American Idol Contestant's Drastic Hair Cut: Would You Be So Brave?

Erika Van Pelt, you are one brave chick!

To go from long blond/auburn streaked hair to a super cropped jet-black do, takes a lot of guts. And to debut the new hair cut on live TV in front of millions of American Idol viewers, well, that's evencrazier.

"I knew I wanted to do something drastic with my hair," Erika told People magazine after the show. "I get this sense of liberation when I get my hair cut. It’s a stress reliever for me, to be honest." And new A.I. image consultant, fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger, encouraged the contestant to change up her look.

Another plus for the fab singer: "It’s nice to feel my neck again."

Erika is not afraid of very short hair. "It’s actually been shorter than this before, so I wasn’t scared about that part," she said. "But I was sort of thinking what my fans would think and what would America think."

Talk about a healthy dose of self-confidence. We admire you, Erika Van Pelt.

We think that Erika looks pretty with either hair color and cut. The new jet-black do is quite edgy and sophisticated. It reminds us a lot of Kardashian mama Kris Jenner's cropped cut. Or on the music side, a bit like vintage Pat Benatar.

So, the question begs:

Would you be so brave to show off a totally different hair color and hair length to millions of people?

We already know our answer. We're such a baby. No way. We've been sitting here with our too short Rooney Mara bangs, and we're still freakin' out.

New L'Oreal EverCreme: Gentle Conditioner That Cleanses Like Shampoo

Bravo to the geniuses at L'Oreal for finally developing a very unique hair product!

It's about time someone created a conditioner that also acts like a shampoo that cleanses without stripping your hair's natural oils.

The no-shampoo shampoo is called EverCreme ($6.99, at drugstores and beauty boutiques like Ulta.

Ladies, are you ready to join the low-poo revolution?

Let's face it. Some of us shampoo the heck out of our scalps. And any professional stylist will warn you, that too much shampooing can dry your hair out with the harsh sulfates that are often present as you lather. That in turn, can lead to friction which can cause breakage.

L'Oreal's first-ever Cleansing Conditioner is made up of 1 part cleanser to 3 parts conditioner. It smells like yummy vanilla and it's simple to use:

Apply to wet hair and massage into a low lather. Leave in 1-2 minutes. Rinse. No need to use a separate conditioner.

DWTS' Maria Menounos Stays Slim Doing Cha Cha Cha Along With This

TV personality Maria Menouonos is having a blast on Dancing with the Stars. Last night, the bubbly entertainment reporter teamed up with partner Derek Hough and wowed the audience with the energetic Cha Cha Cha.

Not only were we impressed with Maria's skill on the dance floor, but more amazed with her super fit, toned body.

After watching so many scrawny-looking celebrities on the red carpet, it's refreshing to see a healthy, curvy girl living in Hollywood.

According to Maria Menounos' book, 'The EveryGirl's Guide to Life,' balance is something we all strive for in such a fast-paced way of 24/7.

We find our Greek sister to be down-to-earth with a good head on her shoulders. And we like Maria Menounos because she doesn't pretend to be someone else. The 33-year-old beauty stays fit without a trainer and often does her own hair and makeup for red carpet events.

Of course, dancing is wonderful exercise, and all that Cha Cha Cha-ing will melt away the fat. But diet is also key, and she credits Greek yogurt with keeping her slim and trim:

"I love grabbing a Greek yogurt; it's a convenient, fat-free snack, plus there's 14 to 17 grams of protein in every cup. It's especially great before or after a workout," Maria says.

And she's right----Greek yogurt is all the rage these days. So, we examined an excellent one by Stonyfield Farm, called Oikos.

"Greek yogurt has an incredibly rich and creamy texture, about twice the protein of regular yogurt, less lactose, and fewer carbs. So it’s no wonder Greek is flying off the shelves. Our Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt has 0% fat and just 80 calories per serving.* Because it’s organic, Oikos is also better for the earth. And we think it's better for you too.".

Greek yogurt, is indeed, rich and creamy, a very filling food for those who want a delicious snack that keeps them long and lean.

Celebs Are Into Big Blunt Bangs Trend: Good Or Bad?

Fringe benefits.

We're talking about bangs, of course. It's a look that never really goes out of style, but there are bangs trends, and it appears that we are headed in that direction once again.

Elle magazine is calling blunt bangs, "spring's hottest accessory for long hairstyles."

We've been a blunt bangs lover for years. We recently went to a new salon for a new set of blunt beauties and came back with a big disappointment.

Instead of simple, curved bangs, we ended up with razored, edgy bangs. Yuck! In our defense, we never saw the razor coming.

Our humble advice....Please be blunt about the bangs you want.

Quite a few celebrities have jumped on the blunt bangs bandwagon, including Jessica Biel, Rose Byrne, and Rooney Mara. Check out the photos.

As you can plainly see, no set of blunt bangs is the same. Rose Byrne is sporting a sleek side part with very full bangs. Newly engaged Jessica Biel is showing off thick fringe that curve around those killer cheekbones of hers. And Rooney Mara appears like a modern day Audrey Hepburn with her super short, dark edgy bangs.

The pros of wearing bangs:

1. You look younger.
2. Your eyes look larger.
3. You can cover up forehead wrinkles.
4. Your brows even appear fuller against the fringe.
5. You can increase or decrease the width/length of your face, depending on the shape of your bangs.

The cons of wearing bangs:

1. The maintenance---Bangs start growing out very quickly, within 2-3 weeks.
2. Back and forth trips to the stylist to keep the perfect length.
3. Trying to cut bangs yourself....not always as easy as it looks.

Will you try the big blunt bangs trend this Spring? Is it good or bad?

Steamed Up With Ironing Board Hassles? Try This Quick Fix

Ironing.

It's a tedious fact of life for most of us. We have to descend 2 staircases before we can get to ours.

Maybe there's a better solution. At least when it comes to a few wrinkled garments, a lightweight steamer is the way to go. We never believed our friend who begged us to invest in one, but now we know why.

A little steamer can make your life a whole lot easier. We found an adorable one in Rowenta Ultrasteam Handheld Fabric Steamer. Just $30 at BedBathAndBeyond!

How cute is this little fashion-help-me gadget?!

In about 2 quick minutes, your wrinkled mess can be all ironed out. The Rowenta is a great travel companion with dual voltage capabilities for near and far. Plus, the l'il steamer features push-button activation for a continuous flow of steam.

The Rowenta Ultrasteam Handheld Fabric Steamer can smooth out wrinkles from your favorite white blouse to your expensive cashmere sweater. Every gal should have one sitting in her closet ready to go.

Runway Trend For Spring 2012: New Looped Ponytail

Tres elegant!

That's exactly what we think about the new ponytail for Spring 2012.

If you're all thumbs when it comes to fashioning chignons, high braided buns, and so on, then this chic pony is for you. Not much salon talent required. All you need is a little length, and you're ready to get in on the latest hair trend.

The Carolina Herrera runway showed off these wonderful looped ponytails. Not complicated, but very polished and refined. Nothing teen-bopper about this new ponytail.

Celebrity stylist Orlando Pita tells Harper's Bazaar that the look is "young and fresh."

Orlando pulled the hair into a ponytail at the nape of the neck and tucked the tail under into an elastic. Then he topped off the style with Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray ($21, at Moroccanoil.com) for shine and hold.

Extreme Laser Hair Removal: Would You Zap It All Like Kim K?

Today, we are looking at laser hair removal, because we just caught the April InStyle mag article about reality star Kim Kardashian. And the whole idea intrigues us.

Kim K was asked this:

InStyle: "Is it true you lasered your entire body, including your hairline?"

Kim K: "Yes! I'm Armenian-we're hairy. I had, like, 2 inches of baby hair around my hairline. It was out of control. When I slicked my hair into a ponytail, I'd have so much hair on the back of my neck."

We can sort of relate. We have er, hairy arms.

Okay, we said it. And we, too, are Mediterranean. We are of Greek heritage. And no, we have not lasered our arm hairs, but--maybe that's not a bad idea. At the moment, we bleach our arm hairs with Jolen. Kim Kardashian uses the at-home Tria Hair Removal Laser ($395) to "touch up legs and arms," when she can't get in for a laser session, she tells InStyle.

We also want to add, that the striking beauty is being sued by the Tria Beauty company, Radiancy, for making some alleged misleading statements. See, Kim K has been a Tria spokesperson. And a few months ago, she was reportedly sending the wrong message:

Radiancy claimed although TRIA has stated its hair remover gadget is unsafe for the face, head, ears, neck, nipples, genitals or anus, Kim K allegedly said on national television, that she's using TRIA on her entire body.

Meantime....laser hair removal can do some wonderful things in just a few laser sessions at the doctor's office. One of these is a smooth, well-groomed hairline. Kim Kardashian claims she used to wax her forehead up until about 2 years ago. In 2010, she was showing off a higher, more polished new hairline. Check out the before photo 2007 and the after photo 2012(with braided bun).

Laser hair removal is safe and effective. Most people need an average of 4-6 treatments, at about 4-8 week intervals. The hair removal is permanent.

Some critics have been saying that Kim K DID have a little laser hair removal, but that she ALSO probably had a brow lift, because the forehead is considerably 'higher.'

Not sure about that. We're not even going there. We do think Kim's hairline looks pretty and polished.