Fashionista Friday: 3 Fabulous Hair Styles

I find myself wearing my hair the same way everyday and it is always plain.  So this week I got away from clothes and makeup and decided to try something new with my hair. There was a segment on the Today Show a couple weeks ago called “Three hair trends you can actually wear” all three.

The first one I tried was the side braid.  In the video segment the stylist comments on the fact that this braid is different from the ones we’ve seen in the past.  What makes it different is you continue the braid all the way down to the end of the hair.  By doing this you get away from the more bohemian look that Lauren Conrad made famous.  I loved this one.  It is easy and it may become my go-to everyday style.  The style can also be changed up by flat ironing or curling the rest of your hair.  I got a lot of compliments on it, and it only took about 2-3 minutes to do in the morning.

The second look was the messy side bun.  The stylist used Audrina Patridge (sorry for all the Hills references) as the perfect example of the style.  At first I didn’t know if I could pull this look off because I have very fine hair that is only a little longer than shoulder length.  I thought I wouldn’t have enough hair to replicate the bun.  To make up for my lack of thickness and length, I used some mousse (Herbal Essence Tousle Me Softly) and teased the hair in my ponytail to add volume.  While my bun didn’t exactly mimic the model in the segment or Audrina’s perfectly styled hair, I was happy with the results.  This bun made me feel very classy.  The next time I get dressed up for dinner or a show I will definitely be rocking this messy side bun.

The last of the three looks was a sleek ponytail.  This was the easiest look to recreate, but it was not my favorite.  I definitely do not have thick enough hair to make this look differently than just a regular ponytail.  I’ll just leave the sleek ponytails to J-Lo.

-Nicole

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Not Just Another Pretty Face: Annie Zoll

1.  Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.

I am a fun-loving woman who enjoys working hard on current/new business ventures, enjoying life with my partner and our animals, and supporting the local food & dog community in Indy.

2.  If we peeked in your handbag, we would find:

When I carry a handbag, you will find my blackberry, keys, wallet, sugar-free gum, my partner’s blackberry, vitamins, juicy tube lip gloss by Lancôme, business cards, a few dog treats (not for me, for my fur babies), Advil liquid gels.

3.  What are your top-3 beauty must-haves?

Epionce face cream, Oscillation Mascara & Primer by Lancôme, Juicy Tube Lip Glosses by Lancôme, and a kind heart. (sorry that was 4)

4.  The trend/look I wish I could pull off is:

The look I wish I could pull off would be the silver painted get-up miss Kim Kardashian just blessed us with in the W magazine photo shoot.  I kid.  Sort of.

5.  On any given day, you’ll find me shopping at:

On any given day I could potentially shop at Got Sole? Shoe Boutique, Whole Foods grocery, Saks Fifth Avenue, alternativeapparrel.com and Locally Grown Gardens.  In all honesty, my absolute favorite place to purchase might be the Indianapolis and Hamilton County Humane Society!

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Tuesday Tip: Soft Skin

Try this relaxing way to soften your skin this fall/winter: take a warm bath with skin-loving oils like jojoba, sesame, or sweet almond.  Make sure the bath isn’t hot, as this will actually make your skin drier.  The warm temperature helps the oil penetrate into your skin, leaving you soft and touchable.

Try Kneipp Almond Bath Oil, Crabtree & Evelyn Jojoba Conditioning Bath Oil, or c. Booth Original Bath & Body Oil.

xoxo.

No Tricks, Just Treats – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE On select products at meetmark.com. Shop now!

New Line! BIOMEGA by Aquage

On a recent trip to Kate Roth Beauty for a haircut & color, I was introduced to BIOMEGA, a new, professional, and affordable haircare line by Aquage.  Consisting of three different regimens – Moisture, Silk, and Volume – this salon-exclusive line claims the difference in their products is the breakthrough technology of their cross-linked polymeric grid.  The line is also free of sulfates, parabens, gluten, and sodium chloride, which is so important to many people these days.

Kate recommended I try the Silk Regimen for my thick, sometimes frizzy, and unruly hair.  She also thought with the cool, dry, winter months ahead, this was the perfect regimen for me.  (Note: you can mix & match the line to create the best system for your specific hair type).

Of course, being a designer, I first noticed the cute product packaging.  But when Kate first gave me a quick sniff of the bottle, I could not believe the fragrance!   The scent was absolute heaven (um, can they I get that in a perfume, please?).

I’ve only been using the BIOMEGA silk products (shampoo + conditioner) for the past few days but they’ve left my hair feeling completely smooth and the texture is extremely soft.  The shampoo creates a great lather and again – I can’t comment enough about it’s fragrance!  I’ve been applying the conditioner in quarter size doses every other day, which is all you need.  The best part is I didn’t feel guilty about purchasing this salon brand shampoo and conditioner, which I often do…it’s only $12 a bottle!

So, if you’re looking for a new haircare line to try, I highly recommend Aquage’s BIOMEGA line.  You can find it locally at most salons that sell Aquage.  Check out their Salon Locator for locations.

If you do try this new line, we’d love to hear your experience!

- Kelly

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Mad About Nail Polish

Check out Nailtini’s newest collection of polish colors, developed by Janie Bryant, costume designer for Mad Men.  She drew inspiration for these 4 sparklers from classic cocktail attires and they are absolutely perfect for the upcoming holiday season.  One suggestion: keep nails nice and short when wearing these shimmers to keep it looking more sophisticated and less, well, scary.  Take a look and let us know what you think!

Stinger

This is a shimmery black shade containing iridescent shades of blue, green, red, and purple.  $14.

Deauville

This festive platinum sparkler is the perfect touch for your nails during the holiday season.  $14.

Bourbon Satin

A rich chocolate shimmer, this one is a seriously sophisticated choice that will work through fall/winter.  $14.

French 75

What holiday nail color collection would be complete without a gorgeous gold?  The ultimate choice for a festive look, this polish will get you in the mood to celebrate.  $14.

Which one is your fave?  I’m personally most intrigued by the Bourbon Satin, but love the festive factor with all of them.

xoxo.

Fashionista Friday: Lace and Patterns and Purple, OH MY!

Fall is finally here for good and that means warmer clothes and layers!  If you’re like me this doesn’t mean dresses and skirts are forgotten.  What better way to continue wearing your cute dresses and skirts then with a trendy pair of tights, and nowadays there are so many options to choose from.  There are basic colors like black, navy, and brown or the hot new trend of colored tights—pink, aqua, and purple.  Beyond that there are patterned tights that look like argyle or lace. In this post I’m going to show you how to use a black dress and boots with two different pairs of tights, making two different outfits.

The first outfit is the black dress and boots with a pair of black lace tights.  I paired this outfit with a magenta scarf to add a pop of color to the all black ensemble.  The flat boots make this outfit casual but chic—perfect for everyday wear.  The outfit could be dressed up with heeled boots or even a pair of pumps.  Personally, I prefer to wear boots when I wear dark or patterned tights.  And instead of a scarf, a boldly colored statement necklace could be worn for a night out.  I always feel chic wearing all black, especially when it’s in a more interesting way like incorporating the black lace tights.

The second outfit is the same dress and boots but with purple tights.  After the post on October 4th about colored tights and all the feedback it got, I really wanted to try a pair.  I went with a deeper jewel-toned purple, so as not to be too wild.  After thinking about what other outfits I could wear them with, I decided that keeping it simple was probably going to be my best bet—solid colored dresses or skirts in neutral tones like black, gray, or brown.  While I liked the color of the purple tights, I felt a little more “costumey” than when I wore the black lace tights, which made me feel more chic.

Both of the tights featured in this post are from New York and Company.  They had a nice selection of different neutral colors, jewel-tones, and printed tights.  And as always Target also has a good variety!

- Nicole

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Not Just Another Pretty Pro: Kathy Moberly

1. Tell us about yourself in 140 characters or less: A professional makeup artist of 28 years and voted top MUA of 2010 by the WRTV A-list, Kathy Moberly‘s talents range from personal instruction and application, print, video, film and bridal, to professional instruction for aspiring makeup artists.
2. What, in your opinion, is special about what you offer? What sets me apart from other makeup artists is that I communicate openly with my client.  I listen to what their needs are whether it is a producer for the NFL Network, an art director for a magazine layout, or a bride.  To me, it is not about the makeup.  It is about bringing out the best in the face that I am working on.  I have had extensive training in all facets of makeup artistry by some of the best in the industry, including Eve Pearl, and I love what I do!  This is not a job for me….It is my passion!

3. The beauty product I cannot live without is: silicone….almost every product in my kit has some form of silicone as a base…. it smoothes and erases… it is a girl’s best friend!!!!

4. What is your favorite beauty trend for fall? satin or matte lips…lip gloss will always be around but this new trend is a welcome change.

5. Please keep Indy pretty, and stop: using black eyeliner under your lower lashes!  Apply powder shadow with a tiny detail brush and smudge.  It will stay put without running and give you the definition you need without being hard looking.

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Road Trip: Benefit Brow Bar

A brand new Ulta opened in Kokomo last week, and I was thrilled to find this inside: a Benefit Brow Bar.  This is the only Benefit Brow Bar in Indiana, and I was beyond excited to give it a whirl.  Shelley was my brow specialist – and I absolutely adored her.  Not only did she do a bang-up job on my brows, she provided very valuable brow education.

Benefit’s brow philosophy is as follows:  keep them full and youthful.  Yes, thicker brows are in, but even beyond that – it is true that fuller brows can shave years off your look.  After doing a brow mapping and waxing (and btw, the most gentle and painless waxing/tweezing I’ve ever experienced), Shelley taught me how to maintain the look daily by using Brow Zings.  This product is definitely a VIP – the kit comes with a tinted wax and powder that looks super natural, along with an angled brush and blending brush to perfect your brows.  Also in the kit is a tiny set of tweezers – perfect for on-the-go needs.  If you can’t get to the Brow Bar, Benefit was thoughtful enough to include a little tutorial inside the Brow Zings’ package.

Another great product that helps highlight your newly perfected arch is High Brow.  This magic little wand uses a creamy, neutral-pink tone that flatters all skin tones to lift the eye area and BONUS – it makes you look more awake, which is something I think most of us could use, no?

xoxo.

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Book Giveaway!

How many times have you seen a gorgeous celeb’s hair and thought, I want that hair cut?  This can end badly for all involved, thanks to the fact that A) we don’t look like the celeb in question, and B) we have a different face shape, causing the celeb’s awesome haircut to look not so awesome on us.

Enter “How to Wear Your Hair” by Morgan Gantt.  This book was written for all of the women who have been on the receiving end of a bad haircut and completely takes the guess work out of finding a flattering hair cut.  Morgan’s book helps you determine your face shape, and then proceeds to school you on great and not-so-great haircuts – such a helpful bit of info to know!

Want a copy to call your own?  We’re giving one away – as well as a face shape consult from Morgan.  Simply spill your best hair nightmare story and you’ll be entered to win!  Snag additional entries by joining the How to Wear Your Hair group on Facebook and/or tweeting this: I just entered the @PrettyIndyGuide How to Wear Your Hair giveaway: http://ow.ly/2UfY2.  We’ll pick a winner next week!

Look for Morgan, pictured, at the Holiday Mart – running November 3-7 at the Indiana State Fair Grounds.  The first 10 who see Morgan and mention Pretty Indy get a free consult that includes determining your face shape and recommending hair styles specifically for you!

xoxo.

Fashionista Fridays: Make a statement with a necklace

One way to stand out this fall is by making a statement with a necklace.  Statement necklaces have been all over fashion magazines for a while now, and I’ve always admired them from afar.  My concerns came from the fact that I have a petite frame and a big necklace might be overpowering.

I started out small.  I chose a necklace with a triple strand of beads and chains with a big cloth flower.  I kept it casual with a simple v-neck tee to keep the focus on the necklace.  This was just the baby step I needed because after I wore this necklace and received many compliments I couldn’t wait to go bigger.

The next day I pulled out all the stops with a bib necklace made of simple, clear oval beads.  I thought that the simplicity of the necklace, even though it was rather large, would not be as overpowering as a necklace with a lot of colors or textures.  Again I kept my outfit very casual—a v-neck and skinny jeans— to make the necklace seem less formal, although it would pair perfectly with a little black dress or your favorite night-on-the-town outfit.

I couldn’t believe the responses I got.  Strangers were coming up to me and asking where I got the necklace because they wanted one.  One girl in my house asked me to go shopping with her.  She said I always seem to have the perfect necklaces to compliment my outfits.  One woman even told me that she likes statement necklaces but was afraid to pair them with a simple outfit like jeans and a tee.

This is why I love fashion and trying out the Fashionista Friday trends.  I can take high-fashion trends that I’ve always loved but have been afraid to try and show women that we can totally pull them off!

Both of these necklaces came from New York and Company, but you can find other affordable selections at Forever 21 and Target!

I’d love to try a necklace that makes an even bigger statement with bolder colors or maybe even feathers, which according to Marie Claire “are the new sequins.”

- Nicole

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