Hipsters and Fingernails

So my husband, Bill, asked me to be in one of his commercials that he is working on for this new t-shirt company. In the commercial I had to play is a hipster. Nothing against hipsters, I think they are pretty cool, but it is not my style.

Anyway, the day of the shoot I decided my nails looked terrible, and since I knew my nails would be showing, I figured I should get a manicure. Once I got to the spa I realized I probably couldn't choose a color that I normally wear because I needed to be a hipster. I decided on Suzi Says Feng Shui by opi gelcolor.

After my manicure I headed over to the IAC building in Manhattan and got to work. From Bill's directions I need to not do my hair up in my normal "Texas Size Hair" so I left it  flat and went for the messy "undone" pony. 

All I had to do was stare at a computer with an "adoring look." (It was a lot harder than you would think.)

I guess they are going to take out the green background, keep my reflection, and put in a new background. I don't know, some nerdy stuff.

Holiday Wish List

1 Scarf                   5 Bracelet       
2 Watch                 6 Shoes
3 Slippers              7 Sweater
4 I Phone Case


Some people are just hard to buy for, period. I know it's easy to just grab a gift card and be done, but sometimes you feel like need to purchase an actual item. Think about every aspect of their life to maybe spark some ideas. Who knows, some of these items will help. I know I would enjoy anything off this holiday wish list ;).

Blowdryers

I decided to write some tips to use when looking for a  new blowdryer. (Maybe a great Christmas present for someone on your list.) It is often a daunting task as there are so many out there to chose from so follow these simple steps and you should be all set.

1. Wattage. You know how some blowdryers take forever for your hair to dry? That's because the wattage is low. The higher the wattage the more powerful the heat will be. 

2. Accessories. I would definitely look for a blowdryer that comes with both a concentrator and a diffuser.   

3. Controls.  A blowdryer that has hot, warm, and cool options as well as high, medium, and low speed options are important. The cool option or sometimes button, helps to set a style and smooth the cuticle down while being able to change the speed and heat are important depending on what you are doing to your hair. Also you might want to change the heat and speed setting depending the condition of your hair. 

4. Weight. While this is more important for some than others it is nice to not have a blowdryer that weights a ton. For someone with really thick hair that takes forever to dry or someone that straightens their hair with their blowdryer and concentrator I would definitely go with very lightweight dryer.

5. Lastly, the words ceramic, tourmaline, and ionic are thrown around a lot. While I don't know if these are the most important things or how big of a difference they make in a dryer I will let you know what they are. If a blowdryer is ceramic it is also ionic. This just refers to how the heat is distributed through the blowdryer. If a blowdryer has these qualities the heat should be a more even and powerful heat. Tourmaline promotes smooth and shiny hair because of the ions it emits. All of these qualities will make the blowdryer price increase significantly.

My favorite brands. While I am not saying these are the best, these are the ones I have found that I love the most over the years.

Rusk Speed Freak 
Of all the hairstylists I have worked with this one seems to be a favorite.





















Super Solano 
This is what I currently own and love.

CHI Pro Dyer
Both with blowdryers and straighteners this company knows what they are doing.

It's Almost Friday!

I don't know if it is because last week was a holiday or what, but this week has just dragged by for me. So happy that tomorrow is Friday and then back to New York for a week off before the holiday craziness kicks in at the salon.

On a lighter note, Bailey received a nice Christmas onsie. Too bad, she is NOT having it. If you are a dog person I thought this would make you smile, and get you through tomorrow!

She is so mad at me, but I just had to. I love Christmas and maybe she will come around!

Makeup

I'm often asked what brands of makeup I use, and I have to say I am pretty set in my ways. Once I find a product that works for me, that I love I stick with it!

(The 4 eye shadows in # 3 are: top left strappy sandals, top right dirty pink, bottom left effortless, bottom right guest list)

These are my basics for everyday that I stick to always beginning with Clinique lotion moisturizer. I have a stash of makeup that I use when I am feeling creative to spice it up or have a little extra time on my hands (which is very rare these days).

Messy Bun

You know those days where you are running so late and you just don't have time to do your hair. This tutorial is perfect for those days. It should only take 5 minutes or less to throw your hair up in this style and it still looks cute.

To see how to curl your hair like I did before I got started refer to my everyday waves tutorial here. To see a more in depth tutorial on teasing click here. Otherwise all you need are two clear elastic bands, a fine tooth comb, and hairspray.

 Sweater: Loft

Top: Loft

Leggings: Macys

Boots: DSW

New Purse

As a tradition every year we hit the streets of Chicago for Black Friday craziness. We leave Michigan Thanksgiving night around 9:00 PM, hit the Michigan City outlet around midnight, and then drive straight through to Chicago. Once we arrive we shop till we drop, literally. This year we made it till 7:00 PM Friday. I know what your thinking, what a nut! right?! Don't judge until you try it out because it is a blast. The nice part is you don't deal with crazy traffic or drivers, you just park your car and walk.

As we walked along the Magnificent Mile (Michigan Avenue) I wandered into Cole Haan and feel in love with this beauty. They were having a 20% off everything in the store sale, and I just couldn't resist. I have always loved Cole Haan and it was finally time for me to own one of their purses.

 

It is the perfect size, not to tiny and not to big with lots of pockets inside for organization. It also has an adjustable strap, so it can be used as a shoulder bag or cross body bag.