Sunday, March 16, 2008

My Stance on Drug Store Brands...

There is something to be said for exclusive salon products and department store make-up. There really is. But I am not against using drug-store brands. For instance, I've used every facial cleanser you can think of - paid as much as $200 for a skin care regime (yonka, murad - you name it I've probably tried it) but I just keep coming back to gool ole Cetaphil. $10 for a big bottle of the "Galderma" and a washcloth and I love it. I started using it because a doctor recommended it to my mom for her rosacea and I figured, genetically, I might be at risk too so I better start early. It's gentle, moisurizing without feeling heavy and it cleans my skin and removes make-up great.

Shampoo and conditioner is another story. That has to be considered on a case by case basis. If you are spending money having your hair colored, a $20 bottle of shampoo is really just protecting the investement you've already made in your hair. If you spend $200 on amazing color and then wash it with an inexpensive shampoo with wax and sulfates you should not be suprised the color fades quickly. If you are blonde - not SUCH a big deal, since you want to remove pigment from the hair, but it could mess with the tone. For instance, Pantene: I actually love Pantene. It makes your hair feel super soft and shiny, but I would only recommend it to someone who has natural (non-colored) hair. Pantene will coat your hairshaft (which helps it feel good) but coating and rinsing over and over is like putting a mud mask on your face, it just sort of sucks the color out. This can be usefull if you colored your hair darker than you wanted - I did that once, colored it black and hated it so I used Pantene for a month and ended up about a shade and a half lighter. Great! But like I said, it's a case by case thing. Some of my clients just don't like to spend a lot on hair products so I like to be educated on what's available as a "drug store alternative." That's just the way I roll - I'm not a "Salon Product" snob. *But* I must also say, that salon hair products just outperform drugstore hair products, hands down, on the whole, every time. Still, it is "just hair" and for people who don't have hair on the top portion of their bugetary priorities, there is probably a good enough drug store brand available that will do the job well enough.

There are few exceptions where the inexpensive, tried and true drugstore brand just gets it right on, but it does happen. One example is Clairol's "Shimmer Lights" shampoo. If you are a bleached blonde who tends to get yellow - this shampoo is hands down the best you can get. ArtTech is close, but Shimmer Lights is much less expensive and, I think, works better.  It's good for getting white hair silver too...




note: I am not inferring that Meryl, Emmylou or Helen use Shimmer Lights. I  just think posts with photos are way more interesting!

5 comments:

Katy Bee said...

Hi Lynn! Just found your blog. Very fun. So...do you think shimmer lights is better than Aveda blue malva? I use blue malva shampoo and conditioner on my highlighted hair (which tends to get REALLY brassy) but if there is a better and less expensive shampoo out there for me, I may make a switch :). Talk to you soon! Katy B

Lynn Caldeiro Styling said...

Hi Katy! Yes, actually.. I think Shimmer Lights is perfect for you paired with a good deep conditioner. Blue Malva is ok (I don't really care much for it myself, I don't think it's strong enough pigment, especially for hair that tend to warm the way yours does) but I stand by the tried and true Clairol Shimmer Lights this time. If you can't find it, let me know and I can pick some up for you! Hope all is well and look forward to seeing you! -Lynn

Anonymous said...

I want to keep away orange brassy tones in my brown hair the hair dresser told me to get blue mava shampoo would the Shimmer Lights work as well

Lynn Caldeiro Styling said...

Yes Karli, Shimmer lights would keep the warm tones out of your hair. However I would pair it with a good (and deeper) conditioner as it's really just good for toning and doesn't do much for the condition of your hair. Blue Malva is nicer in that respect, but I think Shimmer Lights does more in terms of cooling the color.

Lynn Caldeiro Styling said...

Hey.. so I've found at my salon that many people are in love with the Fudge blue shampoo and I have to admitt I think I like it even better than Shimmer Lights. Just a heads up..