5 Old-Fashioned Beauty Secrets That Actually Work

When it comes to beauty, maybe we should all be listening to our grandmothers more. Because while some of the beauty practices popular in the past were notoriously dangerous (ahem, lead white foundation), many of the simple, natural treatments women favored are not only useful, but pretty darn smart as well. So how can you amp up your beauty routine the easy, inexpensive way your gran would have? To find out, just keep reading.

• Sleep on silk or satin pillowcases. Yes, they feel fancy, but they also don't absorb moisture like cotton, and they're smoother. That means that your skin and hair don't lose as much hydration overnight, and that there aren't as many rough spots for your hair to catch on, which reduces breakage.
• Braid your hair before bed. This is another breakage preventer, and it also works when you're exercising or growing out bangs.
• Use plasters to help prevent and lessen wrinkles. Annie's talked about Frownies, the modern-day inheritors to old-fashioned facial plasters. These strips work because on your face, the muscles are attached directly to your skin. So when you use a plaster to flatten your skin out, it also "relaxes" wrinkles.
• Stick your nails in a lemon. Cutting a lemon in half and shoving your nails into it may seem a little silly, but it's actually a really easy way to whiten the tips and soften your cuticles. You can also use half an orange to soften up skin on your knees and elbows.
• Use beer as a clarifier. If my gran was recommending this, I would assume it was just an excuse to drink. But yeasty, hops-filled beer (think Guinness, not an IPA) helps pump up your hair shaft, giving you extra volume. And the acid in it helps remove product buildup to make your hair all shiny.
Source: Thinkstock

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How to Grow Out Your Bangs

So you got bangs, but now you’re kinda sick of them right? Well you might be thinking : ” Great! Now I have to wait months and months for them to grow out!” Not true! There are actually specific things you can do to grow out your bangs faster than you ever thought! Plus, bangs are so last season! Celebs are now trading in their bangs for loose updos and longer, side-swept bangs. Here’s how!

Buy a stretchy hairband. Getting a chic, fashionable hairband is a great idea because it can be worn at any stage of the regrowth process. Put it right at your hairline, or push it back a little further to grab and hold any strays.

Use hairspray. Using hairspray will keep your bangs back as well as any flyaways. So if you’re sick of having them in your face, use some bobby pins to pin back the hair and follow up with some hairspray.

Do different parts. You can always experiment with different parts, which is probably the best way to grow out your bangs. You can divide your bangs right down the middle and use bobby pins to make them stay put, or use some gel to slick them straight back off the forehead for a chic, no-part look.

Be patient. Although these tips will keep your hair away from your forehead and speed the growth process, it will still take time. If you just got bangs and you’re already thinking about trading them in, wait for about 3 weeks, after which the hair will be more easier to style.

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Get a Messy Bun

Sexy, messy buns are extremely hot right now, and so easy to pull off. Perfect for bad hair days, lazy days, and pretty much any day you want! They look great during the day, at night, at work, school, whatever you want! Here’s how to pull off a messy bun.

Start off by sweeping the front part of your hair to one side as to create a fuller crown area. Use your fingers along with a paddle brush to direct both sides to the back of the head.

Gather your hair into a loose pony and secure with an ouchless elastic (sides and back). The base of the pony should rest in the middle of the back of the head. Push your pony up slightly to create fullness at the top of your head. Add some hairspray.

Separate the pony into one inch sections, curling each section loosely. You don’t have to do this very carefully, as it is a messy bun, and you just want to get some waves. Holding the curler for about 3 seconds should be enough, depending on the hair thickness.

After each section is curled, use a bobby pin to secure the curl loosely against your scalp. When pinning the curls, make sure that you pin some at the top as to form an even and balanced shape.

Once you’ve finished pinning the curls, use your fingers to gently loosen up the curls, making it look messy. Finish off with a little bit of hair spray and you have a sexy, messy bun!

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The girl with a flower in her hair!

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Giggling girl.....

I thought it was time to buy some of these wet look legging – better late than never!!!
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365 DAYS OF STYLE: DAY 7

DAY 7: PRIM & PROPER. All fashion trends are cyclical, and in recent years have gradually modernised the looks of the 20th Century and planted them firmly in the 21st. And so too it is with men's hair trends in 2010: it's out with the new, and in with the old. Or at least an old hair style with a new twist.

2010 sees men's hair styles fall into two distinct categories: school boy and rocker. But while the rocker look is certainly a 20th Century creation, the resulting hair style finds its roots (if you'll pardon the pun) distinctly in 19th Century Britain. And so it is in 2010; while the odd 2010 runway collection featured something akin to a grunge revival, the majority of us will live out 2010 with a refined, classically inspired hair cut.

31.

to die for hair

Variations in Priyanka's skin tone, hair and voice for WYR?

We know that Priyanka Chopra plays 12 roles in Ashutosh Gowariker’s What’s Your Raashee. And that each one has been styled differently. But the attention that Ashutosh Gowariker has paid to the hair styling for each of the 12 Priyankas takes our breath away.




So the diligent director took pain staking effort to achieve the right look for the right character. Ashutosh says,“You can tell a girl’s personality not only by her clothes and hair but also by the way the hair bounces, voices and skin tones.”

Non-film hair stylist Asha Hariharan was brought in to do Priyanka Chopra’s hair for the 12 characters. For that it was needed that an expert beyond the expertise offered by the Bollywood names be roped in.Neeta Lulla has done all of Priyanka’s clothes.

Ashutosh believed that Priyanka could pull off all 12 parts.He saw how nuanced her performances were right from the time she made her debut in The Hero.

Rajesh Patil was roped in to do Priyanka’s 12 skin tones. Priyanka being dusky in complexion had a particularly tough time playing the more gora avtars.Priyanka has assumed a different skin tone, complexion and playback voices, each suited to the individual character in terms of personality and body/spoken language.

As for her voices Ashutosh sifted through innumerable voices with composer Sohail Sen before selecting the 11 voices (the 12th girl doesn’t sing).

TREND OF THE DAY: HOT CROSS BUNS

When in doubt, tie it up! Start with simple curls and gently pull it back to the nape of your neck in a messy bun. Wrap a few strands of hair around the band. To do a sweet cross bun, take 2 strands from each side of the hair and tuck into place. Leave a few tundrels to frame the face and even you can pull off this simple updo, just like Cate!

Product Review: Sebastian Iron Works

I have talked about my attraction to hair products before, but I have found an even better alternative to use to protect your tresses when using the flat iron for smooth, sultry locks. Introducing my latest obsession: Sebastian Shapers IronWorks Hot Tools Protecting Spray.

Pros: Protects your hair, unscented, smaller size, keeps hair healthy, discontinued (can buy it at CHEAP prices online)

Cons: Discontinued (could become hard to find), no pretty scent

GG Grade: A

Buy online for $2.50/bottle!: http://www.salonsavings.com/detail/900160/

xoxo,

gg

A lovely wedding weekend

From the fragrant pink roses to the beautiful pistachio dresses, the wedding weekend was pretty amazing. A good dose of humidity and rain did not even dampen the fun. All of those in the wedding looked gorgeous, but not as gorgeous as the blushing bride, pictured with me to the right.

I decided to do the mystic tanning thing for the event, keeping it beautiful with application of the gradual self-tanner lotion in between, and no one could tell the difference. Everyone kept complimenting me on my beautiful tan! And no skin cancer. Hooray!

I have some pictures of my hair on that special day! I adored the style so much that I have a big desire to use it every time I am in a wedding, but I, of course, won't, lest I wear out the smashing look that all the other bridesmaids wanted. Everyone said they had hair envy toward me. I might even want to use it for my own wedding, a little higher, with the veil underneath the extravaganza in the back! The back is very similar to the one I posted on May 24!

Fabulous bridesmaid hair

In two days, I will have my hair professionally styled for only the second time in my life. When I was 11, my sweet mom took me with my bouncy red curls and my sister with her straight brown hair to the hair shop, and we got beautified. On Saturday, the bride will be paying for the entire bridal party to get their hair done. It's going to be fun! I never had a stylist do my hair for prom or for being a bridesmaid because I like hair, and I have always been completely content with my own hair designs. If I were the egotistic type, I might even call my styles amazing, but I'm not so I won't. For this professional styling, I have one rule: my hair will not be plastered to my head with enough hair spray to make me faint. That, hair stylists out there, does not look good. It looks like a poor girl has a stiff mop on top of her beautiful face. I am not having it, but here are some options. I am leaning toward a half-up look...