All in Hair

How to Make Second-Day Hair Look Polished

This post is the third in a series on weaning myself off my blowdryer—and learning to like my natural waves. The first post tackled the importance of moisture, the second explained how to make a product cocktail to coax beachy waves, and this installment is all about what to do when you wake up the day after you’ve shampooed and styled…and your hair looks like an SOS pad.

My Styling Cocktail For Beachy Waves

Earlier this month, I started a series outlining how I care for my wavy hair. As someone who has regularly straightened her hair for years (most of my adult life), learning to style my waves (and actually liking the way they looked) has taken time—like a year and counting. For a longtime beauty editor, it’s been a surprisingly steep learning curve. Thus, I decided to share the tricks and best products I’ve discovered along the way in hopes it will help those of you trying (or tempted) to go au naturel too.

How I Learned to Love (Ok, Like) My Natural Waves

I’ve straightened my naturally-wavy hair for most of my adult life. When we lived in New York, I blew it dry almost every time I washed it (or, better yet, I went to a salon and had it professionally done). In my headshot, my hair is straight. When I got married, my hair was twisted into an updo—after I blew it straight. For job interviews, school interviews, television interviews...whenever I had an important event, my hair was always, always straight. 

My Favorite French Beauty Products

Not so long ago, to get your hands on French beauty products, you had to trek to a French Pharmacie and buy them in person (or beg a friend visiting France to stock up for you). No longer. French beauty staples can now be found pretty easily Stateside, either online or in specialty boutiques.

How Green Should You Go?

I was talking to a beauty industry executive the other day about clean/green/natural (insert your own earth-centric buzz word) beauty. She confessed that, while there is no single traditional skin, hair or makeup product that she views as particularly harmful, the quantity of beauty products laced with chemicals we use over a lifetime does give her pause. Like one pack of Twizzlers at the movies=not so bad. But eating sugary twists daily for the rest of your life=not so good.

Who Has The Time?

I am impatient. Nearly two decades of living in New York City taught me to loathe long lines, inefficient service, and slow-walkers (if a New Yorker bumps you while you stroll down Fifth Avenue, you probably deserve it. Think how you’d feel if she went to your town and drove a Suburban 10 mph down a one-lane road.). When we first moved to Ann Arbor, I even stopped visiting one coffee shop because the barista was too chatty, greeting my order of a soy latte with “soy-tainly!” and then taking 15 minutes to mix my drink. Nope. Not before 8 a.m. Buy-bye.

Hair And Skin So. So. So. Dry? I've Got Solutions

Every winter, my husband complains that his skin is itchy and dry—and he asks me to get him more of that “stuff” that provides quick relief. Heath, my teenage son complains about his chronically parched, peeling lips, and my hair can become so dehydrated and static-y come January that I develop a permanent halo of flyaways. I assume you or your family are similarly moisture-challenged by mid-winter so here are some solutions that work for us:

A Beauty Ad That Speaks To Us. Finally.

Most people who watched the Golden Globes last night are talking today about Oprah’s speech, Seth’s monologue, the all-black dress code, and Natalie Portman throwing shade while announcing the all-male best-director category. But one of my favorite moments was a hair commercial.

What Works: Lisa Sugar

As part of a regular series, I’ll be asking inspiring, in-the-know women to share their best tips and favorite products. The point? As always, to find out what worksToday's beauty insider: Lisa Sugar, Founder and President of POPSUGAR Inc.