Hairstyles are one of the most important elements of any look. A new haircut or hair color can make huge differences and create unbelievable effects. Here are the latest haircuts ideas, hair coloring trends, and some simple styling ideas to keep you up to date with the hairstyles world.

Most busy women do not have as much time as they would like to have for fixing their hair. With all of the responsibilities to work, family and friends in today’s fast-paced world, many women opt for a ponytail, or wearing headscarves and hats to hide their neglected coifs.

It is a lot less fun and certainly less exciting for women who utilize only one hairstyle. Most individuals take their outward appearance very seriously, and if they are not pleased with how their hair looks and feels, it can be quite a downer.  A “bad hair day” can have a negative impact on how an individual feels about himself or herself.  Everything could be going wrong around you, but if you are confident that you look and feel great, chances are you will be more confident and able to handle whatever comes your way. The right hairstyle can help you to realize your true beauty, (which lies much deeper than your hair) while a bad one can distract you from seeing who you truly are.

Hairstyle choices vary from woman to woman. Some women prefer having short hair, while other women like wearing their hair longer. There are both short and long, no mess-no stress hairstyles for women to consider.  Shorter hairstyles, like the short Bob, that actor Katie Holmes has been sporting this past year, are often the easiest for women to care for and maintain. Short hair dries quicker and there is typically less styling necessary with short hair. Nonetheless, there are longer hairstyles such as the layered-look, long Bob, and others for women, which do not require an inordinate amount of styling time.

In addition, you may be surprised to learn that long hair does not have to be difficult to style, and that women do not have to choose to go with the simple style of a ponytail. Many busy women need hairstyles that allow them to wash, dry, and style their hair fast and with as little fussing as possible. Luckily, there are many hairstyles to choose from in the quick-and easy-category. These styles can help women achieve their goals of grooming a beautiful hairstyle for themselves as quickly and easily as possible.

Fashion, beauty, and hairstyle themed magazines are great for getting hairstyle ideas. Professional hairstylists are also good resources for their vast knowledge of hairstyles that are easy to keep up with and that will work best with your facial structure. They often recommend the best products for use at home in maintaining your new hairstyle as well. Taking a picture with you when you go to have your hair cut will help the stylist to understand the look you are going for. Your local hair salon should also have pictures of different hairstyles you might want to peruse before making your final decision.

With women spending millions of dollars on products to style their hair each year, hair products have become big business. Save money and aggravation by staying away from products that have long and complicated instructions to follow. There is also no guarantee that these products will work. Purchasing tools designed to help women create hairstyles with greater ease is critical to the success of no mess-no stress hairstyles. There are quite a few such tools available for sale today and new products are debuting all the time. Many of these products are available online, which makes it easier to compare different hairstyle products and their pricing. You may be unaware that online you will often find discounts not found in local stores selling beauty and hairstyling products.

Spending a small amount of time in the morning on your hair is a luxury most women would love to have. Few women have the budget and schedule that would allow them to visit a hair salon every day. Outward appearance is very important to a lot of us, and we should not have to deprive ourselves of a hairstyle that looks great and makes us feel good due to time and other considerations. Complicated hairstyles when you have little time or patience for them are just not worth the headaches and struggle; especially when it is possible to have a hairstyle that is easy to manage and quick to style for the looks you want.

The wide range in products to help women create no mess-no stress hairstyles can bolster your options for easy and fashionable hairstyles that your friends will envy. Why not try a new look today? You might never want to deal with difficult hairstyles ever again. Spend less time in front of the mirror trying to get your hair to behave and more time enjoying yourself with family and friends, while looking great.

One of India’s top modelling agency, Elite Model Management will be soon launching its glamorous annual calendar for 2010. Close on time before the launch, last afternoon, the capital witnessed a small pre-launch affair amidst the magnificent settings at Rohit Bal’s Cibo in at Janpath. Based on the theme – Objects of Desire – the compilation will be out under a joint association with Samsung Mobile. The calendar has been shot by the internationally renowned photographer Martin Machaj in his signature style and flair. Talking to us, the skilful photographer revealed, We have shot most of the calendar in and around Madawa, including the interiors of the Mandawa Castle Hotel. The calendar will have the perfect traditional Indian feel to it.

The calendar features some of the biggest names and the beautiful faces of the modelling industry namely, Diana Penty, Lisa Haydon, Neha Kapur, Vipasha Aggarwal, Sanea Sheikh, Diva Dhawan, Manasvi Mamgai, Tina Desai, Yasmin Ponnappa, Preeti Dhata, Jaspreet Sagu, Erika Packard, Rebecca Tyagi, Arshi Ahuja, Salony Luthra, Kanishtha Dhankar and Ankita Shorey. The wall calendar will be out with a limited run of 500 copies, with each photograph showcasing the versatility of both, the photographer and the models. Present at the occasion, Sushma Puri director & CEO of Elite Model Management India said, For the past three years, we have received a great response because of our calendars. This year, we decided to venture out of the studio and offer a larger canvas for our models. And our association with Martin from New York has made it more special. With this, the Elite members came together along with the photographer and unveiled one of the shots for the calendar, featuring model Vipasha Aggarwal nude from the upper half but covered by the henna painted hands of various female models. It’s my take on an Indian marriage. I wanted to depict the aesthetics and sensuousness that come with it, signed off Martin.

Celebrating 175 years of existence, Longines unveiled the Longines Master Collection Retrograde with brand ambassador Aishwarya Rai Bachchan yesterday at the ITC Grand Central Towers, Mumbai. The former Miss World appeared slowly from behind a moving backdrop, quite dramatic in fashion her face hiding behind a black Panama hat. She looked quite stylish in straight hair wearing white semi formal coat teamed with a pair of black fitted trousers and knee length boots. A big, white dial watch rested happily on her wrist. She confessed, I quite like big dials and this one is my favourite indeed!

At the do, she shared her ten years of experience with the brand, time is all about now and I believe in giving my best to now and living the best in now. My association with any brand is a whole hearted commitment and last ten years with Longines has been a very good experience for me. I couldn’t agree more with their motto elegance is an attitude and I totally believe in it. Speaking at the occasion Claude Jaunin of Longines mentioned a few line about the journey so far. He also said, India is known for its tradition and that is what brings us here. Our Longines master collection Retrograde establishes a bond with the past and yet the time piece aesthetically synthesizes the elements of modernity. Artists from Lourd Vijay’s dance studio weaved in an elegant dance performance representing the mechanism of watches which left the audience enthralled. This collection by the brand is a combination of mechanism and sophistication with simple uses with the ETA caliber used in this watch was especially developed for Longines.

The Big Events top tips for Wedding Fashion 2010

A wedding ceremony is something that could be connected with fashion. Just as the ramp updates its yearly collection, so does wedding trends. You might be interested about what’s in and out of the wedding aisle and venue for 2009. The line-up of creations and recommendations might help you get an idea for the next in-thing in preparing for your wedding day.

There are different beliefs and practices when it comes to planning for a wedding ceremony. Lifestyle magazines, fashion designers and even wedding reception experts and planners have fused their ideas together to come up with something new for 2009.

We started our study asking to a wedding planner in Italy what are the wedding trends for next year. Rosie McGrath Panchini and The Big Event team can assure you that we have the expertise to professionally take care of all your requirements. (www.thebigevent.biz)

For 2010 you can have a wedding gown style based on pretty much any era of fashion and still be extremely fashionable!
• For those of you who are hopeless romantics and want the real “princess” experience, the good news is that the ballroom wedding dress  is back in fashion, not just in white. Colours are expected to be seen on 2010 brides.
• The silhouette dress is a must for brides with a perfect hourglass figure.
• We are really happy to see that Vintage dresses from the 50’s are popluar for 2010. Either knee length, tea length dressers with full skirts, bolero jackets, short gloves  with birdcage veils. The Tea length dress is a must for the less formal wedding and for brides with great legs and shoes
• There are lots of belted dresses for 2010. One of my favourites is the wonderful  50’s style full length dresses that is so  flattering.

One of the best websites we have seen for stunning dresses ( and for 2010 at much more affordable prices than her previous collections) is the Vera Wang site. This collection brought out colors, debuting a green strapless wedding gown with layers of light silks, an empire bodice with a slight ball gown silhouette and a green silk wrap at the waist. The belt accessory seemed to be more popular with this collection of wedding gowns. There was a gown with a belt was a light tan color in flowing layers; the gown was stunning. One of my favourites from the 2010 Vera Wang collection of gowns was a strapless white gown with a bodice that, at the top, is a silvery beaded pattern, which softly tapers to the waist and wraps around the back, tied in a bow. Then the silhouette flows out in layers of lace; it looked like a gown that a princess would be proud to wear.

Also see the Philippa Lepley web site for a completely gorgeous selection of dresses too!

HAIR ACCESSORIES
Hair accessories don’t always make or break the look but when it comes to weddings, they can speak volumes in terms of the image you’d like to put forward. Check out the hair trends for spring 2010 fresh from the runways, as well as some suggestions for more affordable alternatives.

This star-studded updo was spotted at the Carolina Herrera show. Lace sunburst, star diamond, and diamond starfish brooches by Tiffany & Co. adorn a simple updo. You don’t have to buy brooches from Tiffany to achieve the same effect; sparkly Swarovski hair clips will do just the trick.

Today, there are no longer any rigid rules for what veil lengths and styles are appropriate for weddings. Whatever guidelines to wedding veils there are have more to do with your personal sense of style and your proportions.

The blusher is a short veil that is worn over the face during the wedding ceremony, although it can also come in shoulder lengths. The blusher veil alone is considered informal, but many chic brides prefer it because it draws more attention to their dress. Blushers can either be made of English netting, or tulle.

The medium-length fingertip veil is the most popular length because it suits more figures and silhouettes. Like the name says, the fingertip veils usually extend to below or above where your fingertips hit when your arms hang down.
So the message, you can really dress up or down, there really are no rules!
The Big Event’s top five tips for hassle-free nuptials…

1) choose a very experienced wedding planner, meet with her / him first or get a recommendation from either one of the hotels or a friend. Speak or email previous clients that have worked with the company so that you can get a true reference. Make sure you have a really good feeling between both of you and the wedding planner as you will be sharing this journey for quite a time and you want it to be as pleasurable and fun as possible.

2)Have a wedding website to post all your information. As you will have lots of other things to organise, you don’t want to become “ travel agent” to all your guests, however you want to make it as easy as possible for them to get to your wedding calmly, considering they have a long journey plus airfares, hotels etc to pay for.

3) Start planning around 9 months in advance. Collect photos or make up a vision board of how you would like the wedding to look. This makes things much easier when either recommending or meeting with the various suppliers Ie flowers, wedding and bridesmaids dresses, style of photography, hairstyles and makeup, venue, car etc

4)Well prepared weddings run smoothly and look effortless. Make your decisions and try not to change you mind too often!

5)Arrive a few days before, and really relax ,go to the spas, enjoy these special days together before the wedding and then really love the whole experience!

 Fall Fashion Trends 2009     

This season there are over a hundred trends from the catwalk fashion shows. This fall you will see a return to classic tailoring with suiting for every occasion not just the office and boardrooms. Remember Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman? Boyfriend blazers, suiting and a return to classy dressing with 80’s inspired silhouettes is returning. As I have always taught, if you were around for the trend the first time, it’s not for you the second time. That said, just don’t wear 80’s from head to toe. Pick one or two trends with classic pieces to keep it age appropriate. You will see loads of fur and leather as the cooler weather begs for cozy layering.  To bring all of the trends to a concise list of usable street wear, I’ve organized the trends into two categories: 40’s inspired ladylike and rockstar! There’s sure to be something for everyone regardless of your age.

1. White is very chic in the fall and wintertime when paired with other tones of white like light beige, taupe or cream. Accessorize with metallics for a classy chic style like silver, gold or gunmetal. If there’s one must have piece for the fall/winter, buy a sleeveless menswear inspired vest. Wear it overtop t-shirts, tops, ruffled blouses, button up collared shirts or long sleeve sweaters. Leave it open or buttoned-up. Try belting it to accentuate your waist for a curvy feminine silhouette. Tres chic!                                                                                          

 40’s inspired ladylike

During these tough economic times everything is more basic with less embellishment. Style and glamour is achieved by the fit, silhouette and coordination of your clothing into wearable outfits. This trend is a departure from casual dressing and returning to a sophisticated, feminine glamour. Your wardrobe will be built on neutral tones such as black, navy, charcoal, brown or bordeaux to give maximum mix ‘n match possibilities. This is a new era of elegance. This trend is for the woman who is tired of always being casually dressed and wants to look and feel more pulled together, classy and elegant regardless of her height or size. How will you achieve this coordination of separates when getting ready in the morning is already a chore and time consuming? Take out the guesswork by using The Perfect Wardrobe Builder© which provides a fool proof formula to build 30 outfits from 11 strategic pieces of clothing. $20, www.lookingyourbestinc.com. A new wardrobe isn’t just what you buy; it’s how you see what you already own. Consider hiring an image consultant to come to your closet to remix and rematch new outfits from what you already own. Looking Your Best Inc. specializes in creating amazing outfits from your own closet. Call 780.451.0661 for more information.                                      

Here is a quick reference list to follow this trend:

•  long and lean silhouettes
•  draw attention to the waist with details at the waist like pockets or belted styles
•  wear a belt over tops, jackets to draw attention to the waist for a feminine hourglass shape
• wear pencil skirts
• and slim pants
• use flowers as a feminine inspiration on purses, brooches on hats or necklaces, bracelets, and scarves
• wear pretty blouses, try ruffles, lace, sheer material on sleeves
• wear hose with your skirts, try black fishnets for a glamorous edge
•  a cardigan is your fall must have garment, think Michelle Obama. Wear a medium width belt overtop
•  mix up fabrics: shiny with matte, jeans with a beaded jacket, a skirt with a t-shirt and sleeveless vest
• belted short capes are the coat of choice
• multiple strands for necklaces, mix up pearls with edgier metals and gold links
• a return to 80’s inspired cowl necklines
• day dresses can be a comfortable option to pants; choose jersey or knitwear
• evening dresses with adorable heels and a clutch purse
• consider purple for a muted feminine colour

Rockstar

1. During these tough times, the tough get tougher. Their clothes have a harder edgier look anchored by a dark palette of black on black.  80’s strong shoulder lines give a tough proportion reflecting that we are carrying tough burdens but our shoulders can handle it. No, do not wear your original 80’s clothes. The modern shape does not look like football uniforms! You may try one bare shoulder on tops and dresses to have a strong emphasis on the shoulders. Revealing shoulders can be a very sexy alternative to cleavage. A bare shoulder is not appropriate office attire. To pull off this rockstar trend, consider the following:                                                                                                                                           

•  Think rock ‘n roll: leather, studs, heavier eye liner, smoky eyes, high heels
• everything leather this fall from gloves, jackets, boots, skirts and even dresses. Do not wear big hair and loads of eyeliner if you are older than 25! Instead wear one element of this rockstar          inspiration to keep your look age appropriate. Wear classic pieces with your leather jacket. Add a bit more liner with a deeper lip colour. For more fall makeup trends, email info@lookingyourbestinc.com for your free copy.
• Leather in exotic skins like python, crocodile and lizard for purses, belts, bracelets
• black on black rules from matte to shiny fabrics; from opaque to sheer. Wear them unexpectedly together
• boyfriend jackets that hit lower on the hips with room to move; look for jackets with some shape not just oversized long boxy jackets from the 80s. Wear them like a cardigan: over a camisole, top, dress or blouse. Team them with slim bottoms like a pencil skirt or slim leather pants and amazing heels
• shine and sparkle for both day and night, mix with fur, ruffles and leather for a modern look
• Huge chunky rings continue to be popular
• Wear opaque dark hose like chocolate brown, charcoal gray or fall colours like deep teal or bordeaux wine. Avoid neon tights.
• Black sequin with matte fabrics
• Edgier hairstyles, sleek and clean, definite parts
• Oversized accessories
• Elasticized plaid scarves are hot this season to keep your neck cozy when out and about
• Hats; fedora, newsboy and page. Wear slightly tilted to show off your best side
• Ankle booties; if your legs are slim, wear them with skirts, dresses or ankle pants. These are an easy way to where a trend while keeping it age appropriate.
• Don’t overdo this trend by looking like you are part of a bike group or going to the bar. Keep it classy and modern by introducing leather with classics, wearing one or two trends with classic pieces

 Avoid these trends

• Avoid Double denim; the slim and the young are wearing head to toe denim. If you insist on wearer denim on denim, make the two denims a different colour; one dark and one lighter.
• Avoid acid wash denim unless you are younger than 25
• Avoid high fashion puffy coats. Is it really flattering on you? Maybe if you live in an urban center and wear size 4 or smaller
• Avoid mini dresses or skirts if you are older than 25. If you are one of the lucky few more mature ladies with beautiful legs, it is still too much leg to show. Calm it down by wearing ankle leggings and booties.
• Avoid thigh high boots.

 September 2009 © Looking Your Best Inc. All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted only when credit is given to the author as above along with her contact information:  www.lookingyourbestinc.com; 780.451.0661