Friday Link Love 12/28/2012

Last link love of 2012. 

• Lots of best of 2012 on this week's list. First up: the most memorable images. 
• I love a good drug store find. Here are the 10 best lipsticks for under $10. 
• Christina, from Hair Romance, always has the best stuff. Her guest post on Latest Hairstyles is no different. Check out her big braided bun. 
• Here is a similar look as Christina's, but for short haired ladies. 
• In case to be calmer is on your New Year's resolution list: here are some ways to quiet your mind. 
• The thought catalog shows us 29 ways to make 2013 better than 2012. 
• Can I just admit that I'm a terrible packer? I'll take any tip ever. 
• New Year's Resolution: Read the book before you see the movie. 
• Someone try out this blackhead removal recipe and let me know how it works. 
• Buying clothes online and then getting them just to find out they don't fit sucks. If that happens to you a lot, check out this article. You'll be amazed. 
• Edible sugar lip scrub? Okay.
• The Goop's article on perfection and imperfection is something everyone needs to read. 
• These resolutions for lazy people are pretty funny...and some of them actually good. 
• Now these are resolutions I wish would happen. 
• Now these are New Year's nails. 
• Holiday parties are over yet. So there's still the need for some ideas. Like these. And these. 
• And ending the list...13 best beauty trends of 2012. 

It's Okay if You...

• Don't have New Year's plans and don't want them.
• Are terrible at painting your nails, and even worse at painting someone else's.
• Have the same New Year's resolutions last year.
• Still don't understand Pinterest.
• It's also okay if you got all of your holiday gift and recipes from Pinterest.
• Are afraid to cut all your hair off, but still really, really want to do it.
• If you'd rather read a good book than see its movie version.
• If you have an unnatural fear of Joan Crawford eyebrows.
• Put a fire in your fireplace even of it's 70 degrees outside just because its December.
• Kiss that longtime friend on NYE because you just so happen to be standing next to them at midnight.

Leave you "it's okay if you.." in the comments below!

New Year's Nails

Now that Christmas is over, we can move on to the next holiday. New Year's. To me, New Year's is all about sparkling. Sparkling clothes, sparkling wine, and most definitely sparkling nails.

I mean, don't you want to shine bright like a diamond?

Take a look at some fabulous New Year's nail art. Get some inspiration. And if you do something fun on your nails for New Year's, snap a photo and send it to cassidy@onstagehairdesign.com and I'll post your picture!

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Which is your favorite look?

Merry Christmas!

We're off celebrating Christmas today, so instead of our normal tutorial, I'm going to leave you a recipe of deliciousness.

Click here for awesome.

Have a great day y'all. Be back tomorrow. 

Friday Link Love 12/21/2012

Glad to see the world didn't end.

• Honestly, I'll take any tip on how to better shave my legs. 
• This video sums up 2012 in 6 minutes, and it's incredibly inspiring. 
• A few of Victoria's best kept secrets. Oh la la!
• The history of why we kiss under the mistletoe.  Interesting stuff.
• If you have the time to look at this post and follow it, you should. Hair boot camp. Pretty cool.
• DIY Starbucks drinks. Let me know if they are as good as the real thing!
• Also, I pretty much will read any cat-eye tutorial. 
• Rejoice Harry Potter fans!!
• Now that Gossip Girl, or should I said Lonely Boy, is all finished up, we can talk about the important stuff. Like style lessons. 
• What to do before bed and after waking up to give you more energy. 
• The top fashion trends of 2012. 

Winter Chill

I've talk about winter on this blog before, or more specially, your hair care routine in winter. But when I looked down at my hands this morning, in the 46º weather mind you, and silently screamed at what I saw. Okay, maybe it wasn't so silent.

The cold weather was reeking havoc on my skin. My poor hands were dry and cold and lonely. So after I rubbed them together, let them be friends for a bit, I decided I needed to take better care of my skin in this dry winter weather.

And since I assume that all you lovely readers have the same problems I do, obviously I'm going to share some tips.


Try a hand or body scrub. Scrubs are super fantastic. I used one while I was on vacation on my hands, and they felt super soft for days after. Not only will a scrub exfoliate your skin, but it will also leave you feeling silky smooth after it's rinsed off.


Moisturizer. Obviously. Find yourself a really good one. I love Aveda's Hand Relief. It penetrates deep down and really leaves your skin moisturized. Put one everywhere. In your purse. At your desk. By your bed. I promise, your hands will thank you later.

Are You Washing Your Face Properly?

I know what you're thinking. How hard is it to wash your face? Well, not that hard. But like most things, there is a right and...less right way to wash your face.

You really want to get in there and get those pores clean. Washing your face can be just a mindless task, but do your pores a favor and treat 'em right.

First though, you don't want to just grab any old soap. You really need to find the right product for your face. It might take some trial and error, or a chat with a skin care professional, but either way, make sure your using the right product.

1. You want to wet your face with warm water. Not hot. Not cold. Warm water opens up the pores and lets your cleanser really get in and clean.
2. Don't overload your face with product. It doesn't take a lot of cleanser to do your whole face. Try a dime or nickel size amount. 
3. Use circular motions all over your face. You want to spend a good amount of time cleansing. Somewhere between 30-60 seconds. Don't just slap it on, rinse it off, and except it to have cleaned.
4. Rinse your face with the same warm water you used to wet it to begin with.
5. Pat dry.
6. Moisturize and any other product you use. but moisturizer is the most important.  

Do you already wash your face this way? Or have you been just throwing it on and going?

How To Tuesday: Simple Flower Headband

We're getting crafty today y'all. For some reason, Christmastime always makes me feel crafty. I feel like I'm the ultimate DIYer. And then I DIY and realize that I'm not. So I stick to simple crafts, like today's headband tutorial.

I need to know that this tutorial is a little selfish. Having short hair I feel like I can finally wear headbands again. So...headband tutorial it is!

What you'll need: 

• a headband
• fake flowers
• hot glue gun and sticks
• scissors
• scrap fabric in corresponding colors to flowers and headband

Step 1: cut fabric

Depending on how many flowers you want to add, cut the same shape into two pieces of fabric. I did a triangle since I wanted to do three flowers.

Step 2: hot glue to headband

Hot glue the fabric on each side of the headband, so that they're overlapping each other. I made mine slightly off center.

Step 3: glue your flowers on

Pretty self-explanatory. Glue the flowers onto the fabric in whatever pattern you want.

That's it!

Friday Link Love 12/14/2012

• This is kind of genius. Different ways to wear a scarf based off of the neckline of your clothes. 
• How cute is the DIY velvet hair bow? The answer is really, freaking cute. 
• All you fine-hair people out there with top knot envy. Click here.
• Beauty secrets shared from the Radio City Rockettes! 
• Smokey eye tutorials don't really ever get old. 
• For all my fellow LOTR fans out there. 100 things you didn't know about The Lord of the Rings. Or maybe you knew a couple. I did.
• All the blue-eyed beauties out there. Check out this post from The Beauty Department about the right eye shadow shades for you
• Also from TBD, the proper way to apply foundation. This goes for everyone, but especially those using Jane Iredale.
• Lucy Hale can do no wrong.
• Filed under: sort of creepy. 9 holiday characters from around the world. 

What did you see online this week? Send your links to cassidy@onstagehairdesign.com

Long Hair Verses Short Hair

So yesterday I cut off my hair. I had been talking about it for a long time, and I ran out of excuses on reasons not to. So I did. I'm still getting used to it, but it just made me think about all the celebrities who have gone from long hair to short hair or vice versa.

I put together some of my favorite long to short looks, and wanted to know: which do you like better?

Are there other celebs who have made the change? Tell me in the comments below!

How To Tuesday: Ombré Winged Liner

Holiday parties are coming up and you don't want to show up with your same-old eye shadow look, well at least I don't. So today I wanted to take a classic look, and jazz it up a bit.

Ombré Winged Liner. Simple. Yet jazzy.

Step 1: inner eye

We lined the inner eye to a little bit over halfway across using a copper liner.

Step 2: outer eye

Then we came back and finished off the eye with a black liner, blending it in the middle where the two colors meet. 

If you have a hard time with the winged part, you can always use a sheet of paper to get a perfect line.

And that's it! Super simple and so pretty.

Friday Link Love 12/07/2012

• This easy DIY headband is one part classy, one part punk.
• As the year comes to a close, we'll be seeing lots of "best of 2012." Here are the best fashion ads of the year. 
• DIY body wash from a bar of soap. Interesting. Although, I think I'm too lazy for all of that. 
• Refreshing your naturally curly hair is a staple for all you curly ladies and gentlemen out there. 
• I hate taking my nail polish off, especially glitter polish. Hopefully this trick helps to make the process faster. 
• Speaking of taking things off: all you need to know about makeup remover.
• Check out this anti-acne honey cinnamon mask. It's a video, so if you're at work, plug in your headphones!
• Seven productivity myths, debunked by science, and common sense.  Which one have you fallen prey to?
• Homemade cards are always appreciated in my house. 
• Last but not least, how to keep your bad moods from taking over. Worth the read. 

Colorsmash Hair Shadow

I've heard about hair shadow, or chalk, for awhile, seen pictures on Pinterest and such, but it's actually really cool. I love to change up my look, and while I'm not normally scared to do the real thing, sometimes I just want a look for a night.

Enter hair chalk. It is the perfect way to spice up your look for a night. Or a weekend. Or everyday until you decide to do it for real. I love the vibrant colors and the way you can place it anywhere you want. You have total control.

I mean, look at that girl up that. So cool. Check out below how to use the Colorsmash Hair Shadow. And spice up your look. Just a bit.

Colorsmash Instructional from ConditionCulture on Vimeo.

Holiday Gift Guide

Aveda's Shimmer giftset. These two lip glosses are spectacular in person. Himalayan Snow and Nepali Berry, and at only $18 for both you can't really go wrong.

Aveda's Relief giftset. This is my favorite giftset every year. I absolutely love both the hand relief and foot relief. And hello, travel sizes! $52 will get you all four bottles.

Awapuhi Deluxe giftset. This giftset is a steal. It comes with full size bottles of the Paul Mitchell Awapuhi shampoo, keratin cream rinse, styling treatment oil, and the hydrocream whip. Basically everything you need in your beauty bag. $68.40 for this bad boy.

Paul Mitchell Express Ion Smooth. This flat iron is always, always on someone's wish list. Let this year be the year they get it. $180. Totally worth it.

Elchim 2001 Pro Blowdryer. Some people have a hard time spending $140 on a blowdryer. But why I ask you? It's as, if not more, important than your flat iron. Maybe it's time to give it to yourself. 

What is on your wish list this year?

How To Tuesday: Short Hair Waves

Last week I curled my hair like I normally do, but because of the gross humid weather outside my curls quickly fell. But I ended up really liking the wavy look that the fallen curls left behind. But of course, no curls ever fall the same way twice, so I needed to find a way to recreate the look.

And I did. Yay me!

This look uses a 1.5" curling iron and three different techniques. If your hair is any shorter than mine, you could probably get away with using a 1.25" curling iron, but I wouldn't go any shorter than that. It will give you actual curls instead of waves.

Let me know what you think!