I’ll tell you a not-so secret secret… I’ve always thought I had a blonde personality, but alas most of my life I thought I would look horrible as a blonde. With my olive skin and dark eyes, it didn’t seem the most logical hair color to go with, being blonde was something of a dream, albeit a dream somewhere after being a size zero and having a dishwasher in my apartment. Yep, I dream big. Lately, I’ve been seeing all kinds of people going blonde, from Beyonce to Rhianna, to Mary J Blige, Jessica Alba, Nicole Ritchie,  the late Brittney Murphy, being blonde no longer implies you were born that way, so no one expects all blondes to have fair skin and light eyes.

I made the decision sometime after experimenting with the ombre, a look most brunettes can pull off, I wondered if I could go all the way. Luckily my colorist, Marissa at Pimps and Pinups was optimistic, even though many people told me to stick with brunette. And she did a dark blonde, more of a honey color, not so far from the ombre. It was a big shock at first, but I’ve come to really love it.

A lot of people have asked me if “blondes have more fun?” The answer to that is, I don’t know, I’m having the same amount of fun. But it is fun trying new looks.

Have you ever gone through a dramatic color change with your hair? Did you stay with it?

Above, wearing a necklace from my grandmother and a squirrel Wendy Brandes necklace.

Wearing: Denim Shirt : Madewell • Skirt: American Apparel • Bag: Pendleton • Shoes: Pierre Hardy

Photos by Crissie Fuller

I had an itch to brighten my hair, to make a change, but the first change really wasn’t me. In my mind I thought of going lighter, images of Alexa Chung with her brown, but blonde hair.. bronde, the color between brown and blonde. Last night I went back to Pimps and Pinups to fix my hair to something that suited me more. This meant doing research on what exactly was lurking in my mind when I said, “I’d like to go lighter.” Blonde isn’t an option for my olive skin and brown eyes, but sometimes brown is well… boring. It’s hard to add depth, and hard to justify coloring my hair a fraction of a shade and for $100. I wanted more depth, and going bronde looked like it would work on me. My stylist, Marissa, took a look at the images that I presented, not only were they bronde, the had very similar ombre tones. See, hair naturally brightens as it grows, and to be frank, no one shows their natural color these days, so why not play around?

Here is a mood board (sorry, Alexa) with some of the brondes on the runways for AW11:

So here are the before and after shots:

I feel bringing in a photo really helps and, it’s more aligned with what really inspires. Yeah, I guess that’s common sense, but it took a lesson to make that happen. Anyway, I really like how the new color turned out.

What are some of the hair color trends you’re feeling lately?

Photos: Nando Alvarez • Style.com • Dimitrios Kambouris//Getty

If you’ve been following this blog for any amount of time, you’d probably know my love/hate with makeup. Basically this is what happened. In 1995 I learned how to wing my eyes with black eyeliner, find a red lipstick and that was it. I’ve never been able to do smokey eyes nor the dewey fresh faced look. But this year, I have decided to try to get the art of looking like a natural down.

There were a few things that were bothering me about my makeup. My eyebrow pencil was too dark and too warm. My standby gold eyeshadow clashed with my complexion (it would work if I layered it with other colors, but no, I’m too lazy). While liquid eyeliner is hot right now, god, I’m sick of it. It’s too severe and screams retro for some of my more contemporary outfits.

So I went to Sephora and picked up a bunch of basics. While they don’t seem all that sexy, I believe it’s important to have a great basic makeup routine, just for those mornings when you just want to throw on some makeup, put your hair in a ponytail and go.

 
• Anastasia Perfect Brow ($22)- I’ve tried every brow pencil there is to try, and none had the perfect not too hard/not too soft goes on smoothly texture as this. The color, Medium Ash/Medium Brown matches perfectly with my natural (albeit mousy) color. I was really impressed how well it stayed on, but I’m not sure if it was the pencil or the Benefit SpeedBrow, either way, it stayed on all day. Something very important for a girl with sparse eyebrows.
• Benefit SpeedBrow ($16) : I reviewed the SpeedBrow a few months ago as I got it in the Evolving Influence Gift Bag. I said it before that it became a ‘must have’ and I’ll say it again. It running out prompted my trip to Sephora in the first place! I just had to get a new one! The SpeedBrow keeps my brows in place and sets in the pencil, so I don’t have to reapply my eyebrows half way through the day.
• Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes ($17): Over the years, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with eyeliner. The reason why I stayed with liquid so long, is because pencil smudges, but not so with this eyeliner. And I rub my eyes! Yeah, a nightmare customer for cosmetics companies. Anyway, the staying power of this pencil liner is remarkable. I just have to show a before after shot…which usually with a normal liner, there’d be smudges all over the place.

 

(gotta love up close pics with flash)

• Two Faced Eye Shadow Duo: I know what boys want ($17): This one was the biggest surprise. First of all because I bought the wrong color due to the crazy labeling system they have on the display. But I figured why not give it a try, I can always go back and get a different shadow. It turns out that this color is perfect, the perfect balance subtlety and doing it’s job, which is looking good. It went on smoothly and what’s more, is it stayed on all day (with my eye-rubbing) I was surprised how little creasing there was at the end of the day. It certainly made me into a Two Faced convert.

Some other makeup essentials I use that didn’t get picked up on this latest Sephora run: MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation with SPF15, Laura Mercier Secret Camoflauge, Benefit BadGal Waterproof Mascara or L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara (I alternate), Benefit HighBrow,  L’Oreal Studio Secrets Primer (reviewed here), Sephora Lipgloss (I lose glosses like you wouldn’t believe)

What are your make up standbys?

Brook Shields's Magnificent Brows

My entire life I wish I had Brooke Shield’s eyebrows (and hair, and basically everything). Nature had another plan for me. My brows are naturally sparse, which is fine except they’re patchy and uneven, so most often I have to fill them in with a pencil or powder.

One of the main problems I’ve had over the years is the eyebrow pencil rubbing off throughout the day. It sucks! So basically most days I’d have to carry a pencil with me and do touch-ups. Not the most fun thing. “Excuse me,  I have to go and put my eyebrows back on.”

When I got the Benefit Speed Brow and High Brow in the Evolving Influence Conference goody bag, I was delighted. Benefit is one of my favorite cosmetic brands.. they make the best “makeup that doesn’t make you look like you’re wearing makeup” like Dr. Feelgood, Lemon Aid, and Benetint.  At first I thought the Speed Brow was to be used instead of pencil. For many who have thick enough eyebrows, it’ll work to keep them in place. For me, it works best with a brow pencil to keep everything in place.

In the photo above I have three photos of myself. A photo of me without makeup (yikes!) and immediately after makeup application , then again five hours later. As you can see, the brows are still in tact! I’ve been using this for the last three weeks, and can attest that the small tube does last a long time. Once I started using Speed Brow, I’m finding that it’s a must have in my makeup kit  because it saves me from going the ladies room just  to touch up my brows.

And.. no, Wendy, I don’t want Sam Waterston brows!

It’s official,  I’ve become a beauty junkie. I don’t know when it happened, but all the sudden I realized, wow, I have a long list of beauty products and treatments I need/want and, quite frankly I’m obsessed with beauty. It’s not so much makeup, but all the stuff that goes into skin care, and with the help of Make Up Alley, I’m hooked on finding the best products for my money.

So here are three things I’m really loving right now, so much I can’t imagine life without them, and they’re all under $20.

Frownies ($12.72)

For the past four years or so, I’ve had 11′s (creases between the eyes). They are from reading, and frowning in my sleep. The obvious treatment for this is botox, and yes, I have had botox a few times (twice). Nothing works better than botox. However, it’s expensive, it’s controversial (injecting poison in your face), you actually can’t frown when you really want to, and, well,  botox can be a potentially slippery slope. After I had it done, all I could think about was getting restalyne.

Frownies are ‘natural’ they’re just paper triangles that prevent you from frowning in your sleep. You may not see the results right away, but they do work. I’ve used Frownies on and off over the years, and right now I’m using them on a nightly basis. My 11′s haven’t returned to anywhere near what they used to be. And I may just end up using them instead, as it’s nice to have the option to frown when I want to, and Frownies at $12 a box for 144 patches, using one patch a day, that’s one of the cheapest and most effective beauty treatments out there.

L’Oreal Studio Secrets Face Primer ($10.99)

Ever since Nars introduced me to their Skin Smoother, I have been obsessed with primers. I loved what it did for my complexion, however, it ran out rather quickly. Maybe I was using too much, but $30 a pot is too expensive for something that will last 3 weeks. The lovely Dana from the Art of Accessories, suggested L’Oreal Studio Secrets Face Primer, which goes for about $10 a pot. At first I was skeptical because it was much more liquidy than the NARS version. But, after using it for a while, I have to say that it goes on really smoothly and it helps keep my face hydrated, and not shiny throughout the day. It’s crazy that once you get into primers, it’s hard to go back. Especially if you really want a smoother complexion.

Armour Opaque Lipgloss: Last Dance ($19.00)

I have the hardest time picking out lip gloss. Getting the right color can be a real pain, because I always want fun or fresh colors, but really the best ones for my complexion are the autumny and wintery tones. Jen Paelmo, who did my make up for the American Living video, was really helpful in finding a good color for me. She sent a gloss from a new cosmetics company called Armour Beauty, called Last Dance ($19). They produce paraben-and-cruelty-free long wear glosses.  I’ve been wearing it all the time, it seems to go with almost everything I wear, a great neutral that’s not really neutral. As far as lipglosses go, it stays on pretty well, and it’s not heavily fragranced, which works because the temptation to lick it off is way less. Way, way, less.

So here is the ‘after shot’ now I just have to start obsessing on hair products…. Has anyone gotten a Brazilian Blowout? I think I need one. Or at least really want one.

What are your top three beauty products right now?

In the last decade, my skin has been pretty clear, a nice change after years of frequent breakouts. But right after the holidays, I was hit with quite a few zingers. At first, I thought it was odd – why was I breaking out when I was finally beginning to relax after holiday mayhem? But then I remembered something Dr. Kathie Fields (one of the founders of Proactiv) shared with me: pimples can start forming up to two weeks before they rear their ugly heads. Yes, two weeks!

Stress + You = Zits

I also remembered her partner Dr. Katie Rodan saying “stress is one of the leading triggers of acne.” So basically, I had planted the seeds, so to speak, in the midst of the holidays, when everything was super hectic and I was super stressed.

A Gentle Reminder

But hey, I took it as a reminder to chill out and make sure I’m managing my stress. I’ve actually gotten quite good at handling stress in recent years. Here are my proven stress busters (things that fell by the wayside a bit over the holidays):

• Eat a balanced diet. Healthy foods, like fruits and veggies, reduce inflammation, help heal us, and even reduce stress. Whereas, processed junk foods spike glucose levels and stress our bodies and minds. (Want more info? Check out the book Ultrametabolism. It’s a fascinating read with lots of helpful, practical info.)
• Exercise. I’m such a lazy butt. But exercising really does help our minds chill.
• Meditation. I try to meditate at least once a day – either first thing in the morning or before bed or both. It makes a world of difference – even if it’s just for five minutes. Many people think they can’t do it. We spend so much time wrapped up in our thoughts that it seems impossible to quiet the mind. But it’s totally possible. It just takes practice. Need help? This article offers some really great tips and sample meditations.
• Yoga. Yoga gives a lot of bang for the buck. You get the benefits of exercise and meditation at the same time, because it’s a moving meditation.
• Rest. A good night’s rest helps by leaps and bounds. Skimp on sleep and your body and mind will be much worse for the wear.
• Hobbies. Working on a hobby is a wonderful way to refocus the mind. One of my favorite hobbies is working with paper and rubber stamps. I love to make homemade cards. Thoughts of work go right out the door when I’m focused on how I’m going to design a card.

Do Tell

Did you get hit with zits after the holidays too? Do you find that you break out after getting stressed out? What are your stress busters? Do tell.

photo: diezzo / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

I get really into cleaning when a new year rolls around. Now that 2010 has arrived, I’ve been going through my beauty stuff and giving the boot to things that are past their prime. I was inspired by an article in Body + Soul magazine, especially when I read that old beauty products can become unsafe.

Along with irritating skin, an expired product can “further harm you, especially if it contains certain ingredients that eventually break down into carcinogens,” says Anne Marie Fine, an Arizona-based naturopathic physician and skin specialist.

When I read “carcinogens,” that put a whole new spin on things, and some lipsticks, face creams, and sadly, even some perfumes went right into the trash. A few companies, like The Body Deli, make it easy to figure out when to toss something by including an expiration date.

PAO date icon

In Europe, companies are required to include a “period after opening,” or PAO, date icon (shown at right). Some American companies have followed suit; but it’s not a requirement in the U.S. so I’m including Body + Soul’s list to help you figure out when it’s time to toss those beauty treats.

Mark It

Be sure to keep a Sharpie on hand to mark your products with the date you began using them to help you remember. I’ve been doing that this past year since I figured out what those icons mean, and it’s been really helpful. I must have a short memory, because I’m always surprised it’s been so long when I look at the dates.

Guidelines

• Mascaras and Liquid Liners. Toss after three or four months – sooner if you get an infection, like pink eye, or the product dries out. Fine adds that we should toss all eye makeup if we get an eye infection and start fresh after the infection clears up. Ouch.
• Powders: Eye Shadow, Blush, Face Powder. Toss after two years – sooner if it gets suspiciously crumbly or shiny. “When it glistens or disintegrates, that’s a sign that moisture has evaporated from the cakes,” Fine says.
• Lipstick, Lip Gloss, Balm. Toss after a year if it has a wand or two years if you apply it direct from the tube/pot or with a separate brush – sooner if you get a cold sore. I was surprised that glosses with wands have to be tossed so much sooner. But apparently, the wands carry bacteria into the tube and keep it there. Nice. If you want a wanded product to last longer, Fine suggests dumping the wand and applying with a brush you clean regularly.
• Pencils. Toss after three years with regular sharpening – sooner if it gets dry or melty. I’m going to start sharpening my pencils more often. Fine says that helps get rid of the bacteria after it touches your face. Good to know.
• Liquid Foundations. Toss after two years – sooner if it begins to separate or the color changes. Each bit of oxygen that gets in there causes the product to break down so it’s best to cap bottles tightly or opt for one with a pump.
• Face and Body Moisturizers. Toss after two years if it’s in a pot or three years if it’s in a pump – sooner if you notice a change in the smell or consistency. If it comes in a pot, using a spatula, instead of your fingers, will help the product last longer. To further prolong shelf life, store it in the fridge.
• Sunscreens and Sunblocks. Toss after a year. I make a point to get a new sunscreen every year like clockwork. They simply break down and stop working. Fortunately, most sunscreens and blocks tend to have expiration dates marked on them.
• Fragrance. Toss after two years – sooner if the smell has changed. This one really surprised me. I was under the impression I could keep these for eons. Maybe Grandma’s perfume was so stinky, because she’d had it for 20 years. Oops. If you really want the stuff to last, Fine recommends storing it in a cool, dry, dark place, because light degrades perfume. I’m not sure if I’m ready to put my perfumes in a dark drawer. But I will get better about using them and resisting the temptation to stockpile a collection.

Do Tell

How good are you about throwing out old beauty products? Do you still use eye shadows you’ve had since the ’80s? Do you need to go throw out some things after reading this? Were you surprised about the carcinogen thing? Do tell.

I love a good party, especially because it’s a wonderful opportunity to do glamorous, party makeup. Should you be heading out for a festive new year’s eve swaré, I offer up seven beauty tips to help you crank up the glamour.

1. Focus

To avoid looking like an 80′s beauty don’t, choose a focal point to dramatize – eyes, lips, or even cheeks.

2. Start with a good foundation

Dramatic makeup looks best when you even out your complexion with a good foundation or tinted moisturizer. It’s never a good thing when smoky eyes or red lipstick have to compete with blotchy skin. I recommend Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation. It makes skin look flawless without looking all made up.

3. Bold Lips

If you decide to go with bold lips, keep eye makeup simple with just a sweep of mascara and perhaps a little liquid liner for a clean line or a little cat eye action.

Red is always a classic, show-stopping color, like the new Simply Red from the Estee Lauder Ultimate Red holiday collection. Also consider a vivid pink, like one from the Shu Uemura Pink Collection, for a fun alternative.

Click for tips on how to help lip color last, even on a long night of partying.

4. Dramatic Eyes

If you decide to go with smoldering, smoky eyes, you can make life easier if you go with a coordinated set with colors chosen specifically for a smoky eye look, like one of the Urban Decay Smoke Out Kits or the Estee Lauder Eye Shadow Quad in Black Smoke (click to see reviews, pics and swatches on my new beauty blog Hello Beauty).

To keep smoky eyes from looking dirty, keep some eye makeup remover on hand to clean up any shadow that falls below the eyes. Be sure to use concealer under the eyes if you have the slightest bit of darkness there. A smoky eye will call attention to that, so give under eye circles the boot.

5. Sparkle

Parties are the perfect time to sparkle. Apply a sparkly powder on cheekbones, neck, décolleté, shoulders, and even in your hair. Estee Lauder’s new Opulent Shimmer Powder is an ideal choice.

Glitter liners are also great for parties. They look especially dazzling when applied just along the lower lash line. I highly recommend Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner if you want a serious dose of glitter.

6. Luminous Skin

If you’re revealing a bit of skin with a lovely party dress, your skin will look even better if it looks luminous. Makeup artists use this trick all the time for the runway and photo shoots. Sparkly powders are one way to do this. Another is to bust out a lotion or balm that tricks the eye and makes skin look ultra smooth. These are especially good on legs and arms. Benefit Body so Fine is a velvety balm that’s a longtime fave of many a makeup artist.

7. Sleek Hair

Hair looks best when it’s sleek and shiny, since that’s how it looks when it’s at its healthiest. But hair gets dull as we age so most of us could use a shine boost. Serums are great but they can weigh down hair. Living Proof No Frizz has a revolutionary formula that tames frizz and adds shine without flattening hair. I’m also a big fan of L’Oreal Perfect Shimmer Shine Illuminating Mist. It makes my hair ultra shiny and isn’t as likely to flatten hair, because it goes on in a very fine mist.

Happy 2010!

Image by torkristensen / CC BY 2.0

Sniffle (top) and rooibos chai teas

Oh my goodness. Between a ridiculous cold snap here in San Francisco and a nasty little cold, I have been drinking SO much tea recently. Aside from the seemingly constant trips to the loo, that’s certainly not a bad thing especially when you consider the beauty benefits of drinking tea.

Antioxidants

Teas are plentiful in anti-aging, wrinkle-fighting antioxidants. As I wrote back in April, my health coach friend Christine Gonzalez says green and black teas have eight to ten times more antioxidants than fruits and veggies. That’s a lot of antioxidant goodness.

Hydration

Teas can also be hydrating, which is very good for your skin and overall health… Well, that’s if there’s no caffeine in your tea. If there’s a lot of caffeine in there, as with a black tea, you’re actually going to need to drink more water to counteract the diuretic effects of the tea.

Give it up for rooibos

I don’t drink anything with caffeine in it. I have no tolerance for it and get all wiggy if I have caffeine, so I was super excited to discover rooibos tea (aka red or red bush tea) this year.

It’s naturally caffeine-free and chock full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. It’s said to even be helpful with colds, allergies, and digestive problems. And I can add milk to it without it getting gross and curdling, like with fruity, herbal infusions. If you’ve never tried it, you really must check it out. I highly recommend it!

How do you take your tea?

Even though I’m Korean, I’m all about sweet, milky tea this time of year. Lately, I’ve been drinking lots of caffeine-free, rooibos chai and “sniffle tea” I got at Rainbow (quite possibly the best health food store ever). I add a dash of cream and a bit of agave nectar and I’m good to go. Have you been drinking a lot of tea too? Are you an English-style or Asian-style tea drinker? Do tell.

Have you attended any holiday parties? I haven’t gone to any yet, but I’m most definitely looking forward to glamming it up when I do. I got to sit in on a chat with makeup artist Jemma Kidd about how to do holiday makeup looks for less and have some tips to share on how to do a sultry look she calls punk couture. I love this look, because it’s all about the smoky eyes.

JK

If you’re in the U.S. , you’re probably familiar with Jemma from her JK line at Target. I think Target has done a good job bringing in more fashionable makeup choices – a much better job than they’ve done with their clothing collaborations. The quality of Jemma’s makeup is similar to what you’d find at Sephora or at a department store but generally at more affordable prices.

The Punk Couture Look

Jemma says the punk couture look is a rocker chic, Deborah-Harry-meets-Kate-Moss look that’s great for evening parties, one that boosts confidence when you’re rockin’ it right. Here’s what you need to do to get this look…

• Apply a mid-tone shadow all over the lid and a dark shadow in the crease.
• Line eyes with a black pencil all the way around – from the inside corner to the outer, along top and bottom lash lines and in the waterline – and smudge.
• Finish eyes with lots of coats of mascara.
• Don’t worry about drawing a perfect line or if your mascara is a bit smudged. She says there’s no need to try to get everything perfect, that it’s A-OK to keep things a bit messy – hence, the rocker part of the look.
• Keep cheeks and lips toned down with soft, neutral shades to keep the focus on the eyes. Apply blush along the cheekbone and a dab of highlighter just above the cheekbone to catch light. For lips, use just a bit of a touch of lightly tinted gloss.

Most of the products you need for this look can be found in Jemma’s new JK Strike a Pose Swivel Palette (shown below). It’s $32 – probably more than you’d usually spend on a makeup set at Target. But it’s actually a good buy, considering the quality and that you’re getting four shadows, a blush, highlighter, and lip gloss (that’s seven products for about $4.50 each). I got a sample of this palette and like it a lot. It’s versatile and very good for toting around every day, because the colors don’t go overboard on the shimmer and can work year-round, day or night – not just for evening parties.

Do Tell

What kind of looks do you do with your makeup for the holidays? Have you tried any JK products? Do tell.