Which Hair Style Is Right For You?

Figuring out which hairstyle to try next is always a stressful task for any girl. Our hairstyle can mean the difference in looking five years older or five years younger. A woman’s hair is an essential part of the “complete package”, so finding the perfect one for your face shape is extremely important.

There are six basic face shapes: oval, round, square, triangle, oblong and heart shaped. To determine which shape your face is, pull your hair back and study your face in the mirror or have a friend help you. Here are some characteristics of each face shape.

• Oval is evenly proportioned and egg shaped

• Round face shapes are round at the hairline and chin line with a wide face. Also baseball shaped.

• Square is a straight hairline, an angled jaw line, and a wide face

• Triangle is a wide chin with narrow a forehead.

• Heart shaped is an upside down triangle face with a narrow jaw line and widest at eye line.

• Oblong is a long and thin face with rounded chin and jaw line. Chin will appear pointed, much like oval.

If you are still having trouble deciding which face shape matches yours, try drawing the outline of your face onto the mirror with lipstick. Step away from the mirror and study the shape you have drawn on the mirror. Pick the one it most closely resembles. You will most likely be correct, but if you have questions go to a professional to have them determine your face shape.

Now that you have determined your face shape, let’s see what the best hairstyle will be for your shape! The oval faced shape has the most leeway with hairstyles. Almost any style will complement this face shape. For instance, an oval face shape could easily carry off a short pixie cut or a shoulder length layered bob.

A round face needs the illusion of length to thin the face out a bit, so a longer hairstyle is best for you. If you have a round face and you have short hair at the moment part your hair on the side. It will interrupt the roundness of the face, whereas a center part would not. Bangs should be avoided on a round face.

If you have a square face you want your hairstyle to soften the hard lines of the square, so short layers in longer hair are best. Bangs that are swept to the side also soften the sharp lines of the square face. This face shape can handle lots of wispy layers, so take advantage! If you have a triangle face shape you want to find a hairstyle that narrows the chin line and widens the forehead. In other words, a hairstyle that has a lot of volume on the top of the head is best. Do not choose a hairstyle that has a lot of volume around the chin. This face shape looks best with a cut that is below the chin or longer.

A heart shaped face needs a little balancing around the chin area. You tend to be pointed in this area, so you want to add the illusion of fullness. For instance, a rounded bob would look great on this face shape. To add a little softness to the forehead a side swept bang would also look great for this face shape. Avoid any style that will cling to closely to the face, though.

A short hairstyle complements the oblong shaped face. You don’t want anything past your shoulders because it will only lengthen the face and you definitely don’t need that. This face shape can carry off bangs with perfection! Wearing a side part is also flattering to this face shape. Asymmetric hairstyles look great on this face shape!

By: MissAshley

i'm going to mexico for winter break, but until then...

I've discovered a new face product. And it wasn't in my local drugstore, or at Sephora. It was at...Wait for it...Whole Foods. I was grocery shopping with my mom, and while I was waiting for her I wandered over to the hair and beauty aisle. I squeezed a little bit of this cleanser, and smelled it.

Mmmm...Pineapple-y goodness transports me to the tropics. However, not only does it smell great, but it works too! It did what I thought was impossible, it got rid of the blackheads on my nose. I've tried everything, from harsh scrubs to those strips of paper that you pull off. Nothing worked, except this.

Also, it has no harsh chemicals, it's vegetarian and doesn't test on animals. Could things get any better? Yes, they can. This product has natural enzymes, which naturally exfoliate. However, beause it's a chemical exfolition, it can't overexfoliate. Practically perfect!

-By Jo

bag girl who went to box land and became bag woman.

Posted by Jo

authenticating 101

Authenticating Coach:

Many people resort to ebay when purchasing a Coach bag. Reasons range from wanting to save money, to not having a store or an outlet near you, or that your favorite style has been sold out. Well, ebay is quite risky, seeing as it is a haven for fakes. I’m not going to list a big thing about how fakes are bad and why you shouldn’t buy them, because regardless of your opinions on fakes, nobody wants to spend $400 on a bag and have it turn out to be fake. Because with that kind of money, you could buy a real one. And it’s a lot.

Anyways, I’ve decided to share my knowledge of authenticating just for you! I’m surprised at the number of people who are in the dark about fakes. So here we go.

Step One:
If you are authenticating a bag that has already been purchased, you need to first ask where they purchased the bag. Unless they say “ebay” you’ll know right off the bat if it’s real or fake.
Authentic Coach is only sold at:
Coach Stores
Coach outlets
Military base exchanges (AAFES)
Department Stores (Macys, Lord and Taylor, and Nordstrom for example)
TJ Maxx and Marshalls sell Coach, however the creed on an outlet bag will have a small specific embossment stamped on it somewhere. If this person says they bought their bag at one of those places, it IS authentic.

Fake:
Any third-party website
Purse Parties- These articles explains the basics behind a purse party quite well: http://www.nbc4i.com/news/10378828/detail.html


If you got it from a purse party or a third-party website, it’s 100% fake. No doubt about it.

Step Two: Design:
Another way to spot phony coach is to look at the bag, obviously. At first it may seem difficult and a lot to take in, but after a while you can spot a fake from a mile away.


1. Coach leather is of superior quality. If the bag looks saggy like in this picture, it's fake:


2. If the bag looks like a style Coach has never produced, it's OBVIOUSLY fake:



3. The above bag is also a good example of fakes whose "C's" don't line up. It's pretty obvious by the picture.

4. Ever heard the term Goach? It's knockoff Coach, but a bit sneakier. They turn the C's into little G's.







Some more tips from a really good ebay about me page that you all should read.


-Just because a seller boasts that an item comes with a Coach box, tissue, bag, registration/care card, does NOT mean their item is authentic!
-Coach does not use PVC to trim their Signature bags - They use LEATHER!
-1994-Present: Serial numbers are NOT unique to each Coach piece
-Serial numbers can be and ARE counterfeited
-ANY and EVERY Coach Signature item should have perfectly centered C's and ALL C's on SEAMS should line up! NO authentic Coach item has crooked, off-center C's, period!!
-The average solid leather or signature Coach bag costs between $150-$400 depending on the size and style of the bag. Smaller accessories like wristlets and key fobs will obviously be less, and the Coach Limited Edition items are often more than the average price. Someone selling large volumes of these bags (at prices that seem like a steal) probably ARE a steal!

from ihatefakecoach's ebay about me page

Really, if it looks like crappy quality, it's fake. (Odd-looking colors due to poor-quality dyes, bursting seams, sagging, etc.)There's a reason that these bags are expensive, you know. Trust your instincts when going on ebay, and please for the love of whatever deity you worship, don't get one at a "purse party".




Authenticating Marc Jacobs:

We all know Marc Jacobs is pretty excellent, but not all of us have the ability to cruise his store, so we rely on good ol ebay! This handy guide will help yah determine whether that mj thing you want to bid on is real or fake!

The first rule of business is to trust your instincts. If the price is too good to be true, sorry, but it probably is. Not to offend anyone, but if the seller is from China then chances are it’s a fake. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure many sellers from China sell authentic items, but just be careful. Also, there is no Marc Jacobs line specifically created for any Asian country! Sellers who claim that a particular item has a "different tag" because it was specifically created for such and such country are selling fakes, man. Lots of mj items are manufactured in Asian countries, but there are no lines created especially for them.

Always check other items the seller has sold. If they are selling many of the same dresses, that’s usually a sign that they are not auth. I don’t know how many people buy designer items in bulk…
Also, check the feedback. If there are multi people claiming the item wasn’t authentic, then look elsewhere. Also look at the mutual withdrawal numbers (at the bottom of the feedback numbers). Withdrawals are sometimes used to remove untrue comments, but can also be used by dishonest sellers to help their feedback. If a seller has an unusual amount of withdrawals, this is another sign that the item may not be authentic.

Look for items that have the tags attached. While there are pre-owned items, that could very well be authentic, the risk is much higher for bootlegs when there are no tags. If there isn’t a picture of the tag, ask the seller to show you one.

Marc Jacobs tags will be sewn in on clothing items. The clothing tag will be attached at the top back of the neck. The tag will be sewn at both ends and will have the size and fabric content tag in the center just below the Marc Jacobs tag. On Marc by Marc Jacobs the word Marc will be brighter than the word Jacobs. And on Marc Jacobs, “Marc” is in white letters and “Jacobs” is in grey.



Now for shoes!


(fake up top, real on the bottom)

When looking for Marc Jacobs shoes, pay attention to the insole. The first thing that should ring an alarm is whether or not three letters are missing from the stamped name on the insole. Make sure "ARC" isn’t missing from "MARC JACOBS".
Also, make sure that MARC JACOBS is stamped in the correct font and that it is lined up exactly in the center of the insole. You may want to look at the same mj shoes that you know are authentic and compare the two. (try eluxury.com)
So please bid carefully and do your research. There are lotsa deals on ebay, but there are also extremely sneaky people that like to rip you off.

Thanks to prox1mity and studio_blu (of ebay) of whom I got most of the information.


So that's a great way to get you started with telling fake from real.
Coach is courtesy of Tight
Marc Jacobs is courtesy of Gateau

victoria secret has nothing on mcqueen.

Jessica Stam looking like a pansy, making a fool of herself.

Despite the hype of the Victoria's Secret fashion show, I was not impressed at all. Bras with wickey-wack glued on and odd hanging pieces of fabric is hardly considered fashion. Which brings me to say that Alexander McQueen is the GOD of fashion shows. His shows feature beautiful clothes and theartics without being over the top. And that's more than I can say for the hobbit Galliano.

Need proof? (click on image to see video)

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:
Exhibit C:

Want some more? Right this way.

love, sequinedlips

band tees and "reverse vanity sizing"

In American society, there is an overall desperation to be thin. Stick-thin Nicole Richie and Mary-Kate Olsen grace the covers of US Weekly, and there seems to be a new fad diet every month. However, the average American woman tips the scale at 155 lbs. at 5’4. To satisfy the consumer, many stores have inflated their sizes-bigger women can fit into the small size they’ve always wanted with little effort on their part. Some designers have added sub-zero sizing to accommodate this trend. One notable store that hasn’t, is Hot Topic.
Gaining its notoriety from the mall-goth subculture, Hot Topic sells a variety of merchandise ranging from movie-licensed merchandise to the famous mallcore “uniform”. The most notable merchandise is the plethora of band T-shirts that always seem to be at a Hot Topic store. However, I have come across a problem. Now at 5’5 and 130 lbs. (give or take) I have never considered myself tiny. Depending on the store, I usually wear a 4 or a 6 (but then again, they’re probably vanity-sized) and a Medium in shirts depending on how it runs in the shoulders or bust. While band shirts are traditionally male, I have noticed the difficulty in finding my correct size. Even more noticeable, is that while they run up to 4XL (Extra Extra Extra Extra Large, or Quadruple Extra Large), they do not have equally small sizes. Actually, I have only seen Smalls on rare occasions. My Cradle of Filth T-shirt is a “Small”, and it is anything but small on me, let alone fitting correctly. Hot Topic has “Youth Medium” and “Youth Large”, which are the closest to small sizes for the female shoppers.Now why is Hot Topic so reluctant to have small sizes or mark the smallER sizes that they do have as small? I do realize that most of the bands that I listen to are foreign and/or obscure, and I do not expect a store as mainstream as Hot Topic to carry them. However, I have noticed that bands even as commercialized as say, Good Charlotte do not have small sizes. I can accept that I am not in the core demographic for black metal T-shirts, but for even the most mainstream of bands? After being disgusted at being unable to locate multiple band shirts (which is already a chore because only a few death or black metal bands sell merchandise at Hot Topic, and it is anything but regular), I sat down and pondered this dilemma. And then it hit me! Hot Topic is owned by Torrid. In case you are not familiar, Torrid is a plus size store. However, it’s not your mom’s plus size store-Torrid has a younger, edgier vibe. It’s actually a pretty nice store. Hot Topic seems to be more sympathetic to plus-size women than the “average” girl. Or maybe I’m just a whiner? I don’t know, I could understand and accept it if the store manufactured equal amounts of equal sizes, but had a higher range. (00-26 or so) Yet Hot Topic refuses to mark their small sizes as “Small” and “Extra Small”. Would it really make these people feel bad to see extra small Cannibal Corpse shirts with that flesh-eaten guy on it? I am not even that small, and when the sizes are too big for me? While anorexia is a serious disease, obesity is as well. People should be happy with their body type, but curvy and obese are completely different things. By not carrying smaller sizes, Hot Topic sends the message across that it is ok to be fat.
By reading this, you’re probably thinking “This girl is such a bitch. She must hate overweight people”. I don’t have a problem with fat people. Hey, if you want to be overweight, go ahead. But when it impedes my ability to buy clothing that is already difficult (borderline impossible) to locate, then I will be angry. And think of it this way, at the rate in which Americans keep getting fatter and keep pushing the vanity sizing lower and lower, Hot Topic will do the same. They’ll start carrying 6XL and 7XL, and the smaller sizes will become “Youth Extra Large” and “Youth 2Xl”. Or maybe I’m just paranoid. But please Hot Topic, make me some band tees that fit.

back view of my CoF shirt that runs from Youth Medium to Quadruple Extra Large.

-by Tight

pocahontas would be proud.

When I was little, I had a friend who lived on Manitoulin Island in Ontario, Canada. I donÂ’t really remember anything about our visits, but one thing always stuck out in my mind. When we were there my whole family would buy moccasins. WeÂ’d usually go to one of those cheesy souvenir stores, you know, the kind with coonskin caps and those barrels of rocks you can pick things out of. There were moccasins big and small, and thatÂ’s where my brother got his first pair of shoes. Anyway, the point of this story is that IÂ’ve noticed moccasins taking over my school, and the La Mode board. I have no idea where this trend came from, but I like it. Here are some of the pairs that IÂ’ve been eyeingÂ…

Minnetonka makes authentic moccasins in every style imaginable. They have this beaded, more traditional style ($40),

As well as a more casual style. $30

The only problem with these is the dyes. My friend got the red ones, and the first time she wore them, her feet turned red. So just watch out.

UGG Australia, makers of the famous boots, have these driving mocs. All the comfort of UGGs, none of the hideousness. $90

If you're looking for a more formal or cheaper style, Target always has your back. $23

Basically, there are tons of different styles out there, so get shopping! And remember, moccasin slippers make a great gift for good old Dad or Uncle Jim.

-by Jo, with help from Tight

Winter Skin Care

Winter is here, and as we have all experienced before, it can be hard on your skin. There's low humidity in the air that dries it out along with indoor heating. Here are some precautions you can take to help prevent your skin becoming a winter victim.

- Shorten your baths or showers. When you take long showers, it can eventually strip the skin of moisturizing fats and lipids. They actually don't add moisture.

- Use moisturizer. Pick a soap or cleanser with oils. After you take a bath or shower, pat dry (don't rub), and add an overall body moisturizer.

- For added protection, you can also put oils in your bath water to help moisturize.

- Sparingly apply toners and astringents. You use these liquids after cleaning but before moisturizer, but because they contain alcohol, they can dry out the skin. Look for ones that are low in alcohol content.

- Use sunscreen. You are in and out all day and all that sun exposure can really add up. Many products you use are SPF 15 so this really shouldn't be a problem.

- Rejuvenate your skin. Tropical night creams are often used by many people, or at least others products containing retinals. These actually help with wrinkles, facial lines, and age spots. Look for products that contain mineral oil or other moisturizing agents.

- Humidify your environment. Consider putting a humidifier in your room at night or wherever you know that you're going to be spending a lot of time.

- Stay away from cigar and cigarette smoke because this can ultimately speed up your skin's aging process.


By: MissAshley