Doesn’t Ms. Whitney Port have some hella cute hair? I totally dig that twisty style she wears a lot on The City.
Here’s how I get all twisted up (click for the video).
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Hair
GHD Thermal Protector Spray Beats the Styling Heat
I’ve been flat ironing my wavy hair a lot since the Sedu Revolution (aka The Miracle Worker) entered my life, but all that hot styling can lead to split ends, blech!
What’s a girl to do?
Right now I’m using GHD Thermal Protector for Dry, Coarse Hair ($25). It’s a spray-on liquid styler designed to moisturize hair and protect it from heat damage. I spritz it on dry hair before flat ironing and then run the Sedu iron from root to tip.
It smells wonderful (like rose and sandlewood), enhances shine and even makes a difference in how my hair reacts to humidity.
If I’ve flat ironed and it begins to rain, my waves spring back — unless I’ve used Thermal Protector. This stuff keeps my hair stick straight, making it lay flatter and look straighter than the Sedu alone, no matter what the weather’s like.
I haven’t noticed any new split ends or broken pieces of crispy hair in the month I’ve been using Thermal Protector, and I sure hope it stays that way. I’ll keep you posted. 🙂
GHD Thermal Protector for Dry, Coarse Hair
Price: $25 for a 5.1 fl-oz spray bottle
Use: A moisturizing styling spray to fight frizz and protect hair from heat damage
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A
One more thing — if you’re interested, GHD makes a couple more formulas, one for Normal to Fine Hair and another for Weak and Damaged hair ($25 each).
MAC attack!
11 Winter Beauty Tips
1. Try a creamy facial cleanser
Cleansers strip away moisture as part of the job of removing makeup, and dry winter air tends to magnify the problem. Gel cleansers can be very drying, but creamy ones like Dove deep moisture creamy facial cleanser and Neutrogena deep clean cream cleanser should help.
2. Mask the problem
Use a moisturizing facial mask to replenish moisture lost throughout the day.
3. Look for a humidifier
If your skin feels dry and tight even when you’re inside your home, there may not be enough moisture in the air for you. Scan the sale pages for a portable humidifier. Make a note to yourself to clean the filter regularly (if they get yucky they breed bacteria).
4. Turn down the heater
It’s a beauty catch 22, but overheating a cold home will worsen dry skin problems, so experiment with different settings on your heater to find the right temperature for both you and your skin.
5. Any device that heats your environment will also steal your moisture
Even electric blankets. If dry skin is driving you crazy, throw another comforter on the bed, and see how you feel after you’ve left the electric blanket unplugged for a couple nights.
6. Moisturize in the shower
Moisturize throughout the day, but try using body lotion even before you’ve left the shower, right after rinsing soap or body wash. It will help lock in some extra moisture. Rinse off and pat dry.
7. Watch the shower temp
Hot showers feel great in winter, but they wreak havoc on dry skin. Try a lukewarm shower instead, then pat your skin dry with a towel. Apply moisturizer (again) as soon as you step out of the shower.
8. Use alcohol responsibly
Avoid skin products and hairstyling products high in alcohol. When alcohol evaporates it feels cool and refreshing, but it’s also stripping away moisture, so look for alcohol-free products when the air is already dry.
9. Don’t blow it
If you’re already dealing with dry, brittle hair, resist the urge to reach for the hair dryer. It’ll only make things worse. Dry and style your hair with a towel, and if you still use a dryer, time yourself and try to use it a little less.
10. Moisturize meh!
Moisturize throughout the day and don’t forget to drink extra water when it’s cold and windy. Your hands, feet, knees and elbows may need a little more help, too. I like rich products containing shea butter, petrolatum, mineral oil, tea tree oil, linoleic acid or glycerin. For intense relief, moisturize hands and feet at night, and then slip on gloves or socks to lock in moisture.
11. Pucker up
Chapped lips can be a big problem in winter. The air dries out my lips, which makes me lick them, which makes them chap even worse! Use a lip balm with at least SPF 15 and preferably one with antiseptic agents to aid in healing. Some lip balm products are made with tea tree oil, which helps heal painful cracks. I also like lip balms with phenol, beeswax, aloe, vitamin E and essential oils. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
How Do You Keep Your Salon Style?
Happy Thursday, gals! I’ve been thinking about doing something new with my hair for a while (still can’t decide), but I wanted to ask…
How do you keep your salon style?
What tricks do you use to keep your hair looking like you just stepped out of the salon? Do you ever take notes while your hair is getting styled? I’m totally guilty of that one, LOL!
Here’s a video with some of the things I do to get the most out of my trips to the salon.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Gabrielle Union: Her Best Hair?
Ever since a minor part in 1999’s She’s All That (and before that appearances in some TV shows), Gabrielle Monique Union’s star has steadily climbed. She now has 26 films to her credit, including one of my favorite popcorn flicks, Bring It On, where she played bad ass cheerleader Isis opposite Kirstin Dunst.
Here are some of the hairstyles Gabrielle has worn over the years.
Loading ...“Bring it.”
“Oh, it’s already been brought’in”
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. I got an e-mail this morning from Stila saying that they’ve got the Barbie Decades of Beauty Cans available for purchase right now! Hurry over and get your Foxy on! 😉
3 Easy Steps to Loose Waves
Left to its own devices, my naturally wavy hair turns into a big, frizzy mess.
I may not have Jennifer Aniston’s enviable loose waves, but I can almost fake ’em with the help of a few products — Sexy Hair Organics Styling Creme ($20), Bumble and Bumble Brilliantine ($20) and L’oreal Elnett Hairspray ($15).
Used together, they do a great job loosening naturally wavy hair.
1. Apply Sexy Hair Organics Styling Creme to damp, towel dried hair
It loosens my waves and eliminates frizz without killing the bounce. It’s neither crunchy nor sticky and moisturizes, too — a big plus for dry hair!
After washing and drying with a towel, I coat my hair with the creme from the roots to the ends, and then run through it with a a wide-toothed comb. The comb distributes the creme and starts loosening the waves.
2. Add definition with Bumble and Bumble Brilliantine
Bumble and Bumble Brilliantine works and smells great (like freesia). It’s a thick styling lotion that adds shine, smooths away frizz and creates touchable, malleable chunks of hair.
Choose a few pieces of hair around the bangs that you want to stand out. Dab a tiny bit of Brilliantine on your pointer finger (a little goes a long way). Then, pinch a piece of hair near the roots between your pointer finger and thumb.
Distribute the Brilliantine by running through the hair all the way from the roots to the end and repeat a few times on different pieces of hair until you have about 5-10 well defined sections around the face.
3. Set the look with a layer of L’oreal Elnett hairspray
Spray on a layer of soft and flexible Elnett to lock in that style. It keeps my hair in place without making it flake or feel sticky or crunchy.
It takes me about five minutes to apply all three products. Then, I air dry and let the products work their magic.
Do you have a special hair “cocktail” of products you use to get your hair looking its best?
Your friendly neighborhood beauyt addict,
Karen
Rosario Dawson: Her Best Hair?
In Seven Pounds, the great new film (I really enjoyed it!) starring Will Smith and Rosario Dawson, Rosario looks lovely in long hair. Over the years, she hasn’t taken many chances with her hair color, but she does like to mix it up with different styles.
Loading ...Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Nicole Kidman: Her Best Hair?
Since her breakthrough role in 1989’s Dead Calm, Hawaii-born Australian beauty Nicole Mary Kidman has changed hair styles more often than Madonna’s changed accents. Here are some of the styles she’s worn over the years. No. 5 in the middle is from Australia, costarring Aussie cutie Hugh Jackman.
Loading ...Curly Hair Tips
Nicole’s been sporting straight blond hair a lot lately, but her natural hair is light red with curls. Love your curly locks with these 4 tips for curly-haired gals.
- Look for a stylist who specializes in cutting curly hair. To see the natural shape of the hair, curly hair needs to be cut wet. Try layering, but avoid going too short, otherwise you risk poofy hair!
- Use your fingers to comb through your curls, rather than a brush.
- Have a few anti-frizz products (try serums or gels) to keep frizz away.
- Naturally curly hair is usually more fragile than straight hair, so air dry your hair to minimize damage.
Are you gonna watch Australia? I’m going to try to see it this weekend. I like Baz Luhrmann’s film making style (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, Strictly Ballroom).
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen