The Beauty Stop

Product Review: Garnier Blow Dry Perfecter Kit

Amanda — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:12:42 +0000

Beauty products are rarely deserving of the word “controversial,” but if ever one was, it’s the Garnier Blow Dry Perfecter Kit. Feelings all over the internet have been very mixed about this product, and luckily I scooped it up after only reading a few positive reviews. If I had read some of the negativity going around, I might have been too scared to try it.

This is how it works: you buy the kit, which contains two different tubes of product and a pair of gloves. You wash your hair without conditioning, and then you put the goop in the big tube on your hair first and let it sit for 20 minutes (or up to 30, for stubborn hair). Then you rinse it out and liberally apply the goop from tube two, but don’t rinse afterward. The product is heat-activated, so you blow dry your hair as normal. Et voila! Shiny, silky hair that resists frizz for up to seven washes.

People who shouldn’t use it, according to the included documentation: people who have had their hair chemically relaxed or straightened, people whose hair is significantly damaged, people who have had their hair colored in the past two weeks or plan to color their hair in the following two weeks.

Pros:
1. Effective – I followed the directions to a T (this appears to be very important in order to achieve good results) and the product did exactly what it said it would. My hair is fine, very curly and very prone toward frizz (particularly in the humid Atlanta summers), and my results have been nearly miraculous. My hair is softer, shinier and much easier to blowdry and flat iron effectively. Also, it doesn’t frizz unless I get very, very sweaty. Alternately, I could barely get out of the house before my hair puffed up before.
2. Quick – From start to finish, including the shower and blow-dry time, this treatment probably took an hour. Keratin treatments at salons take several hours.
3. Inexpensive – Similarly, Keratin treatments cost hundreds of dollars and aren’t permanent. This kit, on the other hand, will last seven washes and only costs $12. Plus, no annoying appointment to keep!

Cons:
1. Smelly – the first tube of goop smells sort of like a rancid perm, but the results were worth it for me. If you rinse your hair thoroughly and use a generous amount of the goop from tube two, you don’t really get any lingering smell. I might have gotten a whiff or two the day after I applied the treatment, but it wasn’t strong or noticeable to others.
2. Color fading – I dye my hair mostly black, so the only fading I noticed was on a few pieces that had been dyed purple but faded out to a dark red. Those sections got a bit lighter but my black stayed the same. If you dye your hair allover red or some other easily faded color, this probably isn’t the product for you.
3. Potentially risky – I’m not going to lie, I’ve read a lot of bad reviews on this stuff. The active ingredient is commonly used in Asia, so I’m not really worried about the safety of using it, but badly damaged hair probably only get worse if you use this kit. I need a haircut and a re-up on my dye anyway, so trying this out was relatively risk-free for me and totally worth it. If you’re worried, you may want to wait until you find yourself in a similar situation.

All in all, I would absolutely purchase this product again and very much plan to do so.
Ulta, $12.

Steal of the Week: 20% off at Ulta, online and in-store!

Amanda — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:03:27 +0000

Go! Now! What are you waiting for?!?!

Glam Beauty Expert – Clean Hair Without Water

Janelle — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:37:10 +0000

Celebrity Hits & Misses: Lea Michele at the 2010 Emmy Awards

Amanda — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:47:52 +0000

Things were a little hot and sweaty at last night’s Emmy awards, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at Glee star Lea Michele. She wore a big, intricate Oscar de la Renta dress, and in order to not look too over-done, she kept her makeup and hair looks very simple and fresh.

Michele is only 24, so her choice of loose hair and relatively minimal makeup is perfect for her. She doesn’t have any flaws to hide and her dress did all the work for her, so why should she trowel on the makeup? It’s nice to see that someone’s makeup artist still has a light touch.

Get the details of Lea’s NARS makeup look via the NARS Facebook page!

MAC Venomous Villains Collection for Disney

Janelle — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:59:19 +0000

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the most villainous of them all?

Disney has been extending their brand, offering a maternity line and a couture collection. Now they’ve partnered with MAC cosmetics to offer a makeup line based on the baddest of Disney villains.

The collection is based on four Disney bad guys – Cruella DeVille, Maleficent, The Evil Queen, and Dr. Facilier. Well, I get the choice of beautiful but deadly Maleficent, and the flamboyantly stylish Cruella, but Dr. Facilier seems a little bit odd for women’s makeup.

The collection features bold, strong colors and metallic finishes. You’ll also find the cartoon characters covering the compacts and lipstick tubes, which could become a status symbol or be a little too second-grader, depending on the trends.

The Venomous Villains collection will hit MAC stores on Sept. 30.

Web Snob: Camel Everything, Rebecca Minkoff Fall Apparel, Leather Shorts and More!

Janelle — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:25:47 +0000

FASHION

Coquette loves the effortless style of Rebecca Minkoff’s fall apparel collection.

Fashion Pulse Daily contemplates the intentions of Levi’s in its latest ad campaign ‘We are all Workers’.

The Jet Set Girls scoured the internet to find the sexiest leather shorts for fall.

Second City Style is mad for camel…everything for fall. It’s the new black!

Shopping and Info loves this straight off the runway dress from Milly that looks like Valentino.

StyleBakery has the scoop on fall’s ultimate transition piece: the military jacket.

ACCESSORIES

Stiletto Jungle found a super affordable version of fall’s hidden wedge bootie trend — a $500 look for just $60.

Bag Snob has a bag you will not regret buying.

Shop the 9 best hats that’ll make all of your fall days more chic–even the one Olivia Palermo wore to Fashion Week, thanks to SHEfinds.

Lace is still on trend, and The Goddess thinks Nicholas Kirkwood got it right with this amazing Leather Bootie with Lace Detail.

V-Style shows you the the must-have cross body purses versus the must not.

BEAUTY

Try this super duper lash plumping serum at Beauty Snob.

CELEBRITY

Did Madonna rip off the Material Girl clothing line? Allie is Wired covers the controversy.

The Beauty Stop points out some really bad celebrity hair.

eye4style takes you behind-the-scenes at the Fall 2010 London Fog ad campaign shoot, featuring Mad Men star Christina Hendricks.

LIFESTYLE

StyleCaster shares an exclusive DIY from the new book by Erica Domesek of P.S. I Made This.

Glam Beauty Expert – How to Get the Perfect Blowout

Janelle — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 13:56:01 +0000

Try lipstick for fall with Make Up For Ever

Amanda — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:35:47 +0000

There’s a whole generation of women who haven’t had the pleasure of regularly wearing lipstick, and I’m part of it. By the time I was of makeup-appropriate age, lipgloss was all the rage and I didn’t have much of a reason to buy lipstick. I have a couple of tubes, but largely I reach to gloss. Well, that’s going to change this winter, because lipstick is where it’s at.

If you don’t know where to start to get fall’s highly pigmented red and plum looks, start with Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick. Make Up For Ever is a line known for it’s bright colors and long-wearing products, and both of those attributes are of essential importance when applying lipstick. Whether it’s a Hollywood red or a deep berry stain that you want, MUFE has the color you need.

Sephora, $19.

What’s Hot – Gray Nail Polish

Janelle — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:49:56 +0000

In past years, the end of summer meant an outbreak of Gothic nail polish.

While black is a wardrobe staple for many women, its appearance on fingertips may be a touch too moody for personal or workplace tastes.

That’s why this fall’s popular polishes are so fantastic: the muted shades of putty, gray and greige (a mix of gray and beige) complement all skin tones and offer a slightly toned-down way to be edgy and trendy.

If you’re still a little wary, here are some tips on how to make it work. Jan Arnold, co-founder of Creative Nail Design, suggests darker polish shades for warm skin tones, and lighter ones for darker skin. “These colors have tonal shades of gray, stone, taupe, mushroom and beige, which are flattering on everyone and can be business-appropriate or edgy, depending on how you rock it. ”

We Suggest:

Lippmann Collection Nail Lacquer in Waking Up in Vegas, $16

Two words. Lady Gaga. This is the exact color she’s wearing on the current issue of Vanity Fair magazine, so you know it’s a must-have.

Fashion Spotlight: Emma Watson Promotes Her Clothing Line

Janelle — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:20:26 +0000

Here’s the first photos and a look at the making of Emma Watson’s autumn/winter 2010 People Tree fair trade fashion line.

The first half of the video followed Emma and People Tree founder and director Safia Minney through the rural towns of Dhaka and Bajshahi in Bagladesh this past July.

They visited Swallows, the Fair Trade project that made her clothes in Bajshahi. Swallows dyed natural yarn, hand weaves fabric and hand embroidered clothing, providing work for over 200 women.

Emma greeted young Bangladeshi children, and took up a temporary job as math tutor for a day to teach basic addition and subtraction to the young minds. The Hermione Granger actress could also be seen assisting with the fabric dyeing in clothes shops, and learning how fabrics were weaved.

The second half of the video took a glimpse into Emma’s photo shoot for the autumn/winter fair trade line, which took place recently in London, as well as a sneak preview of the catalog and other new outfits.

See more photos… HERE!

source: [allieiswired]

Really Bad Celebrity Hair

Janelle — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 01:48:58 +0000

Despite having access to the best tress experts in the world, stars are not immune to experiencing a truly awful hair moment.

These celebs’ major hair malfunctions will make you wonder what they did to piss off their stylists, if they even have one.

Christina Aguilera has sported a lot of questionable hairstyles over the years — from multicolored highlights to crazy cornrows — but her current bleached-blond bob loses major points for lack of originality since it’s pretty much a rip-off of Lady Gaga’s signature style. And just like lace face masks and circle lenses, there are certain things only Gaga can get away with.

Technically, Britney Spears‘ worst hair moment of all time was when she decided that she didn’t need any and shaved her head. Sadly, things don’t seem to have improved much since her hair has grown back. The pop star constantly steps out with ratty extensions that make her look like she has the mange.

At first we thought that Mena Suvari was wearing some kind of strange hat, but after a closer look, we can confirm that the thing sitting on her head is indeed her hair. And the worst part: The updo is French braided up the back, prom-style. That’s two major hair offenses rolled into one horrifying look.

It’s hard to believe that there was a time when we totally coveted Mischa Barton’s mane. Those sun-kissed highlights! Those glossy waves! If the O.C.’s Marissa Cooper, could see the star now, we’re certain that she would like, totally barf, over these fake-looking, Barbie-esque extensions.

When Kelly Osbourne first dyed her hair lavender we actually thought it looked kind of cool. But now that the color is more gray than purple (not to mention those lunch lady-inspired curls), the only place that this look would be considered trendy is on a box of Betty Crocker.

In all fairness, Katherine Heigl had to dye her gorgeous blonde hair dark brown for a movie role, so we won’t rag on her about the color. But what’s her excuse for this ’80s-news-anchor-meets-politician’s-wife bouffant? We can only imagine how many cans of hair spray had to die to achieve this helmet hairdo. Aqua Net® Professional Hair Spray anyone?

As the mother of four children, it’s entirely possible that Heidi Klum didn’t have enough time to blow-dry her hair before running to this red carpet event. However, we have a very bad feeling that her wet-looking, slicked-back style was done intentionally.

Taylor Momsen’s Rapunzel-goes-Goth extensions are so long and straggly, we actually miss that weird mullet cut she used to have (and that’s saying a lot). Oh, and no one was even remotely surprised when the wannabe rock star recently told mtv.com that she doesn’t brush her hair.

If you stood on Cassie’s left side, you would assume that she had a lovely head of hair. And you would be half right. The singer shaved one side of her head, writing on Twitter “sometimes in life you need a change.” Yeah, that’s what a few face-framing layers or some pretty highlights are for.

At first we thought that My Bloody Valentine actress, Jaime King, was headed to a costume party, where she dressed up as some sort of alien with crazy hair. But she actually sported these finger-in-the-socket curls to an awards show. Yikes!

We’re usually fans of Rihanna’s envelope-pushing style, but we just couldn’t get behind her cherry Kool-Aid colored, half-shaved bowl cut. (Just writing that made us woozy.) Luckily, her hair is starting to grow out and our fingers are crossed that her next look won’t be quite as aggressive as this one.

Maybe arriving at the London premiere of The Back-Up Plan with her hair styled in a way that can only be described as “fancy bird’s nest” was Jennifer Lopez’s misguided attempt to distract people from the rom-com bomb.

Who do you think sported the worse celebrity hair?