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Retro Curls

December 5, 2013

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I pretty much have 3 hair styles in my rotation – straight, Victoria Secret curls, and a ballet bun.  It is pretty rare for me to mix it up, but sometimes you need to “fun it up” and with the holiday season in full swing, a new-do is a simple and easy way to shake things up.   This retro curls tutorial is a surprisingly quick way to glam up your holiday look (I have done this for a black tie that I had 30 minutes to get ready for  – after work!! and had time to spare!!) and it also looks amazing in a pony the next day…

Step 1. Start with blow dried hair (I recommend washing your hair in the morning and letting it get dirty for the day and then curling it in the evening for best results). Spray with a curling setting spray.

Step 1 Straight Hair

Step 2. Create a deep part and start curling hair (on side of part with less hair).  I start curling at about eye level.

Step 2 Curl

Step 3. Curl hair TOWARDS your face and hold curl for 5-10 seconds.

Step 3 Full Curl

Step 4. After releasing the curling iron, coil hair into a tight curl.

Step 4 Tight Curl

Step 5. Pin curl in place with bobby pins (or hair clips if you have them).

Step 5 Bobby Pin

Step 6. Continue curling hair on the right side of your head (or which ever side you are curling), repeating steps 2-5.

Step 6 Continue Curling

Step 7. Finished right side!

Step 7 One Side Curl

Step 8. Clip up top portion of hair on right side.  Begin curling hair in same fashion as before (curled TOWARDS face).
Step 8 Pin Half Up

Step 9.  Keep curling and pinning hair.

Step 9 Keep Curling

Step 10. Let down top portion of hair and tease the crown (if you would like some lift).  Brush it out and continue curling following steps 2-5.

Step 10 Curl Top Portion

Step 11. Let hair sit in curls for about 15 minutes – a great time to do your make up!  Remove bobby pins.

Step 11 Take Out Pins

Step 12. Finger brush your hair out (don’t worry about any dents yet!).

Step 12 Finger Brush

Step 13. Twist curls together in one face-ward motion.

Step 14.  Gently run a curling iron over any dents to remove creases.

Step 15 Smooth Dents

Step 15. Use your fingers to brush out the right side of your hair and smooth curls.

Step 16. Spritz with some finishing spray and catch up your Mad Men reruns 🙂

Step 17 Retro Curls

Looks

Girl’s Day

December 3, 2013

Floral Pants

Sometimes you just need a little girl time…and lucky for me I got just that this past weekend!

Military Jacket Floral Pants Brunch with the girls always allows a little more flexibility and fun in the wardrobe department… so I thought it the perfect time to pull out my silk floral pants and some fun jewelry!

I love an outfit that looks like more effort that it is… and these pants are the answer! They feel like pajamas, yet the fun print dresses up the whole look.

JCrew Military Jacket Cashmere Sweater Floral Print Pants

Add some fun earrings and a colorful pop with your handbag – and you are all set!

Colorful Wall Earrings/Jacket (similar)/Sweater/Pants (similar)/Heels/Handbag

Looks

Thanksgiving Dressing

November 26, 2013

My family loves a good reason to get dressed up and Thanksgiving is no exception…  Despite the fact Thanksgiving is usually spent with our immediate family we still make an effort to get out of our PJs and into something a little more festive.  Here is what I plan on wearing on Thursday!

Joie Sparkle Top Maroon Pants Sweater/Top/Pants/Flats

Here are 3 main Thanksgiving outfit requirements: a. stylish, b.stretch, and c. sparkle.

Banana Republic Flats

I would avoid any fabrics that don’t handle “food that misses your napkin” well – ie satin and silk.

Thanksgiving Outfit

Make sure you are comfortable and can move around easily in case a 2nd (or 3rd, or 4th) pair of hands are needed in the kitchen – I wore this skirt last year and I’m lucky my family didn’t kill me after taking up 25% of any given space.

Thanksgiving Sweater

What are you planning to wear this Thanksgiving?

Looks

Victoria Secret Hair

November 7, 2013

When I get dressed the first thing I do isn’t to pick my favorite shoes or my favorite top, but to decide who I want to be.  Sometime’s it’s the successful business executive, sometimes I want to be Jenna Lyons or Michelle Pfieffer in Scarface or maybe I’m having a hippy-boho moment… but for those times I just want to be goddess I bust out this hair style – Victoria Secret Hair.

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In college one of my roommates used to curl her hair daily and I didn’t understand how she had the time… until I discovered this hairstyle.  I literally can have curled, voluminous hair in under 10 minutes! Here’s how…

Prep. Use a volumizing shampoo/conditioner and blow dry hair.  Spray with a thermal protectant spray.

Blow Dry Hair

Step 1. Brush out your hair.  Brush Hair

Step 2. Clip up the top portion of your hair. 
Clip up hair

Step 3. Use a 1/4 inch barrel and curl away from your face (start 1/4 of the way down from your scalp).  1/4 Barrel Curling Iron

Step 4. Start curling at the top of the strand and work your way down (don’t curl from the end of your hair up) Hair Curling

Step 5. Let down the 2nd section of hair and continue to curl hair away from your face. Curl Away from Face

Step 6. Finish curling 2nd section (just make sure to curl away from your face on both sides) Finished Curls

Step 7. Tease your crown (I work in 3 sections, from back to front) Tease your Hair

Step 8. Curl top section of hair (make sure to start curl around eye level – don’t curl to root) Curl Crown of Hair Step 9. Curl the pieces around your face last (these are the most important!) Curl your Hair

Step 10. Add a little (or a lot) of hairspray and voila!!  Victoria Secret Hair

Looks

Fall Prep

November 5, 2013

I love the little luxuries in life (who doesn’t?!)… and a cashmere sweater and some sparkle never hurt anyone – enter my prep inspired weekend wear…

Cream SweaterSweater/Jacket/Top/Jeans/Flats/Purse/Sunglasses (on sale!)

Cashmere Sweater and Sparkle Top

These jeans have been my new go-to and I love that they seem to dress up a more causal look.  I also scored this men’s sweater and couldn’t be happier with the cozy fabric and forgiving cut (fall foods always result in me having to pull out my “roomier tops”… darn those pumpkin baked goods!)

Tory BurchI also am a huge fan of this Tory Burch Satchel.  It is the perfect size (can hold my camera along with my standard “purse necessities”) and has a removable strap which is great for when you need an extra hand 🙂

Preppy Outfit