Ombre Hair: Here, There & Everywhere

Ombre hair has been such a huge trend for the past year. It's fresh, low-maintenance and oh-so-pretty.  I unintentionally sort of have an ombre look happening when I grow my hair out.  I typically dye my hair only every 4-5 months or so. So I let my natural mousy-brown roots grow out until they are a few inches long and then I get highlights all over again.

I'm contemplating going for a more ombre look at my next appointment.  My stylist added a few blonder pieces in the front underneath part of my hair at my last appointment to "test the waters" and so far I've enjoyed the subtle change. My new camera makes my hair look a bit lighter than it is, but you get the general idea. The issue with me is that my natural brown color is mousy---so I do like to have the highlights right at the top to sort of disguise that and blend it out. I could have my stylist dye my actual roots a little bit of a warmer shade of brown...but I don't know if I want to do that. We shall see.

Here are some of my favorite ombre looks. Is is me---or does this trend really look best on brunettes? I like it on blonde girls too, but for some reason the look is even more gorgeous on brunette hair, IMO.

All images are from Google, JustJared and Hills Freak.

Rachel Bilson---she has been rocking this look for a couple of years now---I would definitely say she was one of the earliest adopters of this trend.

 Audrina Patridge---not a full-on ombre look, but subtle

Lauren Conrad---loving her shorter hair here too!

Victoria's Secret model Lily Aldridge---gorgeous!

Sarah Jessica Parker---remember the ombre hair she had in the "American in Paris" episodes---that was years ago and I really think Carrie Bradshaw was the first to sport this trend.

Hilary Duff

Jessica Biel---I must admit I was taken aback when I saw these photos---she just looks so stunning and I think her hair is one of the best ombre looks in the bunch. 

What do you think of this hair trend? Do you think it will continue to be a trend or will it be old news by 2011?  Which celebrity do YOU think has the best ombre hair?

Do you think I should try to go a little more ombre?  Let me know in the comments below :)

xoxo,

Veronika

Weekend Finds & Lauren Conrad Style Book Review

Happy Sunday everyone!  Today Kevin and I went to Rice Village to try and find a coat for him for our trip.  We didn't have any luck at any of the stores we checked out, so we'll probably have to try the Galleria next week. It's more difficult to find stylish, heavier coats here in Houston since it doesn't get that cold here, even in the winter.

Today it was SO hot out. I mean like you could lay out by the pool hot...and it's nearly November!

Banana Republic was having a 20% off everything in the store sale today so we got a few things there and Kev got a new sweater at Express.  Here's what I got:

Black dress from Zara- I actually bought this yesterday but forgot to include it.  It's a perfect length for work and very soft and comfy.

Bath and Body works Wallflowers.  I absolutely love these. They keep the house smelling awesome. They were on sale 2 packs for $20 plus I got 20% off of my purchase using a coupon.

GAP "always skinny" jeans.  I got black ones.  I got these in a 28 (size 6) I like the way they fit and love that they have the stretch in them because they are much comfier than my always skinny destroyed ones which are just a denim without stretch.  I used a GAP Groupon and a store credit so these technically only cost me $45.

I love this satin top from Banana Republic's Monogram Collection. It was on sale for $31.99 and I got an additional 30% off.  I love tops that have detailing at the neckline like this. It almost acts as an accessory, no necklace needed!

Yesterday at Sephora I tried on a bit of this glittery gold nailpolish and I thought- it's perfect for the holidays!  I like to do my nails Lorraine-style and just paint glitter on one nail (it is a PAIN to get off.)  So I picked this up today.  I also ordered some stuff online because Sephora is having their Friends & Family sale (20% off everything on the site, use code FF2010).

I stopped by at MAC and picked up a Mineralize skin finish natural in Medium-Plus. I have seen a lot of bloggers and YouTubers using these powders and although my MAC Studio Fix is my Holy Grail powder, I thought I'd give this a go. If I don't like it, I can return it (I was not aware MAC had a return policy like this.)

 
 Here is is compared to my Studio Fix in C3 (on the right). The C3 is definitely a bit more yellow. I tend to enjoy yellow-toned foundations because they give a brightness to my skin.

I will report back when I've had a chance to use it.

I snapped some shots of my favorite parts of Lauren Conrad's Style book and wanted to share them here.  While I didn't think the book provided any ground-breaking information, it did give me a few cute ideas. My favorite feature was the Little Black Dress five different ways: (click to enlarge)

 

I really love the black lace slip under the dress in the first photo (from the left) I have been trying to find one online ever since I saw it with no luck!  I think it's great to have that one fabulous black dress in your closet that can really be styled so many different ways.  Every woman needs one of those dresses!

Here are a few of my other favorite shots from the book:

 Ohh a PINK bag!

Her hair and makeup are always so pretty and I love how she sticks to a signature look.  I feel I'm the same way. I know how I like my hair and makeup to look, and I stick with a look that works for me.  It's nice to try different things, but my hair has been every color in the book and I've tried different hair lengths...I've finally found a look I love (my current) and I'm sticking to it!

Lauren shows how a dress goes from day (office) to night (dinner)

Dear gorgeous rosette dress, I am in love with you. That is all.

Bottom line- if you love Lauren Conrad, I think you will like this book. The information isn't ground-breaking or something you haven't heard before, but it has great photos and great tips on things like organizing your closet, shopping better and even packing. 

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

xoxo,

Veronika.

PS- did you miss Motivation Mondays this week?  Check it out HERE!

Lulu helping me blog!

Hitting the Books: Confessions of a Shopaholic, Lauren Conrad Style & More!

I got a coupon in my email last night for 40% off of one book at BORDERS so H and I hit the bookstore this morning to pick up a few books.

Some of you may know this already and others may not...but H and I are going to Paris for Christmas and London for New Years (eekkk!) We are SO excited! Although I was born in Europe, I have only ever been back to the homeland (Slovakia) and H has only been to Spain so it will be incredible to experience this together.  I think it will be so pretty and romantic over the holidays too! 

I bought a travel guide and also a french quick reference book.  Some of you might not know this but I actually did French Immersion from grades 4 through 12 but because I haven't spoken it in many many years I need to brush up on my french before we go.

The other books are Sophie Kinsella's new book from her "Confessions of a Shopaholic" series which I love and Lauren Conrad's Style book.

I wasn't going to buy Lauren Conrad's style book initially, but then I read Lace & Blush's review of it and I just had to have it.  I already started to read it and I must admit it's a nice read and she gives great tips on staple items, styling, shopping, organizing, traveling etc.  It's not necessarily things I didn't already know but she does give some great style advice and there are lots of gorgeous photos (I don't think she can take a bad picture!) 

My favorite part is where she shows 5 ways to wear one dress.  She has some great ideas like put a lace slip underneath and just let it poke out a bit- very vintage-y and pretty.

Back to Paris-  I need to do some serious shopping before we go.  Because I moved to Houston I didn't bring any heavy coats with me so I need to get a few winter-friendly pieces/

On my list?

Flat boots

Boots with a stacked heel (nothing stiletto-esque)
Heavier coat
Skinny Jeans- dark denim and black
New camera (to take tons of pics!)
Gloves
New scarf
Winter hat
Small crossbody bag- to keep tour guide book, passport, money with me at all times

Can you think of anything else I might need? Let me know in the comments below!

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

xoxo,

Veronika.

Lauren Conrad: Stunning on the Cover of Glamour Magazine

I got the May 2010 issue of Glamour in the mail last week and I was taken aback by how great The Hill's Lauren Conrad looked on the cover:

I have to give a shout-out to her makeup artist Amy Nadine- she writes an awesome beauty blog where you can see exactly which products she uses to create all of The Hills girl's and her other client's pretty makeup looks.

I really love her makeup techniques. She seems to know how to bring out the best in every client and make skin look warm, glowing and perfect. If you'd like to know what makeup was used for LC's cover look, go check out her blog.

What do you think of LC's look? I love her super-defined eyes and lower key but still pretty makeup on the rest of her face. I also love her long waves that look kind of undone and care-free. Gorgeous.

xoxo,

Veronika.

PS- Big shout-out to Hills favorite "Lo" who also looked stunning in Glamour's article.

Looks from "The Hills"

I was inspired to write today's post after stumbling upon Amy Nadine's beauty blog (she is a makeup artist for Lauren Conrad and other celebrities).

I was a Hills addict before it even existed- that's right, I've been watching since season one of Laguna Beach. I like the drama, the shopping, the California sunshine...what can I say?

What I notice about The Hills, is that all of the characters (and I call them that because though they are real people, the show certainly is not) have very different makeup styles. The one thing they all seem to have in common though, is the desire to show off their golden tans with a little glow to their skin (I approve!)

I'll start with Lauren Conrad, since she is a fan favorite. I like her look- tan skin, a glow to her cheeks, eyeliner, mascara and a pink or nude gloss to top off her look. It reminds me of my own day to day look. Although she is not a favorite of mine on the show, I think Lauren's look is very achievable and looks like "real girl" makeup. What I mean is that her makeup looks like something I or any other woman could wear on the daily without looking too high maintenance. The thing I like about Lauren's look is that she never looks too perfect. She looks consistently pretty- but it never looks calculated or like her makeup is professionally done all the time (like Heidi- who's look is pretty...but not very achievable for the average girl.) Fashion-wise, I think LC has great style, but as a designer, she needs to grow.

Moving on to Miss Audrina. Many critics have said she wears too much makeup, but I've noticed that her day to day look (when she is running errands and being photographed by the paparazzi) is much more toned down and pretty. She's always got pretty lined eyes and big, lush lashes, which I love. If you love her look, check out her official blog- she lists a lot of her favorite products there and answers her fan's questions about everything from her favorite bronzer to what she eats to stay in shape. I kind of miss her super dark hair- though I do love her color now too, she pulls both off well.


Then there's Heidi. Heidi's makeup, to me at least, appears as though she gets it done professionally every time they are filming The Hills. If she does in fact do her own makeup, then I commend her for her talented makeup application abilities. Like any other show, it would not surprise me if they had makeup artists available to these cast members. Heidi's look is what I consider to be a "full face." She is never without a product- she is always made-up from her foundation to her eyes, lips, cheeks etc. I think she embraces her look, and doesn't care what anyone thinks, which is admirable. I don't think she wears too much makeup, considering she appears on television. I've seen her with less makeup in paparazzi photos, which is a flattering look for her. If you go back to the first season of The Hills (pre plastic surgery- note: I am not against plastic surgery, just stating a fact) you'll notice she also wore a lot less makeup at that time, and she was so cute then too. I just thought she was very fresh-faced and pretty. I think she is pretty now, but her look is more photoshoot than everyday for me. Let's take a look:
This season of The Hills was promoted as "The Bitch is Back." The not-so-nice name they use is referring to is Laguna grad Kristin Cavallari. I really like her look. She pulls off the "almost no makeup" look just as well as a more glam look. I also like her style. She's really evolved from her Laguna boarshort and sweatshirt days. I really like her hair this season, and she seems confident with herself. As far as her makeup goes, she strikes me as a more natural california girl who knows how to look put together without going overboard. I am loving her longer (and lighter) hair this season, but I also love it short- she can really pull it off.


If you would like to learn about some of the products Lauren Conrad's makeup artist uses on her, check out her blog . She claims to use a lot of "Mark" products on Lauren, though I am not sure if this is truly the case, or because LC is a spokesmodel for the company. She also uses a lot of cult faves like NARS Laguna bronzer (Holy Grail alert!) and NARS Orgasm blush- you'll notice her posts about other celebrities she does makeup for include a wide-range of products.

Thanks for reading and please leave me a comment below telling me which "The Hills" girl you like best- whether it is her style, hair or makeup.

xoxo,
Veronika