Get Straight Hair Without The Damage

Kiss those summer beach waves goodbye—straight hair is having a major moment this fall. But before you fry your ends with a flat iron, know that there’s a better way to get sleek strands with less damage. Here are some quick tips to save you time, energy and split ends.

The Blow Dyer — Your New BFF
With the right products and tools, you won’t need to flat iron after you blow dry–which means you’ll cut the amount of time you expose strands to heat.

Prep damp hair with a product like Bumble and Bumble Straight Blow Dry ($28, bumbleandbumble.com), which has a gel-like consistency that helps loosen your hair’s natural curves. (A similar product we love: Fekkai Coiff Controle Ironless Straightening Balm ($25, Beauty.com).)

Add an anti-frizz serum, such as Yes To Carrots Anti-Frizz Serum ($7.99, Yestocarrots.com), if your texture is coarse or prone to flyaways. This 99 percent natural cream uses avocado and mango butter to naturally soften and tame strands. And be thorough: “Frizz can be reduced by making sure the hair is completely dry before leaving the house,” says Harmonie Redman, a stylist at NYC’s Butterfly Studio Salon.

If you’re going for a pin-straight look, use a flat brush to blow out hair. Want a little movement and volume? Opt for a round brush. The bigger the brush, the bouncier the blowout.

Finish off with hairspray, like TIGI Catwalk Sleek Mystique Look-Lock Hairspray ($21, Drugstore.com), which has a blend of honeysuckle and lychee to resist humidity and keep locks sleek.

Enjoy Straight Strands For Days
Now that you’ve got those straight locks, focus on making them last—after all, fewer blowouts means less damage in the long run. Swap your daily moisture-stripping wash for dry shampoo, like Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo Spray ($21, Beauty.com).

To prevent frizz and static during sleep hours, switch to a silk pillowcase. Silk prevents split ends, doesn’t tangle hair like cotton (cotton actually tugs at individual strands, causing breakage), and even helps reduce the production of sebum, decreasing the chance of greasy hair.

And most importantly, hands off. “Avoid touching your hair frequently, as that can create friction,” Redman explains.

If You Must…Still can’t resist the flat iron? At least protect your hair. “Look for a treatment-based product, such as Kérastase Fibre Architecte ($42, Kerastase-usa.com), to apply to dry hair when using hot irons to insure optimal hair health. This not only protects your hair from the heat but also promises healthier hair over time, as the heat actually helps the nourishing ingredients penetrate deep into the cuticle layer of your hair.”

Will you forego the straightener for healthier, happier strands?

This 20-Minute Workout Beats an Hour on the Treadmill

 Photo Courtesy of Lululemon

Lazy? No way. There’s a new reason to spend less time at the gym, and it’s a good one: New research shows that you can get just as effective of a workout in 20 minutes as you can in over an hour.

According to my new favorite book, The First 20 Minutes by “Phys Ed” columnist for The New York Times Gretchen Reynolds, working out for four to six four-and-a-half and a half minutes at an intense pace is equivalent to a steady pace of 90 to 120 minutes of exercise. Crazy, right?!

The Workout

A group of college students rode a stationary bike for 90 to 120 minutes at a steady pace while another group performed short intervals of 20 to 30 seconds and then rested for four minutes. They repeated this cycle four to six times for a total of two to three minutes of intense exercise.

The Results

After two weeks of repeating these exercises, both groups saw similar results; they increased their endurance and physical fitness. But surprisingly, working out for a longer period of time didn’t increase their results at a greater level.

Now It’s Your Turn

Sticking to just cardio may not be the best bang for your time. “When you have limited time, choosing between cardio and resistance training is a mistake,” Travis Steffen, a Strength and Condition Specialist and founder of  Workoutbox.com, told us. “Instead, combine the two. With an intense manual resistance circuit with very little rest between exercises, you can get both resistance training and cardio done in one shot.” Check out a 20-minute workout he provided that will get you results…and fast. All you need is a pair of dumbbells!

Dumbbell Saigon Squat
Three to Five Reps

Twisting Pushup
10 Reps

Prisoner Pause Squats
20 Reps

Speed Squats
10 Reps

Vertical Jumps
8 Reps

The Emmys Best (and worst!) Beauty Looks

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The best remedy for a high-profile breakup? A gown that shows off your best assets. Knock ‘em dead, ladies. Try On Emmy Hairstyles In The Virtual Makeover Studio!

 

As if her enormous neck bow wasn’t enough, Ashley Judd had to go and show up in a Bride of Frankenstein updo. Yikes! Try On Emmy Hairstyles In The Virtual Makeover Studio!

Fall’s Hottest Nail Polish

Summer has come and gone, as have all those neon nail lacquers. Now we’re switching up our manis with these fall nail trends — some obvious, like deep reds, and others not so much, like pearly white. (We’ve always thought wearing white after Labor Day was a fashion faux-pas that just had to be broken.)

Rich jewel tones were all over the fall runways, such as at Karen Walker’s show where models nails were polished with CND Midnight Sapphire ($9, Cnd.com). Other jewel tones we’re loving: Estée Lauder Black Turquoise ($20, Saksfifthavenue.com), MAC Gadabout Girl ($16, Maccosmetics.com), and Essie Stylenomics ($8, Essie.com).

Although light lacquers are typically associated with spring, pale nudes and even white are getting some play this fall. Use these simple, chic colors to accompany fall’s bolder trends, such as a dark lip or cat-eye. Shades we recommend: OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls ($7.25, opi.com), Chanel Frenzy ($26, Chanel.com) and Nails Inc. Jermyn Street ($9.50, Sephora.com).

Gold and silver were two of the hottest colors this summer, thanks to the Olympics, and they aren’t going anywhere. If you’re into a bold mani, but like us, you don’t have the ambidexterity to tackle nail art, metallics are a smart option. Add these to your collection: Tom Ford Dominatrix ($30, Neimanmarcus.com), Butter London Shag ($14, Butterlondon.com), and Sonia Kashuk Dime A Dozen ($4.99, Target.com)

The French manicure has gone through so many transformations in recent years. This season, try a neutral base and dark tip, like the mani models wore at Donna Karan’s fall runway show. More combinations we’re dying to try: Julep Otte ($14, Trinaturk.com) with CND Bloodline ($9, Cnd.com) and Deborah Lippmann Modern Love ($16, Lippmanncollection.com) with Zoya Diva Collection Song ($8, Zoya.com). And since gray is a huge color this season (not just because of Fifty Shades of Grey), you have to try gray on gray. We love China Glaze on Safari Elephant Walk ($5.99, Enailsupply.com) as the base and Nars Storm Bird ($18, Sephora.com) as the tips. Understated and classy.

Which trend is your favorite?

Top 10 Casual Updos

Nothing says “confidence” like rocking an updo. A voluminous topknot elevates a simple jean and t-shirt look and a sleek pony can add a chic touch to your cocktail dress. Our friends at the Daily Makeover have pulled together their favorite 10 dressed down ‘dos and letting you in on the secrets of how to achieve them at home!

Kendall Jenner

Kendall’s updo is quite chic and actually very simple to recreate. Pull hair back into a ponytail, braid the hair hanging down, and wrap it around your elastic to create a bun, and voila!

Ali Landry

We love this voluminous updo on Ali Landry. You can get the same great look by pulling hair back into a ponytail. Pull the end of the ponytail straight up, and use a brush to brush downward toward the scalp. Do this all away around the ponytail to create volume. Wrap the ponytail around the elastic and secure with bobby pins. Use a texturizing gel, like Shu Uemura Yokan Craft ($38, Shuuemuraartofhair-usa.com), to slick back any flyaways.

Date Night Makeup No-Nos

You finally scored a date with that special somebody (yes!), and you have to find the perfect I-look-this-good-without-trying outfit. What you wear is important, but we’ll argue that the right beauty look is just as significant. Some makeup, like a red lip, is great for a girl’s night out, but for a date? Not so much. We spoke to celebrity makeup artist, Carmindy, to find out what you should be wearing on your special night, from skin to lips, to ensure your date leaves wanting more.

Daily Makeover: What’s the most important thing a girl should remember when applying makeup for date night?
Carmindy: I would say the number one thing women need to know when they’re going on a date, when it comes to wearing makeup, is less is more. Guys don’t want a girl that’s wearing a ton of makeup, because it looks like they’re insecure and they’re hiding something.

DM: What do you think date night makeup should look like?
C: What I always try to teach women to do is my “five-minute face.” The five-minute face basically accentuates your natural beauty without making it look like you’re wearing any makeup—it’s almost like you’re glowing from within.

DM: Let’s start with skin. How should you prep your date night face?
C: So the first thing you want to do is even out your skin tone. Do this with a little liquid foundation and use a non-latex sponge. This will allow it to blend into your skin, without looking like you’re wearing anything at all. Then you want to give yourself a sort of luminous glow.

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DM: What’s your trick to a “luminous glow”?
C: One thing is for sure, you don’t want to use glitter. Glitter makes it look like you’re trying too hard. Instead, apply a shimmery highlighting cream in three key places: right underneath the eyebrow, the inside corner of the eyes, and on top of the cheekbones.  My favorite cream highlighter is the Fresh Satin Luster Face Palette ($45, Sephora.com), because it looks like nothing but your natural glow-y skin.

DM: Love. Anything else we need to know about skin?
C: Yes. Lastly, dust a light transition powder just to set your makeup—so nothing that has color in it, nothing that’s opaque, nothing that’s going to add another extra chalky layer. Whatever you do, do not take a sponge and wipe across your compact and then smear it across your face. That just makes your skin look cakey. Instead, take a fluffy powder brush and lightly sweep it across your compact, then dust it on your face.

DM: OK, that sounds easy enough. What about your eyes?
C: There’s a really easy way to do eyes for a date so it doesn’t look like you’re trying to hide anything. Define your upper lash line with a little bit of liner, and to really make your eyes pop, use an eyeliner color opposite to your iris color, which makes your eyes stand out. Just add a smidge along your upper lash line, as close to the roots as possible, so you don’t really see it. It’s just kind of giving the illusion of a thicker-looking lash line with a hint of color. Then definitely use black mascara on the top and bottom lashes for a flirty look.

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DM: It’s the end of the night, and you want a kiss. What should you be wearing on your lips?
C: When it comes to lips, stay away from lip gloss, because guys do not want to kiss you if you’re wearing lip gloss. And you want to stay away from any dark shades, or any bold colors, like red. When you’re on a first date with a guy, it’s more about connecting with the person and less about putting on your bright red lipstick so you can look super cool.

I always recommend a tinted lip balm, like Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment ($22.50, Fresh.com), because it’s got like a little hint of rose to it. This will leave you with a soft lip and just a hint of color—it’s not going to be scary for a guy.

DM: Fair enough. So have you ever gone on a first date and just overdone it with the makeup?
C: Me? Never. I’m a professional.

DM: Any other words of wisdom when it comes to date night makeup?
C: The key is confidence, especially when going on a first date. You want to make it look like you don’t have a care in the world, that makeup is not important to you. That’s what’s going to get across more on a first date, not “Oh she’s wearing cat eyes and a nude lip. That’s really hot right now.” Guys don’t care about that.

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We always love a bold lip for a night out, but perhaps that’s more appropriate with friends or a longtime boyfriend. As cute as Kim Kardashian looks with a red pout and dark eye, natural makeup, a-la Katharine McPhee, is what’s really hot.

Now we want to hear from you: What are your date-night makeup tips? Follow us on Twitter @DailyMakeover to get Carmindy’s latest beauty tips!

The Best Brushes For Your Hairstyle

It’s no secret that great products can make or break a hairstyle. But did you know that using the perfect hairbrush can do more than half the work? The right brush can give you mega volume, eliminate frizz, or turn your locks into one silky, straight creation. We spoke to Nexxus Creative Director Kevin Mancuso, who gave us the 411 on hairbrushes, to make sure we never use the wrong brush again.

1. To Neaten Curly Or Kinky Hair

When it comes to tight curls, the trick to smoothing out your locks is to loosen things up. “If you have tight curls or curls with a lot of kink, the wider you’ll want the spaces between bristles,” Kevin said.

He recommends Denman Classic Styling Brushes ($10.75, Soap.com) with six to nine rows of bristles. “These brushes feature white, nylon pin-like bristles,” Kevin said. “It is great for most hair textures, except fine or thin textures or hair that has low density.”

2. To Get Sleek, Straight Hair

My heart goes out to the big-haired girl who wants a sleek, straight look. It can be near impossible to get a frizz-free blowout. “The best way to control a curl when manipulating it with a brush or your fingers is to first care for your hair with the right shampoo and conditioner, followed by styling products that form hair into brush-able curls,” Kevin said.

“For almost any hair type or length, the Denman Paddle Brush ($11.95, Folica.com) is great to help detangle hair and very easy to use” for a fast blow out—it creates a “smooth, sleek look,” Kevin said. “This brush is great for most hair types and textures, fine or thin hair textures, or hair that has low density.”

3. To Detangle (Wet) Hair

It’s not uncommon to step out of the shower with knotty, messy hair, and unless you’re Heidi Klum, brushing it out with your fingers is not an option. “Brushes that have wider spaced bristles are best to help detangle hair, however in some instances, a comb works best for detangling. Brushes that have natural bristles, flexible nylon bristles, padded/cushioned brushes and bristles are gentler on wet hair.”

One of his favorites? Mason Pearson Nylon & Boar Bristle Brushes ($115, Sleekhair.com), which are “medium cushion brushes with natural bristles and single nylon quills that provide good grip and control for smoothing hair.”

4. To Get More Voluminous Hair

Tired of the Jennifer Aniston look, and longing for body? There’s a brush for that. While big, round brushes are great for smoothing fly-aways, little, round brushes are the trick to adding more texture.

“In general, round brushes are best for adding shape and volume; the smaller the diameter of the brush, the more bend and wave you’ll add to the curl,” Kevin said. He really likes YS Park Brush ($44, Precisionshears.com) from Japan, because it has natural boar and nylon bristles that give a glossy look, without losing volume in your hair.

Knowing what brush to use is great, but there’s one question that still remains: How much do you need to spend on a brush?

Hairbrushes well over $100 (outrageous even for a beauty writer!) have crossed our desks, and while we were shocked at the price, we soon learned that you get what you pay for.

“I find that a quality brush is worth the investment—there is a noticeable difference in the way quality brushes are balanced,” Kevin said. “It’s easy to find a less expensive brush that ‘does the job,’ but most of those brushes use bristles that are either too flexible, bristles that are not flexible enough or lose their bristles.”

Is there a brush you’d swear by?

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Makeup Tips For Your Eye Shape

Applying shadow and eyeliner isn’t just about rocking the latest trends, it’s about understanding your eye shape too. Whether your eyes are deep set, close set or wide set, check out these tips to make the best of your makeup application.

Almond Eyes

Almond eyes are the ideal shape to work with because you can do almost anything with them. “You always want to take eyeliner from the inside corner, past the outside corner, wing it–just to draw attention to the beauty of that eye shape,” said makeup artist Susan Posnick. Her other tip is to use color eyeshadow on the top lid, as this will help open up the eye.

Deep Set Eyes

The goal with deep set eyes is to help pop them open with light colors. “Keep your light color on the lid so that you’re bringing the eye forward and keeping it open,” Susan said. “You could also apply a highlighting arch close to the lash line and use a warm color under the brow bone” to create a multi-dimensional look. Lastly, use a thin smudged line close to the lash line to make lashes look longer.

Close Set Eyes

The biggest trick with close set eyes it to keep the lightest colors on the inner corner of your eye. “You want to graduate your color from light to deep, going from inside to outside,” Susan said. “This is going to give the illusion that the eyes are further apart.” When it comes to liner, only swipe it across two-thirds of your eye, like Ginnifer Goodwin did, because it helps eyes look further apart.

Wide Set Eyes

According to Susan, who’s applied shadow to models and celebrities everywhere, wide set eyes are the easiest eyes to work with. You can line them anyway you like, much like an almond-shaped eye. “Most people are afraid of deeper color in the inside corner, but you can do that with a wide set eye,” Susan said. “It can make the nose look more angular and interesting.”

Hooded Eyes

A hooded eye is where you can barely see the lid, like Blake Lively’s eyes. With this shape, start by applying your warmer, contouring color on the base of your brow bone and blend it up to the eyebrow. Then take your lightest color right up underneath the brow, to create a shape. Lastly, apply that same light color, starting on your lid, and sweeping vertically. “With a hooded eye, people see your eyes horizontally,” Susan said. “When you apply shadow vertically you’re opening up the eyes.”

Prominent Eyes

With a prominent eye-shape, sometimes known as a bulging eyes, it’s best to stick to nudes and neutrals, Susan said. “You’re trying to softly recede a prominent eye, but if you go too dark it’s going to look too obvious, and if you go too light it’s going to look more bulging.” If you’re using bright colors, apply them below your bottom lashes so you’re creating a shift of focus. Susan also recommends skipping eyeliner and opting for false lashes instead. “When you have longer lashes, it will set the eye back.”

Droopy Eyes

Droopy eyes are when the outer corners of the eyes pull down–something that happens frequently with hooded eyes and in older women. “Keep the outside of the eye extra light, so the focus is upward,” Susan said. “With liner, I like to really extend it up and out, creating a cat eye of sorts, so that outside corner is pulled away from the eye completely and lifts it up.”

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5 Sexy Ways to Rock a Ponytail

A ponytail is the perfect summer hair solution to keep you feeling cool and looking hot. Get inspired by these celebs’ sexy summer ponies that are easy to style at home.

Diane’s Side Pony

A loose and low pony, like this one sported by Diane Kruger, looks effortlessly sexy. You can always jazz up the style with an accessory, like this black beret.

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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