Bumble and Bumble

Last night, some of the Sugar girls and I went out to celebrate a friend's birthday. It was a low-key affair, so I threw on a simple black sweater but decided to be a little more creative with my hair. I was experimenting with an updo with one of my new favorite products, Shu Uemura's Shape Paste, a fantastic sculpting paste that creates a workable hold. But as I found out that day, a little goes a long way. After several applications my hair looked wet, as if I had just stepped out of the shower.

I didn't have time to wash the product out, but luckily I remembered that I had some hair powder from Bumble and Bumble that would reverse the damage I had done. Since the powder I have is tinted white, I decided to spray a minimal amount and wear my hair down. When I left the house I thought my hair looked great. Unfortunately, I was at dinner when I noticed the white powder had crystallized and fallen on my shoulders, creating the illusion of bad dandruff. Not very appetizing.

Lesson learned: Next time I try out a new hairstyle, I'm going to make sure that I have enough prep time to accommodate for any disasters. Ideally it would be best to work out the kinks the night before.

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The last launch from Bumble and Bumble was the malleable Spray de Mode Hairspray, and now they're getting ready to release a deep-conditioning treatment called Creme de Coco Masque. The mask was created as an extension to the popular Creme de Coco shampoo and conditioner, which is designed for dull, dry and color-treated hair. It's extremely thick and rich with a powerful coconut scent.

I've tried it once and found that the sweet blend of coconut oil, mango, shea butter, murumuru butter, avocado oil and plant extracts made the extra seven minutes in the shower feel like heaven (that's the recommended amount of time to let it set before rinsing). Afterwards, my hair felt softer and smoother (I definitely had less fly-aways and frizz), but I think I used too much, so it also left my hair more limp than I like.

I recommend this product to anyone with thick, coarse and/or curly hair who is looking to boost shine and re-hydrate. It's a terrific way to beef up your hair before the summer sun takes its toll. Tip: For extra conditioning, put on a plastic shower cap and apply heat. Your hair will be left smoother than ever.

Truth be told, I haven't been into hairspray since the days when Firehouse and other lousy rock bands promoted the big-hair look. Truthfully, I wasn't into the music, but I wanted to fit in with the popular girls. So every morning, I'd break out Mom's curling iron, twist my bangs into a crisp claw of curls, and look like a fool despite my best efforts.

I've been scared of hair spray ever since. Recently, though, I tried Bumble and bumble's new Spray de Mode ($15–$25). The hairspray was developed over the course of multiple Fashion Weeks, with stylists offering feedback and B&b tweaking the formula. Spray de Mode promises to offer excellent hold without feeling stiff or tacky, and it does just that. What's notable is that it allows you to rework your hair multiple times, but it still holds the shape of the hair. I've been able to brush it, blow-dry it, curl it, scrunch it — you name it — and each time, it retains its shape without feeling stiff or heavy. I dare say it's good enough to erase those scary junior-high memories.

B&b has set up an extensive promo site for this spray, and while it is essentially a giant commercial, it's also an interesting one. I loved watching the videos to see how regular people were transformed into the cool coiffed models you can see in this gallery.

Last week, our FabSugar team attended the VPL Spring 2008 Fashion Show. While the clothing was sheer and chic, and the makeup was pretty and plain, the hair was va va voom!

While most of us do whatever we can to fight the frizzies, hairstylist extraordinaire Neil Moodie, created a wild, crimped 'do that made those frizzies, kinda flattering. All of the products he used were from Bumble and Bumble, and the entire process is relatively easy to achieve.

For a list of products and instructions on how to you can re-create this look at home, read more

Oh, Debra Messing, what are you doing? For the most part, she's one hot mama at the unveiling of Saks' new shoe department: Her outfit is fantastic, her makeup is gorgeous... and then there's the issue of her hair. I never thought her red hair was completely natural, but these roots distract from everything else that's going right.

If you're ever in between color appointments, you can avoid this sort of root display fairly easily. Bumble and Bumble makes a aerosol hair powder ($39) that can be sprayed on roots. It's a fine, tinted powder that covers roots while adding volume and soaking up oil. While it's not cheap, it's less expensive than a color treatment—and a worthwhile investment if you know you're going to be photographed!

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Think about how much styling product you use on your hair, and you'll begin to understand why it needs the occasional deep clean. I've recently fallen in love with Tonic from Bumble and Bumble, which leaves my hair looking clean and bouncy for days on end. Seriously, I could go for three days without looking like Countess Von Greasyhair.

Inspired by my love of Tonic, I want to know what kind of deep-cleansing shampoos you like. So for this week's Beauty Mark It challenge, tell me by Beauty Marking your favorites and tagging your choices with the phrase "cleansing shampoo." I'll feature the readers' favorites on BellaSugar next Tuesday, July 24.

To learn what a Beauty Mark is and how to make one, click here. To see some of my favorite online beauty stores, read more

Hair rolls rocked the runways of the Fall 2007 fashion shows across Europe. Designers such as Margaret Howell, Veronique Branquinho and Nathan Jenden chose these styles because they are a wispy, modern and avant-garde version of an up-do. They keep hair off the neck to showcase the beauty of the clothing (and the models, too). This modern and elegant style is really easy to do, and it looks great in any season.

The first two looks above were originally constructed by Neil Moodie using all Bumble and Bumble products. For five simple step-by-step instructions on how to create this look at home for yourself. read more

Welcome back to Model of the Week, where we reveal the beauty and fashion secrets of top models.

Today, we're getting up close and personal with Amy Bracco, a Walnut Creek, Calif., native whose fresh face was discovered at a local modeling competition. Throughout high school, she spent her summer vacations modeling in Los Angeles and New York, then later moved on to other fashion capitals such as Paris, Sydney, and Milan.

Bracco has appeared in countless ad campaigns — including shoots for Guess, Diesel, Coach, DKNY, Tretorn, Dove, and Clinique — as well as TV ads for Pantene, Samsung, Oil of Olay, and Garnier Fructis.

When she's not modeling, she loves traveling, supporting the Natural Resources Defense Council, and cooking for her friends. She's also big fan on rock concerts, writing, and spa days — ahhh, a gal after my own heart. To see what Amy had to say about fashion, visit FabSugar, and to see her beauty secrets and a photo gallery, read more

Welcome back to Model of the Week. This week's magnificent model is Malibu native Caroline D'Amore. As a young girl, D'Amore studied ballet and jazz, and she credits dancing with giving her the confidence to start modeling. By age 12, D'Amore had fallen in love with being on stage, but her family wanted to protect her from "the biz" until she was older. At age 17, D'Amore moved to the Big Apple to begin modeling.

You might recognize her from photos in Teen Vogue, Seventeen, Cosmo Girl, Flaunt, Nylon, and Paper. Caroline has also ruled many a catwalk, including those of Stella McCartney, Diane Von Furstenberg, and Agent Provocateur. When she's not modeling, you can find her on hikes, at the beach, or in a DJ booth spinning records. D'Amore also appears in the indie movie “Daydreamer."

Fab has the scoop on D'Amore's style, and I've got her beauty secrets. To read my interview and see a gallery of images, when you read more