Effortlessly Chic

Fashion changes. Fashion changes every day like a leaf blowing in the wind.  But chic? Chic is timeless. It is possible to achieve the chic and confident look without the sacrifice of money, time or complexity. An effortlessly chic look can fill your day with confidence and positivity.  Fashion is an expression of personality and artistry and is often filled with a certain amount of bias, but chic is about framing yourself in the best possible way; chic is about looking your best for you, not for others. What follows are a few great tips when you want to put in some extra effort without wasting time. Chic and fashion are personal choices, so feel free to experiment until you find the ‘right’ look for you, what follows are some hints and examples to get you started.

Confidence In Not Caring

Before even starting on fashion tips or what to keep or eliminate, let’s start with one thing – Confidence. You can’t take confidence on and off like a pair of pants or a shirt.  Confidence is often key to successin most aspects of life, and especially so in fashion. You have to not care about the stress, the glances, the comments. Your body is not their body, so they have NO say. Rock whatever you want, if you like it, buy it and own it! Body confidence is how you stand out the most – so be unapologetically yourself.

Capsule Wardrobe

Creating a capsule wardrobe is being clear about what matters most, it is about eliminating distractions, and maintaining a clear-headed environment about your fashion and personal style. Capsule wardrobes are a collection of basic items, around eight to ten that can be worn together and mixed and matched, with clean lines and timeless appeal. You can then rotate in items for the seasons if you wish, but a capsule wardrobe will challenge your sense of style and how you can creatively pair items. This is an excellent alternative to those who love to challenge fashion, as well as for those who don’t have extra time!

Minimize: Calm, Cool, Collected – The Three C’s Of Confidence.

Fashion is about something that comes from with you. Believe in yourself, and you will wear your clothes, they will never wear you. Unburden your closet every once in awhile. Sort calmly and donate. It’s a win-win. Minimizing will help you plan, and when you put on anything in your closet, you will walk out the door feeling cool and collected, with confidence.

Beauty: Hair, Face, And Nails

Mastering the art of painting your nails will save you money. No more crazy designs or colors. Chic is about style. A simple coat of nail varnish can spruce up any look and help coordinate with your outfit and even match the current season.

A freshly washed face, clean and ready for a simple makeup routine, will not only add time to your day, but help you feel lighter and less weighted down. Just a touch of lipstick and a simple makeup application is all you need.

One of the best accessories you have in your arsenal is your hair.  Your hair a great confidence booster: when your hair looks good, you feel good.  Being able to change hairstyles can help make any outfit you have also look different. Owning a few of the best human hair toppers can help you easily create different looks and hairstyles.  Investing in hair extensions and making them part of your wardrobe will open the doors for you to mix and match them with your clothes and make a statement of your own. In other words, OWN your CHIC.

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The Long And Short Of Hair Extensions

Hair extensions are a fabulous invention, and whatever type of style you have, they can improve on it.   Regardless if you want that waist-length hair you have always dreamed about, some beachy summer waves, a decent ponytail look,  or simply to add some volume, length and lift, hair extensions can be the answer. This is an investment, so you want to do your research and find the best hair topper for your needs. There are many styles and varieties. Clip in hair extensions are excellent as they can be easily added in seconds, styled in minutes, and then removed just as quickly and easily.  Continue to read further for some additional reasons that clip -in’s are one of the best choices available.

Volume

One of the top benefits of clip-in hair extensions is to create stylish ‘dos’ that can and will give you instant volume and fullness. Many women suffer from hair loss, have really ‘fine’ hair, or a host of other reasons why they just don’t like the way our hair looks. Thankfully with clip-in extensions, women can get not only the look, but the feel and texture they have always wanted.

Natural Results

When installed correctly, clip in extensions look as natural as your as your real hair. A quality clip-in hair extension will blend in so well that finding hairstyles that work for you will be an extremely easy task.

Damage Control And Long Lasting

Many of the complaints women have about not being able to do what they want with their hair is because it is too damaged. If you have badly damaged hair, this is another reason for clip-in hair extensions. Hair can be styled without worry, just as long as you are sure to follow care instructions.

Protection

Clip-in hair extensions can help natural hair growth. Clip-in’s are different than other methods used to apply extensions, such as taped in, glued in, or sewn in ones.  Clip-in’s put less strain on your head and hair. Because they are clip-in’s, they do not cause damage to the hair shaft or follicles, allowing your natural hair to easily be maintained and grow withour pressure, pulling, or stress.

Confidence Booster

New hairstyles can make you feel amazing and transform your entire mood. Clip-in’s can give a boost to the fullness and quality of your hair, while at the same time boosting your self-confidence as well.

Colour Spectrum

One of the best reasons clip-in hair extensions are so great is that there is truly no limit to the types of extensions that you can find.  Regardless of what type of hair you have, you can find a hair extension that is almost perfect for you. It is also possible to add fun colors to the extension without actually having to apply dangerous chemicals to your real hair.

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Wedding Hair Fall 2018

Almost perfect picture foliage and temperate weather make for a perfect fall wedding. There is so much to take care of and prepare for, such as temperature drops in the evening and guests comfort level for  outside venues. From flowers and bridesmaids dresses, your bridal dress, invitations, the cake, the caterer, to reservations for out of town guests, there is a lot to plan and organize.  The one thing you don’t need to worry about is your hairstyle, we’ve got plenty of suggestions and trends. Continue reading below for the top styles for Fall 2018.

Bow It

The Fall 2018 bridal runway will be full of bows. Strings of ivory grosgrain, as well as velvet ribbon, may add the same appeal as a sparkly hair accessory, depending on the bride, and bows carry a sweet, casual sentiment.

Slick Down

If you are a bride that is edgy and enjoys French twists and tendrils, then you are the bride that will go for the slick-back style by Zuhair Murad. A lot of gel goes into this one, so no need to worry about frizzing or falling hair for the duration of your event.

The New Veil

The designer Marchesa is all about buns and veils, and their veil produces a pretty puff that everyone will be sure to notice.

Beachy Curls

This style calls for a texture spray all over.  Curls twisted in 1 ¼ inch sections make for a head full of perfectly ‘messy’ curls.

Low Loop

The low loop is simply hair looped low in a casual modern version of that basic chignon.

Get More Glow

It’s all about the glow for Fall 2018. From glowing dewy skin to effervescent flower accents, fairy-like  crowns and flowers woven into braids and curls are all the rage.

Braids Away

Just when you thought crown braids were over-saturated, there is something fresh about this rumpled, fuzzy plait with loosely attached veil that is making it’s way back into our hearts this season.

Power For The Flower

Litte bits of white orchids draped among twisted chignons and woven through soflty blowing curls will steal the show and leave everyone breathless.

Wrapped Up

Simply put, this is just an updo ponytail with a string of metallic gold or silver string woven around and throughout. Simple. Easy. Understated. Beautiful.

Pieces Of Crown

The one style that never goes out of style are elegant hair extensions. These crown topper hair pieces can make a world of difference for the bride who has thin hair and needs added coverage, volume, and length.  Even for those who have a full head of hair, hair extensions can really add to a bridal hairstyle and create the perfect, drop dead gorgoues hairdo you’re looking to achieve.

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How To Look Good After Your Workout

It’s 6:30 a.m. and you are done with your kickboxing class, you feel great, feeling strong and amazing, but you’ve just got 30 minutes before you have to catch the bus to work. Although you feel great, you might not quite ‘look’ so amazing after an hour of kickboxing before work.  What to do?  If you are running late and there is no time for a shower and a complete hair and make-up session, keep reading from some tips to look just as amazing as you feel and still catch the bus to work.

The Hair

The easiest and best way to look great after a fierce workout is with a clip in top extension.  They clip on quickly, and there is no need to have to style your hair. Just clip and go, and you’re on your way to looking as fabulous as you feel.  Clip in hair extensions are great for daily use, reducing stress on your hair from styling, and achieving the coverage, fullness, and length you want in seconds.

Wipe On – Wipe Off

If you leave oil residue on your skin after your workout, you are most likely headed for a breakout sometime early afternoon. Some sort of cleansing towelette is your friend for your post work out and before you go to work. The body washes at the gym shower are a no-no as they usually lack many of the essential oils that you need to keep your skin soft and healthy.

STOP. The Sweat.

Here is a nice trick if you have slick spots on your skin that won’t go away after your workout. Take a deodorant stick and lightly dab some spots where the shine is. This will help you mattify the skin – fast. This helps keep the oil under control which in turn keeps your makeup from looking as though it has just been melted off.

No More Red

In a post work out there are two kinds of red. The good one is that rosy glow and the bad one, of course, is the one that makes your face look like it is on fire. The fix for the fire red face is some good splashes of water, two or three times, over a couple of minutes. This constricts the blood vessels under the skin. After the water splash, try a spritz of toner to help the flush face look and feel better.

The Clothes

Hitting the gym before work can be challenging at best and if time is less than sufficient, that only further compounds the difficulty.   The solution is, of course, take a change of clothes to the gym that are easily packed and wrinkle resistant.  Another option is to hang the entire outfit together on a hanger, eliminating the need to haul along a large gym bag.

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QuickStart Your Morning: Get a Move On

Nearly all productivity experts will tell you that the one thing you can do to help you save time in the morning is to do as much as you can the night before.  So, no more getting up 10 minutes before you have to leave and spending five of those minutes in front of the closet trying to decide what skirt to wear, or what shirt or sweater to put on. So, continue to reading for just a few tips to streamline your morning and get out the door without that ‘rushed’ feeling. Here’s practical advice that you can use – starting tonight.

The Night Before

There are many things that can be done the night before to prepare ourselves for the daily grind. It just takes a bit of getting used to a different routine, and although they are small things, they do save time in the long run, thus enabling that “get out the door quick” aspect of your morning.

Place Your Alarm Clock Across The Room

Sounds simple, but if you do this, it will save you time as you won’t have the urge to go back to sleep if you must get up and go across the room to turn the alarm off.

No More Scrambling And Searching

Make it a point to find one central place in the house or apartment to place all the essential things you will need first thing in the morning to get out the door more quickly.  Even better find a bowl or dish or something of that sort and put your keys, wallet, sunglasses, date book, and cell phone all in the same place right together, so there is no scrambling in the morning searching here and there for all of these essentials.

Checking The Weather Forecast

Checking the weather helps you plan your outfit for the day.  Check to see if there will be any predicted rain or snow storms – in other words, anything that you would need to get up earlier for to avoid delays. Also check the traffic alerts to know if there will be any potential delays such as construction or roadblocks or anything of that nature.

Pack Your Lunch, Coordinate Schedules, And Lay Out Your Clothes

Pack as much of your lunch as you can the night before. This is a considerable saving in time and money.  Also, if you have a partner, husband, wife, or roommate be sure to coordinate your routine, so you aren’t bumping into each other in the mornings, trying to both do the same thing at the same time.  And, laying out your clothes the night before is always a time saver.

Loose The Snooze, Hit The Shower, Do Your Make-Up And Hair

As difficult as it may be, resist the urge to hit the snooze and instead jump right into the shower.  Not a hot shower, or a cold shower, but a ‘cool’ shower as it is said to be the most invigorating.  To save even more time while doing your hair, try some crown topper hair extensions. This will give you several different ways to do your hair and save time in the process as they are simple to clip on and give you great coverage and added volume with almost no effort.

Have Nutritious Breakfast Available

Keep some breakfast staples on hand such as some instant oatmeal or smoothies as you can always make quickly if you happen to be running late.  Granola, protein, or breakfast bars along with yogurt are great for on the go meals. Microwaveable breakfast sandwiches serves as a great way to get some protein and have a hot meal that requires no prep time and no cooking.

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Combatting Thinning Hair

There are few things more alarming to a woman than to stand in front of a mirror and see a thinning hairline or dull/lackluster hair that has no volume.  Most don’t realize that it is quite normal to lose up to 100 strands of hair a day, but losing  more than can indicate a deeper issue.  The good news is that ‘most’ times thinning hair is harmless and more a cosmetic concern rather than a health concern, but it is wise to keep a close watch. If after altering your hair care routine you continue to see significant hair loss, you should consult a physician about your concern and narrow down the cause.  However, if the issue is not overly alarming, there are things that can be done to help. Keep reading for some good tips to help you find a great solution and eliminate or reduce your concern.

Hairstyles That Pull On Hairline

Most women love ponytails because of the simplicity of the hairstyle and it is a great way to keep your hair out of your eyes.  The stress caused by ponytails, and another tight hairstyles such as braids or cornrows that pull too strongly on the delicate hair of your hairline, can and does cause loss and thinning to occur.  If it is necessary that you keep your hair up in a ponytail or you enjoy that style, be sure to use a clip that is elastic or fabric rather than metal.  Elastic helps ensure that your hair does not get tangled as easily and generally pulls out of your hair more easily when you remove the ponytail.  Also pull hair up loosely, not super tight and severe, as the more tension and stress you add can result in hair loss.

High Heat

Every woman loves their curling iron, flat iron or straightener, but the heat from these devices are extremely difficult on hair. The heat causes bonds within the hair strands to fracture, which causes brittle hair that will break and fall out. If you must use irons of any sort, do not leave them on one area of your hair for too long. A good rule of thumb is to move the iron in and around your hair every 10 seconds or so. If you hear one of your iron devices ‘sizzle’ or you burn your finger, the heat setting is way too high, and that means it is also burning your hair. The best way, of course, is to try and let your hair dry as naturally as possible and to use some heat-protecting spray that might help lessen the damage that irons and blowdryers are doing to cause additional hair loss and damage. A great way to help add volume to hair without pulling on the hairline or involving heat and other methods is to use a clip on hair topper.

 

The Pantry Is Your Friend

There are a lot of foods that are high in vitamins such as Vitamin B12, iron and zinc.  All of these things can and do help restore and revitalize thinning hair.  If your diet includes a lot of leafy greens, nuts, beans, fish, and even lean meats, then good for you as consuming these things may also help restore thinning and dull hair. Essential oils are also helpful with hair loss. Some of the most popular are lavender, rosemary, carrot, and cypress as they all contain regenerative and balancing properties among others.

Products That Restore

There are some products that target hair loss as it is such a huge concern for women. Many products, such as topical medications and hair-thickening gels, are aimed at specific issues and help to restore hair growth,containing various oils and minerals that aid in hair growth. A hair thickener or volumizing product coupled with a good quality hair extension can go a long way towards achieving the look and feel you are after.

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Adding Volume To Your Hair

Flat hair? If it is raining outside, then you have a great excuse on which to blame your ‘flat’ hair on. The truth is, that most of the time, there is no excuse to blame your flat hair on.  It, like thinning hair, is growing concern, if the sheer number of products on the market products are any indication. Most of us want some extra volume, and it can be added in many simple ways.

Hair Extensions

You can utilize customizable hair extensions for both body and length. One of the first steps for adding volume rather than length would be to ensure that the extension is completely color-matched to your natural hair color. This ensures that the extension blends in as naturally as possible for the purposes of volume. The best way to clip the extensions for volume is to clip them on at angles just a few inches from the hairline not just straight across. Another tip is to tease your hair before you clip on the extension. This helps ensure that the extension doesn’t fall out and also helps hide the clip in extension itself.

Washing Routine

If hair volume is your issue, then you should be using a volumizing shampoo and conditioner. It is important to quickly dry your roots with the product. Hair designers will tell you that if you don’t apply a volumizer or take the time to dry your roots from wet to dry you, will never achieve that volume or add ‘lift’ back in.  You must dry the roots because the only way to truly manipulate the roots with a product that you choose is to do so while the roots are wet. It is important to use a mousse or a ‘root lifter’  – anything that will help to starch up the hair.

Adding Mousse

Add additional mousse to the lengths of your hair. When you blow dry your your hair, it makes your strands huge, which adds volume. After you add the additional mousse be sure to blow dry your hair as normal. Also, you can use some hot rollers on what is called the ‘mohawk’ section of the head to get that lift at the root of the hair.  It can also help at times to put a diffuser attachment on your blow dryer and then blast the rollers with heat to create volume and then to immediately blast it with cold air to ‘set’ the hair.

The Extras

While customizable hair extensions, mousse, root lifters, and such can indeed add volume to your hair, it is a good idea to talk with your hair stylist or doctor about hair supplements for regrowth. Consult your hair stylist or doctor as you don’t want just any product. It is important to nourish your hair from the inside-out.

 

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Stepping Up The 9-5: Mediocre To Marvelous

Nearly 5 out of 7 nights a week, the same question is being asked by almost every woman everywhere. “What should I wear to work tomorrow?” It is a tired question that sounds way too familiar. It is not easy to put together an outfit that says it is professional enough for the office environment, yet carry you through to your evening activities. The outfit needs to say stylish, yet make a positive impression upon anyone you might meet through your daily activities. Continue reading to find a little inspiration to help you answer that age-old question when you are standing in front of your closet, and you sigh and say: “What am I going to wear today?”.

Printed Pencil Skirt

First is to change up that plain pencil skirt for one with a unique or exciting design or pattern. The pencil skirt is a timeless workpiece staple through the ages. The slimming silhouette that the skirt features is classic because it flatters all body types. Do not be afraid to experiment with colors and patterns. Mix and match until you find the right look for you.

Must-Have Essentials

No matter the work environment, casual or dress, there are classic pieces that should be at the ready for any working woman. They are blazers, midi skirts, and the pointed-toe shoe. These basics will always provide a polished and office-approved look.

The Bag

Briefcase, carryall, messenger bag, purse, backpack, or laptop bag, whatever you wish to call it, it is the ‘go to’ working woman’s accessory. Take your time and try out several bags, sizes, and colors to make sure you make a selection that you are going to love.  This is a piece you will not want to skimp on, it is an investment, and you will most likely carry it, if not every day, at least five out of the seven.

Pop That Color

Set yourself apart from all the grays, blacks, and beige’s and rock some color! Try styling a nice pair of dress pants with a freshly laundered button-down blouse.  Just add color. That’s the easy part!  Mix, match, and experiment all you want until you find the color that makes you, ‘pop’!  Adding a touch of color is always an easy and eye-catching way to update any outfit.

Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize

The general rule of thumb with accessories is: “Less is More,” especially at the office.  However, after 5 when you want to go out for dinner or happy hour with the ‘gang’, it is more than OK to add a little sparkle and dazzle to your look. Try layering some necklaces, bracelets, even rings. Mix and match the sizes, until you find a look that is just right for you.  Another way jazz up your look is to invest in a luxury hair extension, this will not only accessorize your wardrobe, but your hair as well. Taking only seconds to clip in, they subtly add to your look, increasing volume, adding coverage and fullness while blending with your own hair undetectably.

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