Hair Fix: Topical Biotin Benefits for Hair: Does it Really Work?

By now it’s common knowledge that popping biotin daily won’t guarantee long, lush hair. The truth is that biotin doesn’t make hair grow faster or longer. It can only promote longer hair by strengthening the hair follicle. Stronger hair allows each strand to reach the end of its growth cycle. Your genetics then decide just how far that cycle will take you — to mermaid-like lengths or average, below-the-shoulder ends.

Another sad fact: Unless you’re deficient in biotin (or B vitamins), the supplement won’t make much of a difference. “Most people get enough biotin from foods as well as the biotin our bodies produce,” says dermatologist and scalp expert Dr. Rebecca Kazin. So popping a pill (just like any vitamin supplement you don’t need) won’t do much…or anything at all.

But now there’s a new breed of biotin products, coming in the form of serums, shampoos and even hairspray. Topical biotin offers the same (not-so-reliable) results as ingested biotin, but it guarantees the added benefit of instant fullness. “Applying a hair product that is made with biotin will help strengthen the surface of the strands,” says Schwarzkopf Essence ULTÎME celebrity hairstylist Richard Collins. The formulas coat each strand and thereby increase the diameter of each existing hair. 

[ Everything You Need to Know About Taking Biotin for Hair Growth ]

Schwarzkopf Essence ULTÎME is one of the first to offer a full range of biotin-infused topicals. Biotin+ Volume & Vitality Shampoo ($6.97 at Walmart) promotes less breakage because of the blend of biotin and keratin. The result is overall thicker hair in as little as seven days. Our tester was impressed. (Matrix Biolage FullDensity Thickening Shampoo works similarly to remove follicle clogging impurities and promotes more durable strands.) The other winner in the collection is the Biotin+ Volume & Vitality Daily Serum Spray ($6.97 at Walmart). The lightweight spray doesn’t weigh down even the finest of hair and adds fullness by adding smooth movement to hair’s natural texture. Just don’t brush after spraying on damp, just-washed hair for better volume.

For a boosted blowout, try Briogeo Blossom & Bloom Ginseng + Biotin Volumizer ($18 at Sephora) — a blowdry spray. Hair instantly has more height at the root and over time, it can even promote hair growth. While biotin adds strength, the formula’s ginseng root and ginger root are the ones that really promote growth. Ginseng stimulates blood flow to the scalp and follicles, while ginger, a natural oil, helps energize the follicle.

Bosley Healthy Hair Follicle Energizer ($18.99 at Bosley) also helps thinning hair. The leave-in serum contains biotinyl-GHK that protects hair follicles, while scalp activators help to increase the energy levels of the follicles and promote healthy growth. Just dab a few drops where thinning occurs most.

While instant results are common, how much difference you’ll see over time is debatable. “Topical biotin has been reported to improve the appearance of skin and hair, but it is difficult to know how much is able to penetrate the skin, scalp and hair cuticle barrier,” says Kazin. All of the formulas are formulated for thin, fine hair (read: lightweight and won’t weigh down hair), so they automatically promote fuller-looking hair with or without biotin’s help. 

But what about the fact that I've been Trying a new brand called Mane Choice, whose products are also infused with Biotin, and my ponytail looks and feels thicker after a month of testing their Orchid Gel 7 laid Back edge control? Is that the result of castor oil & magic D vitamins or merely a coincidence? While we wait for more studies and concrete evidence on topical biotin benefits, we’ll be dosing our hair with the seemingly miracle formulas just in case OKKUUURRRRR!

- XOXO Jhenelle Hill

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Vars City wants to Party and they have no chill!!! We just showed up with the airbrush, glitter and hairspray !

Makeup & Hair by #Teamneonfix 

From the desk of Jhenelle Neon: My Fave Winter Must Haves!

1.     Solution for Pale Legs & Arms.  I raced into Bluemercury Rittenhouse Square to figure out what to use on my pale winter legs, pre- a black tie wedding to which I was wearing a short dress. They team recommended the new NARS Laguna Body Tint SPF 30 Sunscreen. It did the trick! I used it on my legs and arms once I had my LBD on. Someone even commented on my “tan” and asked me where I had been! This would be great on the beach, given the SPF! Even brown girls need their legs bronzed sometimes!

2.       Neroli Love. Those of you that know me, know that my all time favorite fragrance is the original Acqua di Parma Colonia. A neroli and rose fragrance, I adore the light citrus scent. Neroli is extracted from the bitter orange tree and was made popular by a 17th century Italian ‘IT” girl, Anne Marie de Nerola. I have two new loves – Jo Malone's Basil Neroli, which has classic neroli but is spiced up and more green with the peppery basil addition. I have also always loved Tom Ford’s Neroli Portofino, which has more depth and amber undertones! I can never have too much neroli!

3.       Teen Insight.  I’m always watching what teens are loving – they are the future. They are addicted to Glamglow’s Supermud Clearing Treatment. They swear it takes out all of their blackheads and completely clears their pores. My lil sister also loves her Foreo Luna 2 facial cleansing brush!

4.      New Creation. PowerGlow Eye Cream - which Blue Mercury has been working on for 4 short years - is finally here. Yes, glycolic in an eye cream! I am a glycolic addict. It is my favorite ingredient for line reduction, skin resurfacing and the “glow” we are always searching for. It was hard to get right -  I LOVE this, for under-eye luminosity and the reduction in the appearance of the laugh lines around the eyes. I can’t wait to hear what you think!

5.       Currently Using.  A quick list of what I’m grabbing for these days: Laura Mercier Lip Parfait Creamy Colourbalm in Cinnful - great evening nude with smoky eyes.  Lune+Aster RealGlow Primer - I've been using this with nothing over it on the days I feel like the No Makeup look. Trish McEvoy Beauty Booster Lip and Cheek in Perfect Perfect Rose- my daytime go-to. ReVive Soleil Superieur SPF50- glorious under CC cream, tinted moisturizer, or any foundation.

We Love this Hair Hack!!! Fake Holiday Bangs!!!

Want a fresh new look for this years holiday festivities? Why not try scissor free fake bangs? Your only a few minutes away from this chic look No haircut needed! Email us your faux Bang look and we'll feature the dopest ones!!!!

xoxo Jhenelle Hill

K Swiss X CoCo & Breezy

Behind the scenes at our shoot with CoCo & Breezy this past Tuesday for K Swiss Entrepreneurs Campaign. Makeup by Jhenelle Hill ( Jhenelle Neon) of Neonfix. A Vayard Media Production. Scroll down for more photos & video footage of the exclusive shoot!!!

The Beginner's Guide To A Makeup Routine !!!

From a healthy distance, makeup can be scary. Not like "Hey, babysitter alone in the house, don't go in the basement" scary. More like Apollo 13scary: Not actually a horror film, but something to avoid if you're wary of that whole outerspace thing. And Tom Hanks almost dies! It's terrifying. Anyway, I really hate movies about space.

Back to makeup—scary for some, like a fish to water for others. But that's why ITG is here, right? To make it easy for all so you can go on with your day. If, up until this very instant, putting together a bare bones makeup routine has eluded to you, stop worrying. It's not hard, and it's not going to take very long. You need maybe five products and no discernable technique to master this challenge. Read about it for the next few mintues, get your hands on some products, and literally never think about it again. Here goes:

Really easy foundation

If you don't already use foundation, now might not be the time to start. There are roughly a bajillion, really good products that will even out your skin tone without excessive blending, stipling, brushing, or anything like that. Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer gets a lot of lip service—and for good reason—but my money is on the L'Oréal Lumi Cushion. So easy, so buildable, so many shades. And very affordable. I'll be shilling for this product until the end of time.

Concealer with a wand

Chances are, this makeup bag we're building together is going to travel around from place to place with you as you live your life. One thing you're not going to want to do is stick your finger in a pot while you're out and about. Germs! Of course, you could solve that by using a brush. Or you could skip a step and go straight for something like Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer which has a lovely little doe foot applicator attached to the cap. The best way to apply is to smear a little from the doe foot onto the natural palette of your hand (that fleshy space on the back between your thumb and pointer finger) and then dab where needed with your fingers. Wash your hands first, of course. But you knew that.

A bronzer that's also a highlighter

Both bronzer and highlighter become less frivolous when you combine them. But nobody, nobody, does better than Bobbi Brown's Shimmer Brick in Bronze or Beige. The one downside is that it's a powder compact—so you'll need to add a brush. I'd suggest some sort of collapsible kabuki brush because it stays hygenic with its own little enclosure. Alternatively, take the brushless route and pick something like Glossier Haloscope in Topaz or Nars The Multiple in Napali Coast.

One color for cheeks and lips

This could be your typical RMS Lip2Cheek-type product, or just a lipstick that you like for both parts of your face. I've found that the Rituel de Fille Forbidden Lipsticks are the best when mixed with a little lip balm. Mix it up and make it more of a stain for casual days, then transition into more of a true lipstick look if you're looking to make that statement. Or alternate every day for the hell of it. Or just pinch your cheeks and drink a glass of wine. It's 2017 and you have options.

Brows!

Yes, I work at Glossier so there's obviously a little implicit bias here, but Boy Brow is the only thing I use on my brows, and the only thing I recommend to people who are trying to build out their makeup routine. After three years, I still don't know how to properly fill in my brows with pencil or shadow. So get you a product that does it for you—fills, fluffs, holds. Or pick something else entirely! But know that brows are non-negotiable.

As for liner and mascara (I almost never do liner; I almost always do mascara), that's up to you. Depends on the kind of day you're having and the kind of look you're going for, but I don't think they're as non-negotiable as the rest. I'll just say this: Lancôme has some pretty baller liners—of both the pencil and liquid persuasion—and Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara is the most versatile formula and brush I've ever come across. Do what you will with that information and let me know how it goes.

—Jhenelle Neon

HOW TO PULL OFF GLOSSY EYELIDS & DEWY SKIN THIS SPRING!

Beauty tutorials are big on YouTube — a search for “makeup tutorial” and “hair tutorial” yields more than 5 million videos. In this weekly series, we put a mix of popular and under-the-radar tutorials to the test and show you what’s best.

The no-makeup makeup look has been dominating runways and fashion editorials for the past couple seasons now (and the dominant lazy part of me doesn't mind one bit), but there are situations that call for a little somethingto spruce up your look. While bold, dark lips are the hands-down easiest way to liven up a bare face, there's another easy trick to try that's perfect for spring: glossy eyelids. The key is creating a soft, dewy and seasonally appropriate shine that meshes with a fresh complexion — and doesn't make you look like you just stepped out of a wacky fashion editorial or music video. 

Backed by an electro-lounge-y soundtrack that evokes a W Hotel lobby or swanky spa reception area, this wordless and fairly straightforward video by easyNeon begins with a crucial step-by-step tutorial on how to fake a flawless makeup-free face. Then, after minimally defining the eyes (Eyeko mascara and a few individual lashes) and a layer of gothy, near-black lipgloss — the model has really steady hands, no liner! — the eye gloss happens. The model opts for a simple smooth balm — Lucas Papaw ointment in this case, but Vaseline would work, too — and dabs it on her eyelids with a finger.

The main lesson learned here? To pull off a spring-ready glossy eyelid, you first need to create a perfect, immaculate, no-makeup-looking foundation, which, ironically, requires quite a lil effort and a fair amount of beauty products. Check out the full list below, per easyNeon:

-Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation
-Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Moonstone
-Makeup Atelier Concealer
-Clarins Instant Concealer
-Chantecaille Talc free loose powder
-Kevin Aucoin Sculpting Powder
-Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector pressed in Moonstone
-Eyeko mascara
-Ardell individual false lashes (long and medium)
-Lucas Papaw ointment (for the glossy effect)
-Anastasia Beverly Hills liquid lipstick in Potion

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