I always wondered why it seemed like celebrities have full tresses of hair cascading in voluminous waves – ALL THE TIME. Surely, these women are not super-human hair-growth machines that wake up in the morning looking like they just paid up $300 at a salon, right?

Right. When I realized that celebrities used hair extensions, everything seemed to fall into place. (And, I sort of hit myself on the top of the head for not realizing sooner.) Of course they can always have gorgeous hair when they’re simply clipping, weaving or braiding in someone else’s hair!

So, I was doing a bit of research on this beauty method, and I stumbled across this bit of news: you can buy Jessica Simpson’s hair! Well, not her actual hair. But, Simpson, along with hair guru Ken Paves, has designed a whole line of extension systems.

Check out the Hair U Wear! The tagline for her new line of hairdo’s “Change your hair as often as you change your mind,” is true-blue Jessica Simpson. And now, thanks to Paves and Simpson’s line of locks, you can sport a whole range of Jessica-inspired looks.

At first, I thought that it was kind of silly that they would make a line of extensions just for blonde’s, but then I saw that they come in a lot of different colors. You can get human hair or synthetic, too. So, all in all, it looks like a pretty good, fun product.

I was blessed with sensitive skin, particularly in the eye area. This wouldn’t be so much of an issue if I didn’t love to wear eye makeup! Ever since I was twelve and my aunt took me to the makeup counter at the department store to get my first makeover, I was hooked on eye makeup in particular.

Unfortunately, I started having reactions to eye shadows and creams during my teenage years. My eyelids would get red, puffy, and itchy, and after a few days, the skin would even start to flake off. I always chalked it up to cheap makeup or not properly cleansing my face and eye area before bedtime. But after years of trying both high and low-end brands and various cleansing techniques, I still had reactions!

It wasn’t until I went to my local Sephora store and had them try two different eye-shadow bases on my eyes that I discovered the cause of my eye makeup troubles. After wearing both bases for a couple hours, one eyelid started to get itchy and red. I immediately looked up the ingredients list on each product label, and I found one glaring difference: the itchy eyeshadow base contained a pigment called ultramarines.

Eureka! Of course this is my problem because most of the eye colors I wear are either greens, blues, or purples, which would all contain a blue pigment. So I began the quest for ultramarine-less eye shadow. It was horribly unsuccessful as pretty much ALL shadows use ultramarines for cool-hued shades.

Finally, I discovered NVEY ECO Organic Eye Shadow in Indigo Gunmetal shade, which is a lovely, medium blue-gray shimmer. I attempted it for the first time last weekend, with ZERO reaction except from others saying “I love your eye-makeup tonight!” So I continued on and have worn it every day this week, with the same success. I would highly recommend this as a healthy option for people with sensitive skin, as well as for people who just want another way to “greenify” their makeup bag. They have tons of nice shades that you can bet I’ll be adding to my collection in the near future!

Green nails are all the rage!

I’m not talking about the color. I’m talking about eco-friendly nail salons and how they are the new trend in going green in the beauty industry.

A new salon in San Francisco, Nova Nail Spa, offers only organic and chemical-free nail products. The owners realized that not only were organic products and eco-friendly lifestyle were gaining steam, but they were uncomfortable with having employees and customers exposed to the chemicals that are found in polishes and acrylic nails.

The products in the salon are either vegan or organic, including the fingernail polish remover, which is not acetone but a vegan orange-infused product that smells like mandarins. In this salon, you won’t find products that contain formaldehyde, toluene, or dibutyl phthalate. These are the chemicals that are linked to cancer and reproductive problems. Nail technicians have also complained about the affect that those chemicals had on them, saying they can cause headaches, skin rashes and nausea.   

The salon itself is even an eco-friendly building. The interior is made up of non-toxic paint, recycled denim for the insulation, and slate and bamboo finishes. There is also a state-of-the-art ventilation system.

The salon features everything a typical salon has except for acrylic nails. Acrylic produces dizzying fumes, while filing creates plumes of dust. The salon does offer gel nails. Gel nails are used to coat a natural or fake nail. Then a UV light is used to ‘set’ the nail.

Tell us what you think about organic nail salons. Is this just a new trend that will blow over, or is it here to stay?

Now that has fall has officially begun, it’s time to turn our eyes to this season’s trends.

The September issue of Glamour highlights hot nail colors this season.  It’s no surprise that rich plums and burgundies are in, but some interesting colors made the list.  Blues and blacks, but these colors are glossier, making them more chic than Goth.  For those not wanting their fingernails to make such a bold statement, you’ll be happy to know you can still be trendy with shades of pink and nude.

Rich colors are not only popping up on nails, but hair too.  According to a beauty tips website, rich browns are hot for fall.  Even blondes will want to add some subtle low lights to add some richness to their color.  As for length, anything goes.  Long or short, as long you make sure the hair has volume. This can be achieved by razoring the ends and adding chunky layers, which looks just as great on long hair as it does on short tresses.

As we say goodbye to the hot days, we welcome in the fall with its warm colors and wait to see what will be hot in fashion too.

The pen is mightier than sword – well in this case, knife! I found a great product that is a cosmetic pen that erases the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Sephora.com offers Cosmedicine Instant Wrinkle Write Off Pen and it is supposed to fill in your wrinkles with the ease of a stroke. 

The pen is designed to temporarily eliminate fine lines and wrinkles and tightens and lifts the skin while absorbing oil and minimizing pores. After reading some reviews, it sounds like it might work, and be a cheaper, safer alternative to Botox or cosmetic surgery.

This product is light weight and can be worn under make-up and fetches the price of $25. BeautySchool.com would like to know your thoughts and opinions on this.

I came across a very interesting blog post the other day and have been transfixed about it since. The post was about single ingredient products and in particularly about an oil cleanser and moisturizer. The product is Jojoba Oil Cleansing & Moisturizing and I found it on Jack and Jill blog . Jojoba only contains oil and is used to clean and moisturize, well, any part of the body. You don’t just have to use for your face – plus, this product can be found in a number of health food stores and is very inexpensive. 

So, I thought since I have sensitive skin and it tends to be on the dry side that I would try this product out. I am always changing facial cleansers and moisturizers because they tend to work in the beginning then fizzle out.

This product works wonders on my face! I have to say that I love it, but only time will tell if it will be a long-term product. I can tell you how this amazing treatment works: first you apply liberal amounts to your face while slowly massaging your face. Then, apply a hot wash cloth to the face and let it cool. After that, just wipe with cloth and you have skin that doesn’t feel oily.

I will give a report about how the product is going in a couple of weeks. I want to make sure that simple oil product might replace all of the high-end, expensive beauty products that I use.

I DON’T STINK!

Self tanning lotions are supposed to be great because they don’t have harmful UV rays that damage skin, and they don’t require the use of energy-sucking UV bulbs like tanning beds. But my biggest complaint with most self tanners is the smell – an hour or two after application, my skin gets this smell that is indescribable, other than just gross and funky! But I finally found it, a self-tan cream that doesn’t stink to high heaven. Yes, it’s true … a tan cream that doesn’t attract ants, flies, and scare off pit-bulls (or ugly guys in the bars, unfortunately). This stuff gives me an ubber natural looking tan and doesn’t streak either. I’m not so sure about the “firming” aspect this products claims, but tan fat does look better than pasty fat. It was only 7 bucks too, woo hoo. Go get some for yourself, you won’t be sorry, Nivea Firming Sun Lotion.

On a whim yesterday, I decided to treat myself to a manicure and pedicure . And I’ve read a lot about student salons at beauty academies – but I’d never actually been to one! So I called and made an appointment at a nearby school.

First great thing – they had me in right away. And “Amy”, the student who used me as a guinea pig, was great. I originally wanted a French manicure, but she hadn’t had the chance to learn that yet. She offered to find me a more experienced student, but I told her it was fine.

The salon itself was nice – it was huge and divided into smaller sections. The equipment looked top notch. The teacher-supervisors were all cheerful and smiling and things felt busy but not chaotic.

Amy was new enough that she still had an instruction card she referred to, in order to make sure she was completing all the steps. But she did a great job on my pedicure – my toes look like little gems! I am definitely planning on going back to see if I can get a beauty facial in the near future.

Checking out a student salon is a great way to get a feel for the local schools while giving yourself a little treat. Just don’t forget to tip!

License to massage feet
A wave of new trends in the beauty industry has stepped up in the U.S. – one in particular is gaining recognition: foot massage. Not only are people willing to shell out $15-$30 for a foot rub, but The Board of Barbering and Cosmetology in California has also recognized a need for regulation. In a recent article about regulating foot massage parlors, some business owners are feeling the pinch from the Board.

These businesses are being subjected to closings and fines when their employees can not produce proper certificates. Since foot massage is still new to the U.S., state officials feel that foot massage falls under the regulation of the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. And, beauty schools do not teach the very narrow field of foot massage.

To become licensed, employees would have to take classes that would also involve nails and hair care . Since the employees are only dealing with feet, many business owners think that there should be no regulation until the proper laws are set in place.

BeautySchool.com wants to know … what’s your opinion? Is the board warranted in pushing for more regulation of foot massage parlors?

Try this for healthy, young-looking skin!

My boyfriend’s mom is in amazing shape. She recently became a certified nutrition coach – her area of expertise is in whole foods. She practices everything she preaches – and more. In fact, when it comes to local and green living, she’s one of the savviest people around.

Recently, she shared something with me that completely amazed, shocked and inspired me. So, I have to pass my new-found wisdom along to you.

I’ve always thought that skin damage was permanent and that, unless you paid tons of money for injections or surgeries, you were stuck with it. Guess what? That’s not true! According to my boyfriend’s mom (I’ve seen 15 year-old-pictures of her that prove it), you can improve your skin’s health through completely natural and super-cheap method.

Aside from eating healthful, local and mostly organic foods that have done wonders to improve her health overall, she attributes much of her skin’s healthy glow to a really common and inexpensive ingredient: carrots. She simply juices a few carrots in the morning for a beta-carotene, vitamin and mineral packed drink.

Breaking it down
Beta-carotene absorbed into your skin can help protect it from UV rays. And, when your body converts it into vitamin A it helps develop skin cells and promotes skin health.

Plus, the vitamin C in carrots is a powerful antioxidant that can clean up the free radicals caused by overexposure to the sun. Vitamin C also helps in the formation of collagen which helps keep skin looking young.

How to juice
Juicing carrots is really easy, too. You just have to take several large carrots and clean them with water and a vegetable brush. Be sure not to peel them because a lot of nutrients are stored in the upper surfaces. Put them in a juicer and drink immediately to get the most nutrients.

I’ve also heard that eating a ton of carrots can turn your skin orange, but as long as you don’t go overboard, drinking carrot juice will give your skin a natural tan and give you a soft glow.

The best part: it’s delicious!