Obsessed: The Beauty Department

I'm Obsessed with Lauren Conrad and her beauty crew's website- The Beauty Department. Its a huge inspiration for my blog and I absolutely love the tutorials and posts. The layout is adorable and I think you'd be a big Dumb dumb for not checking this site out! What are you waiting for...click on over!

Rest In Peace: Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse passed away over the weekend, I wanted to pay tribute to her & her signature hair. I decided to only post flattering photos of Amy that were taken prior to her drug abuse.  I really enjoyed her music & her style. She was talented and young, its very sad and unfortunate. Amy Winehouse's personal struggles & turmoil reflected who she was as an artist. She could never quite get it together.

As for Amy's style , you can definitely say it was Unique and all her own, So much so that the Halloween after her record, Back to Black, was released my friend Margaret dressed like her. With just a Teasing brush and Black eyeliner you can achieve a look that channels Ms. Winehouse.  Her appearance was an exaggerated and extreme with her signature  Giant Beehive and Dark Cateye liner. If you get a chance download Marc Ronson and Amy Winehouse's song "Valerie" Its amazing.



Margaret as Amy 2007



Beauty and the Beast: Jemma Kidd Makeup Master class

I picked up this book at the library the other day. Its really awesome. Jemma Kidd is a former model and now a famous makeup artist. The book is huge and filled with so much information. Jemma did a great job breaking things down and making the book very visually pleasing. And whether your new to makeup or have been applying it for decades, this book is a great investment for you. Newbies won't be overwhelmed and she list many options and encourages you to experiment. She features great tips and side notes even seasoned artists may learn a thing or two. She does day to night, Beach or boardroom, special occasion or casual looks and works with every skin tone under the sun. I definitely recommend adding Make-up Masterclass to your library.

Hair's How: Faux Bob

 A faux bob is a great style that allows you to play with the idea of having short hair without the commitment of cutting off your long locks. Last Fall I wore my hair in a faux bob to my cousin's wedding and loved the look so much that I ended up cutting 13 inches of my hair and donating it to locks of love.

To Achieve a Faux bob your hair should be longer than shoulder length with layers.

Before: Long Hair

After: Faux Bob

You will need:

-Curling iron 1-1.5 inch

-Tail comb

-Pony tail elastic tie

-Bobby Pins and U- Pins (buy the pins that match your hair color)

-Hair Spray ( I love Loreal Elnett Strong Hold)

-Optional accessory (Rhinestone clips, flowers, headband)

1.) Curl your entire head using the desired curl pattern. As you are curling you should wrap each hair section  around itself and pin it to your head this will produce a long lasting curl.

2.) Once you are finished take a few minutes to let the curls cool and set, I usually apply my makeup since all my hair is pinned up and out of my face. You can begin to remove pins from the curls that are nearest the nape of your neck in the back. You want to gather the longest layer of hair into a low ponytail. 

3.) You can then take the hair that's in the ponytail and roll it from ends up to the base or wrap the pony into a bun and pin it or I like to braid it and then flat pin it up against my head. It all depends on your hair type and the look that you want. Just make sure it is secure and discretely pinned.

4.) Once your longest layers are pinned up you can remove the pins from the curls on the top and sides. Loosen the curls and reshape with your fingers. If you have any long strands you can use the U-pins to form a shorter curl and pin hair into a bob. Your hair should fall in between your shoulders and your chin. You want the illusion of short hair without having to actually cut it.

5.) Finish with hair spray. If you want volume on top tease with your tail comb and then add your accessory of choice.

Some examples of Faux bobs

 Images via Google

School Daze: Carsten Aveda

Interested in Cosmetology? Want to know more about my school? Click the links below to learn about enrolling at Carsten Aveda and watch the interview from Beauty inside a bottle of Carsten Wilms

Carsten Aveda - Interview on Beauty inside a Bottle

Carsten Aveda Institute

Beauty inside a Bottle is a website with a series of videos which focus on the Hair and Beauty Industry. If your interested in Cosmetology, Beauty inside a Bottle is your all access backstage pass into what New York City's top Salons, Spas, Beauty Studios have to offer.

Beauty and the Beast: BLOWOUTS

Tips for achieving a great Blow Out:

1.) Hair should be 80% dry before you begin blow drying. If I'm home I let my hair air dry for a bit after a shower, I put my makeup on, drink coffee, check emails, stalk people on Facebook and once my hair is slightly damp I begin to blow dry it. If I'm blowing a clients hair out, I'll de-tangle the hair and then blow dry it all over on a medium heat setting using my fingers to separate until its slightly damp.

Hair should be damp not soaking wet

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 2.) Use your fingers, pull them through the hair starting at your roots as you dry. Brushes can only get so close so using your digits will ensure that all the moisture is removed from the hair. This will greatly shorten the time you spend blowing the hair out and prevents unnecessary heat damage.

Yay for fingers...Boo for directing the hair upward and for being so happy about it

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 3.) Start in the front, especially if you have bangs. Once the front perimeter is finished move to the back sections and work your way up and forward. I hate when the stylist waits til the end to blow out my bangs. not only are my soggy bangs stuck on my forehead for most of the service but by the end they are partially dried in every direction imaginable.

Yikes I think she may end up with the 80's big wave bang

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4.) Keep a spray bottle of water handy, Hair may need to be spritz while doing a blow dry especially if your hair is long or curly. Curly hair dries faster because of the texture, moisture is released quicker than in wavy or straight hair and long hair takes longer to dry but as your working, sections of hair will begin to air dry, use your spray to re-dampen the hair.

Don't use a super soaker, you can buy a water bottle for like $1 at CVS

5.) Sectioning hair is so important, in school they only let us use 1 clip to hold the hair. The theory behind this is that clipping hair up and down while you are working is time consuming (time is money people!) and as Ms. Gloria would say "your client shouldn't look like a Christmas tree with clips all over their head!"  We are trained to not rely on clips which in turn results in more precise sectioning skills as well as speed. But if your blowing your hair out at home, clip it up baby! Part hair down the middle into 2 sections then part hair from ear to ear across the top. You  should have 4 sections around your head. The section of hair that you will want to blow out should be based on the tool your using. The section you pull shouldn't be wider or thicker than the diameter and length of your tool.  A good rule of thumb is a section of hair should be approximately 1.5" thick and 2" wide.

 Over Zealous clipping can lead to Christmas tree head

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6.) Air flow should move downward along the hair from roots to ends. Going in other directions will open up the cuticle which will lead to breakage. Your arms may get tired but you should hold the dryer above the head with the nozzle pointing downward and out. Try to use a medium-hot setting while blowing hair out and then use the cold air button to seal the hair. This will lock in the style you have set and will make hair very shiny.

 This picture makes me laugh...I don't understand what shes doing..Blow drying her face?

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7.) Products make all the difference in the world! I hear a lot of people say it never looks as good when I dry it at home. This can be for many reasons hopefully these tips will help you achieve better blowout results, but if you notice your stylist using products on your hair ask them what they are using. A good stylist will show you what they are using and help you discover which products will work best with your hair type and style.When I use products on clients I always ask if its okay before applying it, show them the bottle and explain the benefits of using it. One of my favorite products is Aveda Light Elements: Smoothing Serum, I rub it on my finger tips (not my palms) and then rake it through my clients hair before and after a blowout. It conditions the hair, adds shine and eliminates flyways.

  LOVE LOVE LOVE

Aveda Smoothing Serum

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 Stylist spend most of their day blowing out hair or they make their assistant do it, either way you'll notice most of them work very fast and could probably blow your hair out blindfolded and upside down.  Remember to take your time when blowing out your hair at home to ensure your hair is completely dried (otherwise it'll frizz up) practice makes perfect, follow these tips and have fun experimenting with different products and tools!

Beauty and the Beast: Glee Prom!

via Fox.com

Last night was the Glee Prom Episode. I don't know know how I feel about this episode. Especially when the Glee club performed that terrible song "Friday" by Rebecca Black I wanted to barf. Anyways...I thought it was very emotional (any time Kurt & his dad are in the episode make sure you have Kleenex handy) and dramatic not very prom-like to me. I liked the story and the message but I felt the episode as a whole fell flat for some reason, Anyone else feel that way? I may watch it over to see how I feel the second time around.

I just felt like all episodes prior to this were leading up to "PROM!" but it turned out to be more like "oh ya prom? its in our schools gym" Waa Waa... I'm hoping to find a picture of the girls so I can write about the Glee Prom Hair but til then I'm going to use photos of them from red carpet events...

Dianna Agron aka Quinn 

I personally like the first picture a lot. Very Glamorous and old Hollywood, Soft Romantic curls with a large barrel curling iron, be sure to have a deep side part with a beautiful hair clip (you may recognized this hairstyle from the Kate Middleton Bridal Hair Post) The Second photo is a little more casual pulled back in a low chignon with loose wave-y pieces framing her face, Id recommend wrapping strands around the barrel for a spiral effect or using a straightening iron and pulling it through on a 180 to create waves. The Third photo is more of a classic hairstyle...volume on top and sleek on the side. Use a teasing comb or rat tail comb to build volume then spray lightly with hairspray. If you have fine hair you may want to set your hair with rollers or a curling iron before teasing.

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Lea Michele aka Rachel 

I love the first picture Its kind of a faux-bob with ringlet curls...I think its very sweet and romantic You should spiral curl your hair and then pin up longer layers underneath or pull back into a side loose bun. The second is very traditional up do with lots of teased volume on top and loose pinned back curls. I would curl the hair and then tease it and pin back. And the last one is definitely for a laid back beachy body wave,  I'd recommend using a gloss serum on hands and running fingers through the curls to loosen them up while still maintaining structure and shine. You can create similar curls many different ways...wrapping hair around the barrel of an iron, pulling hair through a straightener or setting it in rollers and then gently pull curls out until they are soft waves.

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Beauty and the Beast: Threading

Waxing circa 2003

 My good friend Kristy sent me this photo the other day, it was taken back in college  when We would "play beauty parlor" in between classes. (Trust me whatever you do Don't let Kristy Highlight your hair!) I've recently converted to Eyebrow Threading and this photo not only made me laugh out loud but inspired me to write about threading. I've done threading in the past and often times felt very antsy and I tend to fidget during the process.  But I've found an amazing Threader named Bhumi, I feel very comfortable and I don't fidget when shes threading. Bhumi is very fast and talented...she suggested that I need to grow in my eyebrows so that she can correctly shape them. Anyone who  has known me long enough knows I have crazy dark thick eyebrows and they've been every shape under the sun. Growing up I was teased and called Uni-Brow, Brooke Shields, Bert (from Bert and Ernie) and even asked if a caterpillar died on my forehead.  Ive had plenty of mishaps with tweezers and waxes,  I've been burned by wax and was has been dripped on my eyelashes and in my hair & I've had technicians get a little over zealous and take off way too much brow... etc..etc.. I'm very happy to say that facial waxing is a thing of the past for me and I highly recommend Threading, especially if you have unruly full brows. Threading will give you great shape with precise lines and will require less maintenance then waxing. Average threading cost between $8-$17 depending on where you live and it takes only minutes to have perfectly shaped eyebrows.

My Eyebrow Hall of Fame

Brooke Shields



Megan Fox





Elizabeth Taylor



 

Jennifer Connely



Ashley Olsen

Bert

 me in preschool circa 1988