Are y’all hooked on Netflix? Because I sure am. And I’ve been watching Gossip Girl for the past three weeks. I finally finished season 4 and am dying to start on season 5 when I can. Anyway, I’ve been total inspired by all of the fabulous hair on the show. I think this might become a CC Beauty Live theme. Everything from Blair’s loose curls to Serena’s ridiculously awesome braids had my little beauty obsessed mind ticking. But I fell absolutely in love with Serena’s messy, teased ponytails and figured it’s super easy and quick to do. Plus, it keeps your hair out of your face and is perfect for dirty hair days.

Below I’ll show you how to get a quick and dirty ponytail Serena van der Woodsen style…

On my face: Painted Earth Pore Perfecting Primer, MAC Studiofix powder, NARS Multiple in Orgasm, Revlon ColorStay Liquid Eye Pen, Urban Decay Naked palette in Buck and Sidecar, Maybelline One on One Mascara, BITE Granache lipstick

On my nails: OPI Atomic Orange and Only Gold For Me

In my hair: Victoria’s Secret So Sexy De-Tangler, Hana Shine Shield, Amika Oil Treatment, Big Sexy Hair Spray and Play Harder

Got something you want me to cover? Post it in the comments below. And don’t forget to follow us on YouTube and check out my other videos right here! And for more beauty related tips, check out my website and follow me on Twitter!

Ponytails are great for keeping your hair out of your face or off the back of your neck or if you’re just having a bad hair day. They’re easy, which is why we love them so much. But the regular ponytail can be a bit dated sometimes. I like to spruce mine up a bit whether it’s adding a braid, tucking pieces around my hair tie, or doing the little number I’m showing you today. Sometimes the ponytail just needs a bit of an upgrade, and this is the perfect way to do it. I had this tool back in the 90s that pulled my hair through itself, but I misplaced it back in the day and I haven’t seen them around much.

You don’t need a tool to do this look though, so I’ll show you how to do it without one! Watch below…

On my face: Painted Earth Pore Perfecting Primer, MAC Studiofix powder, NARS Multiple stick in Orgasm, Urban Decay Buck eyeshadow, Mary Kay Lash Love mascara

On my nails: OPI Bubble Bath

In my hair: Victoria’s Secret So Sexy De-Tangler, Hana Shine Shield, Amika Oil Treatment

Got something you want me to cover? Post it in the comments below. And don’t forget to follow us on YouTube and check out my other videos right here! And for more beauty related tips, check out my website and follow me on Twitter!

That’s why I nearly died when I saw a billion gorgeous holiday up-dos in the magazines this month! I decided to walk you through two looks I saw in Cosmo’s December 2010 issue that every girl must try this season. One is a messy up-do and the other is a messy side ponytail.

Do you see a pattern?

Yup, messy is in. But it’s cute messy. Deliberate. Intentional. Not, “I just woke up and threw on this LRD.” How do you get it just right? Let me help.

I’m here to save the day! Here are some cute ways that will keep your hair out of your face without looking like you’re on the way to the gym.

I know what you’re thinking! You’re thinking I’m about to unload a 300 word rant on why they were left in the 80′s for a reason.

Nope! Sorry to disppoint, but I am pumped to see that seeming unflattering bottoms are back!

Most people will say if you’re going to go for the skinny look just go with skinny jeans (and if you’re seriously behind–leggings), but why can’t we have a little fun with our trends?

Nobody is saying you have to pair these with an oversized sweater and a side ponytail…just because it’s a revival trend doesn’t mean it can’t be modernized.

I say, pair the pants with simplified, streamlined, modern pieces. Some gold hoops here or some silver bangles there will pull your look together marvoulously.

Keep it monochromatic! If you’re going to rock the ankle straps, now is not the time to overload on color or pattern. Personally, I’d keep the outfit all black and pair it with a hot pair of pumps (any color or style!).

Most importantly? If you don’t like it don’t wear it. Nothing is more obvious than a girl who’s uncomfortable in her clothes. Being a slave to trends is tacky enough, but if you are clearly hating every second of it, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate your wardrobe…and your outlook!

Think you’re ready for some stirrup action? Check them out here!

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!

Last Tuesday, passengers aboard a Spirit Airlines jet flying from New York to Florida had a bit more to deal with than those impossible-to-open peanut bags.

Seems one of their fellow travelers had decided it was totally okay for him to shove a monkey into his hat and bring it aboard.

The strange, strange man, who had originally departed from Lima, Peru, somehow managed to hide the tiny creature “inside his ponytail” and underneath his cap while he boarded the plane, his cover blown only after the animal climbed out of it’s hiding place halfway through the trip.

This story obviously begs a few questions:

First, just how big was the man’s ponytail, and why did no one notice there was a monkey in it?

Second, how come I’m forced to practically strip before I board a plane, but this dude managed to smuggle a living creature onboard underneath a hat?

Thirdly, what kind of monkey is small enough to stow away inside human hair?

Sadly, there are no answers, just a nagging desire to see this hat-monkey, and the unavoidable cuteness it most likely possesses.