Holiday Hairstyles: 10 Celebrity-Inspired 'Dos

Beauty | 21 December 2011

Alright my lovely ladies, ’tis the season to ditch your old gym ponytail and frizzy clippies, because it’s (drumroll, please) . . .

HOLIDAY HAIRDO TIME!

In the spirit of Christmas, New Years, Hanukkah, and whatever else you may be celebrating in these next few weeks, I have compiled a list for you of my top ten favorite fancy celebrity hairstyles.

1. The Sparkly Pin

As you can see here on Emma Stone and Kirsten Dunst, this style works for pretty much any style or cut. You can use an old brooch for a retro feel, or just slip in some inexpensive clippies from the drugstore for some quick sparkle. You can even make your own by hot-gluing some rhinestones to your bobbie pins, and ta-da! Instant bling.

2. Curly with a Part

This style works best for hair that’s at least chin-lenth. On the left, Jessica Alba’s tousled curls have a younger beachy vibe, whereas Stacy Keibler’s hair is a bit more polished, with large barrel curls and height at the front.

3. Braid Parade

Okay, so maybe I’m a bit obsessed with Jennifer Morrison, but she’s just so dang cute! AND, she shows off just how versatile braids can be. If you want to wear your hair down, just braid back the front to add a bit of interest. If you want to wear it up, why not go all out and rock it princess style with crown braids?

4. Fun Bun

My bff in grade school used to give me guff all the time for rockin’ the bun, but it looks like I was just ahead of my time! Reese Witherspoon’s soft and smooth bun on the left is perfect for a really classy affair, while Jessical Biel’s messy one on the right keeps things a little more casual without sacrificing one ounce of style.

5. Side Pony

I love love love Hilary Duff’s leather-wrapped braid/pony/creation. It’s so unexpected, and paired with the bright red lips, effects a totally biker-chic ensemble. Selena Gomez’s luscious locks (drool!) are so shiny and awesome, all she had to do was wrap a strand of hair around the rubberband for instant glam. So jealous.

6. Headband

What could be easier than a headband? Tie hair back in a bun, tease the crown, slip on the band, and you’re done! Olivia Wilde and Charlize Theron prove it’s both simple and lovely.

7. Totally Bangin’

Can Zooey Deschanel do no wrong? Sigh. She has the most epic bangs ever. I want them! And Lea Michelle’s fringe pairs just perfectly with that megawatt smile. If you’ve got ‘em, rock ‘em.

8. French Twist

The classic French twist is timeless, à la Evan Rachel Wood. If you want to, er, add a twist, try starting just above the ear for a wraparound style. (Here’s a great tutorial if you want help making the perfect twist. Her accent is a bit thick, but the end result is adorable.)

9. Messy Updo

Once you’ve invsted in a billion bobby pins, use either your natural wave or curling iron assistance and simply pin back your hair until it stays. Leave a few romantic tendrils around the front like Leighton Meester and Taylor Swift. (Check out this tutorial if you need some assistance.)

10. Go Retro

Vintage and retro are definitely in right now. Try some polished waves with a deep side part, like Ashley Greene, or add some victory rolls like Katy Perry. And, while you’re at it, throw some pink dye in there for good measure.

Now get stylin’! If any of you try these looks, I’d love to see a pic!

(Pics courtesy of elle.com, cosmopolitan.com, dailymakeover.com, and Google images.)

Beauty How-to: What to Do with Broken Eye Shadows

Beauty | 08 December 2011

by Allie Paxton

Don’t you hate it when you drop your favorite eye shadow on the ground and see the pressed powder crumbling once you pick it up? Whenever I had this happen to me I would throw it in my makeup drawer and it would get buried amongst my other forgotten cosmetics. This was a regular occurrence until recently, I found a great way to use your crumbled polish to make awesome nail art. Using your broken eye shadows on your nails creates a matte finish polish that gives your nails a fresh look without breaking the bank.

1. Take the broken shadow and pour a little into a small bowl.

2. Drip about 20 drops of clear polish into the small bowl. If you are feeling creative, you can also add different colors of your choice to create inventive, new color choices.

3. Swirl the mixture together with a toothpick until the polish has evenly mixed with the polish. Add more polish if you need the mixture thinner, add a dash more powder if you need to thicken.

4. Once the mixture is complete quickly polish your nails since the mixture dries quickly.

I love the options of limitless variations with this nail art idea. You can even do this on the ends of your nails or some glitter to give a colorful remix to the classic French manicure.

If you want to fix your eye shadow afterwards, here is an easy way how:

1. Dump the eye shadow into a small bowl and use an eye shadow brush to wipe the container clean.

2. Use the end of the brush and crush the remaining chunks into a fine powder.

3. Pour a teaspoon of rubbing alcohol into the small bowl. Mix well into a paste with a small spoon.

4. Scoop the paste from the small bowl and pour into the original containers. Spread evenly throughout container.

5. Place aside and let sit for about eight hours. After the eye shadow has set, your eye shadow will come back to life once it has dried!

This should keep you all busy for a bit!

xoxo

Naturally Beautiful: 5 Easy Skin Care Tips

Beauty | 02 December 2011

by Allie Paxton

Face it: your skin protects and covers everything inside of your body and should be tended to and cared for. It is easy to care for your skin without the expensive creams and washes you find at every department store. There are many agents that are essential to the well-being of your skin such as proper diet, exfoliation, and constant attention. Also, there are many things that are around the house that you can use to care for your skin.

1. Drink Water

Water is an essential facet in having healthy skin. When you hydrate your body, it is able to release the toxins within, bathing your cells and eliminating waste products.

2. Diet

If you add fruits, veggies, and fiber to your daily diet your skin will be thanking you. One thing to be VERY conscious of is to avoid an excess of sugar intake. Sweets are a leading cause of acne. Don’t fully deprive yourself! I LOVE dark chocolate, but everything needs to be consumed in moderation in order to not see the effects on your skin.

3. Cleanse

It is essential to find a proper cleaner to wash your day away from your face. Avoid bar soaps because they tend to dry out the skin. There is no reason anyone should have to feel that they have to pay over $40 for a proper facial wash. Try any Neutrogena products, they are my absolute fav. Also, be careful not to cleanse too often. I suggest once in the morning and once at night for a sweet and happy glow.

4. Exfoliate

Exfoliation helps to reduce the occurrence of acne and blackheads. If skin cells are not properly exfoliated, your skin does not properly absorb moisture. This makes your skin cells dry out and find trouble breathing, thus causing breakouts. Also, proper skin exfoliation reduces the signs of aging. Exfoliation helps to gently rid your skin of thick and damaged skin cells, making your skin look brighter and replenished.

The best way to exfoliate is to use any over-the counter product that has thick cleaning beads. My favorite is Oil of Olay’s Professional Pro X Exfoliating Renewal. Also, a recipe you can use from products from your kitchen is a wonderful natural way to exfoliate. Here is an amazing recipe my mom has used since the 70′s

Milk and Honey Almond Scrub

*1 tsp of Skin or 2% Milk

*1 tsp of Cream

*2 tsp of Honey

*1/3 Cup of Granulated Sugar

*1 tbs of ground almonds

Simply mix all together. Make sure the mixture isn’t too oily or grainy. This smells so fresh and fabulous and leaves your skin feeling silky smooth!

5. Moisturize

It is absolutely a treat for your skin when you properly moisturize. Moisturizers seal moisture into the skin, preventing it from drying out and getting tough. Do not over-moisturize because this will clog your pores. The main time I moisturize is after I exfoliate since this is when my skin is the most dry. Also, many moisturizers I get contain SPF to protect my skin from the sun’s harmful rays.

Basically, when you are healthy – your skin is healthy. Use your best judgment and reap the benefits of beautiful and healthy skin!

Beauty How-To: Reverse Tips Manicure

Beauty | 28 November 2011

by Allie Paxton

Ladies, it is time to flip things around! The Reverse French Manicure is an awesome trend that I have had my eyes on for quite some time. Recently, I was finally brave enough to try it and I am absolutely enthralled with this amazing nail trend.

What I love most about it is that you can mix and match colors and add a number of variations to keep your nails looking sassy and amazing without over-doing the trend.

What You Need:

*Top Coat

*Base Coat

*Two Different Nail Colors

*Sheet of Computer Paper

Process:

1. Apply a base coat on your nails

2. After base coat has dried, apply a layer of your first polish. Let dry.

3. Tear off an end of the computer paper and use the straight edges as a stencil.

4. Place it near your cuticle with some space reserved for you other polish to show.

5. Paint your other polish on the end of your nail with the paper as your barrier. This provides for a neat and clean divider. I would suggest a dark color to cover the other polish completely on top.

6. Once dry, apply a top coat.

Feel free to use a glitter polish instead of another color to add some variation to your look. You can also choose where you paper divider lies if you wish to have something other than a straight border.

Can you think of any awesome combinations for this nail trend?

The Power of Concealer: Zombie Boy Goes Under Cover with Dermablend

Beauty | 07 November 2011

by Laurie Hartt

I’ve never had much luck with concealer.

Usually it smudges off or is a funky color or makes me look like I have weird discolored patches on my skin.

Suddenly, however, I have a whole new appreciation for the stuff.

Rick Genest, aka Zombie Boy or Rico, is the newest face for Dermablend, the #1 Dermatologist Recommended brand for coverage. For their newest campaign, Dermablend’s makeup artist covered up his famed tattoos to render him almost unrecognizable.

Insane, right? You can’t even tell that this has 80% of his body covered.

Here they are applying the Foundation and Concealer:

And here he is using Dermablend’s Makeup Remover to take it off:

Watch the video below to see how they did it. This is seriously nuts.

Moving his way up from street vagabond to Lady Gaga’s muse, Dermablend’s makeup model, and Thierry Mugler’s runway sensation, Zombie Boy is certainly kicking butt and taking names, dontcha think?