Tag Archives: The Beauty Wall

Trend to Try: Braids

Braided styles feel fresh for fall, especially when worn in an up-do. This pretty style (courtesy of Aveda) works for all hair types, from fine and straight to thick and curly.

  1. Prep hair with a texturizer and blow dry hair smooth. Try Aveda Pure Abundance Style Prep, $24 at aveda.com.
  2. Use a tail comb to make a straight center part from forehead to nape of neck.
  3. Make an inverted fishtail braid on each side of the head, beginning at the crown and working to the back of the ear. Secure the end of each braid with an elastic band.
  4. Use hairspray to tame flyaways. You’ll like  Aveda Air Control Hair Spray, $24 at aveda.com.
  5. Add some fullness by gently massaging braids.
  6. Fold the braids over one another across the back of the head, just above the nape, in a crisscross fashion. Tuck ends under and secure with bobby pins.
  7. Finish with a light mist of hair spray for staying power.

blogshot-avedabraid2

 

 

(photography and style how-to courtesy of Aveda)

Change the World…One Smile at a Time!

I know how fortunate I am. I have two smart, thoughtful, talented, beautiful children and when they smile–which is very often–they light up a room!  Unfortunately, for many children around the world a smile isn’t a common occurrence. Those born with a cleft lip (a split in the skin of the upper lip) and/or a cleft palate (an opening in the roof of the mouth) can’t thrive because they might have great difficulty eating, speaking and often suffer social challenges as well. Luckily, there are people who care.

This Fall, top-ranked New York City Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, Andrew Jacono, M.D, F.A.C.S., will lead a group of facial plastic surgeons working with HEALING THE CHILDREN NORTHEAST for a mission to Santa Marta, Colombia to perform surgeries on children with cleft lip and palate deformities, as well as microtia, a congenital condition in which a baby is born without one or both external ears or with an ear deformity. They’ll screen and operate on numerous children giving them new faces and smiles. You can make a difference! Every dollar counts. To donate, please click here.

Dr. Jacono is committed to helping those who don’t have the medical or financial resources to correct their facial deformities. He performs pro-bono surgery on victims of birth defects, domestic violence, traumatic events, war and cancer. For more information on Dr. Jacono’s philanthropy and charitable works, click here.

 

The Animal Print: Fall’s Newest Neutral

Leopard print is having a huge moment this Fall–you’ll see it on everything from sweaters to dresses, skirts and accessories. My favorite pick is these animal print shoes that absolutely “make” any outfit they’re paired with! Try them with a pantsuit for a modern look, skirts and dresses for retro appeal or skinny jeans and a schoolboy blazer for instant cool.

Sixties Slingbacks in LEO, $148 at bodenusa.com.

Gorgeous Hair in 3 Easy Steps

I’m LOVING Keri Russell’s look at the NYC premiere of her latest film, Austenland…so much in fact that I’ll definitely be wearing my hair this way quite often come fall! If your hair is shoulder-length or longer you’ll want to give it a go.

Celebrity hairstylist Brian Magallones gave Russell her super-shiny glam waves using René Furterer styling products. Here’s how you can do it too:

  1. Beginning with clean, dry hair, part hair deeply on the side.
  2. Wrap 2-inch-wide sections around the barrel of a 1 ¼-inch curling iron.
  3. Flat iron sections along the bottom few inches of hair to make it modern.

Rub a little René Furterer MODELING PASTE between your fingers and smooth out flyaways around the hairline. Follow up with a quick hit of  René Furterer VEGETAL FINISHING SPRAY for natural control with just enough movement. Finish with a light misting of René Furterer GLOSSING SPRAY for mega shine. Gorgeous!

All products available at www.dermstore.com.

Out Damn Spot!!!

Product Review: Osmia Organics Spot Treatment, $20 at osmiaorganics.com

A few weeks ago I received a box of Osmia Organics products and have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to start testing them. Unfortunately for me I had a huge reason to review the Spot Treatment. Fortunately for me Spot Treatment does the trick!

This tiny bottle with the rollerball applicator is chock full of antibacterial essential oils. Lavender, cajeput, lemon, parsley, thyme, cypress and rosemary CO2 immediately go to work and get the healing started. I wish I’d started it a day or two earlier because in one night my pimple was greatly diminished and it didn’t dry out my skin. The next time a spot rears its ugly head, I know what I’ll be reaching for.

(photo courtesy of Osmia Organics)

Art for All!

If you’re in the market for some affordable art I highly recommend you check out LernerStudio, the new online gallery of award winning artist, Ulrika Lerner. Her original paintings and drawings draw me in and inspire me–I think they’ll do the same for you!  click here to see or purchase.

(image “Before the Storm” oil on canvas, courtesy of LernerStudio, available at etsy.com)

In Good Hands!

If you knew you could have a gorgeous manicure that would look as great on day 20 as it looked on day 1 wouldn’t you jump at the chance? Sounds like what we all did with gel manicures, that is until we discovered the potential consequences of lengthy exposure to the dangerous UV light that these required. I’m not willing to risk my health for a manicure and there’s no reason you should either.

Lucky for us then that SPANAIL just opened their first overseas shop of Japan’s prestigious salon Nail Quick where their safe Parfait Gel Manicure starts at $50. The process is similar to the usual gel manicure, a base coat followed by two color gel coats, optional sparkles, gems or other art and a topcoat, but each coat of gel is followed by up to only 5 seconds under the touch activated safe LED light instead of way more time under a UV light. I’m ecstatic with my Swarovski crystal studded, super-super-shiny, extra-durable, safe and chip-free-for-close-to-a-month results! Feel free to choose neutral tones (like I did) or get “notice me” nails in bright, fun, extra-creative colors and designs. Make an appointment at SPANAIL, 120 Sullivan Street, NYC. 646-476-3271, www.spanail.net.

If you’re not in the NYC area or are more the do-it-yourself type who’s just looking for beautiful colors with incredible shine I highly recommend SinfulColors’ SinfulShine with Gel Tech. It’s a self-curing polymer formula that’s five times glossier than patent leather! At only $2.99 with 32 shades to choose from you’ll want to snap them all up. Connect with their facebook page or purchase SinfulColors’ SinfulShine with Gel Tech exclusively at Walgreens and walgreens.com.

 

The Hottest Color under the Sun?

Yellow of course!

This bright mini makes standing out from the crowd a fait accompli! Pair it with nude flats and a cotton tee right now and when those crisp fall days roll around it’ll look great with boots and a comfy boyfriend sweater.

Madewell Meadowlace Mini in Jester Yellow, $88 at madewell.com.

 

 

 

Work those Curls Girls!!!

Believe it or not…Wednesday, August 14th is Wear Your Hair Curly Day! You have less than a week to pledge to go curly (click here) for Garnier Fructis Style to make a donation to Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls on your behalf.

Give it a shot…celeb stylist Tommy Buckett of Serge Normant Salon in NYC shares his tips so your curls will never be less than perfect.

  1. Use a wide-tooth comb to avoid knots, tangles and damage. Start at the ends working upwards.
  2. Sleep on a silk pillow or wrap your hair in a silk headscarf before bedtime.
  3. Switch up your hair products seasonally. Warmer months call for lighter products that won’t weigh down curls.
  4. Before hitting the beach, saturate wet hair with a conditioning and protective oil treatment.
  5. After washing, gently squeeze excess water from hair and immediately massage an anti-frizz cream through hair before allowing to air-dry without touching.
  6. If hair is color-treated, indulge in a weekly conditioning treatment for added nourishment.

Buckett’s Product Picks: Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Miracle Dry Oil, Garnier Fructis Style Curl Shaping Spray Gel, Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Moroccan Sleek Oil Treatment, Garnier Fructis Style Curl Calm Down Anti-Frizz Cream, Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition 3-Minute Undo Dryness Reversal Treatment

Looking to go curly but not sure where to start? Click here for style how-to’s. For more info. visit garnierusa.com.

(photo courtesy of sweetlemonmag.com)

 

Classic with a Twist!

Review: Maybelline New York, Great Lash Limited Edition Collection, $6.40 at mass retailers nationwide.

I (like almost every makeup artist and model I’ve worked with) love Maybelline Great Lash! The narrow wand makes it a cinch to apply this clump-free formula plus it conditions, colors, thickens and washes off easily. And now there’s six more reasons to love Great Lash! For the month of August only, Maybelline has launched 6 new limited edition bold shades in the same classic formula everyone loves, “Green with Envy”, “I See Blue”, “So Very Berry”, “Teal Appeal”, “Vision in Violet” and “Wink of Pink”.

To make colored mascara work for you, choose the color that best complements your eyes: purple hues work best for those with green or brown eyes, blue mascara is ideal for those with brown or blue eyes and green mascara plays up hazel eyes. For major impact, opt for the teal or pink.

3 Ways to wear it:

  1. Wear it on top and bottom lashes with neutral-toned eyeshadow.
  2. Try it layered over black mascara on the tips of lashes only.
  3. Apply black mascara on the top lashes and coat the lower lashes with your colorful mascara.

find us elsewhere

subscribe via email

Enter your email address: