Hair-Volution : Katy Perry

Katy Perry first erupted onto the music scene in 2008 with her distinctive glossy black locks and dazzling blue eyes. Since then, this adventurous style chameleon has turned her hair every shade imaginable, cropping it short, growing it long, straightening, curling and crimping it. Katy has done it all and somehow every new hair experiment seems to suit her. Here's a glance at all of Katy's previous hairstyles and how each of them gave her a completely different look.

Root to Tip

Arguably one of the world's most recognizable music stars, Katy Perry's hairstyles have evolved along with her career. She has had her jet black hair cut in a sophisticated straight bob 1, a curly cropped look with short fringe at 2, a teased, choppy trim with side fringe at 3, a modern and piecey mid-length layered style with blunt bangs 4, a voluminous pin-up perfect look at 5, smooth straight locks at 6, rolling long waves 7, and an elegant updo at 8.

True Blue

Katy's debut movie role in the Smurfs inspired her to literally take on her Smurfette character with vivid blue locks. She wore her stand out aqua tresses in a number of different styles. Crimped at 1, she tried bouffant upstyles at 2, 4 & 5, a chic cropped bob at 3 and an asymmetrical one at 8. She also experimented with a wacky Wonder Woman hairdo at 6 and a high wrapped ponytail at 7.

Pretty in Pink

Keeping in tune with her whimsical and cartoonish appeal, Katy went bright pink with conspicuous cerise hair.

Lighter Locks

The 29-year-old songstress took the plunge and went from pitch black locks to extreme shades of blonde and red. She wears a pale wheat blonde look at 1, ombré strawberry blonde locks at 2, ginger curled tresses at 3 and a trendy platinum bob with hot pink tinged roots at 4.

Rainbow Nation

Katy's colourific hair history is a vast one, she has dyed her hair a fluorescent orchid hue 1, candy apple green 2, a rainbow of highlights at 3, 4 & 5 and an enigmatic dark violet at 6.

Hair Accessories

Katy also adds interesting hair accessories to her unique styles that make them that much more dramatic. From a gold Dolce & Gabbana crown at 1, a bejeweled headband at 2, a flower decked Alice band at 3, a romantic floral crown at 4, a Dolce & Gabbana printed bandana at 5 and an embellished Great Gatsby inspired hair band at 6.

My favourite Katy Perry hairstyle has to be the straight cropped bob, whether in black, blonde or blue, I think it suits her most.

Which of Katy Perry's Hairstyles do you think suits her best or worst?

Red Blonde Brunette

I've always been amazed at how converting your hair colour can completely change the way you look. The right hair tone will bring out and highlight your best features, whilst the wrong shade can make you appear sallow & washed out. Then there are some who are able to wear any colour and still look sensational. These are celebrities who have been brave enough to go from red hair to blonde and brunette and back again, a few with grand success and others a little less lucky.

1. Emma Stone

Colour Chameleon Emma Stone has a creamy pale skin tone and dazzling green eyes that compliments any hair colour. This natural Buttercup Blonde is equally bewitching with Fiery Red hair and silken Chestnut Brown locks.

2. Cheryl Cole

British singer Cheryl Cole is known for her lustrous volumized locks, which has seen shades of ravishing Plum Merlot, a less natural looking Wheat Blonde and her beautiful naturally dark Mahogany Brown hair.

3. Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence wowed us with her wavy Baywatch Blonde hair and since then, this award winning actress has tinted her tresses a Ginger Spiced Red and also went to the dark side with Sable shaded locks. I think the black hue gives her a sallow appearance. She look most distinctive as a blonde.

4. Emily Blunt

Emily Blunt stole the spotlight in The Devil Wears Prada with her Vibrant Auburn locks. But this natural Cocoa Coloured Brunette also finds it easy to wear Macadamian Blonde, all in her signature bob hairstyle.

5. Ashley Greene

Twilight alumni Ashley Greene dyed her hair in a synthetic shade of Cherry Swirl before going Golden Blonde. But I find that her natural Chocolate Brown hair suits her best.

6. Kate Bosworth

Kate Bosworth recently dyed her hair in a shade of Strawberry for a movie role, but this beautiful actress is at her best in Platinum and Pearl Blonde. The darker Mocha tinted hair hue completely washes her out.

7. Cameron Diaz

Gentlemen may prefer blondes, but that didn't stop Cameron Diaz from dyeing her Sun Kissed tresses into a Rusted Cinnamon Red and then even darker in a Walnut Brown. Eventhough the sultry brunette hair makes her blue eyes pop, I prefer Cameron with lighter locks.

8. Brittany Snow

Pitch Perfect's Brittany Snow has dramatically coloured her hair from the lightest Flaxen Blonde to a Toasted Red Toffee and Intense Umber Brown. They all suit her to some extent but I like Brittany's red hair.

9. Olivia Wilde

With exquisite steel blue almond-shaped eyes, a dewy complexion and the perfect jawline, Olivia Wilde sets the ideal canvas to wear any hair colour. She has been a Dark Coppery Redhead, an Almond Blonde and a Truffle Brown Brunette. I think that each shade brings out a different side to her beauty.

10. Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson has always been turning heads, no matter what her hair shade. The stunning star has experimented with Flame Red, Luminous Amber Blonde and Velvety Dark Brown. She can pull of any shade but blonde will always be the colour she is known for.

11. Nicole Richie

We first met the Reality Star as a bottle blonde on The Simple Life, but since then, Nicole Richie has refined her style along with her hair colour. She has went from Tea Soaked Red to Vanilla Blonde and a luscious Cola Brown. I prefer her as a brunette, as it highlights her light brown eyes and café au lait skin tone.

12. Angelina Jolie

With her spellbinding looks, Angelina Jolie could ideally carry off most hues. The actress began her career as Brunette, then tried on a glorious Burnt Sienna Red, then went Sandy Blonde for her role in the movie Salt. I'm not sold on the blonde, but think she's stunning in darker shades.

13. Ashlee Simpson

Ashlee Simpson is one of those lucky girls who can dye her hair any shade and it still looks striking and authentic. She has went from being a natural Buttered Toast Blonde to turning her hair Expresso Brown and a Vivid Cayenne Red. I think she looks great in every shade, but I love the red on her.

14.  Rachel McAdams

We first noticed Rachel McAdams as a platinum blonde in Mean Girls and since then the Canadian actress has dyed her hair a vivacious Copper red, Champagne Blonde and Coffee Bean Brown, all for movie roles. I think blonde looks best on her, although she carries off the other colours beautifully.

Would you Make the Drastic Change from Red to Blonde and Brunette?
Which of these celebrities wear all 3 shades well? 


*Images found via Glamour.com, Marieclaire.com, The Hairstyler.com and DailyMakeover.com

Make Your Beauty Products Last Longer

Money Saving Tips to Make Your Beauty Products Last

Image via Dennis Pedersen.com

I was recently approached by HSN with a few great ideas on how to make our beauty products go much much further. These money and makeup saving tips are by Lara Ramos. 

Here Are a Few of Lara's Favourite Ways to Make Makeup Last:

I am constantly talking to my girlfriends about what an investment beauty products are. If you’re a product junkie like me, your beauty budget can closely rival what you spend on new clothes. So whether it’s my wardrobe or makeup supply, I really want to make sure that I protect my investment.

1. Build a Better Makeup Bag

At times, I look through my stash and find no fewer than a dozen variations of the exact same lip shade. None of these products get used consistently and they mostly end up expiring before I can even scratch the surface. I've learned that by better editing my purchase decisions, I can make sure that I have avariety of products that I use more frequently – and I’m more likely to use them to the very last drop.


2. Clean your Brushes

Not only are makeup brushes expensive, but they also touch all of your makeup. By keeping them clean, not only are you extending their life, but also the life of your products. Keeping powders and blushes free and clear of oils and bacteria that tend to break them down will help them live a longer life.

3. Keep it Pretty

You will never find my hard earned makeup knocking around in a vanity drawer or at the bottom of my purse. Oh, the horror! I’m careful to keep my beauty treasures tucked inside of pouches when I’m on the go or on a tray sitting on my vanity at home. This way, there’s far less chance that they will crack or explode, wasting precious product.

4. Scrape the Bottom

I recently discovered these little spatulas that you can use to actually scrape the bottom of your makeup bottles to get to the very end of them. I’ve also been known to use them after cutting open tubes of concealer and lip gloss to collect one final application. 

5. Portion Control

It may go without saying, but using only what you need can really make your makeup last. I found that I was always left with unneeded foundation or extra moisturizer after applying, so I downsized my dose and I’m wasting less. Making other small changes like not spraying my fragrance into the air and walking through it has also helped!

Thanks to Lara and Jackie from HSN Beauty for these brilliant ideas, you can read the original feature here. I've also added a few of my own product saving tips to the list.

These Are Some Of My Own Make-Up Saving Tips

6. Rework Your Bronzer

Mix your last dusting of bronzer with some moisturizer to create an all-over shimmery lotion.

7. Fix Broken Blushes & Shadows

Don't discard broken blushes, eye shadows or pressed powders simply because they have shattered apart. Fix your compacts by adding a few drops of rubbing alcohol to the loose powder then press down with the back of a spoon into its original container.

8. Use Lipstick as Cream Blush

If you find yourself with a lipstick colour you don't really like, re-purpose it as a cream blush, applying to the apples of your cheeks for a rosy glow.

9. Restore Old Nail Polish

Add a few drops of nail polish remover to your hardened nail lacquers to bring them back to their normal consistency.

10. Make the Most of Your Fragrance

Isn't is annoying when that last drop of perfume at the bottom of the bottle can't be spritzed? Open the bottle & add the final trickle of fragrance to an unscented body lotion or to your shampoo. This way, you can build up your favourite fragrance without purchasing a full set.

11. Get The Best From Your Mascara

If your mascara is dried out, place the wand into a glass of hot water, this should melt what ever product is left inside. You can also dip the brush into a little saline eye solution, place it back into the wand and roll around. Don't pump the wand, as this allows in air and bacteria.

If you're low on eye-liner, use your usual liner applicator or a fine brush and dip into your mascara wand and apply as normal.

12. Quick Foundation Replacement

If you find yourself running out of foundation or BB cream at the most inopportune time, dot some of your concealer into your face moisturizer, blend in the palm of your hands, and gently rub all over your face. Finish with bronzer.

13. Double Up Eye Shadows

I sometimes find myself with eye shadow palettes that come with awkward pink, red, coral & berry tones that I know will never look on me. I use these shades as a powder blush. You can also use your eye shadows as eye liner by dipping your application brush in some water first.

14. Make the Wrong Foundation Shade Right

In the store lighting, that foundation seemed to be doing wonders for your skin tone but in natural lighting, not so much. If the shade is too light, use it as a highlighter (with some pearly eye shadow added to it) or as an under-eye concealer. If it's too dark use it to contour your cheekbones. Or you can go back to the store and ask for one shade lighter or darker, (depending on your problem), and then blend the two to create your own unique base.

I hope these money and makeup saving ideas will help you in some way.

Do you have any tips of your own to share?

*Images found via TotalBeauty.com, Oprah.com, glamour.com, Pinterest and Shuttershock.

Apply Blush According to Your Face Shape

The Savvy Girl's Guide
How to Apply Blush For Your Face Shape

It was not so long ago that I used to dip a powder brush into my blush and swirled the cerise shaded hue across my cheeks like I was casually dusting the mantlepiece...pretty much all over the place. I'd like to say my blush sweeping skills have evolved since then, as I have learnt how to apply the right coloured rouge to suit my square face shape. These are some simple tips on how to apply blush in a way that will perfectly compliment your face shape.

Image via Listotic.com

How To Apply Blush If You Have:

A Long Face - Allude to a wider face shape by dusting blush onto the apples of your cheek, then blend sidewards in (almost) a straight line towards the ears.

A Heart Shaped Face - Balance out a narrower chin by blending blush just below the apples of your cheek. Sweep in an upwards direction towards the hairline.

A Square Face - Soften sharp angles by circulating your blush onto the apples of your cheeks.

A Round Face - Create the illusion of a slimmer face by contouring a darker hued blush applied at a 45 degree angle in a V shape.

An Oval Face - Start at the apples of your cheeks and sweep blush upwards towards your temples. In the beauty world, an Oval shaped face is regarded as most perfect and versatile.

Take this quiz to find out what's your face shape. 

Blushing Celebrities

Top: Olivia Wilde highlights her exquisite cheekbones and square frame beautifully. Sarah Jessica Parker displays how to achieve width on a longer face shape. Mila Kunis uses artful contouring to give a more angular appearance to her round face.
Bottom: Reese Witherspoon's heart shaped face is given a defining rosy tint. Alexa Chung uses a coral colour to shade in her symmetrical oval shaped face. Scarlett Johansson sculpts her diamond/triangular shaped face with a peachy bronze hue.


Blush Up With These Great Compacts

Top Row: IMAN Luxury Blushing Duo in Posh $10. Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush $30. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Nectar $42.
Middle Row: Urban Decay Naked Flushed Bronzer, Highlighter & Blush Trio $30. Benefit Posie Tint Cheek Stain $30. Clinique Cheek Pop in Plum Pop $21.
Bottom Row: Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blush in Pinched $13. L'Oreal Soufflé Cream Blush in Plume (Mauve) $13. Elf HD Cream Blush in Superstar $3. Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Candy Coral $7. Tarte Cheek Stain in Fearless $30.

 First & last image found via Jill Stuart.

What face shape are you and have you tried these blush tricks?

Party Hair Ideas 2013

Holiday & Party Hairstyles
Inspiration Ideas 2013

We've already seen a few good party dress ideas last week, so it's only appropriate that we find the perfect hairstyle to match. Formal and fussy or laid-back and relaxed, what ever the holiday event you're attending, these runway and celebrity hair ideas will surely inspire you to try something new with your tresses.

Ways with Braids

Braids have been massively popular this year from the runway to the red carpet, seen styled in innumerable ways. Lucy Hale and Alberta Ferretti models wore loosely plaited ponytails, whilst Selena Gomez went edgy with an elevated braid. Wear a romantic braided crown (seen at Rebecca Minkoff) or go goth like Cara Delevingne did with a braided undercut. TV Presenter Maria Menounos showed off a textured mermaid braid.

Elegant Updos

 For those more formal affairs, you can't go wrong with a classic pulled black chignon, French twist or slightly messy bun. An asymmetrical fringe will beautifully compliment this style.

The Faux Bob

Shorten your locks without cutting it off by trying out the uber trendy Faux Bob. Curl sections of your hair with a curling iron, then fasten and tuck inwards towards the nape of your neck with bobby pins. Leave a few strands loose in the front to soften this pretty look.

Plaited Upstyles

Incorporating a plait into your usual upstyle will add a playful party spin.

Half-up Half Down

 If you have naturally wavy hair, the easiest way to add some glamour is with a half up, half down hairstyle. Gather a few strands from the front of your head and either braid it, twist it or pull it back in a pompadour. Let the rest of your locks fall loose in ravishing waves.

The Finer Details

Vivify your normal style with interesting hair accessories. At Marchesa, models were given a fringed finish with feathered clips. Alexis Mabille went retro with beehives and satin bands. Y-3 presented uncombed folksy locks with a side braid and neon rainbow feather. Plait a bright ribbon into your braid seen at Calla. Cover up uncompromising hair with a very trendy veiled beanie a la Jil Sander. Or add a contrast coloured strand for a grungy look as Libertine did.

Straight Forward

 To get your hair this sleek and perfectly straight, smoothen down with a flat iron, using a heating spray before hand and a good serum or shine spray after.

Hair Gems

Ornament your tresses with a range of beautiful hair jewels, floral clips and crowns or try ornate crystal brooches for a vintage effect.

Which of these Holiday Hairstyles will you be trying out?

Models & Makeup - Bette Franke

Bette Franke
Makeup Inspiration

Possibly one of the best parts about being a model is having the opportunity to change your look at the blink of a smokey eye. Dutch beauty Bette Franke rates as one of my favourite runway models, for her captivating natural beauty, and her ability to wear any type of elaborate make up look with poise and femininity. The fact that she has the most striking blue eyes and glossy brown tresses is probably every hair and makeup artists' dream to work with. These are some of Bette's most recent and interesting runway makeup looks.

Flushing Pink

 Bette beautifully portrays a coy maiden with rosy flushed cheeks, a dewy complexion and subtle pink-tinged lips. This romantic type of mien requires a good skin-smoothing base or BB/CC cream, neutral eye-shadow, a multi-tonal pink blush, matte rose lipstick and a white highlighter applied on the bridge of the nose, forehead and the highest point of your cheeks.

Smouldering

 Bette is instantly transformed from a blushing belle to bombshell with just a flash of mascara, smudgy black kohl and bold eye-liner. Anna Sui presented an extended cat-eye, whilst at Emilio Pucci, Bette is pictured in a retro 60's doll-look. Both Lanvin and Versace accented the lower eye-lids with smokey charcoal. Anthony Vaccarello exaggerated the eye paint to below the brow bone and Gucci piled on fake separated lashes with layers of mascara.

Bronzed Beauty

All it takes to achieve that senational sun-kissed glow (without going on an island holiday) is a good bronzer or self-tanner. Brush a matte bronzing powder 2-3 shades lighter than your skin tone from your hairline (the point at the mid-section of your ear) downwards in an angle, to attain the illusion of more defined cheekbones. Don't forget to sweep some shimmering blush over your temples, chin and forehead as well. Keep the rest of your makeup palette - including eye shadow and lip stick - in warm brown to bronze tones for overall radiance.

Lip Sync

Bette is lucky enough to have those perfect pucker-me-up lips without the collagen. She wears bright high-gloss cherry red lipstick at Marc by Marc Jacobs and Barbara Bui, rich ruby at Dolce & Gabbana and unlined wine stained lips at Marni. At Oscar de la Renta, lips were berry-kissed with porcelain skin. Bette is pictured last in a hot pink opaque ombre look at Dior.

Fresh Faced

As stunning as she looks with defined eyes and bright lipstick, Bette's true beauty can be seen when she is styled with the least amount of makeup. Her luminous skin can be recreated with a tinted foundation and some concealer under the eyes. A nude eye-shadow, soft, peachy blush and clear lip balm is all is takes to create this engaging, fresh-faced look.

Eye of the Storm

Turning up the colour volume, Bette's stunningly blue eyes is highlighted by a blend of multi-hued pigments in exciting tones. A metallic theme at Ferré combined silver, pewter, black and gold for dramatic effect. Donna Karan went for a generous brush of magenta across the eyelids, whilst Jason Wu lined the models' eyes in an intense indigo. Green and blue glittery jewels decorated the eye-line at Christian Dior. I am currently obsessed with the gold dusted eye lashes at Dries van Noten, which would be easy to translate into real life. 

Which of these makeup looks best suit Bette Franke? 

Would you try any of them out?