TWISTED KNICKERS

Brand:  L’Oreal

Product:  Vive Pro Glossy Volume Shampoo and Conditioner

About a year ago, my sister-in-law attended a bridal fair and scored a truckload of booty which she graciously shared with moi. Among the enormous haul were several samples of Redken hair products. Up until then, I had used a variety of drugstore shampoo and conditioners. Pantene had been my brand of choice. I’d never felt the need to try any high-end products, and I didn’t expect to love the Redken samples that I was given so much. Those “free” samples took me for broke. I became obsessed with the Redken line and almost took out a second mortgage to be able to buy bottles of their All-Soft and Body Full shampoos and conditioners. For the first time in my life, I actually loved my hair.
In my recent attempt to “get thrifty”, I decided that once I ran out of my Redken product, I would not replace it. Thus began my search for a drugstore alternative. It was not a long search, as I found L’Oreal’s Vive Pro Glossy Volume line on sale at Walmart. They were plopped in my basket before I could even say the words “impulse buy”.
I have very fine hair and not a lot of it. Imagine a blonde Calista Flockhart, and you’ve got the idea. I have the type of hair that must be washed every day because my fine strands absorb the oil from my scalp very quickly. I envy those who wash their hair every other day. If I skip a day I could be mistaken for Kurt Cobain’s sister. Volumizing shampoos are designed for my type of hair, but those shampoos tend to be drying. After a few days of use, my hair usually turns to straw.
I’m not exactly sure how it works, but Vive Pro Glossy Volume shampoo and conditioner proved to be a pretty good buy. It does leave my hair shiny and full. The conditioner does help detangle my strands and tame fly-aways. It would almost be a perfect substitute for Redken’s Bodyfull, except it is a bit too perfumy. Whereas Body Full smells faintly of green-tea, Vive Pro Glossy smells like a gaggle of fifteen-year-old girls tarting up in the school bathroom. When I shampoo I feel as though my nose is being assaulted by a chemical abomination of fruit and flowers. Thankfully, I can’t detect the smell once I blow-dry. I wish L’Oreal would reformulate the shampoo with a fragrance that is a bit more sophisticated and less jarring. Heck, I wouldn’t mind if they eliminated the fragrance altogether.
Vive Pro Glossy Volume Shampoo and Conditioner are available just about everywhere and retail for $4.99 for 13 ounces.

Cut Costs Cuties!
Gemma

Now & Ongoing - LOUNGE
Soho boutique Lounge is closing its doors on Broadway and leaving faithful customers with a blowout sale: Marc by Marc Jacobs, Sonia Rykiel, Monarchy, Miss Sixty, and more are 50 to 90 percent off.
Place & Time: 593 Broadway, nr. Houston St. (212-226-7585); Mon.–Thurs. (10–9), Fri.–Sat. (10–10), Sun. (noon–8).

Today & Tomorrow (11/17 & 18); FALLS
Falls is having a private trunk show, with separates, knits, and dresses 30 to 90 percent off.
Place & Time: 54 E. 11th St., nr. University Pl., eighth fl. (917-204-1026); Mon–Tues. (11–8).

Tomorrow through 11/25; ECHO OF THE DREAMER
Echo of the Dreamer has added hundreds of never-before-seen pieces for their sample sale. Echo of the Dreamer jewelry is often featured in films and major magazines, and is usually only available for purchase through galleries and fine department stores. Discover these stunning one-of-a-kind pieces that are overstock at closeout prices.
Bracelets now $60-$215, orig. $280-$900
Rings now $15-$210, orig. $190-$550
Earrings now $15-$110, orig. $100-$500
Necklaces now $55-$320, orig. $300-$1,200
Brooches now $20-$140, orig. $220-$580
Time & Place: 242 W. 30th St., 14th fl (btwn. 7th & 8th Aves), Tue-Fri 10am-6pm
Sat 11am-4pm

Starting Wednesday, 11/19–11/21; QI
Qi’s annual sample sale has contemporary knitwear marked up to 75 percent off. Find cashmere hats starting at $15 and cashmere coats starting at $100.
Place & Time: 260 W. 39th St., nr. Eighth Ave., Ste. 200 (212.239.8880); Wed.–Fri. (11–7).

Starting Thursday, 11/20–11/23; What Comes Around Goes Around
The biannual sample and stock sale has women’s-collection dresses starting at $75 (originally $300 to $600), men’s-collection shirts starting at $35 (originally $150 to $250), and vintage boots starting at $30.
Place & Time: 351 W. Broadway, nr. Broome St. (212-343-9303); Thurs.–Sun. (11–8).

Starting Thursday, 11/20–11/23; Steven Alan
Men’s cotton shirt are $68 (originally $168), Gryson leather handbags are $250 (originally $700), and Demy Lee cashmere sweaters are $125 (originally $375) during the Steven Alan Showroom sample sale. Other merchandise is 30 to 75 percent off. 87 Franklin St., nr. Church St. (212-219-3305); Thurs.–Fri. (8:30–8), Sat. (12–7), Sun. (12–5).

Okay lovelies, we recognize our snafu and send our apologies to all for letting Mr Cannavaro slip under our radar for this long. Fabio Cannavaro has to be the biggest clothes on/clothes off transformation evah.

You see Real Madrid, Fab’s team, is watched in our household every week without fail. How did THIS slip by?

and to this we say, Throw In!

Yes, that was vintage Fab back in ‘02. As captain of the national Italian team, he & fellow hottie-mates posed for the D&G spread in ‘06. So I guess if he started playing in his undies, we WOULD recognize him. Play on…

L-R: Andrea Pirlo, Gianluca Zambrotta, Gennaro Gattuso, Fabio Cannavaro, Manuele Blasi

STATS:
Age: 35
Team: club - Real Madrid; national - Italy
Number: 5
Quote: “the most beautiful of women lie in Asia, that in India and China, they are truly walking goddesses”.
4 stars for: Fab is the first defender to ever win the FIFA World Player of the Year award

Line: Sonia Rykiel

I long ago tired of department store fragrances. After a while they all began to smell sort of the same. There was nothing new, intriguing or even somewhat interesting in the bunch. Every new launch smelled like either a carnival midway or a vat of Hawaiian Punch. Smelling like cotton candy, cupcakes and juice boxes might have caught the attention of little Billy Jones in third grade, but I have serious doubts that smelling so sticky attracts the desires of more mature, sophisticated and worldly men. I like to believe that men want women to smell like women, not little girls.
I frequently hear women at perfume counters say that they want something “clean”, “fresh” and “light” or something that smells like they “just got out of the shower”. I attribute that to our uniquely American obsession with cleanliness. Everything in our environment must be antibacterial and sterile. Me, I like to smell a little “dirty”. Now, I don’t mean “haven’t washed in a week” dirty. I mean that I like to smell not quite so squeaky clean. I like to think that smelling sexy is more interesting than that. I like when my husband nuzzles my neck and decides he likes what he smells….really, really likes what he smells. I’ve found that it is never the fruitpunchy, candied or “shower-fresh” fragrances that get his motor running. The fragrances that catch his attention are always the ones with more depth. The spicy richness of Chanel’s Coco and unapologetic opulence of Guerlain’s Shalimar are favorites of his. I have tried over and over to get friends to try these two fragrances, but am met over and over again with protests of “I don’t want to smell like an old lady”.
About two years ago I was walking through Nordstrom when I noticed that French knitwear designer Sonia Rykiel had launched a perfume. As a fan of her past perfume launches, I could not pass up a sniff of her new Belle En Rykiel. I was at once struck with the notion that it was the perfect fragrance for a woman who wanted to venture outside more typical department store offering, but was uneasy about wearing a more challenging composition. Billed as an aromatic oriental, it seemed to marry the richness and opulence of a classic oriental composition with the freshness and airiness that women seem to want in their fragrances today. It smelled womanly and sophisticated and not at all like a child’s birthday party. With notes of mandarin, lavender, coffee, frankincense, mahogany and vanilla, it made my husband swoon.
I guess it didn’t sell well, because it disappeared from Nordstrom’s shelves fairly quickly. I can only surmise that American women just were not ready to step out of their collective comfort zone. I can think of no other reason, as the fragrance is gorgeous and of high quality. The good news is that if you’re feeling adventurous, TJ Max is loaded to the gills with Nordstrom’s castoffs. A lovely 2.5 ounce bottle is a bargain at $20.

Not following Chelsea battle their way up the EPL charts? I invite you to pay attention to this:

and for a wee bit more ogling before kicking off the weekend…the model-footballer-pouty-face

We’ll close with Mr. Ballack’s maniacal sex face.

STATS

Age: 32
Born: Görlitz, East Germany
Team: club-Chelsea; national-Germany
Position: midfielder
Number: 13
Relationship: married with three children