What They Say: “Illuminate and protect hair color with Graham Webb's Halo Smoothing Shampoo, which controls frizz and helps soften texture for a luxuriously soft, smooth, sleek finish. The technologically advanced formula in this smoothing shampoo balances porosity and closes the cuticle to lock in color and create a smooth, sleek strand of hair from scalp to ends. The gentle formula in Halo's Smoothing Shampoo envelops each strand in a smoothing, protective layer to prevent frizz. Lush surfactants gently cleanse while protecting moisture balance.”

Alissa’s Opinion: I love most of the Halo line, so I wasn’t surprised when I ended up replacing my regular daily shampoo with this one. The difference can be felt as soon as I rinse it out; my locks feel smooth and conditioned. My hair is always soft after washing with this, yet it isn’t weighed down. I like to use Halo Smoothing Shampoo whether I am straightening my hair or wearing it wavy because it stands up nicely to humidity. Of course it smells yummy too!

Retail Price: $13.99/10 oz. (See HaloHairCare.com for salon locations)

DeLush Rating:

What They Say: "A light conditioner that moisturizes and imparts shine without weighing hair down, leaving the hair pliable and texturized. Excellent for curly hair to enhance curl and shine, or for straight hair to reduce frizz and add luster."

Jen's Experience: I tend to have dry hair, and my hair is also color-treated, so I am a prime candidate for a product like this. When I opened the container, I was totally wowed by the delicious scent of this leave-in conditioner. I picked up a about a teaspoon of it and massaged it into the ends of my hair. It feels really luxurious, like a high-end moisturizer (good moisturizers generally make excellent leave ins for your ends if you hair is dry). Everything was perfect until I dried my hair. Sadly, it looked a little greasy, and was definitely weighed down. I tried using less of it, but I have yet to find an amount that works as a conditioner and that doesn't leave my hair looking really limp.

However, I have a couple of excellent uses for this product, which keeps this product in rotation for me. This product makes an excellent hair mask if your hair is feeling dry, over-styled or just overly frizzy. I apply this in the evening during an extended bubble bath and leave it on overnight, and then shampoo my hair as normal the next morning. My hair retains the shine and softness from the overnight treatment.

Additionally, I like to use this product before going to the beach or the swimming pool. I wet my hair and apply a thick layer of this product and put my hair up in a bun or a clip. My hair is protected from the elements and when I shower later, my hair is easy to comb out and wash clean.

This product certainly earns its keep in my house despite the fact that it doesn't make a very good leave-in conditioner for every day use. I am very happy with it as a hair mask, however. Still, unless your hair is extremely dry, this is not a product I would recommend for general use.

Retail Price: $22/4 oz. (Sephora)

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Despite all the reviews and advertisements for expensive hair brushes that I see in all the fashion magazines, I have always been kind of a drugstore hairbrush kind of girl. I'm sure that a good hairbrush would make my hair shiny and smooth and perfect-looking, but it's hard to justify spending that kind of dough (like the Mason Pearson brushes, which can run as high as $125).

For the past several years, I've been using a Scunci hair brush (Walgreens, $5.99 for a similar brush), much like the one you see to your right. Because I bought mine when I was still in college, I doubt they still make that exact one. I'm assuming that I chose it because it came with a sidekick, a smaller, but identical version of the brush. Over the years, I've developed quite a collection of these, and my car, desk, and every laptop and carry-on bag I own contains one. It's a fine choice for those who are budget-minded and require a brush everywhere they go.

Onto the brush from Hamadi Beauty. I am not sure that my sample brush is the full retail size model (which runs $27) because the online retailers who sell their other products don't seem to also sell their hairbrushes. This is a very different brush than my $5.99 drugstore brush. For starters, it's made out of actual wood rather than plastic, although the basic design is somewhat similar. There's a similar amount of pulling and snagging with this brush to the Scunci. It is a very, very light little brush, which feels strange and somewhat toy-like when I am using it, but I think there's a benefit in that it takes a lot more leverage to really cause any serious breakage.

All of that lead-up was so that I could present my new favorite brush, which, like my Scunci brush is of the drugstore variety.

The Goody Ouchless hairbrush is really made for my fine, thin hair. No really -- Goody makes this brush in a variety of styles to suit each hair type: fine, medium, or thick; it's not just one size fits all. I have a problem keeping my long layers from tangling up when I get out of the shower, and I need a brush that will help me smooth and detangle without causing a lot of breakage and creating fly-aways that I have to apply lots of products to smooth down. According to the Goody website, "The Ouchless™ collection of brushes offer true snag-free styling. The innovative, one piece design doesn’t leave a gap for hair to get caught or snag. And the nylon pins are also one piece so the tips to come off and scratch your scalp. Not to mention its great for massaging the scalp because the embedded cushion conforms to the shape of the scalp. This is the ultimate in Snagless Styling™."

It looks like an ordinary brush, it really does, but after using this brush for the past month, I've seen an improvement in my hair. With the colder weather, the static makes the fly-aways more apparent than usual. Now, with this brush in combination with all the other high-quality hair products in my repetoire, my hair is sleeker and smoother than ever. This verdict is in: the Goody Ouchless brush is a winner.

Goody Ouchless Hair Brush: