Steal Drew's Beachy Blonde with Redken

Anyone check out the October issue of Harper's Bazaar with Drew Barrymore on the cover? I am totally loving the rich, dimensional, slightly rooty blonde shade the former wild child is sporting. 

Reminds me of when Carrie Bradshaw made roots popular back in the SATC days. Redken Creative Consultant for Color Tracey Cunningham created the beautiful shade - check out what she used below so you can have a chat with your colorist to recreate.
 

To achieve this color, Tracey applied Redken Color Fusion 7N at the roots and highlighted with Redken Blonde Icing Ammonia Free Conditioning Cream Lightener. She then followed with a Redken Shades EQ Conditioning Color Gloss to give it a natural, beachy look. 
 

Check out Redken’s Color Glossary to brush up on color terms so you actually have an idea of what you're talking about when you chat with your colorist. Also get to know Tracey and ask her your hair color questions by visiting Redken.com, Ask The Experts page.

Essie Fall 2010 Collection

Essie is my favorite nail polish brand because the formulas tend to be user friendly and the seasonal color collections are always spot-on. The new fall roundup of shades is no exception. I love that there's some unexpected pops of color mixed in with the blackened wines and browns we've come to expect. 

Here's the rundown of shades:

In Stitches (cheeky blush pink)

Limited Addiction (racy garnet red)

Sew Psyched (cashmere-soft sage pewter)

Merino Cool (sensuous autumn mulberry)

Velvet Voyeur (intense chocolate amethyst)

Little Brown Dress (beguiling black coffee)

 

My faves are Sew Psyched (I've been having a major green moment lately), In Stitches (love seeing a nice dusty pink shade appropriate for fall) and Velvet Voyear (I'm always a sucker for a deep rich shade in the purple family). One thing to note about Merino Cool: if you own Sephora by OPI in Metro Chic, you may want to skip this since they look really similar in my opinion. (Side note: were you one of those psychos like me who trolled every Sephora in a 100 mile radius just waiting till they got Metro Chic back in stock and then scooped up like five at a time? The things we do for beauty).

Each polish retails for $8 each, or you can grab the four piece mini collection which includes Sew Psyched, Merino Cool, Limited Addiction and Little Brown Dress for $17.

tarte at Fashion Week

tarte artistry team partnered with celebrity makeup artist, Sil Bruinsma to create the Bridgette Bardot goes boho inspired look for Odd Molly's Spring 2011 show. Check out the face chart below for details on the products used. I'm usually a brown/bronze shadow kind of girl, but I've been loving smoky greys lately. I've been playing around with NARS Tzarine duo, part of the new fall collection, so look for a post on that soon.

Rundown of products used:

Complexion:
The eraser 4-in-1 natural concealers
park ave princess mineral powder bronzer
smooth operator Amazonian infused finishing powder

Eyes:
emphasEYES brows in taupe and medium brown
emphasEYES aqua-gel eyeliner in black
emphasEYES inner rim black eyeliner
smolderEYES eye defining pencil in charcoal    
eye couture day-to-night palette
picture perfect eyelash curler and lights, cameras, lashes! 4-in-1 mascara

Lips:
fRXtion lip balm
LipSurgence natural lipstain in envy

It's Beauty Week at HauteLook

It's the most wonderful tiiiime of the year! Ok, not quite as good as Christmas, but it's Beauty Week at HauteLook so get out the old credit card and stock up on goods from Alterna, Stila Cosmetics, DDF Skincare, LORAC, Freeze 24/7 and more. It all starts tomorrow at 8am PT. Score your invite to HauteLook here: 

http://www.hautelook.com/invite/bitnb

RIP Snooki's Pouf

The resident pint-sized pouffed Jersey Shore guidette ditched her trademark pouf and debuted a sleek straight style with bangs at the MTV VMA Awards and I'm a total fan.

I think the bangs really work on her - they slim her face and give her a chic, up to date look. That spray tan and lipstick is a different story, but baby steps I guess. What do you think of Snooki's new look?

Beauty Crush: Profound Beauty Anatomy Mask

While mentally, I can't believe we're already well into September, the slight temp drops and long summer of sun, salt and chlorine are showing up all over my hair. I've been reaching for my beloved Profound Beauty Anatomy Mask more and more lately and it's nursing my dry, damaged hair back to health. The masks come in five different formulas for different hair types and contain antioxidant vitamin E to fight free radical damage, boost shine and infuse hair with intense moisture. 

I'm usually a 10/90 (for fine to medium hair) but I've been reaching for the 01/99, the most intense of the bunch, to whip my hair back into shape. I love to apply in the shower and put a shower cap over for five minutes to seal in all the moisture. 

If you're not familiar with Profound Beauty it's a great salon hair care brand that's super personalized and customized so there's no more wondering what to do if your hair is fine, frizzy, color treated and dry. Profound Beauty will even help you find your routine by clicking here and taking a short quiz.

Guest Post: Keratin Treatment

Check out a first-hand account of keratin treatment from my friend and fellow blogger Miss MacKenzie. Check her out over at Isle12 for a mish mosh of musings from the classroom and home décor.

Miss MacKenzie writes: 
BK, (before keratin) I would spend up to forty-five minutes taming my long locks. As a full-time teacher and wife, it had become increasingly difficult to perform my extensive straightening ritual.  I began to wear my dirty (but straight!) hair back in ponytails or low buns for the majority of my week (Thank goodness for dry shampoo and the highly anticipated comeback of plastic headbands.)  After twenty-eight years of letting my hair rule my “getting ready routine,” this summer, I finally decided to take action.

First, I should tell you, allow for two and a half to three hours of salon time for your treatment. After shampooing my hair three times to remove any product or build-up, my stylist placed me under the automatic dryer until my hair was completely dry. (Picture Diana Ross in the late 80’s.) Then, she painted the gooey treatment on my naturally unruly hair with a small brush as if she were applying color.

The good news is that the treatment smelled like coconut and did not bother my scalp at all. The bad news is my eyes did water from the chemicals but only during the application.

After applying, she actually blew out my hair and flat-ironed it in small sections with the treatment still in my hair. Yes, it was greasy. Yes, I felt gross. And this was just day one. You must leave the treatment in your hair for seventy-two hours. You cannot tuck it behind you ear. You cannot get it wet. You cannot put it in a ponytail. 

My suggestion: Get the treatment done on a Thursday because you can wash your hair on a Sunday and return to work on Monday. Lucky for me, I’m a teacher with my summer off so looking like I washed my hair with a bottle of Crisco for three days was no problemo.

On the third day I.could.not.wait.to wash my hair. I used the suggestion of the hair salon which was the original Keratin Shampoo and Conditioner. (You must use a sulfate-free shampoo. I did not like the way the Keratin S & C lathered and so I went back to Loreal’s Ever-Pure line which is also conveniently sulfate-free.) When I first got out of the shower, I noticed an immediate difference. Upon towel-drying, there was no frizz, and not a curl in sight. I waited about a half hour to see if my curls would make an appearance but much to my delight, they were a no-show.

I soon became impatient and started to move the blow-dryer slowly around my head while combing my hair with just my fingers. I was shocked to see my hair dry straight in just seven minutes with no giant-round brush, no product and NO flat iron. Now remember, you reading the thoughts of a girl had to section the hair, blow out the section, flat iron the section, and then move to the next section in order to achieve the look of straight hair. The results were simply amazing.

Overall Impression: SO worth the $300. When I do take the time to blow my hair out with a brush and run the flat iron over it, the results are unbelievable--smooth, shiny and easy to manage. But I must admit my favorite thing about this life-changing treatment is the fact that I can do my hair in ten minutes and walk out the door (without looking like I may/may not have stuck a metal fork in an electrical socket.) Oh, and no worries--my hair will still hold a curl if I get crazy and decide I want a different look.

Tips for Your Treatment: Definitely follow the aftercare instructions. I do notice some slight kinks where I tucked a strand behind my ear by accident. Stick to sulfate free products and avoid the ocean. Try not to wash your hair everyday (even though you totally can!) The treatment supposedly lasts eighty washes. If you are debating between the Keratin Complex Treatment and the Brazilian Blowout, definitely go with Keratin.

I know the Brazilian does not require you to wait the 72 hours BUT it is also notorious for the premature return of frizz in just three weeks. I’m in my third week now and my curls are still hibernating. When they do finally wake up, you better believe I’ll be heading back to the salon for another Keratin Complex Treatment.

Before

After

                                       

Paul Wesley Loves CeraVe!

Can we have a candid moment here? I am one of those vampire-obsessed way too old to be watching stuff like Twilight and The Vampire Diaries but I do anyway kinds of girls. Can you really blame me though? Rob Pattinson, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder? Yes, please. 

If you're like me and have been waiting for The Vampire Diaries to start its new season (tomorrow on the CW btw) you'll appreciate hearing that Paul Wesley's gorge face is taken care of by CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser and Moisturizing Lotion, according to VD's makeup department head Beverly Jo Pryor.

CeraVe is a line of super gentle, dermatologist-recommended cleansers and moisturizers perfect for those with dry, sensitive skin or if you're using something like a retinoid and want to keep the rest of your routine non-irritating.

I'm a big fan of the cleansers because I come from the school of thought that you should leave the crazy acids and such in your treatment products and just use a gentle cleanser that thoroughly removes dirt, oil and makeup without stripping skin dry. And this brand does just that!

Swoon

New from Chanel: Soho Story

Chanel is reopening its Soho boutique location and to celebrate the brand created Soho Story, a limited edition collection of eye, lip and nail products that marry feminine pink and roses with industrial metallics. 

The collection officially launches September 10th at the Soho boutique, but you can scoop it up now on Chanel.com. This collection is near and dear to my heart because I actually lived in Soho for a bit and still adore the nabe. This collection definitely captures the edgy, cool, yet chic downtime vibe. 

Chanel Soho Story:

• SoHo de Chanel ($65.00)
• Stupendous Quadra Eye Shadow ($56.00)
• Stunning Rouge Coco ($30.00)
• Stunt Rouge Allure Laque ($32.00)
• Star Glossimer ($27.00)
• Steel and Strong Le Vernis ($23.00)

The Stupendous eye shadow quad is definitely my must-have of the collection, and I'm also in love with the Steel nail color. Will you be buying Chanel's Soho Story?

Test Drive: Garnier Moisture Rescue

I love gel-based moisturizers because they're so fresh and light, but frankly they sometimes just don't get the job done. I was so excited to try Garnier Nutritioniste Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream and see if it could give me the moisture I need with the super lightweight, refreshing feeling I crave.

The Experience:

Biggest thing to note: a little goes a long way with this product so no need to glob it all over the place. The cream absorbed super fast and felt like nothing on, but my skin felt incredibly soft and smooth. Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream worked perfectly under makeup and didn't leave me with that greasy, over-moisturized feeling at the end of the day. I also love that it has antioxidant fruit water (that just sounds refreshing, no?) and vitamin E to fight free radicals.

The Verdict:

Love love love. If you're looking for a truly lightweight, but really effective moisturizer that delivers the perfect amount of hydration without that burst of greasiness some rich moisturizers give this is for you. Loved it so much I want to try the rest of the line now!