Beauty of a Site Blog

[caption id="attachment_418" align="alignleft" width="159" caption="All Access Shampoo Bar"][/caption] We have to admit it: We think that shampoo bars are just too cool.  So, as you can imagine, we were doubly excited when Tigi released three new Rockaholic products for the season, including the All Access Shampoo Bar.  Shampoo is notoriously hard to travel with, and we're pretty sure this is the perfect go-anywhere-solution.  Toss it in a gym bag, purse or suitcase for the perfect sudsy cleanse on the go! Along with the Shampoo Bar, Tigi added the Groupie Texturizing Spray Pomade as well as the Way Out Super Hair Glue.  Both products make styling super simple, taking into account the unique needs of individual rockstar-inspired styles that we just can't get enough of! Not sure if these products are for you?  Each of these new Rockaholic products can achieve different styles effortlessly! Here are our tips for use:

• Use the Shampoo Bar: For a standard daily cleanse, anywhere!
• Use the Groupie Spray Pomade: For extra texture and separation with a bit of hold- great for waves or curls!
• Use the Way Out Glue: For faux hawks, mohawks and general spiky styles that shouldn't BUDGE

Check out all of the great Rockaholic products here!

We're always excited to see what Zoya will send us for fall.  More than any of the other nail polish brands that we carry, Zoya always makes an entire collection work together so well.  Seeing the polishes all together always helps us love each individual color that much more!  Zoya sent us two palettes for the 2009 Fall season: Zoya Truth Collection Made up of six beautiful and warm metallic colors.  Deep coppers & reds with a couple of purples to compliment fall wardrobes. Zoya Dare Collection Six vampy, dark & mysterious opaque, cream polishes.  Dark purples, violets, a blue and even an evergreen for welcoming in cool weather and winter accessorizing. We have to tell you, they're as lovely in person as they are in the photos!  We're selling them like crazy!  Snag these classy collections here! Let us know what you think of these colors, and if you've had time to try them, upload some pictures!

I used to think that summer was all about vacations, warm nights & sunny days, but the older I get, I'm finding that the weekends of my summer are filled with weddings.  And with all of my friends getting married, there seem to be constant bridal showers to attend!  If you're like me, you're coming down with the wedding registry blues, and you're ready to give the bride something she'll love! Here are some of our from-our-experience tips on getting the bride the perfect, unique gift. [caption id="attachment_403" align="alignright" width="156" caption="Get Fresh Memories of Paris Bubble Bath"][/caption] 1.  Preparing for a wedding is stressful.  Each bride could really use a break and time to relax more than anything.  Though rest and relaxation don't fit too well in a box, a spa gift certificate does!  Send the bride-to-be for a day of stress-free pampering! 2.  A complete Breakfast-in-Bed kit for her and her fiance to enjoy on the honeymoon and beyond!  Include cute & comfy pajamas, a bed tray, a pair of plastic place settings and cups that won't spill in a carefully arranged basket.  How thoughtful! 3.  A beautiful bottle of bubble bath.  The Get Fresh Memories of Paris Bubble Bath is our favorite shower gift to give, because the bubbles are not only scented like a romantic bouquet of flowers, but the gorgeous glass bottle is simply beautiful! A luxurious bath is something a girl never grows out of! 4.  A photo calendar featuring photos of the bride and groom to be!  If you're close enough to the bride to be able to sneak around her computer (of her fiance is willing to help!), collect 20-30 photos of the couple to make into a photo calendar.  Include their families' important birthdays, anniversaries and little notes to make their first year together special. How are you keeping up with all of your bridal showers?  Have any good gift ideas to pass along?  Please share!

We're excited to announce that Beauty of a Site has started carrying Philip B Hair Products! We can't tell you how happy we are to make these products available to our internet community.  Probably the best hair treatments available, Philp B products are carefully designed by Philip B himself, who is truly Hollywood's hair treatment expert.  Each product specifically addresses the damage that day to day routines can cause hair and besides shampooing, volumizing, anti-frizzing or smoothing, the product deeply treats tired hair, helping your 'do to look healthier than ever! The coolest part about Philip B products is that they are not only incredibly effective, but they are based on pure botanical ingredients and essential oils, making them extremely nourishing and safe for your hair. Featured in magazines worldwide, Philip B products such as the Lovin' Leave In Conditioner, the Imperial Shampoo & the Maui Wowie Beach Mist have been adored on pages of Lucky Magazine, Vogue, Elle, Life & Style, Glamour & In Style, among many others! Check out all of the new Philip B products here! Ever used Philip B?  Let us know what you thought and share your product reviews below!

Confession: I saw The Half Blood Prince at midnight on Tuesday. And even though I'm still catching up on sleep, I was far from disappointed. The movie was entertaining, the acting was superb, and Emma Watson is prettier than ever. [caption id="attachment_393" align="alignright" width="252" caption="Emma Watson at HP Hollywood Premier"][/caption] When her role as Hermione began, Emma Watson showed up on screen as a frizzy haired young girl whose acting talent and charm captured the hearts of Harry Potter fans everywhere. In a few short years, Emma has grown up to be a beautiful young woman, whose poise and natural beauty are getting as much attention as her skills on the screen. Now a Vogue covergirl and international super star, Emma Watson's look is one we can't get enough of.  We're featuring her this month in our Steal the Look section here, helping you achieve her loose waves and carefree up-do. As far as the movie, let me spend three seconds telling you that it was wonderful.  Wasting no time with back story, it dives right in where The Order of the Pheonix left off, sharing deeper emotions, gripping experiences and a very grown up plot line that audiences of all ages will love. Click here to learn about stealing Emma's look!

On rainy days, enjoying Zoya Matte polish, Rosie Jane's Leila Lou and Moroccan Oil's Hydrating Hair Mask help us survive the gloom. Today was a rough day, but with these wonderful treats (and jelly beans) we survived!

[caption id="attachment_378" align="alignleft" width="201" caption="Sandra at the premier of "The Proposal""][/caption] Making 44 years old look like a piece 'a cake, Sandra Bullock was absolutely gorgeous at the premier of "The Proposal," now showing at theaters across the country.  If we can look half as good as she does at her age, we'll be the happiest people alive. Sporting a beautiful satin dress with an assymetrical neckline- accessorized perfectly- Sandra was truly a knockout.  Her loose curls and feminine make-up choices were perfect for the look- and have her looking younger and more beautiful than ever. Looking for tips for achieving Sandra's timeless beauty?  Click here to visit our "Steal the Look" page for Sandra, where you can totally achieve her everyday, simple chic beauty.  We'll even suggest some products that we've found help us get the look just right! We're featuring her as our celebrity of choice this month, because we can't get enough of her!

We spend emmense amounts of time- and product- trying to keep our styles under control when humidity gets the best of us. We- the Beauty of a Site Staff- find ourselves in the middle of Illinois, where humidity reigns from May to August, plotting to ruin our styles for 4 long months. But thanks to Rodney Cutler, Cutler Hair Care creator and celebrity runway stylist, we've tripped across one of our favorite humidity proof styles yet: To get this trendy twist on a classic French twist, follow Rodney Cutler's advice below:

• Prep hair with Cutler Volumizing Spray from roots to ends & rough dry, focusing on directing the hair up to create volume at the crown.
• Using a tail comb, create a deep side part.
• Back comb all of the hair behind the ears to create volume at the crown and emphasize the head shape.
• Secure the hair into a low side ponytail on the same side as the side part allowing for a loose/messy texture throughout the crown and a bit smoothing around the edges.
• Using either elastic string or a thin ribbon, fold the hair of the ponytail back and forth into itself to create the "bun/chignon" shape.

We love this look!  Give it a shot and let us know if you like it!  We'd LOVE to see pics!

In today's industry, a flat, matte, no-luster polish is totally taking over nail polish fashion, and it seems like everyone is talking about.  And when we say matte, we mean MATTE. Three of our favorite brands are offering matte nail polish solutions, which we're totally excited about: OPI is releasing six of their classic OPI colors in a chic matte finish.  The OPI Matte Collection includes matte versions of Alpine Snow, Gargantuan Green Grape, You Don't Know Jacques!, La Paz-itively Hot, Lincoln Park After Dark & Russian Navy.  These colors will start selling everywhere in July, but we're starting pre-orders next week! Click here to purchase & for product availability updates. [caption id="attachment_356" align="alignright" width="170" caption="Zoya MatteVelvet Collection"][/caption] Zoya's matte polishes are from the Zoya MatteVelvet Collection, set to release in July.  This three polish collection offers interesting matte shimmer choices, claiming to be as matte as ever, with a subtle shimmer for an extra ounce of wearability.  These are also going to be available for ordering.  Click here to order & check product availability! (by the way, from the swatches I've seen, these are TOTALLY my favorite) [caption id="attachment_354" align="alignleft" width="154" caption="Essie Matte About You Matte Finisher"][/caption] Essie approached the matte polish trend from a totally different angle.  Instead of releasing a matte collection for the fall, in August, they are releasing the Essie Matte About You Matte Finisher.  This matte topcoat is designed to make ANY Essie polish totally matte.  We're excited about this product, because it allows you to make any of your favorite colors matte, without having to buy all new!  What a good idea!  We'll be selling this in August, at this link.

Sun screen is something we've been smearing all over ourselves since the time we were infants. We feel good about protecting ourselves from sun damage, but rarely pause to consider what exactly we're putting on our skin; what exactly we're allowing our skin to absorb. [caption id="attachment_347" align="alignleft" width="92" caption="Azur Sunscreen, SPF 30 & 40"][/caption] Sunscreens include powerful sun-blocking ingredients that, while being extremely effective at protecting our skin, can be absorbed into our systems and cause some serious damage.  Ranging from free radical damage, disruption of hormone activity and potentially carcinogenic activity, chemicals like oxybenzone, avobenzone, octocrylene & octinoxate found in many sunscreens might hurt your skin worse than a sun burn! Don't worry... we have a solution!  We're really excited about Azur sunscreen, an all-natural, mineral based sunscreen that is 100% chemical free- and effective!  Loaded with important vitamins & moisturizing aloe vera, this luxurious sunscreen attributes its effectiveness to using a physical instead of a chemical barrier against UV radiation.  What a good idea. If you're interested in ordering some Azur sunscreen, click here.  We'd love to send you some.

After much anticipation, Moroccan Oil has finally added shampoos and conditioners to their product line!  Introducing Moroccanoil Moisture Repair Shampoo & Conditioner.  The beauty industry's been raving about the incredible benefits of argan oil for months now, and it's finally made it's way into a daily use shampoo, designed for all hair types, made to infuse your hair with natural moisture & shine.  (They even released a gift bag that includes the shampoo, conditioner & original oil, so you can send your new discovery to your favorite Moroccanoil junkie!) And to boot: it's color-safe!  Damaged and dry hair is Moroccan Oil's specialty, and color-treatment is to blame for most of the hair damage that we experience on a daily basis.  With that in mind, Moisture Repair Shampoo & Conditioner is sulfate, phosphate & paraben free.  Sweet.

Click here to get some more info or to purchase. Have any Moroccan Oil success stories for us?  Leave us a comment, or leave a product review on our website here.

Everything!  I was reading this month's Glamour this morning and noticed that Sandra Bullock was casually dressed in a bunch of different purple-y hues.  I love how they look on her! We all knew purple was sweeping the scene this summer, but I'm totally loving it way more than I expected to. Get some purple into your routine... ... with the perfect purple polishes (like Sandra's!).  OPI has faithfully given us all of the vibrant violet shades that we can handle, and our staff favorites include OPI Miami Beet, OPI Louvre Me Louvre Me Not & OPI Bogota Blackberry.  Creme, shimmery, pearly- we love it all. ... with a dramatic eyeshadow for at night.  Our personal favorite is Tigi Bed Head's Cyberoptics Eyeshadow in Passion.  A warm purple with a subtle sparkle.  Perfect! ... with Betty Beauty's Sexy Betty hair dye kit... for the hair down there. ... with a subtle twist of eyeliner in a violet hue.  Rosie Jane's Grapevine eye define is shaped to allow for the perfect amount of control and blending, so that you can add just the right amount of purple to neutral eye make-up. ... with Beauty of a Site.  Purple's our signature color, after all. :) How are you getting your violet fix? Fill us in!