Beauty Board: Holiday Trends

Whenever the temperature drops, we start to look at grooming the way cats view the bath: totally uninterested. But as we sit down for yet another typical mani/pedi (“I’ll have the boring red please!”) or find ourselves working the same party hairstyle we’ve been doing for years (curls or some sort of updo—what a shocker!), we can’t help but get a little depressed. In an effort to pull ourselves out of our winter beauty slump, we uncovered a few fast tricks and treats to freshen up our regular routines. Hopefully you’ll be pleased with our get-pretty products and maybe, just maybe, they’ll be the beauty catnip you need to try something new!



Sparkly Headpieces
Hair accessories, in all their many splendid forms (including bows, bands, and feather-festooned pieces) have been hot for several seasons, but we’re most interested in the sparkly kind right now. It’s not only holiday appropriate, but there’s also something comforting about seeing a little twinkle this time of year—it just brightens up a winter night. On that note, it’s probably no surprise that we loved how Helena Christensen wore a glittering band to Chanel’s Mobile Art Opening in New York City. The placement (neither overly pert, nor typically horizontal) was perfect, as it conveyed more of a flapper vibe than a hippie one (which feels fresh). Her hairpiece is Jennifer Behr’s Crystal Lace Headwrap ($525) and is made with smoked Swarovski crystals, but you need not invest in such an expensive version to achieve this look. You can try the Mischa Barton for Stacey Lapidus Rope and Crystal Headband ($100) shown here or Lapidus’ Gold Beaded Head Wrap ($90). We also like Urban Outfitters’ Beaded Hair Wrap ($24), Free People’s Winter Jewels Headband ($38), and Forever 21’s Metallic Headband ($2.80)—all excellent affordable options. If you’re desperate for a Jennifer Behr piece (we don’t blame you; her pieces are all over Gossip Girl) but don’t have much in your pocketbook, you probably should check her collection for Target, including this Crystal Headband ($29.99)!

Gray Nails
A couple of months ago, we saw something unexpected on the nails of one of our stylist pals: gray polish. It was odd, we’d noticed it in French Vogue around the same time and suddenly here it was in real life, looking fantastic. It seems we’re not the only ones who appreciate the look; we also spotted the neutral hue on Gwyneth Paltrow’s hands. If you haven’t tried it already, you should, as gray polish not only grounds all your pretty holiday party dresses, it also will go with whatever you’re wearing (since it goes with nothing)! We like the medium, matte, purple-gray shade of Sephora by OPI’s Nail Polish in Metro Chic ($9), but that’s not your only option. We also approve of darker hues, like Lippmann Collection’s Hit Me With Your Best Shot ($15), a dark gunmetal gray with some shimmer, or Essie’s Over The Top ($8).

Bordeaux Lips
We know that dark lipstick (be it red, wine, or berry) is a big commitment for many of you and it seems high-maintenance. Frankly, dear readers, we adore it, as it’s a super easy way to turn your day look into one that’s instantly cocktail-ready! The shade we’re supporting and sporting these days is a deep bordeaux color, à la Daisy Lowe. We recently stumbled upon a slightly softer version of her lip look, one that also has some amazing staying power. Our recipe is simple: merely apply DuWop’s lip plumping balm (it’s the organic version of their signature Lip Venom), Pure Venom in Pure Berry ($24), then follow that with a coat or two of Max Factor’s MAXalicious Lipgloss in Too Much Wine ($5)!

Lush Lashes
Left to our own devices, we tend to err on the drag queen side of things when it comes to lashes. We always want them longer, fuller, and darker and don’t mind applying twelve coats of mascara to get them to a Lady Bunny-level statement look. Even if you don’t got to our extreme, ‘tis the season to wear ultra lush lashes, so we found some key products to help you pump up those peepers. One way to go is with falsies: shu uemura always makes the most divine options, including their False Eyelashes in Slant Black ($20), as seen above, and their really outrageous Swirl Couture ($95) version, which were created with Viktor & Rolf. Of course, if glue and tweezers aren’t your thing, you can always just go for a turbo mascara, like Dior’s Diorshow Iconic Mascara ($27), which gives you the much-loved Diorshow fullness, plus the formula now curls them too! Also look out for Imju’s Fiberwig Mascara ($22), a Japanese import that coats your individual lashes with fibers for fantastically fat results.

Photos of Helena Christensen and Pixie Geldof, Splash News. Photo of Gwyneth Paltrow, WENN. Photo of Daisy Lowe, Getty Images.