Archive for the ‘how to’ Category
Must Have: ghd IV styler!
I’m so excited to write my review of the ghd IV styler 1” because you guys can have one too! Just enter my giveaway that’s currently running on Hair on the Brain and win your very own ghd, worth $240.00. This styler is top of the line; endorsed by best hairstylists in the world; and used by celebs like Penelope Cruz, Kate Winslet, Jennifer Hudson, and Cate Blanchett.
Here’s the Deal: ghd’s unique ceramic technology heats up to its maximum temperature in seconds, locks in moisture, natural oils and hair color for total hair protection. It creates the straightest, sleekest locks, as well as fantastic curls and waves. The aluminum plates have a ceramic coating which helps to close the cuticle and create shine while locking in hair’s natural moisture and preventing moisture from re-entering the hair. The ghd IV styler emits infrared heat producing negative ions, which are less damaging to the hair. They reduce static and creating shine by closing the cuticle. Other stylers use PTC or copper wound elements which can dry out the hair.
My Take: I’ve tried many flat irons over the years, and the ghd knocks me out! It’s amazing and truly lives up to all the hype. It heats up in seconds (in fact, it’s faster than any other iron on the market!) and straightens hair immediately. I literally ran the iron over my hair once and it was straight. And best of all, it left my hair bouncy and shiny! The ghd creates truly healthy and shiny looking hair, unlike any other iron I have tried. It glides along your hair with no snagging, which has been a major issue for me with other high-end irons, like the Chi. With less snagging, I feel like there is less damage on my hair.
Plus, this little wonder styler does it all. It easily straightens, curls and creates waves. Once you get the hang of the curling technique, it’s simple. (Directions follow.) And the curls come out better than with using a traditional curling iron. I know not everyone can win the giveaway. And the ghd styler is pricey, but for those of you who straighten your hair every day, it’s an investment! Check out the other reviews online before you buy. (But they are equally glowing!)
Tips on how to use your ghd IV styler to create straight, curly and wavy looks, after the break! Continue Reading…
How To: TendSkin & Aspirin Mask
Have you guys ever used TendSkin? It’s a skincare solution for men and women to treat razor bumps, ingrown hairs and razor burn. It’s also kinda expensive at $35 for 8 oz. But I make mine own at home–it’s really easy and super cheap. Here’s how:
Ingredients to Make TendSkin:
- Uncoated aspirin
- 70% alcohol
- Witch Hazel
- A measuring cup/bottle
- Two bottles used to shake mixtures
- One 8 oz or more bottle to keep finished product
How To:
- Pour 5.5 oz of 70% alcohol into one bottle.
- Drop 18 uncoated aspirins into the alcohol. Cap bottle and shake.
- Pour 2.5 oz of witch hazel into the second bottle.
- Drop 8 uncoated aspirins into the witch hazel. Cap bottle and shake.
- Wait (30 minutes to a whole day) for the aspirins to dissolve in the liquids. Shake periodically to help dissolve aspirin and mix. (Not all of the aspirin will dissolve. That’s OK.)
- Now combine both the alcohol and witch hazel mixtures together in one bottle. Make sure you shake both mixtures before you combine them so you get the aspirin residue into the new bottle. This is your TendSkin. Use 1-2 times a day. Reduce usage if you experience dryness, flaking or irritation. Make sure you shake well before each use. Do not use if you are allergic to aspirin.
How To: Aspirin Mask
You can also use aspirin to make a skin clearing mask. (I’m doing it right now!) All you need plain, uncoated aspirin. Take about 5-8 aspirin and place them in a small bowl. Drip a small amount of filtered water on the aspirin and allow them to sit. The aspirin will get soft and mushy and then you can mix it with a binding agent. Typically, I mix mine with another mask, like a tiny bit of Origins Out of Trouble and then add a little more water if it is too thick and apply. You can also mix it with pure honey, which is a good binding agent and will be a bit more moisturizing. Aspirin is an acid, so you shouldn’t use it every day, but it’s safe to use every three days or so. But it depends on your skin–for me, once a week is good. The salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid, that’s in aspirin works to slough off dead skin. It will unclog and clear pores and reduce production of oil, too.
Have you guys tried at how TendSkin or the Aspirin Mask? Let me know what you think in the comments!
How To: St. Tropez Glow
This winter feels like it’s dragging on and on–and I live in Los Angeles! I can’t image how the rest of you guys feel… One of the best ways to get out of the winter slump is to go on a tropical vacation. But if you can’t afford that, slather on some St. Tropez self tanner and just look like you went on a tropical vacation instead. St. Tropez will bring your skin from looking pasty and dry to glowy and gorgeous. Their products are easy to use and give you a natural looking tan that doesn’t leave you smelling like, well, fake tan. Here are three easy steps to a perfect winter glow:
Step 1. Exfoliate: St. Tropez Optimiser Body Polish is an exceptional body exfoliator that gently removes tired skin cells, creating the perfect canvas to work with before getting your faux glow. While bathing, you simply massage the exfoliator onto your body in circular motions, concentrating more on rough spots, like elbows, knees and feet. This is a perfect way to prime your skin for the bronzing process! Price: $20.00
Step 2. Tan: St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse is an easy to apply lightweight formula that will leave you with a streak-free and even tan. Smooth on Self Tan Bronzing Mousse from head-to-toe for an instant radiance with long-lasting color for all skin types. Add a little moisturizer to the rough skin of ankles, feet, elbows and knees before applying the bronzer to prevent oversaturation. And after you apply the Mousse, wait until you’re touch dry to dress. Try not to sweat or get wet for at least four hours. To maintain, re-apply a few times per week. Price: $30.00
Step 3 after the break! Continue Reading…
How To: Katy Perry’s Grammy Hair
Danilo, Celebrity Stylist for Pantene, styled Katy Perry’s hair at the 2010 Grammy Awards. As inspiration, Danilo sought a “hipper version of Bettie Page” for Katy.
- To achieve the look, Danilo first combed through the Pantene Pro-V Beautiful Lengths Split End Prevention Leave-in Cream to condition and ready Katy’s hair for styling.
- He also used the Pantene Pro-V Restoratives Frizz Control Extra Strength Serum on her damp hair before drying it straight.
- While blow-drying individual sections of hair, Danilo sprayed the Pantene Pro-V Volume Root Lifter Gel for extra lift and definition.
- He then spiral set her curls with a medium curling iron for contemporary waves, tousling hair with hairspray to finish the look. He described her bangs as “bumper perfection!”
Living Proof Full Thickening Cream
Living Proof, the company that brought you No Frizz, the first new anti-frizz solution in over 30 years, has another exciting hair product launch–Full Thickening Cream.
Living Proof products are the only hair products I have even heard of that are based on technology from research laboratories of MIT professors. (I appreciate people who take hair as seriously as I do.) Living Proof’s team of scientists came up with a new material: Poly Beta Amino Ester-1. I know, what? The science isn’t as important as what it does to your hair. Their latest advancement gives thin, limp hair a natural fullness, but unlike with typical volumizers your hair isn’t left stiff or brittle.
According to Living Proof, the beauty industry has traditionally tried to add the appearance of volume by puffing up flat hair with various sprays or holding the hair into specific positions with various brittle, polymers. But these solutions only last a few hours and deflate the minute they’re faced with wind or humidity.
To really address the problem of limp hair, Living Proof created a brand new polymer that’s both flexible and durable. Poly Beta Amino Ester-1 mimics the look and feeling of thicker hair by depositing a completely flexible and indestructible pattern of thickening points that can’t break or flake off. According to Living Proof, when they used the new product on test subjects’ hair, they felt like they had more hair, with a natural fullness, not stiff, but flowing and touchable.
How to use Full Thickening Cream: I started with clean, damp, combed out hair. Put a nickel sized amount of the cream in my palm for my past my shoulders hair. (You can use less for short hair, more for super long hair.) I spread the cream between your palms and apply it starting below my roots, working down the ends, and then used a wide-toothed comb to disperse evenly. I used a hair dryer to blowout my hair like normal. Using a round brush at the end. I got a great blowout with this product!
Expert Tips: Professional hair stylists and Living Proof co-founders, Ward Stegerhoek and Mitch DeRosa, recommend the following additional tips for ultimate fullness. Continue Reading…
How To: Side Ponytail
Many celebs are big fans of the side ponytail–it’s such a cute and casual way to wear your long hair. This style is easy to recreate if you have the right products and tools.Eiji Yamane, Style Director and Owner of Salon Eiji offers a step by step how to create a sexy, messy up do with Hair Jack from Japan. (Price: $12.95)
Step One: Add Texture. Start with second day hair, which will help the look hold longer. Next, create separation, texture and volume by applying a little styling product on dry hair. Be sure to apply it all the way from the roots to the ends. Use a dime size amount, warming it in your hands and run it through your hair with your fingers. Don’t use a brush or comb. If you want your ponytail to be wavy or curly, curl hair with a curling iron.
Step Two: Prep. Choose what side you want your part to fall on or follow your natural part. The ponytail will fall on the opposite shoulder as your part. Lightly spray some quick drying hair spray at the roots of your hair and backcomb lightly at the crown to give the hair more volume.
Step Three: Pony Up. Use a Hair Jack snag-free hair elastic to create a pony tail at the chosen side. Keep your ponytail on the nape of the neck or as low as possible. Leave out about two inches of the front of the hair. You don’t want to slick back everything; your style will look too matronly. The true allure of messy, sexy hair is creating soft texture.
Step Four: Wrap It Up. Take a small amount of hair from the underside of the ponytail and wrap it around the base of the ponytail to cover the elastic. Secure with a Hair Jackbobbypin.
Step Five: Face Forward. Now to the front of the head where you will create texture around the face line with the rest of your hair. Depending on your face shape – A round face needs to add height by teasing the roots to add “height” and length to the face. A square face to triangle face – hair should gently fall around the temples. Long face should add body around the sides of the hair.
Step Six: Finish. Apply a small amount of shine serum to smooth away any flyaways on your crown or at the ends of the ponytail. Finish with hair spray to hold the style, Eiji likes Redken Forceful 23.
An editorial sample of Hair Jack was provided by the company so I could review this product. Please see my About page for further information on Disclosure policies.
How To: Glossy Lids
My ultimate beauty product recommendation? Smith’s Rosebud Salve. It’s a wonderful multi-purpose balm that soothes dry lips, calms and heals irritation, and works wonders on dry elbows, knees or winter noses. But aside from its moisturizing properties, Rosebud Salve is a great little makeup bag secret weapon. It adds a touch of gloss to your lids and cheeks, which is particularly wow-inducing during the dry, winter months. I’d read about this makeup trick before, but I recently tried it out and now I’m hooked.
Here’s How:
- Begin with clean eyelids. You can also use an eye makeup primer over your lids to provide extra hold.
- Curl your eyelashes.
- I line my upper eyelids with Stila’s Convertible Eye Color in Teak. Use the eyeliner end first, creating a rough, imprecise line, then go over it with the shadow. Finish by blending it with the smugger. All of this can be done rough and messy because the look you’re going for is kind of rock ‘n roll.
- Then I go over the eyelid with Raw Minerals Mineral Eye Shadow in Sand–a nice neutral, slightly shimmery pale pink. It drops the intensity down a notch and gives a nice sheen when you apply…
- The Rosebud Salve. This is slightly tricky because when you apply the salve, you don’t want to take off the makeup. Use your ring finger and kind of dab/pat a small amount on the center of your eyelids, moving it outward. Your lids should look glossy, but not like an oil spill. Avoid the crease so the product does not gather there.
- Apply waterproof mascara to top lashes. You can leave the bottom lashes bare if you want to cut down on the possibility of smudging, but I kind of like the look of it being a bit messy, like on the girl above. It’s so effortlessly cool. You’ll totally be that girl who doesn’t try too hard but winds up looking amazing.
A few other tips: If you’re going to rock glossy lids, you want to make sure your skin is not oily, so use a good mattifying powder. I also define my brows, use Powderazzi on my cheeks, and then pat a tiny bit of Rosebud Salve on my cheeks, just to give my complexion a healthy glow. But overall, do not overdo it with the gloss or you will look craazy. Trust! A little practice makes perfect with this makeup application. When you get it right, it looks really cool.
How To: Look Great in a Photo
The holiday season is here, and everywhere you go people are telling you to smile for the camera. I notoriously hate getting my picture taken. But Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Jeff Golub-Evans has some simple tricks and tips for how to smile your best when you’re in front of the camera. He says you should accentuate the positive and minimize your negatives, and that there is a science to smiling your best–celebrities do it all the time. Read on to find out how…
- Practice smiling in the mirror with your teeth slightly parted (one pinky finger breadth), as if you are really excited about something. You’ll show more white teeth, because the lower teeth won’t be hiding behind the uppers, and your smile won’t look forced. You can practice all of this in the mirror.
- If your upper lip is full, don’t thin it by smiling too broadly. Smile enough to show your teeth, but not so much to thin your lips.
- If your upper lip is thin, smile so that the bottom edges of your upper teeth touch your lower lip. The visual impact of the upper teeth combined with the lower lip will take attention away from the thin upper lip.
- If your upper teeth are irregular at the bottoms, or if some upper teeth are too long, smile so that the lower lip hides the bottom edges.
- If you think you are too gummy or the gum is irregular in contour or color, practice smiling so your upper lip hides the gum.
More semi-intense tips, after the break. Continue Reading…
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