Temple of Glam

My dad's canary-yellow Lincoln Mark V is synonymous with R& B classics for me. Mostly because before I even entered it, I'd hear the music blaring and my dad belting out tunes. One of his favorites was "Break Up to Make Up" by The Stylistics. As I found myself nostalgically downloading the best of The Stylistics a little while ago, I remembered those days...visibly embarrassed, but singing along with him (in my head). Since then, after loving and losing, I can honestly say I understand the song. I get it now, Papa Brathwaite.

The concept of "break up to make up" doesn't relate only to romantic relationships.  I've oft-confronted my split ends with scissors, but recently I was introduced to keratin treatments. As I'm sure you know, over time our hair loses protein (chemical treatments and heat exacerbate this natural process). Protein-depleted hair is dull, rough, dry, frizzy, and lifeless. Sound familiar? I'd heard quite a bit about Brazilian Keratin Treatments and relaxed hair. I gotta' tell ya, from formaldehyde formulations to just god-awful results, I had no interest in joining that club.

Well, KeratinPerfect is different. It's called a "smoothing system" because it uses naturally derived protein (from sheep's wool to be exact) to infuse hair with much-needed strength and shine. So yeah, I was invited to an event where attendees were shown how to complete a successful DIY blowout using KeratinPerfect.

For the record, my DIY hair projects end up with me begging my gracious hair stylists (i.e. hair angels) to fit me into their busy schedules. I figured I'd cut out the trauma of trying to fit a hat over my stay-puft hair and just watch the professionals teach more able-bodied bloggers and editors.

I happily took my products with me to my one of my favorite hair angels, Shedelle Holmes. She used the sulfate-free Perfect Cleanse ($24), Perfect Silk Conditioner ($24), and Keratin Blowout Booster Cream ($34). As she shampooed she said, "you can feel the difference even when shampooing". As she blew out my hair, she marveled at its shine and said it actually looked stronger and more healthful...score!

I haven't tried the full, 30-day smoothing process, but it seems so simple...even I could do it (maybe):

Apply Clarifying Shampoo

Apply The Perfector & leave on for 10 minutes before rinsing out

Blow Dry using a dryer like the soon-to-launch in the US *ghd air. Here's a sneak peek!

Flat Iron hair using a tool that goes up to 430 degrees

Et Voile...this version doesn't hold a candle to my dad's, but I guess it'll do...

Someone recently asked me how I choose the products and events I review. I frankly replied, "I write about stuff that appeal to me and my friends." Considering the "birds of a feather" adage, I realize that I should branch out a tad to make sure I feature other things, too. So I took a look at http://hairstyles.ghdhair.com for some hair tips & flicks.

Since most of the hair styles and products I talk about relate to either relaxed or short hair (what?!), if you have long locks, this one's for you.

Get Glam Beach Waves:

Step 1 Divide your hair into two sections.

Step 2 Take your lower section and split that in two. Position the ghd IV styler horizontally, beginning at the root. Rotate it up 180° and gently pull through hair.

Step 3 Rotate the styler in the opposite direction and pull down again, duplicating a rocking movement.

Step 4 Follow the steps above for the top section of hair.

Step 5 Finally, run your fingers through hair to complete the look.