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Time Saving Solutions: Dry Shampoo

October 30, 2009 by Amanda | Comments (0)

Who really wants to wash their hair every day? For years I used my mother’s second day hair ‘trick’ of sprinkling baby powder on my crown to absorb excess oil. The technique is fine in a quick pinch but the heavy white residue can leave embarrassing flakes on your clothing and look messy under bright lights.

Thankfully a new generation of dry shampoos exist that enable you to sleep in longer, preserve a blow out or get a mid-day volume lift.

Check out our favs below.

The All Nighter is made with natural plant-based ingredients and natural minerals, gently scented with essence of tangerine (to freshen without being too perfume-y). The All Nighter Styling Powder also contains real silk powder to add manageability to hair, and it imparts a luxurious satiny feel. It’s even available in six shades which is great news for brunettes.

Lulu Organics hair powder is made with white clay, baking soda, USDA Organic corn starch and rice powder, and Oregon Tilth Certified Organic horsetail powder and essential oils. This earth friendly formula is available in four delicious, distinctive scents: Lavender/Clary Sage; Patchouli/Amber; Jasmine; and Tuberrose.

Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo is based on softening, protective oat extract, cyclodextrins and natural polysaccharides to clean the hair without washing, as often as required. Your hair regains volume and lightness within minutes. It’s a bit pricey and hard to find in stores, but it’s worth it for the scent, and lack of residue this project leaves.

Ever use a dry shampoo, dish about it here?

Currently Craving: Halloween Costumes

October 30, 2009 by Amanda | Comments (0)

Halloween is just around the corner and everyone is dishing about costume ideas. Here are our some of our top picks for non-typical outfit options.

1. Kardashians
In 2009 these spunky sisters replaced Sex and the City girls among friends playing the “which character are you” personality test game. Life-of-the-party drama queens can dress as Khloe. Seductive entrepreness types are a good fit for Kim. And subtle seductresses make fab Kourtneys.

2. Cougars
Confident older women who love hot, young men are hilarious contemporary pop culture staples. Grab a pack of your fiercest girls and wear towering heels with sultry low cut dresses. Tease your hair, spray tan your skin and don’t forget to accessorize with a giant martini. Or, dress as an actual cougar! Rent furry digs from your local costume shop.

3. Tributes
Honor Charlie’s late angel Farrah Fawcett with a bodacious tribute costume. Swayze fans can celebrate his contribution to entertainment by gathering an entourage decked out in Dirty Dancing finery. And MJ enthusiasts can remember the good days of the King of Pop’s reign with sequins and leather.

4. Game Show Contestants
Who didn’t love Supermarket Sweep?! Think pairs of friends in solid crew neck sweaters, high-waisted jeans, white Keds, large name tags, huge hair and blue eyeshadow. Push around a children’s sized grocery cart full of plastic foods for kicks.

5. Beauty Contestants Gone Wild
Great for large groups! Everyone in your party wears disheveled dresses with sashes that say things like “Miss Construe,” “Miss Diagnosed,” “Miss Behaving,” Miss Deameanor,” “Miss Conduct,” “Miss Communication” etc.

6. Empowered Female Athletes
Dress as your favorite real life female sports hero, or if your group is large, consider dressing as Rockford Peaches, the personality packed, fictional women’s baseball team from A League of Their Own.

7. Tired Ladies
Wear pajamas, robes, slippers, and sleeping masks over very messy hair. Let mascara run down your faces. Carry a coffee cup, a magazine in the pocket of your robes, and carry a pillow.

8. Robert Palmer Video Girls
The back up dancers in Robert Palmer’s iconic Addicted to Love video are the ultimate sex kittens in thigh-skimming skirts, killer heels and ultra smoky eye makeup. Grab four of your girls and recreate the magic.

9. Sunburned Tourist
Dress like a tourist with Hawaiian shirt, Bermuda shorts, cameras around your neck, black socks with sandals, etc. Use makeup and self tanner to give yourself a bright red sunburn.

10. Self absorbed
Ideal for the narcissist in all of us. This one is simple, just hot glue or sew standard kitchen sponges all over a monochrome outfit.

What was your best Halloween costume?

Girl’s Night In: Back to School Blast

October 30, 2009 by Amanda | Comments (0)

It’s time to celebrate fall and the kids’ return to school! Why not get the party started with a time-warp, school themed, girl’s night in?

Party Supps:
Use Netflix for a selection of popular tv shows and films from the decade you attended high school. Create a dinner music playlist comprised of tunes from that era as well. Have your girls email you some choice high school pics and create a simple slide show via iphoto or picasa.com to watch when they arrive.

Dinner:
Order some vintage speckled Melmac cafeteria trays. They are gorgeous, inexpensive and easy to find on sites like Ebay and Etsy. Place a napkin and silverware in the utensil compartment of the lunch tray. Make Adams Apple cocktails by combining a 1/2 shot Vodka, 1/2 shot Galliano and apple juice into a brightly colored plastic, highball sized cup. Place in the ‘drink’ compartment of the tray.

For food, think gourmet cafeteria classics. Make sure to have a vegetable, protein, carb and dessert to place in remaining sections of the tray. Click on the hyper-links to view our recipe recommendations.

What’s your fav way to celebrate fall?