Dinner with Frederick Fekkai

I had the opportunity to attend a dinner with the Frederick Fekkai a few weeks ago (on March 3rd, before the Coronavirus had really impacted things for us here in Chicago), and I left feeling all sorts of inspired and had planned on sharing this post later that week. But that was the week of the false alarm with the move, and then everything with the quarantine started happening the following week. But now that I’ve got plenty of time at home to comb through my “drafts” folder, here we are. 🙃 But just as a reminder — most of this was written before life turned upside down.

Leaving an event inspired? Groundbreaking, I know. 😜 I realize that sounds BEYOND cliché, but hear me out… Sure, it could have been in part because I hadn’t really gone to a fancier work dinner in a while (funny how brands don’t come to Chicago in the winter, haha!) and it felt refreshing to network and catch up with blogger friends in a gorgeous setting. (The Dalcy is stunning! It’s next to Aba if that gives you any idea.)

I always appreciate sit-down dinners versus a stop-by event because you actually get to hear directly from the brand, and in this case, the man who started it all. Maybe it’s because I genuinely love getting to know people’s stories, but I always leave these types of dinners with a newfound fervor for the brand, people, places, products, etc. Which is exactly why you’re getting this post today…

No, this blog post is in no way sponsored or even expected of me for attending the event, but I found myself jotting down some notes while Mr. Fekkai was speaking before and after dinner. I’ve since used some of his tips, and thought again about things he mentioned, so I figured it was worth sharing with you, too.

First and foremost, the dinner was held to celebrate the re-launch of the Fekkai brand. Mr. Fekkai sold the brand to P&G years ago, but recently bought it back (with the help of investors) to go in a different direction. Before we even get into why, I found that piece fascinating in and of itself. My main takeaway was that it’s okay to take a break sometimes, and a lot of the time it results in coming back better than before! 

Editor’s Note: What’s crazy about that line in bold, was that I wrote it on March 5th, well before our worlds seemingly stopped spinning. But how interesting to apply that philosophy to what’s going on right now! ❤️

Not only did Fekkai relaunch their brand with brand new packaging that sleek AF, but they simultaneously reformulated everything to be better for us and better for the planet.

Not only are the ingredients CLEAN, but the bottles are made from 95% recycled materials! (The other 5% is from the color of the bottles, so they weren’t an ugly color.) However, every bottle and piece of product packaging is 100% recyclable!

I know the term “clean” gets thrown around a lot, but in this case it means no silicones, no parabens, no pthalates, and no sulfates. And they’re formulated using vegan and cruelty-free practices.

Mr. Fekkai mentioned that he and his wife are both vegan and very passionate about environmentally conscious practices, and in his time away from the brand, he had a vision to create the first hair care collection to deliver salon-level results with environmentally friendly packaging and the best plant-derived ingredients.

While I haven’t tried the entire collection, I’ve been using the Brilliant Gloss Shampoo & Conditioner for the last few weeks and have been impressed so far! Granted, it’s only been a handful of washes because #quarantine, but I can tell it’s a high-quality product that stands up to other salon-level shampoos and conditioners.

I know I’ve mentioned it on Instagram, but the old formula/packaging of the Fekkai Full-Blown Volume Spray has been my FAVORITE volume spray since I got it last August, so I’m excited to see how the new formula compares! Now, if only I had somewhere to go to style my hair for…. 😜

So far, I’ve used the Super Strength Mask and the Technician Color Mask twice each, and have liked them both! There’s a Baby Blonde shampoo and air-dry cream that I’m dying to get my hands on, too. But Fekkai is working on more styling products next, so be on the lookout for those!

And for a couple of styling tips that he left us with and I’ll do the same for you…

1. Only condition your hair from the ears down! Never put conditioner near your roots. (Definitely guilty of that one!)

2. Treat your hair almost like you would your skincare routine… It’s best to alternate your shampoos based on what your concerns are! (I always thought I was being high maintenance by doing that, but turns out it’s recommended!)

For this new collection, there’s Color Care, Full Blown Volume, Brilliant Gloss, Super Strength, and Baby Blonde.

Oh, and you can shop them at Target!