1. The little black dress.
This should be a simple black dress that can work for many different occasions. For the office, wear with a scarf, for a night out, add a piece of statement jewelry.

2. Black blazer.
The key is finding one that is flattering for your body. If your waist is one of your best features, go for a more fitted look. A black blazer with jeans and a button-down is a very chic and timeless look.

New website allows you to rent clothes like DVD’s

3. Speaking of white button-down shirts…
Invest in a new one every season. This one item can make you look crisp and clean. You can never go wrong when you pair it with jeans, dress pants or a skirt.

4. Well-cut trousers.
If you are only buying one pair of winter-weight trousers, pick one in black or navy. You can wear them paired with so many different options. Make sure you match the length of the pants with the height of your shoes.

5) A big black bag.
Often called a “schlep” bag because it holds everything, whether you’re chasing toddlers or contracts, your bag should fit your needs. The right shoes and bag can make an ordinary outfit look like so much more. Click here for more.

The 4 Best Pants For Plus-Size Women

How To Twist Your Hair Into A Quick, But Chic Bun

As you all know from my last DIY Hair post, I’m a big fan of do-it-yourself beauty. I fell in love with applying nail decals two years ago when I picked up a pack of Kiss nail stickers at a local beauty store. The nail designs add pizzazz to your manicure even if you’re only wearing clear polish.

Today, I’m going to teach you how to expand your self-pampering with a great salon quality manicure that you can do at home.

Things you’ll need:
1.) Clear nail polish
2.) Nail hardener/Nail Buffer
3.) Nail Polish
4.) Nail decals
5.) Nail file
6.) Nail Bonder/Nail Glue
7.) Cuticle Remover
8.) Tweezer

Step 1.) It is usually best to primp your nails right after you shower since your cuticles have softened from the moisture, they’ll be easier to remove off this way. Once you’ve removed the excess cuticle carefully, buffer and file your nails to the shape you desire. Clean off the dust after buffering/filing your nails and go ahead and apply a base coat.

Step 2.) Base coat is your best friend when applying nail polish. They protect your nail from staining, especially if you are going with a highly pigmented color. As an option, for growing the length of your nails would be to use nail hardener to use as a base. Nail hardener’s come in various price points, but even the cheapest ones as well too.

Step 3.) After base coat (two applications) put on the color you wish to use, going from the sides first then painting towards the center of the nail. After applying one coat on each nail, do the same for the other hand. Once the nails have dried, repeat the step for a second round.

Step 4.) Before the last coat begins to dry, apply the nail decal/sticker you desire. Some nail designs have adhesive on the back where you just apply topcoat once completed. For others you must use Bonder which serves as the adhesive. Or you can sparingly use nail glue to keep your nail art in place. Tweezers are helpful to pick up the decals and place them on top of your fingernails.

Share photos from your DIY manicure on our Facebook page or send us a twitpic @HelloBeautiful.

For more on DIY Beauty, tweet @NessaLovesMusic!

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Winter is here! Will your hair withstand the oncoming dryness? The harsh cold winter can be very damaging to your hair. This season is the most rigorous, and it is your hair’s number one enemy. If you do not start preparing ways to protect your hair now, you could potentially face some bad hair days. Think hat hair, static hair, split ends, brittle strands of hair, and dry frizz. Yikes!

Before winter is in full swing, read these tips and see how you can include them into your hair care regime. Also, check out the hydrating products in the photo gallery.

Prevent Dry Hair
Use a regular conditioner daily
Limit your time under a blow dryer
Use a leave-in conditioner before using a blow dryer or curling iron on your hair
Avoid taking hot showers or washing your hair in hot water. Use warm or cool water instead
Avoid shampooing your hair too often
Try using a dry shampoo, like baby powder, if you need to wash out your hair. Simply sprinkle some onto your hair and use a comb to comb it off

Prevent Breakage
Don’t go outside with wet hair. Your hair will freeze if it’s cold enough outside and may break

Prevent Static
Use a fabric softening dryer sheet and rub it lightly on your hair. It will remove the static
Using a natural boar bristle hairbrush with a wooden handle can also reduce static

Prevent Hat Hair
To cut down on hat hair, pull longer locks into a high pony tail, or push short hair straight back before putting on a hat

Add Moisture, Hydrate
Use hair products with the word “replenish” on it
Use hot oil solutions. Try a natural hot oil solution like jojoba hot oil treatment for your hair
If your hair tends to become too dry during winter, try a hair repair mask
Use a thick and heavy leave-in deep treatment conditioner for once or twice a week

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Bright, sparkly and fierce oversized rings are the perfect low cost solution to spice up your everyday outfits, and while last season, it was all about the turquoise and bright orange, this winter it’s all about the bling!

Here are 7 of the best….and all for under $30!

10 Fun Alternatives To Your Average Winter Coat For Under $100

The Top 5 Spring 2011 Jewelry Trends (For Under $50)!

When you’re working on a budget, it’s pretty hard to maintain your hair and makeup without sacrificing your sense of style. Luckily, there are easy adjustments you can make to your regimen that will save you precious pennies without sacrificing your style. Here are 5 easy ways to save on beauty from sheknows.com:

Dye your own roots!

Dyeing your own roots is much cheaper then going to a salon for a touch-up. A box of hair dye costs less than $15, whereas a hair salon usually charges more than $50 for a touch-up — coloring your own roots also helps stretch your color between visits. For those of you who have not colored your own hair before, ask a friend to help you to avoid missing sections.

Choose a hairstyle that is easy to maintain

The shorter your hair the more often you will have to get your hair cut, which means you can spend up to twice as much a year on haircuts. However, if you have a hairstyle that is medium to long in length, you can usually stretch your haircuts for two to three months with occasional trims in between visits.

Can your makeup make you sick?

Get trims between visits

Some salons will offer to trim your hair for less than a regular cut between visits. If your salon does not offer that service, go to Great Clips or Cost Cutters for a cheap trim. This will keep your hair looking healthy and keep you from heading back to the salon and paying full price for another styled cut.

Beauty schools are another great alternative for cheaper haircuts and manicures

Although we are often skeptical about being guinea pigs, especially when it comes to our hair, beauty schools charge far less than salons and they are required to have you leave satisfied with your hair cut/color. With the money you saved on your hair, you can get an inexpensive manicure as well.

Buy in bulk

Beauty stores like Ulta or Sally Beauty Supply usually have sales on their large bottles of hair products (usually buy one get one sales); this is the time to stock up on your favorite products.

GET MORE TIPS HERE

Rihanna spends almost a mil on her looks

Walk Off That Belly Flab

Glorious, shiny hair is not a matter of luck —it is a matter of good hair care. During the summer, the sun’s heat rays can be very damaging, causing hair to become dry, brittle and frizzy. A few simple summer hair care tips will help you keep hair strong and healthy. When it is time to turn on the air conditioning, it is also time to step up the hair conditioning. Regular conditioning treatments are important to keep hair moisturized, shinny and flexible. Don’t take shortcuts when it comes to summer’s hair care regime.

Consider These Summer-Survival Tips:

• If you normally use hot hair tools (blow dryers, hot irons, electric curlers) every day, try and give your hair a break during the summer months. Consider letting your air dry. Take a break from hot curling.

Hair braided with medium to lose tension when wet will air dry into beautiful waves

• For sun exposed or sun damaged tresses, perform regular deep hair conditioning treatments utilizing hair repair products.

• Jojoba oil applied to the ends of your strands will help soften them. Jojoba oil also works wonders on frizzy hair; and can also be utilized as a pre-shampoo treatment or applied to dry strands for protection during the day.

• For extra conditioning treatment apply a deep conditioner to damp or dry tresses, wrap in plastic wrap or a shower cap just before bedtime. Allow the deep conditioner to soak into damaged hair sections overnight for extra repair and re-moisturizing benefits.

GET MORE TIPS HERE

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This summer’s flat sandal fashion features a wide look of comfort, trendy and fun styles to accent the season’s hot looks.

GALLERY: 10 Must-Have Leopard-Print Pieces

Spring Trend: Yellow & Grey

FROM GLAMOUR: It may be hot out, but that doesn’t mean flip-flops are OK for every occasion. Summer-ify your shoe collection with these versatile sandals, heels, and warm-weather wedges.

TRY THESE 4 STYLES:
BUCKLE DETAILS on shoes serve as an updated (and slightly more sophisticated) spin on last season’s gladiator heels.

SAFARI-INSPIRED styles can be added to your wardrobe with minimal fuss and worn with your favorite jeans or denim mini.

BLACK WEDGES are sturdy wardrobe staples that will be comfy for hours on end and add a bit of cool-girl edge to your outfit.

NUDE shoes lengthen your legs. The trick is to find your own perfect skin-tone-matching pair. SOURCE

12 Trendy Flat Sandals For Under $100

GALLERY: 15 Tropical, Island-Inspired Pieces

Why is Kanye always sporting a denim jacket? Could it be that he’s a trendsetter? Is he sending out a signal for you for father’s day?

Dress Dad Up Differently This Father’s Day

VIDEO: Dating, When To Introduce Your Kids?

Solange was spotted awhile ago rocking some polka-dotted nails, and while this was surely the result of a 45-minute, $55 manicure Minx session, GLAMOUR has found a way to DIY at home for less than $10.

Sally Hansen’s Nail Art Pen allows you to get creative with your nails in seconds!

(Gold, Silver, Red, Blue, Hot Pink, Light Pink, Black, White)

Just press the pen point to activate nail color and start designing. Fine-tip pen makes it easy to control and draw precise lines, and the mistake-proof formula can be removed or corrected with a moist cotton swab without damaging dry nail polish.

Here is what a staff member’s hand looked like after she tried it out:

Find it at Walgreen’s.

But, if you’re still craving more than just polka dots and would like the design of tiger stripes, Barack Obama’s face, or your country’s flag on your nails, we’ve still got you covered: DIY: Get Celebrity-Style Minx Nails At Home!

And Check Out Our Interview Of The Week: VIDEO: Toni Braxton Admits To Having A “Cougar Crush” & Blaming Herself For Son’s Autism

Minx Nails are the latest trend in celebrity nails.

The process: The manicurist takes a sticker, heats it under a lamp, then applies it to your nail. Then, using a nail file and scissors, they get off the excess sticker. It’s mess-free and eco-friendly. However, the session can take up to 45 minutes, and manicures can begin at a minimum of $55.

Luckily for you, OPI collaborated with Minx and developed a kit that dresses up your hands and feet in style without having to make an appointment—and the best part—it will only set you back $15.

The application process is as simple as it is chic: rub the strips between your fingers, peel, apply, and trim.

OPI’s Chic Prints for Nails Design Appliques come in Anchor, Black & Gold Geometric, Checkers, Chrome Lace, Fishnet, Skulls, Stars, and Tiger designs.

Click HERE to see more and purchase!

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SHOE TREND: Nude & Natural

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The transformation of Jennifer Hudson over the last few months has been incredible. Through tragedy, she’s come out on the other side with a fiancé, a baby and now a new body that is dressed in what I call urban chic attire, which is described in the fabulous book from Harper’s Bazaar, Great Style, as ”city dwellers that keep a cool vibe in sleek separates.” I’m in 100% agreement, but I’d take it a step further and incorporate the coolest beauty products to bring her entire new look to life. After all, beauty is the icing on the cake.

While Jennifer’s makeup generally looks the same from red carpet to red carpet, I absolutely have no problem with it because she (or her glam squad) have determined that this “unfussy” natural makeup look best suits her and she’s sticking to it. To attain the same easy-breezy look, use L’Oreal’s Wear Infinite Quads Eye Shadow, Earthscape ($7.15, drugstore.com). I like how blending is made easy with the four shades in this quad to help you create the perfect eye look every time. Check out my entry Can You Catch A Man With These Eyes? to learn how to apply eyeshadow.

I don’t find that there’s much difference between the many brands of blotting powders on the market which absorbs oil and perspiration from your skin. What sets Bobbi Brown’s Blotting Papers ($20, saksfifthavenue.com) apart from the rest is its sleek, leather-like refillable case with mirror. Can you think of better packaging for the urban chic lady?

Click to read more.

Hue Knew It? I did.

Get Your Feet Summer Ready

Ladies, please do not bring out your toes if they are not ready to face the world!!! While many women are worried about preparing their bodies for bathing suit season, you should also focus  on preparing your feet for sandal season!

Here are some tips on to get your feet ready for summer:·

Get a pedicure. This is a luxury that all women deserve to have at least once a month. If you’re embarrassed to have someone else see your feet at such close quarters – do not worry,, you can take comfort in knowing that they have seen feet worse than yours.

If you don’t have money to splurge on a pedicure, here’s how you can do it yourself:

Soak your feet in a basin or the tub. Put a few dabs of your  favorite bath oil and two dabs of baking soda. You can also include bath beads if you like. Soak your feet for at least 15 minutes, preferably longer. This will clean and soften your feet (and it is especially useful for softening calluses and corns).

GALLERY: 19 Summer Heels & Wedges For Under $100

Dry your feet off and then use a pumice stone. This will help you smooth out those cracked heels.

Apply a thick foot lotion. I prefer any foot lotion with the refreshing smell of mint.

Now it is time to deal with your toenails. Use your emery board to shape your toenails. Be sure, though, not to completely round off and shorten the corners of your toenails, this can lead to an ingrown toenail. Rather, try to square off your toenails. Do not leave your toenails long! Long fingernails are alright, but long toenails are disgusting.

Use a cuticle stick or cuticle cutters to minimize your cuticles. Be gentle. You do not want to cause in bleeding.

Painted toenails are pretty toenails. Just know, before you paint your toenails, that it is a look that you will have to keep up. Toenails with chipped polish look a lot worse than ones that have not been painted at all.

Finish off with a base coat. A base coat will fortify and protect the nail itself.

Choose a fun and bright color for your polish. Choose one that matches your skin tone.

Use a clear protective coat to finish.

Do not even try walking until your toenails are at least dry to the touch (even at this point, though, you must be careful.

Now slip your feet into those sexy summer sandals!!!

GALLERY: 15 Tropical, Island-Inspired Pieces

FROM BLACK DOCTOR.ORG:

Now that spring has sprung most of us are ready for a change, and nothing spices things up like some fresh hair color. So to prevent any letters coming to me with the above title as the opening line, I thought I’d share these eight simple tips to keep your hair coloring adventures fabulous.

1. No More Than Two At A Time

If you try to make a drastic change with hair color, such as going more than two shades lighter or darker than your natural color, it can be a disastrous. If this does happen, run don’t walk to a professional hair colorist – in most cases it can be fixed in one visit. Don’t try to do it yourself! Fixing a bad dye job is a scientific venture and the professionals know exactly what they’re doing. Even when you seek out a beauty professional to perform or correct color, make sure that hair color is their specialty. There is a difference between a hair stylist that sometimes does color and a hair stylist that specializes in color; it is truly an art and a science.

2. Are You “Warm” Or A “Cool”

This is where fabulous hair color begins: most of us look at a hair color on someone and if we like it, we decide, “I want that color.” Unless you have the same warm or cool skin tones as that person, you could be making a big mistake. Many people would like to think this doesn’t matter. But when it comes to hair color, it’s important to know which one you really are (and it has nothing to do with your fantastic personality).

Hair Tips To Beat The Heat & Humidity

You’re likely a “warm” if you have golden, olive or dark skin and brown or dark eyes (most Latinas, Asians and African Americans fall into this category). “Warm” women tan easily and the veins in their inner wrists are green.

You’re a “cool” if you have fair skin and blue or green eyes, you burn before you tan and the veins in your wrists run blue. If you’re confused because you sometimes burn, sometimes tan, you likely skew warm.

Once you know if you’re a warm or cool, you’ll better know what shades of color look good with your skin tone.

READ MORE HERE

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Treat yourself to a few moments of peace and tranquility!

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We are big fans of this youthful and feminine staple of this spring/summer: Rompers. From the floral prints to the sporty-style ones, they all offer the chance to expose our toned legs as well as sex-appeal. Check out some of our faves below:

5 Ways To Rock Spring’s Hottest Trend: Patterns

GALLERY: 7 Sunny & Sexy Yellow Dresses For Summer

Tell us what do you think of this outfit?

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Free up your hands this season with a lightweight cross-body bag. Take  a look at some of our favorites:

GALLERY: 7 Sunny & Sexy Yellow Dresses For Summer

GALLERY: 10 Summer Little White Dresses

Spring Trend: Dress Down A Dress With A Denim Jacket

FROM BLACKDOCTOR.ORG:

Those five-inch stilettos look so beautiful on their plain white pedestal in the store window. You know exactly what dress they’d be perfect for, but what you don’t know might hurt you.

Sprains, foot aches, blisters, ankle injuries, hammertoes and other long term damage can be caused by wearing shoes with heels that are too high. Podiatrists say wearing high-heeled shoes puts too much pressure on the balls of your feet and your lower back. Calluses and corns are the least of a stiletto-wearing fashionista’s problems. Constant pressure on the feet can result in the thickening of tissue around the nerves in toes and cause pain, stinging and numbness in the toes. The taller the heel is the greater the risk of injury.

High heels make women feel taller, skinnier and sexier. Beyonce popping and bouncing across stage in six-inch heels that look more like weapons is enough to make any woman believe she can survive a few nights on the town in stilettos. Even though Beyonce has admitted she is killing her feet by dancing in stilettos, she never gets on stage without them. The high heel shoe will simply never go out of style, but there are ways to minimize fashion’s damage to your feet.

Go for a wedge or platform style. The wedge style distributes your weight evenly across a greater surface putting less pressure on the balls of your feet. Platforms minimize the relative distance of the sole of the foot to the ground. The height of the platform decreases the relative height of the heel.

12 Trendy Flat Sandals For Under $100

Have a pair of standby shoes. Instead of walking long distances in high heels wear a pair of flats or tennis shoes and change into your high heels when you arrive. If your feet start to hurt halfway through the night don’t be ashamed to slip back into those flats.

READ MORE HERE

GALLERY: 10 Must-Have Leopard-Print Pieces

Often the worst wardrobe mishaps—a missing button or broken bra strap—happen as you are running from meeting to meeting or chained to your desk with no sewing kit in sight. However, you can avoid a Janet Jackson-esque wardrobe malfunction and keep your chic office outfits looking tailored by using common office supplies. Here’s how:

1. Wardrobe Malfunction: Missing Button

Quick Fix: Double-Sided Tape

Let tape temporarily do the work of a button by taping the sides of your shirt together where the missing button reveals too much. Bonus: Unlike using the stapler to close your shirt, tape won’t permanently damage your cute blouses! You can also close the peek-a-boo space between buttons in the same way to prevent your bra or skin from showing.

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2. Wardrobe Malfunction: Scuffed Shoes

Quick Fix: Sharpie

Touch up unsightly nicks and scuffs in your favorite pumps or hottest boots by coloring in the marks with a Sharpie of a similar color.

3. Wardrobe Malfunction: Broken Bra Strap

Quick Fix: Paper Clips or Key Ring

If your bra strap has snapped, simply tie the strap onto one end of a paperclip and hook the other end onto the metal loop at the base of the bra. You can do a similar MacGyver-like trick using a key ring.

GET MORE TIPS HERE

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Check out these must-have denim shorts all under $40:

TREND: “Barbie”-Pink Lips Are So “In”

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Delshawn Rollins once trusted only fellow African-Americans with the delicate task of styling and straightening her tightly curled brown hair.

But that meant enduring hours of salon gossip, ordered-in lunch (and sometimes dinner, too) and occasional mishaps, like the time the ends of her hair snapped off after she had it dyed.

Fed up, the 35-year-old respiratory therapist last fall pulled out a flier she had for a new salon that promised to “work magic” using “Dominican styling.” She was in and out of The Hair Co. USA, which displays the Dominican flag in the front window, within two hours, sporting a straight, feathery “do” for $20 less than she had been paying her old stylist.

“My hair has this flow,” she says. People ask where she has it done.

READ THE REST OF THIS STORY HERE

GALLERY: Female Celebs Whose Weaves Could Clean Up The Oil Spill

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FROM BV ON BEAUTY: Perhaps you may have noticed that hot-pink lips are popping up everywhere these days–and we’re not just talking about Amber Rose or Nicki Minaj. Fashion designers have jumped on to the trend as well; sending models down the runway sporting shades of hot-pink.

You can get in on the action too with a few swipes of hot pink or fuchsia lip-gloss or lipstick. Here’s a list of pink shades to try for the summer.

For a pale pink shade like the one that Solange is rocking try: Mac Lipstick in Pink Nouveau ($14, maccosmetics.com)

To find out where to get shades like Rihanna’s, LaLa’s or Sanaa’s, head over to BV On Beauty by clicking HERE!

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What other celebs are rocking the pink-lip trend? Check the gallery below to find out!

Coca-Cola knows good taste, and now they’re putting their fashion sense to the test. Marketing Week reports that the popular soft drink company has collaborated with Nails Inc. to create the Diet Coke City Collection. Each shade is inspired by one of the four fashion capitals: London, Paris, New York, and Milan.

As for the color selection, “London” is a nude hue depicts the cool fashion of Brits. The deep purple of “Paris” is said to depict the sunset over the Eiffel Tower. “New York” is a vivid fuchsia for the city that never sleeps, while “Milan” is a fiery Italian red. But no matter where you’re from or which city is your fave, these pretty shades will look nice on every skin tone.

READ MORE HERE

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Click here to shop the looks and view them below.

5 Summer Beauty Products You Must Buy

GALLERY: 10 Favorite Dresses To Wear To Work

Simplify your morning routine and slip on one of these office-worthy dresses. Our requirements for the perfect work dress? It shouldn’t be short on style, or too short in length. Wear alone with pumps and sandals, or layer on a cardigan, blazer or jacket for a comfortable, cool and chic 9-to-5 (and beyond) look. Best of all, everything is under $150.

Take a look at our faves:

GALLERY: 10 Must-Have Leopard-Print Pieces

GALLERY: 10 Summer Little White Dresses

“Just Wright” Stars Show Us 4 Perfect “Date Night” Outfits

An easy trick for mixing prints is to keep them far away from each other, like a short floral skirt separated by miles of leg from your leopard-clad feet! Not your cup of tea? Then try a leopard heel paired with a black sheath or similarly tame dress to add a little boost of fun to your work look.

Spring Trend: Yellow & Grey

GALLERY: Chanel Iman For Rosa Cha Swimwear

See celebs rocking this trend in the gallery below!

GALLERY: Chanel Iman For Rosa Cha Swimwear

GALLERY: 10 Summer Little White Dresses

Amir Slama’s chic swimwear elevates the bathing suit to high-fashion status, for both women and men. Bright colors, splashy patterns, and dramatic cutouts embody the exotic and playful spirit of Slama’s native Brazil, where he launched the line in 1990.

Slama left the company last year, but Alexandre Herchcovitch has stepped in as creative director.

His Winter 2010 line mixes beachwear with lingerie.

GALLERY: 10 Beyonce-esque Retro Swimsuits

GALLERY: Chanel Iman Is Summer Chic For Express

20 Swimsuits For Every Body Type

Photos: Beauty Is Diverse