Hair Rainbow

I love to play with my hair. I had this long hair, then I went blond, then I did this idk what color, and now short bob. I mean we just live once, why not experience it all?

I seriously thought this rainbow color trend is here just for a short run, but err...wait, rainbow colored hair have been spotted in the runways and now in the streets as well. From ombres, reverse ombres, full on dyed wig and now rainbows all over.

Did y'all see Prabal Gurung's fall show?The models walked the ramp in pink streaks of hair. And then Lauren Conrad posted the pic of her rainbow dyed hair. I am wondering if I can dare for it. The big question is, Can a regular girl like me pull off this fierce look? Celebs like Rihanna, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga have done it and seems like ladies are ready to push their limits with bright colors in the real world too. Any thoughts?

If you want to make it work at your work place, you can make a bun and hide it or play it with the braids. Natural hair color and skin color should be considered before experimenting with colors. Darker skin with brunette hair goes well with rich tone colors like emerald green, burgundy and purple whereas fairer skinned blonds go well with pink, light blue or lavender. The best way to experiment with colors is to first try at the tips like Lauren Conrad. Or if you don't wanna go over the top, you can always get the rainbow colored extensions in Sephora. It’s as easy as that.

And if you end up hating it ladies, world hasn't ended here, you can always dye it back. So why not have a little fun????

photos via LF stores

Montauk day-cation

Summer is officially in full swing. Many of us are looking for ways to beat the heat and have some fun. My friends made a plan to go to the Montauk beach and who doesn't want to go to such a beautiful/historic place with all the rumors of horrors, aliens and the awesomeness? The good news is, the weather was so damn fine, and it was around 3 hours drive from the city w. the traffic.

Oh, the beach!! It was heavenly beautiful with clear water, and nothing disrupts the view of water as far as the eye can see. We played for a while in the water and soaked ourselves in the sun. We packed few homemade foods for our lunch-fun-beach-picnic. A perfect weather, good company and couple of chilled beer, I had one ah-ma-zing day~cation!!!

My friend Chechi flaunting her bikini bod.

A light on the infamous  2008 "Montauk monster" story:
There was this unidentified creature washed ashore. Even though many people swear and sworn they had seen it, it wasn't recovered or fully examined. So fact or fad???

Photo via google

On our way, I also happen to see the Amityville horror house. In 1974, Ronald Defeo Jr,  murdered his father, mother, and four siblings in the house which is believed to be haunted. Lutz family, who moved in shortly after the mass killings, experienced many paranormal activities in the house. Horror or hoax????

Also another legendary story is the Camp Hero. Formerly a US government air force base, there are many urban legends regarding the conspiracy theories. One of the most infamous of which was the kidnapping of the Montauk boys. They were being experimented to see if they could be used to bring the objects from another dimension. It is rumored that the experiment went wrong and a forth dimensional creature was released which was captured underneath the grounds. Now Camp hero is open to public, state park owns the park and above the ground, everything underneath is owned by the US government. Fact or Fiction????

OK, I know I'm creeping y'all.

On the way , is Hampton with its beautiful people living in beautiful houses on beautiful beaches. Hampton looks surreal and a picture perfect town.
No matter what the stories are, the fact is : Montauk is heavenly beautiful with its beautiful beach, a historic light house, upscale restaurants/bars and a perfect getaway.

P.S. Water proof sunscreen, beach cover-up, hat, flip-flop, sunglasses, waterproof mascara, a lip balm and a cute swimwear : few must-haves in your beach bag!!

Summer Hairstyles

I absolutely love beachy waves, and the perfect bohemian look with hair flowing all the way down. But when the temperature is rising and we get all sweaty, we resort to the up does, ties and the knots. I know it's like so last season. But we can always upgrade and go chic with few of these tricks:

Ponytails:

1960's sophistication can be worn with a modern twist with variations in ponytails. High ponytails, side with a mermaid braid, or a low ponytail, you can rock all these with a lot of elegance. The 60's inspired ponytails can be worn on a date night, party or at your work. We can go for the volume towards the back of the head or loose/ slightly grungy strands pulled out to the frame of the face like "oh-so-Marc Jacobs"
Wrap your own hair around the base of the ponytail hiding the elastic band, and secure it with bobby or U-pin, this will instantly upgrade the simple up-do.

Braids, Braids and more braids:

Nothing looks more playful or chic than the braiding. I have been quite obsessed with this for sometime now.

1. Classic braid: 

It's very simple, just gather all of your hair underneath one ear and start braiding the 3 strand weave ( regular).

2. Fishtail braid:

 Sea inspired style with a twist on typical 3 strand weave, is the awesomest way to play with your hair for that fun-edgy look. You can wear it messy or neat, this hairstyle is surely to catch some attention. You can style it with accessories or go braid- crazy with your locks like my friend did. She breaded three different fishtails and secured it with an elastic band to the end of the braid.

3. Crowned braids:

It's basically a french braid that begins from above one ear and go through the head as in like the crown. The look is ultra-feminine and  totally modern.

4. Bangs-get-away-Braid:

 If you want those bangs to get off your face , just braid the front section of your hair ( either fishtail style or the regular 3 strand weave) and secure it with a bobby pin.

BUN:

 1. Loose bun: 

No time to style??  Gather your hair together, and make a loose bun . Easiest, casual-chic and a lazy solution. Accessorize with the double head bands or a head scarf.

2. Sock bun :

 I know sounds creepy right, but trust me, you'll love this gorgeous ballerina kind of bun. Cut off the toe section of a black sock and roll the sock. Make ponytail, and pull the end of your pony through the hole, cover the sock with the tip of your hair and tuck under, covering the sock. Slowly roll the sock down towards the base of the pony and pin it securely.

3. Braided bun:

Combination of two things that I really love, Sophistication of a bun and romanticism of a braid. There are countless ways to wear this hairstyle. First braid the hair and coil it either sideways, or on the top of your head and secure it safely with bobby pins. You can also create an upside down french braid under your top bun creating the modern version of a simple bun.

Photos via Google, Hair thursday, Fashionising.com

 

Beauty?????

We are exposed to images of physical perfection through different sort of medias: Internet, magazines and other pop cultures. Those "perfect images" set a standard, potentially crushing our confidence and self esteem. Women and girls are gasping at the airbrushed photos. But isn't it ironic that standard of beauty is always changing? Hundreds of years ago, fair complexion and a fuller body were a symbol of beauty. Then came a time for a skinny, anorexic looking" model look" that changed the chapter of the beauty. Now we are emerging to a time where women are injecting their lips with collagen for fuller lips, and spray tanning themselves for the darker look.

Confucius once said “everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it" which is a fact indeed.

Regardless of how the world perceives you, if you do the right thing and you feel better about yourself, that will make you beautiful. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. And 2012 is such a year with fashion explosions. Fashion has been stretching its way beyond narrow norms of petite wear and the speculation of beauty. Accepting the way you are and celebrating life is the new beauty.
Those imperfections and flaws make us real. It isn't always about our skin, hair or nails but it is the inner beauty that sparkles. The positive attitude towards your body makes you beautiful. A healthy body image is being comfortable in your own skin and feeling good about the way you look. We should thrive for healthiness not a size zero image. You don't have to listen to what other people say about your look. You have the right to be happy the way you are and represent culturally. Here, I am not agreeing on obesity, I am talking about the spectrum of healthy body images. Can't one be happy whether she's 170 lb or a 150 lb, darker/fairer, 5'1'' or a 5'11''?

Thomas Campion, an English poet has drawn an attention to the concept of the beauty through this poem which I immensely admire:

“Beauty is but a painted hell;

shee wounds them that admire it,

shee kils them that desire it.

Give her pride but fuell,

no fire is more cruell.”

Is it that the culture is experiencing the crisis of the phenomenon of the beauty? Or is it that we aren't asking ourselves the right questions and preoccupied with the perception of beauty? Ask yourself the right question, and you will figure out the answer:

Yes, you are Beautiful.