Posts Tagged ‘Hair’

Romantic Hair and Makeup Looks for Valentine’s Day

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Valentine’s Day is our day ladies. A day that we get pampered and showered with surprises, flowers and gifts from our significant other, family or friends. Most importantly, some of us have hot dates to attend and want to look like the sexy goddess that you are. Spring trends are here, and now’s the time to test drive what hair styles and makeup will make him salivate. Whether it’s a night of seduction or a night out on the town with a new fling, we’ve got a valentine beauty guide just for you.

Hair styles that look easy and natural are the way to go with men. If it looks like you’ve spent 4 hours curling and crimping your hair, chances are that he’s not going to like it. Playing up your current hairstyle is a cheap and easy way to get what you want. The key thing to think about is; you want it to be touchable and soft. Over working your hair is a no-no so don’t over-think it! Hair styles to consider this Valentine’s Day are:

Playful hair

Source: Flickr user Albert Brendenhann

Short hair styles: If you’ve got the pixie cut, smooth and sleek is the way to go. Blow dry your hair and use a smoothing serum to get the perfect look that exudes confidence.

Shoulder length hair: Soft waves are a sexy trend this spring. Use a medium barrel curling iron to create soft waves from the crown to the ends. You can use a light hair spray for hold, but beware; using too much hair spray will make it crispy. Another great style is the blowout that will blow his mind. If you’ve got layers in your hair, use a round brush to add volume, or hot-rollers to create voluptuous locks that he won’t be able to stay away from.

Long hair styles: You can go two ways with your long locks, sleek and straight or long, heavenly waves. For the straight look, channel your inner Reese Witherspoon, blow dry with a flat brush and use a smoothing serum to tame frizz. Tousled waves require a medium barrel curling iron with a touch of spray. I’ve found that blow drying your hair before trying to get waves; can sometimes make your hair go flat, so air drying your hair can help create natural curl. A great reference for long gorgeous waves is Marisa Miller (who nailed the tousled waves look at the Super Bowl this year), Rachel Bilson or Gisele Bunchen.

Men generally, don’t like a face that has been caked on so accenting your facial features is the best way to go. My beauty advice is to pick one part of your face, like your eyes, lips or cheeks, and sex them up. To get more bang for your buck a lip and cheek stain is a great beauty buy. Tarte has a genius stain that you may use for either your cheeks to make your cheeks delicious or for your lips for that “come-hither” look. Either way, you can use this product over and over again to achieve different looks as a multi-functioning cosmetic. I recommend this in Cloud 9 or Tickled by Tarte for a flirtatious look. I also love Benefit’s Benetint or Lorac’s Sheer Wash lip & cheek tint for a dark, erotic look. If you’re playing up your eyes a risqué smokey eye is best. Bronze eyeliner is a hot trend for spring that can pair well with a romantic smokey look. If you’re playing up your lips, there’s nothing better than an alluring red for Valentine’s day. Duwop’s Pure Venom in Pure Berry do the trick and exude style and sultry to drive your man wild.

Remember ladies, it’s your time to spice it up and shine, so take a little extra in your busy schedule to prepare. After all, getting roses and chocolates has never looked sexier with that pout.

Sexy Lips

Source: Flickr User Sifone

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Things to Consider Before Chopping Your Locks

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010
New Hair Style

Flickr.com user Frankly Richmond

Have you been dying to try a new hairstyle lately, and trying to decide whether or not to cut your hair? Many of us go through a constant cycle of growing our hair out, then the moment it is long, chopping it off, and immediately regretting it, and vowing to grow it again. This is a vicious cycle I am all too familiar with. My whole life, the grass has always been greener when it comes to my hair length, and I am always certain that THIS time it will be different, the hair cut WILL solve all my problems. Sadly, though, about a week after the initial snipping, when the novelty of a new cute hairstyle has worn off, I am usually devastated and confused at why I ever thought my long hair needed to be hacked off.  So, if you are thinking about taking the shears to your locks, here are some things to consider first:

1.)    The most important thing to consider before you cut your hair is that your expectations are realistic. If you are cutting out pictures of celebrities’ hot new bobs, which are smooth and straight, and you have thin, kinky hair, don’t expect a hair cut to change the texture of your hair.

2.)    Another important thing to think about is how much maintenance you really want to deal with daily. A common misconception about short hair is that it is easier to manage. I find this to be a complete myth. In my experience most short hair cuts HAVE to be blow-dried in order to look good, longer hair can get away with air drying, as it looks beachy and on purpose.

3.)    The last tip I would give, is calculate how long it will take for your hair to get back to the length it is at now. Hair grows at  a rate of ½ an inch per month, so if you are cutting off 12 inches, be aware that you will have at least 2 years to wait before it is at its current length again.

After you have taken all these things into consideration, cut out a few photos of your dream hair and bring them with you to your stylist. Let her be the judge of whether it is a realistic style for you, and let her work her magic. A new hair cut can be a great way to turn over a new leaf in life, and give you the confidence you need to feel great. Follow these guidelines, and hopefully you will love not loathe your new do.

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The Hair Dryer Chronicles – The Benefits of a Good Hair Dryer

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

Let’s face it; my hair has definitely gone through A LOT and it’s taken some tender, love and serious hair care to keep it from frying off my head. I’m currently bleach-blonde and I have been for a long time. I’ve even gone from light to dark back to blonde in less than 8 months and my head hates me for it. The good thing is that my hair doesn’t look like straw and it’s taken a lot to keep it healthy through all of the tough times I’ve put it through. Good hair care and using the right hair products in my beauty routine is to thank for that. Another thing that makes a huge difference in how healthy my hair remains after styling is my hair dryer. It may not seem like it makes a difference but it makes a tremendous one. Think about how much pain and torture you put your hair through. You’re putting serious ammonia and chemicals on your hair when you dye it, frying it with heat, breaking it with brushing and styling. If your hair could scream at you, I’m sure it would every day. The better you treat your hair when styling, the better your hair is going to look and feel.  Think about it, when your hair looks good, you’re on top of the world, so why not pamper it?

Years ago, when the whole ionic drying fad was new, I was ecstatic to jump on it. I purchased an ionic dryer and was impressed with the results. I switched from a traditional one after doing some research. Traditional hair dryers use positive ions when they dry hair that ends up exposing the hair to more heat damage as well as opens up the cuticle, which can cause excess frizzing. An ionic hair dryer is different because it uses negative ions to nourish the hair. These ions speed up the drying process because they break down water molecules, (which means less heat damage) and also tightens up the hair cuticle resulting in less frizz after drying. Most salons prefer to use ionic hair dryers to reduce damage after processing. Even though they may cost more, they last longer and help the condition of your hair. These benefits to me are priceless.

One hair dryer that I have recently stumbled upon and am having an affair with is The Featherweight by T3. I can seriously tell you all that I’m completely IN LOVE (and want kids) with this dryer and am never turning back. Or at least until something new and amazing comes along. This hair dryer is light weight, tourmaline-infused, and my favorite part is that its packaging and performance is just as attractive as its description. It utilizes an infrared heat technique and dries hair 60% faster than most hair dryers. It also uses negative ions with parts made from tourmaline gemstones that fortify, nourish and moisturize your hair. This leaves your locks shinier, smoother, and silkier. I don’t think I’ve ever had more complements on my hair as after using The Featherweight. I no longer need as much product after shampooing and the best part is I don’t need to use any flat irons or curlers. This dryer from heaven does it all for me and in a fraction of the time.

If you want to cut back your styling time and save your damaged hair as well, I highly recommend investing in a really good hair dryer. Your head will be thanking you, I know mine does. After all, who wants to look like they have troll hair?

Bad hair day

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