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Antioxidants are key ingredients that fight the signs of aging. Products containing the following ingredients are your first line of defense; Caffiene, Olive Leaf, Mallow Flower, Avocado Oil, Acai Berry.

Headbands
Headbands are always a chic addition to any hairstyle, whether it’s in an updo, a side ponytail or a braid. They’re versatile because they come in all kinds of colors and styles, and they can be placed in numerous positions on your head. Use a volumizing product like Leonor Greyl – Mousse Au Lotus Volumatrice, tease your hair to create body, then slip a headband behind your ears, close to your hairline, over your forehead (hippie-style) or far back on your crown. The possibilities are endless!

Bows
If you’re not afraid to be a bit cutesy, bows are totally hot this season. Glamour Magazine recommends wearing them on a headband, tying a ribbon around your ponytail, securing the end of a braid with one or tying a bow to the front of a retro updo. Just make sure your strands are glossy with Hamadi – Shea Pomade.

Barrettes
Many fashion designers consider barrettes as hair jewelry. As such, the trendiest styles are often big and sparkly, much like cocktail rings for your digits. Use one to pull your hair back into a half-updo, bring your hair to one side or secure a strand behind your ear. Just make sure to keep everything else you’re wearing understated, as you don’t want your look to be overwhelming.

Feathers
While feather extensions are certainly an option, a few simple feathers placed temporarily in your hair is often more budget-friendly and less of a commitment. Stick a few into your braid and secure with Leonor Greyl – Structure Naturelle, or attach a few to a plain headband. As long as they’re not sticking straight up, they’ll look chic.

Headscarves
Scarves can be worn in a variety of ways, which is what makes them such a hot commodity this season. You can wrap one around your head to create a cool retro-inspired updo or tie one like a headband. It might look great with a head full of curls, so use Leonor Greyl – Algues Et Fleurs to enhance your hair’s texture and get it ready for a curling iron or hot rollers.

Hair combs
According to 29Secrets.com, hair combs are perfect for sticking into a high bun or holding back glamorous side-swept curls. Find a comb with pretty details, then backcomb strands to create texture that will keep the comb in place.

Hair nets
You don’t have to be a lunch lady to rock a hair net, reports Elle Magazine. One celebrity stylist uses hair nets to wrap chignons and other updos. Paired with a few antique pins, the style looks old-school gorgeous. Choose a net that’s the opposite color of your hair to make it stand out, then rock a red lipstick like BABOR – Filling Lip Color for an old Hollywood look.

Bobby pins
These handy tools aren’t always meant to be hidden behind the scenes. Pick up a few brightly colored bobby pins and place a few together in a row to hold back a section of hair behind your ear. It’s a classic standby that’s unexpectedly chic. Consider matching the colors to your Lippmann Collection – Nail Lacquers manicure.

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Eyeliner is a powerful accessory. From Cleopatra to Lady Gaga, women have been using eyeliner for everything from seduction to standing out. Which look best suits your style?

According to MyStyle.com, the accent nail originated during New York Fashion Week in 2011, when the team at CND created “cocktail nails” that were meant to mimic the effects of jewelry on hands. They used pearls, rhinestones and metallic elements to create bold looks on the ring fingers of each model, which stood in the place of cocktail rings.

Because it’s a bit difficult to create the same effect using everyday products, many celebrities embraced the trend by using a contrasting color on their accent nails instead.
Finding color combinations to work with is relatively easy, as long as you stick to complementary colors that are across from each other on the color wheel. This will ensure that your accent nail pops against the other shade used and gets plenty of attention.

“For summer, think coral and teal, orange and blue or light pink and mint,” one nail guru told MyStyle.com. “The trend can go right into fall with gold and purple or silver and black.”

If you’re not keen on starting out with such a bold color combination, it’s just as chic to stay within the same color family, reports the news source. For example, you could do a light cantaloupe color for an accent nail with a tangerine manicure, or a pale pink accent nail with a vibrant fuchsia. You won’t have trouble finding suitable shades with the selection from Lippmann Collection – Nail Lacquers.

If you’re feeling a bit bolder, nail art is all over the place lately and makes for a great accent nail. To ease yourself into it, consider using a sparkly top coat on just your ring fingers, like Nailtini – Topper Top Coat in Sugar Rim.

The Beauty Department also suggests using your favorite fashion staples as inspiration for your artistic accent nails. For example, if you’re planning to wear a cute striped top, you could match your nails by choosing colors that are in the shirt and painting stripes on your accent nail.

If you’re looking for other ideas for cute, fun and quirky accent nails, here are a few you might want to try. Just be sure to stock up on several different colors of POP Beauty – Nail Glam so you have all the shades you need to pull them off. Also, it helps to have special brushes or tools to help you create the designs.

Accent nail ideas
1. For a fun springtime manicure, paint all of your nails a pretty pastel green shade, then use black, pink and white polish to create a cherry blossom branch on each of your ring fingers.

2. If you’re into graphic design, why not do a bold diagonal stripe across your accent nails? Use a piece of scotch tape on top of a completely dry base coat, then paint the top or bottom half a contrasting color.

3. Polka dots are in this season, which makes it easy to create a spotted accent nail. All you need is a small tool to create little dots. You could make them uniform or try different sizes and colors.

4. Accessorize. Pick up a few stick-on rhinestones or other creative accents at the craft store, then use clear polish like BABOR – Nail Color – Transparent to stick them on your nails.

5. Go girly with a painted-on bow. You could keep the base of the accent nail the same color as the rest of your manicure, or use a different color. Then use a brush to create a pretty bow on each nail.

The importance of safety
When you’re testing products, it’s essential to keep safety in mind. Sharing cosmetics is never a good idea, and that’s especially true for in-store samples. Dr. Elizabeth Brooks, a biological sciences professor at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, conducted a study recently on public makeup testers. “We went to department stores, specialty stores, drugstores – everywhere,” she explained. Her researchers found staph, strep and even E. coli bacteria on lipstick, blush, mascara and moisturizer testers.

Luckily, there are ways to be safe about the samples you test. For example, Glamour Magazine recommends asking the salesperson to prep the tester for you. This involves dipping lipsticks in alcohol, then scraping off the top layer and using a new, disposable applicator. Eyeliners and lip liners can simply be sharpened to remove the contaminated surface layer. Powders and creams can be wiped with an alcohol wipe and the surface can be removed. It’s never a good idea to try something that comes in a pot, as people dip their fingers into it, contaminating the entire jar.

It’s also better to shop on weekdays, when fewer people will be trying out the products. Saturdays are the worst, and according to Brooks’ findings, Wednesday and Friday mornings are the best, as they found less contaminated products on these days.

Lastly, avoid putting any makeup on your lips or eyes, which are the most likely places where bacteria and viruses can enter your body and cause infections or disease.

How to test each product
For foundation: When sampling a product like Jane Iredale – Liquid Minerals, don’t test it on your jaw, suggests Allure Magazine. The color of your neck is more uniform than your face, so put a bit of product there to get the most accurate match.

For concealer: Test out shades on your inner wrist. Go with the one that you think best matches your skin tone, then try one shade darker and one shade lighter just to be sure. You might want to purchase two different shades: one peachy-pink for undereye circles and one with yellow-based tones to cover blemishes. Try Illuminare – 3 Foundation Formulas in 3 Middle Shades – Introductory Pack of 9.

For blush: Test blushes on the back of your hand, but put a bit of foundation on it before you head to the store. The product sticks differently to skin that’s completely bare, and you want the same effect that your face will get.

For highlighter: The best highlighters illuminate without any obvious glitter or shimmer, so test these products on the back of your hand to ensure that you can’t see any flecks. ModelCo – Luminosity is a good choice.

For bronzer: Test these out on your inner arm, suggests Allure Magazine. It should look like a natural tan, so don’t choose anything with shimmer. If you can see freckles underneath the formula, it will look natural on your face – if not, skip it.

For eyeshadow: Use an applicator to apply to the back of your hand and your inner wrist. When you move your hand around, the product shouldn’t crease. Keep in mind that a primer like GloMinerals – gloLid Primer can keep any shadow in place.

For lipstick: Try out new shades on the pads of your fingertips for the most accurate sense of how the color will appear on your lips.

If you’re blond
Lighter hair is gorgeous, but it’s easier to go overboard with your makeup color choices, according to Marie Claire magazine. With such a pale color surrounding your face, colorful features often take center stage. As a result, it’s best to choose one feature to make pop rather than several. If you want to draw attention to your eyes, use dark or neutral shadows to create contrast, like you’d find in the Jane Iredale – PurePressed Eye Shadow collection. The same goes for eyeliners and mascara. A lighter lip color, like peach, will complement darker eyes. One thing to keep in mind is the color of your eyebrows. Whether you keep them darker than your hair color or match them to it, it’s crucial to keep brows filled in with Paula Dorf – 2 + 1 for Brows to avoid them looking scarce.

If you’re a redhead
Neutral shades are a redhead’s best friends, as they won’t compete with the vibrant color of your locks. Browns and greens work well on their own, but layering brighter colors with toned-down shades will create a subtle burst of color. Pick up a compact with plenty of variety, like POP Beauty – Eye Cake, which has chic options. Marie Claire also suggests using purple as one of your go-to shades, as well as other jewel tones, so experiment with violet eyeliners and plum lipsticks. BORGHESE – B Moisture Advanced Care Lipcolour has plenty of purple choices that will make your lips truly luscious.

If your hair is black
Ladies should “play up the mysterious, sexy vibe of black hair by accentuating just one feature with sultry color,” Jerrod Blandino, founder and creative director of Too Faced Cosmetics, told Women’s Health magazine. Use colorful smokey eyeshadow paired with sheer cheek and lip tints, like you’d get with GloMinerals – gloTint for Cheeks & Lips. Plenty of mascara will pull together the look, so apply one coat of Blinc – Mascara then let it dry before coating lashes with another application. Use a lash comb to separate them afterwards for a feathery look.

If you’re a brunette
With brown hair, you can pull off a variety of colorful makeup looks. Brighter colors look fresh against a neutral brown shade, so try out something like vibrant orange lipstick or navy blue eyeshadow. Marie Claire warns not to forget about your eyebrows however, as they make a natural frame for your face. Colorescience – Eyebrow Stencil can help you achieve the desired shape. Feel free to experiment with a variety of colors, and don’t forget that shimmery shades and glitter can be fun for a night out!

Don’t forget that you can always switch up the color of your hair, so you don’t have to stick with the same coloring all the time. Even subtle highlights can open up a variety of makeup looks to experiment with, so don’t be afraid to ask your stylist for color advice.

First of all, you should know that there is no standard timeframe for when you need a trim. Everyone’s hair is different, so there’s no one time that’s good to have your hair touched up. However, there’s a basic guide that you can follow, recommended by The Beauty Department.

Short, cropped hair needs a trim every four to six weeks. This will ensure that the shape of the cut doesn’t change much. In between trims, you may want to use a styling product like Baxter of California – Clay Pomade to ensure that your style remains looking cared for.

Hair that’s about shoulder-length should also get a cut every four to six weeks. Many styles will start to flip outward when the hair hits your shoulders, so how long between trims depends on how long or short your neck is. Longer necks could probably go six weeks, while shorter ones might need a trim after four.

Layered hair needs a trim every six to eight weeks. This will ensure that the style moves the same way and remains the same shape. Leonor Greyl – Eclat Naturel can help your hair remain soft and smooth in between cuts.

Hair that’s medium to long length needs a trim every eight to twelve weeks. This will prevent any split ends from occurring, which could travel up the hair shaft and create frizz and other signs of damage. It’s important to use a conditioning product, like Hamadi – Healing Serum, in between trims.

Very long hair should be cut every six to eight weeks. Long hair has a tendency to get dry, brittle and extremely breakable near the ends, so it’s important to keep split ends at bay.

These numbers are subject to change, since all hair is different. Basically, it’s up to you to tell when you need a trim. If your hair starts getting heavy, shapeless and dry, you know it’s time for some TLC. Split ends are also a tell-tale sign that your hair needs to be cut.

Now that you know when to get your hair cut, it would help to know how. Most women prefer to go to a stylist to get their hair trimmed, but it’s actually very easy to do yourself, especially if you’re only touching up your bangs. With the right tools and a bit of practice, you should be able to save money and time by giving yourself a touch-up. Here are the tools you need, according to Livestrong.com:

• A fine-toothed comb to help you section off areas and get rid of tangles
• A selection of hair clips to hold back hair that you’re not cutting
• A razor comb to create layers
• Hand and wall mirrors to ensure that you can see your head from all angles
• Sharp scissors, especially designed to cut hair.

It’s best to cut your hair when it’s dry, as wet hair appears longer because it’s weighed down. This will ensure that you won’t cut your hair too short by accident. You should also make sure that your hair is free of tangles. Hamadi – Shea Leave In will make your hair smooth and manageable.

As long as you stay organized while you’re cutting by using plenty of clips, you should be able to give yourself a satisfactory trim. If you’re unsure about the best hair-cutting methods, simply pay attention to your stylist next time you go to the salon, or check out how-to videos online.