Beauty product reviews, makeup tips and news from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict.
January 17th, 2009 | Karen | Filed in: Hair
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.
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.
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.
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
December 24th, 2008 | Karen | Filed in: Hair, Just For Fun
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
December 9th, 2008 | Karen | Filed in: Hair, Just For Fun
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
December 5th, 2008 | Karen | Filed in: Hair, Just For Fun, Product Reviews
UPDATE: The contest is closed. Congrats to Indian Girl, who won the Sedu Revolution Styling Iron!
Girl, my hair has been working my last nerve! It’s getting long, feeling heavy and always up in my mix, gahhh! I’ve been thinking about getting a haircut but haven’t been able to choose a new style.
But you know how it is when you know you want a change but can’t make a decision. Sometimes, after enough time spent waffling, you just snap! I don’t want that to happen, so in an effort to prevent my own personal bald Britney moment (seriously, I’m two seconds away from chopping it all off!) I’ve been flat ironing with the new Sedu Revolution Professional Nano Tourmaline Ionic Styler ($139), a one-inch plate flat iron that even does curls and waves.
Who’s that girl? Is that Marcia Brady, LOL!
The Revolution works fast, heating up to 450 degrees F in about a minute. Yes, that’s seriously *HOT*, but Sedu says the Revolution causes less heat damage than most flat irons thanks to so-called infrared ceramic heating elements in the plates. Set at 390 degrees, the recommended temperature for normal hair, I’ve gotten good results and haven’t seen any signs of damage to my hair, but as with all heating flat irons, please be careful.
At that temp it takes me two slow passes with the iron to straighten one batch of hair — not only straighten, but also shine. I can’t believe how shiny this thing makes my hair, KABAM!
Because the Revolution’s plates are curved, you can also use it to curl and make waves. Since my hair’s naturally wavy, I probably won’t use it to curl very often, but you never know. And the company was good enough to bundle the iron with a Styling Guide DVD, showing how to use it for different looks. 
Something else I like about the Revolution… It’s travel friendly. It weighs less than it looks like it should and even comes with a heat-resistant storage pouch perfect for carry-on bags!
Price: $139
Use: A flat iron to straighten hair; doubles for curls and waves
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A
Straighten up this winter with the $139 Sedu Revolution. Enter by signing up to receive my updates by email or by leaving a comment on this post (or both!). If you’re already signed up for the updates, you don’t have to do anything else to be entered to win — you’re already entered — but you can double your odds by also leaving a comment on this post (a comment about anything at all).
The winner receives the…
There are two ways to enter the giveaway, and you can do both of them to double your chances to win.
I’ll choose the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11 PM PST on Sunday, December 7. GOOD LUCK!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
December 5th, 2008 | Karen | Filed in: Hair, Just For Fun
Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon sure keeps her stylists on their toes, doesn’t she? Here are some of the cuts she’s worn over the past few years. No. 5 (in the middle) is from Four Christmases, the movie she’s in with Vince Vaughn.
Loading ...Popular Winter Hairstyles
Bangs: To brighten a winter pallor, try sideswept or full bangs. It’ll frame the face and draw attention to your eyes.
Bobs: Need a quick, low-maintenance cut this winter? Consider a short bob with heavily tapered tips for a edgy look, or a deliberately messy bob for a sexy look.
Long Hair: Long hair looks great over bulky winter outfits and under hats. Consider hair extensions if you’re already sporting shorter hair.
Shags: Another classic short hairstyle, the shag can vary in length, layers and texture. Try adding lowlights for depth and dimension.
Volume: To balance layers of bulky winter wear, add volume to hair with root boost sprays and volumizing shampoos.
Razors: The messy texture of razor hair cuts gives an edgy look to holiday styles.
I’m thinking about changing my cut to either a shag or a bob for winter…
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
As a kid I loved watching Sesame Street.. Of all ten ideas, number six takes the...
