I had brunch with my dear friend Isabel today, and we had an entire list of agenda items we needed to discuss as I have just moved to SF, and we have not seen each other in many months. We talked about most everything in our lives but skipped the one thing I really needed to review with her- the idea of San Fran style. Isabel is a friend who I met in New York, so she totally “gets” the extreme difference in style between NY and SFO. LA, where my family just lived for the past 8 months, is much like NYC in that people are absolutely putting together very specific looks. There is the whole boho thing, the beachy thing, and the sexpot thing. But here in SFO, I find one very general look, and it reminds me a lot of college. NorthFace jackets are everywhere. Girls run around town in jeans and running shoes. Fleece vests and jackets are de rigueur. I even pulled out my Dansko clogs yesterday and wore them with my brown puffer vest to the mall. I felt like I was somehow doing an injustice to the outfits in my closet and that I really should have worn one of my cuter sweaters or jackets, but the Danskos just feel so good and I know that no one is judging me when I wear them. (I would NEVER have worn these in LA- not even around the house!) It is more about comfort and outdoorsy gear here. That really is not me. I don’t really do the outdoor thing. I guess we’ll see how this goes…

There has been so much craziness in my life. My family just moved to San Francisco, and I have been in a crazed state of unpacking and organizing and attempting to settle in to my new life. One thing that has remained on my mind to post about over the past 2 weeks is my new love of Root Awakening, John Freida’s latest haircare offering. The products are packaged as if to signify their “green-ness” but this product is is not about green and more about a blend of botanical fragrances and a bit of menthol that truly wake up your hair and scalp leaving it feeling clean and smelling wonderful. In addition, it is very rich and nourishing and I can totally detect an enhanced level of shine. I have also taken to styling my hair with Conair’s Pin Straight Wet to Dry Straightening Iron. I let my hair air dry until it is just slighting damp and then run the Wet/Dry iron over it. The iron literally steam dries my hair and leaves it ultra straight. I fear that this might be somewhat damaging so I try not to use the appliance after every wash– but I am really into the sleek effect right now. It is making the foggy and frizz-inducing humidity of San Francisco mornings less traumatic.

So the verdict is in, and I will say that the process did smooth out my hair, especially the part that was already straightened- that area looks healthier than before. However, I don’t think I can replace the straightening process with Liquid Keratin treatments because it didn’t entirely change the look and feel of my new, re-grown hair. I think I can use this as filler in between japanese straightening processes, which is just fine because it doesn’t profess to be a straightening product by any means. I think I simply rested too many hopes and dreams on this and was wanting it to be a straightening alternative.

I am presently musing about the things that Liquid Keratin will bring to my life if and when I discover if it works. (I am still in my 48 hour post application timeframe and have not been able to wash the product out of my hair to discover if it is, indeed, the life-changing potion I hope it is.) Anyway, let’s say that it does transform my hair (at the least the un-straightened part of it that is growing in at my roots.) I am thinking that this could possibly replace my need for the Asian straightening process altogether. This would bring me great joy because, while I love the ease of having perfectly pin straight hair, the results are fleeting and I don’t have a lot of flexibility in my hairstyle-i.e. it is always straight. If Liquid Keratin smoothes out the cuticle effectively, I may be able to wear my locks wavy- once the super straight parts grow out- as long as Liquid Keratin ensures that the waves are frizz-free. I would love to do this! Japanese straightening completely eliminates frizz, even in ultimate high humidity, and that is something I have grown completely accustomed to, so I will need LK to do the same if it is to take the place of the process. I certainly hope it can and will be the dream solution I am hoping for.

Far be it for me not to try EVERYTHING new that hits the market. I was casually scoping my latest In Style when I saw an ad for Liquid Keratin- a product line that promises to “Defy Your DNA.” The system, which works as sort of a mini-straightening process, promises to replace lost keratin in your hair shaft, making it longer, straighter, and healthier.  Of course I purchased it immediately. A little background: I am presently about 4 months out from my last straightening procedure. This is the time when I really start to notice the need to get re-straightened in that the top re-growth of my locks are sort of puffy and would be curly if I didn’t do everything in my power to deflate them. I technically try to wait until at least month 5 before I get re-straightened mainly because the process takes all day and is not something I feel like doing too often. So, to me, this is the perfect time to try to Liquid Keratin and see if it lives up to its promises. It took about 2 hours. First, you wash with the shampoo, next you saturate your hair with the treatment and wait 30 minutes before blowing your hair our straight and finishing by flat ironing it. You have to wait 48 hours before you wash it again. I can already tell that is has worked on my roots. They are really super straight and shiny. The true test will be after I wash it, but I think this may be my ultimate in-between straightening solution.