My Favorite Flat Iron

A few months back I finally threw in the towel with my cheap drugstore flat iron. My hair was always frizzy, and it took about 5 passes to get it somewhat straight. And so the search began for the perfect flat iron. I still didn't want to spend too much on it, but I was willing to, if need be. So I ended up at folica.com.

After searching their inventory, and reading hundreds of reviews, I settled on a Solia. From the reviews, it looked like it was just as good as more expensive irons (like the CHI), but it ran about $40-$50 cheaper. I think I actually ended up paying about $80, and got a nice little salon-style holster for it too.

I absolutely love this thing and wouldn't be without it! It has an adjustable heat setting, so you can go cooler to avoid damage, or hotter for really unruly hair. The blue tourmaline plates just glide through your hair and create a smooth finish. I used to have to blow my hair out straight, then flat iron it, and I'd still end up with kinks, and a ton of fly-aways. This gets my hair stick-straight (even if I let it air-dry) and tames all those little frizzies that I hate so much. I use the Solia in conjunction with my CHI Silk Infusion, and the result is super-soft, super straight, super shiney hair. What girl wouldn't want that?

Look of the Day

Harem pants are a huge trend right now, and let's face it, they don't really look great on anyone. And yes, I know that the pants above are not harem pants, but they fit the general feel of the trend. And here they look absolutely adorable! I seriously want this outfit to wear to work! I came across this on Lookbook. My new fashion inspiration is a user named Zina. Check out her pics: http://lookbook.nu/zina

Clear Skin

Hey Everybody! Hope you all had a great 4th of July! I know I had lots of fun.

I recently purchased a bottle of acneadvance from my local health food store. I'm always on the lookout for things that will reduce breakouts, and this caught my eye. Now, it says on the box that it helps balance hormones, and I know that most of my acne is hormone related (which means it's really hard to get rid of with topical treatments). Since I'm all for natural remedies, I bought a bottle. I'm about a month in, and I'm amazed. I've been able to cut back on my harsh topical treatments, plus it's helped clear up some of my scarring too.

That being said, I've seen mixed reviews about it online. My thoughts are that this will help if your acne is due to a vitamin deficiency, or a hormone imbalance. If it's more an issue of oily skin, or clogged pores, there may be a topical treatment that gives better results. But for under $20 it's always worth a try, the only way to find what works for you is to experiment.

One Makeup Look Guys LOVE!

Cosmopolitan Magazine recently reported that a study done at MIT showed that men are most attracted to a woman when her eyes are the darkest area on her face. So much for natural beauty, huh? Actually this look works best when the rest of your face is nude and glowing. So, in the spirit of attracting as many guys as possible, I'm posting Sephora's How-To video on getting a perfect smokey eye.

Coming for Fall- Hippie

Designers are loosening up for this fall. The trend tends toward the undone and easy. It's just the slightest infusion of hippie-style, updated for 2009. Some things to look for are long skirts, vests, loose and drapey dresses, and even a touch of lace.

How to Fake Airbrushed Makeup

Ok. Since yesterday I wished for an airbrush to apply my foundation, I thought today I'd blog about how to fake it.

-Use a stipple brush (like MAC 187) and use it one of two ways:

Dab the tip into some liquid foundation, and use a stippling effect over the whole face. Stippling is simply a tapping motion (rather than brushing or rubbing) lightly do this across the entire face until the foundation has blended in, and the desired coverage is achieved.

or:

Use your finger to dot liquid foundation onto the face in key areas, the forehead, cheeks, chin; then use the stippling brush in a swirling motion across the face to blend in the foundation.

Finish off by using a very large powder brush and sweeping your powder across the face in small circular motions.

Wish List Item

The secret to Hollywood's flawless faces is the Temptu Airbrush. It's been a must have on the set of pretty much every major movie or TV show since I was born. And later this month the mecca of makeup, Sephora, will begin selling these applicators. Talk about want! It's a total splurge item, and I probably won't end up with one, but it's still super exciting news! A girl can dream!