1. Hot water. I can’t imagine having to wash my hair, shave, or take any kind of a shower in cold water every day. I’ve had to do it a few times when the water heater has malfunctioned and it is not pleasant. And what would any woman do without an occasional bubble bath?
2. My hair dryer. I don’t know about anyone else, but my hair is a mess if I can’t use a hair dryer on it. It ends up strangely wavy and yet somehow very flat if I don’t dry it. I can do without it for a few days, but if I had to give up drying my hair altogether, I don’t know what I’d do!
3. Nail files. Such a simple little tool, but how much trauma does it cause when you break a nail? I know people make jokes about it, but it is horrible to have your nail jagged and catching on everything when it breaks. So I’m thankful for nail files that keep our nails looking well-manicured and beautiful!
4. Toner. I’m obviously also thankful for my whole skin care routine, but especially for toner. My skin gets so dry and flaky without it and nothing is worse than running out of toner and having to go without until to you can get to the store to buy more (I am getting really close to that point…)
5. Mascara. Just a touch of mascara can change your whole look. If you have no time for any other makeup, mascara can somehow save the day and make it look as if you’ve gotten ready.
6. Mirrors. How could I forget mirrors? We wouldn’t be able to do anything without mirrors. While they may not always be our best friend, can you imagine trying to do your hair without a mirror? Or what about your makeup? And how would you check to make sure that your outfit matches? Yes, I am very thankful for mirrors.
7. Cotton balls. I shudder to think what my life would be like without cotton balls. They are so versatile; I use them for toner, moisturizer, finger nail polish remover, and so many other things!
8. Handbags. Every woman needs to have at least one great handbag. They are both fun and practical. We need something to carry around our money, cosmetics, and phones in anyways, so they might as well be cute and match our outfit!
9. Almost there! Number 9 has to go to toothpaste. I’m sure we’ve all been in a situation where we couldn’t brush our teeth and were dying not being able to. Imagine never being able to achieve that minty fresh feeling. I don’t even like to think about it!
10. And last, but certainly not least, tampons. I don’t think I need to say anything to explain or justify myself on that one, right ladies?

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! If you can think of anything I’ve left off this list that you are especially thankful for, let me know!

I guess I am still cynical about the whole situation, but I am excited to see Katie Holmes’ wedding dress. It was designed by Giorgio Armani and will no doubt be exquisite. In tow for the wedding is Tom and Katie’s baby daughter, Suri Cruise, now 7 months old.

It should be a spectacular wedding, and I can’t wait to see pictures. I am especially curious about Katie’s hair and makeup. I haven’t heard who is doing her hair, or how it will be done, but I’ll post pictures as soon as I find out.

I suppose that like the rest of the world, we will have to wait until Saturday to see how things turn out. This is Tom and Katie, though, so you never know if something unexpected will happen!

1. The quickest way to care for your eyebrows is to run an eyebrow brush through them quickly to add shape and to get rid of any specs of foundation or powder. Always comb up and out to open up the eyes.
2. The most elegant brow is elongated, simple, and clean.
3. Don’t tweeze above your eyebrows, as it may become fuzzy. If your brows are messy on top, you can see a professional to have it waxed.
4. If you’ve messed up waxing or plucking your eyebrows and need the hair to grow back fast, here are a couple of tricks you can try. Put olive oil on your eyebrows at night (lot of olive oil) and don’t wash it off. You can also use vitamin E tablets to help the hair grow faster. Just split the capsule open and spread the gooey insides on your eyebrows. You can also stimulate growth by massaging your brow with a toothbrush.
5. If your eyebrows are too dark when compared to your hair (maybe you’ve colored or highlighted your hair), you can get your eyebrows colored too. Eyebrows should normally be one or two shades darker than your hair color. Keep in mind that the FDA warns against lightening your eyebrows, but it is generally safe if you have a professional do the work.
6. Remember as you tweeze that the space between your eyebrows should be about the same length as your eyes.
7. If your brows are sparse or spotty, you can fill them in with a brow powder or eyebrow pencil.

But reports do say that Britney is happy since filing the papers. She went ice skating at Rockefeller Center just hours later and seemed ‘upbeat’. I must admit that I do feel kind of bad for Kevin Federline. His album won’t sell, his concerts won’t fill up, and now he is getting divorced from his one source of steady income. Rough week.

Britney is seeking custody of her two sons, Sean and Jayden. Sean is just over 1 year old and Jayden is only a couple of months old. Britney made a surprise appearance on Letterman the other night. I would have thought that she would announce her upcoming divorce then. Wasn’t that where she announced she was pregnant the second time around? Or was that on Jay Leno? I can’t remember!

I suppose that it just goes to show that you should never put your faith in celebrity couples.

1. Start with quality scissors. The best kind to use is sharp, pointed scissors no longer than 5 inches long. You can buy great scissors at any local beauty store.
2. Always cut your bangs dry. If you cut them wet, they will shrink when they dry and end up too short.
3. Pull all your hair back that you won’t be trimming, either in a ponytail or with bobby pins. Only your bangs should be loose.
4. Divide your bangs in half with a styling comb. Styling combs are combs with very fine teeth. Comb half of the bangs downward with the comb’s teeth facing outward. Rest the comb on the brow bone and don’t cut your bangs any shorter than where the comb hits your face.
5. Start ‘point-cutting’ or snipping the hair at a 45-degree angle. Go slowly, only doing a bit at a time. Don’t ever cut your bangs straight across since it’s impossible to keep a perfectly straight line.
6. If you want shaggy, face-framing bangs, use a razor instead of the scissors. Use only a single-blade razor, since double or triple-blades will cause split ends. Use your index and middle finger to hold the bangs, instead of the scissors in step 5.
7. Repeat either the scissor or razor cutting (whichever you have chosen) to the other half of your bangs.
8. If you want to add layers to your bangs, you can pull some of the bangs vertically above your head with your index and middle fingers. Slide your fingers right to the edge of the hair, letting some hair fall. Back your fingers up about an inch and point or razor cut no more than ½ inch away from your fingers.
9. When you’re done, check to make sure each half of your bangs is even. To test this, pull a section of bangs from each side of your face towards the center of your face. They should be equidistance from the bridge of your nose.

Congratulations! Now you’re done and I’m sure your bangs look great! This whole process should only take about 10 minutes from start to finish, so you can squeeze it in whenever!

Ingredients

6 oz plain yogurt
¼ finely crushed almonds
2 tsp Beeswax or honey
2 tsp wheat germ oil

Mix all the ingredients until smooth. Steam your face for 5 minutes before applying the mask to help open your pores. Apply the mask evenly over your face and let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse off with lukewarm water.

The crushed almonds help by exfoliating your skin and eliminating dead skin. The honey helps the mask adhere to your face. And the wheat germ oil contains Vitamin E and fights free radicals.

If you don’t have these ingredients, or would like to try a store product, I would recommend either Zia Natural Fresh Papaya Enzyme Mask or Lancome Hydra-Intense Masque.

1. Always read the entire instructions, from start to finish, before you begin the coloring process. Even if you’ve already highlighted or colored your hair before, still read the instructions! Better safe than sorry.
2. When doing highlights, make sure your hair is perfectly dry before you begin. Also, it’s best if you haven’t washed your hair that day. The natural oils in your hair will help protect it from the damaging effects of the highlights.
3. Do your highlights in the kitchen or bathroom and wear something you don’t mind if it gets ruined. Also, have plenty of old towels on hand to protect the counters!
4. Decide what kind of highlights you want. Something bold or something subtle that will blend into your hair. For cool tones, stick with platinum or ash toned blondes or violet based reds. For warm tones, try golden or buttery blondes and orange based reds such as auburns or flame reds.
5. Have a friend help you if at all possible. It can be tricky to try to do alone!
6. Don’t shampoo your hair immediately after highlighting your hair. Your hair’s outer layer will still be somewhat opened and premature washing can fade your color.

Hope these tips help with the at-home highlighting process!

Here’s a quick tip about concealer before we get started on choosing a type. Even if your skin is clear and has no blemishes, concealer is a great tool to keep you looking young and fresh. Touching up under your eyes with concealer will help them look more alive and bright.

Ok, first, solid concealers. Concealers that come in wand, or stick form are great because they are easy to use and can be less messy than cream concealers. Wand concealers are best used on light skin tones, because they don’t overpower the fair skin. Also, they are ideal for covering bruises, pimples, and scars.

Creamy liquid concealers are most ideal for dry skin types. If you tend to have dry, flaky skin, I would recommend that you invest in a cream concealer. They combine the covering affects of wand concealers with the moisturizing affect of a liquid. A drawback to liquid concealers is that they usually do not offer as much coverage as a stick concealer.

From experience, I would recommend using a wand concealer unless your dry skin needs the moisture of a liquid concealer. And keep in mind that while these are the two main types of concealers, you can also choose from pot and pencil concealers. Pencil concealers are ideal for covering tiny facial blemishes only, while pot concealers seem to work best for darker skin tones that need more coverage.

The number one problem with curls is frizz. These tips should help you keep the frizz away and the curls going all day long!

1. Use only intensely moisturizing shampoos and conditioners. Curly hair needs extra moisture, so avoid clarifying or volumizing shampoos and conditioners that will strip your hair of its moisture.
2. When you wash your hair, massage it gently, don’t scrub it. And when you get out of the shower, use a wide toothed comb to get rid of any tangles. Never use a brush on your hair!
3. Don’t forget to deep conditioner your hair at least once, if not twice a month. Use a tube of deep conditioning hair masks, don’t spend your time or money on hot oil treatments, they aren’t strong enough for your hair. Generously apply the thick treatment to your hair and pile your hair on your head. Cover with a shower cap and wrap in a hot towel for an hour. Your hair will love you!
4. Never rub your hair. The friction created from rubbing your hair with a towel is a major contributor to frizz. Blot your hair instead and let it dry naturally once you have styled it. If you have to use a hair dryer, always use a diffuser.
5. Be careful about your haircut. Normal cuts don’t work for curly hair, especially blunt cuts. Your hair up to will end up flat from the weight of your hair, while your hair will poof out towards the bottom (believe me, I speak from experience on this one!). Not even standard layers will work, since they will interrupt the curl patterns. There is a special way to cut curls diagonally that will lead to them laying and looking the best they can! So make sure you choose a good stylist who knows how to cut curly hair!

I hope these tips help with those curls! Remember, if you have curly hair, enjoy it! Those of us with straight hair wish we could be you!