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Another fabulous article from the writers on Self.com

Whether you want super-sleek strands, pretty playful waves or ultrarich color, the latest treatments help you make peace with your style without sacrifice—or harmful chemicals.

Arthur Belebeau

This is just my wishful thinking that my hair was actually long enough to do any of these styles!!! Well, anyway, enjoy!  As always some really nice gems from Self.com:

The Pony Tail.  It’s not just a gym look! These celeb favorites and runway-inspired takes are super easy and give you instant glam.

8 A.M. Meeting

A three-part pony is pretty and totally professional. Work it for work—it takes only minutes in the morning.

How to Pony Up: Hit snooze! Our best-on-damp-hair triple pony saves you blow-dry time. Make three tight ponies: one level with the top of ears, one level with the bottom of ears and one at the nape of your neck, says Neil Moodie, an editorial stylist for Bumble and Bumble in London, who created this look for Hervè Lèger by Max Azria’s spring 2012 show. Lay the top pony over the middle pony, and wrap a hair bungee around the elastic of the second pony to fasten them together. Next, take those two ponies and secure them to the third in the same way. Done!

Brunch With Mom

Pretty, preppy and a guaranteed parent pleaser, this sideswept style comes with everything but the polo shirt. Sorry, it won’t help your posture!

How to Pony Up: Fresh from a run or fresh out of bed, start by shampooing—squeaky-clean hair is key for this style. Next, work a volumizer through towel-dried hair and blow-dry with a round brush to build volume. When hair is dry, use a large curling iron to loosely curl your ends, says Sam McKnight, a global ambassador for Pantene in London, who created this sleek-on-top, soft-on-bottom look for Jaeger London’s spring 2012 show. Then comb a part in line with the arch of one eyebrow, and tie hair into a low pony on the same side as your part. Now mimosas!

Happy Hour

Got five minutes? Go from boardroom bland to cocktail cute in the office bathroom. Two skinny barrettes and an elastic are all it takes.

How to Pony Up: Pull hair into a tight pony that sits halfway up your head, says Guido, a creative consultant in New York City for Redken who worked his magic at the Marc by Marc Jacobs spring 2012 show. Slick is the trick to nailing this style. Run justlotioned hands over any frizzy spots. Then flip the tail toward the top of your head and clip it in place with a skinny barrette about 1 inch above the elastic. Loosely flip the remaining portion of the tail back down, and pin it with a second clip about an inch below the elastic, creating a bunlike pouf.

Date Night

Romantic and oh-so-sexy, this intentionally undone ‘do is flirty without being fussy. It looks as if you tried…but not too hard.

How to Pony Up: Shower, but don’t even think of shampooing; a little extra grit helps this style stay put. Comb a deep side part and gather strands into a low ponytail at the nape of your neck, covering your ears. Wind the elastic around the base of the ponytail, pulling the hair partway through to create a loop on the final twist, says Eugene Souleiman, global creative director of Wella Professionals, who created the look at Missoni’s spring 2012 show. Spritz fingertips with a salt spray and rub your roots to boost body. Secure the top of the loop to your scalp with a playful hair comb or two.

Weekend Shopping

Sweet, face-framing twists stay put while you hit the mall. Then sleep in the look to wake up with soft waves—it’s like a free gift with purchase!

How to Pony Up: Prep dry hair with a pea-sized amount of styling cream, then comb a slightly off-center part. Starting on the left side of your part, grab a 2-inch-thick section and roll it away from face, moving downward and gathering strands from your hairline as you go, says Nikki Ray, a senior stylist at Salon AKS in NYC, who showed us how to re-create the rolls from the Erickson Beamon spring 2012 show. Clip the coil at the base of your head, then repeat the roll on the right. After both sides are spiraled, pull out clips and secure pieces together with an elastic. Two days of cute hair? Check.

VIP-CAT Bridal, Sacramento’s On Location Bridal Hair & Makeup Specialists, & VIP-CAT International Makeup School

Another Fabulous Gem from the Blog files of Self.com:

Science proves that if you’re happy, serene or in love, your skin changes from the inside out to look healthier, radiant, even younger. Here’s how to fake it.

What Love Looks Like…

A GORGEOUS GLOW

When you’re head over heels, lovey-dovey hormones make sure it’s written all over your face—you have an undeniable radiance.

Whether you’re on a date with someone new or curled up on the couch with your honey, your brain is full of dopamine and oxytocin. Those two feel-good hormones, even in low levels, cause an increase in blood flow to the skin—and that spike in circulation, along with the oxygen and nutrients the blood carries, makes skin more luminous, says Richard Fried, M.D., a psychodermatologist (a specialist who’s both a derm and a shrink) in Yardley, Pennsylvania. And if your PG date turns R-rated, the effects become more pronounced: Blood vessels dilate when you get turned on, giving cheeks a subtle flush.

People perceived women wearing makeup as more confident than those who weren’t, a study in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology reports. Project extra boldness with a bright teal nail polish like Dior Vernis in Nirvana, $23, seen here.

Fake It Until You Feel It

Not wrapped up in nightly smooching sessions? Start using treatments laced with retinol or a prescription retinoid before you hit the sack. Both vitamin A derivatives encourage the formation of blood vessels, naturally brightening skin, says Howard Sobel, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City. The topicals also prompt skin to shed dead cells on the surface, giving your complexion an allover radiance.

To instantly achieve the prettifying effects of being smitten and enhance tone, apply a sheer bronzer that has a touch of iridescence. (Try Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzing Powder in Aruba, $35.) Then blend a little vibrant-pink cream blush (like Urban Decay Afterglow Glide-On Cheek Tint in Crush, $24) on top of the blush you usually wear—but only in the center of your cheeks. The result is an envy-worthy complexion that will have friends wondering what (or whom!) you’ve been doing lately.

What Happiness Looks Like…

SMOOTH, YOUTHFUL SKIN

Regular LOLing with your besties reduces stress hormones and keeps skin’s support structure intact and youthful. How? Laughter truly is the best medicine: It releases endorphins that counteract the negative psycho-physiological effects of stress, says Lee Berk, Dr.P.H., associate professor of psychoneuroimmunology at Loma Linda University. What does that mean for skin? Fewer fine lines. “Stress increases inflammatory enzymes called MMPs,” Dr. Fried explains. “They’re designed to ward off infection, but having too many can make skin chronically inflamed and vulnerable to UV damage and wrinkles.”

Fake It Until You Feel It

Add a little azelaic acid to your skin-care routine to help skin function as if you’re as happy as can be. This gentle exfoliant, derived from barley or wheat, reduces inflammation, says Dr. Fried, who recommends prescription-strength Finacea. And although sunscreen should be an everyday habit, you need it more than ever when you’re feeling not so hot. Look for one with antioxidants (such as Olay Complete Ageless Skin Renewing UV Lotion SPF 20, $15), which protects against UV damage while fighting inflammation.

What Serenity Looks Like…

A CALM, BALANCED COMPLEXION

Keeping your cool promotes healthy skin, mostly because of what you’re not doing—i.e., enduring the damage of Hurricane Stress.

When you’re frazzled, nerve endings release pro-inflammatory neuropeptides that break down the barrier that protects your skin from environmental irritants. That leads to dryness and flakes. A mellow you keeps nasty chemicals at bay, seals in water and makes your skin’s outer layer as impervious as a weatherproof jacket. Your skin’s forecast: evenly toned, without a hint of blotchiness or flakes in sight.

Fake It Until You Feel It

Keep skin calm and carrying on with creams that contain ceramides (hydrating lipids naturally found in skin) or niacin (a form of vitamin B3 that bolsters skin’s inherent moisturizing ceramide levels). Both act as chill pills for your complexion, helping maintain a strong shield against the outside world. Products with dimethicone create a lightweight seal that prevents moisture loss and penetration of possible irritants, Dr. Fried says. (Try Nia 24 Skin Strengthening Complex, $85, which contains all three soothing ingredients.)

Pretty is the New Prozac

POSITIVE EMOTIONS AFFECT YOUR LOOKS…

…but the path from brain to beauty can go both ways.

When you scowl, frown, or grimace, a message is sent to your brain that you’re anxious, says Robert Levenson, Ph.D., professor at the University of California in Berkeley. Because Botox temporarily inhibits full movement of certain facial muscles, it blocks some of that feedback, so “your worry might not feel so worrisome,” Levenson says. And that’s what studies show: Women who got Botox in their forehead felt significantly less depressed and anxious up to three months later than those who had other cosmetic treatments (peels, fillers, etc.), research in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology finds.

Fake It Until You Feel It

If you fear a frozen face, use a product with peptides such as argireline (try Peter Thomas Roth Un-Wrinkle Illuminator Instant Brightening Moisturizer, $68), which inhibits an enzyme needed for muscle contraction, providing subtle smoothing over time. Even makeup can work wonders on your mood: “Mirror neurons in our brains fire in sync with whatever we observe, including ourselves,” says Eva Ritvo, M.D., coauthor of The Beauty Prescription. So, if you see yourself smiling and looking gorgeous, it may trigger the neurons that tap into the emotions represented, instantly helping you feel happier and more confident. Now, that’s a beautiful thing.

Channel your inner calm: “Line inside bottom lash lines with a flesh-colored pencil to neutralize redness, so you appear well-rested,” says Raychel Wade, a makeup artist for La Prairie in NYC. Dress, DKNY.

VIP-CAT Bridal, Sacramento’s On Location Bridal Hair & Makeup Specialists, & VIP-CAT International Makeup School

Some women embrace their gray hair while others panic at the first sign of gray peeking out. While I think it’s great to celebrate your gray hair, I understand that not all women are ready to take that leap. Here are few ways to deal with your gray hair whether it’s just a few strands or all over.

Why does my hair go gray?
Melanin is a pigment that is naturally produced in the hair follicle and is responsible for giving hair its color. There gets to be a point when the melanocytes (the melanin producing cells) just stop producing, thus giving you gray hair. No one knows why hair follicles stop producing melanin;it’s most likely genetics. Many women think that gray hair is more kinky and unruly than “normal” hair, although there is no solid data to show that gray hair has a different physical structure. However, hair follicles do produce less of their natural oils as you age, which can make hair feel dry and coarse. Also, gray hairs are easier to notice because of the color difference (especially if your natural color is dark). Think about all the hairs on your head that are unruly but are the same color as the rest of your hair!

How can I cover my gray?

Temporary Root Coverage – These products are like makeup for your hair. They come in a variety of forms that range from mascara-type wands to small brushes, and are basically color pigments blended with either wax or oil to make them easy to apply. These products are temporary (just like makeup), and last only until your next shampoo.
Pros: These are inexpensive, quick fix products that are great for women with just a few grays, or for women trying to extend the life of their color. They’re also safe and not damaging.
Cons: Color can be difficult to match, and the product can be clumpy and flaky when it dries.

Permanent Root Coverage – This is permanent hair color, but it comes in a clever applicator (similar to a comb) that allows you to apply only where needed.
Pros: It’s inexpensive and easy to apply. Results last several weeks, which can help extend the life of your color.
Cons: Permanent color lasts several weeks, so if you are not happy with the results you have to live with them for awhile. New hair growth will be gray (or whatever your natural shade is), so you will need to reapply every couple of weeks if you don’t want roots to show. Permanent hair color is a damaging process, particularly if you are doing it frequently.

Permanent Hair Color – This uses the same technology as permanent root coverage, but is intended for all-over use. Permanent hair color uses reactive dyes that penetrate the outer layer of your hair (cuticle) and react with the inner layer (cortex) to deposit the hair color. There are almost endless options of hair colors, but some companies have developed products specifically designed for gray hair. These “gray-specific” products don’t use different technology, but often use more moisturizers/conditioners since gray hair tends to be drier than “normal” hair.
Pros: It’s inexpensive (if done at home), you have many colors to choose from and results last several weeks.
Cons: It can be expensive to maintain (if done at a salon), and color is permanent, so if you don’t like the results you have to live with them for a while. Like permanent root coverage, this process can be damaging.

Bottom Line
There are several good options for dealing with those pesky grays, whether you are looking for temporary results or a more permanent solution. Also, I have heard some rumors of a new technology on the horizon that could actually restore melanin to your hair — so stay tuned!

VIP-CAT Bridal, Sacramento’s On Location Bridal Hair & Makeup Specialists, & VIP-CAT International Makeup School

It may seem silly, an article about how to properly clean your face.  I mean really?  Isn’t this something we learned when we were toddlers?  Well yes and no.

Yes we can keep the dirt off our face, but most of us don’t know the proper way to keep our skin from clogging with comedones or worse having acne!  God forbid!

So, here’s a few steps that will keep your skin clean and clear and looking amazing!

First there are the tools, of course.

One of the best face washes, the most bang for the buck has got to be Cedipil, and you can find it at Wal-Mart for under $10!  Get the one for Oily Skin; it works wonderful for all skin types, I kid you not, have yet to find anything better on the market.  It doesn’t lather, so don’t use too much try to get suds.  This is a real face wash and not body wash, no suds is a good thing.

You also want to have an exfoliant, a manual one, so no apricot scrubs or muds; I am talking a good manual cloth.  Wash clothes work, but the best thing you can get is a Japanese Wash Cloth.  You can find them at most oriental markets or even import stores like Cost Plus World Market.  You can also find them online I am sure.  If you can’t find one you can use a good old fashioned wash cloth or you can finally make use of that darned Kabuki Brush!  Yes, Kabuki brushes can be used as exfoliators.  Strange huh?

Ok, now for the steps:

1.  Pre-wet your face with warm or hot water.  This opens up the pores so the exfoliant and wash can work.

2.  Apply face wash directly to your skin.  Do not put on your washcloth/Kabuki Brush, as this will waste product.

3.  Vigorously exfoliate, this does not mean taking skin off, this just means a nice healthy scrub that will get all the makeup/oils/etc off.

4.  Then rinse your face thoroughly with warm water.  Then one last rinse with cold.  The cold water will now close your pores so that nothing gets back into them now that they are all cleaned out.

When you are wearing makeup, you may wish to wash your face twice.  If using liquid foundation three times is even better to make sure all of skin is cleaned.

Well there you have it.  The proper way to wash your face!

VIP-CAT Bridal, Sacramento’s On Location Bridal Hair & Makeup Specialists, & VIP-CAT International Makeup School

This is the one night each year when we look back, with relief, with regret, with fondness for the days that lay behind us.  We remember the failures and the triumphs of the past year and on this same night we look forward knowing a new year, fresh and untouched lays before us.  A new year in which we can make right things that were wrong in the last.  A new year in which we can become more of who we have always hoped to be.  A new year in which all things are possible.

Tonight is a night that lingers on the very edges of past and future.  A day of shadows and dreams and memories.  This is the one night of any year when all things are possible.  When we are not simply bound by the things that are.  This is the one night that dreaming is permitted, that dreaming is demanded and where hope reigns supreme.  It is the one night where we can leave behind all the baggage and  fears and regrets of the past three hundred and sixty five days.  The one day in which we can reinvent ourselves.  Tonight is the night we get to start fresh.  We get to enter a new year and embrace the hope of what can be.

You may spend this night in the company of friends, laughing, dancing, drinking.  You may spend it alone in quiet contemplation, however you choose to leave the old year and enter into the new, you will do it with hope.  That is what I wish for all of you.  That you can leave behind the past, take from it the lessons it was supposed to teach and step boldly into a new year with hope and joy.

2012 will be your year.  I plan to make it mine.

Happy New Year from all of us at VIP-CAT

VIP-CAT Bridal, Sacramento’s On Location Bridal Hair & Makeup Specialists, & VIP-CAT International Makeup School

During the holidays and into the New Year we find ourselves pressed for time.  Here are some awesome tips and products from the Writers at Self.com.  Enjoy!

Shave 30 minutes off of your daily beauty routine and still look polished with these handy tricks.

Save 20 Minutes

Dry Hair Faster! – Ask anyone—the biggest beauty time-waster is drying your hair. So skip shampooing (or do it the night before) and try this shortcut: First, dampen face-framing strands with a spray bottle of water. Then spritz them and your crown with a styler containing tea tree oil. It erases any not-so-fresh smells and softens hair, making styling a breeze, says Laura Boton, a salon owner in Chicago. Blow-dry the front pieces, blast some air at your crown, and hit the road!

Tea tree oil in Bb Tonic Lotion, $20, eases styling; lemongrass extract builds volume.

Save 20 Minutes

Must shampoo? Blow-dry roots first. They trap the most water.

Save 7 Minutes

Step up your skin care! – Meet your new morning must-have: a face wash that also exfoliates. It gives you a glow without the need for a separate scrub and toner, says Tony Nakhla, M.D., a dermatologist in Newport Coast, California. Next, apply a tinted lotion that has antioxidants. You’ll hydrate and treat skin, nixing the need for makeup. It’s two steps instead of six!

Smooth on Ultraflesh Tinted Moisturizer, $34, to hydrate, protect and camouflage.

Save 3 Minutes

Pare down primping! – Ready, set, sort! Removing products you don’t use daily from your cosmetics bag (neon shadow, perhaps?) makes grabbing essentials a snap. It’s even better if your go-tos can multitask. “Buy a combo lip- and cheek-color stick and double-ended brushes to cut chaos in your bag,” suggests Brett Freedman, a makeup artist in Los Angeles. You can also take a pass on liner: Brush on mascara, let lashes dry while you finish getting dressed, then curl. You’ll create serious oomph in half the time.

Creamy Shiseido The Makeup Accentuating Color Stick, $33, shown here in Rosy Flush, adds a tint to cheeks and lips.

Well I hope these tips help you survive the Holidays and the New Year! 

VIP-CAT Bridal, Sacramento’s On Location Bridal Hair & Makeup Specialists, & VIP-CAT International Makeup School

1.) L’Oreal’s mascara Volumuminous has been a long time favorite of Roc’s. In fact, she has worn it for 20 years; yes this may be the longest relationship she has ever had!!! Well guess what!  Voluminous now has a new formula and let’s just say….. It gives you heavenly, sinful lashes…. yep…. it’s that good!!!

L’Oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes gives you length and volume and comes in waterproof!!! This waterproof is great because it washes off with soap and water and doesn’t build up. It’s safe for contacts, no little fibers falling in your eyes, it doesn’t get all dry and hard caking on your lashes…. it’s a fav, must have!

You have to check this out… spoil yourself this holiday season and give it a try. Gwen Stefani endorses this product so just look for her bright beautiful face and you can’t miss it!

2.) Give your face a Holiday Glow!!!  Illuminating pressed powder by Laura Mercier is to die for!!  With a subtle sexy glow… you will grab all of the attention in the room!!!

This product is great because it’s not going to make you look too tan for winter, it will just give you an irresistible glow! You can use this product to highlight your eye shadow, use it alone as eye shadow with Voluminous False Fiber Lashes for eyes that allure and tantalize, brush it on your cheekbones and the bridge of your nose, swipe it across your décolleté, so many uses…. another item to spoil yourself with and a must have!

3.) This is such a cool product, it feels like a million dollars and will make your skin look like it too!!

LaROCCA Champagne and Shimmer Supreme Crème

Talk about the crème de le crème — this rich body butter is made with 24-karat colloidal gold to help stimulate cell renewal. Precious metals aside, it softens our skin with a blend of plant oils and the lush, mousse-like texture is a dream.

How it Works:

Mega moisturizers like Shea, murumuru, and olive butters work to provide long-lasting hydration. Jojoba and cranberry extracts deliver an antioxidant boost, and flecks of golden shimmer give skin a subtle glow.

4.) So it’s the holiday season and its perfect time for a sultry red pout!!!  This velvety shade looks good on most all skin tones, it is a long lasting matt lipstick so it stays sooooooooo well that you do not need to use a lip liner or lip primer with it!! Apply and go… instant GLAM!!  L’Oreal again ladies….

L’Oreal Paris Infallible Le Rouge in Refined Ruby is worth its weight in gold.  You can find it at most all drug stores for under $10… What a steal… the attention you grab with this little secret weapon of temptation… be careful who you pucker up too, they won’t be able to resist!  No mistletoe needed!

VIP-CAT Bridal, Sacramento’s On Location Bridal Hair & Makeup Specialists, & VIP-CAT International Makeup School

In love with shimmer and sparkle???  Well All that glitters is GOLD this holiday season baby… Gold is so in and HOT right now from your nail polish, skinny jeans, accessories, cocktail dresses, all the way down to your bubble bath!

A perfect golden object this fall is a perfect pair of shoes from Michael Kors.  These lizard embossed leather heels, teamed up with a metallic nylon clutch…. You’ll be bling’n it on baby.

NO glass slippers this season… check out these show stoppers by Carlos Santana, you can find them at macys.com.  Who says flats can’t be sexy??  Steve Madden has satin flats with dreamy golden rhinestones that are guaranteed to dress up any outfit.

Believe it or not, JC Penny has a great collection of Golden attire this winter season.  From Super cute metallic gold jeans to bouncy Lurex sweaters…. you would be surprised!!  This is not your grandma’s JC Penny’s any more.  If you haven’t been in there in a while, stop by and check it out!!  You can put together a very, very sexy and trendy outfit for under $100!  That is amazing!  Check out these fashions exclusively at jcp.com/musthaves

VIP-CAT Bridal, Sacramento’s On Location Bridal Hair & Makeup Specialists, & VIP-CAT International Makeup School