Women’s Lingerie: It’s underneath what counts!
May 5th
I was recently having a casual conversation and was absent-mindedly swinging around a knit hat when the guy I was talking to gave me an incredulous look and asked: “are you swinging around your intimates?!” This got me thinking: if a magenta knit hat can pass off as intimates, Toronto really needs some major improvements in the lingerie shopping department. Although it’s a bit of a hike, New York City has THE best lingerie store on this side of the pond, Kiki De Montparnasse. Named after Man Ray’s mistress, the shop is slightly pretentious, shamelessly kinky, super sexy and tremendously luxurious. Read the rest of this entry »
Men’s Wedding Hairstyles for Your Special Day
May 3rd
For a day as important as your wedding, you will need a hairstyle that shows off how great you already feel. You can’t show up with a hairstyle that looks like your everyday look. Keeping a formal hairstyle for significant days will show others how polished you are, whether you already know them or whether they are meeting you for the first time. Formal hairstyles will help you look your best.
Special Wedding Hairstyles for Men
May 3rd
It’s that special day and you need a hairstyle that will make you feel as elegant as you look. For your wedding hairstyle, a side part is a flattering style that works especially well for special occasions like this. Select a different style if you happen to have a higher forehead, in order not to accentuate it. To create a fashionable hairstyle, you can simply use pomade and a comb. Work a bit of product into your hair – not too much – and then make a sharply defined part. Then slick the hair down on each side of your head, which will help to create a bit of a lift in the front.
Short hairstyles are the name of the game in 2010, and this can extend to your wedding day, as well. If your hair is curly, this will require a bit more work on your part to define and control your style. Especially in humid and hot weather, curly hair has a tendency to become unruly. Use quality hair products to make sure this doesn’t happen to you on your wedding day.
Talk with your barber about a cut that is fairly short all over, and then use a gel that is light in weight to smooth through your hair on the day of your wedding. Shape the curls into the right place with your fingers, and then let your hair air-dry for a healthy and slightly wet-looking style.
If you want a formal hairstyle that is a bit longer, this can work well on your wedding day, too. Have your barber cut your hair in a way that will allow it to stand up a bit, but still follow your head’s contours. You don’t want to over-style, but you will want to use a bit of styling product that will also add to the health of your hair and scalp.
Styling your hair for your wedding will surely involve more mirror time than usual. Although you will want to use certain hair care products, you don’t need any special skills to create the style you want. Use only a bit of product and make sure you know how your style works before the big day, so your hair will look every bit as nice as you do.
Trendy Women’s Celebrity Hairstyles
May 3rd
Female celebrities tend to set the styles that the rest of North America tries to emulate. Actually, we should give credit where it’s due, to their hairstylists. The styles that female celebrities wear often become the most popular of any year, and 2010 is no exception. They’ll be seen in magazines, on the TV and on the heads of young and old women who aren’t stars, as well.
Women around North America, and indeed around the world, gaze at the First Lady of the United States. Michelle Obama shows off classic and understated beauty. She began this year with a more traditional hairstyle, which was classy and straight. This hairstyle is actually a bit of a throwback to the 1960′s, and because of the First Lady’s grace, many other women wear their hair the same way.
Nowadays, the First Lady is wearing a straighter, short bob, which is a cute spin on her previous style. It’s still a classy look, but adds a bit of youth to the equation. Michelle Obama encourages women with her style to go short with their hairstyles for the summer.
The singer Pink has experimented with many different celebrity hairstyles. She had her hair long for awhile, and she often wore it swept up. She used curls with this styleto make it more of a “girly” look. More recently, she has gone back to short hair, which looks more youthful. She seems to look good with a choppy and smart style. She also looks particularly nice with blonde colour in her hair.
Miley Cyrus has grown up a lot since we first met her. The styles she wears are often adopted by young teens her age. She takes advantage of her natural brown colour, and often shows off a carefree and youthful style. Her long hair is sometimes worn in a natural wavy look or she wears it up and lets it flow naturally. Teenagers and younger girls everywhere in the world strive for the same wavy appearance. You can sometimes achieve this look by braiding your hair and leaving it that way overnight. In the morning, you can undo the braids and the waves will look like those that Miley Cyrus wears. A crimping iron can give you a similar look as well, if you don’t have time before bed to do the braiding. It’s nice when women can look like the stars they wish to emulate, without a lot of extra work.
Modern Men’s Celebrity Hairstyles
May 3rd
You have probably noticed that men’s celebrity hairstyles are changing this year. Some celebrity men have been seen wearing longer styles, but many more have opted for a shorter look, especially as they age. Short hair can be flattering for all kinds of thicknesses and textures. If you have cowlicks that drive you nuts, a shorter cut will help to tame them.
You can try classic hairstyles once worn by James Dean and Errol Flynn, since that particular look is back in style. Medium hairstyles have great texture, which helps to update the classic look you strive for. Check with your barber and see if he can give you more style, through texturizing and razoring. When you style your hair a bit in the morning before work, just use a touch of product to keep it in place.
If you want a slightly longer look, try a classic cut that’s allowed to look a bit overgrown. This style works well for Pierce Brosnan and Mark Ruffalo. If your hair is overgrown already, don’t ignore it – longer hairstyles need maintenance, too. A good mousse or styling foam can help give you a bit more control without making your hair crunchy.
If you have a generally square-shaped face, use a hairstyle that is cut out around the ears. Matt Damon sports a look like this, almost like a flat top. Not every man has a strictly square face, though. A modified square face works well with the same type of style, as you’ll see on Charlie Sheen, Hugh Laurie and Ben Affleck.
As a rule, male celebrities boast styles with shiny and healthy hair, with more texture at the ends. If you want more colour added to your style, you can forgo the smaller areas of highlights and have your stylist apply hair colour to larger sections of your hair.
If you’re still not sure how celebrities consistently look so good, remember that they have hairdressers at their disposal all the time. It also has to do with research, which means finding the right styles for your hair type and facial shape. Styling by the shape of your face will help you to decide on the right colour, cut and style for you, and will help you make decisions about any sideburns or facial hair to add to your style as well.
Women’s Hairstyles for Summer 2010
May 3rd
Versatility is the name of the game for women’s hairstyles in 2010. Haircuts that will allow you to easily maintain the style and still allow a good deal of flexibility will continue to be popular in 2010.
Classic looks in hairstyles this year may have a bit of a twist – a fanciful little touch that can be added to make the style seem bold at times and understated at others. Hairstyles, whether long, medium or short, will be better thought-out and purposeful. 2010 is not the time to appear at an event with the bedhead look.
The word to remember in the summer of 2010 is versatility, giving women more options on what to do with their haircuts. Fringes will still be popular, whether they are sweeping, rounded or short. They are beautiful, soft and give your hair an extra healthy shine.
Using versatile women’s hairstyles tends to suggest that there may be a shift to long hairstyles, since the more hair you have, the more you can do with it. Some women will be allowing their short styles to grow out, and letting their bob styles lengthen.
The trend in 2010 has been longer hair, although as summer approaches, some women will still opt for shorter styles. Longer styles do help to accommodate various facial shapes and body types, and natural hairstyles are coming more into style as well.
Diversity is also important for hairstyles of 2010. People who really like long or short hair will probably not change, but other women who change to adhere to trends will be able to adapt their styles to their own look.
Highlights will probably be more in style as summer 2010 approaches. The contrast is often only moderate, but the placement of the colouring makes it a modern, attractive choice for darker hair. It’s not too flashy and or too subtle.
Men’s Hairstyles for Summer 2010
May 3rd
Continuing from the trends of 2009, men’s hairstyles will show off the fringe look this summer. But the length of the fringe will change from eye-brow length to other options. The men’s fringe for 2010 will come in various lengths, so you can play with different looks to find the one that suits your face the best.
Of the various styles of fringes, a side-swept type seems to be more preferred, since a cropped fringe tends to look a bit nondescript. If you think you may like side-swept fringes, check out Marni’s Menswear collection, since this type of style is shown there. If you’re looking for something a bit more current, try cutting your fringe at the brow.
The 2010 look for men means showing some different textures. This means using light and layered details. A textured men’s hairstyle with a longer fringe is the 2010 reincarnation of the long-known Caesar cut. It’s also sometimes called the Clooney cut, since he wears his hair like this a lot. This style is cut in a way that brings hair from your crown and temples toward your forehead. The overall effects can be dependent on using a pomade or wax to create rigid textures.
George Clooney has also influenced another style that is very popular in 2010, and that is the classic slick back. This style is said to be too classical for some men, and not a favourite worldwide, although it is popular in North America. If you have straight hair, do the slick back by sticking with longer hair on top. If your hair is wavy, leave shorter hair on top and use the hair around your face to show off your facial structure. Whether your hair is wavy or straight, you will want to leave it shorter on the sides.
Various Styles for Women’s Thick Hair
May 3rd
If you are often frustrated by your thick, unmanageable hair, keep your chin up – there are some hairstyles that will look wonderful on thick hair. Thickness merely refers to the volume of your hair. Of course, women who have thin hair always envy those with thick hair, so it’s a matter of working with what you have.
Thick hair can often mean that tangles are easily formed, so it can be hard to comb your hair. In addition, if you let thick hair grow out, it may become frizzy. If you want styles that really work for thick hair, get an appropriate cut, first. A layered cut works well for thick hair, since it gives your hair different levels of depth and helps to make it more manageable. Be sure that your hairstylist doesn’t cut your hair too short though, or it may stick up.
Thick hair of varying lengths needs various styles to make it work. You may wish to avoid short hairstyles for thicker hair, since it may cause the hair to flare up. If your style is medium or long, the weight will help to hold it down, and it will look less curly or wiry. If you leave some length, it gives you the option of pulling your hair into a bun or a ponytail when you’re having a bad hair day.
Bangs do not work well with thick hair, since they may become curly and will need to be straightened frequently. Wavy hair works well for medium hairstyles with thick hair. This style will help add bounce to your hair, and you can curl the ends up for a different look.
A perm may help your thick hair look better when it is styled. You can get a soft or heavy perm, depending on how long and thick your hair is.
Home Decorating With Houseplants – Make it Spring All Year Round!
May 2nd
You’ve totally redesigned that room, yet there is still something missing. You just can’t seem to put your finger on it, but you know that the room needs something. You’ve painted, put in new furniture; basically the whole room looks new, but still needs a burst of life. Think green – a few houseplants in a room or spread throughout the house can do wonders to make things seem new. It doesn’t have to be warm outside to keep spring blooming indoors all year round!
Cacti or Air Plants
Many people refrain from putting plants into their design plans because they claim to have a ‘brown thumb’, and that their plants always die. There are some great, low-maintenance alternatives that can still add a burst of colour and life to your rooms, without requiring a botany degree. The reliable cactus can add a beautiful flash of southwestern style to any room, and most types are very low maintenance. Another alternative are air plants. Technically known as Tillandsia, these beautiful plants just need some light and a spritz of water when they start to dry.
Terrariums
For years people have used terrariums to keep plants growing indoors that would be impossible to keep otherwise. Think about getting a terrarium, they are self-contained and there are some very unusual and exotic plants that will thrive in these lovely little displays. Some of the plants you can get to grow in these containers are real conversations starters that can help bring out the wild-side of a room, without getting out of control.
Flowers
There are many flowers that will grow well when potted indoors. You can even bring some of your flower garden favourites like Lilies or Tulips indoors in attractive pots that match your décor. These large, blooming flowers can bring a sense of colour and vitality to a room that plastic flowers can never match.
Whatever you choice for adding some green to your home decorating, be sure to add something. Even a small plant, placed in an attractive pot or vase, can make the difference in how you house looks and feels.
Easy, Inexpensive Kitchen Makeovers
May 2nd
One of those well known factoids that is passed around says that we spend more time in our kitchens than in any room of the house. Whether or not this has been scientifically validated or not, remains to be seen. Whether or not the kitchen is the most frequented room or not, chances are that it does see a lot of action on a typical day.
Since the odds are that you will spend a lot of time in your kitchen over the years, it helps to have some quick and easy ideas to change the room and give it a little variety. Here are a few tips that can be done quickly, without spending a lot of money.
Add a New Sink and Faucet. While this can be expensive, it doesn’t have to be. There are so many new designs available that you can pick a new sink and build an entire kitchen theme around it. There are old style, rustic-looking sinks that can give your kitchen a retro appeal. There are also a lot of ultra-modern sinks that can make your kitchen into the kitchen of the future. Take a look around and do some bargain shopping; a new sink can go a long way in adding some life to your kitchen.
Sponge paint to add some style. If you have painted walls in your kitchen, grab a sea sponge from the local store and a small can of paint and add some accents to your walls that really change up the look. Find colours that are complementary, unless you really want to go for a livelier approach. Granted you won’t want to take this project lightly, it can be done in less than a day and doesn’t require a huge investment.
New rugs, curtains and towels. Spend a day shopping for a new colour scheme for rugs, curtains and towels. Changing up these small details can give your kitchen a whole new dynamic. Some people like to buy a set of each of these things for every season. When summer rolls around why not go for the orange and yellow to bring out the brightness of your kitchen? The colours and styles are up to you, but by switching every two or three months, you are guaranteed to keep things interesting.
These are just three quick tips for giving your kitchen a quick, painless face lift. Look around at the small details of your kitchen to see what small steps you can take to change things up and add some spice to the kitchen.
