8 Ponytails We Want Now

We’re addicted to combing through Instagram in search of real girls rockin’ some awesome hairstyles. This time, we went on the mission to find super cute, fun, flirty ponytails. Here are 8 that made us say, “Let’s try it tonight!”

Waterfall Ponytail

Summer is on its way and you know what that means? No longer is the ponytail reserved for rainy days and late mornings, but is a carefree go-to. Here are some ponies we stumbled upon on Instagram to get you inspired to ditch the curls and go for the pony! This waterfall braid, held together in a pony by Hairpics has had us practically drooling. As long as you know how to do the waterfall braid, we promise it’s easy to recreate!

Get The Look: The Waterfall Braid

Top 10 Quick And Easy Hairstyles

Summertime should be about carefree beauty… no one wants to be a slave to their blow dryer or flatiron in the hot weather! Try these celeb-inspired dos that are quick and easy to style, but look super chic.

When we’re racing out the door, we love to add a small headband braid for a more put-together look. The key is to french braid the small section on the hairline and then braid the rest down to line the face. Use a sea salt spray such as John Masters Organics Sea Mist Sea Salt Spray with Lavender ($16.50, beauty.com) to get those beachy waves.

Hair How To: Headband Braids

How To Make Your Hair Grow Longer

Long hair is one of the most sought-after styles for women. Are we really surprised, though? From a young age, girls are taught that a good head of hair can not only land you a prince, it can save your life (Thanks, Rapunzel!). In many cases, though, long hair is easier said than grown, so we turned to some of the leading stylists to get their tips for growing long, luscious strands.

Schedule Regular Trims:

You should make an appointment to see your stylist every six to eight weeks for a trim. According to Fernando Salas, creator of White Sands Hair Care, “Split ends and damaged cuticles will cause your hair to appear thinner with that unwanted ‘stringy’ look. Long hair should always be thick and not weaken toward the ends.”

You will most likely only need to cut 1/2 an inch at each hair appointment, but if this tip seems counter-productive to your goal, then remember this fact from Danielle Bucco-Regazzi, Farouk Systems Creative Artist, “Healthy hair grows faster than dead hair!”

Once you’ve gotten a trim, make sure to use a leave-in serum, like White Sands The Cure 24/7 ($29.99, Whitesandsproducts.com) or TRESemmé Split Remedy Sealing Serum ($5.49, Walgreens.com). This will help further restore your hair and prevent split ends.

Cool it! “I always recommend clients wash their hair with lukewarm water, and then for their final rinse, to use cool water,” says Bucco-Regazzi. “Using cool water will help to seal the cuticle as well as leave the hair shiny. I would not advocate using hot water, because it tends to weaken the hair, often allowing the hair to fall out at a faster rate.”

Take Care Of Your Hair:

Bucco-Regazzi also recommends going to the salon once or twice a week for a deep-conditioning treatment, but if this isn’t in your budget, try an at-home treatment, like CHI Rx Moisture Therapy Conditioner ($8.99, Drugstore.com). Not only does this conditioner feed your hair vitamins to make it stronger and resilient to damage, but it helps keep hair looking shiny.

Salas also suggests that the way you comb your hair can hurt or help it. He says, “Make sure to use a wide tooth bone comb, detangling your hair from the bottom and slowly working your way up since hair is in its most delicate state wet. This will prevent unnecessary breakage from occurring.”

And since you’ll still want your hair to look picture-perfect while growing it out, you will probably be reaching for those heated styling tools. Founder and CEO of Hair Room Service, Michael Duenas, suggests you “use products that are heat protectants, so when you are using styling tools in your hair, it will not be damaged by the heat.” He recommends using Amika Obliphica Oil ($34, Sephora.com). Another great product that works with heat to nourse is Dove Thermal Replenishment Spray ($4.49, Walgreens.com). And when you can avoid using heat on your hair, do it, says Duenas. “The absence of heat will help your hair retain more moisture and stay stronger and healthier.”

Healthy Hair Starts From The Inside:

Ever heard people recommend prenatal vitamins for stronger hair and nails? Turns out it’s true! “After about a month of taking these supplements you will notice a huge change in the rate of growth in your hair,” says Duenas. “Having and maintaining a healthy diet, rich in nutrients, will affect how your hair grows as well. Keep in mind what you add to your body for fuel, aids to the beauty of your skin and hair!”

It seems like the real hurdle to long hair, though, is patience. It’s that in-between length that sends us back to the salon chair for a shorter ‘do. With these tips and products, we might actually get the extra long hair we’ve been craving. Are you growing out long hair?

by Megan Segura

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• Try On Long Hairstyles In The Makeover Studio!

DailyMakeover.com from Makeover Solutions, Inc., is the web’s leading beauty information site, providing virtual makeover technology and content for women to create personalized makeovers. DailyMakeover.com’s virtual Makeover Studio enables users to see themselves wearing numerous hairstyles, makeup shades and fashion accessories to create their best makeovers, which can be saved, printed, or emailed. DailyMakeover.com is headquartered in New York City.

DIY: How to Get the Hottest Braided Hairstyles Spotted on Celebs and their Kids

Braids are one of the hottest trends these days, and nowhere is that trend more apparent than in Hollywood! Celebrity moms like Jennifer Garner and Jada Pinkett Smith are sporting braids of all varieties, and their daughters are taking note. Mini fashionistas like Violet Affleck and Ava Phillippe are copying their A-list moms and rocking braids, too.

Top 10 Braided Hairstyles

Plaits, fishtails, French. When did braids become so versatile? Stars have been sporting braids on the red carpet non-stop this awards season, and we’ve rounded up our favorites. Grab a brush and get inspired!

Elizabeth Olsen

The youngest Olsen has style wisdom beyond her years. Lizzy’s braid is the perfect example of understated elegance, with loose strands and side placement adding an extra touch of casual chic. For a look like hers, create a deep side part and gather hair into a ponytail over your right ear. Loosely braid the ponytail, and leave a few face framing strands free.

Renee Bargh

Think Renee Bargh’s SAG Awards hairstyle is too complicated to try at home? Think again. Beauty meccas like Sephora are selling faux-hair headbands perfect for slipping on over any updo or half-up style.

Try on braided hairstyles in the Makeover Studio!

Get The Hottest Oscar Hairstyles At Home

by Megan Segura

We finally made it the most glamorous awards show of the year: the Oscars! Just as we expected, we saw some gorgeous gowns and amazing hairstyles. While we can’t help you score a vintage Dior dress, we have great tips to get your hair looking red-carpet ready. Wella Professionals was responsible for some of the best looks of the night, and now their celebrity stylists are sharing their tips on how they created these hot Hollywood hairstyles.

Michelle Williams
Michelle’s pixie is very modern and sophisticated chic. The hair has just enough texture to make the look sweet, yet edgy.

To Get The Look: First, start by applying Sebastian Professional Mousse Forte to wet hair, then allow it to air dry. With a small round brush, finish off with a blow dry that gives the hair more height, then use your hands to set the part and bangs. Finish the look with Wella Professionals Stay Essential Finishing Spray to set in place.

9 Cool Beauty Looks from Fashion Week

As much as we love checking out all of the new collections designers roll out, when you have backstage access it’s all about the beauty! The world’s best hair stylists and sought after make-up artists create the fabulous looks we see on the runway that set the trends for real life. Here are our picks of the coolest hair and make-up looks during New York Fashion Week.

2012 Oscar Hair Predictions From The Pros

Hollywood’s “Night of Nights” is right around the corner, and while we don’t know who will take home the oh-so-coveted Oscar Awards, we do know that all you beauty junkies out there will be mentally casting your vote for Oscar superlatives – who has the best dress, the best accessories and of course… who has the best hair?

We spoke with the pros at Wella Professionals, the hair brand who has a very impressive roster of red carpet hair under their belt already from this season, including Madonna, Michelle Williams, Claire Danes, Emma Stone, Zoe Saldana, Emily Blunt and Shailene Woodley, to get the inside scoop on what hair looks will heat up the red carpet this Sunday.

Graceful Sheen
“We will see a peak in fluid textures and warm tones that suggest effortless elegance and healthy, shiny hair that shows a lot of movement and bounce,” states Wella Professionals Color Ambassador Aura Friedman. “Expensive and Luxurious are words you could use to explain this look – maximize this effect by asking your colorist to use Wella Professionals Haircolor to give you a soft shade with warm undertones that will best complement your skin tone.”

Aura recommends her A-list clientele use Wella Professionals Brilliance Shampoo and Conditioner, which is designed to seal in color while leaving locks irresistibly smooth to the touch.

“Wella Professionals Velvet Amplifier is a red-carpet favorite,” adds Celebrity Stylist Andy LeCompte, “that smoothes the hair surface so it can better prepare the hair for styling.” Andy also uses Wella Professionals Shimmer Delight Shine Spray on his clientele to create the most sheen and expensive looking finish to any end look.

Angelic Side-Chignons
LeCompte predicts that celebs will lean toward classic styles with a play on texture and symmetry. “There will be a lot of deep side parts and loose ponys, bobs and chignons tied to the side.” This style can be customized to accentuate any gown, face shape or hair accessory. “It also lessens the stuffiness of that prom feeling and adds a more up-to-date, laissez-faire feeling.

The options here are endless, but no matter the look, you can use Wella Professionals products to perfect the end look. Apply 3-5 pumps of Wella Professionals Velvet Amplifier hair primer to create an even surface on each and every hair follicle before drying the hair, creating a foundation for the most luxurious looking end-look. To keep a style looking fresh yet modernly undone, use a light-hold hairspray such as Wella Professionals Stay Essential Finishing Spray to hold the hair while keeping an overall sense of liquid movement.

The red carpet arrivals of the 84th Annual Academy Awards®, will be airing February 26th on NBC. Be sure to join Wella Professionals on Twitter and Facebook LIVE during the red carpet arrivals (between 4pm and 7pm EST), along with their special guest panel of hair pros Aura Friedman, Rick Wellman and Mark Garrison to get tips, tricks and commentary on the hair looks of the evening.

Can’t wait till then? Visit the red carpet tab on Wella’s Facebook page for tips and leave questions for their experts to answer.

 

DailyMakeover.com from Makeover Solutions, Inc., is the web’s leading beauty information site, providing virtual makeover technology and content for women to create personalized makeovers. DailyMakeover.com’s virtual Makeover Studio enables users to see themselves wearing numerous hairstyles, makeup shades and fashion accessories to create their best makeovers, which can be saved, printed, or emailed. DailyMakeover.com is headquartered in New York City.

10 Trends To Toss & Keep For 2012

Keep: Ombré Highlights

OK, so ombré’s been around for awhile–but there’s a reason why: The two-toned look works on anyone. Whether it’s golden streaks like Rachel Bilson’s, or warm caramel highlights for a blondie, the ombré look is great for enhancing hair color without the commitment of a full dye job. This is one hair trend we won’t might bringing into the New Year.

Toss: Half-Buzzed Hairstyles

Half-buzzed hairstyles certainly had their moment this year. From Cher Lloyd to singer Cassie to Project Runway winner Anya Ayoung-Chee, it seemed like the shaved ‘do popped up just about everywhere. Unfortunately the half-buzzed hair, looked just that: half-done. Leave it in 2011.

Win 3 Drybar Blowouts

If you’ve ever faced the debacle of paying a fortune for a sleek blowout at a fancy salon or going the cheap route and getting less than perfect results, Drybar is here to solve all of your problems. A salon that does, as they put it, “No cuts. No color. Just blowouts” for a flat rate of $40 in New York (and $35 everywhere else), Drybar makes the errand of going to the salon for a wash-and-blowdry a truly enjoyable experience. Their “menu” includes bar-themed styles including the Manhattan (classic blow-out), Straight-up (smooth and sleek), Southern Comfort (big hair), Cosmo (sexy waves) and Mai-tai (beach hair) among others.

Check out my interview with Drybar founder Alli Webb:

To add to the fun, Drybar plays chick flicks, has an assortment of candies to indulge in, phone charging stations and refreshing spa water. All of the stylists give killer head massages, too! They even have an iPhone app for booking.

Drybar just opened up in NYC and already has locations in LA, San Francisco, Dallas and Atlanta. They also just teamed up with reality TV star Bethenny Frankel’s Skinnygirl Margarita to style up the Skinnygirl ponytail: a high pony with a flip.

“Like us” on Facebook to win 3 Drybar Blowouts!