Best Ever...Hair Sexifying Tricks
From Cosmopolitan: August, 2004
1. To give your blow out lots of sexy volume, hold a round brush vertically and wrap two inch sections of hair around it as you sleeken your strands, says Edward Tricomi, co-owner of Warren-Tricomi salons in NYC and Greenwich, Connecticut.
2. The key to a really amazing haircut is to ask your stylist to snip your ends so they’re slightly jagged instead of perfectly blunt. This will give your hair a hot bedhead texture, says New York City salon owner Oscar Blandi.
3. To make straight or wavy strands look sexy in an undone sort of way, blow-dry your hair without using a brush. This will bring out your hair’s natural texture, explains Ted Gibson, New York City salon owner and celeb stylist who works with Angelina Jolie.
4. The best way to score shiny locks is to get a clear glaze treatment at the salon. It’ll seal your hair’s cuticle so it reflects a ton of light, reveals Edward Tricomi. A do-it-yourself alternative: Use a no-ammonia hair-color kit in a shade that matches your tress hue. We like L’Oreal ColorSpa, $6.29
5. To get the most eye-catching highlights, ask your colorist to give you streaks in several different shades of the same color family. This multihued technique gives your hair color a lot of depth and contrast, explains Blandi.
6. An easy way to make hair look satiny smooth: Apply a dab of silicone serum to damp strands, then distribute it using a mixed-bristle brush before blow-drying, says Tricomi. Try Joh Frieda Brilliant Brunette Shine Shock, $6.
7. For the ultimate sex-kitten ponytail, follow this strategy from Sher Rae, a celeb hairstylist who has worked with Britney Spears. Spritz a volumizing spray on the roots of dry tresses, then use a fine-tooth comb to tease the hair around the crown of your head before you pull it into a pony, she says. We like Big Sexy Hair Backcomb in a Bottle, $18.
8. The quickest and easiest way to give already blow-dried strands a more full-bodied look is to flip your head over, mist the underneath layers with hair spray, then come back up and shake it out, says Danilo, and L.A. hairstylist who works with Gwen Stefani. He uses Physique Volumizing Hairspray, $7.
9. To tame unruly curly hair, run a smoothing serum through damp strands, then pick up two adjacent one-inch pieces of hair and twist them around each other from roots to ends. Do this all over your head, let your hair air-dry, then gently separate the sections with your fingers, says NYC salon owner Antonio Soddu. Try Curl Friends Smootherator, $21.
10. If you wear your hair up a lot, ask your colorist to give you some highlights on the underneath layers. The streaks will brighten up a basic ponytail or updo, advises Kathy Galotti, color coordinator at Louis Licari in NYC.
11. To give silky, straight strands a sexy, piecey look, mist a texturing spray onto your palms, then run your hands through the length of your hair, says Blandi.
12. When blow-drying your roots, use your brush to lift them up from your scalp in the opposite direction than they naturally fally. It’ll give them more height and body, explains Danilo.
13. Add shimmer to your strands to score a superglam effect for a night out, says Dan Johnson, color director for Elizabeth Arden. To do: If you’re blond, use a damp makeup sponge to apply a champagne-hued eye shadow on small sections of hair around your face from roots to ends. If you’re a brunette, use a gold shade.
14. One secret to a salon-quality blowout that’s soft but still bouncy: Shampoo your roots only, says Harry Josh, a celebrity stylist who works with Gisele. After washing your hair, apply conditioner to just your ends, and rinse. This will prevent your locks from becoming dried out or weighed down.
Best ever...Mesmerizing Eye Moves
15. An evening eye effect that looks gorgeous on everybody: Define your eyes with a soft gray liner, then apply a shimmery pale blue shadow to the eyes’ inner corners and on your brow bones, says celeb makeup artist Trish McEvoy. She created Trish McEvoy Eye Definer in Charcoal and Eyeshadow in Ice Blue, $15 each.
16. Bring out any gold flecks in your eyes by applying a bronze-hued eye shadow right above your upper lashes, says Beth Bender, a NYC makeup artist who has worked with Jessica Simpson. Try Maybelline New York Roller Color in 14 KT Shimmer, $6.50
17. Make your eyes look big and bright with this tip from L.A. celeb makeup artist Elaine Offers. Apply one coat of black mascara, then add a layer of navy mascara over it. The blue hue will bring out the whites of your eyes.
18. Fatten your lashes in seconds by holding your mascara wand horizontally at the very tips of your lashes, then batting them against the brush, says Regina Harris, A New York City makeup artist who has worked with Uma Thurman. A mascara we love: Cover Girl Fantastic Lash, $5.50.
19. Trace the insides of your upper eyelids with black liner, then blink a few times to transfer the color to your lower rims. This will make your lashes look lush and enhance the natural shape of your eyes, says Paula Dorf, creator of Paula Dorf Cosmetics.
20. The essential first step for making any eye effect look amazing: Pat concealer over your lids and brow bones and into the inner corners of your eyes. This will even out your skin tone, lighten up the eye area, and give your shadow a base to stick to so it will stay put.
21. For lashes that look really long and feathery, first swipe mascara over just the very tips of your fringe. Let dry, then apply another layer or two, this time coating the entire length from roots to ends, says Barbara Stone, a top makeup artist for Bobbi Brown.
Best ever...Radiant-Skin Secrets
22. To wake up with a dewy glow, was your face before bedtime, drape a towel over your head, then lean over the sink for about five minutes while running the hot water, says NYC dermatologist Paul Jarrod Frank. Next, apply a hydrating face mask. Then hit the sheets and rinse off in the a.m. Try Astara Golden Flame Hydration Mask, $39.
23. The best way to look instantly radiant: Mix a bit of liquid bronzer with your foundation or tinted moisturizer before applying it to your face, suggests Nick Barose, a New York City makeup artist who works with Mischa Barton.
24. For realistic sun-kissed look, dust a golden red powder blush on the aples of your cheeks using a full, rounded brush, says New York City makeup artists nancy Sprague. Try Nars Blush in Exhibit A, $22.50
25. To give your cheekbones a sculpted look, first blend a pale shimmer onto your cheekbones, then blend a rosy cream blush on the apples of your cheeks. Finish by swiping bronzer along the hollows of your cheeks, says Tracy Murphy, the New York City makeup artist who created the look on page 198. Just use a light touch so it looks natural. A combo to try: Too Faced Pressed After Glow, $24, Estee Lauder BlushLights in SunLight, $25, and Dior Terra Bella Sun Powder, $33.
26. For a foxy flush that lasts throughout the day, apply a cream blush on the apples of your cheeks, then top with a sweep of pink powder blush in a similar hue to lock in the color, says Dorf.
27. This killer mask will leave your skin looking flawless: Mix a mashed up papaya with some honey, and pat it onto your face. Leave it on for 15 minutes, then rinse off, says Christine Chin, a NYC facialist who works with Penelope Cruz.
Best ever...Lip-Enhancing Tips28. The no-fail formula makeup professionals rely on to make lips look their fullest: First, fill them in with a lip liner that matches your natural lip tone, then apply a layer of gloss that is one shade lighter than the liner, says McEvoy. A good combo: Clinique Sheer Shaper for Lips in Sheer Rose, and Glosswear in Tenderheart, $13.50 each.
29. For a sexy lip look that stays put all day, dab a long-wearing lip color onto your mouth and blot with a tissue immediately after application. Then add a layer of clear gloss to seal in the color, says Harris. We love Max Factor Everlites in Tender, $9.40.
30. You can draw attention to your lips by applying a cream shimmer on the V spot right over the center of your upper lip, reveals Harris.
31. A simple way to pump up your pout: Apply an opalescent, shimmer-flecked gloss over any lip color, says Murphy. It’ll reflect lots of light and make your lips appear plumper. Try Lancome Juicy Tubes Pop in Fruity Pop, $15.50.
Best ever...Soft, Glowing Body Moves
32. To make sure your defuzzing session leaves your legs supersmooth, try using a shaving brush to apply your shaving cream. It’ll create tons of lather, which lifts the hair from the skin, so it’s easier to remove, explains Myriam Zaoui, co-owner of the Art of Shaving.
33. The secret to the ultimate head-to-toe glow: Have a pro give you an airbrush tan, says Dana Minkin, owner of the Gloss Day Spa in NYC. You’ll look amazingly golden (it’s about $65 for body and face but worth it for a night when you need to look your very hottest). At-home alternative: Use sloughing hand mitts and an exfoliating scrub on your entire body in the shower, then apply a self-tanning lotion post-shower.
34. To make your breasts look luscious in a low-cut top, dust a bronzer into your cleavage, then s weep a pale shimmery powder over the tops of your twins. Try Dessert Deliciously Kissable Body Shimmer in Dreamy, $34.
35. To get velvety-soft skin, pour powdered milk into your bath water, says Tara Oolie, ownder of the Just Cam Down spa in NYC. The lactic acid will exfoliate your skin, leaving it feeling silky. 36. Get an extrasmooth bikini line for a date that’s going to go all night by warming an essential oil between your palms then applying it to the area after waxing or shaving, says Minkin. Try Dr. Hauschka Moor Lavendar Body Oil, $25.
Beauty Lessons From the Red Carpet Hot celebs pull out all the stops to dazzle at big-deal events. Use these four strategies to look stunning for your next night on the town.
37. Illuminate your eyes by blending a silvery white shadow t the inner corners and along your brow bones (as Beyonce has done here) 38. The secret behind a beaming complexion like Mandy Moore’s: pearlescent highlighter applied all over her face and a sheer pink blush on the apples of her cheeks. 39. Max out your lashes by using a fake fringe, either at the center of your lash lines (as J.Lo wears here) or at the outer corner’s.
40. To turn heads, match your eye effect to your party dress, like Charlize Theron did here: Just pick a very sheer shimmery shadow.
