Getting Glossy and Gorgeous Hair

Getting Glossy and Gorgeous Hair

At the end of summer, my hair is always a little broken-hearted and bedraggled, and no amount of deep conditioning seems to revive it.  Trying to get your hair into shape at this time of year feels very much like trying to drag a whining child back home from the beach at the end of a long day.  I've tried out a few rescue remedies with varying degrees of success:

From The Hair Shop on Wilshire near La Brea. $17.  http://www.hairpiece.com/

Love this stuff!  You only need a small amount of 909 Silk Drops that you work into your ends and up your hair.  Takes sad, parched, "ratty" hair and transforms it within minutes into something presentable. It's like a magic trick.  Miraculously, it doesn't weigh your hair down at all.  You can also use it prior to blow-drying or heat-styling your hair to protect it from the heat. Has a very strong floral fragrance.  10 out of 10.

Damage Remedy by Aveda.  Your local Aveda store or www.aveda.com.  $28

I love Aveda, but I didn't love this leave-in conditioner.  It tended to make my hair a little straggly and didn't really improve the split ends or the overall dryness.  Pleasant grassy fragrance.   Eco-friendly, all-natural line with no animal testing.  2 out of 10.

John Masters Organics Shine On Leave-in Treatment.  Your local Whole Foods or www.johnmasters.com.  $30.

 Be sure to use this product while your hair is still wet (unless you have very full hair) or it will weigh it down.  This product is somewhat moisturizing, but primarily what it does is eliminate frizz.  If you have wavy or curly hair that tends to go crazy when it's dry or hot, you'll love this tress-tamer.  Apply a small amount all over your damp hair.  You may need add an additional product to use on your ends if your ends are very dry.  I recommend this for primarily frizzy rather than dehydrated hair.  No real fragrance.  Eco-friendly, all-natural line with no animal testing.  8 out of 10.

Aveda Color Conserve Daily Protect.  Your local Aveda store or www.aveda.com.  $24.

This is a lightweight leave-in treatment that you put through your whole hair (not just your ends).  It won't weigh your hair down, and it considerably brightened and enlivened my hair color (particularly great if you you have an intense hair color that tends to get duller over time).  People asked me if I'd had my color redone when I'd only just used this product.  The downside is that it isn't heavily moisturizing, so you may need to use another product to moisturize your damaged or dry ends.  One bottle lasts a really long time.  Has a soothing, woodsy-clean scent.  Eco-friendly, all-natural line with no animal testing.  8 out of 10.

Josie Maran Argan Oil Hair Serum.  Your local Sephora store or www.josiemarancosmetics.com.  $30.

I am completely in love with most of Josie Maran's wonderful, inventive, all-natural line, but not with this product.  I found it to be a little too heavy for most of my hair, and it didn't repair or gloss-ify my damaged ends.  Light fresh citrus scent.  Eco-friendly, all-natural line with no animal testing.  2 out of 10.

Pureology Antifade Complex Shinemax Shining Hair Smoother.  Your local beauty salon.  $20.

Pureology has some fantastic shampoos and conditioners that work great for preserving your color, but I didn't fall in love with this serum at all.  Shinemax serum is designed to brighten your color and smooth your frizz, but I found it to be very lightweight and didn't work well for either.  After a couple hours, my hair reverted to its old ways.  Instead, for color reviving and shine, I recommend Avead Color Conserve Daily Protect, and for frizz-smoothing I recommend John Masters Organics Shine On.  Eco-friendly line with no animal testing.  Very strong, annoying floral-chemical fragrance.  1 out of 10.