When you're on the front lines of battle, there's plenty to worry about. You have to be on constant alert for snipers, sneak attacks and hidden explosives. What you're not so concerned about is a bad hair day or a broken nail. Still, that doesn't mean beauty products and rituals have no place in female soldiers' daily lives.
When we heard Rachel McAdams was in "About Time," her third movie about time travel, we were sure that this time, she'd be the one skipping through the centuries. After all, she's paid her dues. In "The Time Traveler's Wife," she played a wife often left in the lurch by her time-traveling husband. Her "Midnight in Paris" role, as the fiancée (turned ex-fiancée) of a time-traveling writer, left her similarly stranded.
What happens when a girl with natural, rich chestnut hair spends a few months under the California summer sun? She winds up with a seriously sun-bleached and slightly frazzled head of hair. Claire needed to get a fresh, clean cut and style before she headed back to school in the fall. "I spent almost every weekend on the beach and it definitely took a toll on my hair," said Claire, 20. "The beachy look worked for the summer, but I'm headed back to school and I'll be going on job interviews soon, so I needed a more professional look."
One of the biggest time-depleters in the morning? Your hair. Sure, you can swipe on some lipstick in the parking lot before you head into the office, but good luck fitting your blow dryer and your curling iron into your purse (let alone finding an accessible outlet). And yet, nothing lets the world know you hit snooze a dozen times like bed head, cowlicks, and noticeable dry shampoo overload.
It was something my mom said during an argument when I was just eight years old that affected how I would wear my hair for the next 15 years of my life.
Even the most creative types fall into a rut every now and then. Christine, 24, is a crafter, painter and all-around bedazzler, whether she's creating unique hair accessories or painting some of the most elaborate, intricate nail art we've ever seen. But when she started a new job -- teaching history for grades 6 - 12 at a Los Angeles private school -- her creative hobbies took a backseat to her busy schedule, along with upkeep on her hairstyle.
You know those curly hair commercials that preach to us about "embracing" our natural, kinky hair? The ones that make it look so easy to get those soft, shiny (never frizzy!), bouncy curls? As someone who has styled a head full of kinky-curly hair my entire life, I see those commercials and think the same thing: yeaaaah, right.
When I wake up and see rain coming down outside, my first thought is, "Well, I'm going to look like crap today." I've never seen a point in really doing my hair if the rain and humidity will turn it into a frizzy, droopy heap in 60 seconds. I go for the classic, easy (okay, lazy) rainy day hair: a quick topknot or messy bun.
After a full summer schedule of go-go-go travel, fall is all about turning over a new leaf and making the transition into the cooler months as easy as possible. Leah, 29, was 100 percent on board to make her summer-to-fall transition fun, fresh, and easy -- particularly because her life is about to get a bit more hectic.
Antioxidants, copper peptides, stem cells … you're familiar with them, right? Wrinkle creams and serums are packed with these active ingredients to plump fine lines, erase dark spots, and keep your skin looking forever young (that's the hope, at least).
What's the best thing about the spring 2014 beauty trends I spotted backstage at New York Fashion Week? They're super simple. The overall theme I spotted: natural makeup (sometimes with a statement lip or major mascara), bare nails, and barely-done hair. So when you want to take a break from fall's deep, rich looks (think: punk eyeliner and berry lip stain), brush up on the hair, makeup, and nails you'll be wearing soon enough.
After more than a decade and a half of report cards and homework, I still get that back-to-school feeling once September rolls around. Only, my version of "back-to" shopping is now more briefcases and reloading Starbucks cards than backpacks and binder paper. I'll miss the pep rallies and Friday football games for a few minutes, but I definitely don't miss the awkward pre-pubescent emotional rollercoster, braces, bad haircuts or the perpetual breakouts high school memories are made of.
