There are countless reasons cosmetology professionals attend beauty school to learn their trade – cutting, coloring and styling hair isn’t something that everyone can do. Well, at least … isn’t something that everyone should do. So here are five more great reasons to see a professional.

My own experience with self-styling started early. When I was little, my mom used to trim my bangs, and got the blunt, straight-across look by pulling a piece of Scotch tape across my fringe and then cutting under that. Seemed easy enough. Until I tried it myself, and ended up with at least an inch difference in length from the left to right side of my forehead. I remember my mom hiding a laugh behind her hand when I begged her not to tell Dad, and she replied, “Oh honey, I don’t think we’re going to have to!”

I also used to cut my own hair in college, when I was broke. I tried to fool myself into thinking it looked halfway decent, but I’m pretty sure that was the reason why every day of the week was a bad hair day and I wore ponytails for four years straight.

Thankfully, I’m not the only one. Some other misguided wannabe amateur hairstylists have provided their own hair horror stories here:

“Oh my, I am the hair disaster queen! I let my dad cut my hair in the 8th grade. He cut it way too short and uneven. I cried. The very next day was our holiday play and there was not enough time to go somewhere to get it fixed so I looked like an idiot! I also tried to touch up my roots once with a drugstore hair color kit and they turned bright orange. I called around and found a salon that could fix it the next afternoon, but I had to come to work in the morning with orange hair. I wore a hat. I had only worked here for a few months at the time and even with the hat I was super embarrassed. It has been a long road, but I have finally learned to leave my hair in the hands of professionals!” -Angie

“Sometimes, when I am between haircuts, I’ll do a little styling to delay paying the 15 bucks on a haircut for another week or so. Using what scissors happen to be in the kitchen junk drawer, I stand on my tippy-toes - like it helps - in the bathroom mirror and cut around my ears, thin out my sideburns, trim the bangs, and try my best to angle the blades to fade my hair on the sides. This means I do nothing to the back, which results in a strange effect in which I look relatively well-groomed straight on … for a few seconds. But if you spend any time looking at me, you can see the back come hulking around. I would compare this look to a batting helmet I wore in little league – minimalistic in front with excessive padding in the back.” -Kevin

“When I was probably 13 or 14 I used that Sun-In stuff when I was at the lake. I didn’t think it was doing anything, so I kept spraying on more and more. I had used the whole bottle before I realized that my hair wasn’t turning platinum – it was turning orange.” -Lacey

“I tried to color my hair once with one of those box dyes. I went ahead and got the premium kind that included do-your-own highlights. Yeah, that was a bad idea. I freaked out halfway through letting the highlights sit and washed it all out. So first off, the color turned out dark red instead of light brown and I had these blonde patches were the color took. I looked like a sunburned leopard… or something like that. Red hair plus blonde spots equals not good.” -Chris

So what about you? Have you ever tried to color or cut your hair and ended up horrified by the results? Share your stories below – we’ll commiserate. And next time? Make sure to go to a licensed hairstylist who has legit training from a cosmetology school, eh?

Have you ever had one of those days where your hair just doesn’t want to cooperate? (Duh. Who hasn’t had a bad hair day?) I have found one of the best ways to combat those nasty hair days is to check in with Makeup and Beauty blog. They‘ve posted 101 hair tutorials just right for the average woman who wants to spice up her look, try a celebrity hairdo or just receive some hair tips.

This blog maps out 101 different tips and hairdos through list format. All you have to do is simply click the link and it will take you to a different website or blog detailing the certain look or tip. It’s pure genius! Just think – you can look through the list when you have a big night out with the girls, the interview for your dream job or a date with that special someone – and find the perfect hair style for the occasion. Not to mention, if you are a current or future professional hairstylist, you can get inspired to give fresh, new ideas to your hair design clients.

Let’s see if you can make the cut in styling your own hair. We want to hear from you about your bad hair days and how you survive them! Or drop us a comment if you’ve tried any of the tutorials and if they worked for you.

From Marilyn Monroe to Audrey Hepburn and Raquel Welch, what do most vintage beauties have in common? Long, luscious, almost supernatural lashes. If you want to get the look of ladies like these, you’ve got to use a classic product.

So, say goodbye to your modern mascara wand and say hello to a time-tested favorite. Cake mascara has long been the product of choice for professional makeup artists because of its dramatic results.

But, make sure you have a few extra minutes for application. To achieve your desired look, you’ll need a bit of patience and a steady hand. It comes in a powder form and you add water using a small, toothbrush-like applicator.

Cake mascara addicts love it because you can add as many layers as you like and it won’t clump. However, because this product is water-activated, try to steer clear of wearing it at tear-inducing events since it is more likely to run than water-resistant mascaras.

We recommend trying Longcils Boncza. Not only because it was Marilyn Monroe’s brand of choice, its natural formula contains beeswax and rosewater. A couple of the other brands currently available contain thimerosal, which is a mercury-containing preservative – so be careful to read ingredients before you make a purchase!

A quick how to on cake mascara application:

•    Dampen your applicator brush.
•    Rub the moist brush in the cake until it reaches a creamy consistency Hint: a little goes a long way
•    Comb the brush through your lashes using an out and upward motion
•    Use a brush to separate and define lashes
•    Continue adding layers until you’ve reached your desired look. Allow at least 10 seconds between coats.

Are you looking to save some cash but don’t want to sacrifice your beauty regiment to the recession gods? I’ve got some good news for you: Hollywood makeup artists like Troy Surrat, Ashunta Sheriff and Brett Freedman recently spilled a wealth of information to Elle magazine. They recommended beauty products that cost less, but still promise to pay off big.

Here’s an edited list of their picks (I’ve whittled it down to the ones that can be found at drugstores for $10 or less):

• $2: Blistex Lip Tone
• $2: Jordana Premium Lipliner
• $3: Rimmel London 1,000 Kisses Stay-on Lip Liner in Tiramisu
• $3: Maybelline New York Expert Eyes Twin Eye & Eyebrow Pencil in Blonde
• $4: Wet N Wild Mega Glo Illuminating Powder in Catwalk Pink
• $4: Ardell Duralash Naturals
• $6: Maybelline New York Great Lash Mascara in Very Black
• $6: Styli-Style Line & Seal Eye Pencils
• $6: Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara
• $6: CoverGirl Wetslicks Fruit Spritzers in Fig
• $7: Rohto Ice Eye Drops
• $7: CoverGirl Queen Collection Natural Hue Minerals Pressed Powder
• $7: L ‘Oreal Paris Hip Concentrated Shadow Duo in Lively
• $7: Rimmel London Lycra Lash Extender
• $8: Maybelline New York Dream Mousse Blush in Peach Satin
• $9: L ‘Oreal Paris Hip Brilliant Shine Lip Gloss
• $10: L’ Oreal Paris Hip Pure Pigment Shadow Sticks
• $10: Neutrogena Soothing Undereye Corrector
• $10: Neutrogena 3-in-1 Concealer

Do your nails crack or break easily? Nail strength, like so many of our traits, is passed down from our parents. So, if your mother complained about broken, chipped nails, chances are, you will, too.

But, don’t despair! You are not completely doomed! There are some steps you can take to save your nails from nub status. Just check out these tips:

1. Wear short nails. The longer your nails are, the more likely they are to break. File your nails regularly to maintain short, pretty nails that are less likely to break, chip, crack or split.

2. Eat calcium-rich foods. Nail strength depends a great deal on calcium. By taking in calcium-rich foods like cheese, milk, salmon and broccoli can improve the strength of your nails and prevent breakages.

3. Use less polish. Unfortunately, nail polish can dry out weak nails, too. The next time you visit a nail technologist, request a buffer instead of polish. Buffing can still give you a shiny, classy look and it comes with an additional bonus – it stimulates nail growth.

4. Avoid nail polish remover. This will be easier to manage if you follow tip #3! Since nail polish remover lists alcohol as one of its main ingredients, it can cause your nails to become more brittle and more prone to breaking. Try to limit yourself to about once a week – so try to think ahead about upcoming events before you try out any funky neon colors.

5. Cut down on H2O exposure. Since water can make your nails dry out, prolonged exposure can cause your nails to split and break more easily. Make sure you dry your hands and nails thoroughly after washing and bust out the gloves for dish duty.

6. Slather on hand lotion. Hand lotions with a rich formula, not containing alcohol, can help seal in moisture and help make your nails more flexible. It’s better to bend than break, right? So, make sure to follow up apply a generous amount of lotion every time you wash your hands.

No matter whether you have cosmetology training or not, finding the perfect foundation for your face (or someone else’s face) is always tough. We’ve all seen the three worst foundation offenses:

1.    Foundation that is way too dark for a woman’s face and creates the dreaded “line” at her jaw.
2.    Foundation that is way too light for a woman’s face, and reflects like the moon in flash photos.
3.    Foundation that doesn’t have the desired effect of smoothing skin, and rather clings to every imperfection.

So here’s the thing. I personally believe that the majority of women don’t need to wear foundation. I think that a tinted moisturizer with SPF smoothed over the whole face, followed by a light bronzer dusted over the cheeks and forehead is the most natural and flattering.

However.

Especially when women get their makeup professionally done, we feel like we need the whole shebang. So how to make sure that the foundation you’re putting on is going to look the best all day long, in all kinds of light?

If this is a professional makeup job, be sure to schedule a practice session before a big event. If you’re just looking for the right shade for day-to-day, don’t be afraid to shop around. It’s okay not to buy from a salesperson right away. Better yet, visit a store like Sephora – they will give you samples in little pots that you can take home and try for a couple of days.

A few easy tips:

•    Make sure you test the foundation on the whole face. While the jaw line is the most accurate skin color, many     women’s’ faces have a natural flush that doesn’t occur there.
•    Walk around! Check out the color in natural light, bathroom light … and take a picture … with the flash on.
•    Keep in mind: if your complexion tends to be oily, your makeup is going to darken within minutes when it mixes with this oil.

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.

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.

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.