Beauty Stuff That Drives Me Bonkers

There are certain things that are guaranteed to irk me, and I’m in a ranting kind of mood. Read my list of beauty pet peeves, then tell us yours—because sometimes you just have to vent!

#1 D.I.Y. mani-pedis gone awry
Tiny bubbles! Streaks! Gloppiness! Three little reminders that sometimes it’s worth it to pay a pro to get the job done right.
#2 Women doing full-on makeup application on the subway
I can let a quick swipe of lipstick slide, but when I see someone putting on concealer, three different eye shadows, mascara—the works—it really gets under my skin. Call me old fashioned, but men don’t need to know what we ladies really do to look prettier. Let’s keep some of our beauty rituals to ourselves, Ok?
#3 Clipping of fingernails or plucking of eyebrows in public
This is kind of like number two, only grosser. Removal of hair and nails out in the open is just wrong.
#4 Fragrance spritzers at department stores
I know, I know, they’re just doing their jobs. But on a busy sale day they’re in my way when I just want to get to the shoes. Not to mention I don’t want to be stuck wearing a scent that reeks on my skin all day.
#5 Rainy weather on the day of my hair appointment
How does Mother Nature always seem to know when I have a blowout scheduled? And why does she hate me?
#6 Clumpy mascara
It’s frustrating when I get all excited to try a new mascara, only to find that the stuff gives me tarantula lashes. Bummer.
#7 Running out of shampoo before I finish the conditioner
I can’t bring myself to use a mismatched set, so I’ll either dump what’s left of the conditioner into a travel bottle or use it to shave my legs.
#8 Foundation “mask”
It’s that noticeable outline some women get when they’re wearing a makeup shade that doesn’t match their skin tone. If I were their friend, I would gently suggest checking the color in natural light. Instead, I cringe in silence.
#9 Accidentally messing up a nail as I’m walking out of the salon
This is probably more annoying to the manicurist, but it does require sitting under the dryer again for one freakin’ nail.
#10 Pimples
Need I say more?

Shampoo, Shampoo Everywhere

Amber Gates admits to feeling a little stressed when she finds herself in the shampoo aisle at her local drugstore in Ada, Okla. "What's confusing is that the price can be so different while the ingredients are so similar, says the 28-year-old finance administrator for a car dealer. "I decided on the type of car I wanted to buy faster than I can pick a bottle of shampoo."

Price alone won't lead you to your shampoo soul mate: A Consumer Reports study of 1,700 ponytail samples that had been washed with a range of products found that none of the expensive brands produced better results than drugstore options. Only trial and error can truly lead you to the right formula. "Whether it's $2 or $20, you just have to try it to see if a shampoo will work for you, says Ni'Kita Wilson, a cosmetic chemist for Cosmetech Laboratories in New Jersey.
But understanding shampoo-speak can help you stop pouring money down the drain. Here's a guide to the ingredients you'll find on the bottle:
Surfactants: alkyl monoglyceride, alkyl sulfosuccinate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, cocamidopropyl, cocamide DEA or MEA or TEA, cocamidopropyl betaine, distearyldimonium chloride, lauramide DEA, olealkonium chloride, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium lauryl ether sulfate, tetrasodium EDTA
These are the cleaning power in shampoos. Often derived from coconut oil, palm kernel oil, or soybean oil, these cleansers lift the dirt, styling products, and scalp flakes that tend to stick to the sebum your scalp produces. Their unique molecular structure allows surfactants to surround oily substances so they can be rinsed away by water, Wilson explains.
Conditioners and moisturizers: amine oxide, citric acid, fatty alcohols (cetyl, oleyl, or stearyl alcohol), glycerin, isopropyl palmitate, lanolin, panthenol, polyquaternium, silicones, sodium dihydroxide, stearalkonium chloride
If surfactants are the workhorses, conditioners are the show ponies. These agents stay behind on strands. Some flatten the hair cuticle so hair feels smoother. Others deposit a lightweight coating for a silky texture, which aids in detangling.
Preservatives: DMDM hydantoin, guar, imidazolidinyl urea, iodopropynyl, isothiazolinone, sodium benzoate
"You need preservatives unless you want your shampoo to eventually walk out of the bathroom on its own, Wilson says. Many ingredients in the bottle are organic and can grow mold, fungus, yeast, and bacteria.
Other shampoo ingredients: alpha hydroxy acids, antioxidants, natural oils, proteins, vitamins
Hair is a dead fiber, so ingredients that work on skin won't have any prolonged benefit to your strands, Wilson says. Proteins will act as effective conditioners, but the benefits only last till your next shampoo -- they won't repair or restore hair.

What's the Best Shampoo for You?

Want to know the shampoo that will work best for your hair type? Here's what to look for on the label.
Oily hair: Astringents like tea tree oil, citrus oil, rosemary, sage, stinging nettle, and chamomile will help soak up oil in the follicle. Clear shampoos are often a better choice because they contain fewer conditioners that can leave a greasy residue.
Fine hair: Look for panthenol and other volumizing ingredients that help swell the hair shaft and proteins that adhere to individual strands to make them thicker.
Dry hair: The thick, opaque formulas are usually higher in rich moisturizers including nut oils, shea butter, and wheat germ oil that are especially good at bonding to parched strands.