Completely Modern Holiday Hair

Now that my hair can officially be classified as "long", I am always looking for fun ways to put it up.  I got tipped off by Style.com on this completely refreshing, anti rat's nest messy top knot, and curling iron free do courtesy of Guido Palau's magic fingers at the Marc by Marc Jacobs show.  Best of all, you only need cheapy cheap clips from Goody that you can find at any drug store.

Here's what you need:

Two barrettes, one pony tail holder (for the more voluminous mussed-up look), brush, and hairspray as needed.

Here's how you do it:

- Create a medium-to-high ponytail

- Flip the ponytail up and pin it down with one chrome barrette

- Back brush it a bit for volume

- Bring the length back over the clip and pin again to create a voluminous silhouette

Enjoy!

Image and instructions courtesy of Style.com

Carolina Herrera's 10 Style Rules

Carolina Herrera is basically the classiest woman on the planet.  Please pay attention and take notes.  

1.  A full-length mirror is the most important accessory a woman can own.

2.  Do not be afraid to wear color.  A woman who walks into a room full of black dresses wearing red, pink or orange is stunning and everyone turns to look.

3.  Trends make everyone look as though they are wearing a uniform. It is best to wear what is most individually flattering and appropriate for the occasion.

4.  A crisp white shirt looks wonderful for the day or evening; every woman should have one they love in their closet.

5.  It’s important to dress for your age. What looked good at 15 will not look good at 40.

6.  Don’t forget to be feminine. Glamour and elegance are always something that attracts attention.

7.  Dress according to your personality.

8.  Your hair and makeup are very important. Women over 40 should maintain short hair.

9.  If you don’t have taste, you will never be stylish. Style is a state of mind. It is how you live, how you wear your clothes, what you read and what you love. It has nothing to do with money.

10.  Be mysterious. Mystery is the most important quality for a woman. Elegance is an attitude.

Image and text courtesy of SaksPOV.com

New Site Saturday: Into the Gloss

This is my new favorite blog.  Seriously.  Must read.  I guess I just love those 'favorite things' style articles and posts, and I can't get enough of IntoTheGloss.com.  I have never been much of a beauty products person, so this is a real eye opener for me, and I love how her subjects range from the simplistic to the beauty-maven.  Add this to your rss immediately.

IntoTheGloss.com is a blog dedicated to Beauty, from the Inside. No, not from within, although that’s great too—Inside in this case means Inside the fashion industry and on the street. You’ll find influencers from editors to stylists and models divulging their carefully curated products, routines and inspirations. You’ll find makeup artists, hair stylists and myriad other specialists talking about what makes them tick, their top tools, and their visions of what’s to come. You’ll see backstage. You’ll see product highlights. And you’ll see the new kids on the block— the assistants, the up-and-comers—along with the intriguing characters out and about, who are shaping our idea of modern Beauty.

—Emily Weiss

Editor, IntoTheGloss.com
September 10, 2010

 Image and above text courtesy of IntoTheGloss.com

Cost-Con Curls: Infiniti by Conair

I have been blessed/cursed with poker-straight hair.  I got a perm in the 3rd grade, and I seem to remember it lasting all of about three weeks.  I have spent hours trying to curl my hair with conventional curling irons only for it to go flat within a few hours of leaving the house.  What's a girl to do with all these beachy waved beauties running about like Gisele, Lauren Conrad, or Blake Lively?  

Now that my hair is back to being on the longish side, I went to my old faithful method of "curling" it around a 2" flat iron.  This worked, but took forever and always left creases in my hair.  There must be a better way.  Then, I came across the The Bombshell 1" curling iron rod by Sultra which had dazzling reviews...and a $130 price tag.  NOPE!  I b-lined to Ricky's and found a similar model called Infiniti by Conair: Same barrel shape (although it tapers a bit at the end), same promise of no kinks, both have lightweight construction, and looked totally comparable.  And, the Conair had a price of $39.99.  Score.

I have had the Conair Infiniti for a few months now, and I am really loving it.  It took a while to get heat settings and timing down, but the lack of a clamp make things so much faster (PS - if you watch pros curl hair, they never start at the ends.  They start in the middle and feed the hair around the barrel of the curling iron.)  My curl lasts all day--and even most of the next which is a miracle within itself.  I highly recommend this product if you have been looking for sexy waves with less than stellar results.  

Sultra Bombshell - $130

Infiniti by Conair - $40

Grace Under Fire

Any one remotely interested in fashion would know that ginger mane in a second!  My bestie snapped Mme. Coddington heading to work.

Image by T.V. Joyce

Find of the Week: Sonia Kashuk Bristle Brush

One of the things I love most about traveling is one of the things I miss most about my pre-Manhattan life: Target.  Sure they have Target in NYC, but truthfully, they are in total outlier areas, and it's a pain in the ass to get there.  Ultimately, it's not worth the savings for the amount of time it takes.  So...I was in Denver for a few days this week, and right across my hotel in the Cherry Creek neighborhood was something even better--Super Target!  Of course I stocked up on tights, mini peds to go "barefoot" in booties, and travel sized toothpaste, but my favorite purchase was the Sonia Kashuk Bristle Hair Brush.  It looks similar to a Mason Pearson brush, but costs about 10x less.  It is made with both nylon and boar bristles so I thought for $15 I would give it a whirl.  I purchased a smaller 'travel size' which is going to be perfect for my trip to San Francisco this weekend.  But, I know I will be using this all the time at home too.  Love it!

Check out Target.com for the Sonia Kashuk Tools

Image of Kashuk Tools brush (left) courtesy of Target.com
Image of Mason Pearson brush (right) courtesy of InStyle.com

Chic in Seconds: Perfecly Perky Ponies

Just looking at this ponytail roundup courtesy of WhoWhatWear.com makes me so jealous of these bang-less beauties!  Even raisin-faced Rachel Zoe is looking lovely since her face is seems more taut than in years past (so well-rested haha), and the picture of Elle Macphereson gets me uber excited about the forthcoming scarf season!  This is a perfect weekend look.  For a bit more glam tease hair at the top of your head and curl the ends.  Whatever you do, though, use neutral or clear hair ties or wrap a bit of hair around your fastener and secure with a bobby pin.  Voila!  Chic in seconds.

Image courtesy of WhoWhatWear.com