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Jazz Up Your Work Gear with Ease

Do you have a new job? Are you looking for a way to dress up your current wardrobe and make it just right for spring? Thankfully, even in the most understated and professional work environments, you’ll find that there are ways to jazz up your look with simple accessories and smart styling elements.

1. Choose unusually colored pearls. Pearls may be a common accessory at your place of work, but you can get pearls that are natural and irregularly-shaped, or tiny, clustered seed pearls instead. I personally like this unusual Louis Vuitton Two-Pearl Monogram Charm in Yellow Gold, which you'll have for years and years to come.


2. Splurge on statement heels. If there’s one place where you can find an opportunity for expression, it’s your heels. Even if you wear suits, be sure to find pumps and stilettos with interesting design details, even if they must be all black.



3. Toss on a tote. Do you have to carry a lot on our way into the office? Take this opportunity to grab a tote with some style, or at least decorate a basic black one with a tied-on scarf and a few brooches. The Prada Signature Tote has a soft shape, but in basic black, it blends in with anything you have in that closet.

4. Get good post-work shoes. If you must wear heels during the day, your arches can hurt terribly. If you like to slip on comfortable shoes when you left work, get a pair that looks great so you won’t need to change back when you do errands.

5. Find white blouses with delicate details. There’s no reason why you can’t wear a blouse with fun, feminine details, especially if you cover it up with a blazer or a suit jacket all day. Find ruffled or lacy blouses that you actually enjoy wearing, and relish the opportunity to try something a little sexy under your work clothes. Mint Jodi Tanks from Shopbop are just one example of what you can wear underneath a blazer for work: they're simple, but add interest to an otherwise "blah" look.


6. Bank on the best lingerie. If you’re a lawyer or have a similarly restrictive job, wardrobe-wide, shop for lacey camisoles and garters to give you more confidence and add some bounce to your step. Stockings are the same—don’t wear pantyhose when you can wear something that’s three times as sexy and more comfortable.



7. Hair tricks and tips. If your hair is longer, you probably tie it back into a bun or a French twist for work. Instead of using the same old tired hair combs, get ones that are slightly more ornate but still offered in “safe” work colors. This Jeweled hair Clip from Forever 21, shown, is a great compromise that's well within any budget.

Top Straightening Balms for Hot Weather

Straightening balms are my savior when weather gets hot. I crave a smooth hairstyle with body, but when the weather gets humid, I've got a disastrous 'do that I have to fight with straightening balms from only the best.

Check out my top picks:

1.KMS Straightening Balm is a concentrated crème that I love to use. Okay, it's a little on the pricey side at around $18, but it's totally worth it.

2.Joico K-Pak Smoothing Balm was a product I started using when I ran out of my old standby, Biosilk Silk Therapy Smoothing Balm, and I'm glad I made the change. Mica is included in the formula, which adds an extra sparkle and a little extra sheen. I look for all of my favorite products on Amazon.com or eBay because I can save. It's listed for $16.99 on Amazon.com.

3.Modern Organic Products D-Curl Straightening Balm is excellent for spiral-style curls that you love to straighten out super smooth. With Organic Olive Oil and Red Clover, you'll enjoy the scent and softer hold from this ideal product. It is $11.99 on Drugstore.com.

4.Citre Shine Get Smooth Straightening Balm was the first balm I used, and I love it. It's a non chemical straightener that's usually under $5, and you can find it on MedShop Express for even less.

5.. . . and if you can find it on Amazon or from a friend, the now-discontinued Brilliant Brunette Simply Sleek Hair Straightening Balm from John Frieda is a must-have. This creamy paste is oh-so-slightly heavy, which is perfect for industrial strength curls. Just be sure to apply less product to avoid a "weighed-down" look!

My tips
*If you love anti-frizz serum and straightening balm, you can blend the two together. Simply mix a quarter-sized drop of each poduct together and rub them together. Distribute it throughout your hair from roots to tips, and then start your normal styling routine.

*Keep in mind that your anti-frizz serum isn't enough to protect your straightened hair. Silicone protects the cuticle by protecting the outer layer, but a straightening balm contain copolymers and polyquaternium and extra holding power to retain your style.

by Meieli Sawyer Detoni

Buzz Worthy Buzzes

Spring is a time to be adventurous. With the raising temperatures, it’s okay to try the newest clothes, the hottest shoes, and the most sought-after, talked about accessories. But don’t forget to be adventurous in all fashion-related areas, including your hairstyle.

Whether you’re brave enough to try something entirely new, or you just want to bring your current do up with the times, give each of these various hairstyles some thought.

-Stick Straight
From the red carpet at the Oscars to a night out on the town, the stick straight look is everywhere this season. One major bonus to this new trend is how easy the look is to achieve. Simply wash and dry your hair as normal. Then take a ceramic straight iron to it. The look is sleek, streamlined, and sophisticated. It looks particularly attractive with medium to long hair that has slight to highly pronounced layers in the front. If your hair tends to curl and misbehave even under the flatiron, try adding an anti-frizz product before styling.
And always remember, repeated exposure to heat can leave your hair looking fried, frizzed, and generally damaged. If the straight look will be an everyday style, make sure to add a deep conditioner treatment to your hair regime about once a week.

-Sweeping Bangs
Bangs are back! Particularly on the runways, it’s common to spot super geometric hairstyles this season around. Short bangs straight across the forehead, for example.
But for a more practical, everyday look that still incorporates the newest bang trend, go with the sweeping bangs.
Not familiar with the sweeping bangs? These are bangs cut slightly on a bias that literally sweep across the forehead, and they are the newest look. Try shorter bangs for a noticeable effect, or try the look with the equivalent of long layers for a less dramatic, softer effect.

-The Pixie Cut
Not for the faint of heart, the pixie cut is for all those femme fatales brave enough to go short. Really short. The look isn’t for everyone, but if you have flawless bone structure, go ahead and show it off!
Just remember that short hair doesn’t automatically mean easy. In fact, short hair can be downright unruly and difficult to manage. Be prepared to tame your tiny locks with lots of well-applied products and technique to keep you looking runway ready.

-Messy Buns
Hallelujah! Finally a hairstyle even I can manage—the messy bun. Just run your fingers from your forehead back, gathering all your hair and twisting it into a haphazard, imperfect bun. Believe it or not, it’s a popular look this season.
It’s always interesting to pair a (stylishly) messy hairstyle with a very put-together or trendy outfit. So don’t be afraid to sport your thirty-second do with your new Dolce & Gabbana boots.
Embrace the style while it lasts, girls. It won’t be long before painstaking, time consuming curls are all the rage…

Good luck, and happy primping!

by Liz Herrin

Get Your Shine on

From Revlon lip gloss, to Arden B. tank tops, everything is about shine this spring. From the rooter to the tooter, the ‘in’ thing is high fashion shine, gloss, glitter, metallic and anything and everything shimmering or shining. Think patent leather, silks and glossy rayon’s. Add gloss to hair, lips and don’t forget those legs! So, it’s time to gloss it up, add a little glitter, and get our shine on!

From top to bottom the look is glamorously polished and sophistically shined. So it is important to make sure you have a consistently polished look to pull this off. Starting from the top of your head, it’s time to shine that baby up. Long gone are the days of bed heads, and natural looks on the hair. It’s time to glam it up with sleek styles with smooth lines and of course a whole lot of shine. Make sure your hair keeps its shine all day with such styling products as pomades, oil sheens and oil drops. Try Paul Mitchell’s sculpting stick which has intensive oils that gives great shine and high definition. For smooth finish opt for canned oil sheens. These offers a superior finishing shine. Make sure you comb through the hair again after you spray the oil sheen to make sure you have applied the product to all areas consistently, then spray again for the a perfect finish. Remember VO5, well it’s time to pull it back out. Make sure you give your hair monthly hot oil treatments to boost an inner shine and add Kemi Oil drops or any type of polishers to help promote a beautiful, glossy shine on your hair.

For the face, think glowing skin, with shiny sparkles. Make sure a bronzer is a part of your make up routine, along with a nice thick moisturizer that will give skin a great glow. Stay away from dry powders on face, eyes and lips. Go for more smooth water based colors and creams. Creamy eye shadows stay wet-looking all day for a bright eyed shine. Go for the gusto when it comes to your lips. Make sure they stay full and shinny all day with a moisturizing lip stick topped with a great gloss in a coordinating shade.

For the body it’s simple, all the designers are doing sexy and shinny, along with gleaming metallics this season; therefore, its hard not to get your shine on in your wardrobe. However, one of the best fashion ensembles I have seen thus far is the Sexy Shine collection by Arden B. Try the sheer Pailette Tunic Tank, which is a little pricy at $98 for a tank, but it’s shine and sophistication is well worth the price. You’ll be the talk of the party with the dangling metallic pailette detail and low scooping neckline. Easy to go from vacation to work to evening available in silver or gold. Try pairing this with their metallic wide leg trousers in sultry silver for an unforgettable evening where you shined brighter than any star. Check out the entire Sexy Shine collection at ardenb.com. Or try other fashions that shine bright at retailers like BCBG, Betsey Johnson, and of course, Baby Phat, the designer that specializes in shiny glam.

For the shoes think shiny patent leathers or sparkling silvers and glitzy golds. Make sure your feet sparkle with every step and have great accent pieces of gold or silver adornments. Try patent leathers in pinks and grays and blues. But before you put those legs and feet into those glamorous shoes, make sure you add the shine to the legs and top of feet. As a rule, avoid the bottoms of feet to keep from sliding in your shoes. You can use a spray on bronzer, or just simply baby oil, either way, shine those legs up! As started before, you want to shine all night from top to bottom, so stay shining from your head to your toes. So, go ahead girl, Get Your Shine ON!

by Tiffany J. Prewitt

Superior Styling Products

Supreme Styling Products

I've been trying a ton of new products lately, and I have to say that quality is such a concern with hair products. There are so many sticky, thick, paste-like, and generally bad products out there, and for anyone with very thick, very fine, very curly, or very straight hair, this can be a problem.

What can make any product look bad? If your hair is "fried" from heat or is damaged from styling, clips, curlers, etc., don't even bother with gels and oils. Until you cut off those split ends, you can't really judge the effectiveness of each product.

My newest discovery is Alfaparf's Prodotti Semi Di Lino-Critalli Liquidi, which sounds like a mouthful but makes you look like a dream. I've only been able to find it online at www.alfaparf.com, but it's worth some searching. This linseed-based product not only smells divine, but tames dry bits, flyaways, and those funny side wisps that sometimes happen with fine or curly hair.

Other must-haves include:

Ego Boost Split End Mender
Bed Head Tigi
What I love about Ego Boost is the fact that you never have to rise it out! It makes my mornings so much easier. While nothing can truly heal split ends except trimming them off, but Ego Boost does a fantastic job of softening the roughness of dry ends.

Close Gel
Pure Strength by Warren-Tricomi
Warren-Tricomi brought their one-stop salon to a new level with their own line of products. Their Close gel is marketing as one that strengthens damaged hair and tamed those pesky frizzies. If you have coarse hair that is graying or rough, Close will help your hair lie flat.

Hair Serum
John Frieda
The John Frieda brand-to me, at least-is synonymous with his amazing frizz-fighting serum. This smoother is incredible, and I swear by it! Plus, you can find it in any drugstore, which makes it easy to get the styling products you want and go!

Phyto 7 Hair Treatment
This is a perfect hair treatment cream for everyday, and it uses natural additions for a great smell and look. There are seven plant extracts in Phyto 7 that truly help your hair, including calendula, sage, burdock, willow, soybean, and rosemary. If you are into natural solutions, try the Phyto 7 Hair Treatment for its regenerative qualities.

Air Lift Volumizing Spray
Sahag by John Sahag
This is a non-aerosol spray with fabulous hold and even better thickening powers. If your hair is long and you hate having it weighed down with product, try this product now! I love all of Sahag's line because non of them create flakes or over-stiff areas.

Find all of my top styling products today at BuyBeauty.com and BuyMeBeauty.com.

by Meieli Sawyer Detoni