One of the easiest ways to make a statement with your hair, or simply deal with a bad hair day, is with hair accessories, and great styling tools. And, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from literally decades of trying all sort of ways to help hair look better, it’s that more expensive isn’t always more effective, better, or even, prettier. For example, Goody is a company that has been around for a while, and it is known for the types of brushes, combs, and hair accessories that you can find in drugstore and mass market retailers. But the products are as innovative as they are, inexpensive. Goody is launching a whole bunch of new collections and I had the pleasure of previewing them. The collections were varied and vast, so I picked just a few of the new collections and products that either intrigued me and I wanted to try them (so I could report back to you), or some products most of us have already used and loved, but in new color combos and collections. You’ll be able to find the products, and many more, at your local drug and mass market retailers, such as Target, Walgreens, CVS, and Walmart. Some of these are are available in stores now, or soon will be. Others, alas, will be launching later, in the Fall. The Advice Sisters love the products, and the price. We are making Goody our Weekly Obsession!
One collection to look for, come September at CVS, Walgreens, Target and Walmart, is the Goody QuickStyle collection. These are brushes and combs that are designed to remove water from wet hair to speed overall hair drying and styling time. Who wouldn’t want to be able to get the chore of drying and styling their hair over and done with a little faster? The collection consists of three items: a Quickstyle Water Wicking Comb (srp. $5.29-$6.29); Quickstyle Half Round Brush (at Target) $11.99 and a Paddle Brush (srp. $11.99-$12.99).
When your hair is sopping wet and tangled, the Water Wicking Comb can really help. It has two rows of well-spaced teeth that help remove water with every stroke through your hair. It also has a convenient hook so you can hang it in your shower for easy access. I wanted to love this, and I did. For starters, it detangled my long, thick, hair, without a struggle and since I was still in the shower, all that water just went where it was supposed to go: down the drain. I am not sure it really reduced water on my head by the 20% claimed, but I could see that it did remove some of the “sop.”
Then I followed with Quickstyle Paddle Brush. This brush looks like a normal brush that has been stuffed with soft, blue sponge-y fabric. and you can use it on all hair types. What it is supposed to do, is remove 30% of water from hair, thanks to the anti-microbial microfiber bristles mixed in with the regular bristles, that literally soak up water as you use it. There are side vents to help increase airflow while you’re blow drying. If your hair is thin or short, I can see this working really, really well. Alas, on my thick hair, the blue microfiber pieces quickly got soaked. There is no way to dry them out, and as I worked the brush through my hair over and over again, I didn’t really feel as though I was gaining much in terms of dry time. In addition, there is a bit of an “ick” factor if you tend to find hair in your brush. It’s not so easy to clean hair from between the brush’s bristles, due to the blue micro-fiber pieces stuck firmly in-between. You are supposed to gently run a wide tooth comb through the bristles to remove hair, and then wash the bristles with warm water and shampoo. You refresh the, by turning the brush bristles face down, and tapping the back with the palm of your hand. It was as easy as that to get it clean. However, if you are dealing with a squirmy kid, every extra second you can tick off this task, helps.
The final piece in the colelction is a half-round styling brush. I didn’t choose this one to review, but it an antimicrobial microfiber bristles that are supposed to keep the brush fresh, side vents to help dry hair faster, and a convex shape that lets hair curl around the microfiber base, removing water while adding lift and bod.
I liked the idea that these products could help speed drying time…and they did. But how much benefit you get really depends a lot upon the thickness and length of your hair. Still, when time is of the essence, every little bit, helps.
Another new and novel brush, is the Goody TangleFix, a gentle, handle-less brush that is supposed to gently loosen tangles. The photo shows the kids brush and there’s a larger on, in silver, for adults. I had to smile when I first saw this brush, because the large brush head in a curved shape full of small, flexible, bristles, reminded me of the pet brush I use on my cats. But maybe that’s not such a strange analogy, because those bristles gently untangle hair (or fur). If you have ever tried to brush a reluctant cat, you already know that a gentle bristle against their fur detangles (at least some) of the knotted fur, so it doesn’t hurt them when you try to brush out their coat. This brush, solely for people, does essentially the same thing, so you can get the brush through even a tangled mess of hair. It’s the ideal brush to use on children, or help them to do it themselves. It’s fun for adults, too, who can make it do double duty to distribute conditioner from roots to tips. This turned out to be a really good way to get conditioner where I wanted it. This is not a styling brush, however, so don’t use it with heat. It’s a nice brush at a good price, and it is available now, at Walmart, Target and Walgreens, with prices ranging from $7.95-$8.99
At Fashion Week a few seasons ago, I discovered Goody’s Double Wear Accessories ($4.49-$5.49), and thought they were really clever. These hair elastics and head bands do do things. First, they keep your hairstyle, pony, bun, etc. in place with chic-looking elastics that have metal hardware to dress up your hairstyle. But they can also pinch-hit as necklaces (the head bands) and bracelets (the ponytail elastics) that you can use when you travel and don’t have a lot of jewelry with you, or simply when you’re not wearing the elastics in your hair. I love them in hot weather because you can carry your hair elastics with you so use at a moment’s notice, but it doesn’t make you look like you’re wearing a rubber band on your wrist! The initial Double Wear elastics had a slim, metal band in the middle, but the line has expanded, to fashion-forward chain links, and delicate quartets of silver or gold balls, and even a set with beads. I have seen actual jewelry, especially bracelets, that look pretty much like the Goody Hair Accessories, and for a lot more money. Goody is always coming up with innovative and useful products. Goody is really getting super great at it, too! I’m still very excited by DoubleWear. Get value, beauty, and fashion, with these 2 in 1 hair accessories.
The photos here are just to show you that there is a wide range of other Goody products that are either on the market now, or launching soon.
There is the Ouchless Trend Collection (Srp. under $3.00 to under $5,00 for a 29-pack of elastics), featuring bright elastics and headbands. These are available in Tribal, Glitter, Animal prints, and Ribbon Ties, and they’ll be in the stores in Wal-mart, this months ($3.87 for a 30 pack of elastics, and $3.99 for a 5-pack of headbands). The Designer Series Collection featuring brights and metallics, in a mix of the Ouchless type and ribbon type (under $3.00 to under $5.00 for a 29-pack of elastics). Coming in September, there are colorful collections of new, “Ribbon” elastics for head bands and ponytails (srp. 3,99.for a pack of five) that are simply, soft, stretchy material (and these really do stay put in your hair and remove in seconds without any tugging or pain). Also this month, the Ouchless collection will offer their classic elastics including an all sorts of package sizes, up to a big, 75 ct. pack for just $7.99. With that many elastics, you can outfit a cheerleading squad for months!
For dressier occasions, they the “Ouchless” Velvet Collection, featuring soft, black velvet pony elastics and head bands that are plush and stay put. However, when you try to remove them, them simply slip off your hair without a struggle. Black velvet is classic, and makes a statement, but these are also affordable luxury at just $2.99 for a 12-pack of black velvet elastics; $3.99 for a 5-pack of slim headbands. Wear one, or several at one time. These are going to be available in Walmart and Target this month, just in time for special occasions and those times when you absolutely must keep hair under control (but also need to look dressed up).
The new version of Goody’s “Spin Pin” featuring a gold or silver flower, holds a chignon securely, with just one pin (or if your hair is thick, two pins). I thought it wouldn’t work, but it did. Even more surprising, when it was time to get it out, it was easy to remove. Yes, I was, impressed! A two-pack of un-adorned spin pins hold a bun for hours, even if you’re dancing, and they cost under $7.00
Excited? Trust me, these Goody products are even better, in person. Visit your favorite local mass market retailers and drug stores, or www.goody.com,
