Chaz Dean Archives - Detroit Duchess

5 on Friday: Loved Me Back to Life

It’s time for another edition of Five on Friday with A Liz Adventures, The Good Life Blog, Hello Happiness and Carolina Charm.

I didn’t have a specific theme this week, but there are a few things that I have been loving this week and needed to share with you.

1. Celine Dion’s new single “Loved Me Back to Life”

I may have mentioned before that I am a HUGE Celine Dion fan. I have seen her in concert three times (twice in Vegas and once here in Michigan) and she is amazing. I remember how starstruck I was the first time I saw her in concert, she has the most beautiful voice and she is a great performer. I couldn’t wait to hear her newest single and have already preordered her new album on iTunes, which comes out on November 5th.

2. Wen Fall Apple Spice Cleansing Conditioner ($29)

Wen Fall Apple Spice

Chaz Dean has released a limited edition Fall Apple Spice Cleansing Conditioner on QVC. I can’t wait to get mine and try it out! Click here to read my post about the Wen Cleansing Conditioners if you’ve never tried it before.

3. Starbucks Refreshers

Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher

I am not a coffee drinker, I don’t like the taste or flavor of any coffee products. I also don’t like tea or soda, so this limits the choices I have to get caffeine. I recently tried the new Starbucks Refreshers and I am hooked! I find that they taste great and they don’t make me jittery and nauseous like some other energy drinks out there. They also don’t throw off my entire sleep schedule like a 5 hour or Red Bull, which is great.

Strawberry Lemonade Refresher

I have tried them at the store, in a can and as a supplement in my water and really enjoy all of them. My favorite flavors are the Very Berry Hibiscus and the Strawberry Lemonade. It also gives me something to get at Starbucks when friends or colleagues want to stop there.

VIA Refresher Packet

4. Jason and Molly Mesnick’s Podcast: This is Reality

I love podcasts and I love the Bachelor and Bachelorette, so when Jason and Molly Mesnick came out with their own podcast I knew I would love. I just didn’t realize how much until I started listening to it. If you’ve ever wanted the inside scoop on what goes down on the Bachelor, look no further. These two give an inside look into their lives and their experience on the show. Each podcast is about 30 minutes each. I got caught up on them this week and I’m hooked!

5. ClearCheckBook.com

I have finally entered the digital age! I am one of those people that keeps a paper checkbook register and balances my checkbook periodically. That is how I was raised and the habit stuck. I decided to try out an online system so I can better track my spending and get rid of my old paper checkbook register. I settled on ClearCheckBook.com and I really like how it works. You enter all of your transactions and then you can “jive” them once they clear your account. You can also place a category on each purchase which allows you to pull some cool charts to see where your money is going. This is a huge departure for me, but if I still like it after a few months I might decide to do my budgeting there as well, instead of with my trusty excel spreadsheet.

Do you have anything that you are loving this week and want to share?

For more Five on Fridays posts click here.

The Journey Begins with Wen

I have been on a journey this year, a journey to get fabulous hair. To do this you have to go back to the basics-shampoo and conditioner. I have tried many different shampoo brands in my life, all promising to give me more volume, make my hair thicker, shinier, better. Unfortunately, all of their promises fell flat. There isn’t much you can do with baby fine hair like mine. That is, until I discovered Wen.

I first heard about Wen in a random celebrity interview, but it intrigued me. Could this be the shampoo I was waiting for? I did more research online, watched the infomercial and was hooked.

Wen is made from natural ingredients and contains no sulfates or harsh chemicals like regular shampoo. It doesn’t strip your hair and takes the place of your shampoo and conditioner.

I had to try it, but I didn’t really want to sign up for shipments from the infomercial or QVC so I ended up buying the starter kit from Sephora.

This came with the Cleansing Conditioner, Replenishing Treatment Mist and Re Moist Intensive Hair Treatment all in Sweet Almond Mint for $39.50.

Wen Healthy Hair Kit

I tried it out and loved it! At the time Sephora only carried the Sweet Almond Mint Scent and you could only buy 12 oz. at a time. Now they have expanded and carry the Sweet Almond Mint, Cucumber Aloe and Fig Cleansing Conditioners in the 16 oz. size for $32.

There are a lot of other scents that you can get through the Wen website or through QVC. I like to buy mine through eBay because you can search for the cheapest one and try all different scents. So far I have tried the Sweet Almond Mint, Lavender, Tea Tree and Fall Ginger Pumpkin. The Lavender is my favorite so far.

Here is a list of the different scents and what they work best for:

Sweet Almond Mint – Universal for every hair type
Pomegranate – Universal for every hair type
Fig – For medium to thick hair, coarse hair, dry, damaged or color-treated hair – This is the most moisturizing
Lavender – Specifically created for fine, thin hair – Gives volume and is the second most moisturizing flavor
Tea Tree – Recommended to anyone who has scalp problems, for dandruff, dry/itchy scalp or thinning hair
Cucumber Aloe – Clarifying for those with oily scalps and dry ends or if you need extra cleansing
Fall Ginger Pumpkin, Winter Vanilla Mint, Spring Gardenia Green Tea, Summer Mango Coconut, Fall Apple Spice, Spring Orange Blossom – Seasonal scents that are universal for all hair types, lengths and textures

I’ve noticed a huge difference in my hair since I started using Wen. It looks healthier, thicker and less frizzy. I really notice it when I run out of Wen and have to use regular shampoo so I try to make sure I replenish my supply on time. I find that the Lavender works better for me, so if you aren’t seeing results you might try changing up the scent.

Here is how I use Wen: I wet my hair in the shower and use as many pumps as I need to thoroughly cover my hair. This is usually 8-10 pumps. Wen doesn’t lather up like shampoo it is more similar to conditioner. I don’t have a lot of hair to begin with so you may need to use more if you have thick hair. Then I run a wide-tooth comb through my hair to make sure that I have my entire head covered. I do this first before I do anything else so I can let it sit while I finish my shower. When I finish everything else I rinse it out.

So there you have it – pretty simple for great results.

I have also experimented with some of the Wen styling products including:

Wen Styling Creme- $24

Wen Styling Creme

Wen Volumizing Spray – $30

Wen Volumizing Spray

Wen Texturizing Balm – $26

Wen Texturizing Balm

My routine before blowdrying is to spray the Wen Replenishing Mist and the Wen Volumizing Spray on my entire head. I then add the Wen Styling Creme to just the ends. I only use the Wen Texturizing Balm if I have flyaways that won’t stay put. I also use the Wen Replenishing Mist if I need to restyle my hair to go out and before I go to bed for a little extra moisture. A little of these products go a long way.

I know this may sound weird to some of you, using a conditioner instead of shampoo, but trust me it works. I have always had very oily hair and this doesn’t weigh my hair down at all.

Have you tried Wen yet? Let me know what you think!

Read more about my journey to get fabulous hair Tools of the Trade.