I experienced, not one, but two major revelations in that class on Oribe hairstyling products earlier today at Corte Madera’s Fox + Stone Salon.
The first, how to pronounce the word, “Oribe.”
Oh-ree-bay? Or-rib-bay? Oh-ruh-hibe?
Turns out it’s OR-bay! — she said, her eyes widening to the size of saucers when she heard Northern California Brand Manager Karen Kerr pronounce it.
I swear the clouds parted when I heard it, LOL!
Karen was there at the salon to teach the stylists there about Oribe’s products, and I was invited, along with two other ladies, to be a hair model.
Which brings me to the second revelation I mentioned — that I now know what it feels like to be a puppy at a dog park, because there was a lot of petting going on…and by that I mean that the stylists in the class were instructed to repeatedly touch my hair and that of the other models.
Yup, another one to cross off ye olde bucket list. 🙂 “Have 20 people touch my hair in one day.” Check.
Three Hair Models, Three Hairstyles
There were three separate stations, one for each of the models, among which the stylists would move to play with the products on each person’s hair.
There were three hair themes — Curl Power, Full-Blown Bombshell (which I was desperately hoping to be picked for, not gonna lie) and Big, Bold and Beautiful, which was the theme I was assigned.
Big, Bold and Beautiful
My hair’s job was to sit there and showcase three products from Oribe’s line — their Foundation Mist, Creme for Style and Maximista Thickening Spray.
I use Oribe’s Shampoos and Conditioners at home and have had really good luck with them, so it was interesting to learn more about the products, the best ways to use them and what makes them tick.
Step 1: Wash and Condition
After washing my mop with Oribe’s Shampoo for Brilliance and Shine ($46) and Conditioner for Beautiful Color ($42), they sat me in my chair and went to work.
Step 2: Prep With Foundation Mist
Oribe’s Foundation Mist ($24) works kind of like a makeup primer for your hair. I found out that it’s not really designed for hold, but rather to prepare hair for styling by evening out the texture of every strand from root to end.
My stylist buddy Alis, who works at the salon and invited me today, explained it like this: sometimes hair has natural dips in the strands, which are like potholes. Foundation Mist does something called “evening out the porosity,” which means that it fills in those potholes, turning the strands into one long, smooth road.
With the strands filled in, any styling products layered on top apply more smoothly and evenly, and basically perform better.
On top of that, Foundation Mist also offers UV protection, which is particularly helpful for color-treated hair.
To use it, just spray it all over your hair, from roots to ends, and don’t be afraid to saturate those strands!
Step 3: Condition With Creme for Style
After prepping my hair with Foundation Mist, the stylists worked in Oribe’s Creme for Style ($38), a creamy leave-in conditioner ideal for thick, heavy hair.
Layering is an important part of the Oribe philosophy, and this lightweight cream adds firm, yet flexible, hold and volume, among other things. You can apply it to either wet or dry hair, curly or straight, for shine, separation and body. It’s also great for giving extra oomph and structure to blowouts.
The stylists squeezed a pearl-sized amount into one of their palms and rubbed their hands together to thin and distribute the product, which they then applied from the mid-shaft, all the way to the ends. Whatever was left over, they ran through my hair at the crown of my head.
Creme for Style also conditions hair, and like Foundation Mist, it provides UV protection.
Step 4: Crank Up the Volume With Maxinista Finishing Spray
Next came the blow dryers! Two stylists dried my hair until it was about 80 percent done. Then it was time for the finishing touches with a round brush and the final product for my big, bold and beautiful look, volumizing Maxinista Thickening Spray ($28), which is used to create BIG volume, like the kind you see in big, puffed-out, blow-dried hair.
Not even seasoned snake charmers could tame Tom Ford’s Nail Lacquer in Viper ($32).
There I was, cruising the aisles, looking for a quick fix, when I came across this cool fragrance fountain. 
