Nick Chavez Beverly Hills Ultra Shine Honey-Peppermint Hair Shampoo – This beautiful looking shampoo combines the benefits of honey and peppermint for a luxurious, deep nourishing formula that gives your hair long lasting shine and luster. The scent of this shampoo is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I think it is one of the very best shampoos I have ever smelled. But the smell of honey is one of those either love it or hate i type things, so your millage may vary. The cool thing is that it has a perfect blend of honey and peppermint. It’s so delicious and tingles when you scrub it into your scalp–very refreshing.  As far as results, I wanted to totally love it, but honestly I found it a tad too drying. But that is not going to stop me from using this shampoo with a deep conditioner because, as I have clearly stated, I just love this stuff too much not to use it! It is also pH balanced and will not strip hair color.  Price: $18.00 for 8 fl oz.

Nick Chavez Beverly Hills Ultra Shine Honey-Peppermint Hair Conditioner – This conditioner combines honey and peppermint as well, and helps moisturize and replenish dry, damaged, and chemically processed hair. Again, the scent of this product is off the charts amazing, but it was not as moisturizing as I would have liked. That said, it also did not weigh my hair down at all. And thanks to my extensions, I do need quite a bit of moisture right now, so for people with oily or normal hair, this might be perfect.  Price $20.00 for 8 fl oz.

Nick Chavez Beverly Hills Honey Glaze Hair Styling Gel – This amazing looking hair product provides hold, body and shine–with no flakes while resisting humidity. It’s infused with natural honey and enhances the style and luster of any type of hair. It works particularly well for wet sets, if you’re into the retro thing!  Price: $18.00 for 4 fl oz.

An editorial sample was provided by the company so I could review this product. Please see my About page for further information on Disclosure policies.

This week people are talking about Britney Spears‘ extensions. Again. Some more. Things look pretty a-ok from the front, but the back is a big hot mess.  I can’t exactly figure out what is going on here… It looks like really badly applied extensions on top of a lack of hair, I guess?

Ken Paves told People that is wasn’t that big of a deal. (Um?) He says it’s just, ” a case of bed head. Who hasn’t had it?” he asks. “The truth is that this is exactly how these extensions are applied,” Ken continues,  “however we are not supposed to see them, that’s all. There are thousands and thousands of women walking around whose hair looks just like that ‘underneath’. The remedy is simply to cover it up. It’s not a case of bad extensions, just a bad hair day!”

Yikes! Thousands and thousands of women walking around with this mess? This is not at all how my extensions look ‘underneath’, and I would think if anything Britney Speaks would have the money and access to the best possible extensions. I have never understood why she couldn’t get this situation sorted… And what the hell, Ken Paves? As an extension expert, he should be asking Brit to come into his salon to help her out, not saying this is totally normal. Right?

Source

I said I’d post a wedding pic, so here it is! I know; kinda far away, but it is the first one I’ve seen and the first one I am sharing with my HOTB peeps. Of course, what I really want to know is, how do you like the hair? In my opinion, it turned out great. As did the whole night. I think I was in a pink bubble of wedding joy, but seriously everything went off without a hitch. And that is thanks in large part to picking the “A-Team” of Los Angeles wedding vendors. So, I thought I would do any struggling brides-to-be out there a favor and list all our great vendors because, seriously, you want to use these people! They were all amazing. Let’s run it down. First up…

Wedding Fashion & Beauty:

Extensions: Jordana Lorraine, of course!

Hair Styling: Kristen Gaby for me and stylist at Argyle Salon & Spa for wedding party peeps.

Makeup: (and spray tan, eyelash tint) by  Sadie Wilson. She was fantastic and so calm on the day-of. I really loved working with her and will be going back for eyebrow shaping, eyelash tints, etc., in the future.

Dress: ‘Sasha’ Little White Dress by Amsale. Purchased at the Saks Fifth Avenue Bridal Department in Bev Hills. My sales assistant was Abegail Abellana and she was awesome. I highly recommend Saks if you’re looking for a bridal-y dress. They had all the top designers. I was a little overwhelmed because I was not looking for a big deal dress, but I lucked out with my little white dress. It was one of about four short dressed they had in the entire shop. Abegail totally helped me out, and I loved my dress. Super easy, breezy and comfortable.

Belt: Oscar de la Renta. This piece was seperate from the dress, obviously, and you want see it in the pic but I will have to post another picture of it later, because it was amazing and MADE the outfit. I bought it at Saks Fifth Avenue as well.

Earrings & Bracelet: Borrowed from Claude Morady, where we bought my engagement ring (more to come on that). Claude told us that I could borrow jewelry from him for my wedding back when we’d bought my engagement ring. Talk about good customer service, right? I got to pick out whatever I wanted to wear, which was awesome. I picked a vintage diamond bracelet from the 1930s to match my engagement ring and a gorgeous pair of diamond earrings. Heaven.

Shoes: Jimmy Choo CLUES in Champagne. I got a lot of compliments on these shoes, and they were actually very comfortable. I didn’t think about taking them off all night–even while dancing. And you can bet I am going to wear the hell out of them forever. Oh, yes.

Nail Polish: One coat of OPI You Don’t Know Jacques! and one coat of OPI My Private Jet. Sparkly and not nude. ;)

WEDDING VENDORS (in alpha order):

Cake: Vanilla Bake Shop. The cake was delicious and pretty cute. We also has macaroons and mini cupcakes, which I heard were good too, but I never manged to taste them! I have to say working with them was slightly annoying based on a few miscommunications but not too bad.

Caterer: The Kitchen for Exploring Foods. The food at our wedding was incredible! Immediately after our ceremony, Rob and I got to go back into this little room to be together, and our day-of coordinator Ruby had made up a little plate of appetizers and two glassed and champagne. Well. I downed my glass of champagne in two seconds and started in on the appetizers. They were fantastic. HUGE shrimp and everything so fresh and delicious. It was great. I highly recommend them. They made everything very easy and were very professional and easy to work with.

Ceremony Music: Our friends Darren, Dave and Jonny played music and my friend Alison sang as we walked down the aisle and at the end of the ceremony. It was so great and added such a unique and personal touch to the ceremony.  I could never thank them enough for that. Plus, it helped to look over and see Alison and Darren’s smiling faces during the ceremony, when I felt like I was going to pass out! The song they played was “I Got A Sure Thing” by Ollie & The Nightingales.

Day-of Coordination: TACT Event Coordination. Ruby was our day-of coordinator and Loop helped us with preparations in advance. Everything was perfect.

DJ: Nahchey. He’s a great DJ. Played fantastic, danceable music all night. He also was very cool and asked us exactly what we wanted in terms of talking/no talking. (We wanted no talking.) And then he totally didn’t speak the whole night. It was perfect and a lot of people danced.

Engagement Ring: Claude Morady. Claude has an exceptional selection of estate jewelry and he is extremely nice. I hope we can buy more jewelry from Claude in the future. Right, Rob??

Florist: Holly Flora. I think the florist was one of the first vendors we picked and met with–that meeting seemed SO long ago, but they totally nailed the flowers. I loved them! They were very easy to work with and I loved their aesthetic so I think I kind of left some things up to them… It turned out amazing and I couldn’t have been happier. (Picture by Bonnie Tsang with her iPhone!)

SO MUCH MORE after the break!

Hotel: Andaz West Hollywood. Most of out guest were from out of town, so we booked a block of rooms at the Andaz Hotel in Weho. The hotel staff was incredibly accommodating all weekend and everyone loved it. It had a nice bar for hanging out and a great rooftop pool. Our ‘bridal suite’ (ew. that term!) was incredible! Huge and with a bananas view of Sunset… The scene there on Sunset on the weekends is pretty intense and not my thing, but for one or two nights, it’s ok. The service is phenomenal and the hotel itself is so gorgeous. For my own selfish reasons, I wish it was located elsewhere, but I guess I am in luck because they now have Andaz Hotels in San Diego, two in New York, and one in London.

Invitations: Urbanic Paper Boutique in Venice. We also got a ton of compliments on our invites and I recommend any one in the LA area to go to Urbanic. Audrey, the owner is such a sweetheart and the shop is adorable. She helped us out so much and made the whole experience super pleasant. We also used Urabanic for calligraphy, menus, escort cards, thank you cards–everything papery! Also, Audrey reads HOTB sometimes, so hi. ;)

Movies: Marvimon has a large film screen right by the dance floor where you can project movies, which is such a cool element of the space. The first movie we played and the one that stands out the most in my mind is To Catch a Thief by Alfred Hitchcock. (We also played North by Northwest and Vertigo.) When we were seated at dinner, I looked over and saw my favorite scene with the Grace Kelly and Cary Grant and the fireworks! Her dress in that scene… amazing. And oddly, the movie and Grace Kelly’s look came up earlier in the day when Kristen was doing my hair and she told me it was also one of her favorite movies and we both have a love of Jimmy Stewart/Cary Grant. Check it out:

Officiant: Cathy O’Connell. She was so great and made our ceremony so unique and personal. Cathy and her partner Dorry Wynham are also wedding planners in the Palm Springs area. In retrospect, I wonder if we should have gotten a wedding planner because planning a wedding is a lot of work. Cathy & Dorry would be great to have as wedding planners too. They are awesome.

Photographer: Bonnie Tsang. I really cannot say enough good things about Bonnie. She was the ideal photographer. I barely noticed her all night. She takes stunning photographs but is really low key. And when taking family portrait style photos, she is so FAST. I loved her.

Room Gifts: Most of our guest were traveling from out of town, and were staying at that Andaz so we had lovely room gifts put together for them when they arrived by Sweet Delivery, a company owned by a friend of Rob’s mom, who was a guest at our wedding. Thank you, Margie! :)

Venue (for reception and ceremony): Marvimon. This place is amazing. I highly, highly recommend it! I would not have wanted to get married anywhere else. (Photo by Bonnie Tsang with her iPhone.)

Wedding Bands: Peter Norman. We had my wedding band custom made to fit with my antique engagement band. Our friend Courtney works at Peter Norman and helped us with that and with picking out Rob’s band too.

I think that’s everything! I hope that helps at least one LA bride out there… Let me know if you have any questions, of course!

Jessica Szohr has an incredibly beautiful face and a killer body. She’s flawless and should not doubt her beauty for a millisecond until the end of her life. The end! But, that said, what do you think of her extensions? Throughout the life of HOTB, I have been somewhat on her case about them… She briefly took them out, but of course in time for Gossip Girl to begin shooting, they are back in.

Jessica and Penn Badgley filmed scenes in Queens with a fake baby. (And you can see the back of Jessica’s hair.) So: Yay or Nay on Jessica’s extensions?

And: Yay or Nay on Penn Badgley as hot dad? ;)

Edited To Add: This pic of Jessica with her naturally curly hair:

Cute, right?

Hair On The Brain: I know I did my consultation totally late. When should bridez really do their wedding hair consultation?

Kristen Gaby: A bride should be “stylist shopping” for her wedding approximately 2-3 months before her wedding date. It is important to at least book a consultation to get to know the stylist and understand their approach to hair, style, and availability. The consultation should include a ball-park quote and a trial run. A trial run is the stylist giving you a preview of how your hair will look on your actual wedding day. It also helps the stylist account for how much time they will need to work with your hair day of.

HOTB: What specific things should you ask your stylist?

Kristen: Ask your stylist if she has any suggestions for creating a unique look for you on your wedding day. Ask when a color and cut should be done and how soon before the wedding. Ask if the stylist has price packages to include your wedding party. It is always great to ask if the stylist can travel to you on your wedding day. It may cost a little more, but not having to worry about the commute or leaving the salon on time is priceless.

HOTB: I totally agree with that! You don’t want to have to drive around on that day, especially in LA traffic. Do you have any advice on how to pick the right hairstyle for your wedding?

Kristen: I find that many girls get attached to a certain hair style and forget that their hair needs to compliment and work with their overall look. Some things to take into account are the shape of the dress, your facial bone structure, and if you are wearing earrings or a necklace. Other things to consider are the neckline of the dress, the time of the wedding, and if it’s an indoor or outdoor ceremony. In your trial run with the stylist, don’t limit yourself to one look. Try several different looks. The one you pick might surprise you!

HOTB: It is good to be open minded when in the chair, especially when your stylist is just trying out different looks. Do you have any tips specifically for short haired women on their wedding day?

Kristen: Short hair brides do not despair! I have worked wonders with temporary extensions on the day of the wedding, especially with updos. If the hair is too short to wear up at all, consider a simple wave with an accent in the hair such as a beaded headband or a vintage jeweled clip. I would stay away from trying to do a “half-up” look with bob length hair, it tends to look school-girlish and not very sophisticated.

HOTB: Should you bring along any hair accessories and veils you will be wearing?

Kristen: Because you want the most accurate idea of the look you will get on your wedding day, I highly encourage bringing your veil and/or any hair accessories (no matter how silly or glittery you think they are), a picture of you in your dress, and any pictures of hairstyles that you like. Also, bring a digital camera and have your stylist take a picture of all angles of your hair so that you can see how it photographs. It is also important to bring the veil so that the stylist can anticipate what kind of hair comb they are working with or around.

HOTB: Oops. I didn’t do any of that! Any other tips for brides when working with hair stylists?

Kristen: Be sure to ask your stylist if they would prefer your hair washed the day of or the night before. That can sometimes make a difference. Be sure to relax and be patient during the trial run because your stylist is “getting to know” your hair. Understand that it is a creative process. Don’t be afraid to speak up if their is something that you don’t like: “Can we make this piece higher?” or “Can we make this sleeker?”

HOTB: I agree. Don’t suffer in silence, but please don’t be bridezilla either!

Kristen: Right. And if you do not have good energy with your stylist during your trial run, WALK AWAY! You do not need any negative energy around you on your wedding day, and you definitely don’t need a stylist with a diva complex. Find someone that calms you and is confident in their skills and it will be a great fit.

HOTB: Very true, Kristen. Not every stylist is cut out to do bridal hair. How do you make sure your curls/waves stay put throughout your wedding day and night?

Kristen: To ensure that your curl will last through your big day, is largely up to your stylist. For hair that is being worn down here is my golden rule: NEVER rake your fingers through your set curls! If you feel they are losing their bounce, simply mist with a light hairspray and do a soft scrunching motion with your hands to encourage bounce.

HOTB: Any tips for beach brides?

Kristen: I know beach brides just love the beachy wavy hair that’s worn down. It’s beautiful in magazine, but there are some things to consider. It’s usually very windy on the beach and the air is usually quite moist. If you don’t want to constantly be tucking your hair behind your ear or pulling it out of your mouth during your vows, then I suggest a happy medium. Consider wearing your hair half up and half down with the loose beach wave. I have seen even the most “curl friendly” hair fall out and frizz at beach weddings. If your ceremony is indoors after the beach ceremony, consider asking your stylist to style your hair in such a way where you can take out the half-up pins and give you head a shake and rock a beautiful all-down style for the reception.

HOTB: Do you have any specific hair products that you couldn’t live without when doing wedding hair?

Kristen: My updo/styling secret weapon that I am absolutely obsessed with is Bumble & Bumble’s Thickening Spray. It is a fantastic thermal product that ensures long lasting curl and great hold! I also wouldn’t go anywhere without hair powder/dry shampoo. Dry shampoo is my secret to long lasting updos that do not slip. It gives hair great volume, moldability, and hold.

HOTB: I can’t live without dry shampoo either–it’s amazing stuff. What’s your favorite wedding hairstyle?

Kristen: My current favorite style right now is a textured, loose, un-done updo. I find that look to be so beautiful. Braids and waves are very in too, and that gives a soft romantic look for any bride. Accenting this kind of updo with a vintage pin or small feather is absolutely stunning!

HOTB: Oh, that sounds so pretty! Any other wedding hair tips you would like to add?

Kristen: Some great points to remember for creating harmony between hair and dress: If the dress is very detailed, beaded, and ruffled, the hair should be more simple and sleek so that the eye won’t be distracted with all the bead work and a huge main of hair. If the dress is simple, smooth and sleek, try doing something soft and curled to contrast the simplicity of the dress.

Thank you so much for all this great advice, Kristen! I’m so excited to see you soon.  :)

To book an appointment with Kristen Gaby, you can email her directly at kristen.gaby@gmail.com and check out her Facebook page.

Friend of the Blog and fellow extension-obsessed writer, Katrina Spencer just published her second novel, Unbeweaveable. The name of which totally cracks me up and I try to fit into everyday conversation as much as possible. It’s about a tough New York woman whose life takes a turn, forcing her to move back home to Texas… and remove her weave. It’s funny and lighthearted, just like Katrina. Check out our interview where we discuss her new book, celeb hair, and of course, extensions!

Hair On The Brain: A hot topic of conversation on HOTB is extensions. Obviously, that’s something you love so much you decided to write a book about it. How did you come up with the idea?

Katrina Spencer: I’m a former hairstylist that was forced to retire due to health reasons. Going down to one income, I couldn’t see myself spending so much money on my hair weave, so (insert tear here) I had to remove my weave. I was surprised by how vulnerable I felt wearing my natural hair. I was totally addicted to my weave. So I thought, “Hey, I bet tons of other women feel like this.” And Unbeweaveable was born.

HOTB: What did you learn when you removed your weave?

Katrina: My career for over ten years was hair, hair, hair. So when I removed my weave, I learned that–yes, looking your best is important–but you don’t need a weave to do that.

HOTB: Can you talk about your transition from hairstyling to writing?

Katrina: I was never the healthiest person growing up, and I knew that doing hair would only last me so long, that eventually I would have to find something less demanding. When my sister dared me to write a novel better than the one she attempted, I thought, “Okay, I can do that.” After a few trial and errors I wrote my first novel Six O’clock. After placing in a few short story contests, I realized I loved writing just as much, if not more, than my love affair with hair. SO I set out to make it happen.

HOTB: Styling hair and writing are worlds apart. How did you prepare to write a book?

Katrina: Actually, they are more similar than people think. As a hairstylist, you have to work really hard on your craft to gain clients, and you always have to hustle. You’re constantly promoting yourself and your salon to gain more. The same applies to writing. I had to take a few writing courses, gather as many books as I could to study the craft, and started writing. I do think I have a natural talent for both. Growing up, I loved to read as much as I loved to style my Barbie’s hair!

HOTB: What’s one thing you learned as a hairstylist that helped your writing?

Katrina: Dealing with rejection. Styling hair is an art, and art is subjective. One client may love a style I give her, while another could cry in my chair. You learn early to separate yourself from your work and not to take it personally. If you didn’t like your hair I would try to fix it, but if I couldn’t I had to move on to my next client. That discipline has really helped me in my writing. Not everyone is going to love my books–and that’s okay. Either way I’m moving forward to the next one.

HOTB: Unbeweaveable’s main character Mariah deals with self-esteem issues. Is that a theme in your writing?

Katrina: It looks like it is! In Six O’clock, Yolanda felt inadequate in her thin body in this, ‘bootylicious’ society. In Unbeweaveable, Mariah grew up with a sister who had light skin and long hair–what her standard of beauty is. In both books, both of them were teased mercilessly in school, but where Yolanda internalized her pain, Mariah became a bully, her way of protecting herself from getting hurt.

HOTB: What advice would you give aspiring authors?

Katrina: To read, read, read! Read widely and across genres. Reading helps develop your voice, and teaches you what styles you want to emulate and want styles you want to avoid. Plus, it’s fun.

HOTB: What celebrity hair do you currently love?

Katrina: I’ve got several! I love Salma Hayek,’s hair. Her bob on the cover of the June InStyle magazine is something I’m gearing for this summer. I’ve always been a fan of her style. Jada Pinkett’s hair is always styled beautiful and her hair on the cover of the July issue of Essence magazine describes easy, breezy summer style. Beyonce’s hair stays flawless. Now that’s a true Weavy Wonder, (a woman who rocks a weave regularly). And Victoria Beckham. Does she ever have a bad hair day?

HOTB: How are you currently wearing your hair?

Katrina: I’ve tried just about every style out there, but I have to say that I either prefer my hair really short, or really long. This summer, I plan to give my natural hair a break and rock a textured wavy weave. Don’t worry; I’m not addicted–I do take several breaks wearing my real hair. Healthy hair is really the best look for every woman.

Thanks so much for the interview, Katrina, and good luck with Unbeweaveable.

If you guys want to learn more about Katrina, go to katrinaspencer.com and stop by her blog, Curl Up and Write, where she dishes about writing, hair and more.

First of all, Nicole Richie is so cute. This pic is from last week when she was at traffic school in Van Nuys. Not sure why she was all bundled up like it was fall, since it was hot out that day but whatever.

Also, her hair is such a pretty color right now and very full and fluffy looking! We know she gets Brazilian Blowouts and occasionally extensions… Hmm. I wonder if she has extensions in right now?

So, speaking of extensions, Miley Cyrus‘ extensions are back (shock) and word is her new super long tresses cost $24,000!

What.the.f.

Kristina Barricelli of Gemini 14 Salon reportedly brought the hair to Los Angeles from Italy via New York.

Hmm. Why so much money? Why flown from Italy through New York? This is a fake story right? Oh. Right.

Jordana used Hotheads Hair Extensions on me, which are in the category of “Taped Wefts” in the Guide To Types of Hair Extensions. They are super thin, flat strips or “wefts” of hair with little strips of adhesive tape at the top that are attached onto your hair. They are good for someone like me who has fine-hair because they lay really flat against your head and are good for filling in long but thin hair–which is exactly what I was looking to do.

The picture above is of all the hair–two different shades. The photo came out a little dark, but you can see the little adhesive at the top. Each thin weft of hair just peels off that stack. One thin weft of hair is sandwiched one on top of the other, over your natural hair. The end result is very natural looking. Jordana layered two different colors so there is a multi-dimensional look that blends with my own hair, with no weird piecey streaks. It looks natural, but kinda not natural because who has this much nice hair? Not me, anyway. (By the way, I can SO see how this is addictive.)

The extensions last a few months and then you have your stylist take them out and have them re-attached. The same wefts of hair can be re-used a few times, but it does not have to be consecutively so you can give your hair a break, if you like. Because you can re-use the hair a few times, this type of extension is more cost effective than other types. The main rules for Taped Weft extensions are that you cannot use products with alcohol or oil in them because it harms the adhesive and will cause the extensions to come off, but you can wash and heat style them like normal.

That is the “after” photo of the back. Looks good, right? You can still kinda see the f’ed up layers I am growing out at the top (or “bangs in the back” as Jordana lovingly referred to them. ha.) but it blends so much better now! And the color match is perfect! Also, she layered the extensions after they were put in so they didn’t lay too heavy. Major thumbs up. And I know I am not showing my face… Maybe my wedding pics? ;) Thanks to Jordana for the pics, by the way.

Part II of my day: I also saw Kristen Gaby at Dino-Clark Salon today for a trial run on my wedding day hair. Kristen says the most requested bridal hair is down and wavy with one side pinned back, like the above shot of Marion Cotillard. And that happens to be kinda how we’re doing my hair. Kristen is a great stylist and super sweet and easygoing. I know she will put me at ease on the day of. Kristen curled my new extensions into a cool looking wave that is still going strong right now (which is amazing because my hair always drops curl!) Check back soon because I am going to interview Kristen about wedding hair stuff soon.

To book an appointment with Jordana Lorraine for extensions, Brazilian Blowout and more,  you can go to her website, email her, or call her at 310-922-2645!

To book an appointment with Kristen Gaby, call Dino-Clark directly at 310-392-3951.

I can barely keep up with Kristen Stewart’s hair changes recently… Well, I mean, she had those bad extensions in and now this! (I just feel like it’s a lot, ok?)

She showed up the Late Show with David Letterman in NYC with shorter, lighter almost strawberry blond hair! KStew told MTV News “It’s kind of blond right now. Like, reddish brown. I’m doing it for On the Road.” (She plays Mary Lou in the film adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s On The Road.)

I really like this look on Kristen. I have said before that she looks pretty with practically any hair color and style (check out a whole bunch that she has had in my post on Kristen Stewart’s Hairstyles! Just as long as it’s not a mullet again.

What do you think of Kristen’s newly red locks?