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the Makeup stuff., Uncategorized

Let’s Go To The Movies- Fall 2016 Beauty Inspo

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Within the next month or so, there are a lot of new movies rolling out into theaters to look forward to.  And I mean A LOT.  This is the season when most Oscar contenders make their debut.  We also see many fan favorite heavy hitters show up at the box office like the next chapter of the Star Wars saga, the latest Marvel installment, a Disney movie, and whatever narrative Leonardo DiCaprio decides to use as his latest portrayal of a descent into madness.  Bear attacks!  Coke and money!  Matt Damon!  It’s always an adventure with Leo.

But truthfully, my favorite thing about all these movies isn’t actually the movies themselves- it’s the movie premieres and press circuits.  And when I say movie premieres and press circuits, I mean the hair and makeup that come with them.  We’ve got a Jackie O. biopic coming out starring Natalie Portman, along with a 1940s espionage flick with Marion Cotillard headlining.  Do you know how much I’m looking forward to these things just for the shades of Dior lipstick alone?  No, I don’t think you do.

That all being said, I love looking to the red carpet this time of year for some beauty inspiration.  People always seem to get a little more adventurous with fall hair and makeup because the trends are typically darker, moodier, and a bit fancier.  Movie premieres and photocalls, award shows, and press junkets are the perfect place to look if you’re in the market for some new beauty inspo.  Let’s peek at some of my favorite looks I’ve come across this season.

Rachel McAdams at the London and Los Angeles premieres of Dr. Strange

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Premiere Of Disney And Marvel Studios' "Doctor Strange" - Arrivals

Did you know this woman is almost thirty-eight?!  Thirty-eight!!  I can scarcely believe my eyes.  I guess it probably helps when your sister (Kayleen McAdams) is a celebrity makeup artist.  And a gajillion dollars in the bank thanks to The Notebook alone can’t hurt either as far as booking a regular facial or two.  However, I do think one thing that keeps Rachel looking so fresh and young all the time is her willingness to experiment with color and a bit of funk in the hair/makeup department.  A purple smoky eye paired with pink lips- Aren’t you supposed to be “done” with that stuff when you start pushing forty?  And a segmented ponytail?  Too much when you’re thirty-eight, right?  No!  It’s exactly this kind of playfulness that keeps things exciting.  Mixing up your color palette with your makeup is never a bad thing at any age, and a segmented pony is an easy and unexpected thing to pull off at a holiday party.  Now, if only we could all wear that dress to our Christmas party at work.

 

Lupita Nyong’O at the Los Angeles and London Film Festival premieres of Queen of Katwe

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No one does the bright lipstick-and-eyeshadow combo like Lupita.  No one.  In the second image, she’s even wearing bright blush just to kick up the temperature of her look that much more.  I love it.  One thing I’ve noticed about Lupita’s makeup is that she rarely wears noticeable false lashes.  There’s maybe some black liner on her waterline, but no big lashes.  Because she often wears bright makeup, I agree that it would be a mistake to add a pair of standout lashes because it would just be overkill and would detract from the modern, graphic feel of the makeup.  No crazy lashes necessary.  Makeup artist Nick Barose always seems to know when exercise restraint and yet keep things super playful with Lupita.  And it was so fun to see all of the amazing traditional headwraps Lupita wore on tour, too!

 

Jennifer Connelly at the Rome and San Sebastian International Film Festival premieres of American Pastoral

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This past month, Jesus decided to graciously bless me with a Jennifer Connelly press tour.  Yes, I am passionate about these things and I am not ashamed.  Jennifer must’ve made about fifteen different appearances for this film all over North America and Europe, and it was one fabulous Louis Vuitton ensemble after another.  It was her chic and flattering hair and makeup that consistently knocked it out of the park for me, though.  I particularly love Jennifer’s hair sleeked back and left down in her second look as done by hairstylist Renato Campora; I often like trying to do this myself but it works so much better on hair that’s a single, dark shade like hers.

I asked Kay Montano, the makeup artist responsible for Jennifer’s cat eye pictured first, what products she used to create such a gorgeous look.  She said, “To be honest, it’s less about the products than what you do with them.  I could have achieved the same result with many different products.”  Coy, but true.  Gooseberry green eyes, immaculate eyebrows, and cheekbones that could cut glass can’t hurt either.

 

Mandy Moore at the 2016 Emmy Awards and Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic

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So, these looks may not be from any movie premieres, but thanks to her new TV show This Is Us on NBC, Mandy Moore has been everywhere lately.  I’m not sure what she’s had going on career-wise outside of Tangled insanity the past couple years, so it’s been good to see her making the rounds again.  I will say though, I’ve been following her closely on social media for a long time because she’s a maayyyjor hair and makeup influence of mine.  I’ve definitely used her pictures as inspiration for my own hair (mostly for cut, though possibly for color in the next couple weeks).  The textured mid length shag-type-thingy with bangs has been a beloved thing of mine for a while, and Mandy’s is pretty much perfect.  It’s got that 70s vibe, you know?  She always parts her bangs in the center though, and I still can’t seem to get that right.

I also love that Mandy is always wearing coral makeup, as seen in both images.  It’s a shade that works so, so well on her.  She even wore coral lipstick to the 2011 Academy Awards when she sang her nominated song for Tangled.  It worked back then, and it’s still working now.

I’m sure there’s plenty more to look forward to on the red carpet this upcoming season, and I know there were lots of other looks that I just didn’t manage to squeeze in here.  I can’t wait for Jackie and Allied, and I’m sure Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence will be serving up their usual awesomeness with their upcoming premieres, too.  Let me know what you like best, and keep me posted when you see something amazing on the red carpet!  xo, MR

 

Photo credits in order of appearance: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic, Anthony Harvey/Getty Images, gotceleb.com, John Phillips/Getty Images Europe, gotceleb.com, gotceleb.com, Steve Granitz/WireImage, gotceleb.com

the Hair stuff.

Frizz And Humidity- If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em

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You know that meme with the super fuzzy rabbit making fun of the electrifying effects of humidity on hair?  You know- Is it humid today?

Well, I hate to be that girl, but it’s a real thing, and you really haven’t experienced humidity until you’ve lived in the MidWest.  Or at least somewhere other than Southern California.  I’ve described California dry heat as ‘blistering’.  And make no mistake- it is.  But I would describe Illinois humid heat as oppressive.  It is a different animal, and it wants to lick you in the face.

You see the grey, cloudy sky outside in August and it fools you.  Boy, does it fool you.  The temperature reads something like 78 but you then look at the “feels like”- more around 90.  You step outside and you feel like a warm, wet dog has jumped on your back.  Or like you’ve just walked into a mouth.  You feel the urge to take a really, really long nap and your sentences suddenly go incoherent.  Someone described walking outside in Midwestern humidity as “like trying to walk between the slices of your peanut butter sandwich”.  Might be true.

But the hair.  Oh, the hair.  And irony of ironies, that I would choose this year to commit to bangs.  Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve met a single soul out here that also has bangs.  Except for maybe the five year old boy with the bowl-cut-of-no-choice or the little girl with bangs that make her look like Matilda.  It’s just me and the kindergarteners, because no grown woman would dare make the witless decision to cut bangs in weather that at times feels like trying to backstroke through butter.  Bangs in humidity, when you’ve initially straightened or blown them out, seem to devolve within two minutes into one giant, self-inflicted cowlick that look like some awkward bird’s wing sticking out of your forehead.

But there are ways, believe it or not, of gaining back a sense of power and control over one’s hair in humidity.  It’s not a set of fancy tricks, it doesn’t mean cutting all your hair off (though that is a solution), and it’s actually more of a practice in paradox than anything.

The secret to gaining control over hair in humidity is letting go.

Let. It. Go.

And I’d cue Elsa, but her climate is entirely inappropriate for our topic of discussion, so ignore the frosty connotations.

I woke up this morning knowing that it was a hair wash day for me (about every three days).  However, I knew I’d have no time to dry it, and what on Earth would become of it once I stepped out into God’s Armpit?!?  I had no time, but the wash had to happen.  I actually packed my hair dryer and my straightener with me to bring to work, thinking I’d fix things once I got there or at least blow out my bangs (ha!).  Again, no time.  Got to work, got started with work right away.  The only precaution I took were a few spritzes of Bumble and Bumble’s Surf Infusion on my wet hair before leaving.  I also had neither the time or attention span to think of touching my hair once I got to work either.  I just kept flipping it from side to side, without touching it or my bangs, hoping for the best.

And you know what?  Here’s what I got:

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Not too bad, eh?  A deep, messy side part along with haphazard bangs also tossed to the side didn’t turn out half as poorly as I’d expected.  Now, some of you are probably rolling your eyes saying, “Oh, my hair would never dry that way”.  Well, keep in mind that this is where humidity actually helps.  Humidity helps bring out wave and curl.  And adding a product with some oils in it like the Surf Infusion will add definition to that wave or curl, and will also help to control some of the frizzies (though obviously not all).  But, if you’re in dry heat, I can’t say your hair will dry this way because there probably won’t be enough moisture in the air to bring out good wave/curl.

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This oil-infused Surf Infusion is also better for my hair because typical salt sprays tend to really dry mine out, and it’s dry to begin with.  This spray feels extra hydrating without sacrificing the beachy effects.

So again, if you have hair that’s prone to frizz, I think one of the easiest ways to get frustrated with it in humid weather is by fighting that frizz.  It’s honestly better to just roll with it.  And don’t fight volume, either!  Go ahead and flip your hair upside down and shake it out for the most volume you can get (so long as it’s already dry- avoid touching it at all while it’s still wet).  Anytime I’ve tried to keep my hair remotely straight or smooth out here in the summer, it’s turned into a battle where I’m constantly touching it and constantly wanting to reapply something like Alterna Caviar’s CC Cream to keep things at bay.  Ain’t nobody got time for that.

So all this to say, just stop fighting it.  Besides, who doesn’t look okay with big hair?  I mean seriously!  Big, voluminous, crazy hair has always been fun, has always been je ne sais quois, and has always been associated with Beyonce.  Or Diana Ross.  Or someone else awesome that seems to be having a good time in life.  Just go with it.  xo, MR

the Hair stuff.

The Care And Keeping Of Bangs

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I got a bang trim today.  It was my first trim since getting them on January 2nd, so it looks like I can go about five weeks before they’re on top of my eyelids.  I could probably let them grow longer and just part them in the center a la’ Alexa Chung, but that’s not really the look I’m going for.

It hasn’t been half bad taking care of bangs this time around, honestly.  If you’re considering them, just remember that you will need to style them every day.  And if you typically let your hair air-dry, well, you’ll still want to give your bangs just five minutes of time with heat and a brush because they may not look as naturally flattering as the rest of your air-dried mermaid hair.  You may just look like you’ve got mermaid hair with a Medusa forehead.

Here are a couple extra tips for keeping your bangs in Charlotte Gainsbourg condition, should you be interested:

  1. No round brushes! EVER! Unless you’re going for the perfect pipeline-shaped bangs you had when you were five, I urge you to stay away from round brushes hen drying your bangs.  I’ve found round brushes just make my bangs too, well, round.  The best instructions I’ve found on blowing out your bangs can be found here on my Pinterest.  Using a blow dryer, I’ll give them a little air from the left, then from the right, a little from straight above, and then I’ll very carefully use a flat brush (my Bass paddle brush is all I have right now, though I’d like something smaller) to pull them taut in sections.
  1. Use a drop of styling cream to keep your bangs in place. While they’re still wet, I’ll distribute just a pea-sized amount of R&Co Jackpot in my bangs before I hit them with heat. Blow-drying bangs without any product can leave them almost too soft and pliable; a bit of styling cream gives them just the right amount of hold and grit that’ll last you a day or two.
  1. Bangs look their best when the rest of your hair has volume. Unless you’re going for an intentionally sleek look, get out all the mousse and texturizing sprays you have and go to town on the rest of your hair.  Bangs paired with flat hair can look a bit childish, while bangs with some nice teasing at the crown look more balanced with a Bardot feel.  I’m not trying to tell anyone how to look; these are just my personal observations.
  1. Dry shampoo, as you can imagine, is your best friend by day two. It’s very difficult not to keep touching your bangs because it is literally hair in your face, but a spray of dry shampoo can easily remedy a case of the 4:00pm greasies.  But don’t overdo it- I seriously get by with one spray of Living Proof’s dry shampoo in my bangs.  It’s harder to brush dry shampoo out of bangs and make it disappear because there isn’t as much hair to absorb it.
  1. When you’ve had your bangs cut in a way you like, ask your stylist for the exact steps on what he or she does (and take a picture of yourself with your ideal length!). Chances are you may end up in a different salon for a quick bang trim on the fly (or at least, that’s what I’ve done).  You should be able to repeat the steps to another stylist.  Otherwise, if you give no instructions, your blunt bangs could end up wispy, your long, fashion-length bangs could end up too short, and so forth.  Pictured here, my ideal length.  And an accompanying shot of what happens when they do what most hair does- grow.

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  1. Careful with the flat iron. I think it’s tempting for many to air dry their bangs and then give them the treatment of death by flat ironing them into submission.  I strongly advise against this.  While you don’t want tunnel bangs, you don’t want them slap against your forehead either or with weird stick-straight ends jutting out.  I only use a flat iron for touch-ups, like after I’ve woken up and they’re bent all weird.  I try to keep the tools squared around the brush, the comb, and the aforementioned potions.

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I think that’s all I’ve got from this past month of experience.  I’m excited that I have a little excuse to drop into a salon every month or so now; bang trims are typically complimentary.  And I wasn’t too ashamed to dash out quickly after this trim, considering I was left with a cowlick as high as the heavens.  No seriously, it was a half-inch higher than the rest of my hair.  I literally put my hood on as I walked out of the salon.  No one needed to see that on a Friday.  xo, MR

the Hair stuff., the Makeup stuff., the Review stuff., the Skin stuff.

#EmptiesChallenge Update 2

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Let’s see.  When we last talked about my empties challenge, I’d forgotten that I was doing it in the first place and got a blowout that wasn’t even worth it.  Kudos to me.  Over the past two months, I’ve managed to remember my challenge but Christmas, Sephora gift cards, and an appointment with my home hairstylist happened.  Yikes.  And I was silly and decided that I wanted to try ColourPop cosmetics, too.  I felt like I could justify it because ColourPop items are six bucks each, but add in the shipping and you’re basically at eleven bucks.  Oh well.

My main expenses, when it comes down to it, were the hair appointment and the extra money I spent at Sephora on top of my gift card.  Because you know how getting one item for free at Sephora somehow makes purchasing two more seem okay?  Yeah, I don’t know how that works in the brain’s economy, but somehow it makes sense, kind of like the real estate bubble of 2008 and subprime mortgages.  Oh and I also stopped by Lush Cosmetics and picked up their Eau Roma Water Toner, because I had a staff lunch right next door and I wasn’t sure when I’d be there next.  I’m really exercising such a great sense of self-discipline.

Anyhow, I have run out of a couple things this past month.  I’ve finished off my Origins A Perfect World Age-Defense Treatment Lotion With White Tea, A Perfect World SPF25 Age-Defense Moisturizer With White Tea, and another CoverGirl Clump Crusher mascara.  I’m closing in on the following: NARS Creamy Radiance Concealer in Custard, Unite Eurotherapy 7 Second Condition Leave-In Detangler, Sally Hershberger Hyper Hydration Super Keratin Spray, Acure Organics Argan Chlorella Night Cream, Burt’s Bees Sensitive Facial Cleansing towelettes, and quite possibly my BareMinerals SPF15 Original Foundation in Light.  Still little progress on any color cosmetics, but I have been doing better at applying more frequently.  I don’t exactly blast through stuff like this blue and purple eyeshadow duo from NARS quickly.

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So if I’m going by the ratio of the challenge (and not counting any of the things I received as Christmas gifts, because it’s just too difficult), I’ve “paid” for my hair appointment by running out of the two Origins products.  I purchased some Simple Micellar Water again too, so the mascara and one of the others that I’m almost out of will pay for that.  The two other things I picked up at Sephora and the Lush toner, however, are unpaid for until I officially run out of the rest of the almost-empty products plus one additional item.  Time to keep working.  And notice I’m just not even counting the ColourPop, I’m just that over it.  Whatever.

All this to say, it’s very easy for non-necessities to accumulate.  It happens quickly, and we tend to make purchasing decisions impulsively.  I need to learn to take my time.  It’s becoming much easier to see what I really need though, which is kind of neat.  I found I couldn’t do without the micellar water as a makeup remover after a couple weeks, and I repurchased my same Origins moisturizer with my Sephora gift card after deciding not to spend it on something more frivolous.  So, I’m learning, but I’ll keep hammering away at the color cosmetics in the meantime.

I have to say that the ColourPop decision wasn’t exactly the worst, though.  I took my time figuring out what color of their UltraMatte liquid lipstick I wanted to try and I finally landed on a shade called “Chilly Chili”.  Like the Stila kind I’ve mentioned before, this stuff does not come off but the color payoff is pretty great.  I can’t wait to wear this plum-brown in the city, and I like it with my bangs.

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All right, I’ll probably be back soon with a SAG Awards post, so see you then.    xo, MR

the Hair stuff., the Makeup stuff., the Me stuff., the Nails stuff., the Skin stuff., Uncategorized

What I Brought Home From My Vacation

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My Christmas vacation this year consisted of a trip back to southern California, where the sun shined unbelievably for the full nine days that we were there.  What a beautiful time it was.  I had flapjacks with Dad, went on a traditional shopping excursion with Mom, laughed my butt off with my family as we celebrated Christmas, stood basking in the warmth of Laguna Beach, saw so many friends that I love, managed to squeeze in quality time with a few of them, and just had an all-around great time being around people and places that I’ve missed.

But of course, me being me, I couldn’t resist listing what I got out of this trip that pertains to the nature of this blog.  Namely, what beauty experiences did I walk away with during my time in the Golden state?

A new appreciation for flying

This trip involved my first flying experience in over four years.  While the flight into California was ridiculously turbulent (as in the-captain-issued-a-preemptive-apology kind of tubulent), the flight back was actually quite pleasant.  I enjoyed a couple issues of Elle and InStyle, a Korean serum mask, and a very small glass of Bailey’s just for fun.

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Adding the tiniest bit of luxury to my flight almost made it feel like a borderline chic experience.  Hey, when you’re flying second class and your knees are touching the awkward, hungover twenty-one-year-old’s knees next to you, you kinda have to make it work, even if it means that twenty-one-year-old almost jumping out of his chair at the sight of you wearing a creepy Hannibal mask next to him.

A serious Sephora haul

Now that you’ve heard me complain a couple times about how dry my skin is over here, you’ll be glad to know that my mom-in-law came through with two products that I’m so excited for, and a couple that I picked up myself thanks to a generous gift card from my mom.

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I’d wanted to try an oil cleanser since my skin starting drying out over here, and my mom-in-law came through for me with this one.  I received Erborian’s Solid Oil Cleanser as one of my gifts.  Out of curiosity, I took home a sample of this from Sephora and it is some dreamy stuff, let me tell you.  It smells so fresh and relaxing, with a spa-like green tea fragrance.  The unique consistency is that of a thick, stiff goop, but take a minute or two to really massage it into your dry skin.  It is delicious.

According to the Korean double-cleanse method, you’re then supposed to follow an oil cleanser with a foaming cleanser (though I’m sure the oil cleanser is probably enough for most people).  I’ll be using Ole Henriksen’s Empower Foaming Milk Cleanser (once I finish what I currently have), which also smells relaxing and calming.  I’ve been so into finding scents that lift my spirits lately.  Doing little things like enjoying a smell, or listening to soothing sounds, treating yourself to a coffee, or doing a relaxing yoga session in your apartment are things I used to right off as sad, temporary attempts at trying to avoid reality and ignore life’s troubles.  Now I realize they’re just ways of enjoying your freaking life.  And another small way of enjoying life- dry shampoo.  The highly reputable Living Proof formula was also a Christmas gift, and it’s especially helpful for managing the new hairy addition to my forehead I came home with (see below).

My own Sephora picks include Alterna’s Caviar Replenishing Moisture Shampoo, Shiseido Ultimate Power Infusing Concentrate, and Origins A Perfect World SPF25 Age-Defense moisturizer.  I’ve used all three of these items before and I enjoy each of them.  After running out of my fourth bottle of Rahua shampoo, I’m choosing to give it a break and focus on intense moisture throughout the winter with my hair, especially as I grow it out.  The Alterna is great for that.  Concerning the Shiseido, I have said that I like Caudalie’s Vinosource serum better and I believe I still do.  However, Caudalie is good for intense moisture but it doesn’t necessarily help with other areas of concern like spots, etc.  The Shiseido is a little more geared toward all areas, so I’m going to see how well it multitasks.  And the Origins moisturizer is a nice one that I’ve been using for a while now.  I’ll stick with it.

My only bummer was having my new bottle of Fresh Seaberry Restorative Body Cream, a gift from my sis-in-law, detained by TSA because the bottle was too big.  Poop.  Once again Mom saves the day by sticking around just long enough at the airport for my husband to run it back to her so she can ship it out.

A super-dark manicure

Ever since growing my nails back, man, I am addicted to painting them.  I do darks, nudes, or a true red.  For my manicure that I got with my mama (thanks, Mom!!), I chose OPI’s Lincoln Park After Dark, a cult fave, for New Year’s and to go with my mostly basic wardrobe that I’d packed for the trip.  It’s a really deep purple that is barely distinguishable from black, but that’s why I like it.  Once you catch the color in the right light, you see the eggplant hue shining through.  It can work as an interesting accessory (and yes, I consider painted nails an accessory).

So, here’s the best shot I got of them, which also happens to be the best shot I got of an extremely fancy-pants bathroom at the Montage in Laguna.  Two for one.

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BANGS

Because I knew I’d be able to book an appointment with Justin at Salon 9, I had to take the opportunity.  I’ve been rocking a mid-length, rather grown out ombre’d lob since summer, and I figured I could go for a couple small-ish changes.  We darkened things a bit and went for a richer brunette while still leaving some shimmering highlights within the length.  The real addition here though, is the new arrival of bangs.  Whew.  I had forgotten what a commitment they are, but I really want to make them work this time.  I mean, really.  I want long hair down to my chest like I had before, but now with long bangs.  I want bangs to be part of my integral look for a while, so I’m in it for the long haul.  And don’t make fun of my robe or slight-smeared eyeliner here.  I’m wearing MAC’s kohl liner in Smolder, which I consider my Jack Sparrow liner because it always smears and you just have to roll with it.  A pirate’s life for me.

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What this has meant so far is styling them every day, somehow.  I can’t get away with just throwing everything up in a bun and leaving the bangs scraggly and bent out of shape after getting out of bed; they have to be styled.  I mean, there’s looking French, and then there’s looking hungover-French.  Bangs cowlicked up past your forehead can put you in hungover-French territory, so styling them is a necessity.  Sometimes this means just tweaking with a flat-iron, sometimes it means wetting and washing them and starting all over.  It’s very difficult not to fuss with them throughout the day, but you have to remember that their shape doesn’t need to be perfect.  Gone are the days when bangs needed to be precisely uniform and round brushed, so the look still isn’t as high-maintenance as it might’ve been, say, seven years ago.  You can get away with a much more laissez-faire feel now, but you still need to make sure things look cohesive.

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For me personally, I think bangs are a good exercise in self-maintenance and forming a consistent routine of trying.  I very much look forward to the care and keeping of them.  Cheers to caring more in 2016!  xo, MR

the Hair stuff.

Top Fall Hairstyles 2015

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I remember when it was a mortal sin to have your roots showing.  It meant you were sloppy, didn’t know that white wine goes with fish, and couldn’t pay your bills.  I remember thinking that I would never be able to have highlights because the obsessive upkeep was daunting.

And then around 2008 I saw a picture of Drew Barrymore and Sarah Jessica Parker, each with maybe a half-inch of roots showing through their then-blonde hair.  Huh.  I liked it; I liked the ease and style of it.  I hadn’t realized that a certain model named Gisele, with hair that was highlighted in strategic places not reaching above her chin, had unknowingly kicked off what would probably the biggest hair trend of 2010s and I was just seeing the tip of the iceberg with Drew and SJP.

It’s funny how some hair trends can be so surprising.  I used to think I’d never have highlights because I didn’t like the perfect, stripe-ish quality they had, and I didn’t want to be back in the chair every few weeks.  A few years ago I never thought I’d see anything like ombre.  Now there are varieties of it that I don’t think we will ever not see.  Some hairstyles are odd in that they make their way back around again in a cutting-edge sort of way, even if we thought we’d never see them again (like the painfully dated bowl cut we’ve seen on Zendaya, who somehow makes it look good).  And some hair styles are just timeless and always lovely to behold.

So what’s trending in hair that I like right now?  One concerns color, one concerns texture, and another concerns cut.

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When I cut my hair short I hadn’t realized that Sienna Miller had cut her just a month or so before me.  We have been relative haircut twins for this past year, but what I actually love about her current hair is the color.  This isn’t quite red enough to be strawberry blonde; it’s more of a rose gold.  It’s playful but not veering into pastel territory.  It’s unexpected.  I would love to try this myself but I’m worried the maintenance would be unbearable and I’m not sure how well it would work with me skin.  We’ll see though.

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Serena Williams was having a pretty great 2015 until this past month when she was defeated in the U.S. Open.  Her playing season for the year appears to be finished, but hey- she championed the Australian Open, Wimbledon, the French Open, scored a Vogue cover, and she’s had awesome hair doing it.  Serena’s natural curls are so pretty.  I love her texture and how voluminous her hair is with a side part.  Serena’s hair is bigger than life and has matched her bold determination and personality this year.  Alas, I will probably never have hair like this, so all I can do is swoon from afar.

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I know, I know.  Dakota Johnson sort of irritates me on principle, just because she did Fifty Shades.  Yes, sorry, just because of that.  But that is no reflection on how fantastic her hair has looked these past couple months.  During her press tours and appearances earlier this year surrounding Fifty, I actually didn’t care for her hair that much because it seemed like she was going for a Charlotte Gainsbourg look but was somehow missing the mark.  A few months later though, and a mid-length cut with longer, thicker bangs frequently parted in the middle has me considering bangs for myself.

Ugh- I never, ever thought I would consider bangs again, for as long as I lived.  It isn’t so much the upkeep as it is getting them to look just the way I want, everyday.  And if they look wonky, I can’t through it all up in a ponytail and pretend they’re gone; I have to pin them back, which defeats the purpose of having them in the first place.  But this “modern shag” at least looks amazing on Dakota.  I’ll just live vicariously through her hair for the moment.

I’m not certain what will be happening to my own hair in the next couple months because of my spending restriction plan, so for now, I may just keep what I have and save the changes for later.  Anything different you’re thinking of doing these days?  Maybe I can live vicariously through you, too.  xo, MR