The Bends
The new style to go from runway to real life is like a wave, but not
Last year, the crimp came back, and then it was out again. And then we were all jumping on the wavy bandwagon, as if we just got out of bed/back from the beach. This spring, the newest hairstyle buzzword that you should familiarize yourself with is "the bend."
A Bit of Bling
Yes, sparkly accessories in your hair are for grownups, too
It's never a bad idea to add some sparkle to your daily look. It takes ordinary to an extraordinary level, be it at the office, the grocery store or a hot date. You might think that jeweled hair clips and headbands are only for the Toddlers & Tiaras crowd, but you'd be wrong.
Fringe Benefits
Choosing the right bangs for your face shape
Blunt, breezy, long or layered, bangs are the best accessory for your face. They can shorten a long face or slim a round face, and even edge up a conservative do. Season after season, classics like the straight-across bang come back, and new incarnations crop up.
Pony Up
This season's newest ponytail is slick, sleek and sophisticated
Mastered the messy braid? Now, change gears for a more polished, but equally trendy, look: a sleek ponytail. Celebrities galore—Beyoncé, Blake Lively, Kim Kardashian and Gwyneth Paltrow, to name a few—have been spotted on the red carpet and around town sporting ponytails so sleek they almost appear wet.
Trend Alert: Urban Waves
This style is what happens when bed head and beachy waves collide
Equal parts casual and chic, the urban wave is actually achievable all by yourself (no stylist hiding in your closet) and has an effortlessness that looks natural and uncalculated. "It's sexy, soft and carefree," says Andy Bodine, U.S. artistic ambassador for the haircare line ghd. With the right tools, you can re-create the look in just five minutes," he says.
Why Your Hair Hates Sulfates
Sulfate-free shampoos are gentler and kinder to your do
Your delicate hair is not meant to be scrubbed as if it's in a drive-thru carwash. Which is why a gentler shampooing option, sulfate-free shampoo, is gaining in popularity as a healthier way to clean hair. Commonly found in many shampoos, sulfates, such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate, are widely used because they're inexpensive and effective cleaning agents that soap and lather like detergent.
Luxurious (and Affordable!) Hair Treatments
From caviar masks to healthy oil treatments, take your hair from so-so to stunning right at home, no spa needed
Think of your hair as an impressionable young child. You can treat it with kindness, teach it how to follow the rules and send it out into the world with high hopes it will stay on the right path, but knowing the environment will have an impact.
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Hold Flexible Hairspray
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Curvaceous Wave Ahead Mousse
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Weather Girl Anti-Frizz Serum
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Flexible-Hold Hairspray
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"It's the very opposite of helmet head: A quick spray gives just enough hold to fight frizz (even in the toughest humidity!) and keep your stylish, shiny do in place, without that stiff, sticky feeling only popular with the beehive set."
—Brooke Showell, a skincare and makeup maven who's written for Self and Martha Stewart Weddings
"The lion tamer of hair products, this weightless serum takes wild, wayward hairs and makes them play nice. Its concentrated formula has smoothing ingredients that fight humidity, frizz and curl while adding noticeable luminosity. Work a little in after blow-drying, then go out and whip that mane around."
—Kelly Aiglon, a freelance editor at DailyCandy.com, lifestyle reporter and copywriter
"Do you have naturally wavy hair? Accentuate the positive and bring out your hair's natural texture with this mousse. Work it through your hair before you blow-dry to infuse body and shape for an effortlessly gorgeous, beachy style."
—Julie Seguss, a former beauty editor of Parents and contributor to Sprig.com and Organic Beauty who proves that green can be gorgeous
"Curly girls (who've tried everything, with varying degrees of success), take note: Put your trust in DevaCurl to keep your amazing tresses appropriately coiled and bouncy—no frizz, no getting your fingers stuck in a tangle of shellacked corkscrews. There are only happy, shiny waves ahead."
—Brooke Showell, a skincare and makeup maven who's written for Self and Martha Stewart Weddings
