Sunday, February 17, 2013

Go Blow Pro For Big Full-Blown Hair

Go BIG or go HOME!!

And we're talking about hair in this case. As you know, we are always on the hunt for styling products that do the job.

Here's one by Blow Pro. It's called Ready Set Blow Express Blow Dry Lotion (reg. $21, we found for $13.99, at PandoraBeauty).

Just add to towel-dried locks  and blow-dry section by section. And then get ready!! BIG HAIR ALERT!

Ready Set Blow contains wheat protein for lots of healthy moisture + shine.
and Panthenol for awesome texture + strength.

Shoppers at ULTA adore this Blow Pro product. You can read 50 reviews here. Ulta consumers gave it a 4.1 rating out of 5.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Copy Katie Holmes' Casual Chic With The Cropped Jacket Trend

Cropped jackets/blazers are a HOT trend at the moment, and actress Katie Holmes is showing us all how to get the look!
 
We love how Katie paired a cute blue cropped jacket with a long, ivory silk top and black pants. She recently wore this casual chic style to a Broadway show.
 
And we are giving Katie a standing ovation for this one!
 
You can copy Katie's effortless sophistication with a cropped blazer in blue. This pretty blue blazer comes from DorothyPerkins. It features 3/4 sleeves with cute pockets and great shoulder detailing ($55).
 
 

We also  found this lovely blue one online at Charlotte Russe.

It is a Zippered Pocket Crop Blazer on SALE right now for $25, originally retailing for $39.99. It's a lightweight jacket made of poly/rayon/spandex with 3//4 ruched sleeves.

A great deal!

Friday, February 15, 2013

Beauty Tip By Jennifer Lawrence: Epsom Salts Before Red Carpet

Gotta love actress Jennifer Lawrence. She's certainly not shy about speaking her mind. And this time, the pretty star is sharing her beauty tip for looking super slender on the red carpet. It's a cheap, quick fix that can help anyone squeeeze into a tight-fitting dress before an important event:

Epsom salts.

It gets rid of the bloat in an instant. Okay, so it's only temporary, but still a good beauty tip. Plus, it's so inexpensive. We found a 4 lb. carton at CVS for just $4.59!
No, Jennifer Lawrence doesn't look like she needs to drop any lbs., but she swears by a hot bath in Epsom salts.
 
Her personal trainer,  Dalton Wong,  actually gave her the beauty tip:
 
"Epsom Salts help to get rid of any bloating in the body before slipping into a red carpet dress," he says. "It’s a great trick that anyone can use if they’re working up to wearing a particularly clingy dress."
 
Hmmm. We never knew that, but the bath salts DO make sense. Epsom salts contain magnesium sulfate which helps detox and release trapped fats. But it's basically water weight that you're losing. Still, a lot of athletes who are in competition trying to get down a few pounds before the weigh-in , often take Epsom salt baths.
The other big plus we found in researching this instant weight loss technique is the effect it has on dimpled fat.

Bathing in Epsom salts reduces the appearance of cellulite by possibly stimulating the lymphatic system to  encourage toxin release.

Next time you're trying to squeeze into a curve-fitting ensemble, try a 10 minute Epsom salts bath. You have nothing to lose but a few unwanted pounds for the night.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Perfect Red Pucker Steal For Valentine's Day--99 Cents!

Happy Valentine's Day, ladies!!

If you're  ready to pucker up, and hopefully do it on the cheap, we've got the beauty steal for you!!

Best thing......It will only cost you 99 cents! That's right. Just UNDER a buck!

We're going drugstore for the prettiest red pout in town !

New York Color N.Y.C. Ultra Moist Lip wear Lipstick in Sheer Red (.99, at drugstores everywhere).

(Wish these were our lips). This photo comes as a courtesy from lipsticksblushesandmascaraohmy.

Your neighborhhood RiteAid for instance, has it. And RiteAidonline sells it, but it's currently OUT of STOCK online, because it's so darn popular.

N.Y.C. Ultra Moist Lip Wear in Sheer Red is a softer, not as bold a red. It's quite wearable for all skin tones. It's sheer, but also 'buildable.'. So if you want to make it a bit stronger, keep layering it on.

Check out Makeup Alley's 136 reviews of  NYC's Sheer Red and see for yourself. It's rated 4.5 stars out of 5 stars.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Daily Exfoliation: Key During Long, Cold, Dry Winter Days

We know women who don't bother exfoliating. They simply wash their face with a mild cleanser, and that's that. But getting rid of dead skin cells is essential if you want smooth, healthy, young-looking skin.

It shouldn't hurt to be pretty, but sometimes it does. In other words, you have to get in there and use a little elbow grease,  as the saying goes.

That's why buying a facial cleansing sponge can make a difference in your complexion, especially during those cold, dry winter days.

We've all heard of the Buf Puf. We've been using one for years, and we LOVE it. The first time you use one, you would know. It leaves the face and neck feeling smooth, clean and tingly. If you overdo the mild scrubbing, well, you will feel that, too. Your skin can become irritated and raw. So, slow + steady wins the race.

By the way, you don't have to use only the classic BufPuf. We found some cheap + effective substitutes from Walgreens. 2 for $4.49.

Daily exfoliation will deliver excellent results. No, it won't result in a facelift, but a little scrubbing will take away the dull, pale complexion and give you back healthy, glowing skin with a softer, smoother texture.

When you scrub away the dead skin layers, your dermis can breathe better, sebum + grime get released from clogged pores, and your skin receives improved hydration.

Winter does a number on our complexions both inside + outside. Dry, stuffy, cold air, and hot air with radiators and the like, leave the skin thirsting for moisture.

A bit of buffing + puffing can only serve you well.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Julianne Hough's Too Dark brows With Light Hair: A Do Or Don't

The perfect brows.

Do they exist?

Well, on some women, yes. We think Elizabeth Taylor probably had one of the best sets of brows, and of course, Hollywood makeup artists probably tweaked them even a tiny bit more.

When it comes to blonde hair and eyebrow color, well, that's a tough one.

Marilyn Monroe wore dark brows  with platinum hair and ALWAYS looked glam + sexy. And Gwen Stefani has also pulled off this strong look with modern elegance.

Then why do Julianne Hough's brows bother us?

Here's a stunning young woman who has resorted to painting on really bold brows as of late, and we don't understand why her makeup artist is doing that.


Maybe her brows are so light that she needs beauty definition? It just seems that Julianne's brows enter a room before she actually does.

So, when you have light hair, do the brows have to match your light hair?

Not always, as some makeup artists would advise. Beauty rules CAN be broken:

Brows can be left alone for their natural shade.
Brows can go darker than the blonde hair color.
Brows can match the blonde hair color.

Gwyneth Paltrow's signature look features matching brows + hair:


One of the hottest 'it' models on the runway at the moment is Cara Delvigne. The British beauty is known for her super bold brows and blonde locks.



And then there's singer Rita Ora who loves playing around with made-up dark brows against her glam fab platinum do.

Some women bleach their too dark brows lighter to complement their new lighter locks And then a lot of gals pencil, powder, tint or paint on their brows to add definition  to their blonde hair.

Too Faced sells a great brow kit that includes both blonde + brunette pencils and a shaping kit to design the perfect pair for you.

Meantime, we are always trying to grow thicker brows. It's one of the big beauty challenges for us.

If you've got thick, full brows, good for you! That's half the battle.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Not Exactly Princess Leia But NY Fashion Week Launches New Hairstyle!

Okay, this ain't your Nana's 1920's finger wave hairdo!

Look at what just floated down the runway at the Kimberly Ovitz Fall 2013 Collection!

Whoa! a corseted ponytail! A very edgy, modern take on the 1920s wave.

Ladies....Would you do this 'do?'

 
 
 
The look was created by Aveda global director Antoinette Benders, who had a definite idea in mind:

"I wanted to create a look that complemented the clothes -- like a shield of armor or an armadillo’s shell. The texture is smooth and finish is shiny, but there is a veil of protection. Think of a 1920s wave in a futuristic interpretation, just touched with danger," Antoinette told HuffPost.
Do you like the Corseted ponytail with its snakelike pattern and bondage effect?

Let's not take away from Kimberly Ovitz' designs.  Her collection was both elegant and sharp around-the-edges.

Take a look at the collection here.