Guest Review: Marco Pelusi Anti-Frizz Leave-In Conditioner Rated 9.5 by TotalBeauty.com Editor Charli Schuler It’s easy to see why Marco Color Anti-Frizz Leave-In Conditioner with Collagen Color Guard is hairstylist Marco Pelusi’s signature product. Just one or two pumps miraculously detangle knots and tame frizz on all hair types. …More

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So, remember how I said I went to Miami this weekend for a day?  It all happened so quickly that I barely remember the actual trip!  Note to self…flying across the country for less than 24 hours is not reeeally worth it, unless Eddie Vedder will be waiting for you when you disembark.  I was invited by Nivea to attend the Shay Todd fashion show, and stayed at the Hotel de Soleil on Ocean Drive.  After the show, I went to the after party at Mokai, and then (randomly!) encountered a dear old friend at Set.  I’m working with Nivea to have a giveaway for you, so I should have those details Friday…stay tuned!

The Shay Todd fashion show at the Setai Hotel, sponsored by Nivea and (my favorite antioxidant cocktail!) VeeV

My room at the Hotel de Soleil

Another view of my sadly underenjoyed room at the Hotel de Soleil

Hotel balcony - with private jacuzzi!  No time to enjoy it, alas

Me, at the Shay Todd show.  I started off the evening with sleek, straight hair.  Five minutes later, I kid you not, I ran back to my hotel room to find a rubber band and put it in a ponytail.  How I ever survived south Florida summers, I shall never know.  (Oh, right, because I fled!)

Friends at Set

Gwynnie is a vision in pink on the July cover of Harper’s Bazaar, although I must admit that I prefer her hair straight to the choppy, flirty waves below.  (They’re extremely pretty–don’t get me wrong!–just not my favorite as a girl with similarly textured hair who always covets sleek and straight.)  The key to rocking a style like this is texture, texture, texture: spritz a salt-spray like Bumble and bumble Surf Spray through wet hair, spend 60 seconds blowdrying roots and any cowlicks, then let hair airdry.  A one-inch or smaller curling iron when hair is dry (flip the ends haphazardly this way and that!) will add oomph to waves, and a nickle-sized dollop of grooming cream or serum will keep ends from getting too flyaway and frizzy.

These photos make me happy; she looks like she’s having a blast at the shoot. 

She’s cool!  She’s casual!  She’s a Gwyneth of the people!

Damn you and your mile-long legs, Mrs. Coldplay!  But what is with Gwyneth and her penchant for dominatrix heels?

To everybody who posted your biggest beauty question: thank you!  It took me a few days to weed through them all and take notes (I’m currently working on edits for Confessions), so now I have a loooong list of future posts and items to research.  (The best deodorant that won’t leave marks?  Beats me!  I’ve tried scores over the years, and I’ve never found one that actually works — including Degree Ultra Clear, which says it’s Little Black Dress approved…but it’s not.  Degree, you lie!)  In honor of the ‘fro I’m rocking today, let’s tackle frizz first.

You don’t have to spend oodles of money on an effective anti-frizz product, nor do you have to so thoroughly weigh down hair with shine serum that it becomes a grease ball.  The trick in banishing frizz is to combat it when your hair is wet, not damp or dry; this will make a huge difference in the sleekness (and lightness) of the finished look.  My personal favorite is Phytodefrisant (apply a quarter-sized dollop) but at $26, it’s not as cheap as, say, John Frieda Frizz-Ease Serum (roughly $9) or Neutrogena Triple Moisture Healing Shine Serum (about $7.50), both excellent alternatives. 

- Rub the serum in the palms of your hand and over fingers, then work it through your combed-out strands, starting at the bottom; this ensures the most product will deposit on parched ends, and the least amount on your roots. 
- If you plan on airdrying hair, scrunch a dime-sized amount of hydrating cream (see below) on the lower-half of hair and then keep your hands off!  (Handling leads to frizzilation.)  The areas near your roots don’t need any hydrating or glossing cream, unless superdamaged or coarse.
- To blowdry hair smooth, I like to blast my bangs first (away with thee, wavy bits!), then pull up the top half of hair from my ears up, beginning in the back and underneath, and working my way forward and toward the crown.  (Play around and do whatever works for you; what’s truly important is working in small chunks to get hair bone-dry.  For those that have cowlicks, I strongly recommend drying those areas ASAP!)
- Remove every last bit of moisture.  Even slight dampness will lead to later frizz on drier, less healthy strands. 
- Finish with a dime-sized amount of glossing or hydrating cream, combing it through hair with fingers, avoiding roots, and making sure to swipe the underside and random back bits of your ‘do.  Two of my all-time favorites are Fekkai Glossing Cream and John Frieda Secret Weapon Flawless Finishing Cream. 
- Dedicated frizz-fighters can use a flatiron to quickly lock in straightness, but make this the exception, not the rule, as heatstyling will dry out hair over time…which leads to frizz!  Ahh, the cruel irony.