I’ve always been a little gun shy when it came to coloring my hair. There are only a handful of things that I completely adore about myself, and my hair is definitely top of the list. I constantly moisturize it, rarely blow dry it, and never color it. Its just one of my little idiosyncrasies. On the other hand, my mother is what I consider a hair coloring pro. She’s used just about every product on the market for the past 20 years which made her the best person to test Perfect 10.

Here’s are a few reasons Clairol thinks you’ll love Perfect 10:

1- The combination of AminoGlycine technology and Clairol’s master color artistry creates a beautiful, shiny,  high gloss color.

2- Unlike other permanent home colorants, Perfect 10 delivers flawless gray coverage in 10 minutes.

3- Perfect 10′s advanced performance color creme creates a natural looking color that lasts up to 8 weeks.

Here are a few reasons why I (and my mom) think you’ll love Perfect 10:

- The color was great and my mothers hair looked fantastic afterwards. It was soft, bouncy, and shiny! Plus, all the grey was covered instantly. It covered just as well as the product said it would, no disappointments.

- The fragrance is amazing, plain and simple. A large chunk of my childhood consisted of watching my mother bleach her hair and that awful fragrance use to make me naseous; a huge turn-off to the hair color process. This product has a great scent that lasts the ENTIRE TIME you’re using it.

Clairol Perfect 10 by Nice ‘n Easy is available anywhere health and beauty products are sold for approx $13.99. For more information visit www.clairol.com

It’s no secret that Kiehls creates some of the best skincare products on the market. Their facial moisturizers/cleansers are perfect for any type of skin and their customer representatives are some of the most knowledgeable around. Although I love many of their products, my favorite by far though is their Ultra Facial Cream.

I know what you’re thinking, what makes this product “ultra”? Well for starters, it’s loaded with awesome ingredients like Antarcticine (a glacial glycoprotein from Antarctica), Imperata Cylindrica (a desert plant extract that helps naturally retain moisture), Squalane Oil (a fatty compound that is found in olive oil), Avocado Oil, and Vitamin E. When combined these components create an incredibly light 24 hr. hydrator for your face and the best part is it can be used on any skin type!

I have the dreaded super sensitive/oily/dry combo skin that makes winter a total pain in the ass. Anything and everything I had tried in the past to add some moisture back to my drying areas made me break out: until I used this product. Its got the lightness of a gel with the hydrating power of a cream. Perfect! I’ve used it all season and I’ve yet to have a problem. If you’ve got skin like mine (and even if you don’t), you should go out and get this product. A 1.7 oz jar will only cost you $24.50 and you can get it in any Kiehls location.

It’s also no secret that Milk and Cookies Bakery has some of the best cookies in NYC. Fresh, delicious, and hot out of the oven, the crew at Milk and Cookies love their craft and it shows in every chocolate chipped, oatmeal laden, butterscotch injected morsel. When I heard that these two born and bred NY institutions were going to team up for a coffee bar in Kiehls flagship store, I got seriously excited. Only Kiehls would give me the opportunity to indulge in warm chocolately goodness while perusing for a new eye cream. It’s brilliant!
Kiehls, you’ve just given me one more reason to love you.

Visit Kiehls NY Flagship at:
109 Third Avenue
Between 13th & 14th Streets
New York, NY 10003

I haven’t had much luck with flatirons.  I have a ton of straight hair with a little bit of body, but I can never get it to stay sleek.  Finally I found the perfect hair straighteners!

Last week I tried the Hana Elite and it’s absolutely the best.  Easy to use, and truly a beauty investment.

The Hana Elite is 100% pure solid ceramic that never peels or scratches, with an integrated heating system so that the plates are always evenly heated.  The plates always stay black – good news for those of us who have had irons that discolor.

The Hana Elite uses ion technology that promotes high shine and conditioning, and heats from 140-450 degrees F which makes it suitable for many hair types and can be used for damp or dry styling.

The floating plates allow for curls and flip with no snagging (I love a sleek look with a flip – sort of like Sandra Bullock’s Oscar look).

I also used this with Hana ShineShield serum for added shine.  This advanced lightweight leave-in treatment that strengthens and protects your hair from heat and styling, UV rays (I really need this), and everyday stress.  It conditions without being greasy which is great for me because it doesn’t make me break out.

Hana Elite comes in a great tin with a storage bag, and my favorite part is the silicon mat – so you don’t gave to worry about getting your counters, vanities, or table tops too hot.  I’ll be wearing my hair straight and sleek a lot more often now.

Some of my other favorites include the Chi flat irons and the FHI flat irons.  A lot of the Chi flat irons have salon technologies such as nano silver and tourmaline to work with the most delicate hair textures. FHI Heat’s hair straighteners and dryers feature a range of professional features and settings for every price range, and they also use large ceramic heaters, tourmaline, and ion boosting minerals for beautiful, salon quality results.

If flat irons are not your thing or you prefer to do a traditional blowout (a look I love), try professional hair dryers. The complaint I hear most often about doing your own blowout is that it’s a pain in the arm! Your best bet is a professional, ionic dryer that works in minutes, leaving your hair shiny and strong. A good ceramic professional hair dryer is an investment in the health of your hair. Long term exposure to heat can cause serious damage, and if you use irons, you need to shorten your hair’s total heat exposure.

I don’t think there’s anything better or more relaxing than a pedicure.  At least for me!  In the Summer, I am a pedicure addict and I don’t even go two weeks before I am jonesing for a fresh one.

In the Winter in New York City it’s not so easy to keep up with pedicures!  For one thing, it’s way too cold to leave in flip flops (and who has the time to sit and wait for polish to dry?) and sometimes way too snowy as well!  Cold and wet feet are just icky.

Because of my love of smooth, pretty feet, I had to find affordable at-home alternatives for a trip to the spa. To soften feet, I soak them in a tub with bath salts (Epsom salts are also an affordable alternative).  Then I use my favorite foot care products from Bath & Body Works, True Blue Spa for Feet. I start with Toe the Line foot scrub and follow it up with Shea It Isn’t So foot cream, which has a nice, cooling effect on your skin.  So refreshing!  Have stubborn calluses or cracked heels?  Try the True Blue Spa Tough Love Spa-Strength Callus Treatment or the True Blue Spa Heel of Approval Cracked Heel Treatment.

My next step includes cutting and/or filing my nails and cuticle care.  I picked up a great pedicure set at Sephora, the Professional Manicure/Pedicure Nail Kit. This kit includes one each: cuticle nipper, cuticle pusher, nail clipper, nail buffer, nail file, nail brush, and a pumice stone, plus a set of toe separators, enclosed in a clear, zip travel bag.  It has everything you need and runs only about $42 (which pays for itself if you can do this at home!).

Lastly comes the polish.  This could be the most difficult part, right?  But why not do it yourself if you can do it at home in your robe and pajamas?  If you want to splurge, go for a pedicure dryer!  They can range from $19.99 and up, but it can be a life-saver if you don’t want any smudges.  The blow-dryer always works, too (if you can stand there holding the “cool” button for that long).  Happy toes!