HAIR RULES...Does It Ever

I had the pleasure of attending the hot HAIR RULES Salon launch. Located at 828 9th Ave. Suite 1 in NYC, the boutique-esque salon is a mix of streamlined sophistication with aspects both mod and natural. Named after his signature hair care line, the HAIR RULES salon is the creation of hairstylist and author, Anthony Dickey - better known as 'Dickey.'

Dickey made his start in styling at Oribe then moved on to Louis Licari and John Frieda. He arrived on the scene when he was booked to do Sports Illustrated in Hawaii in 1995 and a shoot with Ellen Von Unwerth for L'Uomo Vogue in 1997. Now, celebrities are his regulars, including Alicia Keys, Minnie Driver, Andre 3000, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kelis and Michelle Obama.

Best known for understanding hair with texture, HAIR RULES hair care was developed in three subsets: Kinky, Curly and Wavy. Dickey is not shy about his hatred for shampoo, which he says 'is a disaster' for women with textured hair. Instead, he recommends his Daily Cleansing Cream, likened to Cetaphil for the hair due to its non-lathering consistency. The women I know with otherwise hard-to-manage hair are thanking their lucky stars for this line.

To book an appointment at HAIR RULES, call 212-315-2929.

5 Minute Candles

In a rush around world, its not often you can spontaneously whip out a little candle, burn it to the end, be relaxed, and then run off to the next part of your day… Or can you? Designed to look like an ordinary book of matches, inside these are 10 tiny candles that can be lit as attached or broken off to put on a cake. They are from Poketo, a Los Angeles company that produces artist-designed, limited edition lifestyle products. Hey...now all we need are the missing matches!

Keep a pack of these handy candles in your bag, one in your kitchen drawer, and another in your office, and you can pretend that you remembered your co-worker/babysitter/neighbor's birthday. $10 for a set of four.

The World According to Photoshop

How lucky is Jessica Alba? Or Madonna? Or the countless others who have been retouched to mannequin-like perfection? These retouched images have millions believing that all celebrities just roll out of bed every day looking that gorgeous. Those of us in the industry know just how much Photoshopping is done to help sell magazines, movies, and Manolos, yet somehow we still fall victim to the beauty of the images before us. Is it art? Yes. Marketing? Of course. Unethical? Hmmm. That's where the debate becomes heated.

On one side is the groundswell of self-esteem advocates and parents of young daughters outraged by the deception. On the other side is the legion of astute marketers who know that idealized beauty sells a dream, and everyone wants to be part of a dream.

The UK is considering a Photoshop ban in magazines targeted to children under 16. Member of Parliament Jo Swinson says, "Today's unrealistic idea of what is beautiful means that young girls are under more pressure now than they were even five years ago. Airbrushing means that adverts contain completely unattainable perfect images no one can live up to in real life. We need to help protect children from these pressures and we need to make a start by banning airbrushing in adverts aimed at them."

Scott Kelby, president of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals, counters that Photoshop just makes the camera as forgiving as the eye. He says, "If you met Faith Hill in person, you would think she's absolutely beautiful. And when you take her picture, you will see every flaw that you never saw in person. Those flaws not only become visible, but magnified. . . . If I were talking to someone, I'd look at their eyes, not at the blemish on the side of their face. But as soon as you open up that photo on a 30-inch monitor, you'd say, 'Oh my gosh, where did that come from?' "

What do you think?

Fashion as Illustrated by Danny Roberts

Danny Roberts, 24, is making a name for himself with his romantic renditions of magazine tears and fashion models. Shot into stardom recently by WWD, his blog titled Igor +Andre now boasts over 200K unique visitors. His work will soon be found on clothing and accessories such as Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Lovers' canvas totes, satchels, graphic T's and hoodies.