How Not to Damage Your Hair With a Flat Iron

Before you pick up your flat iron, read these pro styling tips.

If you've ever used a flat iron, you've likely suffered from smoke and sizzle that led to split and fried ends.

But contrary to popular belief, you don't need to endure damage in order to achieve the sleek and smooth locks that flat iron addicts crave. Most people have simply never been versed on the proper way to flat iron. Bad techniques live on, and are often passed down from family, friends and poorly trained stylists.

Size your section: There's no one standard size to section your hair for flat iron use, as hair thickness, length and iron size all vary greatly. "The goal is to make sure that each and every strand of hair gets even heat distribution. If you choose a section that is too large, the outer portions will get heated while leaving the inner portions unaffected," says Davis. Experiment to find what amount heats all of your strands equally, and then stick to that size going forward.

Smooth, don't pull: "Those who have long been using irons such as the CHI have a tendency to grip the hair and pull it straight, using friction. This method will give you decent results in the short run, but over time, will damage your hair," says Davis. Instead, move the iron slowly yet steadily through your hair, focusing on smoothing the strands instead of tugging down on them.

Don't pass multiple times: "Passing over the same section continuously -- like more than three times -- damages hair more than using a high temperature setting," says Davis. The perfect degree varies by hair type and condition, but you'll want to experiment until you find a temperature that gives you the desired result in one to two passes. And if you're smoking, you're burning.

Use heat-protective serum: Anytime you flat iron, be sure to prep strands with a heat-protective serum, like those made with jojoba and argan oil. Typically, serums are more effective than sprays because they coat strands in a protective fashion, but be sure to use no more than a quarter-size amount at a time to prevent buildup.

Don't iron wet hair: While it's OK to style hair that is still slightly damp, wet hair magnifies heat to dangerously scorching levels. Too often, people use the flat iron to do most of the straightening work, when in fact, that's the role of a hair dryer. Use your iron as more of a finishing touch to set shine and seal in moisture and sleekness, or else pay the price with badly heat-damaged hair.

The Well-Shod Squad: Sole Society Launches

Model Anne V. at the Sole Society launch preview event.

Have a shoe habit?

Now you can get a quick fix at Sole Society, a brand new shoe sale site where every pair costs an easy-on-the-wallet $49.95. The footwear E-porium will offer personalized monthly selections of trendy styles, tailored to match each customer's personal profile. The site positions itself as a private club, but anyone can join – the only requirement for membership being an initial questionnaire that establishes your style preferences.

The new site is a division of HauteLook, one of a growing number of limited-time designer sample sale websites. While HauteLook runs sales for only 48 hours at a time, Sole Society will offer footwear fiends continual access to its upscale offerings. "Shoes are consistently our most requested category," explained HauteLook CEO Adam Bernhard, "we wanted to offer women access to on-trend shoes every day of the year."

Each month, the retailer sends out individualized product suggestions, based on members' style bios. Customers can peruse and purchase any of their recommended styles, or reject them for further selections. The site also offers styling tips and how-to's from its roster of stylists and fashion insiders.

Initially, Sole Society's offerings will be limited to their exclusive label, Marco Santi, but shoe shoppers stay on your toes: by next season their will be plenty more to choose from.

Spring styles from Marco Santi for Sole Society.

Celebrity Beauty Looks of the Day: Sienna Miller, Blanca Suárez and Catherine Zeta-Jones

The latest standout beauty looks from the celebs you know and love...

Sienna Miller's honey-blond locks, Blanca Suárez's matte red lips and Catherine Zeta-Jones' raven locks.

Sienna Miller:
The actress and designer's honey-blond locks looked amazing at the launch of Twenty8Twelve Spring 2011 collection in London, England. Her strands had tons of natural volume, and the coloring looked great with the British beauty's soft pink lips and cheeks.

Blanca Suárez:
The 22-year-old Spanish actress spiced things up at the Fotogramas Awards ceremony in Madrid, Spain. With a matte red lip, bold lashes, and a side-knotted stylish 'do, Suárez was rocking a standout beauty look.

Catherine Zeta-Jones:
The 41-year-old actress sported a sultry, charcoal smoky eye at the dinner for the 26th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in New York City. Her complexion was luminous, and she completed her look with a shimmering peach lip that really popped against those dark raven locks.

Rihanna Spills Fitness Secrets to Vogue

Rihanna is no stranger to showing skin, but her Vogue shoot, in which she rocks some undeniably sexy Jessica Rabbit red hair, may be the most tasteful body shots the pop star has done to date.

She frolics on the beach in a Lanvin silk dress blown over her thighs, and her curves are on full display in an Herve Leger one-piece as she strikes a back bend in some Alexander Wang open-toe booties. Rihanna is in the best shape of her life after preparing for her role in the blockbuster "Battleship," and it shows. She's given up her staples of junk food and pasta. Her trainer Ary Nunez has been strapping weights to her hands so she could multitask while working out.

"I hate going to the gym and doing it the old-fashioned way," Rihanna admits to the mag. "I hate anything that's too straightforward, too routine. I get bored really, really quickly."

Style has always mattered to the 23-year-old, but she has recently embraced a grown-up version of her funky, down-to-earth look that keeps beauty bloggers on their toes.

"When I was fourteen and first started going out, I always wanted to be the opposite of everyone else," she says. "So I would go to the club in a polo T-shirt and pants and sneakers and a hat on backward, just so I would not be dressed like other girls. And I got desperate for things that weren't available in Barbados. I would cut things out of magazines. I was obsessed with creating a visual with clothing, and the way things are combined."

Hey highly publicized breakup with Chris Brown, which included him pleading guilty to assault, hasn't been the hardest part of the past couple of years for Rihanna. Finding out her father, who was a crack addict when she was growing up, sold childhood photos of her to a tabloid magazine was much more painful.

"It really makes me question what I have become to my father. Like, what do I even mean to him?" she says. "It's really strange. That's the only word I can think of to describe it, because you grow up with your father, you know him, you are part of him, for goodness' sakes! And then he does something so bizarre that I can't begin to wrap my mind around it. You hear the horror stories about people going behind people's backs and doing strange things, but you always think, Not my family. My father would never do that to me."

But the earlier incident with Brown prepared her for the worst, and she says it liberated her and make her stronger.

"It made me look at the world in a much bigger way because my life was suddenly superduper magnified; all eyes were on me. I needed that in my life to know how to say, 'F*** off,'" Rihanna says. "To know how to keep my head high even in the worst of situations. I keep using the word unapologetic. But there's a freedom that has come with all of that. Where you feel like you don't have to make an excuse for being yourself."

The Casual Carrie Bradshaw Bun: From Our Network

"Sex and the City" may have ended years ago but the fab four is still going strong as a source of style inspiration-- especially now that we can catch reruns on E!

One of Carrie Bradshaw's mane looks was the casual, effortless bun. It had a bit of polish, but was still it edgy and cool, perfect for an afternoon brunching with gal pals or a night out on the town.

Wanna give it a try? Well blogger Beth Jones from the StyleList Network has got this 'do down to a science.