The PRODUCT Blog - Pure Ingredients for Gorgeous Hair

Well Seasoned

We're on the cusp of fall, when new styles are as plentiful as descending leaves.  Now is the time when a few smart choices can make for a good-looking season.

Some resources for the ladies: 

• Chictopia, an online "mecca for inspiration seekers and trendsetters," does not disappoint and is highly regarded by WWD & NYLON ...

• Atlantic-Pacific, created by emerging style icon Blair "Bee" Eadie, incorporates fashion sensibilities from both coasts into a unique mix.  See what interests her for the coming season.

• Get more from your summer maxi-dresses, with some styling tips from Refinery29. 

 

For the guys, this video from the Quoddy workshop demonstrates a high standard.  It's good to keep in mind that you deserve quality, and to admire it - though a pair of these would be an investment ...

video via the Free/Man Journal

 

And for parents, as well as young kids and teens, back to school shopping can be a, shall we say, tense experience.  It's no surprise that a recent survey found young people underestimate the cost of this annual autumn ritual.  Though it can't be avoided, school shopping can be embraced as a "teachable occasion" for money matters - see the survey results for specific suggestions ...

and savor these final days of summer!

 

Best Coast

Fresh from the Urban Outfitters blog comes an interview with Lana Kim, an exec producer for music videos here in Los Angeles who also hosts 'The Lana Show,' where she hangs out with musicians like Will Oldham (aka Bonnie Prince Billy), Moby and Blonde Redhead ...

Sharing her favorite haunts in the City of Angels, Lana singles out Lucas Hair Salon in Echo Park, saying, "It's like 'Barber Shop' the movie!  Except with women.  I stop by to say hi and talk, even if I'm not getting my hair done."  (Another fabuluous thing about Lucas Echo Park - you can get PRODUCT there ...)

See the rest of Lana's L.A. List, view 'The Lana Show' or check out her joint blog with sibling Ely, who lives in NY, called 'The Rivalry.'  Ms. Kim describes the brother-sister blog "a visual conversation" between the two of them - a peek into their worlds on opposite coasts (and a bit of a competition to see whose posts get the most interest) ...

Eat. Sleep. Beauty. PRODUCT.

The busy mom behind the blog Eat. Sleep. Beauty., who goes by the moniker Beauty Mama, sought out PRODUCT and LIL PRODUCT because of their 100% natural formulas - and fell in love with them because of their outstanding performance.  Here are some excerpts where she describes how PRODUCT works for her ...

"Because I’m always on the go, I decided the best place for PRODUCT was in my purse. By the time my hair is dry, or almost dry, I’ve long been away from home. I rub a small amount between my hands and finger brush it through my hair. It leaves it with a nice shine, calms frizz, and gives it texture."

On PRODUCT's multi-tasking capabilities:

"The other day I was doing my usual mid-day touch up ... but wait, where’s my lip gloss?! As I frantically searched my purse I realized there was no gloss or balm. That’s when I remembered you can use PRODUCT as a lip balm. Wahoo! And I did. It is fantastic. Shiny. Soft. Perfect."

Why it's so effective:

"I like this pomade, a lot. I don’t, and I mean EVER, use hair styling products. On my thin hair, everything weighs it down ... and most of what’s available is full of garbage. So I don’t use anything. PRODUCT feels so lightweight, I don’t even know it's there. And mid-day if my hair needs more, I can put more in ... it tames my wild hair without weighing it down."

And our favorite section of Beauty Mama's review:

"Using PRODUCT has helped me to embrace my hair for the hot mess it is. Slightly straight, yet wavy in spots, flips out here, curls under there. With this pomade, I can let my hair be who it is."

Cheers to that!

You can also read about how Beauty Mama uses LIL PRODUCT to wrangle the tresses of her three young children, all of them with different hair types (!), here.

Holidays, from A to Zen

As we head into the holiday season, of course we're thinking about looking stunning at all those soirees and gatherings.  Sometimes, though, what's going on inside your head can have more of an impact on your appearance than any external condition.  It's the ultimate irony that sharing "tidings of comfort and joy" can lead to stress and frustration.

So, in the interest of avoiding a holiday meltdown, take a look at some thoughts on simple living from Zen Habits.  The complete list is longer, but here are five essentials that might help you through the coming weeks (and beyond) ...

• Make a list of your top 5 most important things.  What's most important to you?  What do you value most?  What do you most want to do in your life?  Simplicity starts with these priorities, as you make more room in your life for what matters to you.

• Evaluate your commitments.  Look at everything you’ve got going on in your life. Everything, from work to home to civic to kids’ activities to hobbies to side businesses to other projects.  Think about which of these really gives you value, which ones you love doing.  Which of these are in line with the "most important" things you listed above?  Consider cutting out those that don't fit with your priorities. 

• Evaluate your time.  How do you spend your hours?  What things do you do, from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep?  Make a list, and evaluate whether your activities are in line with your priorities.  If not, think about how you can redesign your day.

• Learn to say no.  This is actually one of the key habits for those trying to simplify their lives.  If you can’t say no, you will take on too much.  Remember, you can say no nicely!

• Learn what “enough” is.  Sometimes it seems as though our culture today is about getting more and more, with no end in sight.  Sure, you can get the latest gadget, and more clothes and shoes.  More stuff.  But when will you have enough?  Most people don’t know, and thus they keep buying more. It’s a neverending cycle.  Get off the cycle by figuring out how much is enough.  And then stop when you get there.

Wishing you a peaceful holiday season, full of satisfaction, delight and a little Zen!   You can kick it all off with a discount* in the PRODUCT store this weekend - just enter promo code GOBBLE at checkout, and thanks for stopping by! 

*20% discount, valid 11/25/10-11/28/10.

Photo:  WTLphotos/Flickr

Fashion FAST Forward

Image is a top priority for Angelenos.  This is Hollywood, after all - the town from which style is disseminated via celebrities to be dissected by the media.  Looking put-together without appearing to try too hard is a talent at which guys & girls here in the Southland excel.  

Young adults are the engine that drives fashion innovation and experimentation, so PRODUCT was thrilled to be asked by F A S T (Fashion and Student Trends), a group of UCLA fashion afficionados and innovators, to participate in gift bags for their annual fashion show, staging May 26. 

Since 2001, F A S T has produced fresh designs and given aspiring models a chance to 'walk the walk' in their annual style extravaganzas.  2010's theme is "Catalyst" and F A S T is making that theme a reality by collecting clothing at the event to benefit the Los Angeles non-profit Food on Foot.  Helping homeless men & women transition into housing and employment, and also providing them with meals and other assistance, Food on Foot is creating change in the lives of the most vulnerable segment of our city's population. 

Because it's not just about appearances - it's also about what you do to make a difference ...

Prescription for Style

If you're considering a beauty or grooming purchase, you'll definitely want to consult with the 'pharmacists' at Style Apothecary.  "The home for skincare, haircare, cosmetics, fragrance, and beauty tools reviews" gives thorough, detailed descriptions of how the products and tools it tests perform. 

This week, PRODUCT pomade was put through its paces by two of Style Apothecary's evaluators and the results were a solid 'two thumbs up'!  

This from Makeup Addict:

"Product turned out to be a very easy product to use and I love the results ... take a small portion in your hands and it starts to melt down into a workable liquid.  Your body temperature breaks it down very quickly.  Then you apply it to your hair from your roots to the tips ...  I was just a wee bit nervous - thinking that it could look or feel greasy or waxy in my hair but those fears subsided quickly when my hair took on a very natural appearing shine.  I am happy to say that everything looks natural -- no slippery look.  It does add texture to my extremely thin, fine hair.  My hair feels like it has some real body and volume to it.  I can use it on either damp or dry hair which is a very nice  option."

PRODUCT's second reviewer, known only as MESTV (very mysterious!) reported:

"This is fast becoming a fave go-to product for my hair styling endeavors...  I use Product AFTER styling and it has just about eliminated my need for hairspray - which is a miracle unto itself b/c my hair never holds on its own.   So I style my hair, then I take the tiniest of tiny amount of Product on my finger tips then warm it up in my hands ...then I flip my head over, sort of run my hands through my hair, flip it back, piece out the ends and holy toledo you should see the volume - it is awesome.  No greasified or waxified look either (again, use very little!).   I love how it completely helps in holding the style and body all day.  My hair feels and looks 10 times thicker - and believe me, I don't have thick hair ...  Perfect for the finishing touch and adding great body and funky piece-y style to my 'do."

The reviews, and the results, speak for themselves!  Thanks so much to all at Style Apothecary for sharing such specific and helpful info with your readers about PRODUCT pomade ...

Make It A Habit

One of the most successful retailers PRODUCT does business with is Beautyhabit. 

Beautyhabit describes itself as a Modern Lux Apothecary, and stocks some of the highest quality lines available, many made from pure, natural ingredients.  They've been offering PRODUCT for some time now, and recently added LIL PRODUCT, our hair pomade for young people, to both their digital shelves and their brick-and-mortar, which just moved to new, larger digs. 

This week, LIL PRODUCT made it onto Beautyhabit's list of 'Everything you need to care for your little one...' 

LIL PRODUCT shared the spotlight with distinctive brands like Weleda, L'Occitane and Jurlique. 

'Special' indeed!   

One of our other demographics - stylish, au courant gentlemen - also recognized PRODUCT this week, on the beauty site It's A Glam Thing.  Men's Editor Anthony Turk declared PRODUCT pomade for hair one of his Fave Finds.  As his bio states, Mr. Turk works as a publicist for film and television stars, so his style expectations are high - we're pleased PRODUCT made the cut!  

Cold Turkey (The Beauty Version)

What woman hasn't taken a day (or two, or three even) off from makeup?  (I certainly hope there aren't many!)  I regularly go nearly a week without washing my hair - it keeps it looking and feeling healthier, plus I conserve shampoo and conditioner, not to mention water! 

But imagine 30 days without makeup ... Going to work, taking meetings, having a social life - imagine a whole month of doing those things without your 'face armor' or the other grooming routines we generally consider essential.  Nervous yet?

Well, one intrepid "product junkie" signed on for the adventure of a month of beauty asceticism - using "nothing but soap and sunscreen" - and documented her experience for TotalBeauty.com.    Astonishingly (wink wink), she did not become a social pariah, or retreat into hermit-hood.  Granted, this beauty addict is a gorgeous woman.  But I'd like to note that one of her observations, this one from Day 21, was that, "If no one wore makeup, everyone would look good."  As the experiment progressed, she became noticeably less and less self-conscious about her unadorned self - and possibly grew to appreciate her natural beauty more. 

Her article shared many revelations about beauty and the products we use to achieve it, including mention of a number of natural alternatives to the synthetic- or chemical-laden substances we typically slather onto ourselves with abandon.  For example:  cornstarch makes a great, non-irritating hair powder, argan and other oils are effective skin moisturizers and raw sugar combined with olive oil makes a fantastic exfoliant for lips and skin.  Another important discovery:  the skin is a sensitive organ.  It's the largest organ of our body, though we often don't think of it as such. And everything we apply to it, head to toe, is felt by it and absorbed into it. 

One of the biggest take-aways from this piece was that simplicity does not mean deprivation.  It's wonderful to look and feel beautiful, and it's an intriguing notion to think that a way to realize that beauty is to flip the situation and work from the inside out. 

Blogapalooza!

Coming back from the holiday weekend refreshed, recharged, and with some new media mentions to share!

 

• Jennifer, whose blog Sugar Pop Ribbons hosts reviews and giveaways of items for children and the adults who love them, was excited to give both PRODUCT & LIL PRODUCT a test run.  She writes in her review that both she and her daughter DD have long hair that tends to tangle, and that after using our eco-friendly pomades, she and DD approve!  Jennifer concluded that she "really likes" PRODUCT and LIL PRODUCT, and that she and DD "use it after bath time and it helps detangle our hair as well as keeping our hair nourished." She says she also noticed that both of them have shinier locks after drying, too.  Pretty great results!  Best of luck to all who participated in the Sugar Pop Ribbons giveaway contest for a set of PRODUCT & LIL PRODUCT jars ...

 

• Next came the Cherry Blossoms blog review of PRODUCT & LIL PRODUCT.  Cherry Blossoms Hair Accessories - offered on the crafty e-superstore Etsy - are adorable headbands and clips in all sorts of styles, to fit all sorts of little personalities.  Again, using our pomades became a family affair - mom, dad and child all experienced the satisfaction that comes with finding an effective and 100% natural styling aid made exclusively from organic & plant-derived ingredients. In fact, Cherry Blossoms owner/designer Kiley's husband "says he will continue to use PRODUCT daily on his hair ... it doesn't weigh his hair down and he LOVES how natural" it is.  It was fantastic to see that the Cherry Blossoms giveaway elicited an enthusiastic response from the blog's readers, and good luck to all entrants!

• Finally, PRODUCT found its way onto the Los Angeles dating site Three Day Rule.  Anyone who lives in LA - or who's even visited here, probably - knows that it's nickname 'City of Angels' isn't quite accurate.  So to find an informative, honest and well-researched resource for how to connect with that special someone is like striking gold.  After getting her hands on a jar of PRODUCT, one of TDR's editors, Talia, decided to add it to their 'What's Hot' page ... and it could make some appearances at future TDR events, so stay tuned.

Thanks to Jennifer, Kiley and Talia for sharing PRODUCT & LIL PRODUCT pomades with their readership.  December's been a great month for us in the blogosphere, and we've enjoyed the attention!

Kid Tested, Mother Approved

Another appreciative mother has extolled the benefits of LIL PRODUCT, hair pomade for young people!

This time the good news comes from the blog "for those passionate about beauty and fitness" - BeFlossy. Contributor Stephanie writes about both her curly-haired daughter's and her own responses to LIL PRODUCT in her guest review.  Though a bit dubious at first, Stephanie was super pleased with the results, sharing that after using LIL PRODUCT her little girl's hair held its curls, was shinier, and was soft and completely 'crunch-free' - for days after the first application!  And when it was time for a hair brushing she got another pleasant surprise - no tangles!  There are 'before' and 'after' photos in Stephanie's review - but here's an 'after,' apparently taken following a full day at the beach:

With its 100% natural, organic ingredients, LIL PRODUCT really does nourish, style, shine and protect - and we thank Stephanie, her darling daughter and BeFlossy for giving it a whirl!