Soy Renewal for its versatility. You can use it daily as an anti-frizz treatment and heat protectant, but it also makes a rather amazing intensive masque. In addition, it speeds up drying time and helps to revitalize damaged hair, all while moisturizing your tresses to increase manageability and protect against environmental stresses.

Here’s a tip from Sexy Hair’s Creative Artistic Director Rafe Hardy:

You’ll get amazing results when you add to damp hair before styling because Soy Renewal adds moisture, controls the cuticle and provides thermal protection from hot styling tools. You can also cocktail it with your favorite gel or mousse for added control and a quicker blow dry, or mix with any leave-in or deep-penetrating conditioner to enhance the conditioning benefits that Soy proteins and Argan oil provide.

I’ve been using this stuff in my hair nearly every day for weeks and I’ve definitely noticed an increase in elasticity, reduced drying time and increased shine, all of which I’m thrilled with. I will warn that Soy Renewal needs to be used extremely sparingly – on my below shoulder length hair I use only the tiniest drop rubbed between my hands and then worked through. Go overboard and you could end up with weighed down, greasy-looking hair which is never pretty. My favorite thing to do though is to pile on the product late at night (on dry hair) before going to bed ~ my hair looks amazing the next day!

GHD IV Mini Styler Review & Photos

GHD IV Mini Styler (marked down from $179 to $149)
The ghd IV mini styler – is all you’ll ever need to create perfect curls, movement, volume, and straight hair, thanks to its advanced technology and smart features. The ghd IV mini styler – features a round barrel with narrower plates and clever control circuitry to maintain the optimum temperature while styling. The ghd IV mini styler – is designed for urban angels with shorter hair and is the ideal styling tool for men.

While my hair is pretty straight to begin with, there are days when I need for every last hair to be nestled into place and for my look to just scream “I’m polished and together” — and that’s where the GHD comes in. I’ve been using a cheap-ish drugstore flat iron for ages now but I just wasn’t happy with the tugging and snagging I experienced using it.

So why the Mini Styler? Well easy — it was the cheapest in the range and pretty much the most I was willing to spend on a flat iron, no matter how good. As I said, my hair doesn’t need too much help in the straightening department and so I just couldn’t bring myself to spend over $200 on a product I’d rarely use. That having been said, I do think the GHD was a rather nice investment.

What I Love: The GHD heats up in literally a matter of seconds, meainng it’s raring to go almost as soon as I’ve plugged it in. Given the straightness of my hair and the fact that I don’t have much of it, I can have everything stick straight and special-event-ready in under five minutes.

The small plates let me get really close to my roots, meaning I can tame those little flyaways I sometimes get, and the narrower, rounder plates make this awesome for curling. This is seriously the best flat iron for curling and I’ve tried a bunch.

But the greatest aspect of the GHD, for me, are the floating blades. They have some give to them, meaning no snagging or pulling at your delicate hair while attempting to straighten it with a searing hot insturment of pain.

Not So Much: My one major gripe is the lack of temperature settings. Depending on the texture/relative straightness of your hair, you really don’t need temperatures as high as the GHD reaches. I’ve straightened a section of my hair and then gone to touch it and nearly burned my fingers off on numerous occasions — this thing is seriously hot! And while the GHD does leave my hair looking shiny, I do still feel that it’s somewhat damaging my weak, baby-fine hair. Oh and of course the price is a little over the top for me.

So below you’ll find a few photos of my first attempt at curling my hair using the GHD. Not it’s not perfect and I’m by no means a curling expert, but I was pretty darn pleased considering this took all of 5-10 minutes. Of course practice makes perfect though! And did I mention these curls lasted all day without any hairspray in my never-holds-a-curl locks?

Introducing Sexy Hair’s New Soy Renewal Nourishing Styling Treatment

Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Nourishing Styling Treatment ($19.95 for 4.2 oz)

No worries, I’ll be reviewing this for you very very soon! I’m thinking on the same day that I finally review Josie Maran’s Argan Oil, since both products contain this super antioxidant.

But for now a little more information on the product:

Soy Renewal Nourishing Styling Treatment is Sexy Hair’s latest addition to their Healthy Sexy Hair collection. It’s suitable for all hair types, combining the strengthening benefits of Soy Protein with the reparative properties of Argan Oil. The result is a superb moisturizing treatment that increases manageability, controls frizz, and protects against environmental stresses.

One of the unique benefits of Argan Oil is its ability to absorb quickly into either wet or dry hair, speeding up drying time while leaving hair looking polished and healthy. The Moroccan Argan Oil not only conditions hair, but also helps to prevent damage from heat styling and environmental elements, increasing elasticity and reducing breakage.

Soy Renewal provides deep moisture, restoring natural luster without adding extra weight or leaving behind any oily residue. It can be used as a daily treatment or as a deep treatment hair mask.

I’ve been using this product for the past several weeks now ~ stay tuned to hear my own thoughts on it!

Frederic Fekkai Salon Glaze Clear Shine Rinse Review

Frederic Fekkai Salon Glaze Clear Shine Rinse ($28)
Frederic Fekkai Salon Glaze is a clear shine rinse inspired by professional salon glazing services. The rinse-off treatment binds shine, recharges color, and adds silkiness to the hair. This non-chemical formula contains a unique blend of conditioning and lightweight silicones that coat the cuticle to shine and condition the hair shaft. With its lightweight formula, Salon Glaze won’t weigh your hair down like traditional shine serums. It works on all hair colors and types, and both non-colored and color-treated hair.

I don’t usually indulge in too many nice hair treatment products, primarily because I feel inexplicably guilty for splurging on my hair, but last winter, armed with a gift card in hand I picked up Frederic Fekkai’s Salon Glaze, hoping to bring some much-needed silky shine back ot my hair.

To say that I color-treat my hair would be a massive understatement; it’s more like an addiction. Every few weeks I feel this compulsion to dye my hair a different color, and while I’ve gotten better at resisting this urge, my hair has definitely paid the price for many an at-home dye job. Fekkai’s Salon Glaze Clear Shine Rinse, while not a permanent solution, really helps to improve the appearance of my hair. Post-use my hair is left feeling ridiculously silky smooth and soft, sleek, and of course it looks shinier thanks to the silicones. The shine results do intensify over time, but this is the kind of thing where you’ll see results during use, but don’t use it for a few weeks and your hair goes back to the way it was before.

I have mixed feelings on this one. On the one hand I do love the way my hair looks after using this, but on the other it makes my hair greasier faster, and I do need to be careful washing this out (as in I need to make sure it all gets out) so that my hair doesn’t feel a little weighed down. Fekkai’s Salon Glaze wasn’t the miracle product I was hoping for, but it’s definitely really nice to use regularly on color-treated hair like my own, not only to bring back some luster but to seal in some shine and color.

Sephora currently has this up as one of their samples, so if you’ve been curious about it definitely give it a shot. You can’t beat a free sample!

Do You Match Your Brows To Your Hair?

At around midnight on Monday I decided it was time to deal with my hair. I’ve been dying my hair for as long as I can remember-so long that I can no longer remember what my natural hair color looks like. It’s been light brown, chocolate brown, bright red, auburn, highlighted, pink streaked, and pretty much everything in between.

Thanks to layering color over color throughout the years, when the dyes fade my hair is left a dull medium brown shade with a slight orange tinge-not the most attractive look. Couple that with grown out roots and I figured the look wasn’t the most work-appropriate, so decided to take matters into my own hands. And the result? I now have hair that’s all one color! And yes that’s a good thing for me. I dyed my hair using Feria’s Black Leather:

And while it’s a bit of a shock for me to see myself in the mirror, I’m kinda loving it. The color really has nice depth to it and my skin and eye makeup really seem to pop against the dark backdrop. But my eyebrows have always been really light and nearly invisible, and I’ve started wondering if maybe the dark dark hair (my natural color is much lighter than this) isn’t overpowering them.

Which got me to thinking–Do you dye your eyebrows to match your hair color? I may go with a darker brow pencil now that my hair is significantly darker than it was before, but there’s no way I’m dying my eyebrows jet black!

ABS Wants: ghd IV Mini Styler

Sadly my hair isn’t what it used to be–meaning stick straight and easily managed. I don’t know if my hair has changed or if it’s my current hairstyle, but the middle of my hair has this way of flipping and bending in unattractive ways and it seems to have developed a mind of its own. Don’t get me wrong I absolutely love the way it looks when it’s straightened and it gets me a lot of compliments, but minus the flat iron it’s a bit of a disaster. Which is why I’ve been on the hunt for that perfect straightener.

This ghd IV Mini Styler is at the top of my list–it’s got really small plates, meaning it’ll be great for curling as well as straightening, and the mini plates should work out fine for me since I don’t need too much straightening to begin with. Add to that all the amazing things that I’ve heard about ghd and you’d think I’d be all over this. But at this point it’s a little out of budget–definitely going on my wishlist though!