Top Christmas Gift for Her

Looking for the Perfect Christmas Gift for that picky female on your list? Why not surprise her with a Professional Hair Straightening Iron? A hair iron is a great Christmas gift for any girl on your list. This versatile Hair Styling Tool can be used to flip and curl as well as straighten the hair making it one of the Best Christmas gifts for her.

Have a budget? No problem, check out the following Irons that match your budget;

Under $100

Karmin Titanium Hair Straightening Iron

Under $150

Farouk CHI Silver Nano Ceramic Flat Iron

3 Easy Tips for Better Hair Care

As they say,  most of the problems have really simple solutions. Ironically, we tend to look to complicate things. Hair care has some simple solutions on a long-term basis. Here are some tips on how to make your hair last longer, smell better, look like a million dollars and much more:

1. Use the right products : You thought that was obvious? Of course, it is. But it is often over-looked. If you have oily hair, you would do well to use products that are custom made for oily hair. Dry hair has a range of products best suited for this hair type. Not using the right products is disastrous for hair management.

2. Don’t Rub:Each time you take a shower, never do the mistake of rubbing your hair vigorously. Blot, instead. Gently pat your hair with a towel and that should do the job well enough. Also ensure that if you have dandruff and feel like scratching your scalp, do it with finger pads instead of using nails.

3. Use wide teethed combs:An average human already loses a lot of hair follicles per day and this is considered normal. But then, you don’t want to add to this, do you? Using tight-teeth and narrow-spaced teeth combs, you are just adding to the trouble of hair loss. Use wide teethed, well-spaced combs for everyday use and this should drastically reduce your hair loss.

Selecting The Right Hair Color

Changing your hair color can be a renewing confidence booster- or a complete disaster! Here are a few tips to ensure that you get a color you love:

• Think about how much time and money you want to invest in hair color maintenance. How often will the roots need touched up? Will my hair require extra conditioning treatments? Can the addition of highlights or lowlights make this color more manageable? The answers will vary depending on the color, technique, and how extreme the color change. Remember, you won’t love your hair if it feels like a hassle!
• Choose a color that is right for your skin tone. Warm tones bring out pink, so if you have redness to your skin, cool shades (like ash brown or champagne) may work best. For olive toned or ashy skin, warm golden tones or reds work well.
• If you do decide on red, choose coppery reds instead of bluish reds- they yield a more natural look. Be aware that red is the most susceptible to fading and most difficult color to maintain.
• Once you pick a color, bring pictures! Don’t depend on word descriptions to get your stylist on the same page. No one wants an Espresso that’s too black, or a Cinnamon that’s more “fire engine”.

Smoother Than A Shave

Forget about nicks, cuts and stubble- there’s no chance of anything but smooth, hair free skin with Veet Hair Removal System ($8.99). The hair removal gel cream helps break down the hair gently, without irritating your skin. Included is a bladeless razor with a built in soothing aloe vera strip, which removes the disintegrated hair quickly and painlessly. Apply the gel cream in a thick layer to skin, leaving on three to six minutes. Then, just use the bladeless razor like a normal razor to remove hair. As easy as shaving, without the nasty side effects!

You Can Help Locks of Love!

Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces (made of donated hair) to children suffering from medical hair loss. If donating your hair is not an option, there are other, simple ways you can help this group enhance the self-esteem of these children:

• Hold your own Locks of Love event
• Become a Locks of Love participating salon
• Buy “Curly”, the Locks of Love Bear, from CharityBear.com. 10% of the proceeds (or $1.00 from the sale of each bear) go to Locks of Love.
• Shop at retailers who support Locks of Love. Albertson’s will donate 1% of the first $50,000 spent and 5% on everything when shoppers use their Locks of Love Community Partners key tag (available by sending your name and address to volunteers@locksoflove.org).
• Buy your next dryer or flat iron from MyHairStylingTools.com- a donation is made to Locks of Love for every sale!

Which Hollywood Hairstyle Is For You?

Wondering what your favorite celebrity’s hairstyle would look like on you? With new styles added monthly, inStyle’s Hollywood Hair Virtual Makeover lets you test drive the latest styles before you hit the salon! Choose from hairstyles from stars such as Claire Danes, Angelina Jolie, Victoria Beckham Hayden Panettiere, and more. Use one of your own personal photos, or select a model that is closest to your face shape and skin color. Each hair style can be adjusted, so you can also try a limitless combination of hair color, highlights, and lowlights! Save your pictures, email them to friends, and print them out to take with you to the salon when you find the perfect style!

Celeb-Worthy Salons in NYC

Next time you’re in the Big Apple, treat your hair to a privileged experience at a celebrity hotspot for hair care. Appointments are difficult to get, but it’s worth a try at these salons that have put themselves on the maps of the most gorgeous stars:

John Frieda Salon, Madison Avenue
Head colorist and Sharon Dorram-Krause has colored Renee Zellweger, Uma Thurman, Kate Winslet and more. Call the salon to book an appointment with this “Color Genius”!
April Barton’s Suite 303
This haven for rocker hair care couldn’t be in a more perfect place- the Chelsea Hotel. Clients include Elvis Costello, Eddie Vedder, Oasis and U2. Cuts range in price from $50 to $120. Call for appointments and other pricing.
Garren New York
A leader in his trade, Garren has been working hair magic for over two decades. His list of clients includes Oprah Winfrey, Madonna, Nicole Kidman, a slew of supermodels, and even the iconic Audrey Hepburn. Located at the Fifth Avenue Sherry Netherland Hotel (pictured), this salon is the best of the best for the star treatment in NYC.

Say Goodbye to Pins, Hello to Hair Thread

Paula Patrice noticed a trend as she traveled the world modeling for top designers and retailers- simple thread was being used to hold hair in place and create unique, intricate hair styles. She created Hair Thread to bring this trend closer to home. This versatile tool replaces bobby pins, elastic, head bands, and every other hair accessory you’ve used with sturdy, specially designed thread. The Hair Thread Mix-n-Match Kit ($24.00) is a great way to get started. The kit contains three spools of thread in the colors of your choice, three standard needles, comb and a pro-clip. If you’ve never used Hair Thread, the step-by-step instruction booklet introduces you to the technique and helps you put a new twist on your hair style.

Fit For An “Eyebrow King”!

The Damone Roberts Brow Kit ($150.00) is the absolute, most complete kit for brow maintenance! Included are Damone’s specially designed, calibrated tension tweezers with customized slanted tip for ultimate comfort, precision and control; scissors, sharpener, brow gel, and two brow brushes (angled and smudge); and brow highlighter and brow pencil in your choice of colors. If you’re no brow-grooming professional, this kit is truly a no-brainer- as an added bonus, Damone includes some of his best, helpful brow tips. Let the “Eyebrow King” help you take the guesswork out of eyebrow grooming with his collection of professional products.

Make Your Own Sugaring Hair Removal Paste

Nervous about the mystery ingredients in hair removal products, or trying to find something less harsh for your sensitive skin? A do-it-yourself sugaring paste may be the answer! With just a few ingredients found around the kitchen, you can make a cheap, effective, and skin-safe mixture to remove your nuisance hair.

• Combine two cups of sugar, 1/4 cup lemon juice (for it’s exfoliating and antiseptic properties) and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan on low to medium heat. Stir continuously until the sugar turns dark brown.
• Pour the mixture into a thick, heat-safe plastic container. Let it cool until it’s spreadable, but still somewhat warm. If it does cool too much, re-heat in the microwave for a few seconds.
• Gather a tongue depressor and cloth or disposable strips. Spread a thick layer of the paste onto skin using the tongue depressor, the size of one strip.
• Immediately apply the cloth strip, pressing down in the direction of hair growth to smooth.
• Hold one end of the strip firmly, then pull the strip off in the opposite direction of hair growth. If hair is not completely removed, wipe area clean of paste and repeat.

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