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How to Layer Sunscreen and Makeup Like a Pro

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Wearing sunscreen is skin care law. We know this. However, we tend to lean on the SPF in our foundations, creams and cover-ups and skip out on wearing what we lovingly refer to as "the goopy stuff." The problem with that is (buzzkill alert), you have to apply a lot of makeup to receive the benefits.

Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi, founder and director of Capital Laser & Skin Care and associate clinical professor of dermatology at the George Washington University Medical Center, explains that most women don’t apply enough makeup to get the SPF indicated on the label. “If you are applying a lot of makeup, then yes [it’s OK],” she says. Otherwise, wearing a layer of actual sunscreen is probably still the safest bet.

That said, it can be oily and it can feel heavy. I get it, but there are so many lightweight and matte sunscreens on the market now that those excuses are drying up quickly. I talked to Tanzi as well as professional makeup artist Ivy Boyd about the best way to layer sunscreen under makeup. It turns out there are some secrets to help you smooth out the sunscreen process.

More: The Best Illuminating Moisturizers for Glowing, Dewy Skin

Image: SheKnows/Gabriela Arellano

First and foremost, know there are two different types of sunscreen — chemical and physical — and the type you have makes a big difference in the layering process.

Chemical sunscreens have to absorb into your skin to work, so it's best to apply chemical sunscreens before your regular moisturizer. That way, it doesn't block the SPF from absorbing to the max.

Physical sunscreens sit on top of your skin and protect outward. In that case, it’s better to apply your moisturizer before your sunscreen. Then, after you apply makeup, set everything with a mineral sunscreen powder. "Colorescience SPF powders are the absolute purest form of powder sunscreen," Tanzi says. You can snag them at Sephora for about 60 bucks, depending on the level of SPF you choose.

Boyd recommends also checking the label to see if your sunscreen and makeup are water-based or silicone-based (dimethicone) because if you mix silicone-based products with water-based products, your makeup may not adhere properly. "If your sunscreen is water-based, water-based primer and foundation will be best," explains Boyd. Her final pointer is to make sure sunscreen fully absorbs before applying any makeup. "If you don’t, it could cause makeup to pill up or slide around," she says.

More: I Finally Microbladed My Eyebrows and It Kinda Changed My Life

And just like that, with a few tips from pros, wearing sunscreen under your makeup isn't so bad. Not to mention, the results should be healthier, more protected skin.

This post was Sponsored by Olay.


The 7 Coolest ‘How-To’ Makeup Kits With Built-In Instructions

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OK, we all have to start somewhere when it comes to doing makeup — and by somewhere, we mean today — with a well-stocked makeup kit that includes literally all of the necessary products, instructions and diagrams as if you’re doing a second-grade science project rather than contouring your face or doing your brows. Because why should have to spend 13 hours watching YouTube tutorials or buy a zillion products you’re not sure if you really even need just to learn some basic makeup skills? Exactly. That's why we’re so obsessed with how-to makeup kits — beginner-level face and eye palettes with easy-to-follow instructions that tell you exactly how to apply each shade and product.

More: How to Be Photogenic: 25 Tricks That Make You Instantly More Gorgeous in Pictures

And no, these instructions aren’t the confusing, gibberish-filled kind that will make you lose your mind after three minutes (ahem, Ikea), but gorgeously drawn images and diagrams with simple explanations breaking down whatever look you’re aiming for, whether that’s getting an all-over glow with iridescent highlighter, coral blushes and sheer bronzers; shaping and filling in your eyebrows with pomades, powders and tints; or mastering a soft smoky eye with warm, earthy shadows. No matter your skill level — or lack thereof — your beauty routine is about to look really, really good. So click through to see all of our favorite top-rated, tutorial-filled makeup kits, and be prepared to finally lose your beginner status.

Party Makeup
Image: ImaxTree

More: The $6 Secret to Getting Rid of Brassy Hair: Food Coloring and Vinegar

To get glowing, bronzed skin...

Essence Make Your Face Glow Kit
Image: Forever 21

A little styling card gives you step-by-step instructions for sweeping on highlighter, blush and bronzer for a subtly contoured and bronzed finish.

Essence How to Make Your Face Glow kit (Forever 21, $10)

To get fuller, more-defined brows...

To get fuller, more-defined brows...
Image: Too Faced

Diagrams and instructions line the inside of this brow kit to help you shape and fill in your brows using stencils (yes!), wax, powders and tweezers.

Too Faced Brow Envy Brow Shaping & Defining Kit (Too Faced, $39)

To contour...

Glo Minerals Contour Kit
Image: Glo Minerals

The card on the inside of this four-powder kit shows you exactly where to blend and sweep for a soft, natural-looking contour.

Glo Minerals Contour Kit (Glo Minerals, $38)

To master the smoky eye...

Jane Iredale In The Blink of a Smoky Eye Kit
Image: Dermstore

Along with eight incredibly pigmented shadows, this palette contains five — yes, five — illustrations of different smoky eyes with step-by-step instructions for creating each one.

Jane Iredale in the Blink of a Smoky Eye Kit (Dermstore, $50)

Glowing skin
Image: ImaxTree

To get plumper, fuller-looking lips...

Kevyn Aucoin The Expert Lip Kit Femme Fatale
Image: Kevyn Aucoin

This red-lip trio — which includes a gloss, lipstick and lip liner — features an easy, five-step process for creating a full, clean lip.

Kevyn Aucoin The Expert Lip Kit, The Femme Fatale (Kevyn Aucoin, $48)

To get perfectly layered eye shadow...

Revlon PhotoReady Primer + Eyeshadow in Romanticism
Image: Target

On the back of this palette is a labeled diagram that tells you where, how and when to blend each shadow for a seriously professional-looking finish.

Revlon PhotoReady Primer + Shadow in Romanticism (Target, $8.99)

For clean, precise eyeliner...

BareMinerals Bare Tutorials Eyeliner Set
Image: Nordstrom

This eye kit — which includes jet-black eye shadow, a black eyeliner pencil and inky-black mascara — comes with a pullout set of instructions for copying four different liner looks ranging from soft and natural to bold and winged out.

BareMinerals Bare Tutorials Eyeliner set (Nordstrom, $26.55)

By

Originally posted on StyleCaster.

A Hair Gloss Treatment Gives You a Color & Shine Kick Without Commitment

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Look, we've all pretty much come to terms with the fact that we have to hock up some serious coin when our hair color starts to grow out and we've got major roots — what we haven't made peace with is shelling out our cash every time our color starts to fade a bit. Not to mention the fact that getting a full-on dye job can totally damage hair. But there is actually a gentler, cheaper way to keep your color shiny — yup, we're talking about the magical gloss treatment.

The low-down on gloss

In short, a gloss treatment — also referred to as a color glaze or a glaze treatment — gives your hair shine, boosts dull and lifeless hair and helps smooth flyaways.

Gloss treatments can be clear or tinted. Both types of treatments revitalize hair, and tinted treatments can help enhance or maintain color, as well. Tinted options range from brighter blond (to cancel out brassiness) and gold (to bring out warmth in your strands) to red or brown hues (to bring out the warmth in darker shades of hair).

More: Here’s Exactly How to Dry Curls for Smooth, Frizz-Free Hair

While gloss treatments aren't an alternative to color, they do help enhance and refresh your current color, bring out subtleties, and can be a good introduction to hair color for someone with virgin (aka never-been-colored) hair.

Why you should try it

Gloss treatments are great conditioning tools — so if your locks are dry and lifeless, they're going to do you good.

They will also make your hair off-the-charts shiny.

"A gloss is very acidic and closes the hair and the cuticle real tight. The result is a very smooth surface texture that will reflect a lot more light and have a much softer feel to it," Paul Cucinello of Chris Chase Salon in New York City told the Huffington Post.

A post shared by GIANNAMONAI (@giannamonai) on

If you regularly color or highlight your hair, gloss treatments can give you an added boost between colors. Blondes are especially prone to flyaways and damage, so gloss treatments also help smooth and strengthen lighter shades.

Low-commitment shine

Gloss treatments usually last about four to six weeks before washing/fading out.

"Technically, it’s a demi-permanent (in-between semi- and permanent), which means that it deposits tone into the hair strand, but does not lift or lighten hair color," Maddison Cave, a colorist at Rita Hazan Salon in New York City, told Refinery29.

And, drum roll, gloss treatments are usually under $50 — which is significantly less than what you would pay for most other coloring processes.

More: How to Get Big, Messy, Voluminous Hair in 4 Easy Steps

So to review, a gloss treatment will give you crazy shine, isn't permanent and costs way less than, say, a balayage or all-over permanent color. Can't beat that with a stick.

Originally published April 2013. Updated May 2017.

Hair Sunscreen: It's a Must & Here Are 8 Products to Choose From

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Yes, hair sunscreen is a thing and an uber-important thing, at that. Not only do the sun's rays damage your skin, but they can also do a number on your hair and warp your color. Hair sunscreens are UV-filtering products that put a protective barrier between your hair and said rays, and they protect your scalp against damage, too.

Since a sunburned scalp is about as much fun as a bag of rocks, make sure you arm yourself with hair sunscreen for your subsequent trips to the beach, mmmkay pumpkin? Look, we've even done the shopping for you:

1. Bare Republic UV Protecting Haircare Collection

A post shared by Bare Republic (@barerepublic) on

Sunscreen brand Bare Republic now has a whole line of hair care products that provide UV protection. From shampoo and conditioner to a serum and back to a dry shampoo, Bare Republic pretty much has you covered this summer. (Bare Republic, $12 to $14)

More: How to Layer Sunscreen and Makeup Like a Pro

2. Clarins Sunscreen Care Oil Spray Broad Spectrum SPF 30

Image: Sephora

Clarins Sunscreen Care Oil Spray is a waterproof, non-greasy dry oil that shields both skin and hair from the sun. It's lightweight and leaves your hair feeling silky. (Sephora, $36)

3. Phytoplage Protective Sun Oil

Image: Sephora

Phytoplage Protective Sun Oil prevents your hair from being weakened by the sun and preserves that shine you love so much. Simply spray on dry or wet hair before heading outside, and reapply after swimming. (Beauty.com, $30)

4. TRESemme Climate Control Spray

Image: Ulta

TRESemme Climate Control Spray isn't just budget-friendly — it's everything-friendly. This formula fights humidity, static, wind and UV rays. Seriously, I'm surprised it doesn't come with a cape. (Ulta, $6)

5. Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil heat/UV protective primer

Image: Bumble and Bumble

Bumble and Bumble is famous for their beach waves spray, so it's only natural they offer some UV protection, too. Their invisible oil truly is a "mist of many wonders." (Bumble and Bumble, $28)

6. bareMinerals SPF30 Natural Sunscreen

Image: Beauty Bay

bareMinerals SPF30 Natural Sunscreen protects without a heavy, greasy finish. You can easily sweep it over your part line and any thinning areas of your scalp. Just rub it in to blend, and you're good to go. (BeautyBay, $34)

7. Aveda Sun Care Protective Hair Veil

Image: Aveda

It doesn't get much easier than this: Aveda Sun Care Protective Hair Veil is a lightweight, waterproof mist that protects your hair from UV rays for up to 16 hours. It helps to minimize color fading, damage and dehydrated strands — and smells ah-mazing! (Aveda, $28)

8. Banana Boat Quick Dri Sport Sunscreen

Banana Boat Quick Dri Sport Sunscreen is for both your body and scalp, and has the added bonus of being waterproof. It's a clear, non-greasy formula that dries uber-fast. (Walgreens, $9)

More: The Best Under-$10 Drugstore Sunscreens for Every Skin Type

Originally published July 2014. Updated May 2017.

7 Pics of Short-Haired Celebs That'll Make You Want to Cut Your Hair

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If the question, “should I cut my hair?” has been asked by you at least once in the last decade, let us answer it for you right now: Yes. Duh. Immediately. Please. Because even if the last time you chopped off your hair was in fifth grade and after it you cried hysterically on the car ride home (*raises hand*) vowing to never again cut your hair above your boobs, we’re here to tell you that you’re missing out — like, hardcore.

Because 2017 has been the year of lobbed-off cuts, with just about every celebrity taking to Instagram on a weekly basis to show off their newly cropped hair, including Bella Hadid's angled lob, Lucy Hale's chin-length bob, Zoë Kravitz's wispy pixie. And yes, we’re in love.

More: Yup, Brow Carving is the New Instagram Eyebrow Trend

Of course, we know that you’re not a celebrity or model, but it doesn’t mean you can’t copy the very same bobs, lobs and pixies you’ve seen plastered all over your Instagram. Because when it comes down to it, the only thing you really need to try out a short cut this season is a basic knowledge of your face shape — and that’s where we come in. So to give you hella inspiration (and encouragement), we’ve rounded up seven of the best celebrity haircuts broken down by face shape to make sure you pick the most flattering cut. Scroll through for our picks, and then please cut your hair right this very second (or, OK, as soon as your stylist can fit you in).

More: 13 Best Skin Care Products You Didn’t Know Were at Walmart

Long, Angled Bob
Image: Getty Images

Long angled bob

Best for: oval faces

OK, so if you were gifted an oval-shaped face, you've basically hit the jackpot when it comes to experimenting with haircuts. Don't get us wrong, every face shape has a super-flattering angle, but oval faces are the easiest to complement. So since you've got room to play around, try something a bit edgy, like Bella Hadid's sleek angled bob, which starts out slightly shorter in the back, then slopes diagonally down toward the clavicles in the front.

Layered, Textured Lob
Image: Getty Images

Layered, textured lob

Best for: round faces

Instead of getting a cheekbone-level cut — which can actually make a round face look wider — opt for a choppy, texturized bob that hits right above the shoulders, like Demi Lovato's. The short, scattered layers give a round face the illusion of more angular cheekbones, and the soft, wavy finish keeps the cut from looking too severe.

Choppy Bob with Bangs
Image: Getty Images

Choppy bob with bangs

Best for: square faces

As much as we love them, straight-across, super-blunt bangs will accentuate square foreheads, so ask for wispy, parted bangs like Rihanna's to soften up the angles of your face, then pair them with a choppy bob that hits around your chin line to offset angular jaws.

Angled Bob with Long Layers
Image: Getty Images

Angled bob with long layers

Best for: heart-shaped faces

Selena Gomez's angled bob is basically a dream for heart-shaped faces. Its long, shoulder-level length will help de-emphasize the most rounded points of your face, while the face-framing layers will help fill out the pointed angles of your chin.

Grown-Out, Feathered Pixie
Image: Getty Images

Grown-out feathered pixie

Best for: oval and round faces

A Tinker Bell-level pixie is the perfect opportunity for the less angled of faces to get a bit risky, and one that's grown-out and softly swept across the forehead, like Jennifer Lawrence's, helps define cheekbones while giving the illusion of a more angular jaw.

 Gradient Bob
Image: Getty Images

Gradient bob

Best: square faces

A blunt bob can highlight a super-squared-off jaw, so go the way of Lucy Hale and try a slightly, slightly angled bob (we're talkin' pieces around the face only a tiny bit longer than at the neck) that hits just under the chin to elongate, rather than widen, the face.

Long, Layered Lob
Image: Getty Images

Layered lob

Best for: heart-shaped faces

A layered, shoulder-length lob with a side part, à la Sarah Hyland's, helps minimize the widest points of the forehead, giving a more balanced ratio to triangle, heart-shaped faces. Just make sure the shortest of your layers start below the chin to fill out the space around your jawline.

Originally posted on StyleCaster.

A Definitive Ranking of the Best Purple Shampoos & Conditioners

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I've been blond to some degree for the entirety of my 28 years of life, but started bleaching my hair three years ago. And as a double-processed blonde, I’ve dabbled in some science for the sake of maintaining the integrity, health and color of my hair. Through my studies (read: asking our beauty editor, Chloe), I’ve learned that not only do I have to eschew regular shampoos because of the way they could dull my color, but I also had to worry about things like sulfates, tonality, UV protection, breakage and most of all, how to maintain a color that simply never seemed white enough for me. That’s when I started experimenting with purple shampoos and conditioners, and now I can confidently say I have tried just about every single one ever invented. (Thankfully, I didn’t encounter any chemical explosions during the process.)

Blonde hair
Image: ImaxTree

More: 16 Celebrities You Didn’t Know Just Dyed Their Hair Blond

“Violet tones neutralize or remove orange and yellow, or as you call brassy tones, that may develop with time in color-treated blond hair,” says Joseph Cincotta, a cosmetic chemist, who warns that these dyes might cause a temporary blue hue on extra-porous hair. “Typically, water-soluble dyes that are used in shampoos will last until your [next] shampoo. Conditioners and toners may also contain temporary dyes that could last three shampoos.”

Ahead, my ranking and reviews of five of the best purple shampoos and conditioners on the market.

More: How I Care for My Platinum Hair

Oribe Bright Blonde Shampoo & Conditioner for Beautiful Color
Image: Oribe

Oribe Bright Blonde Shampoo & Conditioner for Beautiful Color

As a huge fan of all things Oribe, I was slightly disappointed after using this shampoo and conditioner for a couple of weeks straight. Despite having a delightful scent and fantastic packaging, I found this particular duo to be incredibly drying. It did, however, neutralize any yellow/golden tones, so snaps for that. If your hair isn't as brittle as mine, you might have better luck, but I give this pair one star.

Bright Blonde Shampoo for Beautiful Color (Oribe, $46) & Bright Blonde Conditioner for Beautiful Color (Oribe, $48)

Redken Blonde Idol Shampoo & Custom Tone Violet Conditioner
Image: Ulta

Redken Blonde Idol Shampoo & Custom Tone Violet Conditioner

This shampoo helped keep my hair vibrant and bright, and as an added bonus is pH-balancing and sulfate-free. The conditioner has a dial that allows you to control how much violet pigment you want to use, so as both a control freak and craft enthusiast, I appreciated the DIY aspect. However, as a conditioner, I didn't find it to be as deeply moisturizing as others, so it comes in fourth.

Redken Blonde Idol Shampoo (Ulta, $34) & Redken Blonde Idol Custom Tone Violet Conditioner (Ulta, $32)

R+CO Sunset Boulevard Blonde Shampoo & Conditioner
Image: Barneys

R+Co Sunset Boulevard Blonde Shampoo & Conditioner

This shampoo and conditioner weren't purple as I expected, but rather, a pearlescent white hue; that said, it wasn't as much of a heavy-duty color protector as the others that contain more violet dye. As a result, I use this every other wash to keep my color from looking too lilac-y. This one places third.

R+Co Sunset Boulevard Blonde Shampoo (Barneys, $29) & R+Co Sunset Boulevard Blonde Conditioner (Barneys, $29)

Sachajuan Silver Shampoo & Conditioner
Image: Sephora

Sachajuan Silver Shampoo & Conditioner

As a Sachajuan devotee, I was relieved that it didn't disappoint. (Also, "silver" is misleading, as the formula is, in fact, bright purple.) This shampoo and conditioner pairing not only kept my brassy tones at bay, but it also kept my hair hydrated and shiny. Plus, it has UV filters, which kept my color from fading with sun exposure. This one gets the runner-up spot.

Sachajuan Silver Shampoo (Sephora, $31) & Sachajuan Silver Conditioner (Sephora, $33)

Davines Alchemic Shampoo & Conditioner Silver
Image: Davines

Davines Alchemic Shampoo & Conditioner Silver

I have to say, out of any purple hair product I've used, this shampoo and conditioner duo is my favorite. The shampoo is less opaque than others with similar properties, but deposits just the right amount of purple to cancel out any brassiness going on and makes my hair feel super-clean. The conditioner (which is a super-fun, bright violet) is really thick (almost putty-like), hydrating and just feels super-nourishing. Together, they make the perfect pairing.

Alchemic Shampoo Silver (Davines, $25.50) & Alchemic Conditioner Silver (Davines, $29.50)

Originally posted on StyleCaster.

Ditch the Chemicals & Try These Clean Beauty Brands Instead

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Until about 10 years ago, we didn't really pay much attention to the ingredients in our skin care and makeup. If it left our skin feeling softer and looking flawless, we were totally down to shellac that stuff on — but recently, we've become more aware that what we put on our skin actually ends up in our bodies, and the beauty industry has taken notice.

And the industry is also taking advantage by "green-washing" their products. That's right, just because a company markets itself as "clean," doesn't mean that it is. And to complicate things more, some of the companies that really are clean sell products that don't get the job done. It's enough to make you want to crawl back to your old dirty ways.

More: Celebs In No-Makeup Makeup: Who Wore It Best?

But that doesn't mean that all clean beauty products are total BS. There are some amazing lines out there that are natural and really deliver results. These guys craft their makeup and skin care around whole plant sources, organic ingredients, no chemical preservatives, gluten-free contents, animal-friendly practices and eco-friendly packaging.

1. 100% pure

Hello! Fruit-dyed makeup — how fun is that? From awesome skin care products to perfume and makeup, 100% Pure is throwing down everything you need in your clean beauty arsenal — and they totally live up to their name.

2. Acure

A post shared by ACURE (@acureorganics) on

Acure has put out awesome hair and skin care for a while now and they just started selling a new wellness line too. If you're looking for awesome sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners that don't cost a million dollars, you'll love Acure. You can also find Acure in most Whole Foods and Sprouts stores.

3. John Masters

John Masters is another hair and skin care company that works wonders without a ginormous price tag. And they have organic pet care products too! Added bonus: They offer a variety of travel-size products so you can try out new stuff without committing to a full-size.

4. Kiss My Face

A post shared by Kiss My Face (@kissmyfaceusa) on

Kiss My Face is another really great economical green brand. We love their aluminum and paraben-free spray deodorant. If you dig earthier smells, you'll be into Kiss My Face.

5. Kjaer Weis

A post shared by Kjaer Weis (@kjaerweis) on

Kjaer Weis is totally a luxury brand, which is super-cool because sometimes it feels like you have to choose between going glam and being clean. They offer a full line of super-pigmented makeup that is to die for. Plus, their pretty mirrored compacts look cool chillin' out in your makeup bag.

6. REN Skincare

A post shared by REN Skincare (@renskincare) on

REN is free of synthetics and uses 100 percent plant derivatives — and we're kinda in love with their masks.

7. RMS Beauty

A post shared by rms beauty (@rmsbeauty) on

RMS was created by a makeup artist who was affected by toxic products, and we only have two words for you: "Un" Cover-up. OK, maybe that's three (the hyphen is throwing us for a loop), but this foundation/light concealer doesn't just cover up what you want to hide, it helps to heal.

8. Tata Harper

Yes, Tata Harper is on the expensive side, but all of their nontoxic, antiaging skin care products are like a dream. They kinda make everyday feel like a spa day.

9. Fitglow Beauty

If you've got sensitive skin, Fitglow is your jam. Seriously, their Calm line is a game-changer.

10. Vapour Beauty

When it comes to foundation and other color cosmetics, Vapour is kinda the standard. Their chemical-free products are amazing, and they're another luxury brand that adds a bit of glamour.

More: How to Layer Sunscreen & Makeup Like a Pro

Originally published November 2015. Updated May 2017.

The 7-Day Challenge Your Skin Will Love You For

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We really put our skin through the ringer over the years. We know that everything from stress to makeup and sun exposure cause wear and tear, but the good news is you can actually reverse or slow a lot of that damage. Start by taking this simple skin care challenge to get things on track again.

Image: Gabriela Arellano/SheKnows

Day 1

Here's the deal: You don't need to wash your face in the morning. In most cases, it's not doing any serious damage, but by overwashing, you're also stripping your skin of the good oils it worked hard to produce in recovery overnight. Take care of the skin on the rest of your body each morning by lathering up with a moisturizing body wash while you're in the shower — but skip your face. Instead, just splash your face with some cold water and moisturize, and take note of how your skin reacts throughout the week.

End your day with a good face cleanse, but don't stop at your skin. Take some time to trash expired skin care and makeup products and clean any makeup brushes or sponges if it's been a while. Check out this guide to when every type of makeup expires to get you started.

More: How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes in Less Than Five Minutes

Day 2

This one is a no-brainer. Drink more water. Hydration is essential to making sure your organs function properly, skin included. The jury is still out on whether water has a direct impact the appearance of your skin, but it certainly promotes healthier skin (healthier everything, really). Next, pencil in a full-body exfoliation session for nighttime to say goodbye to dead skin cells and get a fresher look from head-to-toe.

Day 3

Sugar is delicious, yes. Good for your skin, though? Definitely not. Well, let me back up. It's a great exfoliator used topically, but when you eat too much sugar (guilty), it can break down elasticity and prevent collagen from doing its job. If you're feeling up to the task, kick off a sugar detox (beware, it's in everything). Or, simply initiate no sugar days throughout your week. Everything but naturally occurring sugar from fruits gets the boot.

End your day by starting to focus on sleep quality. Poor sleep quality can hinder the production of collagen and hyaluronic acid, speed up aging and cause inflammation. So start a sleep ritual about an hour before bedtime and do it nightly. It could be anything — meditating, reading, stretching and even little touches like misting your pillow with lavender spray and turning on ambient noises. Pick things that tell your body it's time to wind the eff down (and yes, that means no more phone or computer).

More: The Five Steps of Sugar Rehab

Day 4

Bacteria is the number one cause of acne, so it's time to do a major cleanup of all the things that touch your skin. Wake up and throw your sheets in the washing machine and toss them in the dryer before you leave for the day. Buy some cellphone wipes. Get a new loofah (or stop using one altogether because they're actually pretty gross). Think of anything else that your skin comes in contact with, and put it on your "clean me ASAP" list.

Now, you may not like this next part, but it's time to take note of how many glasses of vino (and other booze) you drink weekly. I get it; a couple of glasses of wine or a beer at happy hour is pretty much like going to yoga after a long day at work. However, too much booze can dehydrate your skin and cause inflammation. Initiate a month without booze, or add a no-booze policy to your no-sugar days.

Day 5

The New York Times reported on a study that found exercising regularly gave people ages 40 and up the skin quality they had in their 20s and 30s. That's as close to magic as you'll ever get. Now, you don't have to run a marathon or anything. Start small. If you don't exercise at all, pick a couple of days a week to start your day with a jog or stop at the gym on your way home. If you do exercise but want to step it up, try something new like a Barre class or a new yoga studio.

Then end your night by relaxing with a face mask. Choose one that caters to your skin type or a common skin issue you face.

Day 6

Now, for the V-word: vitamins. There are so many that help your skin in one way or another, so talk to your doctor about which ones may help you. Vitamin A can help stop premature signs of aging. Vitamin C can help regulate collagen. Zinc is anti-inflammatory. Vitamin B helps reduce redness. You catch my drift.

While vitamins can be a great addition to your routine, most doctors and nutritionists will also tell you it's always better to get nutrients straight from food. So start a rule at dinner to eat one type of leafy green every night. According to our sister site StyleCaster, spinach is a good source of vitamin A and iron. Arugula contains sulfur, which helps with collagen. The infamous Kale (yes, I capitalized it) is a good source of vitamins A and C.

Day 7

We shouldn't have to tell you this one, but we're going to anyway. Always wear sunscreen. Wear it on rainy days. Wear it on cloudy days. Wear it when you go to work. Wear it often. There are tons of great brands making daily-use SPFs that don't make you smell like you're going to the beach, so find one you like and use it often.

Now, if you started this challenge on a Monday, today is Sunday. There's no better way to reward yourself and kick off many more weeks of better skin habits than to get a massage. Go drop in somewhere for some R&R — bonus points for setting up recurring appointments. Massages have endless health benefits, like improving chronic pain and lowering blood pressure, but they also increase blood flow, which is great for your skin.

This post was sponsored by Dial Body Wash.


9 Apple Cider Vinegar Beauty Benefits You're Missing Out On

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In case you hadn't heard, apple cider vinegar (also lovingly referred to as ACV) is kinda the new coconut oil. All it takes to make everything right in this world is a little sprinkle of ACV — especially when it comes to beauty treatments. It's like fairy dust, we tell you.

No joke, it's kinda shocking that vinegar of all things could be the source of so much amazingness, but it really is. Hop aboard the apple cider vinegar train and give one of these a try.

1. Acne treatment

Image: Giphy

We can all agree that adult acne is something no grown woman ever wants to deal with. But for those times when something unexpected pops up in the mirror before a big event, Alexis Wolfer, founder of The Beauty Bean and author of The Recipe for Radiance: Discover Beauty's Best-Kept Secrets in Your Kitchen, swears apple cider vinegar will do the trick.

"ACV is amazing for acne! It helps to kill bacteria, reduce inflammation and helps to both prevent future breakouts and calm current ones. It does smell, so apply it sparingly or at night," she says.

But we recommend to dilute your ACV with some water before applying directly to your face. It is strong stuff and can cause burns.

More: Should You Use Apple Cider Vinegar on Your Dogs?

2. Dandruff treatment

Hair flip
Image: Giphy

Jewel, a Canadian beauty blogger, breaks down one of apple cider vinegar's most surprising beauty benefits in her YouTube tutorial: ACV can be used as a natural remedy for dandruff and a dry, itchy scalp when substituted for commercial conditioner.

Wolfer agrees, saying, "If you have severe dandruff, apply ACV with a cotton ball to your scalp (section hair for access!) nightly before bed. Wash out in the morning. It will help to balance the oil on your scalp and give you healthier hair."

3. Detox bath

Image: Giphy

If you're not bathing in apple cider vinegar, you just aren't living. The Healthy Home Economist recommends an apple cider vinegar bath as a "great overall detoxifier and for muscle aches and pains brought on by physical exertion." However, Wolfer warns us not to be too heavy-handed in an ACV bath treatment. She says, "Anything more than a small amount could irritate your private parts or any cuts."

4. DIY face mask

Face mask
Image: Giphy

Courtney Corvan of the Courtney Corvan Skin Studio tweets a delightfully simple DIY apple cider vinegar face mask you can whip up at home: ACV plus Indian Healing Clay equals radiant skin in just 20 minutes.

"I do this all the time as a spot treatment!" says Wolfer. "It can immediately leave your skin more red because of the increased blood flow, so don't be alarmed if you are more red immediately after. Give skin time to settle down, and it will be far better than it was before."

More: The 7-Day Challenge Your Skin Will Love You For

5. DIY hair mask

Clueless
Image: Giphy

Once you finish soothing your skin, the next stop is dry and damaged hair desperately in need of some TLC. Try Mad in Crafts' Coconut Oil Honey Hair Mask made with coconut oil, honey and apple cider vinegar. ACV helps to balance hair pH, strip styling product buildup and close hair cuticles for a silky shine. Wolfer explains, "ACV is a great natural clarifier — but like with clarifying shampoos that deeply cleanse hair of product or environmental buildup, you don't want to use them too often, otherwise it will strip hair of natural oils too."

6. Foot soak

Image: Giphy

According to Wolfer, apple cider vinegar can turn a traditional foot soak up to 11. Wolfer uses an ACV foot soak as a cooling summer beauty treatment — to reduce swelling and aid in callus removal. To soak off stubborn calluses, soak your tootsies in undiluted apple cider vinegar for up to one hour and buff smooth.

7. Nail soak

Image: Giphy

Ashamed of your weak, yellow fingernails after one too many spa manicures? A weekly soak in apple cider vinegar and vegetable oil can restore brittle nails and improve strength. For Wolfer, an ACV soak is her go-to nail treatment to remove pesky stains.

8. Natural hair rinse

Jessica Alba
Image: Giphy

In a 2014 Dr. Oz appearance, Jessica Alba swore by apple cider vinegar as a beauty treatment. Alba rinses her luscious locks once a week with diluted apple cider vinegar to remove heavy chemical product buildup. Like the apple cider vinegar hair mask that works so well to clarify hair when used in moderation, Wolfer endorses the ACV hair rinse with a big "YES!"

9. Skin toner

ScarJo
Image: Giphy

As if you need another reason to try ACV, ScarJo likes it too. In 2013, Scarlett Johansson unveiled apple cider vinegar as her big beauty secret, used as a toner to balance pH and give skin a healthy glow.

"It's an excellent nightly toner! You can dilute it with water or add essential oils to cut the scent if it's too aggressive for you," Wolfer says.

Updated by Sarah Long on 5/18/2017.

5 So-Pretty Braided Hairstyles You Can Do on Curly Hair

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Unless you’re a 15-fingered hair savant with an affinity for complicated weaves and knots, you’ll probably agree with us when we say that braiding is hard. Not hard on a scale of 1 to performing-actual-open-heart-surgery, but definitely harder than throwing your hair into a topknot. And when you add tight, tangled curls to the mix? Well, let’s just say we give you full permission to give up and go back to bed.

More: Meet Retinol Oil: The Coolest Anti-Aging Product That Actually Works

Or at least that’s what we previously thought. But after watching a ton of our favorite curly-haired beauty bloggers expertly navigate their way through crown braids, double French braids and even some three-tiered braided updos, we would like to say that were totally and completely wrong and would like to see braids and curly hair live a long, harmonious life together forever. And to get you in on this love fest, we pulled the five coolest, prettiest braid tutorials you can actually do on curly hair below. Watch them, fall in love with them and then immediately come back here with pictures of your new braids.

Easy braids
Image: ImaxTree

Double French braids

If you’re new to the braiding game, even something as simple as French braids can seem challenging on curly hair. But trust us, these three-strand braids are surprisingly easy.

Double-braided puff

Two tight side braids and a whole bunch of baby bantu knots give definition and volume to this old-school style.

Halo braid

An inverted Dutch braid wrapped along the hairline and into a circle around the crown of your head gives a halo-like effect to this basic-seeming braid.

Triple-layered updo

This insanely pretty updo looks sculpturesque, but is actually the result of multiple two-strand twists and braids wrapped and pinned together.

Hairline-braided bun

Contrast two tight, slick braids with a huge, voluminous mess of curls for the perfect low-key updo.

Originally posted on StyleCaster.

5 Antiaging Neck Creams That’ll Make You Look Younger

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OK, OK — we know; the antiaging thing is getting a bit crazy. Just when you wrapped your head around the facts of retinol, like what it is, how to use it and why it’s going to be your BFF for the rest of your life until you die (no, seriously, it is), you’re smacked with news of antiaging blushantiaging oils and now, antiaging neck products. Does every single part of your body really need a targeted antiaging treatment? Is this all a marketing scam? Am I supposed to use these? The answer to all of these is, surprisingly, no.

More: 5 So-Pretty Braided Hairstyles You Can Do on Curly Hair

No, you don’t need to use any antiaging products on any part of your body if you don’t want to. We’re all about aging gracefully and naturally, and if you’re cool with your fine lines and wrinkles, then we are too. But if you want try to slather yourself in gravity-fighting ingredients, then we’ve got your back (and front and face and neck…). Because antiaging neck creams are, in fact, a thing, and they’re not a scam — at least not totally.

“For the multitaskers out there, an additional neck cream may not be necessary,” says Yale dermatologist and all-around skin guru Mona Gohara. “If you’re already using a retinol or antiaging cream on your face, just spread the wealth and smooth it over your neck too.” However, if you’re already bad at keeping a consistent antiaging routine for your face or you just forget that you have a neck sometimes, Gohara does recommend a separate neck cream to “serve as a friendly reminder that your neck is there and needs love too.” So with that in mind, we rounded up the absolute best cult-favorite neck creams that truly, seriously work. Massage them from your clavicles to your jawline, and in just 50 short years, you’ll notice you look way younger than every other member of your nursing home. Congrats!

More: The 9 Best New Root Cover-Up Products That Actually Work

Elemis Pro-Collagen neck & décolleté balm

Elemis Pro-Collagen Neck & Décolleté Balm
Image: Elemis

Elemis Pro-Collagen neck & décolleté balm (Elemis, $78.50)

Clarins Extra-Firming Neck Cream

Clarins Extra-Firming Neck Cream
Image: Clarins

Clarins Extra-Firming Neck Anti-Wrinkle Rejuvenating Cream (Clarins, $89)

StriVectin Advanced Tightening Neck Cream

StriVectin Advanced Tightening Neck Cream
Image: StriVectin

StriVectin Advanced Tightening Neck Cream (StriVectin, $95)

L'Oréal RevitaLift neck cream

L'Oréal RevitaLift Neck Cream
Image: L'Oréal

L'Oréal RevitaLift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Face & Neck Contour Cream (L'Oréal, $17.99)

Perricone MD antiaging neck treatment

Perricone MD Anti-Aging Neck Treatment
Image: Sephora

Perricone MD Cold Plasma Sub-D antiaging neck treatment (Sephora, $135)

Originally posted on StyleCaster.

How to Remove Hair Dye From Skin

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There are a lot of things to love about dying your own hair. It's quick, it's (for the most part) easy and it saves like a million dollars. What we don't love? When some rogue box dye ends up on our skin and the frantic rubbing that ensues.

We obviously try our best to take protective measures before we apply our color, but a bit of dye inevitably somehow ends up streaking our face or neck. If we act quickly, a lightly wet a cotton ball with some warm water can do the trick — but let's be real, we usually don't notice the blobs of wayward color until it's too late.

Preventative measures

Like we mentioned above, when it comes to getting dye off the skin, the best offense is a good defense.

Before you put on your plastic gloves, apply a dab of conditioner, Vaseline or lip balm around the hairline and other areas you know are subject to dripping color (like earlobes, eyebrows, the jawline and the nape of your neck). This will provide a barrier that color can't attach to or stain. Further, having a visual cue of your danger zones can help to mentally manage your color application.

Removing hair color stains

If you're past the point of creating a color boundary and you've now got a full-blown stain to contend with, Kari Hill, expert colorist for L'Oreal Paris, advises clients that when stains are faint, patience may just be the best policy. "If there is a shadow, I tell my clients to go home and wait a bit until some of their natural oils have returned to their skin. Then I have them use an oil-based eye makeup remover with a cotton ball," shares Hill.

More: A Hair Gloss Treatment Gives You a Color & Shine Kick Without Commitment

There are loads of other old wives' tales out there when it comes to removing hair color from the skin. Though many of these will depend on how much color has seeped, how permanent the dye blend is, where it is located and how sensitive your skin is, one of these home-tested methods might just do the trick for you.

Next Up: Olive oil and baby oil

Originally published November 2011. Updated May 2017.

1. Olive oil and baby oil

Some experts suggest dabbing a cotton ball or cotton swab in olive oil. Then gently rub on the stained area until the colors fade. Cortney Crace, a color expert at Butterfly Studio Salon, says that success with olive oil can be hit or miss because it can prove to be too concentrated of an oil and cause skin problems for some. Her alternative? Baby oil.

"Mix [face] cleanser with baby oil and apply or use some baby oil, first applying directly on the problem area, rotating in circular motions to target [the] stain, then cleanse the area," she says

More: 7 Pics of Short-Haired Celebs That'll Make You Want to Cut Your Hair

2. Makeup remover

If you have sensitive skin, this one's for you. Crace says makeup remover is a great multipurpose product that can tackle hair dye stains in most cases. "Apply on a cotton ball with hair pulled back and rub away," she says. Wait five minutes before rinsing and check the stain. It should disappear.

3. Nail polish remover

A quick Google search will bring up several articles on how nail polish remover removes hair dye from skin. According to many, it works. However, Crace isn't quick to recommend it.

"My advice is always to stray away from using nail polish remover on any part of the face," she says.

4. Hairspray

Finally, if all else fails spray a bit of hairspray onto a cotton ball. Before the color has time to dye your face, rub the cotton ball onto the stained area of skin to break the bond of color to the skin. Crace admits, she has not heard of much success with this method. So...

If at-home methods fail when trying to remove hair color stains, turn to the pros. Professional beauty supply store chains, like Sally's Beauty Supply, sell inexpensive hair color stain removal blends that should do the trick.

"Also, don't forget you can always give your local/nearest salon a visit to help remove the stain with a professional, gentle solution," says Crace.

The 7 Best Sunscreens for Sensitive Skin

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Riddle us this: Have you ever slathered a seemingly innocent sunscreen onto your super-sensitive skin only to have your face erupt in redness, irritation and stinging? Yeah, we’ve been there, and it sucks. But trust us when we say not all sunscreens are hiding in dark corners, waiting to destroy your skin — you may just be using the wrong type of sunscreen, namely a chemical formulation instead of a physical formulation, and yes, there’s a big difference between the two.

More: LOL: Bella Hadid Just Wore the Exact Hairstyle You Wore in the ’90s

All right, so we all know that both chemical and physical sunscreens protect your skin from harmful UV rays, preventing skin cancer, dark spots and premature aging (yes, we are founding presidents of the Sunscreen Fan Club), right? But you may not know that both work in totally different ways and are not suited for all skin types. In a nutshell, physical sunscreens, which are formulated with either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, tend to be thicker and more opaque (think: the sunblock on a lifeguard’s nose) and sit on top of your skin to form a ray-deflecting barrier, like a shield. Chemical sunscreens, however, have a bigger concoction of micro ingredients, like avobenzone, octinoxate and homosalate, which slowly sink into your skin to absorb and destroy UV rays.

Sun protected skin
Image: ImaxTree

OK, cool, but what does this have to do with you and your sensitive skin? Well, although chemical sunscreens tend to be more cosmetically elegant, and thus more popular, their mix of skin-penetrating ingredients can be hella irritating to sensitive skin types. And while either choice will still protect your face from the sun, you may want to switch to a physical sunscreen if your skin tends to freak out at anything harsher than a gust of air.

Luckily, though, it’s 2017, and physical sunscreen formulations have come a long way since Baywatch days, feeling more silky and sheer than ever before. And to prove it, we’ve rounded up the seven best physical sunscreens that will make even your angry, hard-to-please, baby-like skin happy. Scroll through them all below, and welcome to the Sunscreen Fan Club.

More: Does Pressing Your Moisturizer Into Your Skin Actually Work?


Paula’s Choice Skin Recovery Daily Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30

Paula’s Choice Skin Recovery Daily Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30
Image: Paula’s Choice

Paula’s Choice Skin Recovery Daily Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30 (Paula’s Choice, $29)

Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 60+

Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 60+
Image: Neutrogena

Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 60+ (Neutrogena, $10.99)

La Roche-Posay Anthelios 50 Mineral Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid

La Roche-Posay Anthelios 50 Mineral Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid
Image: La Roche-Posay

La Roche-Posay Anthelios 50 Mineral Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid (La Roche-Posay, $33.50)

Suntegrity Natural Moisturizing Face Sunscreen & Primer

Suntegrity Natural Moisturizing Face Sunscreen & Primer
Image: Suntegrity Skin Care

Suntegrity Natural Moisturizing Face Sunscreen & Primer, Broad Spectrum SPF 30 (Suntegrity Skin Care, $45)

CeraVe Sunscreen with SPF 50

Cerave Sunscreen Face Lotion with SPF 50
Image: Target

CeraVe Sunscreen with SPF 50 (Target, $11.29)

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Pure Mineral Sunscreen Moisturizer Broad Spectrum

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Pure Mineral Sunscreen Moisturizer Broad Spectrum
Image: Sephora

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Pure Mineral Sunscreen Moisturizer Broad Spectrum (Sephora, $30)

Vanicream Sunscreen SPF 50+

Vanicream Sunscreen SPF 50+
Image: Walgreens

Vanicream Sunscreen SPF 50+ (Walgreens, $18.99)

Sun protected skin
Image: ImaxTree

Originally posted on StyleCaster.

8 (Actually Delicious) Foods That Can Make Your Hair Grow Faster

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Whether it’s out of desperation to reset a cut from hell or just the desire to try out a new look, you’ve probably been compelled to search for how to make your hair grow faster at one point or another — and you know by now that not everything on the good old internet actually works. However, there are some things you can do that yield real results, especially when it comes to strategic eating.

Here are eight foods that are thought to make your hair grow faster, recommended by Harvard and Yale Medical School-trained nutritionist Jayson Calton and licensed nutritionist and fitness chef Mira Calton. Behold, the foods for hair growth you should incorporate into your diet stat.

More: 7 Foods That Clear Your Complexion

Salmon

This fish is loaded with strong hair supporters like vitamin D and protein, and it also contains omega-3 fatty acids that promote hair growth by keeping your scalp healthy. A win-win.

Yellow peppers

Yellow bell peppers have nearly five-and-a-half times more vitamin C than oranges (341 milligrams, as opposed to 63). This is very good news for your locks — vitamin C is an antioxidant that strengthens the hair shaft and hair follicles and prevents breakage.

Oysters

Zinc deficiency has been known to cause hair loss and poor scalp conditions, and oysters are loaded with zinc — just 3 ounces contains 493 percent of your daily value. But not just any oysters will do: Steer clear of the ones caught in the Gulf of Mexico, which may contain unusually high levels of cadmium due to the 2010 BP oil spill.

Foods That Can Make Your Hair Grow Faster 1
Image: Getty Images

Eggs

Eggs are an excellent source of those aforementioned omega-3s, and they also contain biotin (which many people trying to grow their hair take in supplement form). But be aware: It’s not the “healthier” egg white that will make your hair long and beautiful; it’s the yolk. Eating too many egg whites can actually block the absorption of biotin into the body, causing a depletion of this micronutrient.

Sunflower seeds

Just a few little seeds can supply you with an abundance of vitamin E, which will enhance blood flow to the scalp and promote faster hair growth.

Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are loaded with beta-carotene, the precursor for vitamin A that not only promotes a healthy scalp but effectively promotes hair growth too. Choose foods loaded with beta-carotene over supplementing with high doses (over 2,500 milligrams) of vitamin A from retinol since it can be toxic at very high levels.

Foods That Can Make Your Hair Grow Faster 1
Image: Getty Images

Avocados

Due to their high concentration of essential fatty acids naturally found in skin cells (which help to keep your skin smooth and supple), avocados are an age-old beauty secret. When topically applied to the hair and scalp, they have the added ability to stimulate collagen and elastin production. Mix a little avocado with sour cream (which contains lactic acid to help exfoliate dead skin and clean up buildup on the scalp) and apply it to your hair and scalp for about 10 minutes before washing off.

Almonds

These nuts will make your hair grow faster and thicker due to their high biotin content. One cup contains nearly one-third of your daily requirement. You should be able to see the results in a month or two of adding them to your diet.

More: Apple Cider Vinegar Gave Me the Shiniest Hair of My Life

Originally posted on StyleCaster.

The 7 Best Concealers Makeup Artists Swear By

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Oh, concealer, how we have a love-hate relationship with you. Sure, you’ve got the power to cover up even our worst breakouts and hide the darkest of circles under our eyes, but why do you insist on sliding down our faces and settling into every tiny crease and line by lunch? We want to love you, we really do, but you make it hard — or at least some of your crappier formulations do. Look, we understand that not all concealers are bad, but it seems almost impossible to find a formulation that checks off all of our boxes. At least that’s what we thought until we checked in with a bunch of makeup artists, combing through every interview and Instagram photo we could find to figure out which concealers the best of the best experts swear by. And, yes, we hit the jackpot.

More: 5 So-Pretty Braided Hairstyles You Can Do on Curly Hair

Thanks to our tireless dedication (oh, hey, here’s our back if you want to pat it or something), we not only found a ton of incredibly excellent concealer recommendations, but we were also able to uncover some helpful application tips from the pros, like Nick Barose, Melissa Walsh and Benjamin Puckey (if their names mean nothing to you, maybe their clients Gigi Hadid, Sasha Pieterse and Jennifer Hudson do?). So click through our list of the best of the best concealers below, and get ready to have insanely good coverage all day long.

More: I Did It. I Got Botox Twice — Here’s Why

MAC Studio Pro Conceal and Correct Palette

M.A.C. Studio Conceal and Correct Palette
Image: MAC Cosmetics

Pro: Nick Barose

Clients: Sasha Pieterse, Tracee Ellis Ross

Product: "@Maccosmetics Concealer Palette Creamy and powdery, it sets to a velvety finishes, it's nice to have a few extra colours you can mix n match for different part of your face and or when you're darker in the summer so your Concealer doesn't 'Float' on your face," wrote Barose about one of his favorite concealers.

MAC Studio Pro Conceal and Correct Palette (MAC, $40)

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer
Image: Nars Cosmetics

Pro: Adam Burrell

Clients: Fergie, Jennifer Hudson, Little Mix

Product: Burrell posted a pic on his Instagram account showing his favorite go-to products he uses to get Jennifer Hudson ready for her appearance on The Voice U.K., which included this cult-favorite Nars concealer.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer (Nars, $30)

RMS Beauty "Un" Cover-Up

Rms Beauty
Image: RMS Beauty

Pro: Suzy Gerstein

Clients: Leighton Meester, Millie Bobby Brown, Christy Turlington Burns

Product: As Gerstein wrote in an Instagram post about this dual-purpose concealer and foundation, you can "even out any discoloration in the skin with @rmsbeauty "un" cover-up, patting in with fingertips."

RMS Beauty "Un" Cover-Up (RMS Beauty, $36)

Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Camouflage Concealer

Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Camouflage Concealer
Image: Lancôme

Pro: Benjamin Puckey

Clients: Gigi Hadid, Hailey Baldwin, Suki Waterhouse

Product: This concealer comes highly recommended by Puckey, who wrote on Instagram, "This @lancomeofficial concealer is really good! #alittlegoesalongway."

Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Camouflage Concealer (Lancôme, $31)

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage
Image: Laura Mercier

Pro: Liset Garza

Clients: Michelle Dockery, Phoebe Tonkin, Natasha Lyonne

Product: "My favorite concealer of all time," wrote Garza on Instagram about this two-toned palette.

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage (Laura Mercier, $35)

Hynt Beauty Duet Perfecting Concealer

Hynt Beauty Duet Perfecting Concealer
Image: Hynt Beauty

Pro: Melissa Walsh

Clients: Ruth Negga, Rachel Brosnahan

Product: "Not only does a little go a long way, but it covers everything from dark circles to pimples and doesn't feel heavy or get cakey. It also is vegan, organic, and toxin-free," said Walsh in a Byrdie interview about this creamy, super-blendable concealer.

Hynt Beauty Duet Perfecting Concealer (Hynt Beauty, $24)

Chanel Correcteur Perfection Concealer

Chanel Correcteur Perfection Concealer
Image: Chanel

Pro: Andie Markoe-Byrne

Clients: Ashley Graham, Frida Aasen, Philomena Kwao

Product: "I absolutely love these! Velvety texture; don't crease; great colors," wrote Markoe-Byrne in an Instagram post.

Chanel Correcteur Perfection Concealer (Chanel, $42)

Glowing skin
Image: ImaxTree

Originally posted on StyleCaster.


How Much Hair Loss Is Normal?

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In our Q&A series, beauty experts address your most bewildering issues. Have a beauty-related quandary of your own? Submit your question in the comments below or via Twitter.

Question:

How much hair loss is normal?

Answer:

Seeing a lot of hair whirling down the shower drain? Don’t freak — yet. “Hair loss in women is, to a certain extent, normal,” advises leading New York-based hair restoration specialist Dr. James C. Marotta. “The average woman loses between 50 and 100 strands per day, even up to 150 in some cases.”

But if you really feel like you’ve started to lose an excessive amount of hair each day, Marotta recommends this trick: “Take about 60 hairs between your fingers and pull, running your fingers through your hair. Usually between five and eight hairs, which is normal,” he says. “An excess of 15 hairs, however, is not as common and means you are losing more hair than you should be.”

Here’s the deal, says Marotta: “For most, 90 percent of the hair on your head is in the growing phase, while about 10 percent of your hair is in the ‘resting’ phase, meaning that 10 percent will fall out and leave room for new hair growth within a certain period of time. If you are losing more than 15 hairs per pull, it likely means more than 10 percent of the hair on your head is in the ‘resting’ phase,” he explains. “While this still may not be a true cause for concern, it would be a good idea to ask an expert about what to do to halt this process.”

Even if you find that you are losing quite a bit of hair, it’s not necessarily a cause for concern. “The cause of excess hair loss can be as simple as too much stress or a lack of vitamins,” Marotta says, “so it’s important to take a look at your lifestyle when hair loss becomes an issue.” He does warn, however, that “hair loss can also become prevalent due to hormonal, immunological and infectious issues,” so no matter what, a trip to the doctor is never a bad idea, if only to ease your anxiety.

Originally posted on StyleCaster.

How to Wash Your Hair — the Right Way

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You guys, hair washing is confusing. We grew up being taught to wash it every day, and then later we learned you should probably only be sudsing up a couple of times a week — and to be honest, we’re still pretty confused about how to wash your hair correctly when it comes to the actual process of cleansing (the “no ‘poo method” floating around the internet certainly isn’t helping things).

Using the correct techniques can make a world of difference in your hair’s health, bounce and shine — but if you’re making some common mistakes, you could be damaging your lovely locks without even realizing it. We asked two of New York’s foremost hair pros, hair stylist Nunzio Saviano of Nunzio Saviano Salon and Kyle White, lead colorist at Oscar Blandi Salon, to share their best tips for lathering up — and doing it the right way.

1. Start with a rinse

Just like your laundry needs a rinse cycle before you add detergent, hair should be thoroughly wet before you add your shampoo. “Hot water will open the cuticle, which is good for removing any dirt or product trapped in the hair,” says White.

Another bonus: “When your hair is rinsed in warm water, it loosens the oils through the scalp and opens the cuticle so it is able to absorb the oil” in your conditioner, says Saviano.

More: This New $7 Dry Shampoo Truly Transformed My Hair

2. If you have long hair, condition first

Yes, really! “If you have hair beneath the shoulders, protect fragile ends from drying out and further damage by running a small amount of conditioner through them and lightly rinsing before any shampooing. This will not only keep ends healthy, it will fill any holes in the cuticle with moisture, making it smoother and boosting shine,” says White.

3. Lather up — but only at the scalp

“You only need to shampoo the hair at the scalp, particularly at the nape,” Saviano says.

White agrees. “The best way to lather up is from roots to ends. The hair closest to the scalp is the youngest and will inevitably be the oiliest, while the end of the hair is the oldest and usually [the] driest, most fragile part of the hair.”

Don’t use more shampoo than you need; both Saviano and White say that a quarter-size amount of shampoo is enough. If your hair is particularly long or thick, go ahead and double that.

4. Be gentle!

Friction can permanently damage your hair’s cuticle, leading to breakage and frizz. Think about washing your hair like you hand-wash your delicates — very carefully.

“Start your lather at the roots,” says White. “Increase blood flow to the scalp and stimulate hair growth by using vertical strokes with medium pressure.” Don’t use circular motions, which can tangle your hair.

Next, “Smooth the lather over the ends in a straight stroking motion,” White advises. “Do not scrub the fragile ends or use a back and forth motion like you’re washing a rag on a washboard.”

5. Don’t rinse and repeat

Despite what the instructions on the back of your shampoo bottle may say, there’s no need to wash your hair twice.

“Avoid stripping the hair by doing one shampoo only, which is usually sufficient,” says White. “Unless the hair is extremely dirty and the first shampoo didn’t produce a lather.” In that case, go ahead and lather up one more time.

6. Add conditioner from the mid-lengths to the tips

After you’ve rinsed out your shampoo, “squeeze some of the water out of the hair before you put in the conditioner,” says Saviano. “Then clip your hair up and finish showering, leaving the conditioner rinse-out for the final step of your shower.”

The longer the conditioner stays on your hair, the better it absorbs. Don’t put conditioner at the roots of your hair; the natural oil from your scalp is more concentrated there.

7. Finish with a cold-water rinse

“Cold water will shut the cuticle tight, sealing the shingle-like outer layer, which will cause it to reflect the most light and give off the most shine,” says White.

More Hair Washing Tips…

Use a shampoo and conditioner that’s made for your hair type. If your hair is dry, choose moisturizing products. If you color your hair, opt for color-safe formulas. “Volumizing” shampoos tend to leave hair drier, so they’re best for fine hair types that would be weighed down by more moisturizing products.

How often you wash your hair depends on your hair type too. If you have oily or fine hair, you may need to shampoo daily. Normal or dry hair can lather up closer to three times a week.

Filter your water. White recommends using a shower filter, such as the T3 Source Showerhead, since it “removes rust and minerals from water that can dull color, and deposit on blondes making them dark and muddy.” (We’ve tried it, and it also made our hair super-soft.)

More: Beauty Hack: Add Sugar to Your Shampoo for Perfect Hair

Originally posted on StyleCaster.

The Complete Simplified Hair Color Chart for Every Shade Imaginable

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Experimenting with cool hair colors is part of life — everyone should know what it feels like to be a redhead, if only for a fleeting moment in time, right? But finding your ideal hair shade, whether it’s cinnamon or light ash blond, may require a fair amount of trial and error. However, you can spare yourself some of the legwork by consulting a hair color chart.

To help you find the best hair color for you (aside from the one you were born with), we’ve rounded up colors in every shade and included which skin tones or eye colors they work best for.

Light Ash Blonde
Image: ImaxTree; Illustrations by Rolando Robinson

Light ash blond

The palest of blonds has hints of ash, or a whitish tint with pale green and blue undertones, and suits ladies with pale skin tones particularly well. If you’ve got rosy undertones to your skin, an ashy tone will be even better, as the green and blue undertones will neutralize the rosiness. To keep light ash blond hair from yellowing, use a purple shampoo and conditioner.

More: How to Get Hair Dye Off Your Skin

Light Blonde
Image: ImaxTree; Illustrations by Rolando Robinson

Light blond

True light blond hair is the kind of blond plenty of people have when they’re younger before the hair darkens naturally. Falling right between ash and golden blonds, light blond color is ideal for complementing fair skin and hazel or blue eyes.

Light Golden Blonde
Image: ImaxTree; Illustrations by Rolando Robinson

Light golden Blond

Golden blond, or the closest to yellow-blond as you can get, is ideal for light, warm skin tones and light eyes. Be sure to tone your hair regularly, as yellowish shades can very quickly turn brassy.

Medium Champagne
Image: ImaxTree; Illustrations by Rolando Robinson

Medium champagne

Skin with pink or rosy undertones works well with the beige tones of medium champagne hair. The green and blue tints in the champagne color will counteract the pink undertones of the skin.

Butterscotch
Image: ImaxTree; Illustrations by Rolando Robinson

Butterscotch

A light brown with blond dimensions, butterscotch hair color works for medium, warm skin tones.

Cool Brown
Image: ImaxTree; Illustrations by Rolando Robinson

Cool brown

This medium brown hair color with cool undertones is great for girls with cool skin tones. Makes sense, right?

More: The Hair Color Trends That’ll Be Huge for Fall 2017

Light Brown
Image: ImaxTree; Illustrations by Rolando Robinson

Light brown

Light brown hair typically looks fairly one-dimensional and natural and works for medium skin tones both cool and warm. It’s also a great base color if you’re looking to add blond highlights at some point.

Light Golden Brown
Image: ImaxTree; Illustrations by Rolando Robinson

Light golden brown

An easy way to warm up brown hair for summer, light golden brown hair looks wonderful on warmer skin tones — or when you’re just a bit sun-kissed.

Chocolate Brown
Image: ImaxTree; Illustrations by Rolando Robinson

Chocolate brown

A rich, true brown hair tone, chocolate brown works for medium and olive skin tones, as well as for those with hazel or brown eyes.

Dark golden Brown
Image: ImaxTree; Illustrations by Rolando Robinson

Dark golden brown

Deeper skin tones or olive skin tones do well with a dark golden brown, which has subtle hints of a warm honey-gold in the brown color range.

Medium Ash Brown
Image: ImaxTree; Illustrations by Rolando Robinson

Medium ash brown

Ideal for cool, medium skin tones with pink undertones, medium ash brown has the tints of green and blue underneath that come with ash.

Espresso
Image: ImaxTree; Illustrations by Rolando Robinson

Espresso

A rich espresso brown color is gorgeous for medium and darker skin tones and darker eye colors. If you’re fair-skinned, however, espresso may look a bit unnatural on you.

More: Khloé Kardashian Cut Her Hair Into the Easiest Style You Can Copy at Home

Jet Black
Image: ImaxTree; Illustrations by Rolando Robinson

Jet-black

Jet-black hair is one of the most striking colors, and it typically works best on darker skin tones — unless, of course, you’re going for a real statement. In that case, lighter skin tones can make jet-black work too. Steer clear of black hair color with blue undertones, though, as it can make you look sickly, especially if you have blue undertones in your face.

Reddish Blonde
Image: ImaxTree; Illustrations by Rolando Robinson

Reddish blond

Commonly referred to as strawberry blond, this color works for warm skin tones and lighter eye colors.

Light Auburn
Image: ImaxTree; Illustrations by Rolando Robinson

Light auburn

Light auburn is the closest color to naturally red hair, and it works best on super-fair skin tones with light eye colors. If you’re dyeing your hair this color, be sure to keep your eyebrows in mind too.

Medium Auburn
Image: ImaxTree; Illustrations by Rolando Robinson

Medium auburn

A great color for light to medium skin tones, medium auburn hair is a gorgeous rich hue. As with the light auburn color, mind your eyebrows when you’re dying your hair medium auburn — a lighter copper eyebrow typically works best.

Reddish Cinnamon
Image: ImaxTree; Illustrations by Rolando Robinson

Reddish cinnamon

Reddish cinnamon hair works beautifully on cool skin tones. Be extra careful with this one, though, because it can fade quickly. Be sure to use shampoo specifically made for color-treated hair, and try to wash as little as possible to keep the color vibrant.

Originally posted on StyleCaster.

10 Things No One Ever Told You About Coloring Your Hair

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This just in: Ladies be dyeing their hair all kinds of ways all the time. Between highlights, dyes, single-process, and double-process color, there are so many varied options out there for getting your hair just the way you want it — but you still don’t always know what you’re getting yourself into, whether it be at the salon or at home.

Like, um, should you wash your hair before you dye it? Should you… warn your friends and family that your appearance is about to change dramatically? (For the record, the answer to both is no.) Here, 10 things no one will ever tell you about coloring your hair, even though you should definitely know them.

1. Multidimensional color can trick the eye into thinking there’s more volume

If you look closely at photos of most celebrities, their hair isn’t just one shade: Universal hair-crushes like Miranda Kerr and Julianne Hough have multi-tonal dye jobs, which highlight their faces and give the illusion of more movement and body in the hair.

2. If you’re getting a keratin treatment, it’s best to get it when you color your hair

Whether it’s directly after or within a couple of days, a keratin treatment should be done right around the time that you color your strands to seal in the color.

3. Shampoo isn’t the only thing you need to buy to protect your color

Yes, you should be using shampoo and conditioner for color-treated hair formulated specifically for your hair color, but you should also be using a color-protecting styling spray and a UV spray. Harmful UV rays can fade the color of your hair, making salon trips more and more necessary.

10 Things No One Ever Told You About Coloring Your Hair
Image: ImaxTree

More: A Blonde’s Guide to Natural Highlights

4. Root touch-ups can be solved with at-home tools

Whether you get a kit for root touch-ups or simply use a touch-up pen, stretch the amount of time between salon visits with a quick fix of your own.

5. At home, apply moisturizer and petroleum jelly to your face first

Dripping dye onto your skin is a good look for no one. Use your regular moisturizer on your face, then apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly around your hairline before coloring — this way, your skin is protected and you’ll be able to wipe off the color immediately once you’re done.

6. It’s fine to mess up

Not that we recommend messing up, but it’s comforting to know that with products like Color Oops, your hair color catastrophe can be washed out completely if absolutely necessary.

7. Avoid ingredients like ammonia, coal tar and lead acetate

There are a slew of gnarly ingredients that can hide in at-home hair color products, so you should be looking out for all of them. Ingredients like ammonia (which can completely dry and fry your hair) and lead acetate (uh, lead poisoning?) should be avoided like the plague. If possible, try to use the most natural hair color you can find and talk with your colorist about which products they’re using.

10 Things No One Ever Told You About Coloring Your Hair 2
Image: ImaxTree

More: Everything You Need to Make Your Hair Color Last

8. The real difference between single- and double-process color…

Single process is exactly like what it sounds like: applying one color to the hair at one time. A double process requires bleaching out the hair — the first process — and then toning the color — the second process — to get the desired result. Double processing takes longer and is harsher on your hair, so you should be aware of that going into it.

9. Going darker is less damaging than going lighter

Going lighter means stripping hair of some color and moisture, while going darker means depositing color into your hair. It’s the basic laws of subtraction and addition: Adding color is less damaging, removing your color is more damaging.

10. Leave your hair dirty before you start

Color not only holds better to dirty hair — clean hair can be too slippery — but if you wash your hair before coloring, the dye or bleach may burn your scalp since it won’t have the natural oils to protect it.

Originally posted on StyleCaster.

How to Fix Split Ends Without Cutting Them

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There’s no hair enemy as fierce and unyielding as the much-dreaded split end — so when experts offer up advice on how to get rid of split ends without cutting, you know we’re listening.

“Split ends occur when the protective outer layer of the hair cuticle wears away because of external stressors such as heat styling and salon chemical services,” explains Amy Abramite, creative director and stylist at Chicago’s Maxine Salon. “Once the internal structure of the hair is exposed, it becomes weakened, dehydrated and damaged, causing split ends.”

More: The Kardashians’ Hairstylist Says This Will Be 2017’s Most Popular Haircut

The only proven split end treatment method is to have them snipped off, but we asked around and found several things you can do between salon appointments to improve the look of damage and prevent more splits from occurring.

Use a wide-tooth comb

After you apply conditioner in the shower, slowly run a wide-tooth comb through hair until all the tangles are out. This prevents the snaps and breakage you can incur when you try to brush out hair that is roughed up from a towel-dry, advises Jessie James, stylist at New York’s Marie Robinson salon.

Mind your heat tools

That bargain-bin blow-dryer may be a tempting purchase, but inexpensive tools tend to dangerously overheat over time and burn ends into splits, warns James. Instead, use a top-rated economical brand like Conair Infiniti Pro 259Y (Walmart, $24.94), or invest in a professional-grade dryer like BaBylissPro Volare V1 Dryer with Ferrari Designed Engine (Ulta, $179.95).

Go gentle

“Imagine wearing a silk blouse every single day. It would get pretty beat up. Treat your hair like an expensive fabric, and it will last longer and look better,” says Natasha Sunshine, owner of Santa Monica’s Byu-Ti Salon. Use only covered elastics with no metal piece, like those made by Goody, to tie hair into a ponytail. If you’re looking for a sleek look, rely on products like a gel, like Nexxus Exxtra Hold Defining Gel (Target, $9.99) and a finishing spray like Rene Furterer Vegetal Styling Finishing Spray (Rene Furterer, $29) to create a smooth finish instead of pulling hair too tightly to achieve it alone.

Take folic acid and biotin

There’s a reason they say you are what you eat. Nutrients literally build the proteins that make up your hair strands. Two B vitamins in particular — folic acid and biotin — have been shown to supplement hair health, length and thickness, says Sunshine.

Folic acid helps the production of red blood cells, which powers the growth of hair. Foods rich in folic acid include green leafy veggies, oranges, soybeans and wheat. Biotin strengthens both hair and nails through its metabolism of fats, carbs and proteins. Brown rice, lentils, peas, sunflower seeds, walnuts and soybeans are all rich in biotin.

Use leave-in conditioner

Conditioners that you rinse out in the shower will do little to nothing for split ends, but a leave-in conditioner will add extra protection that stays on strands as you heat-style and go about your day. Try Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Fresh Cut Split End Mender (Sephora, $24), which can be applied to wet or dry hair for anytime use.

Blow-dry the right way

Always use a nozzle on your dryer to control and direct the flow of air and dry hair in a downward direction before sectioning off and drying completely with a round brush. This way, you spend far less time with intense heat straight on the hair. “If possible, air-drying 90 percent before picking up the blow-dryer is even better,” says Sunshine. And of course, if you can naturally dry all the way, that’s always your best option.

Limit damaging services

There’s unfortunately no way around it — treatments like hair color, highlights, straightening and perms all cause trauma that can result in a bevy of split ends, says Abramite. Try to limit service to just one major hair concern and refrain from washing strands for at least 48 hours afterward, when they’re most porous and likely to break and split. Not only will hair health improve after you go on a chemical-service diet, but your wallet will thank you.

Get regular cuts

Although a haircut is the only way to get rid of split ends, regular trims are your best protection against them. The longer you wait to trim, the greater the chance you have of split ends worsening and traveling up the shaft. It may sound counterintuitive, but this is why it’s actually best to get frequent trims if you’re trying to grow longer, healthier hair. Whatever your hair type or style, our experts recommend you get a cut or trim at least every six to eight weeks.

More: 17 of the Coolest, Cutest Korean Beauty Products Inspired by Food

Originally posted on StyleCaster.

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