Style File: Mastey’s Environmentally Conscious Hair Products

Mastey's line of color protection hair products, courtesy Mastey.com.

Mastey’s line of color protection hair products, courtesy Mastey.com.

You’ve got to love a hair care product line that can do the job without harsh chemicals, and Mastey‘s line of environmentally conscious products fits the bill.

Designed especially for color-treated hair (mine isn’t colored, but I find that products for color-treated hair tend to be a bit gentler) to help you achieve longer lasting color while maintaining shine and healthy hair, the Mastey products are made of only the healthiest ingredients, like anti-oxidant rich grapeseed extract, certified argan oil and olive oil, vegan natural moisturizing factor, rice amino acids, lipids and vitamins.

The complete line of color protecting products includes Shampoo, Conditioner, Restorative Mask, Oil Treatment, Therapy Spray, Finishing Spray, Defining Cream, Beach Spray, Volumizing Foam, Styling Gel and Dry Wax. I’ve tried most of them and like them all. Especially Mastey’s Leave-In Therapy Spray, which is designed to:

Mastey's color protection therapy spray, courtesy Mastey.com.

Mastey’s color protection therapy spray, courtesy Mastey.com.

  • Repair dry and damaged hair with rice amino acids and vegetable based moisturizers
  • Smoothe hair and control fly aways and frizz
  • Seal in hair color and protect it from premature fading
  • Detangle
  • Provide thermal protection from hot tools
  • Create silkiness and add shine to dull and damaged hair
  • Enhance the natural body of your hair, and
  • Prevent hair breakage and split ends.

Plus, it’s 100% vegan with no animal testing—and that grapeseed extract makes it smell really, really good!

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on July 12, 2016.

Style File: Give Your Lips a Drink

LipDrink SPF 15 Lip Balm, courtesy Jane Iredale.

LipDrink SPF 15 Lip Balm, courtesy Jane Iredale.

It’s important to stay hydrated during the warm summer months, and that mandate includes your lips.

So what do you use when lipstick is a bit too much and Eos lip balm (as much as I love it!) is not quite enough color?

I’ve been loving these Jane Iredale LipDrink Lip Balms with SPF 15. They’ve got just enough color to give you a little glow and are perfect to carry around in your beach bag, summer clutch, or even your pocket!

Recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation as an effective broad spectrum sunscreen, LipDrink provides SPF 15 and powerful blend of antioxidants, green tea extracts and Vitamins C and E, to help protect against future damage. Plus, they smell just like lemons and are available right now in four fun shades: Buff, Crush, Sheer and Flirt!

Jane Iredale products are are available online, and (whoo hoo!) I recently learned they are also available locally at Aqua Skin and Nail Bar, 3455 State St., 805/687-8483.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on July 5, 2016.

Style File: Scintillating Scents to Suit Every Mood

Miss Dior, courtesy photo.

Miss Dior, courtesy photo.

I know a lot of women swear by a signature scent, but for me fragrance is all about setting the mood. And my moods tend to, well, change—a lot!

Luckily there are always new perfumes to try out.

Absolutment Absinthe, courtesy photo.

Absolutment Absinthe, courtesy photo.

 

Here a few I’ve been enjoying recently.

Feeling sweet

Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet is a refreshing floral scent that pays homage to Christian Dior’s legendary passion for flowers. The “bouquet” includes notes of Peony, Damascus Rose, Calabrian Bergamot and White Musk.

Feeling fresh

Gucci Flora Glorious Mandarin, courtesy photo.

Gucci Flora Glorious Mandarin, courtesy photo.

Gucci Flora Glorious Mandarin is a light, young, fresh scent with notes of Mandarin, Pina Colada Accord, Jasmine, Creamy Wood, White Musk.

Feeling flexible

0.2 Fragrance, courtesy photo.

0.2 Fragrance, courtesy photo.

0.2 Fragrance is a unisex scent that features notes of Italian Bergamot, Spearmint, Neroli and Orange Blossom.

Feeling sophisticated

Velvet Orchid by Tom Ford is a powerful blend of Turkish rose, jasmine, magnolia and Cattleya leopoldii, balanced by notes of honey, rum, sandalwood, labdanum, and vanilla. A sexy scent perfect for summer nights.

Feeling frisky

Absolument Absinthe, inspired by the mythical liquor, is a fun foray into the forbidden. This complex scent pairs feminine amber and floral notes with

Viva La Juicy Rose, courtesy photo.

Viva La Juicy Rose, courtesy photo.

masculine vegetal and woody notes for a very unique perfume.

Velvet Orchid by Tom Ford, courtesy photo.

Velvet Orchid by Tom Ford, courtesy photo.

Feeling fun

Viva La Juicy Rosé is blinged-out girly bottle full of  fresh, fun scents that combine a bouquet of honey-like pink blossoms and the glow of sensual amber. Girls (of all ages) who just want to have fun, will certainly do so with this one!

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on June 14, 2016.

Style File: Mixed Chicks Hair Tricks

I’ve got hair that’s a little bit curly, a little bit wavy, a little bit frizzy and even a little bit straight in places … so as you can imagine, finding the “just right” hair products can be kind of tricky.

Then I found  Mixed Chicks. This innovative haircare company describes itself as, “Finally, a curl-defining system for ‘us.’ Whether you’re black, white, asian, latin, mediterranean, or any glorious combination of the above, you’ll love the way these non-sticky, lightweight curly hair products leave your hair inviting to touch as they define and lock moisture into every curl. Be a proud part of our multiracial movement…’MIXED CHICKS’ your curls! And yes, it not only works on wavy, tightly curled or straight hair but it also works on weaves.”

I’ve tried a whole slew of Mixed Chicks products and one of my favorites is the Morning After Redefining Foam, which revitalizes your curls the day after you shampoo (or for several days after), leaving your hair feeling and looking healthy and radiant, as well as allowing for a few precious extra minutes of sleep in the morning! 

Courtesy photo.

Courtesy photo.

I also really liked the Shampoo, the Detangling Deep Conditioner and the Leave-In Conditioner. This product line is available locally at Skin Deep Salon (3405 State St., 805/687-9497), as well as online at http://www.mixedchicks.net/. Check it out, your curls will say thank you!

—Leslie Dinaberg

This story originally appeared in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on June 7, 2016.

Style File: Amarte Overnight Express Therapy

Amarte Overnight Express Therapy is available at select retailers, courtesy http://www.amarteskincare.com/.

Amarte Overnight Express Therapy is available at select retailers, courtesy amarteskincare.com.

An Overnight Sleeping Mask to Make Your Skin Glow By Morning

You’ve gotta love a skin care product that works overnight when you’re asleep. I’ve written about the luxury Korean skin care brand Amarte before (I really, really like their products), and their Overnight Express Therapy does not disappoint.

You simply put it on just like lotion, after cleansing your skin, then it works overnight to moisturize while simultaneously absorbing oil and toxins.

The key ingredients are Silk Fibroin (Silk Extract) to help boost collagen, Propolis to heal blemishes and skin irritations, Nano-Encapsulated Retinol for improved absorption, efficacy and tolerability and Epidermal Growth Factor (Human-Ogliopeptide 1), which is small peptide that contains 53 amino acids to stimulate epidermal cell growth and reproduction overnight, which helps heal wounds, even tone and reduce pigmentation.

Don’t ask me how they work … but you wake up to renewed, supple skin you can feel right away. I like it and I think you will too!

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on May 31, 2016.

SB Style File: Holiday Stress? Try Coloring Inside the Lines!

Excerpt from "100 Things to Draw With a Triangle," by Sarah Walsh.

Excerpt from “100 Things to Draw With a Triangle,” by Sarah Walsh.

When young children need to “settle down” there’s something very calming about focusing their energies on a coloring book, which is probably why adult coloring and doodling books have become so popular.

I finally got around to trying out some of the coloring books and, I have to say, coloring inside—or outside—the lines really is a great stress reliever. It’s also a fun gift idea.

Here are some of titles to check out, all of which are widely available at local bookstores and craft stores:

20 Ways to Draw a Star and 44 Other Far-Out Wonders from the Sky and Galaxy_cover_web_large

20 Ways to Draw a Star by Studio SSS – A new take on the world of sketching, doodling, and designing that encourages you to take a step-back and think about all the different ways to draw something.

100 Things to Draw with a Triangle_Cover Large

100 Things to Draw with a Triangle by Sarah Walsh – Think of all the possibilities! Stars, snowflakes, trees, gifts and more! Doodle your way to getting into the holiday spirit, this book includes 112 pages of art prompts and inspiration based on one simple geometric shape, a triangle.

adult coloring book

Adult Coloring Book: Stress Relieving Patterns by Blue Star Coloring – A book to let you relax, decompress, and let your inner child out to play for a while.

Change Your Life One Doodle at a Time_Cover_Web_Large

Change Your Life One Doodle at a Time by Salli S. Swindell – Making small changes through this fully illustrated, interactive art doodle journal is about embracing change in many ways, and seeing it as a positive force. Features 150 art prompts.

Portable Color Me Happy_Cover_Large

Color Me Stress-Free, Color Me Fearless, Color Me Calm, Color Me Happy – by Lacy Mucklow and Angela Porter – Organized into therapeutically­ themed chapters, these books examine the benefits of putting pencil (or crayon, marker, and ink) to paper and offers adults an opportunity to channel their anxiety into satisfying, creative accomplishment. Also available in smaller, portable versions that fit perfectly inside a stocking!

9781633220515_Cover_WebLarge

Doodling for Bookworms by Gemma Correll – Your favorite book nerd will love this great activity book filled with literature-themed prompts from Shakespeare, George Orwell, and Jane Austen.

9781633220522_Cover_WebLarge

Doodling for Tree Huggers and Nature Lovers by Gemma Correll – This sassy journal is packed with more than 50 fun and inspirational prompts, doodling exercises, and outdoorsy factoids—perfect for those who love the great wide open.

enchanted_forest

Enchanted Forest by Johanna Basford – Fall under the spell of the #1 New York Times Bestseller with a magical coloring book that takes you through an enchanted forest to discover what lies in the castle.

Tangled Gardens

Tangled Gardens Coloring Book by Jane Monk – This book helps you create a warm and inviting garden while you wait for spring to return.

Tangled Treasures Coloring Book_Cover

Tangled Treasures Coloring Book by Jane Monk – Jump into the relaxing spell woven by Zentangles with the meditative action of coloring.

Happy coloring!

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on December 17, 2015.

SB Style File: Stocking Stuffers

Tis the season … here are some of our picks for stylish stocking stuffers she is sure to love!

IT Brushes for Ulta Your Face & Eye Essentials Set, courtesy photo.

IT Brushes for Ulta Your Face & Eye Essentials Set, courtesy photo.

IT Brushes for Ulta Your Face & Eye
Essentials Set
IT has a nice set of four brushes to line, define, smoke out and blend, plus the allover complexion brush for all your basics from foundation to blush to illuminizer! Includes Complexion Brush, Shadow Brush, Crease Brush, Smudger Brush and Liner/Brow Brush from Ulta (7000 Market Pl. Dr., Goleta) or ulta.com.

 

Jane Iredale Smoky Eye Kit 

Jane Iredale Smoky Eye Kit , courtesy photo.

Jane Iredale Smoky Eye Kit , courtesy photo.

Five step-by-step looks are included on the fold-out ‘how to’ guide. These highly pigmented shadows are simple to blend, sensitivity-tested and long-lasting for stay-put, gorgeous, crease-free color. The kit is packaged in an artful travel box with a mirror and dual-ended application brush and makes a beautiful gift. Each kit includes eight versatile shades. Available at Nordstrom in Paseo Nuevo (17 W. Canon Perdido St.) or janeiredale.com.

 

Mineral Fusion Lipstick Butter in Vine, courtesy photo.

Mineral Fusion Lipstick Butter in Vine, courtesy photo.

Mineral Fusion Lipstick Butter
From nude to coral to blackberry, Mineral Fusion’s mineral-pigmented lipsticks add a beautiful pop of color and are made with Cocoa Butter which provides rich moisture and prevents future flaking, plus Argan Oil softens the surface of lips and penetrates deeper to renew and nourish parched tissue. This  100% Vegan and  65% Organic product is available locally at Whole Foods (3761 State St.) and MineralFusion.com.

 

Whim Holiday Collection 
Exclusive for the holiday are 10 new shades of the 5-free nail lacquer: Sage of Innocence,

Whim Nail Lacquer Holiday, courtesy photo.

Whim Nail Lacquer Holiday, courtesy photo.

Dreaming in Glitter, Cocktails & Fairytales, Blush & Bows, When the Clock Strikes, Moonlit Moments, Sapphire Slipper, Let’s Cuddle, Thyme to Celebrate and Sheet Embrace. Sold at Ulta (7000 Market Pl. Dr., Goleta) or ulta.com.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on December 19, 2015.

 

SB Style File: A Taste of Ojai Culinary Salts

A Taste of Ojai Culinary Salts, courtesy photo

A Taste of Ojai Culinary Salts, courtesy photo

We’re always looking for unique, local products and private Chef Robin Goldstein‘s new A Taste of Ojai Culinary Salts are the perfect gift for chefs, both near and far. Available in a variety of flavors, including

Lavender: French Grey Sea Salt + Organic Lavender

Chile Garlic: Sea Salt + Organic Jalapeno, Paprika, Cumin, Garlic, Onion and Cayenne

Pink Moment: Himalayan Pink Sea Salt + Pink Peppercorns

Wild Fennel: French Grey Sea Salt + Wild Fennel

Lemon Rosemary: Sea Salt + Organic Rosemary and Ground Lemon Peel

Mediterranean: Sea Salt + Organic Thyme, Lavender, Basil Marjoram, Fennel and Rosemary

The salts can purchased online here as well as at a variety of holiday boutiques around town, including this weekend at Jingle SB holiday pop-up shop at Impact Hub Santa Barbara, 1117 State St.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on December 16, 2015.

Style File: Stella Neptune Cashmere at Plum Goods

Stella Neptune Cashmere Sweaters, available at Plum Goods. Courtesy photo.

Stella Neptune Cashmere Sweaters, available at Plum Goods. Courtesy photo.

It’s sweater weather (finally!) and Plum Goods is having a special trunk show this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. of adorably snuggly cashmere sweaters that are perfect for gifting—or for treating yourself!

Stella Neptune Cashmere Sweaters, available at Plum Goods. Courtesy photo.

Stella Neptune Cashmere Sweaters, available at Plum Goods. Courtesy photo.

Designer Eva Kisevalter is a devoted thrift shopper who cleverly combined her love of pop graphics with her addiction to cashmere to create wearable art under the name Stella Neptune.

As an added bonus, Kisevalter works with recycled cashmere. According to our friends at Plum Goods, “the thrill of the hunt turned into a lifestyle obsession that just happens to be a better way to make new things without feeling guilty about all the waste and excess in the fashion world. The end result is creating eco fabulous designs.”

Plus, each item is sourced, designed, sewn, and hand screen printed in LA. Everything is done within a 10 mile radius. It can’t get any more local than that.

For more information, visit plumgoodsstore.com or call 805/845-3900. Plum Goods is located at 909 State St.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Stella Neptune Cashmere Sweaters, available at Plum Goods. Courtesy photo.

Stella Neptune Cashmere Sweaters, available at Plum Goods. Courtesy photo.

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on November 19, 2015.

Style File: Fight the Frizz

Sarah Jessica Parker at the "Hamilton" Broadway Opening Night with hair by Josue Perez. Photo: traceymattingly.com.

Sarah Jessica Parker at the “Hamilton” Broadway Opening Night with hair by Josue Perez. Photo: traceymattingly.com.

Frizzy hair is one of the unfortunate side effects of summer. Luckily, we have frizz-fighting solutions from stylist Josue Perez. He is the stylist for big name celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker, Karlie Kloss, Abigail Breslin, Cameron Diaz and Rosario Dawson.

Here are Perez’s seven foolproof tips for getting sleek and smooth blowouts.

 

  1. When you get out of the shower, towel dry hair 50%, leaving it still half-wet.  Hair has “porosity” so the leftover dampness/moisture help close hair pores giving it natural shine when blow dryer.

 

  1. After towel drying, never forget to use a heat protectant spray. Try the It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product. It protects against heat damage but will never weigh down the hair.

 

  1. Ionic blow dryers are crucial to not just frizz-free blowouts, but they also protect the hair. I use the Rowenta Inspiration Pro Dryer when styling because it cuts drying time up to 20% without using too much heat. The ionic generators protect hair from styling damage and seal in cuticle for fast, frizz-free results.

 

  1. Using a concentrator on the blow dryer allows you to control the air direction, giving you a smother look.  Without the concentrator, the dryer will puff the hair cuticle, leading to frizz.

    Rosario Dawson, for her "Kids" 20th Anniversary Screening, with hair by Josue Perez. Photo: traceymattingly.com.

    Rosario Dawson, for her “Kids” 20th Anniversary Screening, with hair by Josue Perez. Photo: traceymattingly.com.

 

  1. Use a smaller ceramic round brush.  The smaller brushes will achieve tighter curls and help the style last much longer.  Also, ceramic brushes lock in more heat and they stay heated longer for a styling bonus, unlike wood brushes, which loose heat faster. Try the Moroccanoil Ceramic Ionic Round Brush.

 

  1. Most people don’t know how/when/why to use it, but when you blow-dry your hair, you’re essentially opening the cuticle allowing it to form (style) in any shape. (Open cuticle = frizz).  So, when hair is dry and wrapped around the brush, finish it off with a shot of cold air. When you remove the brush and it’s slightly tougher to pull out, that means cuticle is sealed in the shape of that brush (frizz-free).
  1. Celebrity Stylist Josue Perez, courtesy photo.

    Celebrity Stylist Josue Perez, courtesy photo.

    Take a break if you have to and practice! So many people give up halfway and say it’s too much to do. It’s good to do as much as you can and go do something else that you have to do. When you come back to it, you will feel more eager to finish it and once you love the results you will become a pro.

For more information about Perez click here.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on August 27, 2015.