Retro Sunglasses

This year summer hasn't really felt like summer. I spent all weekend thinking it over, and trying to pinpoint exactly what was missing and then it hit me.

I don't have a pair of sunnies that I love.

Don't follow in my footsteps, find yourself a pair that you can't live without. For me, it's these retro style Tom Ford's. The Astrid's are classic and cool and work perfectly with rounder faces.

I'm loving the tortoise shell, but even more so the cat eye shape. The perfect mix of modern and retro. Reminds me of Brigitte Bardot in Contempt, that 60's flair that just emanates sexiness.

The tortoise shell is perfect for Summer but you can transition right into Fall with the black version.

Pick them up at Bloomingdale's

Dry Shampoo

My ethnic hair tends to be really dry and brittle at the ends but super oily at the roots. It's frustrating having a greasy head but I don't want to wash daily and further damage my ends.

Enter dry shampoo.

Since discovering dry shampoo I wash my hair twice a week, and use dry shampoo to refresh it between washes. The powder absorbs any oils and leaves your hair smelling fresh. That is if it's a good product. In my search for the perfect dry shampoo, I've come across many that leave a dull residue in my hair, make my hair stiff as hell, or that run out with one use.

So....here's what I like :)

Cheapie pick-

Batiste Dry Shampoo; available at most drug stores $5.99-$7.99

I love this dry shampoo for a number of reasons. Not only does it work but it's cheap! Perfect for the budget conscious. It comes in 3 scents: Original (slightly chemical smelling), Blush (floral/powdery), and Tropical (Coconut). Does exactly what a dry shampoo should do. It leaves my hair smelling good and gives it some extra body. The only con is that it does leave a lot of gray/white residue which wouldn't be noticeable on lighter hair colors but with my jet black hair I have to spend a little extra time rubbing the product in and brushing it out. For the price, that extra 60 seconds is worth it.

Mid range-

Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo; available at Sephora $11

Make sure you get the bottled powder and not the spray. I've tried both and it seems like the spray goes a lot faster. It's also nice not surrounding yourself in a cloud of aerosol spray and just sprinkling a little powder onto your head. The powder does a great job of absorbing excess oils and leaves your hair with a light lemony scent.

Splurge-

Frederic Fekkai Au Naturel Dry Shampoo; available at Sephora $23

My favorite dry shampoo because of the all natural ingredients. Sulfate free, paraben free, dye free, made from cotton fiber, corn starch and rice starch. Like the previous product, this one is a powder you can shake onto your head. The powder is very fine, and doesn't show up stark white on brunettes. It does a great job of freshening up your hair but at the same time helps to prevent dirt buildup. I find this product I can use even less than I do most dry shampoos. If I'm going 3 days without a wet wash, Frederic Fekkai's dry shampoo can get me through day 2-3 with only 1 application. Worth the extra cash.

Besides just saving time, not washing your hair as often has many other benefits. You're not washing it, so obviously you aren't blow drying and flat ironing it. Reducing the amount of heat you use on your hair is going to make it softer and result in fewer split ends. You're also saving your color! Fewer washes is going to keep your color much, much longer. Especially if you're still using a sulfate based shampoo (bad news, switch asap!).

Denim on Denim

If you would have told me a year ago that I would be writing a post about how much I love the denim on denim trend, I would have laughed right in your face.

I am loving it. In fact it's casual Friday and I am sporting some denim on denim in the office.

A major throwback to the 90's (isn't everything these days?), the look is casual, understatedly cool, and just the right amount of masculine. All that said, if it's done incorrectly it's pretty bad. You do risk looking like Britney and Justin at the VMA's. We wouldn't want that, now would we?


Here are some rules to follow:


1. No belt, please. With a belt, the look goes from Runway Chic to Idaho truck driver.
2. Contrast in color: One piece should be a darker-hued denim. I’ll go a step further and say your bottom should be darker. Dark, crisp jeans are slimming and work perfectly for this look.
3. Remember that thing I said about ‘just the right amount of masculinity’? Well you can ruin that by pairing with the wrong accessories. Ditch your Frye boots for a pair of chunky wooden heeled sandals, throw on a pair of dangly earrings, or simply wear your shirt open one extra button and show off a lil glimpse of a pretty camisole.
4. Roll your sleeves up to lighten the look and highlight bare wrists with a bracelet or a cocktail ring.
A couple of my favorites-

J Crew

Gap

Levi's

Alexa Chung knows exactlty what I'm talking about.

Brow Zings

I don't just like Brow Zings.

I LOVE BROW ZINGS!
Hands down my favorite eyebrow product on the market (I prefer it to Anastasia kits)

It's a cute lil eyebrow kit from Benefit that will whip your brows into shape. I don't think most people realize how much impact your eyebrows have on your face and your over all look. Well groomed/defined eyebrows can transform your face and accentuate your features.

The kit includes a soft pigmented wax, a pigmented setting powder, 2 mini brushes (angled and blending) and mini tweezers. You use the wax to to shape and fill in the brows and then set them with the powder. The resulting look is defined, but natural looking and it doesn't smear or smudge. Because it is a moveable wax, it is also much more forgiving than a pencil. You can continue to build the color until you're happy with your results.

The product comes in 3 shades, Light (for blondes/light brown hair), Medium (medium brown/red heads) and Dark (Dark brown/black hair). I actually use 2 shades. The medium works perfectly even with my jet black hair during the day. It keeps my brows looking softer under the harsh flourescent lights in my office. Come night time....I vamp it up with Dark. Sultry, dark, defined brows and a little bit of blush and I'm ready for a night out.

I'm a fan of thick, dark, lush eyebrows ala Brooke Shields in the 80's- and while I know that not everyone is blessed with brows that naturally thick, Brow Zings can get you pretty damn close.

Pick it up at Sephora or Ulta!