Beauty
Head trip
By Adriana Ermter
The first beauty products I ever spent my hard-earned $2-an-hour babysitting money on were Finesse Extra Body Shampoo and Conditioner. I was 13 years old, swimming twice a day for the Calgary Aquabelles. Washing my fine, thin, stick-to-my-scalp blonde hair meant more to me than just getting it clean: I was trying to rinse the chlorine smell out and scrub a little feel-good beauty in. My teammate Michelle used Finesse. She had beautifully thick, naturally wavy, blonde hair. I coveted it – and her shampoo. Finesse made me feel like I had half a chance at being pretty.
In the showers after practice, Michelle would sometimes pass me the blue plastic bottles and I’d pray that the bubbly, blue-ish lather would miraculously transform my sad locks into something better. It never did. But that didn’t stop me from return trips to the drugstore. Brand loyal for five years, it took a former boyfriend (a hairstylist, go figure) to break that particular lather-rinse-repeat routine. I hate to admit it: I haven’t gone back.
As beauty director, my locks now play guinea pig for the caviar-infused, blonde enhancing, dry rub-in, follicle-stimulating wet lines and more, including one peppermint fragranced purple shampoo, chemically crafted specifically for my hair type and whipped up in a top-secret lab. Reality check: there’s still only so much you can do with God-given DNA. A good cut and highlights now saves my day. Curiously though, I still think about Finesse.
And wouldn’t you know it, a package of Extra Body Shampoo and Conditioner, Firm Hold Hairspray and Firm Control Mousse ($3 each, at drugstores) recently landed on my desk. Maybe it’s kismet, maybe not, but one whiff of the soft fresh scent filled my mind with fond memories. I’m not going to jump in a pool or anything (all those chemicals with my highlights? Come on!), although I may send an email Michelle’s way. I am, however, taking the 26-year-old brand of hair care products home with me.
Not that I anticipate a miracle. I simply want a head trip down memory lane. Just don’t expect me to share.
Photography by Angie Martin.
Related Posts
Afternoon beauty fix: How to give legs night-out sheen (after a day in the ...
Afternoon beauty fix: Heal cracked cuticles at home with this spa trick
Afternoon beauty fix: A few scents for sensitive skin
Afternoon beauty fix: Does the order of your skincare routine matter? 
Nail Corner: A Chloé-inspired graphic black and white manicure
Join the discussion
Neither the author nor FASHION Magazine necessarily agrees with the comments posted here. Editors will not correct spelling or grammar. FASHION Magazine reserves the right to edit or delete comments entirely.
Brand New on Fashion
Daily Steal: Stolen Riches laces, $18
Mad Men Recap: In which we talk all too much about Hare Krishna and Don and Joan’s chemistry
Toronto shop notes: V is for Victorinox
Girls Recap: Hannah heads home to Michigan to ditch her parents, date a pharmacist and blame everyone else for her boredom
Daily steal: Striped straw tote, $29
Please help us foster a friendly environment by keeping your posts civil and on-point. We reserve the right to delete comments as we see fit. Posted comments do not reflect the opinions of Fashionmagazine.com. Read our privacy policy for more information. We may contact you.