About Beauty

Jessica Alba Gets a Deep Brown Shag: Love It or Hate It?

2010-02-09T20:17:14Z

I love this rock 'n roll cut on actress Jessica Alba, which she showed off on the "Valentine's Day" premiere red carpet. Edgy, saucy and cool, this look is a nice change from the typical long locks all the other hot actresses on the red carpet (Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts, Demi Moore, Jessica Biel) showed off.

What do you think of her hairstyle?

More short cuts:

Image of Jessica Alba, Kevin Winter of Getty Images

Jessica Alba Gets a Deep Brown Shag: Love It or Hate It? originally appeared on About.com Beauty on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 at 20:17:14.

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Best Facial Scrubs, Microdermabrasion Kits & Peels

2010-02-07T23:33:09Z

There's no better feeling than freshly scrubbed and moisturized skin. An important part of your weekly skin routine is exfoliation and you can use facial scrubs, microdermabrasion kits or peels. Peels work to brighten skin by removing dead skin cells with lactic (milk) or citric (juice) acids. Scrubs work to manually remove dead skin. I like to use both, switching between the two every few weeks. Always make sure to follow with moisturizer after exfoliation.

Check out my list of best facial scrubs, microdermabrasion kits and peels.

More best lists:

Photo: MD Skincare

Best Facial Scrubs, Microdermabrasion Kits & Peels originally appeared on About.com Beauty on Sunday, February 7th, 2010 at 23:33:09.

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How to Make Over Your Guy

2010-02-04T22:42:43Z

We all know a guy (or a few) in desperate need of a makeover. Whether they're wearing suits that are a size or two too large, they have a really bad haircut or they wear socks with sandals (nooooo!), you can see the hipness just under the surface.

So how to make over your guy? If he's the sensitive sort, I believe in the subtle approach: buy him a great pair of jeans or a bag full of grooming products or suggest he try out your stylist at your salon instead of his regular barber. Point out hairstyles you like on famous guys and tell him, "Oh you would look hot in that haircut!" Men do respond to flattery. This also works with jeans, "Honey, your butt would look great in these," and getting them to wear a smaller size suit, "You have a great body but it's lost in your suit."

Here are some of my favorite tips I've learned over the years, including a few I love from GQ's 25 style rules to live by:

According to GQ, 3-button suits are out, and 2-buttons are in.
Short sleeve dress suits with a tie are an absolute no-no.
Thin ties are more modern than fat ties.
Many guys wear their suits a size or two too large. Find out if yours is.
If your guy suffers from nicks and cuts when shaving, GQ suggests you encourage him to shave in the shower. The water and steam will soften his face. Once he's finished shaving, he should skip the cheapie drugstore aftershaves which are full of alcohol and fragrances and try a balm. About.com's Men's Fashion Guide Daniel Billett makes some great recommendations.
Men can be super self-conscious about hair loss. If your guy is sporting a bologna patch (the round, bald spot at the back of the head), or is making sad attempts at comb-overs, he's got some options. Some men find success in hair plugs (think Jude Law & Matthew McConaughey!), but I prefer a simple, shaved head, which is super sexy.
Personally, I'm not a fan of men shaving or waxing their chest hair, I have no problem with a hairy chest but I do have a problem with a sandpaper chest. If your dude hates his man fluff or wants to tame it for the beach, suggest he trim it with a hair trimmer.

If you want more grooming and fashion tips for guys, let me know in the comments section below and I'll round up some more.

Photo of actor Chris Pine by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

How to Make Over Your Guy originally appeared on About.com Beauty on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 at 22:42:43.

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Hottest New Thing in Mascara: Tube Mascara From Blinc

2010-01-31T16:57:09Z

Ok, how this stuff JUST came to my attention a few weeks ago is beyond me, but Blinc's tube mascara is the hottest thing to hit the mascara counters since oscillating brushes (a waste of money, IMO).

I'm visiting Seattle and my friends were gushing over Blinc, which they bought at a boutique in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. The mascara creates tiny, water-resistant "tubes" around lashes, which makes them appear thicker and longer than lashes painted by common mascaras. My friends are crazy about Blinc and love that when you remove the makeup with water, the tubes slide right off. Now that fascinates me. I can't wait to try it. When I do, I'll report back to you.

Photo: Blinc

Hottest New Thing in Mascara: Tube Mascara From Blinc originally appeared on About.com Beauty on Sunday, January 31st, 2010 at 16:57:09.

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How to Make Your Nose Appear Smaller

2010-01-27T21:59:50Z

If you aren't happy with the size of your nose, you can make it appear smaller with a couple makeup tricks I learned from a makeup artist who works regularly for photo shoots: first, take a foundation that's a couple shades darker than your regular foundation and apply on either side of your nose. Make sure to blend it in well. You want to create the appearance of a "shadow."

Then take a highlighting pen (you can find highlighting pens at Sephora or department stores but my favorite is Yves Saint Laurent's Touche Eclat) and swipe it down the bridge of the nose. The contrast of light vs. dark does wonders on the nose.

How to Make Your Nose Appear Smaller originally appeared on About.com Beauty on Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 at 21:59:50.

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Golden Globes Best & Worst Hair, Makeup

2010-01-18T11:25:55Z

Nicole Kidman was radiant at this Golden Globes (although what's up with her top lip? Looks like a couple lip injections gone wrong) as was Penelope Cruz, the cast of "Glee" and a few others. But find out who wasn't looking so hot (hello, Jennifer Garner who's picture here could be from my 1990 high school yearbook). Get the scoop on this year's best and worst Golden Globes red carpet beauties.

Is Cr�me de la Mer Only Worth a Fraction of the Price?

2010-01-15T14:51:11Z

The Daily Mail in the UK just published an article that claims famed moisturizer costs a whopping �530 but costs only �25 to make. The Daily Mail had a cosmetic chemist examine the ingredients and he came up with the �25 number. Find out more in the article.

I have tried Cr�me de la Mer and loved and I know of many people who swear by it, but I wonder if all the hype is just that -- hype. You hear something has magical ingredients formulated years ago by a renowned scientist and you think it has to be worth it's hefty pricetag. Not always so. Food for thought!

Is Cr�me de la Mer Only Worth a Fraction of the Price? originally appeared on About.com Beauty on Friday, January 15th, 2010 at 14:51:11.

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Dear Tori: I Cover My Face When I'm Out in the Sun, Too!

2010-01-13T02:48:24Z

I have a confession to make: I am a Tori Spelling fan. Not a huge Tori Spelling fan, just a fan. I used to imagine she was a spoiled little rich kid because I saw her once sitting in the front row at NY's Fashion Week and she gave off this incredible prissy vibe. But then I watched a few episodes of her "Tori and Dean" show and I found her immensely charming and self-deprecating.

This is why I can't bring myself to make fun of her mismatched skin tone in this picture. Instead, here's a shout-out to Tori: I do this too! I cover my face when I'm outside so I don't get wrinkles. But every once in awhile I'll let the rest of me brown! I'm with you girl.

But there are other things wrong with this picture. Tori is playing up both her lips and her mouth here and the result is TOO MUCH COLOR: the blonde hair, the cherry lips, the colorful eyes, the red dress, the tan face, the even tanner body. In person she must resemble a clown. An immensely likable clown, but a clown nevertheless. I'm just sayin' ladies: remember to play up either the lips or the eyes, but never both. And remember to wear sunscreen all over. End of post. Watch her show.

Image of Tori Spelling by Jason Merritt

Dear Tori: I Cover My Face When I'm Out in the Sun, Too! originally appeared on About.com Beauty on Wednesday, January 13th, 2010 at 02:48:24.

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Are You Applying Your Concealer Improperly?

2010-01-12T19:49:01Z

One can only hope it's the camera flash's fault that Jessica Seinfeld looks like a raccoon. Certainly she was not walking around at NBC's cocktail party and talking to people who did not kindly tell her she had large white swaths of concealer under her eyes. If she was my friend I would have gone at her with the pad of my middle finger. (I own a jacket she donated to a charity auction so I feel we are almost friends).

So how can you and I avoid looking like a raccoon? Always choose a shade of concealer that's a shade lighter than your foundation (no more and you'll end up looking like Seinfeld). Also consider the time of year -- if you tan naturally you'll likely need a different shade of concealer in summer months than you do in winter. Seinfeld is likely using a shade that's too light for her skin, or she used too much in an effort to cover up undereye circles.

To apply, dot concealer under the eyes, along the nose and on dark spots and then "tap" it into the skin with the pad of a finger. (Some beauty editors swear on fingers best used for applying concealer but I say a finger pad is a finger pad and it really doesn't matter). Apply in sheer layers and then build up. The secret it to blend concealer in so it looks natural, not obvious.

More concealer tips:

Photo of Jessica Seinfeld: Jason Merritt/Getty

Are You Applying Your Concealer Improperly? originally appeared on About.com Beauty on Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 at 19:49:01.

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Kate Gosselin Gets a Makeover: Love it or Hate it?

2010-01-06T16:05:55Z

Yes, that sound you heard was the sigh of women 'round the world disappointed that Kate Gosselin has ditched her controversial porcupine haircut (forgot what it looked like?) for bangs and long, blonde extensions ala Jessica Simpson, Carrie Underwood and a bezillion Hollywood starlets.

The embattled reality show star shows off her new 'do on the cover and in the pages of this week's People Magazine and early buzz so far is good (we'll see how long that lasts, people love to rip on Kate).

The extensions come courtesy of famed stylist Ted Gibson and took a whopping 20 hours of salon time. Gibson reports on People.com that he had to convince Kate to try the bangs (read all the details here) and that it was her spiky back bits that proved the most daunting. It's hard to bind hair on an inch of hair, apparently. According to Gibson Kate was a trooper through the process and didn't complain once. What do you think of her new style?