I am a huge fan of a messy bun.  Maybe it stems from my days of dance classes growing up or maybe it comes from not always taking the time to “do” my hair every morning.  Whatever it is, most days you can find me with my hair in a bun.  I have quite the assortment of bobby pins of all shapes, styles and colors….and now I don’t know what to do with them….

….Because I bought a Spin Pin.  I am not exaggerating when I say I bought this on Tuesday and I haven’t worn my hair down since.  And I had a dream last night that I couldn’t find my spin pin and I was frantic.  When I found it, my mom had somehow twisted it so it didn’t work anymore and I was pretty upset.  Don’t read too much into the dream, except that I’m clearly obsessing over this product.

The package comes with two spin pins but since my hair is so thin, I’ve only needed to use one to keep my bun in place.  One pin!  Normally I use five or 6 bobby pins and they fall out throughout the day and I have to constantly restyle.  But with the Spin Pin I take my hair, twirl it into a bun and then take my Spin Pin and twist it up into the bun from the bottom like it’s a corkscrew. And I’m done.  It is unbelievably simple and holds into place remarkably well.  Women with thicker hair – I’m looking at you, Melissa – will probably need to use both pins but, still, I’m pretty sure you’re going to love it.  Plus!  You aren’t limited to just creating a “messy bun” – you can do several different up-dos with ease.  I have several weddings to attend in the next few months…guess how I’m doing my hair….

Has anyone else tried the Spin Pin yet?  Are you loving it as much as me?  Or did it not work for you?  I’m curious! Let us know with a comment…

You’ve probably heard of Groupon, LivingSocial, Woot! and all of those a-deal-a-day sites in their respective niches.  BloomSpot, is another one of those group deal websites.  BloomSpot, however, caters to customers with an affinity for the finer things in life.  According to their website, “BloomSpot is about enjoying a short lived special opportunity to enjoy yourself close to home.”  They work with luxury brands, ranging from hoteliers and spas, to four star restaurants, to trendy fitness classes – all targeting the discerning recessionista.

If you’re in the Los Angeles area, you can purchase these services:

Combo Lash  for $85 (a $175 value)

or

the Signature Eyelash Extensions for $175 (a $375 value)

At D’Lashes by Dionne Phillips

Do you ever envy your friends that have naturally long, dark and perfectly curled lashes?  Well, envy no more!  Now, you can have long, think and luscious lashes yourself!  Lashes are applied one by one on top of your real eyelashes – for a look that looks and feels completely natural.  The process takes anywhere from 1-2 hours depending on where you get it done, and can last 6-8 weeks.  6-8 weeks!!!

A-list celebs get this done all the time (don’t think they’re all naturally gorgeous!).  Beauty is an investment

Nadine Jolie wrote about her experience with Daniel Dinh’s lash extensions a few weeks ago.

If you’re considering lash extensions, grab this deal ASAP, because you only have about a day and a half left!

The necklace Jessica is wearing is on sale today!

Wendy Culpepper Jewelry is having a one-day-only sale today and it is kind of epic:  

All of their gold vermeil pieces are on sale today for 50% off – no code needed!  

I own the ring pictured here and it is one of my favorite pieces that I wear all the time. It is usually $115 but today you can snatch it up for $57.50.  There are rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets all for really good prices and I am totally going to take advantage of the deals.  I’ve had my eye on a few of the pieces from the Alligator Collection for awhile now – no better day than today to finally make some wishes come true.  There is one ring that I love that is only $20 today – that is a steal!!  If you love jewelry, then you have to check out the artistry of Wendy’s designs.  These are truly unique pieces that you’ll get tons of compliments on – Wendy Culpepper has a major celebrity following and has been featured in some of your favorite magazines and tv shows and movies.  Truly designer, truly special, truly worth it.

Maybe it’s because today is the first day of summer.  Maybe it’s because I need to update my sandal collection.  Maybe it’s because they are on sale.  Or maybe it is just because they are so darn pretty.  Whatever the reason is, I’m obsessed with these gladiator sandals from Yosi Samara.  The cutout details in the leather give these sandals an old-world vibe that is irresistible.  The detail of the gold trim on the heel give them a look that totally justifies being worn on more “formal” occasions and yet the brown leather keep them versatile for more casual outfits.  And the price is totally reasonable for a sandal that can do so much.  My birthday is tomorrow…maybe I should treat myself!  What do you think of them?  Do they look perfect to you too?  Or is it just the summer heat talking?

When summer rolls around, I’m a sucker for flowy, flirty, inexpensive dresses.  I am drawn to them like a moth to a flame but I’m trying to curb my spending habits this summer, so I’ve abstained.  But last week I was in Target and couldn’t help but try on a few.  I put them back and was able to walk away.   But there was one that haunted me throughout the week.  They have this adorable smocked dress in black and blue and I really wanted the royal blue color.  Of course, they didn’t have my size so I tried on the black.  Cute, very cute.  But I wanted the blue, hence my self-control….

….until I went there yesterday and thought, “Well, let me just check to see if they have the blue in my size now.”  And they did.  So I did.  I bought it. It was $24.99, so I justified it to my wallet.  And I’m already planning out the good times I’m going to have with that dress, starting with my birthday bbq next weekend.

Sometimes it’s the simple things, you know?

Have you scored any deals on your summer faves this year?  Bathing suits, dresses, sandals?  Leave a comment and tell me more, tell me more!

It’s been unusually overcast and drizzly in L.A. lately, but Memorial Day is approaching and that means summer is right around the corner, no matter what the weather has to say about it! In the spirit of ushering in the hottest season of the year, why not check out Bath & Body Works’ seasonal Summer Vanillas Collection?

Pretty much everyone loves the sweet scent of vanilla on its own, but B&BW had the brilliant idea of pairing the perennial favorite with three delicious and complementary scents - namely, Berry, Coconut and Lemon. Berry Vanilla, Coconut Vanilla and Lemon Vanilla are available as shower gels, cooling mists, fragrance mists, candles, hand soaps and scrumptious flavored lip glosses.

If you feel like you simply can’t choose and must have all three scents, fret not: Bath & Body Works is currently offering a Buy 3, Get 2 Free OR Buy 2, Get 1 Free deal on the entire Summer Vanillas Collection. Products range in price from $5 for the hand soaps to $12.50 for the fragrance mist. Which one will become your new summer favorite?

Since I was running out of my coconut body scrub and I had a coupon for $1 off Aveeno products, I decided to try out one of the body washes in their new Positively Nourishing line, which promises “essential moisturizing benefits” coupled with “delicious and exciting fragrances.” The delicious, exciting fragrance I selected was Fig + Shea Butter, because a) figs smell amazing, and b) you don’t see many fig-scented beauty products, especially in the drugstore. So how well did my gamble pay off?

I love this body wash! Seriously. I’ve always had good experiences with Aveeno in the past, so I wasn’t exactly surprised, but this stuff smells delicious, lathers up nicely and doesn’t leave your skin feeling dry or tight. The scent really does become “amplified by the steam from your shower,” and it smells nicely figgy rather than weird and artificial. (I suspect it would also make for a nice bubble bath, although I haven’t had a chance to try it out yet in that capacity.) The bottle is a nice size as well, and it came packaged with a sample of Aveeno’s excellent shampoo and conditioner, so for the $6 I paid, I’m very happy. Incidentally, you can fill out a survey and get a coupon for $3 off any two Positively Nourishing products in the mail. While browsing the collection, my only complaint is that they don’t offer body wash and body moisturizer in the same scents. For instance, I would love to have a Fig + Shea Butter moisturizer or a Blueberry + Goji Berry body wash.

Has anyone else tried the Positively Nourishing line yet? What do you think?

Stop by Ulta’s website and check out their BOGO (Buy 1, Get 1 Free) sale - there are tons of great deals to be had on Ulta brand cosmetics (including minerals) and beauty tools. You can browse through seven pages of deals, to be exact, on everything from eyeshadow and lipstick to callus shavers and cuticle nippers! Whatever you need, Ulta probably has it…and now, you can get 2 for the price of 1. Yay!

Sometimes a beauty synchronicity occurs here at the Latest Beauty headquarters.  Completely independent of one another, Melissa and I were checking out Tresemme products…but we had no idea that either of us were.  While she was testing out their new dry shampoo, I was developing a love affair with Tresemme’s Heat Tamer Spray.  Here’s how it happened:

I had just gotten the best haircut of my life and I was looking for ways to keep my “fresh from the salon” look going.  I was paying careful attention to what products my stylist used on my hair so that I could recreate the look at home.  I had already invested in a CHI flat iron so that I could straighten as well as he does.  And I started taking the time to blow dry my hair with the aid of a round brush.  But I still felt like was missing something.  I noticed that he sprayed on some sort of protectant before flat-ironing my hair and I decided that is what I needed.  I wanted an affordable drugstore option so I went to Target and began my search.

I was a bit overwhelmed.  There are A LOT of products available to protect your hair from heat and I wasn’t sure which one would be best.  I ended up choosing Tresemme’s Heat Tamer for two reasons:

1.  It smelled really good.

2.  It was under $5.

I decided, if anything, at least I wasn’t spending too much if I didn’t love it.

Well….

…I love it.

My hair feels so soft when I use it.  And I use it whenever I’m using any heat appliances - hair dryer, flat iron or curling iron.  And I recently was on set and the hair stylist commented on how good my hair smelled and then she demanded to know what products I used.  I was quick to rave about my Tresemme find.  I have very fine hair that is “volume-challenged” so I was worried that using another product might weigh it down…but that’s just not the case.  I’ve been having some of my best hair days since I made this little discovery.

Do you have a protective product that you can’t live without?  Tell me about it!

* Tresemme did not send us products or compensate for these reviews - both the heat tamer spray and dry shampoo were bought by us and independently reviewed.

If you’re thinking of checking out Tresemme’s Fresh Start Dry Shampoo, which I previewed last week, then get thee to a Walgreen’s immediately! The drugstore chain is currently offering a sale on all Tresemme hair care products - they’re marked down to 3 for $10, which comes out to $3.34 apiece. If you print out this coupon, which gives you an additional $2 off any Fresh Start product, you can walk away with a brand new, full size bottle of dry shampoo for just $1.34! I bought mine today, and plan to review it later this week, but I can guarantee you won’t find a better deal than this. What are you waiting for?

ATTENTION ALL URBAN DECAY FANS: Now through April 19th, you’ll receive 30% off of your order at the UD website when you enter the code 1SFNF at checkout! UD always has a great selection of intriguing products, so you can stock up on old favorites or discover a few new ones. Enjoy!

Whether you’re a longtime fan of dry shampoo (I know ladies who swear by the stuff) or a complete newbie to the no-water-required-for-cleansing action, here’s some news that should make you very happy: Dry shampoo can now be had at drugstore prices! In fact, Tresemme has created an entire line, called Fresh Start, of products meant to revivify lagging locks without requiring you to stick your head under a faucet. The offerings include a no-frizz creme, a refreshing mist and a waterless foam shampoo (for curly hair), but the one I’m planning to get my hands on right away is the spray-on shampoo, shown here. The spray contains mineral clay to help absorb oil, as well as citrus extracts to lend a fresh scent to your hair. What’s dry shampoo for, you ask? Try getting an extra day or two out of your blowout, prolonging your color between visits to the stylist, travel situations (like camping) where showers might be scarce, people who are unable to shower or bathe due to an injury, or just those of us who like to refrain from shampooing on a daily basis but miss the feeling of freshly washed hair. Dry shampoos have been available at higher-end beauty retailers like Sephora for a while now, but the lines they carry tend to cost upwards of $20 for a single bottle. Tresemme Fresh Start retails for under $10 - and if you download and print this coupon, you can take an additional $2 off! I should have a review of this product next week, but in the meantime, let me know what you think if you happen to grab a bottle at your local drugstore.

Revisiting old posts seems to be a theme for me on LB lately - case in point, last Friday’s update on how well it works to use sea salt as an acne treatment (hint: very!). In the spirit of finishing what I’ve started, I’m going to revisit two more products that I posted about but never actually got my hands on…until now. Fortunately, both were worth the wait!

First, I am happy to announce that I finally have my own glorious bottle of Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear polish in Wet Cement, which I wrote about in my gray nail polish post and have been attempting to track down for months. In fact, I’m actually wearing it on my nails as I type these very words! Hurrah. I’m not sure why I was so obsessed with this particular gray polish; maybe it’s something about the price tag ($3 or so), maybe it’s the fact that it’s at least a shade or two lighter than most gray polishes…or maybe it was just the fact that it eluded me for so long, which only intensified my frustration. In any case, I picked up a bottle (one of only two left on the shelves!) at a nearby Walgreen’s, and wow. It is creamy, shimmer-free, cement-colored heaven! Not only is the color fun and unexpected without being over-the-top, it was also extremely easy to apply; great coverage, opaque in 2 coats, and very shiny, even before a topcoat. Plus, it’s been a few days now and still no chipping! Love it. (Note: I actually have a few different polishes from the Xtreme Wear line, and they’re all pretty great - if you’re interested in trying out new/trendy colors on the cheap, I highly recommend it.)

While at Walgreen’s, I also spotted my other new beauty obsession - the EOS Smooth Sphere lip balm, which I wrote about way back in June of ‘09. I’ve been meaning to pick one up for a while, because I’m basically infatuated with the strange packaging, but I pretty much forgot all about them. The only flavor they still had in stock was Honeysuckle Honeydew, so I snatched it up. The bulbous container and lightly fruit-scented, waxy sphere of balm contained therein are both absolutely adorable, but I was even more delighted by how smooth and soft my lips felt after applying. I expected the EOS Smooth Sphere to be little more than a novelty, but I was wrong! It’s actually an excellent product, and earth-friendly to boot - 95% organic and 100% natural, to be exact. Like the Sally Hansen polish, these can also be had for a mere $3 or so. You’re welcome!

Pardon me while I dream about spring for a minute….

I was browsing through Piperlime’s clothing section and came across this plaid shirt dress that I immediately started obsessing over:

I love the colors and the way it belts and I even liked the grey heels that they styled it with.  I got all excited to order it and then I realized it was $139…out of my budget for a shirt dress.

So I clicked over to Forever 21 and found this plaid shirt dress…

…for only $22.90.  I’m not as crazy about the colors as I am about the Piperlime one…but I am much crazier about the price.  Just goes to show that it can pay to shop around.  Now I think I can afford the heels too!

I have always been a huge Natalie Portman fan.  And I have always been a huge Rodarte fan.  When the Rodarte for Target line hit stores right before Christmas, I was quick to pick up this yellow tulle/lace skirt to add to my wardrobe.  I’ve been stumped with how exactly to make it into an outfit though.  Well, leave it up to the fabulous Natalie to wear the similar slip dress version of my skirt.  Now I know how fab it would look with some black accessories! It doesn’t look like they have the yellow version of the dress online anymore but they do have the black one and coral one, if you’re interested in scoring some high fashion that is red-carpet ready at a totally affordable price.  Or you can always go with the skirt and put your own twist on the trend!

Surely you’ve heard by now that Sex and the City 2 will be hitting theaters in 2010, and no matter how you felt about the storylines and character development in the last movie, you’ll probably want to know what Carrie & Co. are wearing. The above image of Sarah Jessica Parker/Carrie Bradshaw in a comfy-looking white jersey dress and fabulous gold accessories is probably already familiar to you if you’ve seen the film’s promo poster, and it could be an easy one to duplicate - even if you’re on a budget. Start by throwing on a short-sleeved white dress that nips in at the waist and has a scoop or V-neck to show off those amazing collarbones. This See by Chloe pleated jersey dress will do the job nicely, and it’s marked down from $470 to $141, making it surprisingly affordable as well. Next, you’ll need a cool statement necklace; I love this Twining Snake Necklace from Rock Paper Scissors Jewelry ($49). While Carrie’s handbag is a structured gold clutch, this shiny gold wristlet from Express has the same feel for just $15.75, and a pair of glittery gold platform heels from Wet Seal will up your footwear glamour quotient for under $25. And, finally, the piece de resistance - a pair of gold mirrored aviator shades - can be purchased from Amazon.com for the astonishingly low price of $6.99 for a 3-pack!

What do you think of Carrie’s look? Are you excited for SATC 2?

Holidays are stressful, y’all.  There are all the parties, the gift giving, the holiday cheer, the elbowing in the stores.  And you often feel like you’re being pulled in ten different directions so that you can get everything just right.  I can feel the tension building just thinking about it.  We are in the midst of Hanukkah and Christmas is next Friday….do you think you can squeeze in a little R&R for yourself before the end of the year?  Because if you can, and you are in the LA area, then you need to check out this rundown of spa specials that expire at the end of the year.  If you don’t think you can fit in some “me” time, you might change your mind when you read about some of these tantalizing treatments.  I am totally getting the Rock Star treatment over at El Leon Spa on Beverly Blvd.   Here’s the rundown:

El Leon, a Spanish-Moroccan oasis, and its sister spa the Raven, inspired by the jungles of Thailand, offer $50 off a treatment they call the Rock Star: more than two hours of services featuring a Dead Sea salt and lavender oil hand/foot massage, a full-body Thai massage, and a head, neck and face massage ($135, regularly $185).

TWO HOURS of services for what some spas charge for one hour??  And I have been dying to try a Thai massage.  Mama needs to be stretched.  Seriously.  Now I know what to tell my husband to get me for Christmas.  Heck, we should go together as a holiday treat for both of us.  Which means my shopping for him is done…ooh…I can already feel the tension slipping away…

If massages aren’t your thing, there are plenty of spas offering deals on facials and pedis and more.  Treat yourself.  You deserve it.

It has been chilly here in Los Angeles the past few days and it really is “beginning to look a lot like Christmas,” to quote the holiday song.  However you celebrate this time of year, tomorrow is the perfect day to get some of your holiday shopping with done with the 2nd Annual Holiday Walk on the Avenues.  From 6:00 - 9:00 on Dec. 10th, participating businesses in West Hollywood will be offering shoppers special discounts, hors d’oeuvres, beverages, and signature gifts.  There are even going to be roaming carolers and Santas throughout the Avenues and personal shoppers to help you get all you need on your list.  The Avenues of Art and Design consist of Melrose, Beverly and Robertson, with the Pacific Design Center as the district’s anchor.

This sounds like a great way to get into the holiday spirit.  I plan on grabbing a few girlfriends and making an evening out of it.  I can already picture us sipping our hot cocoa, walking along with the holiday lights twinkling and scoring deals at stores like  Kitson and Coco de Mer.  Fa la la la la, indeed!

I have a confession:  Until about a month ago, I had not bought shampoo or conditioner for well over a year.  I had some Garnier products stockpiled from an event I went to early in 2008 and I didn’t need to buy anything new.  And, another confession, I still have enough shampoo and conditioner to get me through another few months…

But I recently decided to grow out my shoulder length hair and I’ve heard nonstop chatter about Pantene’s Beautiful Length Collection.  On blogs, in magazines - it keeps showing up everywhere - and people are raving.  Marie Claire’s editors even voted the conditioner as one of the best products of all time.  That is a pretty bold claim.   And I got curious…could it live up to its hype?

So I broke down and finally bought the Pantene Beautiful Lengths shampoo and conditioner…

Pantene claims that their Beautiful Lengths line allows your hair to remain healthy and strong in order for it to grow past its “breaking point,”  protecting against breakage when it is both wet and dry.  My hair is fragile - it is thin and I shed so much that at times I wonder how I’m not completely bald.    So a product that claims to protect against breakage gets my attention.  What holds my attention is that this is the first drugstore shampoo and conditioner that I have tried that actually delivers on its claim.  I’ve been using Beautiful Lengths for over a month now and my hair has never felt softer.  And, while I’m fully aware that it may be the power of suggestion, my hair seems longer.  To really quantify the effect, I definitely shed less - which I can tell by my comb. And looking at my ends, there is definitely less breakage.  Which is another major bonus, since I haven’t had my hair cut since…September?  I think?

I am beyond pleasantly surprised by my month-long affair with Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths and I have a feeling this is going to turn into a long-term relationship.  I wasn’t looking for love but sometimes the right product comes along and surprises you.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving (yay!), and that can only mean one thing: Black Friday is almost upon us. Even if the recession is bumming you out, you have to do your holiday shopping sometime, and Black Friday - a.k.a. the day after Thanksgiving - always offers some amazing money-saving deals that you can’t score any other time of the year. If you’re planning to wake up bright and early to hit the stores on Friday, why not stop by your local H&M? They’re offering 25% Off on everything storewide from opening until 10 AM. (Yes, this sale ends at 10 AM, so if you’re a night owl like me you’re going to have to set your alarm for sure!) If you miss the big sale, you can still find marked down items all day, starting at just $5. Have fun!