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Must buy makeup: Sugarpill

Haute fall outfit!

Don’t get me wrong, I love my new ‘do -  I feel extra sheek and sassy, a little bohemian, and eyes seem to pop out more than Pamela Anderson’s boobies. But after prancing out of the hair salon, life happened and I was graced with the slightly annoying presence of my new bangs.

If you’re chewing on the idea of taking the fringe plunge, I give you a look into a world of bangs:

12:45 P.M. Now that the rest of my hair has been trimmed and styled, my hairstylist finally comes to the melodramatic point of cutting my bangs. I stop her for a moment, take a deep breath. Once I’m mentally ready, I give a slight nod and she comes at me with the scissors. I watch my life (full of good hair days) flash before my eyes as 4 inches of my former layers flutter away to their final resting place on top of my Ugg boot. I hold the arm rest tighter, trying not to make a scene. I make a mental note to Google image ‘celebs with bangs’ when I got home to make myself feel better about this hasty decision.

1:15 P.M. I play with my new hair a little bit in front of the mirror. I look left. I look right. I look at it from the back. “OK,” I think to myself. “It looks good.” I breathe a sigh of relief. After paying the girl at the front desk and hugging my stylist (“OMG thank you!”) I walk home. And look at my reflection in every reflective material: car windows, mirrors, spoons, phones, computer screens. I don’t look twelve, I don’t resemble Justin Bieber, and I have already forgotten to Google image ‘celebs with bangs.’ Things are looking up.

5:00 P.M. I am standing on the treadmill attempting to put my hair up for a much needed jaunt. I check my reflection in the TV:  I look like an adolescent boy with a bowl cut. It’s creepy, not at all cute, and unfair to all people attempting to have a workout free of silent giggles. I try a headband. Bad move; my bangs stick out the back like a Ricky Martin haircut. That would be fine if I was shaking my bon bon on stage for millions of adoring girls, but I’m not. Now I just look ridiculous.

7:00 P.M. My light workout (I lasted 10 minutes before I got frustrated and gave up) has sent my bangs into an uproar.  The pieces that are not sticking up everywhere are plastered to my forehead; I look like I just ran a marathon with Katie Holmes. It’s awful. “Am I going to have to shower ten times a day to make these puppies look presentable?” I have a mild meltdown in front of my mirror.

9:00 P.M. After much primping (and more priming), I am about ready to hit the town, and my bangs…look…good. Like, really good. Although they are hiding some very serious flat-iron burns on my forehead, I managed to put them together nicely. And they make my basic black top and jeans outfit look way more chic. “Yay bangs!”

10:00 P.M. While lurking around the bar awkwardly, I am stopped by many boys commenting on my bangs. Guys. It was quite the honor; I felt like I needed to give some kind of acceptance speech for being so awesome.  When was the last time men commented on anything besides my French Maid costume?  Yeah, they definitely went south once the dancing started (and by “south” I mean “wet, wavy and stuck to my face”), but I had a few emergency bobby pins on hand to fix the problem.

Despite the ups and downs (and one wasted trip to the treadmill), I say bangs are definitely a do. They won’t be easy, but they will definitely be worth it.

Besides, good or bad, you can always grow those suckers out.

Ok, so maybe vacations are out for most of us, but at least we still have cable TV!  And what’s wrong with a little staycation action? We can always just hit up a guy for some free food and – if things go well – maybe practice a new kind of birth control.  That is, assuming we don’t get our dating tips from listening to Taylor Swift or watching Disney movies.

Of course summer isn’t complete perfection, as we learned this week. But the good news is that it’s okay to cry when big changes happen in life, like graduating or attempting to cut some sweet bangs and ending up looking like one of my Barbie dolls from second grade (the year my dreams of being a hair stylist died).  Yes, even if dudes frown upon it and think it’s on of the many reasons we can’t be good leaders.

At least we have Heidi Montag to cheer us up!

But let’s not go there.

Instead, we’re going to enjoy this lovely spring weekend. Our toes are perfectly pedicured for flip-flops, and we’re going to head to the spa for a luxurious sperm facial (Note: don’t Google that…).  Then we plan to head home, settle in under our Snuggie and get suckered into buying even more crap we don’t need.  Hopefully there is some sort of miracle product on there to keep our abs in tip-top shape.  Nobody wants a mid-summer muffin top crisis.

Here’s to the weekend, even if it is only two days long this week!

I'm not trying to be your mother - oh goodness, no - I'm just here to help you out of those little etiquette dilemmas. So here goes: a quick lesson in etiquette. The sh*t you might actually need to know.]

I always leave salons with bad hair cuts. (Although I must admit the last one was my fault- it should have tipped me off right away when I realized the hair stylist did not speak a word of English.) Anyway, last week reader Josie asked us to feature an article on hair-salon etiquette: “manners pertaining communication with your hair dresser from conversation to tips, how to react if you don’t get the expected results, etc.” So here’s to you Josie..

Small talk. For most women (and some men), their hairstylist is their therapist, best friend, psychic, and lover (you know, hypothetically speaking) all rolled into one. What you tell them is completely up to you, but remember that while there is practically an unwritten rule about the stylist-stylee confidentiality, your stylist isn’t legally obligated to keep quiet. Just because you trust her to give you a killer hair-do, doesn’t mean you can trust her to not tell everyone about your cheating on your taxes, boyfriend, calculus exam, whatever. In fact, salons are havens for gossip, so just be careful.

On another note, if you don’t want to talk to the person cutting your hair, you really don’t have to. I’ve been there; once you run out of small talk (“Yes, it is hot outside, isn’t it?”) and have nothing more to add to the conversation, the silence gets pretty awkward. If you ever find yourself in this predicament, politely escape via magazine. Relax. It’s okay; just make sure to glance up now and then to make sure your hair is coming along the way you’d like.

Bad haircuts. What should you do if you end up with a bad cut? Ask them to fix it. And by “ask” I mean “tell.” Yes, it might be a pain in the butt for them to redo your hair, but remember that you’re paying them for the service. If your hair doesn’t come out exactly the way you want it to, it’s not rude to expect someone at the salon to fix it. It’s better for them if you speak up and get a haircut you love than to walk out unhappy and tell everyone where that mullet came from.

Note: This isn’t a free pass to be bitchy or to start crying and threaten her with the scissors. If you’re unhappy with the results, calmly explain to the stylist what’s wrong with the look, why it isn’t what you asked for, and offer up a suggestion on how to fix it.  This can usually be avoided by bringing a photograph/sketch of the exact style you want from different angles or explaining beforehand your definition of “just two inches.”

Tipping.

I hope that helped clarify some things. I’ve had my fair share of salon disasters (going in for red hair…coming out with purple?), so I’m pretty confident in these tips.

And once again, if you’ve got any etiquette conundrums, questions or gray areas you need help sorting out, let me know in the comments. I’ll be sure to help you out in next week’s column!

But not anymore!

Now the hippest women in Hollywood are sporting the fringe. And as with every Hollywood trend, the general public (fabulous us) is always tempted to follow suit, despite the reprecussions. So for all of you toying with the idea of bangs, read the pros and cons before taking the plunge!

PROS:

1. Instant Chic – As we are college students, ponytails are our hairstyle of choice. But with bangs, a ponytail can suddenly become stylish! If you only have a few moments in the morning for you hair, leave down your bangs and sweep back the rest of your hair for a quick, but classy style. I guarantee that you’ll always look polished unlike the rest of those hungover girls in your lecture hall.

2. Edginess – Even though bangs are quite popular now, they still give your look a sense of mysteriousness. (Yes, that is a word…now.) People tend to associate bangs with European models and super fashionable women (Daisy Lowe, Charlotte Gainsbourg, etc), so you are automatically clumped into that category too!

3. Coverage – Fact: bangs cover your forehead. And what else is potentially on your forehead? Acne and messy eyebrows. It’s not rocket science that with bangs people will not be able to see these little problems. I stumbled upon this genius of bangs in Edinburgh when I could not for the life of me find a tweezer. So I cut myself a pair of full on fringe and, Voila!, the issue was gone. Or at least hidden behind some fabulously chic new bangs.

CONS:

1. They stick to your forehead – Find yourself in a bit of humidity and – BAM – your bangs are glued to your face. And working out? Don’t even think about leaving them flying free, unless you want to look like a greaseball. They’re going absorb the sweat from your face and get real ugly, real fast. And pinning them back becomes a total pain when you have to use 37 clips just to keep them off your face.

2. They get in your eyes – You never realize how fast hair grows until you get bangs. Trim them in the morning and by lunchtime they’re back in your line of vision! Which brings me to my next point…

3. Upkeep – You cannot be a low maintenance person and get bangs. They require constant trimming, straightening, gelling, etc. If you are already strapped for time in the morning, probably not a wise decision.

Just like most things in life, the glory of bangs comes at a price. But is it a price you are willing to pay? You tell us: are they worth the fuss or are we better off without em?

But, there are just some things out there that are worth a little splurge. Sure, you may not be able to buy corn products next week, but who cares? You have yourself one of these babies:

1. An iPod.

I’m sure half of you already have iPods, but I’m also sure there are a few of you out there who are like me… unwilling to fork over the dough because you’re cheap and/or poor. Well, let me tell you, investing in an iPod is the way to go. After forking over the dough for something REALLY huge (a new computer), I got a free iPod touch, and wow. Just wow. The future is here. I can’t even fathom getting to access the Internet for free on a device that also plays music and lets me take notes, get the weather, and watch movies… it’s so awesome.

2. A new computer.

After eight years (serious) of lugging around an outdated Mac laptop, I took a deep breath and hit the “purchase” button last week for a new MacBook Pro. My old computer was still working… it was like a tortoise in terms of speed, though, and it wasn’t really capable of streaming video. Oh, yeah, and the total hard drive capacity was 9 GB. My new computer, I am already convinced, is the best investment I’ve ever made. I can Skype! I can load Web pages in under the amount of time it takes me to make a sandwich! I can listen to podcasts! With my old Mac, podcasts were something strange and exotic that I had heard about but never experienced. If you too are toiling away on an ancient computer, GET A NEW ONE! It is sooooo worth it!

3. A really nice, romantic dinner.

If you have a sugar sugar, treat that person to dinner at an unbearably fancy restaurant. If you’re rocking the single life, get your friends to go out for an amazing dinner with you. It can be painful to look at the tab after you’ve gone all out with appetizers, drinks, main course, and dessert—but if you go to a super-nice place, you’ll later remember how much fun it was rather than how much it cost.

4. An excellent haircut.

For poor college and grad school ladies, the temptation to trim the locks at Master Cuts (or, even classier, over your bathroom sink) is strong—believe me, I feel you. But if you haven’t indulged in a while by having your hair cut and styled (!!!) at a place that’s a little more upscale than your bathtub, you really should treat yourself and go for it. Unless your friend with the scissors is a professional stylist, the difference is unbelievable, and you’ll get the kind of cut that you want to stare at and play with in the mirror for hours.

5. Organics!

I am talking organic clothes and other products as well as food here. Not only are they high-quality, but they’re good for the Earth and good for YOU! You don’t want to chow down on pesticides every time you take a bite of an apple, so spring for the organics. In many places, they’re equally priced or just a little more expensive than the non-organics, and your body will thank you for eating and wearing such lovely things.

[Photo courtesy of promarketing.com]

What’s more comically traumatic than getting a rash “cut it all off” haircut that makes you look less sexy and fierce and more gender-ambiguous? Getting it against your will on national television, ANTM-style!

That’s right, it’s the episode of reality television that I look forward to most…the makeover episode of America’s Next Top Model!

“Like a butterfly, a true top model must be willing to undergo a total metamorphosis,” reads the TyraMail, sending the girls into a chorus of excited screams and giggles, which of course will soon turn into tears, sneers, and perhaps a nervous breakdown, if Tyra has her way!

Tyra shows the girls what to expect this time, with the help of digital imaging, and off they go!

Sarah gets a short ‘do, which looks super hot on her, and Janet gets to keep her short crop (yay!) too, but goes dark brown. Ambreal and Lisa go short as well—both upgrades in my opinion, but that’s coming from a huge short-hair enthusiast. Things are going too well for everyone…signaling doom.

And doom does arrive, for Bianca, who gets told–surprise! You’re getting all your hair cut off and you’ll be doing photo shoots in wigs!

I gotta say, I usually think hysterics during these episodes are totally unnecessary, but I totally sympathize with her tears (still hate her though!) She keeps her cool though, and looks better without hair than with the wig or with her original hair. And Saleisha basically copies my haircut, though hers, courtesy of Ken Paves, looks a bit better than mine, done with a pair of kitchen scissors over my sink.

The girls arrive to a makeup challenge, where Nigel introduces his wife and breaks my heart (seriously, he is yummy).

The challenge? A dark dramatic eye, and nude glossy lips, which completely overwhelms Victoria. Sarah wins, after going, successfully, for a winged eye, which I’ve never been able to do, so kudos to her.

Next up? The girls transform into flowers and other various plant life for their photo shoots. This shoot is actually a pretty, reasonably realistic one. Heather and Janet are my favorites, and Chantal has a breakdown over conflicted direction from Mister Jay and the photographer. She chats with Victoria, who says high fashion is sometimes “ludicrous,” meaning she’s definitely heading home soon because she doesn’t WANT IT, like Tyra will undoubtedly say.

It goes downhill for her at judging, where the judges tell her she’s got a “prickly” attitude (because she was a cactus for the shoot—get it? Prickly cactus? Ha!) after taking a look at her picture, which looks like a cap-and-gown graduation picture. The judges chat about Sarah, who is losing weight and—gasp!—they don’t like it. Wait, is Sarah plus-size? Normal-girl-size?

The judges come to a decision as to which flower get “pruned” (woo, floral puns!), and in the bottom two are Saleisha and Victoria.

So who makes the cut? The girl with the crap pictures or the snooty personality?

Miss Yale gets ends up getting sent home and honestly, I think I’m more distraught over it than her. I hope I’ll get over it in time for next weeks episode though, which looks like a death trap, with the challenge being “model while being thrown in the air.”

Tune in—I know I will!

Back when I had long hair down to my waist, I was a tomboy. My morning hair routine consisted of making a ponytail. But now that my beauty regime has stepped up a few notches, I’m lacking a few feet of hair and experiencing Phantom Hair Syndrome.

And so a couple of months ago, I made an important decision. I would stay away from the scissors and begin the painful and arduous journey of growing my hair. Any woman that has undertaken this task knows what a commitment it is.

It means bad hair days, awkward flyaway hair, and all too often, a few weeks in the growing-out period where hair shape is frighteningly mullet-like.

I’ve experienced it all and believe me, it hasn’t been pretty. But I’ve picked up some tricks along the way that have kept me from taking the kitchen scissors to my locks in a fit of hair-rage.

Here’s how to grow out short hair and stay sane and chic:

1. Stock up on thick headbands and hair scarves. Think Lauren Conrad’s signature headband look, sans about a foot of hair. The pop of fabric on a short crop looks très cute and is perfect for holding down hair that starts sticking up in an alarming fashion.

2. Cut bangs. When the state of my hair was getting hopeless, I grabbed a pair of sharp scissors and a comb, and cut blunt bangs into the grown-out side fringe I had already. If you don’t have a steady hand or don’t have bangs at all right now, head to a stylist. Bangs will spice up your look, and you can keep trimming them yourself while the rest of your hair grows out.

3. Play with your part. If you usually part your hair down the middle, part it down the side. If you already part it down the side, either switch sides or play with how deep the part is. It’ll change the overall shape of the hair around your face and give you a new look so you’re not tempted to chop it off altogether.

4. When in doubt, wear a hat. I have a friend who wore a hat every day, removing it only to go to sleep, for an entire semester while growing out a perm. You don’t have to take such drastic measures, but I would invest in a few flattering hats for those days when nothing works and you’re late for class because you spent your morning bashing your blow-dryer against the wall. Especially in the cooler months, a cute knit cap is totally weather-appropriate, even in class. Going to work? Lose the hat altogether and throw on that headband, because hat-hair won’t do your ‘do any favors.

If pain is beauty, well, you’re in for an agonizing few months. But keep your head up and your hair under control and you’ll be swinging your hair around like you’re auditioning for a shampoo commercial in no time!