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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How To Keep Your Makeup From Melting

In case you haven't noticed, there's been a nationwide heat wave going on. If your makeup starts sliding the minute you walk outside, don't sweat. There's a way to keep it in place in the face of heat and humidity, according to celebrity makeup artist Ashunta Sheriff. Our friends at Bellasugar got her expert advice.
It's prime time
"Definitely start with a foundation primer," Sheriff says. (She recommends Mary Kay Foundation Primer.) "That's going to keep the makeup on through the heat, tone down redness, and make the makeup last." Speaking of makeup, she adds, less is more when the temperature soars. "Don't wear a bunch of foundation and concealer," she says. "Go with tinted moisturizer and apply concealer only where you need it."
Choose products wisely
One way to keep makeup from sliding off? Use powder formulas when possible. "During the summer, stay away from cream cheek and eye colors," Sheriff advises. "Otherwise, you're going to look like you have wet, oily eyelids." The exception: if a cream eye color specifically says that it's waterproof and dries into a powder finish, you're good to go.
Go waterproof
"Use waterproof mascara, especially in July and August when it's extremely humid and hot," Sheriff says. "Regular mascara tends to flake off and rub off." If you usually wear multiple coats but don't like waterproof formulas, Sheriff advises "sealing" your usual mascara with one coat of a waterproof one.

Skinnygirl Skin Care: Bethenny Frankel to Launch Beauty Line

Bethenny Frankel. Bethenny Frankel's Skinnygirl empire is getting bigger and bigger!

The tell-it-like-it-is reality star and entrepreneur built a booming brand portfolio consisting of cocktails, books and shapewear, and now she's making her foray into the beauty industry this fall with a skin care and body line, WWD reports.

Frankel has partnered with beauty firm Lotta Luv to offer the masses products that yield honest results.

"[Promises like] 'you're going to look like Heidi Klum in two days' or 'like you had a face-lift' have always bothered me," she told WWD.

The Skinnygirl Face & Body Solutions line will be comprised of four categories -- lip treatments, face solutions, body solutions and gift sets -- and include beauty fix-it staples like a Shimmer Plumping Lip Gloss, Detox Face Mask and Gradual Tanning Body Shimmer. There's also a Skinnygirl Mommy collection with a Cooling Foot Spray, of course.

And you can rest assure that everything has "The Real Housewife's" stamp of approval. "I'm obsessed. I use everything, I named every single product. I created the packaging and the logo," Frankel explained to WWD.

Skinnygirl skin care (all items retail under $15) will roll out to select Wal-Mart stores in November.

Will you be adding Frankel's beauty products to your routine this holiday? Tell us in the comments section and click here to find out which star skin care ingredients really work.

 

What We're Trying Now: Summer Braids

Clockwise from left: Emilio Pucci FW2011 - GoRunway.com, Alterna, Bumble and Bumble, Mara Hoffman 2012, Y3 FW2011 - GoRunway.com

Last week in New York was one of the steamiest on record -- and it's not even August yet! Ducking outside the office for an errand felt more like hopping into a sauna. Further, it's hard to feel pulled together in heat this oppressive... all-consuming... oven-like. If chopping off all your hair is not an option, then one of the easiest (and chicest) alternatives for getting your hair off your neck is a braid.

At Fashion Week Swim in Miami, Mara Hoffman sent her models down the runway in long, wispy fishtail braids. We also spotted chunky, slightly-haphazard versions this fall at Pucci and Y3. The trick to making this classic style look slightly more edgy is to create lots of texture before you braid your hair. Work in dry shampoo to build fullness and body, and spritz in a salt spray to create even more of a mussed-up feel. Don't stress about making it perfect and neat -- the messier the better.

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