I got a haircut! Come see...

So my hair was getting out of control long and split-endy. It had been more than five months since my last haircut, so I was definitely due. The length isn't much different now, but a lot of hair came off and the ends are all nice and clean. I also curled my hair differently in the "after" photo. It's more of a beachy wave, rather than a traditional, spiral curl that I usually don.

What do you think? If you all like the beachy wave look, I'll film a tutorial video.

Beauty test run: Batiste brunette colored dry shampoo

I was talking to my friend who has the most beautiful long, flowing hair the other day. I randomly asked her how often she washes her locks and her answer totally suprised me!

"Once a week," my friend said.

My mouth totally dropped. I wash my hair every other day and can't imagine going a whole week without sudsing up. So how does she keep her hair looking so nice between washes? Dry shampoo.

"It's a total lifesaver," she said.

I've been wanting to try dry shampoo for what seems like forever, but that conversation drove me to finally actually go out and purchase some.

I picked up this "Batiste" brand colored dry shampoo, which is specially formulated for brown hair, and retails for around $8. After using this product several times, here are my initial reactions:

Pros: The product blends well into my brown hair and does not leave a chalky residue at all. It soaks up the oil at my roots and makes my hair look and feel refreshed. It has allowed me to go an extra day between washes. Plus, it has a nice cocoa butter smell that freshens up the hair.

Cons: My hair still looks better after it's been freshly shampooed and styled. Also, I found it slightly difficult to wash out.

Overall verdict: This products works well for the price and I will definitely continue using it until the can has run out.

Do you use dry shampoo? Which brand do you like the best? Can you believe I'd never tried it before?

Want to see my perfume collection?

Ahhh, perfume. The pretty bottles! The yummy scents! What's not to love? Everyone has their preferences, but here's what I'm currently using on regular rotation:

1. Juicy Couture - Viva La Juicy 

A floral and fruity mix of wild berry, mandarin, honeysuckle, gardenia and jasmine. Touches of amber, caramel, vanilla, sandalwood and praline add a sweet touch. I got this perfume for Christmas because I'm a total Juicy Couture lover. The bottle is adorable and makes a great addition to any shelf or makeup stand. Plus, the smell is wonderfully girly. 

Perfect for: A girls night out. 

2. Banana Republic - Alabaster

This clean, fresh smelling fragrance is a combination of wild musk and natural florals. Delicate lotus flower, wild rose and warm musks make this perfume light and romantic. I could smell this all day, every day and be totally happy. This fragrance is very versatile and could appeal to anyone, regardless of age. 

Perfect for: Work. 

3. Christian Dior - J'adore 

This sensual, sophisticated fragrance combines the floral scent of orchids with plum and mellow amaranth wood. It's a unique-smelling perfume and a total classic. I bought this perfume en route to a Caribbean vacation so it will forever invoke fond memories of my trip to Punta Cana. 

Perfect for: Date night.

4. Ralph Lauren - Romance 

This feminine mix of wood, floral, and musk is a classic!  It's a combination of rose, marigold, ginger, chamomile, freesia, violet, lotus flower, day lily, patchouli, oakmoss and musk. Whew! Got all that? I have been wearing this perfume for about ten years and it still hasn't got old. It used to be my "signature" scent. I just love it. 

Perfect for: Anytime.

5. Gucci - Guilty

This mix of mandarin, pink pepper, peach, lilac, geranium, amber and patchoul "wakens the senses with a daring edge of sexyness and sensuality." This perfume just came out late last year, so if you haven't tried it yet, get yourself to Bloomies and give it a spray. When I first got this perfume I used to wear it all the time, but now I try to only limit it to special occasions. It's safe to say that this is my new favorite.

Perfect for: A special night out. 

6. Ralph Lauren - Blue

This soft, fresh scent it like a crisp button down shirt. It's a powdery, floral mix of jasmine, lily of the valley, lotus blossom, pink peony, gardenia, rose, musk and a hint of orange blossom. I've been wearing this fragrance for many years and sill find it feminine, yet refreshing. 

Perfect for: A summer day.

7. Tommy Hilfiger - Loud

Based on the "essence of a pulsating, energetic rock song," this energizing scent combines rose, lychee and patchouli. This perfume just came out late last year and I wasn't sure about it at first, but after wearing it a few times I fell in love. 

Perfect for: A concert.

So, those are my favorite perfumes of the moment. Do you agree or disagree with any of my picks? Which scents are you into right now?

P.S. I'm so sorry for being such a crappy blogger lately! I've been tremendously busy, but that's really no excuse for neglecting my readers. The good news, though, is that during my absence, I've stock piled a slew of new ideas for the blog, (including a new hair curling technique that I cannot wait to share with you all). Intrigued? Stay tuned! 

New York Fashion Week Fall 2011: Wine-stained lips and 70s glam rules the runways

New York Fashion Week is in full swing with designers showing their Fall 2011 collections and providing us beauty junkies with some hard core inspiration. At the Porter Grey presentation on Thursday, models wore wine stained lips and wavy hair with a deep side part.

Meanwhile, over at the Farah Angsana show on Friday the look was all about 70s glamour, featuring smoky eyes, red lips, beehive updos and sleek bobs. I guess it's time to re-think the old rule that a statement eye and lip shouldn't be worn together.

Photos courtesy: Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

What do think of these two looks? I'm inspired to duplicate the Porter Grey look right now! And the ultra glam look Farah Angsana would be perfect for a special Valentines Day date.

Pain is beauty? Check out my worst curling iron burn ever.

If you're a regular Prettied Up reader, you probably already know that I curl my hair every morning. In fact, I have been curling my hair every single day for approximately the past ten years! So, it's a wonder that I haven't really suffered too many burns over the years except for the occasional slip of hot the curling iron on my forehead or neck. (Side note: Have you ever suffered a curling iron burn on your neck that looks like a hickie? Embarrassing!)

Well, I'm sad to say that my lucky streak ended this week. While I was wrapping the cord around the handle of my still-hot curling iron, it somehow slipped out of my hand and the hot barrel landed directly on my arm. Check out the results:

Ow! Even though the hot curling iron only made contact with my skin for about a second, it was enough to leave me with a burn down the inside of my whole left forearm.

I immediately put my arm under cold running water and took some Tylenol. I have been putting burn relief gel on it for the past two days and I'm really hoping it doesn't scar! Luckily it was just a minor burn so I really don't think it's going to leave any lasting marks.

Anyway, the incident was a good reminder about the importance of being careful when using hot hair appliances.

Have you ever suffered a curling iron burn?

Wet n Wild Color Icon "Greed" eyeshadow palette swatches and look

Does everyone remember the brand Wet n Wild? It has occupied drugstore shelves for as long as I can remember and is insanely affordable - like, $1 for a lipstick. It's probably one of the first makeup brands I ever tried, but before this weekend I hadn't used it in ages. 

Lately, though, Wet n Wild eyeshadows have been the talk of the beauty blogosphere so I just had to find out what all the fuss was about. I headed over to the drugstore and discovered that the brand I used as a kid has totally matured! They now have tons of really pretty eyeshadow palettes to choose from in a range of colors.

I picked up this lovely 6-pan eyeshadow palette called "Greed" from the Color Icon collection for just $5. The colors are all pretty neutral, with three matte eyeshadows on the left and three sparkly ones on the right. Check out the swatches below.

As you can see from the swatches, the lightest color matches my skin tone almost identically. The matte shadows have a much greater color payoff than the sparkly shadows. 

Now check out a look I did using these shadows: 

To create this look, I applied the lightest shade along my browbone and the matte peach shade all over my lid. I then blended a small amount of the matte black shade into my crease and topped with the bluish/gray sparkly shade. I lined my upper eyelid with a black eyeliner pencil then blended the matte peach shade over the line to soften it. 

Overall, I think this palette is very versatile and can be used to create many different looks that would be suitable for both day and night. The shadows were a tad hard to blend, but with a little bit of work they eventually went on smoothly. I will definitely be using these shadows again and may even pick up some more Wet n Wild products. I actually had my eye on a few of the other Color Icon palettes as well. Plus, at just $5 for 6 shadows, the price really can't be beat.

What do you think of this palette? Have you ever tried any Wet n Wild products?

Review - the "Magic Mitt" makeup remover

Jane Iredale Magic Mitt - $15

I was lucky enough to receive an ingenious little product for Christmas called the Magic Mitt. It's literally a mitt that you put over your hand and is supposed to remove all traces of makeup with nothing but water. Needless to say, I was intrigued.

The mitt itself is made of specially knit micro-fibers, which are many times thinner than a human hair and able to penetrate and break down oil films, according to the product description.

"This hydro-mechanical process breaks the surface tension of the oils that bond makeup to the skin while the fibers gently exfoliate," the product description states. "The combination of warm water and micro-fibers turn the makeup into an emulsion that is easily swept away by the mitt. It will even remove mascara!"

Even better, the Magic Mitt is supposed to promote the health of skin. Since no soap is necessary, the Magic Mitt does not wash away the skin's natural acid, which acts as a barrier that protects the skin from "harmful and invasive" bacteria. 

So the real question -- does it work? After using the Magic Mitt for more than a month, I can say that yes, it does work. Check out all the makeup it has removed from my face:

I actually find the Mitt is most beneficial for removing eye makeup. With just a few passes, a wet Magic Mitt can completely remove all my eye makeup -- eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara. It also does not have any problems removing face makeup -- foundation, concealer, bronzer, blush, etc.

To be thorough, I should mention that I tend to use regular face wash in combination with my Magic Mitt. Though the Mitt can remove makeup with just water, my face feels cleaner when washed with soap as well. I generally use a regular face cleanser first, then use my Magic Mitt to remove any eye makeup that has been left behind. Even just using it for eye makeup removal purposes it totally worth it for me, because I no longer have to worry about keeping eye makeup remover on hand.

Also, the Magic Mitt can easily be cleaned with soap and water. It comes with a cute mesh bag (shown in the first photo) that can be hung up and used to store the Magic Mitt while it dries and is not being used.

What do you think about the Magic Mitt? Have you tried this product or anything similar?