Yesterday concluded the annual Westminster Dog Show in New York City! (I thought it was in England?) Anyhow, I was running on the treadmill at the gym this morning and couldn't take my eyes off the fluffy monsters in the toy competition. They're so fluffy I'm gonna die!!!!
This was the Toy Breeds winner (?) It's an Affenpinscher (huh? looks like a baby monkey)
Banana Joe V Tani Kazari
These are the rest of the doggies that were making me squeal in delight and make a fool of myself in public. As you can see, I love the long hair breeds! (obvi.) And their names are hilarious too! Wheeeeeeee!
In case you haven't noticed, it's hella cold and snowy outside. Allright, it's not really that bad, (today) and the snow is kind of pretty, but still:
It's winter.
And if Beyonce can't even sing live because of the cold, I'm quickly realizing that I'll have to adjust my hair- and skin-care regimens to survive the chilling season that is winter in Chicago requires.
The main difference between summer and winter (besides up to 100 degrees) is moisture. In the winter your skin and hair are naturally drier, and lose even more moisture to the dry, cold air.
First for hair: Argan oil is a great source of moisture, and it is easily absorbed into the hair shaft. I love Moroccan Oil Intense Hydrating Mask. Used weekly as a deep conditioner for 20 minutes up to overnight it helps keep hair from drying up and looking sad in the winter,
Now for skin: Hands especially need moisture in the winter. L'occitane 20% Shea Butter hand cream is a rich and creamy hand lotion that moisturizes and protects hands from additional moisture loss.
For lips (and noses!) I love Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm all day long! It is tint and fragrance free and instantly helps with dry, chapped lips.
During the day I like Proactiv Repairing Treatment. (yes, I'm coming out of the Proactiv closet. I've used it for 10 years and I LOVE it!) This daily face lotion is non-comedogenic, (doesn't clog pores) moisturizes, and protects facial skin.
At night I can use a facial lotion that is a little lighter, since I'm not going outside. (and to give my skin a break from other heavier lotions) I've been using Trader Joe's Oil-Free Antioxidant Facial Moisturizer. It feels light and fresh, has tons of vitamins for your skin, and costs $7! Can't beat that!!!
There you go, hopefully these tips will help you get through winter, and since Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow yesterday morning we can look forward to an early spring this year! Stay warm! (and moisturized)
Today is an unexpectedly warm and moist January day here in Chicago! Between the rain, fog, slush and general moisture in the air, it's a reminder that humid weather can wreck your hair in seasons other than summer.
If you're not lucky enough to have hair that you can just wear curly on days like this, here are a few product suggestions that can help your blowout last longer than 20 minutes:
I love Bumble & Bumble Straight Blow Dry cream for fine- to medium-thickness frizzy and wavy hair. About a nickel-sized amount applied on wet hair from (almost) roots to ends will make your blowout easier and last longer.
Kerastase Elixir Ultime is AMAZING for thick, coarse, wavy and curly hair. A dime-sized amount applied (again) on wet hair from (almost) roots to ends will result in a shiny, smooth, long-lasting blowout.
Moroccan Oil is a great treatment product for chemically-damaged or over-styled hair. It's not really a styling product. (I like combining it with Bumble and Bumble Straight) For healthy, sleek, revitalized hair, apply a dime-sized amount to wet hair before blowdrying, and one or two drops on the ends after blowdrying.
Ok ya'all, this is the secret to surviving humidity: Moroccan Oil's Frizz Control spray. After applying whatever other styling products you're using, but before blowdrying, spray this LIBERALLY all over your hair, making sure to get all those hard-to-reach places like the nape area and the edges. Seriously, I sometimes use up to 20 or 30 sprays on one head of hair- don't worry: it's not heavy. This magic product seals down the hair cuticle so that humidity can't creep in and ruin your hair. Come. In. And. Buy. This.
It works.
See you soon!
Friday, January 18, 2013
What's new?
January is notoriously a slow time for celebrity/fashion/style news, so it's not surprising that some of the big stories include:
Kim Kardashian getting pregnant!
Kim Kardashian getting bangs! ("for real" this time) (don't get me started)
Michelle Obama (@FLOTUS) getting bangs!
Model Karlie Kloss getting bangs! (and a whole new haircut)
Why is it that simply cutting your hair in the front shorter so that your face pokes through is seen as so revolutionary? The natives in the Amazon Rainforest have been doing it for years!
But bangs (or "fringe" for our friends on the other side of the pond ;) ARE a great way to add interest to a boring hairstyle, and add a great type of flirty intrigue as they grow out. I always tell my clients that I'll never talk them out of bangs unless it would look utterly horrendous. Anyways, there is a bang for everyone.
Even Reese Witherspoon.
(I seriously had to cut this bang on 30-50% of my clients for a 3 month period. They'd be like "I have a picture" and I'd be like "Oh, Reese Witherspoon?" Ugh.)
Ok ya'all.... T-Minus 1 Week and counting until the official kickoff of the 2012 holiday season!
Is it just me or it Thanksgiving coming REALLY early this year?!? You know what's going on here: 1 extra week for CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!!! I love that on the news they're already giving tips to shoppers how to not get trampled to death on Black Friday.
And another thing: why is it that only budget retailers like Walmart and Best Buy go crazy discounting the day after Thanksgiving? What if high-end stores like Gucci and Louis Vuitton slashed prices early in the morning on Black Friday? Could you imagine the bloodbath as hundreds of Real Housewives battle it out for that last half-off pair of Jimmy Choos?
As for me, I'm planning on sleeping off the last of my food coma that morning, rising around noon and decking the halls on my little 4.5 foot artificial Xmas tree, and then maybe polishing off the last of the Thanksgiving food, pie, and booze.
Because by then there'll be only 4 more shopping weeks until Christmas. (shudder)
If you don't already know that tomorrow is Election Day, then you probably shouldn't bother coming out from under the rock you've been hiding for the past year or so to vote. (Oooooh, burn!)
Marack Obamney
But for those of us that have been paying attention, I'm sure the last thing you want to read is more complicated political propaganda telling you how Barack Obama is a disaster who can't create even one measly job in four years, or how Mitt Romney is a pathological liar and a meanie at debates. So here is the fluffiest, most superficial comparison of the candidates: Hair Obama has been going noticeably grayer during his presidency, but his hairstyle is still pretty basic. I appreciate Romney's subtle gray blending, but his conservative newscaster cut isn't really doing much for him. If I have to pick: Romney. 0-1 Fashion While their formal attire is virtually identical, ("Look! My tie's red!" "Yeah, well mine is blue!") Obama and Romney have strikingly different interpretations of casualwear. Mitt's awkwardly fitting plaid shirt paired with khakis (eww) don't help him out versus Barack's tailored yet carelessly-rolled up white oxford. Point: Obama. 1-1 Wife's Hair Both Michelle Obama and Ann Romney wear pretty conservative styles, but Michelle's sweeping bang is a little more modern than Ann's flippy number. And remember the early days of the 2008 campaign, when Michelle's hair was a little, shall we say, rough around the edges? She's come a long way, I think probably due to adding a Brazilian Blowout/Keratin treatment to her previous relaxer regimen. Slight advantage to Obama. 2-1 Wife's Fashion
Both Michelle and Ann are well-dressed ladies, but while Ann favors more conservative designs, Michelle is know for dressing more modern and edgy. While I applaud her bold choices, it appears some of America doesn't appreciate her daring fashion sense. (Exposed arms? Eek!) But Michelle has also used her spotlight to bring attention to previously less-known designers, like Jason Wu. So she's creating jobs? Hmmmmm. 3-1 Celebrity Supporters
Obama supporters include Katy Perry, will.i.am, Eva Longoria, Oprah, Will Smith, George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Selena Gomez, Tom Hanks, Zooey Deschanel, Demi Moore, Leonard Nimoy, Sarah Jessica Parker, Reese Witherspoon, Beyonce and Jay-Z. Romney supporters include Jon Voight, Kid Rock, Ted Nugent, Jeff Foxworthy, Donald Trump, Kelsey Grammer, Chuck Norris, Sylvester Stallone, Tom Selleck, Gary Sinese, James Woods, Erik Estrada, Lorenzo Lamas, and Meatloaf. (see video above) Oh yeah, and Teen Mom 2 star Leah Messer. Maybe it's just me, but one of those lists seems a lot more socially relevant and representative of more Americans than the other. And that Meatloaf video really sucked. 4-1 OBAMA WINS! This concludes my super-scientific analysis of the election. And I'm not biased at all. See you tomorrow at the voting booths!!!
Whew! I survived another Halloween-
or as I like to call it, Gay Christmas. It's the time of the year where kids
and adults get to dress up, deck out the house with spooky decor, and eat candy
(or drink) until they puke. But gay guys especially go all out for Halloween.
In LA the West Hollywood Halloween parade is one of the biggest events of the
year, overshadowing even Gay Pride. (gasp!) Last year over 350,000 people came
into town to see (or gawk) at the outlandish costumes. While most guys use this
holiday as an opportunity to expose as much skin as possible, there are also
the requisite sexy drag queens, political costumes, and creepy creatures.
Speaking of creepy creatures, how
about this unicorn?
Just kidding, it's my favorite celebrity muse- Child Bride
Courtney Stodden!
Here is the creepy unicorn:
And speaking of creepy, here are gay Batman and Robin doing
it:
Like I said, "costumes" that leave as little to
the imagination as possible.
But my favorite costume from this year's parade is the
"ruined Jesus fresco."
Now for some celebrity crap:
Kim "the Antichrist" Kardashian briefly considered
a leopard costume that shows off her talents; I'm sure the back is also sheer
like Prince's booty-less jeans!
But she ended up playing it safe and going for a predictable
couple's costume with beau Kanye West. Boo.
But the grand winner (in my opinion) for celebrity Halloween
costumes is
-and it kills me to say this-
Katy Perry. I absolutely LURVE her Daria and Jane Lane
costumes!
And if you don't remember this amazing MTV cartoon from the
90s look it up now on YouTube or Hulu or whatever! Here, I'll do it for you.
Now for the overall classiest celebrity costume, from one of
the classiest celebs there is: Chris Brown and friends as Arabs with guns-
"terrorists," I would imagine. Nicely done.
With the exceptions of Jesus and Katy Perry, it seems that
if you're not spooky for Halloween you have to be slutty, naked, or offensive.
And while I like an off-color joke as much as the next guy, the last thing I
want to see on Halloween night is Chris Brown with a beard and gun. I can't
believe people buy this guy's music, let alone give him awards!
