Love, Chloé Purse Spray

I've got to hand it to Chloé. The fashion house has a way of creating clever fragrance packaging that you actually want to carry around all day.
I went crazy over their solid perfume locket last summer, and now they're launching a shrunken version of the gorgeous smelling Love, Chloé. If you're the kind of girl who likes to touch up your fragrance throughout the day, then this purse spray is a must for you. The scent (a powdery blend of lilac, wisteria and musk) has been poured into small golden bottle which mimics the original. Though I'll admit, it does resembles a teeny flask. I love it, even if it doesn't contain my favorite whiskey.
Love, Chloé Purse Spray, $95. Available at Saks.com in February

Bird's Nest Bun

Do you feel rushed when it comes to your morning beauty routine? Take the fuss out of styling by wearing a bird's nest bun.
Blond babes like Kate Hudson, Gwen Stefani and Jennifer Lopez have all donned loose, twirly topknots. Elsewhere, big, messy buns ruled the fall 2011 runways of Chanel and Zang Toi. And Stylelist network blogger Beth Jones paid homage to casual Carrie Bradshaw-esque by recreating the classic updo.
Whether you're in between blow-outs or taking a break from the flat iron, "Project Runway" celebrity stylist George Ortiz believes this is a wearable style suited for different face shapes and hair textures.
Follow these three steps to get this easy, yet elegant hairstyle at home:
1. Spritz hair with Cutler Volumizing Spray and blow dry using a flat brush, directing the root of hair toward the area where you want the bun to sit.
2. Gather strands into a ponytail at the crown of your head using an elastic holder or bungee cord.
3. Loosely twist hair into a bun and secure the knot with bobby pins, and set with a medium hold hairspray like Redken Quick Dry 18.
Final pro tip: leave a few wisps along the hairline out for a fresh finish or apply a little Cutler Fly-Away Control onto a toothbrush and smooth the hairline back to create a sleeker look.

Brazilian Blowout Is Dangerous, FDA Says

Craving perfectly straight, sleek hair? It may be time to head back to the flat iron.
Brazilian Blowout — one of the popular versions of the Brazilian keratin straightening treatments currently offered at salons — has just been confirmed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.) to contain “dangerous levels” of formaldehyde, in spite of its label claim to be “Formaldehyde Free.”
QUIZ: How Healthy is Your Hair?
The violations are just two of several cited in the FDA’s public letter to Brazilian Blowout CEO Mike Brady, which goes on to institute a mid-September deadline for the company to either address all concerns, or risk seizure and injunction of product inventory.
Yet controversy is not new to the Hollywood-based company. In November 2010, California’s attorney general’s office filed a lawsuit against Brazilian Blowout, claiming that the high levels of formaldehyde in the product was illegal under the terms of California’s Safe Cosmetics Act, as well as in violation of Proposition 65 — which requires clear labeling of chemicals that can cause cancer.
And while Brazilian Blowout has been in the spotlight of scrutiny, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (O.S.H.A.) put out a hazardous materials alert just five months ago for similar brands of straightening products in addition to the Brazilian Blowout, emphasizing that stylists who work with and expose themselves to formaldehyde repeatedly could be placing their health in danger.
MORE: Are You Using Toxic Cosmetics?
Industry insiders say that easier application process is part of the reason Brazilian Blowout leapt to such popularity in recent years among consumers who opt for chemical straightening services. Whereas other brands often require abstaining for one to three day from showering and sweating until the product takes hold, Brazilian Blowout allows the consumer to get moisture in the hair without adverse effect right after treatment.
But when New York stylist and salon owner Mark Garrison first received the Brazilian Blowout to use on clients, he says the discrepancy between the “Formaldehyde Free” labeling and the experience of applying the product was immediately apparent.
“I could tell the Brazilian Blowout had formaldehyde in it the very first time I used it,” says Garrison. “Eye burn! Throat choke! And the smell was a tell tale giveaway — it smelled like formaldehyde!”
Perplexed by the claim of “Formaldehyde Free” when the application process seemed to reveal otherwise, Garrison ordered an independent lab to test the kit. “The results showed that Brazilian Blowout not only had formaldehyde, but above what is even considered safe by O.S.H.A. standards,” says Garrison, who adds that his attempts to communicate his test results with Brady were personally dismissed by the CEO.
In tests conducted by the F.D.A., the agency found that Brazilian Blowout contains anywhere from 8.7 to 10.4 percent formaldehyde, which is multiple times that of the 0.2 percentage that peer-reviewed Cosmetic Ingredient Review board considers safe for consumers.
MORE: The Best Haircut for Your Hair Type
Garrison warns that after backlash began to surface about hair straightening brands using formaldehyde, many simply switched to other formaldehyde derivatives that often (though not always) end in “aldehyde,” in an attempt to escape recognition of the carcinogenic name on the label, while still using it.
“Methylene glycol is the most common ingredient. It is formalin and aqueous formaldehyde mixed together. This was just another way for companies to say their formulas were formaldehyde-free,” says Garrison.
One place where companies are forced to come clean is the Manufacturer’s Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) that details ingredients and potentially hazardous information, and which consumers have a right to request. Many brands link to the report (however discreetly) on homepages.
Yet in spite of all the disputation, lawsuits and warnings, many women still persist in seeking out a treatment that will miraculously turn frizz-prone and poufy strands smooth and shiny. Garrison says he is now trying out a product by Liqwd for these clients, though a dose of realism is best served with your blow out.
MORE: Tame Your Hair Troubles
“Liqwd is a de-frizzer, not a relaxer. Anything that relaxes has to have something that breaks down cysteine bonds,” Garrison says of the proteins that make up hair strands.

It's All In The Wrist: Fashion's Finest Show Off Their Stacked Bracelets

Minimal trends be damned! This season, fashion's elite are opting for an excessive approach to dressing -- more specifically to donning accessories.
During Fashion Week, while models took the runway in sleek cuff and simple bangles, insiders like Marie Claire Accessories Editor Taylor Tomasi-Hill sat front row with their wrists littered in all sorts of bracelets and bangles. From beaded to braided, covered in rhinestones or rope, there's one thing that everyone can agree on: more it more!
And our friends at Refinery29 noticed that these pieces are much more than a statement, it's about sentiment. They interviewed over 20 stylish folks in NYC who love to layer. What did we learn? That summer camp-era friendship bracelets are back, studs are almost essential and eye-catching pieces like railroad spike cuffs by Giles & Brother are the perfect mix of quirk and cool.
Our advice, if you need to add a watch to the mix, make sure it features a large face -- otherwise it will get buried beneath your twine, chains and charms.

Hair Twirling: The Consequences Of Pulling Your Strands

Once I stopped straightening my naturally curly hair, I developed a routine that includes wrapping strands into two strand twists before bed to achieve the "perfect" coil in the morning. While it can take up to an hour for each process, I find myself getting lost in the rhythm of pulling at my curls. However, I'm starting to rethink my hairstyling strategy can have serious consequences.
Any action like twirling, brushing and twisting can cross the line from normal to compulsive, leading to trichotillomania, according to Elizabeth Cunnane Philips, trichologist at hair health-focused brand Philip Kingsley.
The extreme self-inflicted hair loss condition can start as innocently as hair twirling, perhaps while watching TV or studying, which then can develop into the pulling of individual hairs. It's much more likely to affect women than men -- with an approximate ratio of four to one. And trichotillomania is often present or reported soon after the onset of puberty, with the urge to twirl having deep psychological undertones.
"The sensation of pain creates a sensation that is one of exhilaration," says Philips. "Often times the patient reports a period of elevated stress that then spurred the condition. I have never observed a case where stress was not one of the presenting factors."
She adds, "Repeated and constant twirling and pulling can lead to frizzier hairs regrowing, and in some cases where the pulling is long term there can be follicular damage where the regowth potential can be diminished."
Of course, any advice that Philips offers is multifaceted as there are different levels of trichotillomania, from subtle areas that are not visible to the naked or untrained eye, to cases so severe that the patient hides with a wig.
"It is a complex condition that requires attention and must first be identified for what it is, and only then can the individual work on ways that help them," says Philips. "The idea is to create a sensation that keeps the hand away from the hair and scalp, and eventually helps to break what can become a habit."
Read on for her expert tips on how to control the urge to twirl:
• The continuation of any therapy that has proven helpful in the past. Managing any emotional and psychological issues is both vital and mandatory.
• Stress management techniques they can include everything from behavioral management to yoga.

• Identify individual triggers and set up way to catch those.

• Wear gloves while reading, watching TV or talking on the phone.

• Explore therapy balls that are often used for sensory therapy or rehabilitation post-hand surgery.
 

Skin Cancer: Can A Cup Of Coffee Protect You?

One more reason to get your morning cup of coffee. Your daily Starbucks run may do much more than perk you up each morning and set you back five bucks. It may actually protect you from getting skin cancer.
A new study backs up previous research that shows caffeine may be an effective weapon in the fight against skin cancer-the most prevalent type of cancer in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society.
In the study, which was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, two groups of mice-one genetically modified to block a certain protein called ATR, the other a control group-were exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The researchers found that the genetically-modified mice remained tumor-free for significantly longer and after 19 weeks of UV exposure, had nearly 70 percent fewer tumors than the control group.

The research helps shed some light on how caffeine is able to decrease the risk of sunlight-induced skin cancer. Caffeine appears to inhibit the ATR kinase pathway, which plays a major role in how the body responds to DNA damage brought on by UV radiation. ATR obstructs cell division and allows DNA repair to occur rather than letting damaged cells die.
This sounds like a good thing, but, "not all repairs are successful and some cells can still go on to develop cancer," explains study co-author Allan Conney, the director of the Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research at Rutgers University School of Pharmacy. "The study we did with colleagues at the University of Washington identified the ATR kinase pathway as being inhibited by caffeine." The result? More DNA damaged cells are killed off, potentially preventing non-melanoma (basal or squamous cell) skin cancer from ever developing.
But caffeine doesn't only inhibit this important protein. Caffeine itself also acts as a sunscreen, absorbing harmful UV rays, according to Conney. So will your sunscreen contain a shot of caffeine one day? "I would think that's a real possibility," he says. Until that day comes, there's some good news for coffee drinkers: You're already getting some sun protective benefits from your daily cup of joe. A 2007 study of nearly 94,000 women found that those who sipped caffeinated coffee daily had an almost 11 percent lower risk of non-melanoma skin cancer. Women who drank six or more cups of coffee on a daily basis saw a 30 percent reduction in risk.
(To put that in perspective, a venti size at Starbucks is two and a half cups of coffee.)
Just don't skip the sunblock. "Let's put it this way-you shouldn't start depending on your local Starbucks for sun protection," says Dr. Howard Sobel, a cosmetic dermatologist in Manhattan. "The same general rules apply when it comes to sun protection. Apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or more to all exposed skin. Look for broad-spectrum on the label, as it provides protection from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. Reapply every two hours, even on cloudy days, and after swimming or sweating. Avoid tanning beds, and have your skin checked regularly by a dermatologist."

Side-Swept Waves: Tress Trend

 

The temperatures may be going up, but long-haired ladies are letting their locks down in side-swept waves.

Megan Fox, Salma Hayek, Diane Kruger and Rosario Dawson are all known for riding the wave on the red carpet. We've spotted more one-shoulder strands lately while clicking through some of our favorite street style blogs like The Sartorialist and Face Hunter. And we were still suffering from major hair envy after spotting soft, side curls backstage at Catherine Malandrino's Fall 2011 fashion show.

"I think there is something incredibly feminine about side-swept waves," says Adir Abergel, lead stylist for Frederic Fekkai. "It is a very simple style that most women can wear. It is also an easy hairstyle that allows you to go out at night without looking overdone, yet it elevates your look into something special."

Follow Abergel's five steps to recreate this simple, yet elegant hairdo:
1. Prep the hair, using a volumizer like Frederic Fekkai Coiff Bouffant Lifting and Texturizing Spray Gel and smooth it all over the root of the hair.
2. Blow dry the hair completely using a round brush.
3. Roll the hair around a curling iron, leaving strands onto the iron on for no longer than five to 10 seconds to create more of a wave than a curl. If your hair is just below the shoulders, use a 1-inch curling iron, but if it is any longer than that use a 1 ¼-inch iron instead.
4. Spray on a little Fekkai Sheer Hold Hairspray so the wave has a memory and sets.
5. Finish by sweeping the hair over to one side and pin it to stay in place.

Pressed for time?skipping the round brush when drying hair to create a more natural texture before curling.

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