spotlight: misikko HANAair hair dryer

A couple of weeks ago, the fantastic folks over at Misikko offered to send me a fancy-schmancy hair dryer to bond with and review for all of you! Now, I am not the sort of person who surrounds herself with expensive gadgets--and although I love a good blowout as much as the next girl, I get a haircut maybe once a year. I am not high-maintenance about my hair. That said, I'm definitely open to trying new things. So I thought, why not? Let's do a dry-off!

(The Competitors)

Misikko sent me the HANAair Professional Hair Dryer. The competition? A 6-yr-old hair dryer I picked up at CVS one afternoon for about $20.

(The Control)

Even though Misikko kindly sent me all kinds of awesome products with their gift package, I knew that I first wanted to test the dryer for its stand-alone capabilities. I have very thin hair, but there is a LOT of it, so it can take forever to dry with lousy equipment (like those hotel hair dryers that are connected to the wall... those are the worst). I used the HANA for a few days to get a feel for how it worked, and then I got down to business.

First things first, I timed how long it took to dry my hair completely with the HANA, and the next day I timed how long it took to dry my hair with the CVS dryer:

(The Conclusion)

The HANA was a clear winner in every way. Because it had been over a week since I'd used the CVS dryer, switching back to it after the HANA was like going back to Andre after running out of Dom Perignon. Not only did the HANA dry my hair faster, but the actual drying experience was so much more pleasant. While the HANA coaxed the water out of my hair with soft, quiet caresses, the CVS dryer was like a hot sand blast that left me feeling hot, sticky, frizzy and frazzled (I don't know about you, but profusely sweating after showering makes me grumpy). Even without products, my hair felt light and clean and smooth after drying with the HANA, while it felt heavy and damaged when subjected to a tête-à-tête with my old frenemy from CVS. Sometimes you don't realize how bad you had it until you're offered a seat on the lap of luxury :)

In short, the HANA won this dry-off, hands down.

I will never go back.

That said, I must admit that I probably would never purchase this dryer on my own, basically because I couldn't begin to afford it (I shop at Bargain Boutique, people--and not only because thrifting is trendy). However, if a $300 salon hair dryer is within the realm of possibility for you, I cannot recommend this one highly enough. From now on, every day will be like a trip to the salon :) And, you're in luck! The HANA is currently on sale. I'm talking serious savings. Or, if you're not in the market for a hair dryer right now, Misikko also has a great line of ceramic flat irons to curl, flip or straighten your lovely locks :)

Thanks, Misikko! You're the Greatest!

the beauty of my necklace

I am in love with this outfit for a couple of reasons. The main reason: my necklace is awesome. Love it.

(necklace: jewelmint.com; blouse: tjmaxx; skirt/belt: bargain boutique; socks: uo; shoes: seychelles)

A couple of other reasons why this outfit makes me happy? I think this may be one of my favorite skirts. Can you believe it once looked like something that Nicki would wear on "Big Love" (aka ankle length, frump-o-rama)? It's so perfectly poofy, I just want to flounce around in it. I knew I wanted to wear this necklace with a simple white blouse so that it could have all the glory, so I pulled this peasant blouse out of hibernation and I really love it! I'm full of love today. The necklace is just so adorably indie-pop, with its little fabric flags and pretty, precious heart, that I wanted the rest of my outfit to reflect the playfulness implied.

On to another topic: I was roundaboutly rerouted to Kate's beauty/body image/womanhood blog Eat the Damn Cake last night, and I spent the better part of an hour going through the archives. She writes about things that we can all relate to in a charming, witty way, and I definitely recommend stopping by if you have a bit of time on your hands. I started thinking about the ways in which we woman meticulously shape our physical appearance, and whether this is good/bad or really just kind of whatever. There are some things that I absolutely must do every day, but I do neglect other forms of upkeep that other women might consider unnegotiably necessary.

I must put on a little bit of makeup whenever I leave the apartment, even if it is just undereye concealer (absolutely always).

I must manage unwanted hair by way of tweezing, bleaching or shaving (as necessary).

I must brush my teeth twice a day.

I must go to the gym and run like a hampster as often as I can stand.

I must eat according to the number of calories burned at the gym (or not).

And yet:

I hardly ever brush my hair, and I certainly never straighten or curl it.

I bite my fingernails down to the nub and don't much care if it's unattractive.

I do not shower every day. There, I said it. It's not like I exert myself.

I never iron my clothes (because I don't have an iron, but I doubt I would even if I had one).

I wear articles of clothing multiple times between laundering (exception: underwear).

I will eat cake whenever it is presented to me.

TMI? I find this whole quasi-universal beauty regimen fairly fascinating. Sure, there are some people who don't wear makeup, who don't go to the gym, who don't shave their legs, and I say good for them. What does it matter? Why should it be anti-feminist to wear makeup? Why should it be chalked up to insecurity? What's the difference (really) between wearing makeup and wearing clothes? We all choose to dress in ways that are flattering and make a certain impression and we certainly wouldn't leave the house without clothes, so why is it strange that many of us wouldn't leave the house without makeup?

Just a thought that's been thought many times before. Still, it's on my mind this morning. What about you? What would be on your must-upkeep list? When does your dedication to prettiness and hygiene slide slightly?

the white is right

So it's that time of year again...

Does anybody else hate whitening? Luckily I'm past the worst of it (my sensitive teeth scream in pain for the first few days of whitening treatment), but I absolutely dread opening a brand-new box of strips (knowing that I am willingly about to inflict unparalleled pain on my dental darlings... okay, I may be exaggerating, but it is unpleasant).

I've just come to terms with the fact that the pain is something I'm regularly going to have to experience (for the rest of my life..?) if my liquid diet continues to consist of coffee, tea, and red wine (which it will). Boo.

I guess it's not much different from wearing almost-too-small-heels and walking the entire length and/or width of a city proper (cough, Boston, cough, often)... It's a price I must pay if my height is to remain a paltry 5 feet, 2 inches (which it will). Besides, I like the clickety-clack of a high-heeled shoe on cobblestones or concrete.

I am endlessly amused by the excruciating pain we (women) are willing to suffer for the sake of style & beauty.