November 20, 2020
The hair salon of the future, an elevated hand sanitizer, kicking disposable cotton pads to the curb and skincare created with your microbiome in mind.
If I could be anywhere right now, it would be here
Hairstylists and colorists often play the role of therapist (perhaps more often than they’d like)—but did you know a rare few are clairvoyant as well? This is exactly the case with celebrity stylist Ted Gibson and his all-around partner colorist Jason Backe, who basically designed the salon of the future before we even knew we’d need it much sooner than expected.
Welcome to STARRING by Ted Gibson, which is pretty much the only salon I’d feel comfortable stepping into at the moment (despite the fact that it’s 2,700 miles away), and what was originally conceptualized as a “smart salon” has emerged as a contactless, socially-distant haven for all things hair. All appointments and payments are made online, and if you want to shop for products, you simply scan with your phone to order through Amazon.
I caught up with Gibson and Backe (who actually treated me to an out-of-this-world color experience back in 2013) via Zoom a few weeks ago for a virtual tour of the space, and I’m telling you, it put L.A. at the top of my post-pandemic travel list. The avant garde layout itself consists of distinct pods (which Gibson and Backe refer to as “clouds”) so you’re always at least six feet from other clients. And BTW, each “cloud” has a sophisticated, voice-activated lighting system that not only enhances whatever mood you may be in (or want to be in), but lets you see what your new-and-improved color will look like in different conditions before you even leave the salon. Throw in several selfie-friendly spaces and it’s basically hair heaven.
While I was “there,” Gibson shared his top three hair trends for Fall/Winter, so naturally I wanted to share them with you…
Texture: Forget tousled waves and get reacquainted with a crimper—albeit one with wider grooves rather than its 90s predecessor. This tool is so much easier to use than a curling iron, and it delivers a more modern take on this throwback look. (Bellami’s Deep Waver fits the bill perfectly!)
Half-up-half-down: Yup, my middle school go-to is back. Simply gather all of your hair from the ears up, brush through lightly (Gibson recommends a Mason Pearson, natch), create a little front pouf and secure with a bungie elastic (which he prefers way more than traditional hair ties).
Claw-clip updo: I never thought I’d live to see the day when claw clips were cool (again), and this time around the bigger the better.
Of course there’s a STARRING by Ted Gibson product that will take all of the above to the next level, and it’s the Shooting Star Texture Meringue. It looks and feels like a mousse, but you emulsify it between your hands before applying to add light, touchable texture and hold to either wet or dry hair—and smooth your half-up-half-down pouf!
And the award for best hand sanitizer goes to…
Hand sanitizer isn’t exactly anything new, but it is having a major moment thanks to 2020—the year of elevated PPE. We’ve come a long way since when Purell was the only game in town, and thanks to the ban on triclosan our hand-sanitizer options are cleaner than ever. But if there’s one brand that nailed the perfect blend of form and function it would be Olika, and to be honest, their products almost make you forget why we’re using hand sanitizer all the time in the first place.
Obviously, the first thing that catches your attention is the adorable packaging. Personally, it reminds me of a Peep (and I love Peeps), and it’s refillable! Available with and without a handy clip (Hello, backpack!—if my child ever goes back to school), the formula itself is simple. You get 65% alcohol to effectively kill 99.9% of the microbes you don’t want on your hands along with aloe for long-lasting skin hydration and essential oils for aromatherapy-grade fragrance. Among the options are Cucumber Basil, Lavender, Mint Citrus, Charcoal (which has a woody scent), Orange Blossom and Fragrance Free.
You can buy them solo or in a variety of “sets” that include the standard sprays and/or clip-ons with our without refills—and you can also try all of the fragrances with the Refill Scent Sampler.
OK, it’s not normal how obsessed I am with this hand sanitizer, but then again, nothing about 2020 has been normal.
I broke up with my beloved Swisspers
I’ve been devoted to Swisspers exfoliating cotton rounds forever—so much so that I order them by the case from Amazon. But over the past few months, I’ve started to feel a pang of guilt every time I reach for one, or rather, throw one in the trash. I’ve always been mindful of waste and I recycle like a motherf*cker. Bottled water is verboten in our house, and I even save paper to print on the blank side. I’ve been flirting with the idea of switching to reusable cotton pads for a while, but never actually pulled the trigger—and then Daily Concepts’ Daily Bio-Cotton Make Up Removers appeared on my doorstep.
But before beginning to use them for my micellar water, I needed to figure out the logistics. My initial thought was, Am I going to run out between loads?, but then I remembered I do laundry just about every other day so that wouldn’t be an issue. Then I wondered how I would store the used ones between laundry days and had an idea… I put one of those little plastic Command hooks on the inside of the cabinet under my sink and hung the little laundry bag there. The placement is perfect since I have a hook on the other side for my face towel, which I automatically grab every time I do a wash.
So with the process in place, I was off… Aside from the obvious benefit of zero waste, these super-soft (and thick!) pads are a definite upgrade, and get this… They remove makeup without the need for cleanser! (But I still use them with a product, whether micellar water or an exfoliating toner.)
This set includes two small rounds and three larger cloths for full-face makeup and mask removal, but despite my initial lack of worry that I’d run out before laundry day, I find myself cutting it close. To alleviate the pressure, I just ordered a set of these reusable rounds for backup—and just like that I’m a convert!
It’s time for a fresh start—and that includes your skincare
Let’s be honest… Last week was a doozy. It’s miracle I didn’t bite all of my nails off, but just about everything else was out of balance. Now that it feels like at least one big part of our lives can move forward in a more positive direction, I’m ready to turn some my attention back to keeping my skin in balance—and that’s where the recently-launched brand Symbiome comes in.
To back up for a second, I’ve spoken to many dermatologists and written a lot about the skin’s microbiome, which is basically the balance of “good” and “bad” bacteria that exists on every square inch of every person’s skin—and science is coming to learn this ecosystem may be an extension of our gut microbiome (but I won’t bog you down with all those details). Research has found that this bacterial “snapshot” can be associated with a variety of skin concerns ranging from chronic dryness and acne to even eczema and psoriasis, so this is some major stuff that is just starting to become more mainstream.
Symbiome totally gets this skin microbiome “movement,” and in, fact, they’re all about it. Centered on the premise that it’s possible to achieve healthy skin through an approach that combines a limited number of minimally-processed, natural, plant-based ingredients with modern science, Symbiome make skincare simple again.
I received six products to test, and truth be told, I only need four of them to complete my Symbiome routine. (Imagine that!) I’ve been using The Renewal Daily Cleanser, and this gel-to-milk formula totally removes makeup and excess oil without disrupting the skin’s microbiome.
Morning and night, I apply The One Restorative Cream—which magically rivals any other hydrator I’ve used with only three ingredients: Water, sanoma leaf oil and Lactobacillus ferment (a probiotic that helps the “good” bacteria on the skin flourish while keeping the “bad” bacteria in check).
In the morning, I top this is a few drops of the Respond 004 Postbiomic Oil, which is a blend of three botanically-based fermented oils that help fortify and soothe sensitive and blemish-prone skin. (Of course I wrap up my routine with sunscreen.)
At night, I swap out The Respond oil for the Rewind 003 Postbiomic Oil—because of course I still want to keep those fine lines, wrinkles and spots at bay. This particular blend features fermented cumaru, sanoma leaf and buriti oils to brighten, calm, hydrate and protect the skin with antioxidants.
And just like that, I’m optimistic about the future of my skin, and I think it’s breathing a sigh of relief, too.