hair care

Meet the Badass Behind Badass Hair: Scott Fontana Talks High School, Hair, & How He'd Redo Britney

suze — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:28:49 -0800

The lovely ladies of Sparkle*Shelf recently gave me the chance to not only try the new Badass Hair product line, but to talk to the man who created them, Scott Fontana. Here's how it went down.

The interview

Q: How did you get into hair?

A: When I was 16, my parents and oldest brother were all hairdressers. My dad asked me if I wanted to drop out of high school and go into beauty school, and I agreed—and my other brother Steven went, too. I'd been getting into a little bit of trouble in high school, if you know what I mean, so it was a way for my father to keep me out of trouble. I had never wanted to do hair but was a natural. Plus, there were so many girls in beauty school—my brother and I were like kids in a candy store!

Q: What was your goal with this line of products?

A: Two and a half years ago, I was putting together an educational program for professionals and students. I started interviewing product companies I'd worked with in the past because I needed a product to back me up and support the educational program. But I just couldn't achieve what I wanted with any of them, so I decided to create my own brand of hair care.

Developing the products consumed my life. My goal was just to have my products support the educational side of my company, but they're the best I've ever used, so I wanted the whole world to know about them. Now my goal is to be a recognized national brand.

Q: What are three things any girl (or guy) can do to get better hair?

A: Cleanse it, treat it, and protect it with Badass Hair. That's one way of doing it. Or, eat healthy, take vitamins, and quit screwing with it.

Q: Who are your style icons or inspirations?

A: Paul Mitchell himself. José Eber. And Vidal Sassoon.

Q: If you could make over any celebrity's hair, who would it be, and what would you do?

A: I have two answers to this question: Simon Cowell and Britney Spears.

Simon needs to let his hair grow out on the sides and top, wear it a bit more messy and not so cropped-looking. It's hanging a bit heavy on his face, and doesn't complement his face shape or features.

For Britney, I'd take out those awful extensions and start from scratch. Whoever is doing her hair should quit the business. She looks great with long hair, so I'd re-do the extensions with straight hair and layer it softly so it blends with her natural length. I'd give her a soft, long bang as well, just below the eyebrows, then longer around to her cheekbones. I'd blend them into the sides down to about bra strap length. I'd keep her color baby blond and add lowlights to blend the extensions even more and to add contrast and color to her skin tone.

Q: Where do you go from here?

A: First, I want to finish the Badass Hair University Educational Program. I've had a lot of people give to me, and I'd like to give back.

Next, my wife and I have three kids, from 3 years to 6 months old, and we're always looking for the next best baby products. Badass Baby, a complete line of baby lotions, diaper balms, powders, bubble baths, and cleansers, will be out on the market shortly.

But my biggest dream is The Badass Hair Show—a reality show looking for the next top hair stylist. Nothing like Shear Genius. More like American Idol meets Rock Star Super Nova meets So You Think You Can Dance.

The products

So how does the reality of the Badass Hair line stack up to the dreams of the man who invented it? I'm thrilled to say it exceeded all my expectations.

I have long, fine, straight hair that tends to get fly-aways and go a bit wavy when it's humid. Scott started me off with a passel of products designed just for straight hair. Through a shipping mix up, I ended up with two conditioners and no shampoo, but I'm willing to bet the shampoo is as awesome as the rest of the line.

Silky Sweet Condition was thick and slippery, and I was afraid it would weigh my hair down too much. Nope: just left it tangle-free, soft, and smelling great.

Next, Scott had me use the Spray-In Condition, to detangle, strengthen and smooth, all over my whole head, followed by about a nickel-sized squirt of Velvety Smooth Conditioning Straightening Balm. Finally, I sprayed Up All Night Volume Mist just at the roots. I did my usual blow-dry … and holy crap. It was perfect. I had volume, shine, and the straightness I try for every morning—without an iron.

I smoothed on a tiny bit of Sophistication Hair Polish to kill any fly-aways, then finished with the Free Working Spray to keep everything in place. I looked hot.

But you know what the best part was? When I got up the next morning, my hair was still perfect. And yeah, I felt like a badass.

Budget-Friendly Beauty: My Top 5 Drugstore Haircare Products

Bren — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:14:08 -0700

I love my hair. In years past, I have been known to spend hundreds of dollars to get juuuuust the right cut, texture, and color. But now? Well, now I spend all my money on gas and cute shoes, but I still get compliments on my hair all the time - and here's a secret: all my hair products cost under $7 bucks. Who doesn't love a drugstore deal?

Goin' the drugstore route doesn't mean skimping on quality. If you compare the ingredients in the bottles, a lot of times they are the same exact ones. From what I understand, "salon quality" just means higher concentrates of the ingredients - but there's really not a big difference. So check out what I consider the top products in the drugstore aisles.

Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner
I totally fell in love with Herbal Essences after they revamped their products (the "totally organic experience" thing just didn't work for me). They now have an entire line of fresh and fun hair products for different woes, everything from dry hair to normal hair to breaking hair to long hair. I'm partial to the Hello Hydration line in the fun blue bottles. They smell DELICIOUS, work just as well as salon products, and at under $5 a pop for a 40oz bottle, totally budget friendly. ($3.99, available at drugstores nationwide)

Garnier Fructis Leave-In Conditioning Cream, Sleek & Shine
I love this so much I travel with it, lest I have to shower somewhere and, God forbid, be without this miracle product. Hey, I used to have triple-processed platinum panels in my hair... And now my hair is a soft black shade. So believe me when I say my hair has been around the block quite a few times. This stuff has replenished the moisture, kept my ends from splitting, and smoothed the fly-aways from all the breakage I've incurred. It lasts forever, smells pretty neutral, and isn't a pain in the wallet to replenish. Loves it! ($3.99, available at drugstores nationwide)

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Tousled Tresses Fine-Mist Wax
When I bought this, I was blonde, but switched it up in-between uses and wasn't about to throw out perfectly good product. Worked like a dream, so brunettes, please keep reading. I went through every single drugstore product that had the words "paste," "wax," "pomade," or "putty" in the title. The one thing they had in common? They all left my hair gunky, heavy, dirty, or gross. But this stuff is bottled perfection: amps up the texture, brings out my layers, easy to use, totally hooks it up with that edgy, piecey look that's always in style. ($5.99 - Won Allure's Best of Beauty Award; easier to find online than in stores)

Sunsilk Waves of Envy, Sea Mist
I love this stuff so much I already wrote a full article on it. It's that good. I know a lot of Sparkle Divas prefer the Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray, but I think it's way too little product for way too much price, especially if you have to replenish often - and it's drying. The Sunsilk Sea Mist gives the right amount of texture, is SO good on the go (I keep mine in my car), and generally rocks my short-haired and tousled world. ($3.99, available at drugstores nationwide)

Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask
My flat iron is my best friend. We hang out together, go through products together, travel to far off places together. But it's a co-dependent relationship: I rely on my HAI to keep me smooth, while it sucks the moisture out of my hair. Neutrogena has come to my rescue again and again with this deep recovery hair mask - I simply lather it on once a week, leave it in while I watch Sex and the City reruns, then rinse it out and bam! Soft lustrous hair again, no mayo needed. ($6.99, available at drugstores nationwide)

What drugstore haircare products do you think are to die for? Any other suggestions / recommendations?

Pantene Pro-V Vs. Stylist Hype

Koty — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:35:50 -0700

Stylist after stylist keeps telling me to just say no to Pantene Pro-V, a favorite of mine since I was a pre-teen, so why all the dissing of what I always thought was a great product? I decided to look at the truth behind all of the hairdresser hype.

Last week I went to go see the stylist I've had for the past year. We were catching up and she asked me what brands of products I had been using. After naming off what I could remember was in my shower..Aussie, Suave, Tresseme, Bath & Body Works, Pantene...she gasped after I said Pantene. "Stop using the Pantene," she said, "Use your Aussie if you must but throw away the Pantene as soon as you get home." I was insulted. I love Pantene and have for years. I love everything from the commercials to the way my hair feels so silky soft and smooth after I've conditioned it. "Yeah, you think it feels silky and soft but that's bullshit," she yapped. "Pure bullshit. The reason why it feels that way is because of all of the wax in their formula. It coats your hair and makes you feel like it's doing what it's supposed to but really it's just drying it out. And Pantene has been known to make hair fall out"

I wanted to cry.

I've never been a big fan of buying salon products even with my long crazy hair because I hate the prices and love the results of what I get out of the brands I find in drug stores. While several stylists before had told me the same thing about Pantene, this time it hit home. I ended up going home with $30 worth of Matrix products and a strong sense of buyer's remorse as I looked longingly at my Pantene in the shower.

I decided to investigate.

After reading a number of user reviews there seems to be strong opinions on both sides. Many users commented saying they did have problems of hair falling out after using Pantene products while others claimed you shouldn't believe everything your stylist says and that thinning hair is genetic and not from the affect of your shampoo. According to BeautyBrains.com they suggest looking up the ingredients in both salon products and Pantene products and notice that they all contain the three basic types of ingredients: fatty alcohols (like cetyl and stearyl alcohol); conditioning ingredients (like stearamidopropylamine and quaternium-18) and silicones (like dimethicone and cyclomethicone.)

My bottom line:

Pick the product that works for you. Take helpful suggestions from your stylist but don't believe everything she/he says. While I did run out of there with salon products in hand after her woeful words I realized afterwards that every case is different. While some may swear on their hairdryers Pantene products are evil and bad for your locks it all depends on your own personal case. My hair is still thick and volumous as ever and that's all that matters to me.

What are your own personal experiences with this brand?

Summer Love (For Your Hair!)

Bren — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:16:01 -0700

Keep your hair looking hot, not haggard, this summer!

As of this coming Friday, it's officially summer. Not only does this mean shorter skirts and cute floppy hats, it also means pool parties, surf sessions, lakeside debauchery, and other water-activity fun. But before you jump (or get thrown) into that pool, make sure you've put your cell phone somewhere far, far away from the water (I speak from experience) and that you've insured your hair.

As our days become longer and much, much hotter, a quick dip in the ocean or the local hottie's pool sounds like a fabulous idea. After all, you need to show off your brand new retro-inspired swimsuit. But be aware: frolicking in the surf can totally trash your hair. The ocean, while providing fabulous beach-blown hair, can suck the moisture out with its high salinity. And pools aren't much better: the chlorine will dull your hair color, zap its moisture content, and in some cases turn your lovely locks green. But have no fear: I've spent half my life in the water, and have learned a few tricks. Here they are:

Step #1: PROTECT
If you can stand it, get yourself a pre-season trim. This will instantly make your locks look lush, and it will prevent those split ends from getting out of control. After that, you should start applying a leave-in that is specially formulated to fight against the effects of chlorine, sun, and salt. Try Frederic Fekkai's SunShine Shield Spray, which is a "sunscreen for your hair." It's also a trifecta of treatmeant, providing a UV protection, preserving your hair color, and retaining your moisture all at once.

Another helpful hint: Before you get in the water, drench your hair in regular or purified drinking water. This works especially great on highly porous hair, since the hair will immediate soak it in. It creates an "invisible barrier" to ocean or pool water: said water can't saturate your hair as much because, well, it's already wet. Therefore, less chlorine and/or saline is absorbed.

Step #2: CLEANSE
As soon as you can after you get out of the water, wash your hair! If you're stuck at the beach or a shower just isn't plausible, a quick rinse with a bottle of water will suffice. A clarifying shampoo works best for after-swimming hair care. Paul Mitchell makes one called "Shampoo Three," specially formulated to remove chlorine and other impurities, like iron. It's gentle enough to be used daily, and with wild orchid extract, leaves hair smelling like Hawaii. However, if your hair is completely wrecked, you might want to try something stronger. I recommend Rene Furterer's Repairing Shampoo for After-Sun. Use this a few times a week, alternating with your regular shampoo, to leave your locks silky soft and chlorine-free.

Step #3: TREAT
This is probably the most important step: conditioning! I am a conditioner junkie: I go through 2 bottles of conditioner for every bottle of shampoo. For our purposes, your regular conditioner should be just fine, but make sure to do a deep conditioning or hair masque once a week over the summer to restore its gloss, liven its lustre, and keep hair happy. Try Phyto Plage's After Sun Repair Mask with Rush Nut Oil - specially formulated to combat the effects of the sun, it also contains cellulose (also known as "fibers"), which is that dandy little ingredient a lot of mascaras are bragging about because of its superpowers to help absorb and lock in moisture at the speed of light. Well, maybe not the speed of light, but pretty darn fast.

If your hair is already really dry, I recommend seeing your hairdresser for a glossing and/or restorative treatment. And if, for some reason, you've already become victim to the "green hair syndrome," try this: Smash up a few aspirin, mix them into a clarifying shampoo until it becomes thick (but not a paste), then wash your hair.

**Do any of you fabulous Sparkle*Shelf readers have any other great tips for keeping hair luscious throughout the summer?**

Free Terax Hair Care Crema Daily Conditioner

mariethacker — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:09:46 -0700

With any Beauty.com purchase, get a Free Mini Terax Hair Care Conditioner!

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