Burned (a somewhat funny story)

Pucker up fishy!

This morning, as I was hustling to style my hair with my beloved curling wand, I waived that magic wand across my neck in a most un-magical way. "Ahhh!" the dreaded hair hot tool burn. Though not uncommon for me to occasionally suffer a finger or hand wound, this was the first for my neck and it hurt pretty bad, but I bravely soldiered on to ensure a timely morning departure. When I'd finished hair and moved on to makeup, I finally paused to take a look in the mirror at what exactly I had done and was horrified to discover a small redish/purple mark on the frontish/side of my neck. The mark itself wasn't horrifying, but its strong resemblance to another type of redish/purple mark that one gets on the frontish/side of her neck was.

As I assessed the damage and applied concealer, I hoped that the small size of the mark would thwart anyone from making naughty assumptions or at least make them wonder what sort of tiny, fish-mouthed man I'd shared my steamy make out sesh with. I then pulled my hair forward around my neck and like a sheepish teenage girl, headed out to face the day.

New Year, New 'do.

Smooches and sexy waves. Bam!

Hey there my fellow 2014'ers! I hope that you all had a wonderful time ringing in the new year and relaxing yesterday!! I personally learned that there's no hangover that a healthy dose of dim sum can't fix, and that the ABC hit Scandal really does get even better in season 3 (no spoilers please! Dr. H and I have binge-watched the entire first 2 seasons in roughly 10 days and have the ambitious goal of being up to date when it returns later this month! Olivia.Pope.O.M.G.) Anywaysssssss, this morning I had a crazy spring in my step when I left the house, not because of the impending snowstorm (which I've fully convinced myself is going to cause work to be cancelled tomorrow), but because of THIS:

Ever since I chopped my hair to shoulder length in the fall, I've tried every possible way to get the "loose beachy curls" look without paying for a blowout. Sleeping in a bun, twisting the hair and curling irons have all led to frustration and disaster, but yesterday a lady love (chatting over our dim sum dumpling extravaganza) shared that her gorgeous loose curls were courtesy of  $25 extremely well spent on Conair's Curling Wand!!

The super simple to use tool seems specially designed for the curling iron impaired such as myself. This morning in about 10 minutes I took my frizzy, air dried hair and turned it into a beachy, well styled head of loose waves/curls by simply wrapping small sections around the wand in the away-from-your-face direction. For a first attempt at using the tool (and rushed as I always am in the morning) I could not believe how well my hair came out. Fo sho the best self-styling I've done since my most recent haircut/color in December. So if you're looking for a fun and cheap (no need to go with a pricier brand!) way to sass up your daily 'do, I cannot recommend the Conair Curling Wand highly enough. Happy styliing ladies :) (To purchase, click HERE, HERE or HERE!!)

The most important thing to prep for the holidays...

Well hello there!

With the holidays fast approaching, everyone is buzzing about appetizers, desserts, gifts and hosting, so I thought I would take a few steps back from the chaos and talk about something really important: your hair. Specifically, how you my friend, can be the envy of all at the table with a simple, sassy hairdo. Now before you go "but I can't!" I'm here to say "oh yes you can!" Many updos are far easier than you would expect and just require a bit of patience, good product and maybe a test run the day before, to achieve perfection.

This style from The Beauty Department is great "for shorties" like myself. Can't really use a curling iron? No problem, sleep with your hair slightly damp and in a bun the night before for gentle, natural body. Can't do fancy french braids? (Me neither!) Try these knots (like tying your shoe) for a way simpler way to achieve the same texture. Full post HERE. Pinterest HERE.

Another simple to execute but totally adorable style from The Beauty Department. This look is great for girlies with bangs, side bangs or just one who rocks a bun. The final result is charming and fresh with very little fuss. Full post HERE. Pinterest HERE.

Well, it doesn't get much easier than this! The "Tuck and Cover" from My Soul is the Sky requires only shoulder-ish length hair and 2 elastic hairbands to give you this classic-meets-bohemian look. Full post HERE. Pinterest HERE.

Bed head has never looked so good! This sexy braided look from A Little Bit Of... is casual "hippie-chic" and in my opinion perfect for a hearty Thanksgiving meal followed by backyard football and couch lounging. Absolutely one of those styles that tricks people into thinking you have crazy hair stylin skills! Full post HERE. Pinterest HERE. 

Merry Meri Hair Tricks of the Trade:

* Try a style out for the first time when your hair is wet. Even though this may not deliver a lot of body, wet hair has great hold for styling and it lets you practice the moves required to get the style right.

* Never use clean hair!! Wash the night (or ideally day) before for optimal oily/non-silky hair. If you have bangs or front angle pieces and are worried about looking greasy, pull those out and wash/blowdry just that front section before starting to style. If your hair is unavoidably freshly washed and dried, try spraying with a light hold spray first to make it less soft.

* Accessorize to hide imperfection!! (A personal favorite.) This past weekend I successfully copied a style I had done by a pro by using black hair flowers (approx $3 at Forever 21) to hide my whispy-stick-outs and sloppy bobby pin job. H&M and Forever 21 have an awesome inexpensive collection of pins, clips, scarves and flowers to add some sass to your style (while secretly hiding its flaws!)

* Have the right tools on hand. Tiny clear elastics, lots of bobby pins, light hold spray and heavy hold spray (for 1 final spritz at the end if it's a tighter style).

* Don't wait until the day-of to try a new style for the first time, especially if you aren't used to styling your own hair. Take some time on a quiet Saturday or Sunday morning to sit in front of the mirror and play around. Improvise based on your own hair's length and texture and don't be afraid to pull it all out and start over (I usually do at least twice!)

* Click HERE, HERE and HERE for a few other styles that I turn to on a regular basis for hair wow'ing!

PS- In case you were wondering how the plans from THIS post were coming, I was on an un-avoiding ROLL last night! Closet, sheets, laundry, dinner... I even scrubbed the stove top. Game on Fall Funk.

Would you, could you...

... wear a one-piece? Recently, it seems that one-piece bathing suits are making a comeback. They're showing up in styles intended for all shapes and sizes, from pinup retro to low cut  sexy, expertly embodying Mama Rose's timeless quote, "make 'em beg for more, and then don't give it to them!"

Sometime not too long ago, one-pieces left the bodies of sexy icons like Marilyn Monroe and were christened "mommy suits" or relegated to use only by women "of a certain age" or size. In came string bikinis and barely there two pieces as symbols of youth, fitness and sex appeal. So naturally I was unsure about going for a one-piece, despite the plethora of cute options, because I didn't want to age myself or pick something unflattering. As I do with most of life's greatest questions, I sent a link along with the question "is this cute? I can't decide..." to my girlies. One friend actually pondered aloud, "are we one-piece age or do these not count because they're trendy?"

The suit in question. Anthropologie

The question had to be answered, so I went for it (figuring worst case scenario I'd just make a return) and I'm pleased to report that the era of the "one-piece age" is officially behind us!! That pretty pink lady is pl-enty youthful and chic... just ask Dr. H who despite my insistence, refused to believe that what I was wearing was actually a one-piece (the literal "one-piece" of clothing on my body was irrelevant, "well it's just not what I was imagining" was all he could muster in defense). So ladies, I say go forth! Purchase sexy bikinis and one-pieces alike, usher in a return to discretion on the beach and by the pool and remember, any item can look sexy if you wear it that way:) 

Suits pictured can be found HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.