PUREOLOGY: Less than Pure

*photo credit: Amazon.com

I'm so sad....my long-time fave line of hair products, PUREOLOGY, was purchased sometime in late 2007 by the big conglomerate, L'Oreal.....I did not learn of this acquisition myself until just last week. I only did a random Google search because my last purchase of Pureology Hydrate (shampoo & conditioner) just seemed different. I chalked it up to maybe my hair was just going through a phase....but it really did not feel the same.

Normally, any of the Pureology shampoos create lather beyond words! The stuff has NO added water, hence, it's a concentrate of sorts. You use VERY little & it goes a LONG way. My hair was never known for is ability to lather well, but this stuff was like a hair miracle. My hair never felt cleaner or healthier & I was sold. It's not cheap, either, but it was worth it!! The Hydrate shampoo averages around $28 a bottle, which may seem steep, but as a concentrate, you use so little that the bottle lasts far longer than anything else you might purchase. In the long run, it's really not that expensive. I would sing its praises anytime someone complained of bad hair days -- "GO, buy Pureology and if you dislike it, I will buy it off of you so you have nothing to lose!!!" And, you know what? NO ONE ever asked me to buy it off of them. Why? Because they were sold, too! It worked wonders!!!

Pureology is known for zero sulfates, no alcohol & no added water, amongst other things. It's not tested on animals & it was 100% vegan....whatever that means in the world of shampoo. *wink* It was full of yummy botanicals & my hair was Heavenly on any given day after using it. If I really wanted a treat, I would splurge on the Nanoworks line...average price of this shampoo or conditioner would set you back just over $40 a bottle, but the results were even better than the Hydrate, if one could even imagine such a thing! I love it!!!

Fast forward to my June purchase of Pureology Nano & Hydrate products that "felt different"....my sister, Marla, mentioned she was no longer using it & complained about the fact it had alcohol in it when some new product she discovered & liked did not. I was floored. ALCOHOL in my Pureology??? What was she talking about? I ran home & read the labels on my bottles, old & new (some of my old bottles were in the recycle bin still)....sure enough, the newer bottles not only had water added (now the 1st ingredient on the label), but 2 kinds of alcohol in it!! I was horrified....I am paying top dollar for something that is supposed to be so pure & wonderful & it's just not. No wonder my hair felt different; no wonder the product did not lather like it used to; no wonder it looked or smelled a tad different...it WAS different!!! I jumped on Google & read tons & tons of messages & blogs about the fact that the recipe was cheapened & watered down....my wonderful botanical ingredients were gone & in their place was plain old water & a bunch of color-fading alcohol! I am paying top dollar for crap equivalent to any drugstore shampoo now. Not cool. The whole point of Pureology is that it's color-protective & once you add alcohol, that all goes out the window, friends.

I e-mailed my hairdresser, Marla & my friend Stacie, who are all in the know about Pureology products. My hairdresser, Deborah, is livid & has written the company...not to mention she wants her money back on the stockpile of product she is selling in her salon. Stacie was like me & just wanted to cry. Marla had already given up on Pureology & switched to another alcohol-free product. *sigh* Deborah & I have been "joking" about creating a product line that IS pure & sulfate/alcohol free.....made me wonder....what is entailed in such a venture? Can this innocent joking turn out to be something more real??? I failed chemistry, so making hair product is way out of my skill level, but you never know. I'm always searching for that light bulb to go on over my head for an idea for a business so I can quit "working for the man". I think I need to seriously chat Deb up about this.

All dreams aside, it's a sad, sad day now that my Pureology is no longer pure. I have come to the conclusion that I need to shop around for older product in hopes it's still the original recipe. That might mean buying from less "reputable" sources like E-bay or local discount stores where the stuff often pops up on shelves. So, I jump on E-bay and search around. I find I am now asking sellers to e-mail me the first 3 ingredients listed so then I will know what I am getting. If water & alcohol come up first in lieu of the organic botanicals, don't buy it! My confession in all this: I had placed a bid on E-bay BEFORE realizing things had changed....did not expect to win, never uppped my bid, but of course, I won. It was a 3 item deal of the Nano line (shampoo, conditioner & a deep conditioning repair mask). The mask alone sells for like $65. I got all 3 for $47. The package just arrived this week....I anxiously ripped open the box & to my delight, they were OLD recipe versions. I scored so big time!!!! Now, I just have to keep finding the old product or find a new brand. Who knew a less "reputable" source, like E-bay (as some consider the risk of counterfeit items) would be MORE reputable in getting what I really want versus buying from a trusted salon or supply house?? I love my OLD Pureology. L'Oreal can suck it. L'Oreal: You have turned a fantastic product into garden variety crap out of pure greed. You are still marketing Pureology as pure & it's not!! This stuff should be selling for under $8 a bottle now, not in excess of $25. If anyone affiliated w/ L'Oreal ever should stumble upon this (yeah, right!): "F YOU". You ruined the ONLY hair product line that some of us ever loved.

I urge everyone that ever loved the REAL Pureology to shop around & try to purchase old product. Read those microscopic labels (and you only need to read the first 3 ingredients on the list). I urge you to write letters & blog about your dissatisfaction. L'Oreal has pulled the wool over our eyes & we have to help lift that wool & see the truth -- they are greedy liars. There is nothing pure about Pureology anymore & it saddens me to say such words. If you find the old product, let me know....I'd be interested in forking out some of my hard-earned $$ for it. If you see water listed as the #1 ingredient, don't even waste your time reading the rest of the label. It's no good. Your organic botanicals like various types of mushrooms, peppermint & herbs won't be in the product anymore. You won't get the killer lather. Your hair probably won't feel as amazing & you certainly won't have as much color protection if the bottles are now chocked full of alcohol. (insert heavy SIGH here).

Happy Shopping....I hope you find something pure in your search. I, for one, won't buy it anymore unless I can find the original recipe.

Where the Wild Things REALLY Are....

Just a quick head's up: Now through 10/31/09 all kids (11 years of age and under) get in FREE to The San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal park! Visit: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/

Time is running out....grab the kiddies & have some fun! Oh, and while you are there, pick me up a little something pretty at the gift shop.

Let the wild rumpus begin!!!

Happy Shopping!

The New Ride

After 10 years of pleasure driving around in my dream car, the 1999 Volvo S70, it was time to consider a new ride....after all, slapping on over 110k in miles is nothing to sneeze at. My Volvo served me well. It's still a beautiful car, but I now have a new love....the 2009 Ford EDGE (stock photo pictured here). It has so many gadgets, it talks, has heated seats so my fanny shall never again be cold on a chilling Winter morning drive, and so much more! I got a new color called Cinnamon Brown Metallic (as seen in the photo). It's much darker in person, I think -- at times, almost appears eggplant in color, which was probably part of the draw for me.

I wish to bid a fond farewell to my Volvo....she has been good to us. I will miss her in some ways, but technology has surpassed her & it's time to have a jack for my i-Pod, a USB port and some Sirius satellite radio (6 months free anyhow). We are trying to find a buyer & hopefully, they will enjoy her as much as we did.

As for the new EDGE gracing our driveway....she's fun to drive, SO incredibly smooth, and probably more of a gas hog than what I am used to in that it's a V6 engine. The first time I drove one, I barely touched the gas & it was off & running in a quick jerk, which caught me by surprise. We shopped for about 4 weeks & nearly got one in dark grey at Galpin Ford, but things did not pan out (translation: salesmen changing numbers on you last-minute, not cool). We walked away empty-handed after 3 long hours. Last weekend, we went back to Star Ford in Glendale to see Sasha, a very low-key car salesman we met on week #1 of our search. We brought him an ad from a local dealer & he said he would beat it....and he did! I got more gadgets than I even wanted by taking a 2009 model versus a 2010 & for less money. We purchased the extended warranty & the maintenance plan for a few bucks more, so we should have no worries for 6 years or 75k miles. If you need a Ford, go see Sasha @ Star Ford in Glendale!!

Car shopping sucks.....Sasha made it happen & without ANY stress or annoyances. He did not back pedal. He was up front, gave us a price on demand & they all stuck by it in the end! It took far less time than the wasted hours elsewhere....and in the end, we could not be more satisfied. LOVING the new ride!

Happy Shopping!

The Right Kind of Ugly

As a teen going through my "Goth" phase, I would often shop for things my mother would say were UGLY....black clothing, clunky boots, you name it! My response was always something like: Yes, it's ugly...but it's the right kind of ugly -- my mother would laugh & either she or my grandmother would indulge my purchase.

My "right kind of ugly" words have come rushing back to my mind lately as we adopted another dog from a rescue group. We have named her MITZI (formerly: "Kitty") and she is 8 pounds of some funky cuteness all wrapped up in an ugly shell that is precisely "the right kind of ugly". Mitzi was surrendered by her owner in January of 2009 to a County animal shelter in Downey, CA. I was told she had a terrible case of mange and kennel cough, the poor thing. A wonderful group called Sparky & the Gang (based out of Long Beach, CA) rescued her & nursed her back to health in hopes of finding her a suitable home. 10 months later, poor little Mitzi was still with the rescue as no one seemed to want her. Sure, she's not the stereotypical pretty dog, nor is she a young puppy, but she still has a loving heart that deserves a second chance at a nice life.....in walk a pair of suckers for a pretty face, me & Mike (with Frankie in tow)!

We were at a local Oktoberfest event in Montrose on 10/3/09....had some lunch after a nice day of walking around with Frankie (he is simply the envy of anyone that sees his cute face). He was exhausted from all of the attention & so were we. We headed back to the car only now, there was a dog adoption thing going on -- "Uh-oh", I said to Mike as we walked closer. I'm a sucker -- I want to take all dogs home with me when I see them!!! There must have been 20 dogs and puppies here at this event. The "leader", Sherri, was an adorable blonde from Michigan (my home state) and one of her side-kicks, named Mitzi, was just one of the "funnest" people we have ever met (excuse the poor grammar). At any rate, we were looking in the playpen of tiny dogs & "Kitty" was so scruffy & barking as if to say "look at me!!" -- we were looking at her, though & the human Mitzi quickly pulled Kitty from the pack to come out & play with us. (I'm sure they were desperate to get her adopted out). We were filling out paperwork before you knew it, Mike was holding the little scared dog and Frankie was eagerly wanting to play more with her. Mitzi (the human) rode home with us & the little dog to inspect our yard, all the while we joked & had some fun....we gave her a cold beer & a margie while the doggies ran & played in the yard. SOLD. We have a new dog!

I had to take Mitzi back to the fair, so Mike remained home to dog sit the new dog & the old one. We finalized some paperwork & made arrangements to pay the $300 donation/adoption fee to Sherri & her group via mail since I did not have a checkbook on me at the time. Mitzi was SO great, fun & helpful, we ended up naming the new pooch after her -- hopefully, she realizes it's an honor! *wink*

The first 2 nights were rough, no pun intended....the dogs did not sleep well & consequently, neither did we. By night #3, things had improved greatly. PHEW!!! We have had some potty accidents & poor little Mitzi (the K9) had to be spayed last Friday, but I assure you, she is recovering famously! We officially have a nice pair....like Lady & The Tramp, only Frankie looks more like Lady & Mitzi would certainly fall into tramp category. ha ha!

Everyone asks what breed Mitzi is....not really sure, but we suspect terrier mixed with Chihuahua. She has wiry hair, the little bit of it she has. She has a beard & her scraggly hairs atop her tiny head easily take on the shape of a mohawk any given day. She & Frankie became fast friends, although, I think he'd prefer she stay out of his bed when it's time to sleep. Ha ha ha!!! We are tired & overwhelmed at times, but overall, we know we did a good thing taking this little mutt into our home. She's the right kind of ugly for sure with a heart of absolute gold. I hope things continue to improve & she realizes she is in a good place.

To give this a tie to shopping: Home Goods supplied us with a new dog bed & cute doggie dishes for feeding, all at a reasonable price!

Happy Shopping!!

Boots! Boots! Boots!!

I don't know about you, but I LOVE autumn just so I can bust out my fave boots to wear with jeans! I'm getting so excited about the fact that the past 2 days felt more like Winnie the Pooh's "Blustery Day" than it did summer....because it means I am just that much closer to getting to wear my boots again!

And, speaking of boots....I'm in the market for some new ones this season. My pointy-toed stilettos need to be replaced after many good years on my stinky feet! I have 2 pairs by BCBG -- they are identical, only one pair is black & the other is dark brown. They are that stretchy faux leather, very plain, very high, & very pointy (translation: you would not want a job working on your feet all day if you had to wear these puppies, but since I sit in an office, I'm good to go!). Anyhow, let's just say they have seen better days. I could take them into a shoe repair for a tune-up, but let's face it: they are Pleather. *sigh*

I landed myself in a local Marshall's store last night, expecting to find nothing. Ironically, found several pairs of cute boots. My budget could not afford them all, thankfully, due to the lack of real estate in my closet, but I did grab up 2 pairs for a steal! The dressier pair is by Etienne Aigner (spelling?), black, faux leather (again), about a 3 inch skinny heel (easier on the spine), zip up the side & a small buckle around the ankle area -- for only $39.99. Nice. The second pair is a chocolate brown suede flat boot by BORN. I have the same pair in black leather that I got last Christmas and love, love, love them! They have gummy soles & make you feel like you are walking in slippers! They zip up the side & look great with jeans or tights & a mini-skirt. These were on clearance for $90, which is a far cry from what they would normally retail for at Nordstrom. Yippee! Autumn weather, here I come!!! There were a few other nice pairs by various designers, including more from BORN, so I urge you to get in there & try some on.

Now, I know the next thing I am going to hear is from Dianna, who is going to want me to post pix.....so, if you see some attached to this message, yay me....if not, sorry! (I'm not at home at the moment to add photos, but I will try. *wink*)

Get your boot-loving self over to Marshall's if you need some new ones. I am guessing their Mega-Shoe Shop in Glendale might even have more goodies....but I am out of cash so I can't go & scope it our for you all. I emptied my wallet in Burbank last night -- but it was worth it! I'm totally "shamelessly shopportunistic" and proud of it.

Happy Shopping!

Household Project Revealed -- at last!

I posted earlier in summer about the fact that we decided to re-do our den at home...a perfectly lovely room that we wanted to improve upon. We started from scratch this time by removing ALL the old stuff & completely re-painting the room. For those that had not seen the room before, picture gingerbread colored walls, dark brown trim, a huge desk, dark red arm chair, armoire for hiding computer components, lots of black framed photos on the walls, a large (and comfy) dark brown suede futon, and tons of warm & dark colors all around. It was super cozy....but honestly, the furniture was from our old house & it was much too large for that room. It was time to improve it all!

Friends would say we were crazy -- after all, the room was perfectly lovely as it was, but Mike & I just knew we could do better (or we hoped that we could). We also love to decorate and let's face it, after nearly 4 wonderful years in this home, we did all we could, ran out of projects & we end up re-doing things that don't need to be touched. At any rate, we went with a completely different look and lighter color palette. I must say, the results are far better than we anticipated & while I am no pro photographer, I am including some pix at the behest of my BFF, Dianna, so you can all see the new room. Someday, maybe I can dig up old photos so you have a good "before & after" comparison. :)

The futon was donated to a good friend who had just purchased her first home & we think it looks FAB in her place. Apparently, she's enjoying it immensely, which makes us smile to no end. Most of the other furniture pieces were sold off at a recent yard sale or donated to charity. The armoire, which Mike built, got a reprieve & managed to remain in the room since it's a wonderful piece with lots of storage space for the unsightly necessities. I miss our old red arm-chair...complete with Crayola markings on the side from our beloved God-daughter, Cailey, who saw fit to leave her mark as a toddler. *sigh* But, the new chair, affectionately named "Edith" is a wonderful new addition(think of the old All in the Family TV series & how Archie had the big comfy chair, while Edith was forced to relax in a smaller, less plush chair) -- our Edith is pretty comfy though, I must admit! (Thank you Home Goods!!!!) We still intend to find a worthy home for the former area rug, a real beauty if you happen to know any interested parties. *wink*

Anyhow, I ramble on....here are the pix! Let me know what you think.

P.S. - I did not include a shot of the new, smaller desk since there were still some electrical cord issues that were not resolved at the time of my lame photo-shoot.

Happy Shopping!!