Beauty Unbiased

Editor's Note: In honor of our First Lady's new hairstyle, which subtly yet distinctly brought Michelle Obama's hair to that next level isht, I bring you "So I Got Bangs", my unpublished first ever blog post written four years ago.    Image source: http://twitter.com/FLOTUS/status/291999764973756416/photo/1 January 13, 2009 This week has been filled with victories and defeats. But who ever said having bangs would be easy? A break through occurred this morning at precisely the right time. You see, I had reached an impasse with my bangs this past week. The cowlick in my hair had overpowered the blow-drying techniques I was instructed to use by my Parisian hair stylist (I forget his name, but I like to call him Enri... Like, French for Henry, but I don't know how that would be spelled). I was devastated at the division in my bangs that I couldn't seem to stop from occurring day after day. I began doubting my decision to get bangs, doubting Enri

Tucking dresses into pants because I have so many cute dresses that I just never wear. Am I alone in trying to make this become a thing? In the winter, you all look so cute in your tights and skirts but... aren't you COLD?! Maybe being incubated as a fetus in the West Coast has ruined me, but I stay consistently frigid in the cooler months. I'm even wearing a pair of thick thermal American Apparel leggings underneath my BDG waxed jeans in the photo. The fact that tights make me feel colder in the winter has not stopped me from wearing some of my favorite dresses as tops because you know what... why not tuck them in? This works better with less bulky fabrics, like a silky dress. Viola, DIY peplum! Some warnings: Tuck carefully (I like to pull my pants over the dress instead of tucking it in), watch for awkward bulges, and slightly blouse the dress out in the most delicate of fashions. I may have a leg up on you all due to being an expert delicate blouser from my private s

Determining that moment in time when your hair shifts beyond cute and flattering to unruly and distracting is often an impossible task. Things must happen to discover that yes, it is time for a cut. Bad things. And once you've admitted that moment has arrived, well its already past time you should have cut it. In my most recent hair saga, it was a picture I took with friends. I was unhappy with the way I looked in the photo and after re-taking it a few times realized that I could only focus on how my hair had grown too long. It needed to be cut. I had an appointment scheduled about 24 hours later with  Drew Schaefering , stylist at  Paul Labrecque Salon  in the Lenox Hill hood of Manhattan. The offending photo Did I mention this was on New Years Eve day? Yeah, I decided I needed a cut THAT bad. Usually cutting (or coloring) my hair before a big event - I was prepping for the Nivea New Year's Eve party- is something I steer clear of. Luckily, Drew is apparently a superh

If you've never lived in New York City, you may be surprised to hear that Times Square is the last place on earth that most New Yorkers want to ring in the New Year. For my New Yorkers in the house, you know what I'm talking about. The only way to enjoy New Year's Eve in Times Square is to party VIP style, often meaning $200 or more per ticket. Since I am morally opposed to overpriced festivities, I was pretty psyched when Nivea invited me to their New Years Eve party at the Hard Rock Cafe. If you hadn't noticed, Nivea is one of the leading sponsors of New Years Eve. From  Mario Lopez and his wife Courtney  hosting on the Nivea Kiss Stage, the lip balm that is passed out to the huddled masses in Times Square for that midnight kiss, and those huge blue top hats? Nivea blue. To experience midnight in Times Square, video footage best sums up the energy and excitement of a countdown that includes fireworks and a deluge of confetti, NYPD officers asking for a photo,