The Best Prom Dresses, Hair & Makeup for 2013

Prom is just around the corner, are you going? Although I'm too old to attend prom, you can count me there to watch my little brother walk through the grand march. It seems like just yesterday I was the one going to Prom, now it's my baby brother! I'm super excited to see all of the couples but most of all the prom dresses. My brother's prom date won't show him her dress, she's making him wait until prom day to see it (sounds like a wedding huh?) All that he knows is that it is pink and orange.

Prom is all about "the dress" but it's important to remember hair and makeup too! You don't want to have a fabulous dress that doesn't go with your hair or makeup. The top trends of 2013 prom dresses, hair and makeup!

1. Winged Eyeliner: this is a huge hit! What I love about it isn't cakey, it shows off natural features vs. covering them up. 

2. Red Lips: adding a pop of color onto your lips is a big 2013 trend. If you aren't willing to take the red lip dare, go for a pretty fushia or pink.

3. Loose Updo With Braids: braids, loose curls and a boho bun are all the rage. Keep your hair looking fresh with natural braids and wave.

4. High Low Cut: the high/low skirt has taken off. A huge trend that is not only comfy but cute and shows off your shoes (who doesn't love that!?)

5. Ombre: ombre is a huge trend in hair, clothing  home decor, pretty much everywhere. This is a unique twist on the simple mono toned color dress. Adding just enough oomph for that special look. 

Hair Brushes Decoded

Does anyone else feel incredibly overwhelmed in the hair brush aisle? Or better yet, does anyone else have a constant debate over whether this is one or two words: "hairbrush" or "hair brush"? I decided on two, but PLEASE tell me if I'm wrong. Usually I'm the queen of grammar.

Anyway, I found this great visual aid on Pinterest while browsing around trying to look for some ideas on how I want to get my hair done when I go in next to see my hairstylist!

 A paddle brush is a great way to start. This is a fantastic brush if you have long hair, short hair, thin hair, thick hair, etc. I usually use a hair pick when I get out of the shower to detangle, but use a brush while I'm blow drying my hair to assist in styling. It makes such a difference! Check out the other great brushes and what they are used for. You may find exactly what your hair needs and what you've been searching for.

Ombre Hair is IN

I'm all about Fall fashion. It is my favorite time of the year and there is nothing about Fall that I don't like. There are so many great things about it that I really just can't get enough: the apple cider, football games, new fashion trends, Halloween, cool weather, and of course the copious amount of meals I make in the crock pot.

Anyway, I've been seeing this "ombre" look everywhere and I absolutely fell in love with it! This is a French trend (go figure, everything awesome starts there, they are the fashion capital of the world...) So many celebs are trying this out (think Khloe Kardashian). You can make this work whether you want to go bold or try something a little more nonchalant. Think of your job, too, before you go too bold! During the warmer months, go for lighter and brighter shades and in the colder months of winter, try out ash tones. Have fun with this and post some pics if you get this done--I'd love to see! 

A Great Way To Keep Your Hair Hydrated and Healthy

Fall is in full swing and I can't help my notice that everything is becoming extremely dry. The bad part is that this isn't even the worse of it yet--it will get much worse in the middle of winter. I'm dreading it, but I love the change of season! I've noticed it so far in my hair, nails and skin. I went out yesterday and loaded up on some Fall and Winter hair and skin care products. I purchased a cuticle moisturizer to keep my nails looking soft as well as some thick, creamy hand lotion. I also apply a foot cream and night and put socks on my feet to help the foot cream better absorb into my skin. I purchased the ingredients for an amazing do it yourself hair treatment. I do this every year and it works great!

All you need is 2 egg yolks with two tablespoons of olive oil. Mix the two together and add a cup of water. Add the treatment to your hair and massage it into your scalp. Wait 15-20 minutes and rinse well. This will result in softer, shinier hair that will look great, feel great and be healthier! 

Wake Up to Gorgeous Hair!

Now that school is starting again, time becomes more of an issue when it comes to your beauty routine. Now that my college classes have started back up again, I've started showering at night before bed which allows me at least another half hour of beauty sleep at night--which is very important when you're attending classes all day and taking tests, doing papers, and reading copious amounts of material. When I first started doing this, I didn't know what my hair was going to look like when I got up since I go to bed when it's wet. I found some great tips to share if you wash your hair at night to make sure it's ready to be styled in the morning!
I found these tips from Oprah.com!

Wake Up to More Volume

1. Spritz all over with a volumizing spray.
2. Pull it all into a high pony at your crown and twist the tail-winding it onto itself to create a loose bun. 
3. With a few long bobbies, pin the bun in place. 
4. In the morning, let your hair down and finger comb (using a brush creates frizz). 

Wake Up to Waves

1. Apply a light mousse from roots to ends.
2. From hairline to nape, divide your hair down the middle with a comb, separating it into two equal sections. 
3. Braid each side from the middle down. 
4. Secure the end of each braid with a metal-free elastic. 
5. Pull out the elastics or pins in the morning and unwind your hair. For a beachy effect, mist a salt spray all over your hair and scrunch with your hands. 

Wake Up to Less Frizz

1. Apply a light leave-in conditioner and use a wide-tooth comb to distribute it to your ends. 
2. Part your hair down the middle. Divide each side into three smaller sections. 
3. Starting at the bottom of one of the smaller sections, create a pin curl by wrapping the ends up and over two fingers as you would a foam roller and continue winding up toward your roots. (This prevents curls from tangling or catching on your pillow at night.) 
4. Slip your fingers out and secure the pin curl to your scalp using a clip. Then repeat steps three and four on the other five sections. 
5. Remove the clips in the a.m. and lightly spritz your hair with water to soften curls and eliminate static. 

DIY Dry Shampoo

Nothing makes my day worse than having a bad hair day. I feel like a complete slob walking around with bad hair. It sadly reflects on my attitude and I tend to just feel that nothing can go right!
Some days when I wake up late and I need a quick fix, I turn to dry shampoo. I use it a lot because I sleep in a lot! I found a fantastic recipe on Pinterest that has a quick and easy recipe for making my own dry shampoo. For those of you that don't know, dry shampoo is a shampoo that gets sprayed on your dry hair and doesn't need to be rinsed out. I usually spray it on my roots and then brush it through my hair to evenly distribute it. Grease usually hangs out in the roots of your hair and makes it impossible to style!
This make it yourself dry shampoo is easy to make and I love it because I know exactly what's in it! Combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, 4 tablespoons of water, and 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol into a spray bottle and shake it to mix the contents. Enjoy! Let me know how this works for you if you try it.

Hairstyle

Spring is just around the corner! I can feel it! I associate the word "spring" with fresh and new. I love trying new fashions, trends and a new haircut. It's so refreshing to start a new season feeling fresh and great.

I love this haircut! It frames the face and makes the neck look longer and leaner. The part adds a unique touch by adding volume and spark. I also like the bangs. The added length of the hair in front looks great as well!

The same hairstyle isn't great for everyone, so I like to search online for hairstyles. I can print off pictures that way and bring them to my hairstylist. This way, there's no confusion!

Feather Headbands

I'm loving anything feather right now. It's trendy and hot in the fashion world. Whether it be feather earrings, extensions, headbands, clips-ins, or anything else--I love it and I want it! Right now, I'm wanting to maximize my collection of feather headbands and I found just the place to do it!

This site has the best selection and is approximately one third of the retail price (they run around $5.95 and are retailed at about $14.95). If you team up with your friends and want to get three of the same style, you can get each piece for just $3.95. What a great deal!

Each of the many accessories that you find here comes with a black metal headband that the feather accessory slides onto. Good luck just choosing one or two--there's so many I love that I'm ordering five of them! Also--there's free shipping on any order over $65 so take advantage of that great deal as well.

Fishtail Braid

A fishtail braid is a unique and fun way to braid your hair! It differs from your run-of-the-mill braid that you're accustomed to seeing. It also looks very cute the next day when you take it out, as it makes soft waves in your hair that look different than the waves from a regular braid. Hopefully this picture is enough help to learn how to do this. If you're needing more assistance, there's many YouTube videos that offer tutorials.