Conditioner on Shine

Are Wen Infomercials Telling the Truth?

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I tend to turn a blind eye to infomercials -- anything from a blade-less shaving razor (yeah, that sounds effective) to trading your gold for cash (they really expect you to mail in your jewelry on blind faith!?) sounds like a big four letter word to me. Yeah. S-C-A-M.

So when I caught the infomercial for Wen by Chaz Dean on TV, my immediate reaction was "Yeah, right." But when several friends brought up the brand (in separate conversations, mind you), I thought it would be worth it to do some digging.

Lucky for me, many TotalBeauty.com readers have no qualms over dialing in and handing over their credit card number, so I was able to learn from their experiences. If you're one of the people wondering if Wen products really work, check out the best and worst of the brand below. Turns out, as-seen-on-tv products aren't all as bad as I thought …

Hair getting worse lately?

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images just from google search

Ulta vs. Sephora -- Which Store Do You Like Best?

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Most of the debates I see on the TotalBeauty.com message boards are centered around which brands or products readers like or hate most (they're what inspired this list of most controversial products), but this week's dispute is about two beauty stores -- Ulta and Sephora.

People seem to feel pretty strongly that one may be better than the other. What do you think? Do you like Ulta better or is Sephora more your style? Check out the arguments for each below then tell us if you're on Team Sephora or Team Ulta by commenting or going here.

"In my opinion I like Sephora better but they are both very good. Most people think that Ulta has way better prices but if you look Sephora has some steals." -- iluvsmileymiley

"There are pro and cons to both stores. Ulta carries some of the major makeup brands that are found in department stores along with drugstore brands. They also have a nice selection of hair care products and fragrance. The last thing they offer is an in-store salon. Sephora carries a large selection of makeup brands and fragrance. They only carry a few hair care lines but do have plenty of accessories for cosmetics. The cons for Ulta would be a small selection of cosmetic lines, hair care and fragrance. The cons for Sephora would be the small selection of hair care lines and no salon services." -- makeupaholic

"Ulta seems to be just a high-end, overpriced, fancy drugstore. They have tons of body products and shampoos, etc. but they are outrageous in prices just like Sephora is. I do like that Ulta has sales and coupons, which I have never seen at Sephora." -- Cheryl57

"Sephora has better customer service than Ulta in my experience." -- Lipglossuser

On Team Sephora? Then check out this list of their 22 best buys.
Is Ulta more your cup 'o tea? Then stock up on these products the next time you're there.
Do you skip both stores in favor of drugstore beauty shopping? Then you'll flip over this list of products, and this one, and this one! Okay, I'll stop now.

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Soft, Shiny Hair for Pennies? Yep, it's Possible!

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I wouldn't call myself cheap (I've been known to splurge on items like these from time to time), but I do love a good bargain when I find one. Who doesn't!?

That's why I was so psyched to find out which drugstore conditioners TotalBeauty.com readers loved the most (because let's face it, there are some major duds out there, like these). Any of the ones on the list below will totally give you that fresh-from-the-salon sheen -- but won't cost you a ton of cash or force you to deal with a crazy hair dresser. Click on any of them below to see why readers love 'em.

Blonde Goes Raven: A Query Into the World of Dark Hair Color!

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This week I managed to get a wild hair up my a** and decided to dye my platinum locks black. At home. The first box left my tips looking gray so I put on another kit. Now I'm a Raven. My question to my fellow shine users is this: What products work for dyed dark hair? (and to embellish this) I…

Ever Tried Washing Your Face With Shampoo?

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Sienna Miller recently told an MSN Singapore reporter, "I wash my face with shampoo and I've got bad skin because of it." We think her skin looks great, but that shampoo thing? Sounds like something to avoid. To be certain, we asked New York City dermatologist Heidi Waldorf. "Bad idea," Waldorf says. "Shampoo generally has a higher level of detergents and fewer moisturizing ingredients than cleansers, so it can strip the skin of important lipids and proteins."

Is Conditioner Bad for Your Hair?

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It's one of those routines like putting on your socks and then your shoes for most women: first you shampoo, then you condition. But according to New York hairstylist River Lloyd, the second step shouldn't necessarily be a done deal. "If your hair is terribly damaged you need a conditioner, and maybe if someone has superthick, coarse hair," he says. But if you have a finer texture? Well, then conditioner may just be weighing you down. Instead, Lloyd likes detangler (especially Philip B's for light, effective unsnarling). "Detanglers don't coat the hair," he explains. "They just change the pH slightly so you can get a comb through it."

10 Horrible Conditioners

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Every celebrity hairstylist I talk to says that great hair starts in the shower -- a.k.a., if you use cheap shampoo and conditioner, you'll wind up with cheap-looking hair.

Now, don't get me wrong, cheap doesn't necessarily mean inexpensive. There are plenty of bargain products (like these top drugstore shampoos) that work amazingly -- and more than a few high-end products that don't deliver despite the price. That's why we put together the 10 worst conditioners, with both high and low end products, based on TotalBeauty.com reader reviews. Check them out below and steer clear, unless you like that whole greasy, frizzy look (this celeb seems to, I wonder if she's using a product on this list?).

"Shine Beauty Panel"

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The one beauty product I couldn’t live without would have to be Herbal Essences Hello Hydration. It was highly touted about on many hair care blogs. I am so glad I tried it. I was a bit hesitant at first. How many conditioners have I tried only to be left with little to no…

Organic Products

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I found the best organic products ! http://myediblealchemy.com has great %100 pure organic products for the money. All of the products are $3.00 (Except gift baskets and potions) with low shipping to anywhere! ! ! $2-6. And…