Out of the thousands of products we use and review each year, these standout favorites are bound to be a hit, whether you’re treating a loved one or yourself. Best of all, you don’t even have to leave your couch to find them!

Paula’s Perfect Presents:

• Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid ($18.95). I use it every evening and wake up with the smoothest skin imaginable. This never fails to amaze me, and I’ve been using it for years.
• Paula’s Choice Pure Mineral Sunscreen SPF 15 ($15.95). I use this every day on my hands and chest. The result: no brown spots … and it holds up beautifully, even after washing my hands.
• Paula’s Choice Moisture Boost Hydrating Treatment Cream ($18.95). This is the perfect moisturizer for my eye area!

Nathan’s Not on the Naughty List Products:

• Paula’s Choice RESIST Advanced Replenishing Toner Skin Remodeling Complex ($18.95). Innovation was the word for 2010 at Paula’s Choice, and instead of raving once more about our 2% BHA Liquid, I cannot deny (resist?) that the unique and complex formula in this newest addition to the RESIST collection is my new favorite body moisturizer! I have never been a fan of lotions for the body, so the Skin Recovery Toner was the perfect substitute … until now! With incredible benefits, the unparalleled array of antioxidants and cell-communicating ingredients in the RESIST Advanced Replenishing Toner soothed my winter dry skin, without the “lotion feel.” (Bonus: It takes only about 15 seconds to apply!)
• Clarisonic Classic Sonic Skin Cleansing System ($195). This was a gift from a friend—and it has been a fantastic alternative to the washcloth! I’ve dealt with ingrown hairs from shaving (endlessly, it seems), but after a few weeks of daily use, the Clarisonic, along with my  CLEAR Normalizing Cleanser, has made for the perfect shave and is a splurge-worthy gift!

Desiree’s Dream Gifts:

• Paula’s Choice RESIST Weekly Resurfacing Treatment with 10% Alpha Hydroxy Acid ($26.95). Even though I already use a BHA exfoliant that I love, I decided to give the Weekly Resurfacing Treatment a try after hearing all the rave reviews from customers. To my delight, I really did wake up with glowing, radiant skin the next morning. After using Paula’s Choice products for over a year now, I didn’t think my skin could get any better, but with the help of this product, it did!
• Too Faced Naked Eye Kit ($35). I fell in love with this eyeshadow palette the instant I laid eyes on it. There are nine gorgeous shades, including gray, beige, black, brown, and light pink, in either soft matte or shimmer finishes. It’s rare to find an eyeshadow set in which all the colors are beautiful and usable, but this kit nails it, offering endless combinations for subtle or sexy eyes!

Daynah’s Decadent Delights:

• Paula’s Choice Beautiful Body Butter ($16.95). This decadent hydrating cream is a staple in my life (especially in winter), and it makes an excellent gift because it’s so versatile and luxurious! You can use it on dry elbows, heels, or all over your hands. (I keep some right at my desk!) The texture is rich, but it absorbs so well you’re never left feeling greasy. The packaging is unisex, and an added bonus is the delicious chocolaty cocoa butter scent—and zero calories!
• Chanel Rouge Coco Hydrating Creme Lip Colour ($30). Very few shoppers are going to drop $30 on a lipstick, but that’s the joy of gift-giving, getting to spoil your loved ones (or yourself, we won’t tell!). I consider this lipstick a worthy splurge for any lady on my list—it’s absolutely divine! I can’t get enough of its creamy texture, incredible stain (which means it has staying power), and the gorgeous, sleek Chanel packaging. Lipstick may seem tricky for gifting, but the now-famous Mademoiselle shade is amazingly universally flattering (a blend of mauve, pink, and peach), and it will work on most fair to medium skin tones. In fact, it’s such a hit that Chanel counters all over the country sold out of the shade the first day it was on the market!

Bryan’s Buzz-Worthy Favorites:

• Paula’s Choice Skin Balancing Moisture Gel ($18.95). It’s not an easy task picking my favorite Paula’s Choice product, but this one is my go-to. A “never-fail” option for handling minor dryness, it keeps my skin smooth (never oily,) especially after shaving. I use it every day, and during the winter months, I follow with one of our more emollient moisturizers for my eye area, which is drier than the rest of my face.
• Bumble and bumble Sumowax ($25). I discovered this styling wax back when Paula and I were working on the last edition of “Don’t Go Shopping for Hair-Care Products Without Me,” in 2004. Needing a wax for the way my hair was cut at the time, I figured, “Why not?” Almost seven years later, I am never without this product. It’s expensive, yes, but a little goes a long way; I can make a jar last almost a year. And it works so well for finishing my hairstyle that the expense is worth it. I also love Bumble’s Styling Spray; it works great for normal to fine hair that needs light hold and body without stickiness.

Happy holiday shopping, and don’t forget to check out Beautypedia.com for more product recommendations from The Cosmetics Cop Team!

What also surprised me was the anti-aging theme, which ended up being the premise for the film’s entire plot. In this variation on the famous Brothers Grimm fairy tale, the old witch who steals Rapunzel from her crib does so not because she wants a daughter, but because Rapunzel’s long enchanted hair acts as an instant beauty treatment! Of course, as I watched Rapunzel’s hair do its magic on the screen, I couldn’t help but think of all the miracle ingredients and outrageous claims The Cosmetics Cop Team encounters daily. The witch’s wrinkles disappeared instantly, not a far cry from the promises made for numerous skin-care products that promise the same kind of impossible, miraculous anti-aging transformation.

The oddest thing to me? I’m not sure why this beauty aspect of the film surprised me, but it did. After all, many fairy tales use the quest for endless youth as the villain’s motivation. There are lots of examples:

• The evil stepmother in Snow White, whose vanity consumes her to murderous ends.
• Sleeping Beauty’s Aurora contends with the jealous and over-the-hill Maleficent.
• And then there’s Cinderella, in which the less-attractive stepsisters and stepmother scheme to enslave the beautiful girl.

More recently, Neil Gaiman’s novella-turned-film Stardust featured the wicked Lamia (played by Michelle Pfeiffer), who needed to eat the heart of a fallen star, Yvaine (Claire Danes), to restore her youth and beauty. (I’m guessing that “Heart of a Fallen Star” is one miracle ingredient The Cosmetics Cop Team is not likely to stumble across in anti-aging products! But who knows? After all, this is the cosmetics industry!)

It’s always bothered me that the women in fairy tales either are young and beautiful or are conniving (and even trying to kill!) to become young and beautiful. Considering that Stardust and Tangled are recent releases, the quest for eternal youth is a narrative trend that doesn’t seem to be changing.

I hope that other parents use these stories like I did, as an opportunity to start a conversation about real beauty with their kids, because, fairy tale or not, cinema has a long history of portraying the villain as less attractive than the hero. As we all know, in reality, lots of villains are very good looking (charming, even), and many heroes don’t meet the traditional standards of beauty. In a world teeming with false advertising of all kinds, you should remind your children that outside appearance is not necessarily a direct reflection of what’s on the inside—even if you’re a Disney princess.

Many women feel this way because they’ve told me in hundreds of letters over the years, and they also tell me they are afraid to tell their stylist what they’re doing wrong or what they are experiencing when getting their hair done. It is definitely true for me. But why are so many of us afraid of our hairdresser? Because we are at their mercy, especially if we like the way they do our hair. We think if we upset our stylist we will be punished with a bad haircut, a bad hairstyle, or just a pissy attitude for the rest of the service and the next time we come back. It isn’t fun getting a reputation as being a bad (or, if you prefer, “high maintenance”) client at the salon you frequent.

I know there are difficult women who are demanding, rude, have unrealistic expectations, and are all-around hard to deal with.  To a large extent, stylists have to put up with all kinds of terrible behavior from clients like this. However, if you’re sure your behavior is well-intentioned rather than off-the-charts rude, then you are in a perfect position to take charge of your experience in your stylist’s chair. If a stylist is going to take your money for doing your hair, then it isn’t too much to ask for the following:

1. Have an oily scalp? Tell your stylist to skip applying conditioner to the roots of your hair. No matter what the claim on the product or how much menthol or eucalyptus it contains (which has no benefit for hair or scalp) it will just make your oily scalp feel greasy faster. Conditioners contain emollients which are great for hair but a problem for someone with an oily scalp.

Have fine hair that needs body? Conditioners can be a problem if you want your hair to be full because conditioners, even the lightest ones, can weigh down hair. Keep in mind hair nearest the scalp is the healthiest and doesn’t need a conditioner anyway. It isn’t until hair grows and is tortured by styling tools, sun, too-frequent shampooing, and hair dye that it starts getting damaged and needs conditioner to act and feel more like normal, undamaged hair.

2. Ask them to please not be so rough on your hair. Here’s what happens: You’ve just gotten done with a wonderful shampoo and then to dry your hair, the stylist or assistant takes the towel and begins to roughly rub it over your entire head and the length of your hair. This is a BIG no-no. Any kind of friction over your tresses breaks down the hair shaft, eventually causing split ends and breakage. They’re supposed to press, dab, and squeeze to dry the hair—not rub it around. If more stylists (or their assistants) did this, they would spend less time smoothing damaged, unruly hair when it’s time to style it.

3. Only comb wet hair in sections; don’t try to get a brush through tangled hair in one fell swoop. Combing hair in small sections is far better for the hair and your scalp. The problem? Some stylists just plow through your hair without a thought to what they are doing. Maybe they don’t know how hard it is on the scalp and the hair to try and undo tangles by yanking on your hair. Using fingers to gently separate hair and comb through each section is the healthy way to start the styling process.

4. Stop pulling and tugging during heat-styling. When your hair is being styled, too many hairdressers pull and tug at your hair with no regard for the discomfort they are causing. Once, when I cringed and winced at the forceful blow dry I was getting, the stylist actually said, “Boy aren’t you sensitive!” and continued doing just what she was doing. I finally said, “You’re hurting me and boy you are being completely insensitive! Please stop pulling so hard!”

5. Don’t hold the blow dryer so close to the scalp. Blow dryers heat up to almost 400 degrees Fahrenheit. As an idea of how hot that really is, consider that the boiling point of water is 212 degrees Fahrenheit. When such intense heat gets too close to your scalp, you can easily get a burn and lose some hair as a result.

6. Stop pushing expensive ”special” hair treatments that they tell you everyone swears by (not sure who everyone is, but popularity is a great incentive to believe something must be worthwhile). You are then put under the hair dryer while being told it will restructure your hair, which it absolutely cannot do! Oh, and they charge you $35 for the service. What a waste of money. If you knew how to read the ingredient list, you would see the ingredients don’t differ from what almost all conditioners contain. Hair is dead and you can’t feed it, repair it, or restructure it with any ingredient or allegedly special formula. All you can do is make it feel repaired. Although that helps, once you wash your hair again—unless you use a conditioner again—your hair will not feel the way you want. That’s because the product the stylist raved about “everyone loving” absolutely could not repair your hair!

The great news is that I indeed found someone new, Betsy, and she’s definitely not crazy! I gave her a try on the recommendation of a colleague here at Paula’s Choice, and I’m so glad I took a chance. She owns her own salon/record shop/vintage store called Radar Hair & Records, and everything from the kitschy-industrial décor to her two dogs nuzzling my feet made me feel right at home. The best part is the adorable cut she gave me! I brought in lots of pictures of cuts I liked to show her, but kept an open mind, and I was rewarded with an extremely positive experience.

Another unexpected outcome was her recommending a truly innovative hair-styling product—and I really thought I had seen it all! I told her that I wanted my cut to be easy to style, without requiring a lot of product. Not only do I need my beauty routine to be simple, but I feel like I’m on the wrong side of 30 to look like I have a bunch of goop in my hair all the time. However, with my fine hair and a short, pixie-esque cut, going without styling product means that my hair can easily look flat, boyish and boring.

Betsy’s solution? She recommended I try Schwarzkopf’s Osis Dust-It Mattifying Powder, an absorbent powder styling product that you shake right into your hair. (Warning: A little of this stuff goes a long way!) I was immediately impressed with the volume and hold Dust-It gave me, without any stickiness or greasiness. Even better—it lasted all day and looked great. The only downside was the steep price ($23!), but I’ve since found it at Amazon for only $9! If anyone with funky, fun short hair is looking for serious volume and texture, this is a product to try! Anyone using Aveda’s Pure Abundance Hair Potion, which is also pricey, should check out Dust-It to compare!

So it seems my brief hair drama-trauma is over and I am once again a happy, well-coiffed woman! Now if only I can keep Betsy from finding out that it rains much less often in Arizona…

By “work,” I mean we literally hit the streets, notes in hand, ready to visit drugstores, department stores, and specialty shops to personally look at dozens upon dozens of skin-care and makeup products. As you might imagine, this process requires lots of preparedness and concentration, not to mention a comfortable pair of walking shoes!

A co-worker and I recently did some research in Vancouver and it went beautifully! Not once were we asked to leave a store (yes that actually happens to us) or suspiciously questioned as to what we were doing, or even eyed with nervous apprehension. It seemed the salespeople simply viewed us as conscientious consumers with a rather intense curiosity about cosmetics—and that’s just fine with us!

What really struck me during this last trip was how different it can be doing such research in Vancouver vs. Seattle and environs. When we’re out doing our work in the U.S. we’re almost always on guard, ready to explain why we’re taking notes, why we need to see every shade of foundation (not just those the salesperson thinks will match our skin), and why we need the complete ingredient list rather than just the buzz-worthy ingredients the cosmetics industry loves to emphasize. We were careful in Vancouver, too, but found that for the most part, the salespeople weren’t all that concerned with what we were doing (and when they approached us they were always polite as opposed to the terse “What are you doing?” we normally get). 

I don’t know why this is, but we really appreciated just being able to go about doing our research without being questioned or treated like we’re up to no good. It’s amazing how often we’re either viewed as shoplifters or, more often, as employees from another store, there to check out the prices at a local competitor (I’ve been accused of this at Walgreens and Wal-Mart, and have had my notes scrutinized by management at Wal-Mart, not to mention questioned by security at Sephora stores) despite the fact the information we are gathering is mandated by the FDA to be available to the public.

The department stores can be the worst. Salespeople are often rude, they tend to hover, or they protect their products as if we were going to steal something. We gladly go through these experiences for you and have for years (even Paula has been thrown out of stores for writing down ingredients lists), because our goal is to do what it takes to get you the facts about the products you are buying. We truly want to help you spend your cosmetics dollars wisely, because wasting money is never pretty.

Of course, we’ve had lots of pleasant experience doing cosmetics research in the States. I can think of several salespeople who’ve been exceptionally helpful and who’ve willingly provided the information we need. These encounters are always appreciated. But I do need to send a great big “thank you” to the city of Vancouver for being such a great overall place for The Cosmetics Cop Team to do the work that so many consumers rely on to make informed decisions about what they buy. Until next time, Vancouver, THANK YOU!

For those that missed the print ads, the “non-model” types are shown smiling and confident in their white underwear, refusing to hide their pretty good, cellulite-free, size 12 to 14 bodies; perfect skin; and white smiles. Whose idea of “regular” is this?

The message behind the “Campaign for Real Beauty” is important—I am not denying this. The influence that advertising has on our perceptions of beauty and what constitutes the ideal physical standard can be demeaning for many and destructive for some. But is Dove really helping matters? I don’t think so.

From my perspective, Dove is merely profiting from the illusion of enhancing the self-esteem of women while simultaneously reinforcing the message (and myth) of firming cream to eliminate cellulite as a necessary part of a healthy body image.

If Dove’s intention is to protest the unattainable beauty standard seen in most beauty product ads, their authenticity is lacking. Simply replacing this standard with their only slightly more attainable version of beauty and then selling products to perfect it is not a solution. Dove’s campaign aims to illustrate “real” beauty, but how does it feel to the woman or girl that does not feel represented by their new standard?  What message is Dove sending to the person who doesn’t even measure up to their artificial norm?

What about the men? It’s no secret that Unilever, Dove’s parent company, also owns Axe, the popular men’s body-care line. In a way, Axe has their own version of the “Campaign for Real Beauty.” Axe markets to young men with the message that it is perfectly normal to expect two things from women: they’ll become insatiable sex maniacs upon smelling Axe Body Spray, and they should look as if they haven’t eaten in weeks.

And don’t get me started on Unilever’s ads for skin lightening products in India called Fair and Lovely.

If Unilever’s efforts were authentic, it begs the question of why they’re not using their limitless global influence to change the way advertising depicts beauty for all their products. Why attempt to fix the problem with Dove’s “Campaign” while simultaneously sending a contradictory message with their other brands?

Bottom line: Dove’s efforts are almost worse than those of the Axe brand, as they have managed to succeed in launching a campaign that manipulates the insecurities of women (Love yourself, but don’t forget the firming cream!) under the guise of female empowerment.

So, let’s hear it from you: How do you feel about the authenticity of Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty and the ads Dove’s parent company runs for their Axe brand or Fair and Lovely?

Shaving
Everyone knows the benefits and problems associated with shaving. On the plus side, it is fast and easy; in the negative column, it grows back way too fast and the stubble or redness it can cause on the thigh and bikini line is obnoxious. There are ways to deal with the redness, like using a hair conditioner or a non-irritating shave gel such as Paula’s Choice Close Comfort Shave Gel, which is designed to protect your skin while you shave. Afterwards, applying a fragrance-free moisturizer or a solution containing stabilized acetyl salicylic acid (aspirin), such as Paula’s Choice Skin Relief Treatment, really helps to reduce redness and calm your skin.

Tweezing
You can’t get much more basic and simpler than tweezing for hair removal. You grab a hair with tweezers and yank it out, removing all the hair on the surface and some amount at the base of the hair follicle. On the plus side, tweezed hairs take longer to grow back than hair removed from shaving or depilatories. On the negative end, tweezing can be painful and only works well for small areas of the face, such as the brow or chin. If you want to remove a lot of hair the time and tedious nature of tweezing isn’t worth the effort.

Threading
This unique method of hair removal comes from Middle Eastern countries such as Iran and Syria. The “threader” uses a long piece of thread held between her teeth and wrapped around the arms and hands in such a way that a loop is created. Then, with swift, rapid motions each hair is plucked away in a short period of time. The speed in which this technique is done is truly amazing.

Threading offers no benefit over and above what tweezing does other than a relatively large amount of hair can be removed all at once in just a few minutes (and someone else is doing the work). Otherwise, your hair grows back exactly how it would if you tweezed.

Epilady
Epilady looks like an electric shaver, but it is really just an automatic powered tweezer. As you run it over your skin it pulls out hair in one even motion. It is convenient and fast, but just like waxing and sugaring, Epilady requires some amount of hair growth in order for the device to have enough hair to grab onto and pull it out.

Waxing
Basically, waxing is just a method of tweezing large areas of hair. Waxing is an inexpensive and effective way to remove hair from most parts of the body. Compared to shaving, it leaves the areas where hair was removed smoother because it pulls the hair out from below the top layer of skin.

Most salons and spas offer waxing, but you can also do it at home yourself. Many beauty supply stores and even drugstores sell all the equipment you will need.

In hot waxing, a thin layer of heated wax is applied to the skin in the direction of the hair growth. The hair becomes embedded in the wax as it cools. The wax is then pulled off quickly in the opposite direction of the hair growth, taking the hair with it. It’s quick but not painless, as many who’ve been waxed will attest!

Cold waxes work similarly. Strips are pre-coated with wax or a sugar-based substance and pressed onto the skin in the direction of the hair growth and pulled off in the opposite direction.

One major shortcoming of waxing is that some amount of hair growth has to be present for the wax to grab onto it and pull it out. That means for a period of time you have to be “hairy” before you can be hairless.

Sugaring
Sugaring as a method to remove hair is identical to waxing only instead of “wax” the ingredients used are various forms of sugar. Just like waxing (and tweezing), sugaring pulls hair out in one swift motion. Despite the claims you’ve heard, there is absolutely no special benefit to this type of hair removal.

The only aspects of sugaring that are preferred over waxing is sugaring is less messy and it has no risk of causing a burn as hot wax does. Sugaring’s mess or mistakes merely washes away, while any remaining wax has to be peeled or scratched off. And because sugar doesn’t have to be heated to use while hot wax does, there is obviously no risk of burning your skin.

One major shortcoming of sugaring is that some amount of hair growth has to be present for the sugary cream to grab onto it and pull it out. That means for a period of time you have to be “hairy” before you can be hairless.

Depilatories
Depilatories (Nair is a well-known brand) literally melt and dissolve hair on the surface with really strong ingredients like calcium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, or calcium thioglycolate. They do leave skin feeling far less stubbly than shaving, but the way depilatories are formulated presents a high risk of causing serious irritation or even burns to the skin. It is best to test the depilatory on your arm first to check for reactions, and follow the directions on the package exactly. Depilatories should always be rinsed after several minutes; do not leave them on the skin for prolonged periods!

Bleaching
Bleaching is a great, inexpensive option if the hair you want to hide is dark but not thick or dense. It is especially effective for the upper lip or other parts of the face, neck, and arms. There are many options for facial bleach products at the drugstore or on the Internet. One of the best Internet sources for a range of inexpensive options is http://www.folica.com/. (Please note that this site also sells an array of products that have misleading and exaggerated claims.)

Electrolysis
Electrolysis (also referred to as epilation) is considered by the FDA to be the only permanent form of hair removal. There are two types of electrolysis devices: One is a needle epilator and the other a tweezer-styled epilator. Both of these send electrical currents directly into one hair follicle at a time to destroy the hair bulb. Without the bulb, hair cannot grow.

Even in the best of situations electrolysis can fail to deliver. The procedure requires an extremely skilled technician because the needle placement into the follicle is tricky and can easily miss its mark, plus it is possible to use insufficient electrical current which won’t destroy the bulb and stop hair growth.

Although individual electrolysis appointments can be relatively inexpensive, it requires repeated weekly treatments that can take a year or longer to get you the results you want.

Home Electrolysis
Technically, the at-home electrolysis devices work the same way as professional versions but they can’t produce the same results. Why? For safety’s sake, at-home electrolysis machines produce very little electrical current which means they can’t destroy the hair bulb to stop hair growth.

Further, because the technique for electrolysis is so tricky even for a skilled technician, the chances of successfully operating these devices yourself are slim, at best. You would probably end up just tweezing instead of zapping the hair because getting the device to work as intended takes a lot of skill. Given the time it takes for a hair to grow back, it could take months before you knew if it was really working.

Laser Hair Removal
Of all the methods for hair removal there is no question laser hair removal works, and works really well! But it gets better: You can be hairless with very few treatments and minimal maintenance, though this varies depending on how much hair you are trying to get rid of. If you can afford laser hair removal and have light, fair, beige, or medium beige skin, you can achieve long-lasting results over just about any part of your body you want to have hairless. If you have a darker skin tone you must check with your doctor. Lasers for hair removal follow the dark color of hair (they don’t work on blonde hair) and as a result they can damage dark skin color.

The risks in laser hair removal can include skin discoloration (either darkening or lightening of skin), swelling, inflammation, and infected hair follicles. It is important to keep in mind that laser hair removal, while superior to other forms of hair removal, is still not permanent. But it is pretty darn close!

There are numerous laser hair removal systems, but research has shown that the 800 or 810 nanometer diode laser is by far the most successful and can be used on a wider range of skin colors, particularly Asian skin tones.

At-Home Lasers
It may shock you (both literally and figuratively) to learn that the exact same lasers a salon or doctor’s office may use for hair removal are available for you to buy and do it yourself at home. For example, the TRIA is an 810 nanometer diode laser system with research showing it can reduce hair growth. It is tricky to use and the instructions must be followed exactly or the machine won’t produce even minor results, but it is absolutely an option to consider. 

No! No! Thermodynamic Hair Removal

Costing $250 for the device and $21 for replaceable blades the No! No! is a combination of shaving and heat to remove unwanted hair. The term “thermodynamic” in the name is just a fancy way of saying it produces heat to burn away hair which is literally what it does, along with shaving at the same time. There is no research showing this works, and physiologically it really can’t work. Singing hair on the surface of skin (and you will smell burnt hair after using it) does not carry through to the root at the base of the hair follicle frying it into nonexistence. If that did happen you would surely get a fairly serious burn, but thankfully only the surface is affected. It will feel like something is happening when you use it, but other than shaving there is no other real benefit to be had. Our verdict? Just say “no” to the No! No!

Just my luck, Brad told me last month over text message that he was relocating from Seattle to Phoenix on short notice. I fell into a deep funk. I had been so spoiled by his talent, his prices, his company, and his location that I was downright despondent thinking of what I was going to do without him.

Returning to my former hairdresser, Joan, was not an option. She was always teetering on the edge of sanity. After a year of strange encounters (as well as questionable haircuts) at her downtown ultra-hip salon, the last straw was when she sent me a Facebook message in the middle of the night seeking my advice because she was frightened by her roommate’s cat, who was stalking her outside her bedroom door. I never made another appointment with Joan.

The thing about new hairstylists is that there’s always a learning curve. Even with Brad I didn’t love my first haircut—it took a few times in his chair before we hit our stride. Perhaps I was naïve to think that Brad would always be there for me, because I just can’t imagine putting myself out there like that again, only to have a new stylist leave me unexpectedly. It makes me wonder: Do most people have such a strong bond with their hairstylists? Because I feel like I’ll never find another Brad.

Of course I’m being melodramatic about all of this—it’s only hair, right? But there’s no substitute for the exhilaration I feel when I get a good haircut and the right color. It lifts my confidence and gets me back in touch with my identity (as the ever-wise Brad used to say). It can take years off your look, play up your best features, and give others a sense of your personal style. So why are there so few whose stylists who consistently get it right? Is it just me and my finicky tresses?

I’d love to hear your hairstylist stories or how you’ve vetted and broken in new hairstylists. I’m coming to the end of the mourning period for Brad (and my cut’s getting shaggy), so I think I’m finally ready to sit in someone else’s chair. As long as it’s not Joan’s!

From the beginning my goal has been to help women find products that will give them the skin they’ve always wanted. Over the years, I have watched my passion of providing brilliant skin care products for every concern grow from being just distributed in the United States, into Paula’s Choice products being distributed in 42 countries around the world. Adding Thailand to the Paula’s Choice family is a dream come true!

Visit the official Paula’s Choice Thailand website here!

Warmest regards,

Paula Begoun

Although my skin and hair typically aren’t noticeably affected by local weather changes, this year is a completely different story. My face is super oily in the t-zone and uncomfortably dry on the cheeks. Shaving is starting to hurt. And my hair? Despite using the same tried-and-true products, it suddenly has a mind of its own. It’s like I have a rebellious teen living on my scalp, and he’s not listening to my pleas to stop acting so crazy and start making sense.

Here’s the kicker: I am at a bit of a loss as to what to do! Despite all I have learned and continue to learn about cosmetic product formulations, these surprising changes have really thrown me for a loop. Do I switch hair-care products? Blow-dry less often? Get a haircut? And for my skin, its extreme combination state means I need two completely different sets of products—not cool for someone who’s on the low side of being high maintenance! I’m tempted to just hide out until things balance out, but I know that’s not realistic (though I could catch up on a lot of movies I’ve been meaning to watch).

Never one to back down from a challenge, what I’m going to attempt to improve matters is the following:

• Get a haircut (somehow that always makes a positive difference) or learn to love hats.
• Switch to a conditioning shampoo and start using Paula’s Choice Smooth Finish Conditioner daily (I can be lazy about conditioner).
• Use fewer styling products (because adding more certainly isn’t helping matters).
• Keep using my Paula’s Choice Skin Balancing products in my oily areas, and add the Skin Balancing Carbon Mask to my routine (that excess oil needs to be off my nose, thank you very much).
• Begin using select Paula’s Choice Moisture Boost products to combat the dryness, especially after shaving. The Moisture Boost Hydrating Treatment Cream is my go-to favorite for stubborn dry patches.
• Exfoliate more often. I typically only do this two or three time per week (at night), and my skin is telling me loud and clear that more often will be better. My go-to exfoliants? I have two favorites: Paula’s Choice 1% BHA Lotion and our CLEAR Targeted Acne Relief Exfoliating Toner. Alternating between them should help improve my skin issues all over—I hope!
• Lastly, I’m going to check the relative humidity in my home. It may be lower than I think, and if so, it’s time to pull out the humidifier!

What about you? What do you do when your skin or hair freaks out for no apparent reason, save for the weather? I’d love to hear what has worked and what hasn’t!