SICKA THAN AVERAGE

MAC Make-Up Art Cosmetics: Fall 2009 As Seen By Painter Richard Phillips

FALL 2009 AS SEEN BY PAINTER RICHARD PHILLIPS

Applying makeup is an exercise in artistry. You need to have a solid grasp of color, a dexterity with brushes and tools, an understanding of textures and finishes, and a desire to use the face as a living, breathing canvas. But applying makeup isn't the only form of artistry — those creating new products in unexpected hues and delicious textures are maestros themselves.

So it makes perfect sense that MAC Cosmetics, a brand known for its constant innovation and support of artistry, would launch a collection that celebrates the art of creating makeup. For Fall 2009, MAC enlisted three artists (photographer Marilyn Minter, painter Richard Phillips, and illustrator Maira Kalman) to create portraits in their respective genres, with each work of art replicating the look and feel of the selection of beauty products assigned to them. 

Since each collection is pretty extensive, I'll be posting these in installments throughout the day. To kick things off, I'm sharing photos of the Fall '09 collection as seen by painter Richard Phillips, who is well-known for the portraits he makes based on magazine photos. For this collaboration with MAC, Phillips took an existing painting and, working with photo retoucher Pascal Dangin, applied the makeup hues onto the painting using digital means.

The range of colors has a vamp but demure feel. Check it out for yourself!

EYE SHADOW x 4

Eye Shadow x 4: Notoriety, $36. Visit MACcosmetics.com

Eye Shadow x 4: In the Gallery, $36. Visit MACcosmetics.com

** Check out the swatches below. The colors pictured below, from top to bottom, are: Lightfall, a pale pink; Look at the Eyes, a silvery, frosty violet; In the Gallery, a matte, plum-purple hue; and Private Viewing, a matte plum with brown undertones.

Eye Shadow x 4 Photo Realism, $36. Visit MACcosmetics.com

LIPSTICK

"Front Lit" Lipstick, $14.Available at MACcosmetics.com

**Here's what Front Lit looks like on the skin. As you can see, it's practically white but has yellow undertones — it makes you think of a set's bright lights.

"High Strung" Lipstick, $14. Visit MACcosmetics.com

"Lovin' It" Lipstick, $14. Visit MACcosmetics.com

"Full Body" Lipstick, $14. Visit MACcosmetics.com

** Here's a swatch of the Full Body lipstick. The deep red plum color embodies the dark, slightly goth, vampire chic pouts we expect to see throughout the fall.

"Hold the Pose" Lipstick, $14. Visit MACcosmetics.com

LIPGLASS

"Young Thing" Lipglass, $14. Visit MACcosmetics.com

"New Spirit" Lipglass, $14. Visit MACcosmetics.com

"Personal Taste" Lipglass, $14. Visit MACcosmetics.com

"On Display" Lipglass, $14. Visit MACcosmetics.com

POWDER BLUSH

"The Perfect Cheek" Powder Blush, $18.50. Visit MACcosmetics.com

"Notable" Powder Blush, $18.50. Visit MACcosmetics.com PLUSH LASH

"Plushblack" Plush Lash, $13. Visit MACcosmetics.com

Have A Brush With Fame With These BrushLab Tools

I love when I stumble upon something so simple and yet so smart — and that's why I'm so giddy about BrushLab's Pretty Pink Dual Mirror Brush (okay, okay, I admit that the hot pink color has something to do with it!). The travel-ready brush is rather compact (it's about 7 or 8 inches long) and lightweight without being freakishly and impractically small, like all those bite-sized, 3-inched brushes we've seen in the past — all of which can barely remove the tangles from one chunky strand, much less help you style an entire head of hair. The brush features a rubber cushion and ball-tipped bristles on one side and, on the other, a coaster-sized round mirror for quick check-ups while on the go. The brush wouldn't be my number one pick when trying to pull off elaborate 'dos, but it's fantastic for quick styling — and the mirror comes in so handy! I like to place the brush inside my bag and take it out when I need to check my hair or makeup (I've even touched up my lipstick with it!). Between the fun round shape, the rubber texture, the highlighter pink color, and the mirror component, every time I reach for the brush, I feel like I'm transported back to a Saved By The Bell-esque high school (maybe because of the mirror-in-the-locker phenomenon we associate with our teenybopper years) — and I love it!

Now, if you're looking for a heavy-duty brush to use when blowdrying your mane and shaping your hair into more elaborate styles, I'd suggest opting for the Ceramic Flow Thermal Round Brush (pictured below). Like most round-barreled, ceramic brushes, this one absorbs heat nicely, aiding in the blowdrying process and helping to mold the hair in the desired manner. The holes distributed evenly throughout the barrel, meanwhile, facilitate the easy flow of air so that, as you blowdry your mane, the gusts of air can penetrate the brush barrel and be dispersed into the atmosphere (as opposed to bouncing back from the brush and messing up your handiwork).The synthetic bristles may seem a bit hard to the touch, but they don't feel abrasive or unpleasant when pressed  against the head. Personally, I noticed that the way in which the bristles were staggered made it more unlikely for my hair to get tangled in the brush (which has been a huge problem in the past).

Lastly, after you've done the bulk of your styling and you want to wrap it up by adding shine and reducing frizz, reach for the Blueberry Oval Cushion Boar Bristle, a flat, oval-shaped brush with natural boar bristles (pictured above, at top).

BrushLab Pretty Pink Dual Mirror Brush, $10.98; BrushLab Blueberry Oval Cushion Boar Bristle Brush, $11.98; BrushLab Ceramic Flow Thermal Round Brush, $12.98. Visit BrushLove.com

Golden Girl Glam

From "Karma Chameleon"-esque makeup to Dynasty-worthy, shoulder pad-heavy jackets, we're experiencing a full-fledged '80s style revival. And, of course, what's more '80s than gold lamé apparel? You can have your very own Grace Jones moment with this silk jacket from Echo Design.

In fact, if you want to go for an '80s glam look, I'd suggest wearing it atop a black jumpsuit or black liquid metal leggings and a fitted black top. There's something about this jacket that reminds me of Grace Jones in her head-to-toe, spandex gold leotards (which she paired with fur coats, embellished wraps, spiked heels, and other in-your-face garments and accessories) or her hooded, yellow Issey Miyake jumpsuit. The again,  the fearless style icon's influence has been evident in everything from runways (starting with the full-length gold bodysuit that popped up in the Ilionaire Fall/Winter 2009 show during Australia Fashion Week) to pop music (think of Beyoncé's tour outfits, which largely consist of spandex leotards accentuated with gold sparkles and embellishments).

With this affordable and versatile piece, you can fashion your very own Bond Girl-worthy look.

Echo Sparkle Bubble Jacket, $68. Visit EchoDesign.com

Illamasqua Equals Illmatic

The last time I was this euphorically excited about a newly discovered makeup line was back when I first stepped into a Sephora store back in 2001 and had my makeup done with some dazzling Urban Decay products. I was over the moon then and now, ladies, I'm over the moon and, heck, over Saturn!  While I'm prone to hyperbole, I assure you that my effervescent rhetoric is an accurate reflection of my giddy enthusiasm over these products. Yes, ladies, the Illamasqua products I've tested are THAT good.

The line launched in the UK last November, quickly garnering a dedicated following among makeup arists and celebrities like Lily Allen and Adele. Now, 200 of Illamasqua's best-selling products are available to US customers via Sephora.com. The Sephora store in New York City's Times Square is currently the only stand-alone retailer carrying Illamasqua, but 26 additional Sephora stores will be adding the brand's goods to their inventory in October (and there's nothing like Sephora.com until then!).

So why is Illamasqua so illmatic? Well, for one, the colors are bright and daring — the type of hues you expect to see in high-fashion editorials and glossy, edgy ads for risk-taking brands likeD&G. Second, their texture is superb. When I applied the Illamasqua lipstick in Blaze, a deliciously loud Sunkist orange, I kept reveling in the lipstick's creamy texture. I also noticed that the color lasted almost all day long — and my lips never felt dry or rough (as tends to happen with many lipsticks billed as "long-lasting").

The Powder Eye Shadows, meanwhile looked powder-y but felt smooth and almost creamy when brushed onto the lid. The texture is the perfect middle point between powder and cream — you won't have to worry about tiny powder particles winding up sprinkled along your cheek or in other unwanted areas, nor will you have to grapple with the smudging and smearing that can accompany cream shadows. More importantly, the shadows' consistency facilitates a seamless look that gives the impression that your lids were naturally pigmented in those hues.

Pictured below are swatches of some of the products I testes, as well as the look I created using them:

Illamasqua Lipstick in Blaze:

Illamasqua Powder Eye Shadow in Tango (right) and Heroine (left):

Finished eyes (achieved using the Tango and Heroine shadows):

Here's the complete finished Look! I used the Heroine and Tango shadows, the Blaze lipstick, and the Cream Blusher in Betray. Pretty cool colors, right?

Check it out!

Illamasqua Lipstick in Blaze, $20; Illamasqua Powder Eye Shadow in Tango and Heroine, $20 each. Illamasqua Cream blusher in Betray. Visit Sephora.com

Today On Gilt.com: Marc Jacobs Collection Handbags

Starting at noon today, Gilt.com will be offering a selection of Marc Jacobs Collection handbags at more than 50% off. The Tess Bag pictured at top, for example, is regularly priced at $1750 but will be available for $698. I love the frame shape of the bag, as well as the deep cobalt blue, the golden tan trim, the slightly distressed texture of the premium leather, and the buckle detail along the front. Another great choice is the Tote Bag pictured second from top, a roomy shoulder bag in an eggshell white color with pyramid studs along the front for a very New York hipster feel. The tote bag normally retails for $1195, but you can snag it for $428.

If you don't yet have a Gilt account, click here to sign up!

Into the Woods -- David Weeks x Kidrobot "Chiseler" Dunny

Compared to Brooklyn-based interior designer and artist David Weeks, Geppetto was a straight-up chump. Though he's best known for his sleek, modern furniture and lighting designs, Weeks has been toying around (quite literally) with wooden knickknacks durable enough to withstand play sessions with the most rambunctious of kids, yet executed with such precision that you'll regard them as collectible pieces of art. In June, he unveiled his Ursa the Wooden Bear toy, a sturdy piece measuring 13.5 x 6.5 x7.5 inches and chiseled out of sustainably hardwood beech wood and, now, he's entered the major leagues by teaming up with Kidrobot.com to design a limited-edition, 8-inch Dunny figure — and trust that this is one toy you won't want to share with the kids (or anyone else for that matter!). Hey, it's okay to hog the sandbox every once in a while, right?

Now, if you're a toy geek like me, then you already know that Dunny figures are usually fashioned out of vinyl, so the mere idea of a wooden Dunny is revolutionary. Sure, we've seen Dunny toys resembling everything from grill cooks to Lucha Libre fighters, but this is the first time we've ever seen that iconic shape created out of wood.

The Chiseler Dunny was fashioned out of hand-carved and hand-sanded zebra-striped hard pine, and each piece comes with a sturdy beechwood case etched with the Kidrobot logo and bearing an outline of the toy's name and silhouette. And here's the kicker: only 5 toys are available. Yes, you read right: only 5 of these wooden soldiers are in existence. 

The Chiseler dropped yesterday, so don't dilly dally if you're looking to become one of the furious five who owns one of these intricately sculpted wooden figures.

David Weeks x Kidrobot The Chiseler Dunny, $1200. Available at Kidrobot.com

Jeremy Laing Spring/Summer 2010 Presentation

It was fitting that designer Jeremy Laing showcased his Spring/Summer 2010 collection at Milk Studios in New York City's Meatpacking District, a once industrial area that has been transformed into an haute couture hub. See, the self-taught Canadian designer, who spent much of his childhood in Germany, has developed an aesthetic that fuses together geometric and organic approaches to construction. His silhouettes aren't overly structured or constricting, nor are they fully free-flowing — instead, Laing manages to combine the soft and the hard, the curved and the linear. He might swathe the body with a draped dress, then stagger and fold  the layers of fabric to create interesting asymmetrical shapes. He might create a mod-flavored, sleeveless shift dress, but he'll downplay its femininity by adding jagged, unfinished seams or creating patterns that play tricks on the onlooker.

For his Spring/Summer 2010 collection, Laing opted for a muted color palette — from eggshell white to matte black, charcoal gray, taupe, icy blue, steel gray, porcelain white, light tan and antique pink. He selected fabrics like cotton jersey, soft suede, cupro/cotton, silk georgette, lightweight leather, and crinkle gauze, all of which can be wrapped, draped and made to hang on the body in a loose but shapely manner.

One of my favorite pieces was the Walled dress, pictured at top, a white stucco jacquard and crinkle gauze piece with leather tiles arranged in a diagonal pattern. Notice how the severity of the geometric patterns created by the juxtaposed fabrics and the leather tile adornments is offset by the frayed and slightly undone hemline along the skirt. I also adore the White Partition Vest (pictured below), a stucco jacquard piece with oversize sleeve holes and large lapels with a light beige trim that falls below the hip.

To create a strong look that suited the collection, hairstylist Marco Santini opted for slicked-back updos with a modern and "aerodynamic" twist. Instead of soft and dainty chignons or ballerina buns, Santini developed bolder, slightly mussier updos. Gelling back the hair to create a "wet hair" look, he then pulled it back and shaped the bun in an unconventional and edgy manner. "We wanted the collection to be the focal point," says Santini. "As the clothes were strong and structural, we did not want to add an imposing hair look. The hair is strong to complement the clothes, which are designed for a confident woman with a hint to edge."

Santini's first step involved applying Davines Creative Moulding Foam onto dry hair and working it in until the desired texture was achieved: a mixture of straight and teased strands. He then manipulated the hair in the bun to create a mussier shape with seemingly aerodynamic qualities and secured it. To create the wet look, meanwhile, he applied Davines Wizard No. 8 Quick Setting Hard Gel to the finished style. Before the models hit the stage, Santini sprayed Davines Defining Gloss onto their heads to add shine.

The Winning Looks Of The 2009 Emmy Awards

As most of you already know, I don't normally post photos of celebrities on SickaThanAverage.com because, well, I think the whole cult of celebrity a bit scary. I mean, really, celebs are just ordinary folks whose work involves being in the public eye. Sure, they may seem larger than life in the glossy magazines and movie screens but never forget that good lighting, airbrushing, Photoshop, and teams of well-paid makeup artists, fashion stylists, and trainers all contribute to this fantasy. Really, I don't want to perpetuate the idea that, in order to be beautiful, you have to be a size 0, or sport a long weave, or have Naomi Campbell-style long stems and Jessica Biel-esque abs. So, hence, I focus on the beauty products and the fashions that can make any woman feel beautiful in her own skin, that can help every gal create her very own, individual sense of style.

But, all that being said, I do realize that there are certain privileges that accompany wealth and fame — such as the ability to hire top stylists and makeup artists to make you look stunning as you walk the red carpet. And, since all of us "regular" women can, at the very least, buy the makeup used to create some of these looks and try to replicate them in a manner appropriate for us, I'm making an exception to the rule and posting photos of some of the showstoppers at the 2009 Emmy Awards — as well as details on how their looks were achieved.

Enjoy and remember that you can make any of these looks your very own. You're just as fly as any TV/movie star, okay?

FRESH FACES

Some of the loveliest looks at this year's Emmys involved fresh, dewy visages, with rosy cheeks, soft and feminine earthy eye shadow tones, and nude or petal pink lips. Here are some of the ladies who worked the look:

GINNIFER GOODWIN

Ginnifer Goodwin of Big Love

Even though Ginnifer Goodwin plays the kind-hearted but incredibly naive polygamist Margene in HBO's Big Love, she looked like anything but an ingénue as she posed on the red carpet, showing off her strapless fuchsia gown and her spunky pixie cut. Given the bold color of her gown, mark celebrity makeup artist Mai Quynh opted for neutral tones, giving Goodwin a dewy, fresh-picked-flower kind of look.

Quynh started out buffing her complexion with mark's Face Xpert Flawless Touch Makeup in Buff using a foundation brush. She then contoured her face, emphasizing cheekbones, by applying mark's Get Bright Hook Up Highlighter in Light right above her cheekbones and Good Riddance Hook Up Highlighter in Fair/Light under the eyes. To set the foundation and minimize any oily sheen, Quynh used a powder brush and dusted mark's Matte-Nificent in Buff/Naturalall along Goodwin's face. Lastly, to give Goodwin a golden glow, she added mark's Good Glowing Mosaic Blush in Hush Baby along the cheeks.
 
Goodwin's look, though, is all about the eyes. To get this sultry but natural look, Quynh swept mark's Winkstick Hook Up Eyeshadow Stick in Glitzy along Goodwin's lids, then brushed mark's I-Mark Custom Pick Eyeshadow in Tiki, a light chestnut brown hue, from the eyes' lash lines to the creases. Using a slanted eyeshadow brush, she blended mark's I-Mark Custom Pick Eyeshadow in Espresso into the crease of the eyes and smudged Tiki along her bottom lash line using an eyeliner brush. To make the eyes all the more alluring, she added two coats of mark's Make it Big Lash Plumping Mascara in Raven.
 
Lastly, Quynh gave Goodwin nude but shiny lips with mark's Dew Drenched Moisturlicous Lip Color in Skinny Dip and mark's Pro Gloss Lip Plumping Lip Shine in Swell.

ELISABETH MOSS

Elisabeth Moss of Mad Men. Photo courtesy of JustJared.com

Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss didn't walk away with an Emmy for Best Actress in a Dramatic Series, but she certainly looked like a golden lady on the red carpet. Sure, Moss can thank good genes for some of her alluring looks, but much of that winning glow can be attributed to the work of makeup artist Lauren Kaye Cohen.

To make Moss's complexion look flawless, Cohen used Shu Uemura's Natural 18 Goat Brush to apply Shu Uemura’s Face Architect Smoothing Fluid Foundation in 784, as well as the Nobara Cream Cover Stick Foundation in 784 to areas in need of greater coverage. Using the fleshy part of her fingertips, Cohen patted a tad YSL Teint Parfait Complexion Enhancer in 02 Rose Pearl across the tops of Moss's cheekbones. To set the look, she then applied Shu Uemura’s Face Powder in Matte 5yr Light to the center of the face using the Natural Brush 27.

Eyes, meanwhile, were accentuated using a combination of light pinks, golden nudes and warm, shimmering browns. First, Cohen applied YSL's Fard Lumière Aquarésistant Cream Eyeshadow in Pink Sands, an ecru hue with rosy undertones, and Copper Brown, a fudge-y chocolate hue with a metallic sheen. She then applied light layers of the hues contained inGiorgio Armani Maestro Eye Shadow Quads in 02 Floral and 05 Desert with Shu Uemura's Portable Natural Brush 10. These rosy earthy tones kept lids looking fresh and natural. Cohen pumped up the volume on Moss's lashes with Lancome's Ôscillation Mascara in Black.
 
For lips, Cohen used Shu Uemura's Lip Drawing Pencil in PK 382 and then combined two dainty, ultra feminine pinks: the Rouge Unlimited OR 531S lipstick with the new Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine OR 520 lipstick.

CHRISTINA HENDRICKS

Christina Hendricks of Mad Men. Photo courtesy of JustJared.com

The bodacious beauty from AMC's Mad Men opted for a restrained and elegant but slightly retro look. Hendricks's makeup artist Georgie Eisdell focused on making her skin appear plump, smooth and radiant. Eisdell started out by applying La Mer’s The Moisturizing Lotion to the vixen's visage, then added  La Mer’s The Treatment Fluid Foundation SPF 15. To diminish the appearace of any dark circles or puffiness under the eyes, Eisdell applied La Mer's Radiant Concealer SPF 25 (which you might remember me raving about!). Lips, meanwhile, were moisturized with La Mer’s The Lip Balm. As Eisdell's masterful work shows, once the skin looks perfect, everything else seems to fall into place!

SOFT AND PRETTY HAIR

There were quite a few hairstyle options at this year's Emmys, but they all seemed softer and more romantic — whether it was Rose Byrne's pin-straight, shoulder-length hair, Blake Lively's long braid, or Mila Kunis' long ponytail, with its soft and coquettish waves.

Take a look at some of these main ladies' manes:

ROSE BYRNE

Rose Byrne of FX's Damages

John Frieda's International Creative Consultant, Harry Josh, bestowed a beautiful, face-framing style upon Glenn Close's co-star on FX's gripping drama Damages. Since the celebs attending the Emmys were battling intense heat and humidity (we did hear Jimmy Fallon talking about sweating through his tux!), Harry Josh battled any possible frizz by applying a dime-sized amount of John Frieda's Frizz-Ease Original Formula Hair Serum to Byrne's wet hair. He then applied Frizz-Ease Straight Fixation and blow-dried Byrne's hair using a FHI Heat Nano Weight Pro 1900 Turbo and a round, boar bristle brush. As he dried the hair, Josh pulled each section of hair to the left, accentuating the side part he had created. To add a bit of shine, he then sprayed a bit of Frizz-Ease 100% Shine Glossing Mist.

MILA KUNIS
 

Mila Kunis at the 2009 Emmy Awards. Photo courtesy of JustJared.com

Mila Kunis hit a style and beauty home-run at this year's awards show. As if her burgundy Monique Lhuillier dress wasn't enough of a showstopper, Kunis accentuated her features with her low, flowing ponytail.

To create this look, TRESemmé Celebrity Stylist Mara Roszak started off by applying TRESemmé's Anti-Frizz Secret Smoothing Crème to damp hair, then parting the hair to one side and blow drying it using a medium-sized round brush. To create loose and romantic curls, Roszak curled Kunis' mane with a 1 1/4-inch barrel curling iron, spraying TRESemmé Frizz Shield to increase the style's life span. She then pulled the hair into a low ponytail and wrapped a section of hair around the base of the ponytail to hide the elastic. To give the hair inside the ponytail a more carefree, less done-up feel, she brushed the curls using her fingers. She then finished the look by spraying TRESemmé's TRES Two Extra Hold Hair Spray to the entire head.

Bing Bang Theory — Get 50% Off Bing Bang By Anna Sheffield Jewelry

My adoration of Anna Sheffield's stunning Bing Bang line is well-documented — seriously, just search through the archives and you'll find me gushing about one jewelry piece after the next. I'm floored by how she takes feminine motifs like flowers and hearts, then subverts the girly-girl paradigm associated with them, manipulating metals in such a way as to imbue these pieces with a tough, slightly rugged feel. Yes, I rep Bing Bang with a bang. As a matter of fact, I was rocking a pair of Bing Bang earrings with gold, silver and gunmetal mesh chain strands throughout Fashion Week — and getting tons of compliments (among them people telling me the earrings had a Rihanna feel, which is quite a bit of praise since I adore Ri-Ri's style).

So I'm having to practice serious shopping restraint at the moment, after I discovered that the new Bing Bang website has tons of incredible pieces at 50% off the retail price. The deals are so sweet that refraining from buying everything is about as easy as trying to staple pudding to a tree.

Pictured here are some of my favorites — from the funky Arrow Earrings (for those of you who don't need Cupid to add a little love in your lives!) to the statement-making Oversize Lure Necklace and the bold but beautiful Flower Hoops.

Bing Bang by Anna Sheffield Arrow Earrings, $92.50; Bing Bang by Anna Sheffield Oversize Lure Necklace, $199; Bing Bang by Anna Sheffield Flower Hoops, $82.50; and Bing Bang by Anna Sheffield Seed Bead Choker, $95. Visit BingBangNYC.com

Color Me Good: Kiehl's Sunflower Color Preserving Hair Care Collection

 

Kiehl's might as well be my beauty GPS because the brand rarely ever leads me astray. So, of course, I was stoked to try out Kiehl's new Sunflower Color Preserving Hair Care line, which caters to women with color-treated hair, helping their tresses retain their vibrant color, maximizing luster, and helping to repair any damage caused by the chemicals involved in the dyeing process. The line consists of three products: Sunflower Color Preserving Shampoo, Sunflower Color Preserving Conditioner and Sunflower Color Preserving Deep Recovery Pak. All three products contain sunflower seed oil, a natural moisturizing agent, as well as apricot kernel oil, which is rife with essential fatty acids that nourish and condition, and vitamins B3, B5 and B6, which add shine.

Okay, but enough of the press release-y stuff. Let's get to how these products perform. The Sunflower Color Preserving Shampoo washes hair gently, so that it won't strip your color  — a huge plus considering how hair dye tends to fade and lose its sheen. Now, there's a metaphor I like to use to describe the conditioner's results — it's a decidedly unglamorous metaphor, but it works, so please bear with me. Okay, imagine your hair is like dry angel hair pasta and the Sunflower Color Preserving Conditioner is the boiling water in which you'll be cooking the pasta. Once that dry pasta is placed in that pot of boiling water, those noodles soften and develop a nice flexibility and a sense of movement — not to mention obtaining a warm golden hue. Well, that's what happens with this conditioner — as you work it into your wet hair, you'll almost feel the moisture penetrating the hair and making each follicle a bit plumper and smoother.

All that being said, if you have seriously dry hair, you'll need to complement these products with both an intense treatment, such as the Sunflower Color Preserving Deep Recovery Pak (if your hair is really coarse, you can apply it once a week but otherwise, a bi-weekly session should suffice), as well as a more lightweight, leave-in conditioner. Though these products moisturize and cleanse effectively, they're not quite as hydrating as other haircare products, but they do work wonders in terms of bringing out the nuances in your hair color and adding a healthy luster.

Here's an added plus: I love the smell of this hair care line— you can smell the sunflower seed oil, of course, but the apricot oil adds a nice fruity zest (oddly enough, when you combine these scents, it almost smells like guava, but it's a delicious fragrance).

Sunflower Kiehl's Sunflower Color Preserving Shampoo, $18; Kiehl's Sunflower Color Preserving conditioner, $19; and Kiehl's Sunflower Color Preserving Deep Recovery Pak, $25. Visit Kiehls.com