Wash and Go

I've been told that for my long, thick, unruly hair, my only hope for a wash-and-go style involves a Bic. Well how about wash-and-spritz-and-go?

Does your hair tend to inflate as the hours tick by? Look slightly fried? Do you have a panic attack when the elastic around your wrist disappears? Or worse -- snaps?

Enter Ouidad Botanical Boost.
I'm not paid by Ouidad, nor do I have any stake in their company. This is actually what I use from my closet, and I'm absolutely enamored with the product. It's not heavy or greasy like other leave-in conditioning sprays. There's no offensive odor. No sticky hairspray-like grittiness. It truly is the only thing that softens and tames my waves. If you listen really, really carefully, you can hear it taunting my lonely hair straightener. Oh yes, it's a bitch, but it works.

But if Ouidad is reading this, I'm running low. Just sayin'.

Fashion Week to Work Week: The MOM

Now that Fashion Week is over, have we all noticed a glaring trend? While many designers tout themselves as cutting-edge -- avant-garde, if you will -- I'm sitting here saying, It's about time "The Mom" look caught on.

Product? Styling tools? A brush? Pshh.
Designers like Nanette Lapore give us the A-OK to call our bed head a "style."

Forget about styling. How about those days when showering is a near impossibility?

Oscar de la Renta

and Ralph Lauren show us the glamorous glamamarous side to being dirty.

Designers are also sympathetic to those segments of the population drowning in laundry.
Down to your last pair of work jeans? Just throw on some fabulous shoes. Done.

And ladies? Make up is apparently SO 2009. The new decade is all about the don't-try-so-hard look. Twist my arm, why don't ya.

Is it just me, or does this Phi model look like she's been up all night with a colic baby?

Besides stealing our fashion and beauty sense, designers created looks with breastfeeding mamas in mind.

(Thakoon, Spring 2010)

Max Azria gets the cake for designing a breastfeeding-friendly dress that also covers up the extra baby weight lingering around.

Ah, Marc Jacobs.
Marc truly gets it.
For those mothers getting dressed for work in the morning, fumbling around in the dark as to not disturb a sleeping baby and a snoring husband: As long as all the garments are there, in some working order, you're good to go.

If this is any indication of a looming trend, I'm seeing hair-elastic bracelets and chic shoulder stains for Fall 2010.

Photos: Getty Images

Bargain beauty

Celebrity makeup artist Brett Freedman spilled his 10 favorite drugstore beauty products to Teen Vogue. Lucky for us, they're not just for teens.

1. Clean and Clear Blotting Sheets

Freedman always has these on hand to absorb oil without adding powder or pigment.

2. Cover Girl LashBlast in Very Black

After being introduced to this mascara by Kelly Clarkson, Freedman says it's comparable to cult-favorite Dior Diorshow mascara for a fraction of the price.

3. Rimmel's Lip Pencil in Tiramisu

According to Freedman, this is a drugstore version of MAC's Stripdown, "great for

this fall's nude lip."

To read the rest of the list, go here.

What are your favorite drugstore picks?

Fashion Week to work week: ponytails

Ponytails. Ah, the stamp of mommyhood. Check out NYFW tips to glam up a boring, played-out style.

Photo credit: Daily makeover

Celebrity stylist Ted Gibson created effortless-looking messy ponytails for the Lela Rose show, inspired by girls with no time to wash their hair. Of course, in his mind they were playing at the beach all day, not cleaning up poop. But hey, time is time.

1. Since most of us will not be playing in the sand all day, we need to create texture. Ted did this by spraying Ted Gibson Build It Spray on dry hair.
2. Slightly teasing hair at the crown adds volume; a side part adds style.
3. Pull all hair back into a ponytail and secure at the middle of your head.

***

Over at the Monique Lhuillier show, Bumble + bumble stylist Laurent Philippon created a messy yet edgy ponytail.

photo credit: The Beauty of Life

1. Break out your '80s crimping iron and lightly crimp the top section of hair for a little texture.
2. Spray Does It All Styling Spray on the top layer only.
2. Run a straightener over the sides of your hair and spritz with Shine so it looks nice and sleek.
3. Pull back all three sections into a high ponytail, hiding the elastic with a small strip of your hair.
4. Use Spray de Mode to finish.

Fashion Week to work week: Buns

New York Fashion Week is coming to a close which, of course, has been a happy, happy week for a glamama like myself. While I wasn't afforded the luxury of attending the tents this year, I've been glued to the beauty blogosphere for the latest fashion and beauty trends. Yes, some looks are a little too out there for the office, but I was surprised to see just how many designers seemed to elevate every day mama styling staples into something fashionable and chic.

Buns, for instance.

What mother hasn't fallen back on this easy styling 'do, whether to cover up dirty hair or to make up for your blow dryer and hair straightener going on permanent sabbatical?

At the Ruffian show, Bumble + bumble (Love, love, love!) hair stylist Neil Moodie wanted to create a "homemade, matte bun that feels like a couple days old," inspired by Katharine Hepburn in "The Philadelphia Story."

photo credit: Daily Makeover

1. On dry hair, spray Bumble + bumble Styling Creme for texture.
2. Split your hair into two sections. Twist the top section into a messy chignon up on the crown of your head. Pin.
3. Pin the lower section up to meet the chignon, leaving it a little loose.
4. Use Spray de Mode to finish.

The good news about this look is it's SUPPOSED to look a little lazy and undone.

***

Avon stylist Allen Ruiz took a more traditional route with the bun, inspired by ballerinas.

photo credit: Daily Makeover

1. Spray Avon's Advance Techniques Salon Volume Finishing Spray on dry hair for shine and volume.
2. Pull all of your hair to the back crown of your head and secure with an elastic.
3. Twist, twist, twist and pin. Leave out the end pieces for an I've-just-been-leaping-across-the-dance-floor-for-two-hours look.
4. Lightly spray Advance Techniques Hair Spray to hold it all in place.

It's an undone look, so having some fly-aways or frizzies will look appropriate.

***

If you want a bun that's more fierce, look to Marc Jacobs for inspiration:

photo credit: GlamBush

Nanotechnology

For anyone panicking about the possible effects of nanotechnology that I mentioned in my previous post, here's something even more unsettling: Private cosmetic companies aren't required to let the public know if/how nanotechnology is being used, and the consumer watchdog magazine Which? (the original whistle-blower on this issue) said that only eight of the 67 companies approached would comment on how they use nanotechnology.

The good news? Sue Davies, chief policy adviser for Which?, said,

“We’re not saying the use of nanotechnology in cosmetics is a bad thing, far from it. Many of its applications could lead to exciting and revolutionary developments in a wide range of products, but until all the necessary safety tests are carried out, the simple fact is we just don’t know enough."

So what's with all the secrecy?

For those wanting more information, check out these resources:

• Nanocafes.org
• The New York Times
  
• The U.S. Congress Report on Nanotechnology
  
• The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies

The cost of beauty

Regulators world wide are meeting in Tokyo this week to hash out some controversies in the cosmetics industry, including the regulation of product safety. This is especially timely in the wake of the recent uproar over unregulated nanomaterials and lead levels.

Nanoparticles are itsby bitsy particles 80 times thinner than human hair, used to improve the effects of cosmetic ingredients. The problem? Consumer groups are claiming that these tiny particles can permeate areas such as the heart, lungs and a pregnant woman's womb, possibly leading to toxic effects. Over in Europe, safety standards are set to take effect in 2012 for cosmetic companies that use nanotechnology -- a widely used practice by companies such as Boots, The Body Shop, Avon, Nivea, and Unilever to name a few.

Additionally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently found lead in lipstick to be four times higher than the original study done by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in 2007. Lead is a proven neurotoxin known to cause problems like infertility and learning disabilities.

The FDA currently doesn't regulate lead levels in lipstick, yet the average amount is ten times higher than the legal amount in candy. Maybe we don't munch on our Maybelline, but we do ingest a little when we lick our lips, eat or drink. Since lead builds up in the body over time, applying lipstick several times every day might be dangerous.

According to Sean Palfrey, professor of pediatrics and public health at Boston University and the medical director of Boston's Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, there is no safe lead exposure for children and pregnant women.

"Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure because lead easily crosses the placenta and enters the fetal brain where it can interfere with normal development," Palfrey said.

The FDA refused to release which companies had the highest levels of lead, but the CSC found that L'Oreal, Maybelline and Cover Girl were consistent offenders.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends staying away from all sources of lead exposure.

What do you think? Are you concerned with what you put on your body? Does this make you rethink your routine?

Worried about contaminants in your baby's beauty products? Read this.

Straight from my makeup bag

I dug into my makeup bag (permanently kept in my glove compartment) to show you exactly what I use every day in the car after putting on tinted moisturizer at home. (Hint: For easy application, they're all one-handed products that aren't messy.) I'm not suggesting you put on makeup WHILE you drive, of course, but since I spend four hours a day in the car, sometimes there's just no other place.

Concealer: Givenchy's Perfect Again! palette corrector.
Why I love it:This convenient compact has different correcting colors that you can blend for the perfect shade -- plus there isn't any messy liquid to spill. Rub a little of the pink highlighter on the apples of your cheeks, the corners of your eyes and underneath your eyebrows for an instantly illuminated look.
Where to get it: I actually couldn't find it online anywhere, but here is a comparable, more affordable, concealer compact.




Bronzer: Cargo Multi-mix Bronzer
Why I love it: Nix the makeup brush that inevitably falls on the dirt-littered floor and the pieces of loose powder that grind into cloth car seats, but keep the great healthy-glow look of bronzer. The best part? The sheer formula flatters all skin tones. The best best part? No parabens, sulfates, fragrance, petro-chemicals or phthalates. Mix a little in with your tinted moisturizer for a deeper pigment.
Where to get it: Buy on-line or find a store.





Lipstick: Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color (in Nectar)
Why I love it: I'm not a big fan of lipstick because I hate the heavy, sticky feeling. And talk about "Mom-ish." However, this lipstick is A.) sheer, so you don't have to worry about a perfect application, B.) light and balm-like, C.) easier to apply in the car than unscrewing gloss, and D.) flatteringly pigmented.
Where to buy it: Buy on-line or find a store.

Mascara: Maybelline The Colossal Waterproof Volum' Express*
Why I love it: Ok, I don't love it (I'm still searching for the Holy Grail of mascara) but it's affordable and it gets the job done. It's definitely one of the better ones in the drugstore. And waterproof is essential for those misty-eye moments away from my baby.
Where to get it: Buy it on-line or in a local drugstore.

Any driver-friendly products to share?

Share with Mommy

I stumbled across BellaSugar's post about baby products that double as big girl beauty must-haves. Lucky for us mamas, we have most in our closet.

I don't know about you, but baby wipes and Johnson and Johnson Head to Toe body wash are now warmly welcomed as daily beauty staples. So much so that I'm sure I'll be purchasing them long after my babies are grown. (Yes, I said BABIES Justin.)

My favorite new tip? Using a pacifier sterilizer to clean makeup brushes and sponges. Genius!

Check out the rest of the list here.

Waxing for all shapes, sizes and trimesters

Expecting mamas take a lot of preparations --mentally and physically -- for the Big Day: Lamaze class? Check. Prenatal yoga? Check. Bags packed? Check.

Wait a minute -- Are you waxed?

While I personally have found modesty to be the first thing out the delivery room window, women stressing about that certain area will be happy to know that NYC-based Completely Bare salons now offer prenatal bikini waxes.

Working with a prenatal doctor and aesthetician, this safe and comfortable waxing method is designed for women with compromised mobility and super sensitive skin. The low temperature, hypo-allergenic wax is administered by a trained technician that will use special positions, custom pillows and Lansinoh -- a breasfeeding must-have for sore nipples -- to soothe the freshly waxed area.

If nothing else, it's good pain management practice. Me? I'll just take the prenatal massage, thank you.

If you're interested, search for a salon here.

What about you? Do you think the bikini area is a common prenatal concern?

Mama's Night Out

Save the date: Thursday, September 10, get a sitter, grab your girlfriends and head out to the ever-fashionable New York City for a beauty date night.

Sephora is celebrating Fashion's Night Out with beauty events at stores around the city, 6 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Pick your favorite location or store-hop for the ultimate beauty experience:

Sephora Times Square
Benefit Cosmetics Co-founders, Jean and Jane Ford, will give insider tips to turn your look from every day to runway.

(Ed: I ADORE Benefit Cosmetics. This, this and this are amazing. Oh, and my mom swears by this.)

Sephora 5th Avenue
597 5th Avenue (bet 48th & 49th Streets)
Get the ultimate airbrush makeup transformation at TEMPTU's living museum, followed by a photo shoot on the mezzanine.

Sephora 34th Street
130 W 34th Street (bet 7th Avenue & Broadway)
Experience Too Faced's new fall collection with Global Makeup Artist Arianne Damboise. Sit for a consultation and the first 100 women will receive a free gift.

Sephora 5 Times Square
200 W 42nd Street (at 7th Avenue)
Watch the amazing MAKE UP FOR EVER body painting pros transform models before your eyes, and then learn how to re-create wearable versions for yourself.

Sephora Union Square
45 E 17th Street (bet Union Square West & Park Avenue South)
Experience beauty from the beginning: Fresh Co-founder Lev Glazman will give you a customized beauty treatment with Sephora's Fresh Ingredient Bar. Smell, touch and experience Fresh's iconic ingredients in their purest form.

(Ed: This would be my pick!)

Sephora Soho
555 Broadway (bet Prince & Spring)
Meet celebrity hair guru Oscar Blandi and enter a chance to win a cut and style (a $200 value) at his salon.

For details visit sephora.com/help/stores/index.jhtml.

Morning mayhem

Hello, all. If you don't already know me from Mama Never Said, I'm a busy working mom who needs to get out of the house and into the office quickly, sans spit-up. Having a routine that's simple and fast leaves ample time for those inevitable poop explosions just as I'm buckling the car seat.

I use these tricks to make myself look presentable on an exceptionally time-crunched day (read: every day):

1. Use a flat iron to get out stray wrinkles
Of course if my chosen outfit is a wrinkled mess, I -- well -- find something else lying around that's clean. But for a few antagonizing creases, I just plug in my hair straightener (which takes less than 30 seconds to heat) and run the plates over the wrinkle. It shaves time off of waiting for the water in a conventional iron to heat and wrestling with an ironing board.

2. Put the already-hot flat iron to us
If you have long (too, too thick) hair like I do, the thought of blowing out and straightening your hair is a long-forgotten luxury. While I've toyed with chopping it all off for a chic bob, I'm not ready to part with my long post-pregnancy hair. My go-to styling routine: I quickly run the straightener over the front and top layer of my hair, then pull the rest back in a laid-back chignon.


3. Freshen your face with tinted moisturizer

Multi-tasking mom, multi-tasking moisturizer. Taking a few minutes to smear it on in lue of your regular moisturizer AND sunscreen AND foundation will give your face a clean glow. I use an affordable organic brand called Kiss My Face -- I'm a bit neurotic about what I put in and on my body now that I'm breastfeeding -- and I absolutely love it. It's better than any other that I've tried. I then make sure the rest of my makeup is moving-vehicle friendly. Why do you think we have red lights?


Any tips to speed up your routine?