Guest Review: Bumble and Bumble Winner Aubrey

Hey DOC readers. Today is Mr. Dudesday's birthday and even though he's not that old I bet he'd appreciate it if I kept his age to myself. So today I've given both of us the day off and I have a quick guest review for you from Aubrey, the winner of my Bumble and Bumble haircare giveaway. If anyone else is interested in writing a guest review for Drug of Choice please email me @ drugofchoicebeauty@yahoo.com and let me know what you want to write about, I'd love to have you. Here's Ms. Aubrey's review word for word.

"I have been a fan of Bumble and Bumble for many years but had not tried the seaweed collection. I was very impressed how it gave my hair a shine and how smooth the conditioner left my hair. The scent is absolutely the best, very spa like! The sea silk extract gives it feel of a real spa treatment too. I have been using it for a week now and notice an improvement in the appearance of my hair. I would definitely recommend this product to my friends!! I have also used other products of theirs and they have the best scents for their products."

Yves Rocher Rinsing Vinegar

We've all heard of rinsing our hair with vinegar to bring out the shine and reduce buildup on the strands but has anyone ever tried it? A long time ago I gave it a go and didn't really enjoy the experience of vinegar running down my face at the end of a shower. The hot steam only seemed to exacerbate the horrible smell. While I'll admit it worked I can't say that I would ever do it again. Just not worth the hassle.

Until now. I find many of my next great products in magazines. I like to see what is new and different out there and what everyone uses to look their best. This month SELF Magazine featured Yves Rocher Rinsing Vinegar. Hmmm, color me intrigued. This one's not going to leave you smelling like a salad in fact every single review I've read has said that the smell is amazing. Sign me up. At only $8.95 what have I got to lose? That salad dressing smell for one thing!

Used after shampoo and conditioner but before your final rinse this product is said to add shine and clear away residue that can dull your color. It's great at boosting your hair's radiance just that little bit to make the color stand out without adding any extra products to your final do. No matter how you want to wear your hair after this one's still going to do the trick and you don't have to worry about OD'ing on shine serum. Sounds like a winner in my book.

Not Your Mother's Girl Powder Volumizing Hair Powder

Even though I have thick hair it can sometimes fall flat. Right now I'm desperately in need of a good trim and some layers, it restores bounce like nobody's business. My hair is waist long and my style can easily get dragged down with too many styling products, the wrong shampoo or even a bout of bad weather. What's a girl to do? Get yourself some Not Your Mother's Girl Powder Volumizing Hair Powder. I have heard great things about this wonder product.

What it is is a hair powder that you apply SPARINGLY at the roots, tousle into your strands and watch in amazement as it puffs up even the finest, flattest hair. Some say you'll have to get used to the texture it leaves on your hair but that's not something that would bother little ol' me. Plus, if you have hair of the silky variety you know how hard it can be to keep it in an updo. This product eradicates the need for 1000 bobby pins. It gives the hair unbeatable texture that keeps even the silkiest strands in place. Genius.

During the month of October, Not Your Mothers (such a cah-ute name!) is donating 10% from all sales of this genius product at http://customnails.com/nymgrlpwdr.html to the Young Survivor's Coalition. That should put a smile on your face and if it doesn't maybe the fact that it's only gonna set you back $6 will! Go out there and be voluminous!

Twilight Sparkle Styling Tools

I never thought I'd see the day. Seriously?!? Twilight Styling tools. Sounds a little crazy but follow along.

I can't help but love these things for their color and sparkle alone. I mean, I'm a purple lover and sparkles are only icing on the cake. I've mentioned before that I'm not a fan of pink, it's because I'm a purple lover. This blowdryer is a fabulous shade of purple that I could just admire all day long on my vanity. If only I used a blowdryer. If you're in the same boat there are also straighteners, curling irons and hot rollers in the series as well as a "detailer" whatever the hell that is. There are even brushes you can pick up if you're in need of a new one.

All of these products are seriously affordable at $39.99 or less. The straightener is the only one above $29.99, an amazing deal if you're in the market for any kind of styling product. The stylers come with a 30 day money back guarantee and there are how to videos on the website. If you're a huge fan of the franchise you better get your butt in gear and pick these up, they're limited edition and at these prices they are going to go fast.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Blush

You may remember a while back I told you about Tigi Rockaholic Dry Shampoo. It's still my favorite but I wanted to branch out and give some other brands a try. I knew ahead of time that my vacation spot has the softest water on the planet and leaves my hair with residue even after a deep clean. Seriously, as a girl who can wash her hair once a week and still look fine I'm never impressed with the greasy hair on day two that I get here. So sad when I'm thinking about getting a condo there in the future! Luckily I've started my experimenting early so by the time I make the move in a few years time I'll hopefully have figured out a regimen that works.

Batiste's dry shampoo is probably one of the more talked about products out there in this category. I've never tried any products from the brand so I didn't know what to expect, all I knew was that they had a free travel bottle with the purchase of a bigger bottle. SOLD!

I gave this a try right away. I'd planned on taking a shower Sunday night but with all the last minute planning I did there was no way that was happening. Come Monday my hair was a little worse for wear and I wanted it to look pretty. Upon purchashing this I actually used it in the car as Mr. Dudesday was trying to eat. Ooops. I don't think I spoiled his BK too badly. This product doesn't have an overpowering smell like I was expecting so that was nice. It only has a slight white floral scent but honestly it's just fresh instead of noticeable.

Today I tried it again on my incredibly greasy hair (I put conditioner on my ends last night after my bath). I took my hair out of it's requisite bun and spread it out a little bit. Taking the can I pressed LIGHTLY on the button. If you push too hard you get too much product and it can turn your hair white and make for a lot more brushing out. Honestly even on my super dark hair I had no problem blending it in even when I used too much. If you're worried that you can't master it they also have a colored version as well as the regular and "refresh" versions. With my hair in this state I can't say I would go outside but it definitely looked and especially felt better than it did before. I also find that my hair looks better behaved and my flyaways lay down a little better after I use this stuff. How is that for great?

Overall my hair feels a lot better after using this product and if I slick it back up into a bun it looks healthy and shiny not greasy and grimy. Does that make sense? It wouldn't replace a good shampoo but it can extend it for a day. I think it would be great if you "accidentally" had a sleepover so keep the mini in your bag next to that spare pair of undies and your mini toothbrush.

The price is right on this one it's only $7.99 and like I said I got a free mini with mine at Ulta but I don't see that offer online.

Hair Help plus another Giveaway sponsered by theVerve360.com

I'm stuck in a rut! My hair that is. Up until junior year in high school I wore a messy bun every single day. Maybe it was the disastrous short cut I got in 8th grade and the fact that I now had hair long enough to pull up but I blame it on the fact that I never learned how to style my mop. It was so noticeable that when I saw my crush a year later I swore he was drooling over my newly discovered curly locks. I was a new woman not just to what's-his-name but to myself as well. Until now!

I don't want to brag but my hair is pretty awesome, the hair everyone always compliments, super thick (you could play guitar with one of the strands, I swear), somewhere between curly and wavy, but holy hell is it a pain in the ass. Styling's a cinch, throw in a little product and leave it alone but God does it itch like a mother on my back and neck. Hence, the bun that I've been wearing again, daily, morning, noon and night. I go to bed with a bun, tousle it and throw it up the exact same way in the morning. I do it so often I have clear breakage along the sides of my head. Not a pretty look.

I need to compromise, half the week hair up, half the week something different, half up, half down, down and curly and for God's sake I need to use that incredible straightener that now resides in a drawer somewhere. The only hitch, I'm giving up on the bun, it'll be a once a week maximum kind of thing, I'm looking for fun hairstyles that are simple but cute and I'm going to share my inspiration!

To kick off this change I'm going to tell you all about my new giveaway. This giveaway is sponsored by http://www.theverve360.com/. If you live in the Pittsburgh area you have to check this place out. They have you covered with everything from yoga and Pilates classes, massages, hair care, nails and more. They've really got everything you could possibly need for a happy, beautiful life, you could probably live there although I'm not sure they'd enjoy that. Since they're Pittsburgh's only exclusive Bumble and Bumble salon they're giving away a 8.5oz Bumble and Bumble Gentle Shampoo and Rich Conditioner to one lucky Drug Of Choice reader. Here's how you win...

Starting September 1st (that's Thursday)I challenge you readers to style your hair a different way each day for a week. Your usual hairstyle counts for one day but switch it up for the rest. Leave a comment every day with a link to a picture (preferably of you but it could be just the style you took inspiration, this is the honor system). Every day you participate gets you 1 entry into the contest. You can post your pictures on your blog and link to it, post pictures on Facebook, Twitter or any photo service out there. If you don't want to post them for everyone to see email them to me at drugofchoicebeauty@yahoo.com. Also in each post make sure to comment on what Bumble and Bumble products you want to try and why, that's the key to this contest, they only way to win.

Rules:

This contest is only open to continental US residents (sorry to those outside the US and to anyone in Alaska or Hawaii). Since I'm not the one sending out the prizes, it's not up to me.

You must be a follower of this blog so join now if you're just a lurker. Email followers count too.

One entry per day is allowed. Leave a comment on THIS post. Posts on other pages will NOT be counted. Please include a picture (or a link to a picture) of the hairstyle of the day and a Bumble and Bumble product you want to try.

The winner will be chosen at random and I will email you to get your address. Please make sure to leave your email address so I can get in touch with you.

This contest runs September 1st-7th at Midnight Eastern Time. Entries before or after those times will not be counted.

If you do not wish to participate in the hairstyle contest you can get one entry for being a follower, all other entries will NOT be counted.

Most of all have fun with this. It's time to get ourselves out of our rut. Remember, no entries until September 1st at midnight but have those hairstyles thought out in advance.

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Serum

Dove is one of those brands that you have to love for their message. The marketing campaign uses real-looking women who don't necessarily embody the Hollywood ideal. They are all about empowering women and girls to be there own best self instead of trying to fit into some impossible mold. I can really get behind that.

When Dove first came out with their haircare line I was in love with the shampoos and conditioners. They were light enough for thin hair but still really hydrated my thick tresses. While I haven't tried them in a while I do know that a formula change a long time back really didn't impress me so I jumped off the bandwagon. Still, I couldn't help but take notice of the Nourishing Oil Line, the Care Serum in particular. I love using oils on my hair and even though it might sound gross I swear the products soak right into distressed strands, leaving the hair looking just as clean as it did before applying. Start with a dime sized drop and add more if needed, it's a lot easier to add more product than to try and take it away. If you're still iffy on using straight oil in your hair there is also a cream available that contains the oils in a lesser concentration with a more flexible base.

A great way to care for your hair is to add a little hair oil to the driest bits and let it air dry. Avoid that hairdryer and straightener as long as you can stand it, it's probably the worst thing you could do to your strands. If you must use it (and we all have to sometimes) make sure you protect your hair with some kind of hydrating product, you can even use oils like this on the plates of your straightener to help seal in moisture and shine. This product is great on breakage around the hairline and really helps the frizz lie flat instead of puffing up like a balloon in the heat and humidity.

This one is only available in real life at Walgreen's but you can find it online at many locations including Walmart.com, Drugstore.com and Amazon and will set you back less than a 10 spot. To complete your collection also check out the shampoo, conditioner and daily treatment conditioner.

John Frieda Full Repair Line

You may not think about it but summer is the perfect time to revitalize your hair. Think about it, all winter long strands are suffering due to extreme cold and wind. Even if you spend next to no time outside during those months (like me) your hair still takes a beating. That's why summer is the perfect time to rehydrate and care for damaged strands.

John Frieda is a line I know and trust, what frizzy haired girl hasn't tried Frizz Ease, it's the simple, cost-effective solution to the frizz we're plagued with during the warmer months when hair sucks up humidity from the air. This line has basically single-handedly revitalized drugstore haircare. Now we're not stuck shelling out tons of bucks for healthy, shiny, manageable hair. The beautiful Karolina Kurkova in the ads doesn't hurt either.

Healthy hair starts in the shower and John Frieda Full Repair promises to repair damage to the hair quickly and effectively. Although it's targeted at overstylers (you know who you are) I'd say frequent ponys are just as much to blame. I NEVER blowdry or curl/straighten my strands but I do wear my hair in a messy bun every single day and I see intense breakage along the sides of my hair.

This line contains Inca Inchi micro oil to hydrate hair and keep it manageable without weighing it down, perfect for those with fine hair but still great for girls with thick or coarse strands.

My favorite product from the line? Innovative leave in treatment that comes with a mascara wand like applicator to apply directly to broken strands. It's even called a Flyaway Tamer, how genius! Not only is it going to help flyaways lie flat but it helps heal the problems that cause them to be frizzy in the first place. The tiny tube is perfect to bring in the car and apply on those days when you just gotta have the windows down and the music blasting. Those days do not do the best for my hair and I'm looking like Don King on a bad day.

For under $10 you can't beat this drugstore line and it's definitely worth a shot the next time you're in the market for a new haircare routine.

Organix Penetrating Argan Oil Treatment

Have you heard of Organix? If you haven't, you're seriously missing out. They're a drugstore haircare brand with easily the best smelling products out there. I can't vouch for the scent of the new Argan Oil line but every other product I've smelled is so delicious I want to pour it in a cup and drink it.

It seems like the whole world is obsessed with Argan oil and for good reason. After trying Josie Maran's incarnation on my face I fell in love, it's perfect for my super dry skin in the winter and would make a good twice-weekly nighttime regimen during the rest of the year. However, I can't fathom spending those kind of bucks on a haircare product even though the few times I used it on my hair it immediately felt soft and looked less frizzy. Organix has come to the rescue with their Argan oil line. Not only do you have a shampoo and a conditioner but there's a treatment and an oil to bring your hair to a whole new moisturized level.

For those of you with medium to thick hair you can apply the oil to wet hair and comb through and even add a little to extra dry spots (hello! breakage areas) when hair dries. If you have fine hair or hair that tends to the oilier side of the spectrum but you still want a dose of hydration I suggest using this as a pre-shampoo treatment. Simply add it to wet or dry hair (your preference although hair will soak up more if it's dry to begin with, the shaft can only hold so much moisture) and leave it in while you continue with the rest of your in-shower activities. When it's time shampoo and condition like normal.

The whole line is paraben and sulfate free which is great news for everyone, especially those with dry or color treated hair. Even the bottle is good for the environment, made from recycled material with environmentally friendly dyes. Sounds perfect to me!

Beauty Girl's Secrets: Week 5: Frizz Free Hair

Here's one you may not have thought of although it makes perfect sense if you think about it. Well-conditioned hair is frizz free hair. *Cut to me shaking my head disapprovingly at the mirror* My hair isn't, and probably never could be considering it's current condition, well hydrated. Load up on conditioner and I end up a greasy mess before my next shampoo, skip it and my hair is so dry that horses might just start feeding on it. Through trial and error I've come to the realization that leave in conditioner is my friend. Let me rephrase that lightweight, spray on, leave in conditioner or hair oils, not necessarily leave in creams, at least not the ones I've tried, are my best friends.

Here's how it works. Towel dry your hair and comb through the tangles as quickly as possible so there is no previous drying time. Spray on or scrunch in leave in conditioner and leave the hair alone. Do not touch it. Do not rest your head on the car seat. Do not put on a pullover. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. The conditioners will sit on top of the hair and in my experience leave you significantly more frizz free, not to mention completely conditioned.

Of course, this always works best when you apply another product such as the original John Freida Frizz-Ease and it's big sister counterpart Living Proof No Frizz. Both work wonders for my hair and keep it on it's best behavior. If you're going to go this route you will have to wash your hair more often so invest in a good hydrating shampoo and conditioner and I suggest you add a leave-in to your nightly routine, just make sure to change your pillowcase often as to avoid breakouts.

Samy Fat Foam & L'Oreal Sublime Mousse Hair Color

I'm a haircolor junkie who's lazy if that makes any sense. I've been a redhead since I was 18, since before I met my man, in fact, he's never seen me with my natural hair color. Right now I've decided to grow it out since it's impossible for me to color over the red on my own (hello! I colored it black {big mistake, btw} and I still had red tips). Of course, less than a year into this process I found my first gray hair but it looks like a fluke because I haven't found another. Phew! Now I'm ready to color my hair a shade closer to my natural color and add caramel highlights, a good way to grow out the roots without losing all my length. I've already chopped off 6 inches, I can't bear to part with more of it.

I've been curious about mousse haircolor for a while, since I saw Fat Foam at Walmart six months or so ago. However, I didn't see any red colors that would work for me (there are 18 shades) so I passed. Then there's L'Oreal Sublime Mousse. This line comes in 12 shades, all very natural and hard to go wrong. I do believe these would be amazing for anyone who is scared to color their hair on their own, all you do is rub it in and work it through the hair, it's foolproof. L'Oreal even claims on the box it's as easy as shampooing.

When coloring your hair stick with 1-2 shades lighter or darker than your own haircolor, goofs are much harder to notice this way and you won't end up with an unnatural color for your skintone. Once you become more experience you can try for different shades.

I can't wait to grow the red out of my hair, I really can't. I have visions of gowing lighter and lighter until I'm blonde, trying all the colors along the way and deciding where I'd like to stay for a while. My hair is naturally dark brown but with my fair skintone I would love to see what I'd look like with dark blonde hair or even light brown highlighted hair. We'll see. I'll be sure to update you on my color when my lazy butt gets around to coloring and highlighting my hair. Wish me luck!

Face-Off Friday: Jennifer Aniston

Wow. Talk about a commotion. I wasn't even going to post anything about it, everyone else already has but I couldn't resist. Yes, Jennifer Aniston cut her hair, big deal, the girl is allowed to do that, no?

I think I'm one of the few people who liked her hair when she cut it towards the end of Friends. I liked the bob length on her. It was something different and fun but not too different. It's not like she became a brunette and got a pixie. I also like it when she kept it super long. I'm a creature who likes change, not necessarily for me but I love when celebs change up their look, on the red carpet, in real life, even in movies. It's what makes me like them. I applaud them for taking risks.

Now I know what you really want to know. What does she think of the cut? The color? I can tell you I'm not a huge fan of the color, I think it's too light for someone with her skintone, I'm a firm believer in having your hair darker than your skin. I don't know why, I just am, it usually looks better. Of course, if you have dark, dark skin you can go a few shades lighter to add interest.

As for the cut itself, I think it's cute, flirty and fun, something she needed to do to get out of the hair and style rut she's been in. That's not to say that she doesn't look fabulous most of the time it's just always the same look. It's about damn time we saw something different from Ms. Aniston.

Healthy Sexy Hair Pumpkin

You know the thing I hate most in the beauty world? Falling in love with a product (and passing this love on to my friends and family) only to have it discontinued right out from underneath me. It's a sad day when that happens and the biggest beauty funeral in the recent past has to be for Sexy Hair Concepts Healthy Sexy Hair Pumpkin line (long name, amazing scent)!

I fell in love with this line when my roommate brought it home years ago, back when it was still available in salons, and now, I can't live without it. It's a good thing I stocked up! Gallons upon gallons later I'm still enjoying the scent come fall. Also, full disclosure here, I actually buy my supply at TJ Maxx or Marshall's and I swear every time I'm in there I come across another great product from the line. Just the other night I picked up a leave in conditioner spray and a styling cream.

In my shower I have the body wash, bar soap for the man, re-hydrating shampoo, detoxifying shampoo and the conditioner. On my counter the leave in conditioner cream, my new styling spray (both great for de-tangling) and I can't wait to try the styling creme I socked away as a Christmas gift. Wow! That's a lot of pumpkin. Can you tell I love it? I'm the girl who can't wait for fall to roll around so I can get my pumpkin coffee from Dunkin' Donuts and so I can whip out these products.

If you happen to live near a TJ Maxx or Marshalls, I highly suggest you keep an eye out for anything from this amazing line and stock up if you do find it. You will not find another scent like this out there and, trust me on this one, supplies are dwindling online as we speak. If you don't have access to it in stores, take my word for it, these really smell like pumpkin pie and if you love the scent you can't go wrong. Let me know what you think.