How Tos

I’m a bit of an expert on surviving long haul flights, given that my first 17 hour one was at the tender age of 6 (we have a lot of relatives in Asia). Even as a young one, I distinctly recall thinking, “Man, this sucks” as I took in the plane’s stale air, questionable food, and roaring overhead noise while barfing into an air sickness bag. Since then, experience and technology have been great aids in reducing the airplane’s assault on the five senses so far that I even LIKE long haul flights (but capped at 17 hours tops). My tips at dealing with the pains of traveling:

1.    Feel:  As every travel-related site and dermatologist will tell you, airplane air is bad and dry, wreaking havoc on complexions (read: breakouts) and your throat. You have to stay moisturized.  I like to prepare first by stocking up on water after TSA frisks me. You may be thinking, “Why should I buy water when I get it for free on the plane?” True, but I can’t be the only one that gulps down their tiny airplane ration of water two minutes after receiving it. I also remain terrified by a story a friend’s father told me. He was stranded on the tarmac for 4 hours, parched and hungry, after the flight attendants ran out of provisions. I’d prefer for that not to be me.  Experts also tell you to avoid drinking on the plane as alcohol dehydrates, but if you are a nervous traveler, I don’t see the harm in slightly indulging. A friend of mine has a long time fear of flying and kind stewardesses routinely used to give her shots of tequila on the plane.  Worked for her, and she even did one with Flava Flav one time at 6 am. (more…)

For a beauty blogger, I’m surprisingly eyeshadow incompetent at all eye looks EXCEPT for a smoky eye. It sounds surprising, but a smoky eye is actually one of the easiest to master because it’s not meant to look too perfect or done–it needs a little smudging to have that sexy, slept-in look. Great for me, since that’s the way I like my look. The secret to my easy, smoky, grungy eye is a quality, washed out black shadow and a liquid eyeliner (that also grows your eyelashes–yes, for real.) Read on for my two favorite products:

1. Charlotte Ronson epitomizes that grungy, sleek look favored by models off duty. Sea salt sprayed hair  and casual smoky eyes are her signature and her new collection from Sephora brings this look to the masses, with products named for her famous friends such as Dani Stahl, Nicole Richie, and Rashida Jones. My favorite of the eyeshadows is the Drea compact (named for brown eyed Drea de Matteo) with four basic but beautiful neutrals in nude, bronze, silver, and black. All of the colors are lovely, with the bronze especially great for on-camera highlighting, but the black is best because it’s  already naturally smoked out and requires minimal blending. Using an eyeshadow brush or my fingers (if I’m lazy), I sweep this black up to my eyeshadow creases and then lightly blend past the edges. It doesn’t crease or migrate and the color stays dense throughout the night. It’s perfect for dark, mysterious nights out or when you just want to look nice for cleaning the living room (what? I can’t be the only one that does this.) (more…)

We simply adore Reese Witherspoon and think she’s totally gorgeous.  We also think she’s been making more smart, but bold fashion choices lately.  We particularly liked her fashion-forward Rodarte dress at a recent premiere and thought her makeup complimented the choice appropriately.

We wondered how to get a similar naturally gorgeous look and asked celebrity makeup artist Melissa Walsh to help us out! “Reese’s look is natural with a modern twist,” says Melissa. “The matte pink lips rather than the usual neutral shade update a classic and give it a new fresh feel.” To get the look, follow Melissa’s instructions behind the cut. (more…)

We’ve been seeing Kate Hudson in the media everywhere lately for her most recent film and so naturally, we’ve been tracking her fashion and beauty choices as well.  At an event last month, she pumped up the volume with glam waves and we thought that it was such an effortless and accessible look that we wanted to know how to get it for ourselves.  

We asked Jeannine Brousseau, a stylist at the new Sally Hershberger Salon in Los Angeles, to help us out.  ”Kate has modern classic beauty in this playful 80′s inspired look,” says Jeannine. “This look can be accomplished surprisingly fast for that quick change using a curling iron or hot rollers.”  Liz kindly has put together instructions on how you can get this effortlessly chic look, so make sure to check it out below! (more…)

It’s not easy to dress warm while looking cute, and this challenge is even more difficult when jetting away to a winter ski/ snowboard getaway.  Keeping warm on mountain peaks and on the ski lift is essential, but there is no reason to sacrifice your style for the sake of practicality.  This “How To” focuses on how to look stylish and warm both on slopes and après ski, so that you look less Abominable Snowman and more Snow Bunny.  Read on after the cut for some pictures of celebrity inspiration, and offerings from some winterwear designers who know exactly how to blend fashion and function: (more…)

All of the TDO editors adore Isla Fisher. She’s funny, smart and gorgeous. She’s also clearly not afraid to have a little fun with her makeup. Her look, pictured right, highlights her natural beauty, but also is a playful and sexy. We think it’s a fabulous look to take from day to night…and we wanted to know how to get it!

The fabulous makeup artist Farah Reid from Blow, The New York Blow Dry Bar, had the answers for us! ”Isla is one of my favorite actresses. Her makeup is one of the more current trends going on,” says Farah.  Here, you can see that many peachy shades are utilized and a bit of color is used wisely around the eyes, letting them pop and overall, enhancing her natural coloring. For Farah’s tips, just click behind the cut.   (more…)

New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to get ultra glammed up and have some fun with it! You want your look to be really stunning. But you also don’t want it to be difficult to maintain and to last since you’ll be ringing in the New Year at your party of choice – most likely with no more than a small clutch (that doesn’t leave room for an arsenal of makeup for touch ups). We loved Amy Adam’s retro-inspired look (pictured left) that looks alluring, but not too intimidating to replicate. With a few days left to practice, we know that you’ll be able to rock this look out!

To help guide you through the process, we turned to Farah Reid, the resident makeup artist at Blow, The New York Blow Dry Bar, for her tips. “It’s super easy to re-create this retro glam look at home,” says Farah. Click behind the cut for her step-by-step instructions on how to get this look: (more…)

With the holidays just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to learn a few new (beauty) moves and get glammed up for all those holiday parties.  We took inspiration from Heidi Klum’s Emmys look, which is influenced by the 40′s.  We loved how she transitioned between two looks: soft, controlled waves and an elegant ponytail. It’s really perfect for anyone who is hopping from one soiree to the next, but want to change up their look through the night.

Naturally, we had no idea how to replicate this look – but we called for help from Helena Faccenda, Klum’s incredibly talented personal hairstylist.  “Veronica Lake inspired hair adds instant glamour to the holidays,” says Helena.  She’s kindly provided step-by-step instructions so you can recreate the look! (more…)

Whether it be an office holiday party or a party thrown by your nearest and dearest, dressing and looking chic for holiday parties is not confined to wearing the latest holiday novelty sweater (a la Mr. Darcy of Bridget Jones’s Diary), unless you plan to wear one to make an ironic statement.

Holiday parties give you a chance to dress more festively, and to let those festive dresses hanging your closet a chance to breathe apart from during wedding season.  Dig through your clothes or pick up a few new items to update your wardrobe to incorporate some of these elements into your holiday outfit:

1. Sequins — When I think holiday party, I instantly think shine and sequins, and the best thing is that you can incorporate this element as little or as much as you want to – and still look celebratory.  Whether you choose to embellish your outfit with Bajra Sequin embellished scarf or to pick a dress with subtle sequin details such as this Charlotte Ronson Sequin Racerback Dress, you are sure to catch people’s eyes from across the room or in holiday party photos.  If you are brave and looking for a striking and dazzling sequin detailed option, this Hanii Y Sequin LBD flapper inspired little black dress that is will make you look chic.  My personal favorite is this Sequined Cummerbund belt, which will perfectly accent your waist and add instant glamor to any outfit. (more…)

Belts have been a huge trend for the past few seasons now – and we don’t see them going away anytime soon. They can truly update an outfit or transform a look instantly. But with so many options, how do you know which one is right for you? Sometimes, we’re stumped, too! We turned to a couple of fashion experts who could help us decipher what type of belt to buy, what width is best for your body type, how to wear it and much more. Read below for our best belt tips! (more…)