A-list Hair Color From Your B-List Bathroom?

Angelina Jolie always looks amazing in that “I’m famous, fabulous and have a gazillion dollars” sort of way, so it isn’t surprising that her freshly highlighted tresses looked perfect, precise and as though they were kissed by the sunshine on an exotic, private island. I know what you’re thinking right about now… “Fabulous hair on a celebrity… yawwwnnn. Tell me something I don’t know.” Well, how about this… Angelina’s highlights didn’t come from the hottest salon in Hollywood – they came from a box of at-home hair color created by the amazing celeb hair stylist Lori Goddard Clark.

So, who is this Goddard-Clark chick? Well, for more than 25 years, she’s been a premier hair colorist all over the world, with clientele ranging from Oscar winning actresses (Reese Witherspoon, for one) to supermodels (Heidi Klum, Kate Moss, you name it) and rock stars (Madonna – need I say more). She’s jumping on the high-end at-home hair color bandwagon (Frederic Fekkai and Ted Gibson are two others that have entered the department/specialty store at-home hair color market) and Jolie’s hair stylist, admittedly not a colorist, used the new hair-color kit on Angelina to get her gorgeous new hue. According to Glamour.com, Scarlett Johannsen and Kate Hudson are rumored to be fans of the color-kit, too!

The line, called “Couture Blonde,” will also include shampoo, conditioner and styling products to keep colored locks looking lustrous. The products will be available on Goddard-Clark’s Web site in the fall but, if you’re like me and can’t wait to get your grubby little hands on the gorgeous goodies, sign up for e-mail updates on the site, http://www.lorrigoddardclark.com/, so you’ll be the first to know when the products launch.

Celebrity hair in a box? Yes, please! Now if only they could just package up personal trainers, gourmet chefs and ready-made entourages in convenient little boxes we'll be all set to take on Hollywood!

XOXO

Beautiful Brands in an Ugly Economy

Let’s face it – 2009 got off to an ugly start. With the economy spiraling downward and the job market shrinking faster than a post-partum celebrity mom, women were loathe to spend hard-earned cash on anything unessential. Whether that meant cutting back on purchases or just switching to lower priced products, only the strong brands survived. So which brands made the cut? A recent study conducted by Unity Marketing ranked the leading beauty and skin care brands in both the "prestige" (department store/specialty store) and "mass" (drugstore) categories. Here are the brands that survived the recession in style:

Prestige

1. Clinique - purchased by 14.3% of survey respondents

Clinique stepped up its value messaging this year, but personally I think the brand has always packed a pretty big bang for the buck! The products are high quality, easy-to-use and reasonably priced! High-tech ingredients have made this brand into a gorgeous blend of beauty and skin care science.

2. L’Occitane – purchased by 12.2% of survey respondents

This one surprised me! Really, gals? You’re going to spend $26 for a tube of hand cream in a RECESSION? Those are some fancy fingers you’ve got there.

3. MAC – purchased by 11.9% of survey respondents

MAC’s another glamorous brand that offers amazing value – highly pigmented makeup that has a truly luxurious feel for slightly more than the drugstore brands. Plus, with spokespeople like Pamela Anderson and Fergie, the vibrantly colored cosmetics scream sexy/rebellious chic!

Mass

1. Olay – purchased by 27.2% of survey respondents

Those of you who know me know that I’m an Olay junkie! Apparently, I’m neither unique nor original on this one- almost 30% of the women in the Unity Marketing survey have purchased Olay during the past year! I can’t speak for all of them, but here’s why I love Olay – reasonably priced skin care that works better than department store brands! Fabulous for keeping your skin looking like a million bucks even if your wallet is lucky to see 20 bucks.

2. Maybelline – purchased by 17.6% of survey respondents

“Maybe she’s born with it… Maybe it’s Maybelline.” Remember that slogan? With 17.6% of the respondents purchasing this brand, there’s a pretty good chance she wasn’t born with it. Maybelline makes high quality products at low prices- I personally love experimenting with all kinds of Maybelline mascaras, and their new(ish) mineral makeup products which are every bit as good as the pricer ones that I’ve purchased at Sephora! (Really!)

3. Cover Girl - purchased by 16.8% of survey respondents

For a long time, Cover Girl had that young-"teenager experimenting with makeup" vibe going on, which brought back awkward memories of middle school dances and weird blue eyeshadow. Today, however, it’s become a standout brand for young and mature customers. With spokespeople ranging from Rihanna to Ellen DeGeneres and undeniably amazing products like Cover Girl Lash Blast mascara and Simply Ageless foundation, the brand has made a comeback of Britney Spears proportions! And with amazingly low price points, no wonder it was a winner in 2009!

So there you have it, gals; whether you chose to drive a beat-up old car so you can splurge on your skin care or got a second job to support your Sephora habit, you're not alone! Here's to staying fabulous in an ugly economy!

Let's Get Dirty!

You’re the kind of gal who’s got places to go and people to see. (Don’t be modest, you know it’s true!) Between your professional life and your social life you leave little time for the less important things like organizing your closet (maybe one day), mowing the lawn (that’s what the cute gardener’s for) or doing your laundry (you’ve got at least three more pair of underwear in your drawer, somewhere!) Let’s face it, procrastination is more than just an art-form; it’s a necessity when it comes to prioritizing. So when you feel like your schedule is bursting at the seams, try this procrastination pointer that’ll shave a half an hour (or more!) off your daily routine a few days a week. What you choose to do with those precious 30 minutes is up to you!

The tip? Two words: Dry Shampoo! The last thing any busy girl wants to do after getting only 3 or 4 hours sleep is wake up early to blow-dry her hair. Rather than throwing your wet hair up into a messy pile that screams “slept-through-my-alarm” try a little dry shampoo. It’s not only good for the soul, its’ actually good for your hair, since it maintains your hair’s natural oils and keeps you from having to heat style! Plus, it's like the push-up bra of hair products- adding amazing lift to your roots for a va-va-voominess you've gotta love.

Ojon Rub Out Dry Cleanser is my all time fave. You can use it on the go, or spray it on your part before going to bed. Rub it in then hit the sack. When you wake up- comb through your hair with a natural-bristle brush. Your hair will have volume, bounce and a fresh fragrance! I even use it on clean hair to give my roots a little lift! You’ll easily get an extra day or two out of your blowout. Give it a go for only $10 for the smaller bottle. You’ll be hooked!

Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk is amazing for those of you with sensitive scalps. It’s paraben- sulfate- and dye-free, but still does an amazing job absorbing excess oil (or excess product if you went overboard on the Frizz-ease!) It’s $18 for either the aerosol or the non-aerosol pump. I like the added force and cooling feel of the aerosol spray, but you may want to experiment with both!

No time to get to Sephora? Try Salon Grafix Spray Powder Shampoo – sold at drugstores nationwide! It’s only $7.99 and comes in various shades- great for women with dark hair who find that dry shampoos leave an “ashy” residue.

Go ahead, girls… get a little dirty and then get a little dry shampoo! You’ll thank me when you (and the cute gardener?) hit that snooze button one more time!

The Impatience-Proof Pedicure

Nothing pulls a fabulous outfit together like a perfectly pretty mani/pedi, but going to the salon for regular treatments is costly and time consuming! Sure, it’s lovely to have a professional pamper your pups every now and then, but if you’re crunched for time more often than not, you know the importance of do-it-yourself primping! The personal paint-job portion of a mani/pedi is a breeze with a little practice, but once you’re polished, waiting around for the polish to set can be as boring as, well, as watching paint dry! Most professionals recommend fifteen minutes of fidget-free finger time following a coat of polish –a lifetime to a gal on-the-go! That’s why my latest lacquer love is Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dry Fast Dry Nail Color! The formaldehyde-free formula goes on smooth and shiny, and dries in less than 60 seconds- practically impatience-proof! Right now my shade obsession is called “Petal Pusher” a demure pink color that goes with everything and looks great on fingers AND toes! For only $5 at drugstores you can give yourself a gorgeous mani/pedi faster than you can snap your fingers!