rose gold

instyle international hair tips

germany: the oktoberfest rinse -- mix a half liter of beer with lukewarm water. our it into a spray bottle and spritz dry hair. leave on for 20 minutes, then rinse. do this weekly to keep strands strong and glossy.

germany: au natural volume -- products with wheat protein

sweden: static-free strands -- local brand sachajuan's algae-rich over night hair repair ($60; woodeyandbunny.com), a water-based gel. it contains minerals that add a moist shine to hair but won't leave it greasy.

czech republic: pump up the volume -- kerastase's volumactive line (shampoo and mousse, $35 and $37; kerastase-usa.com)

czech republic: onion highlight rinse -- to achieve neutral blond highlights, boil 6 yellow onion skins in 4 cups of water, let the water cool, and use it as a rinse. this trick originated in the pre-hair-product era.

croatia: keep your colour -- to preserve colour during the winter, use gentle, sulfate-free products by label.m's organic hair-care line. (label.m colour stay conditioner and shampoo, $15 and $12; fashionandbeautystore.com)

romania: sweeten your conditioner -- boost highlights like a romanian: add 1 tbsp. of honey to your favourite conditioner to make highlights shimmer.

greece: keep hair colour rich -- use a shampoo that contains walnut leaf extract to create a deeper, richer hair tone. (nirvana black walnut shampoo, $20/3; amazon.com)

egypt: castor oil cocktail -- a popular conditioning treatment is castor oil mixed with crushed garlic. add a drop of lavender essential oil and apply to dry hair overnight; rinse in the morning for lush, hydrated hair.
(now foods castor oil, $10; amazon.com)

india: neem oil to nourish hair -- follow regular shampoo with neem oil. massage a few drops into the scalp, then rinse. the oil acts as a lubricant to prevent friction and breakage. (dr. hauchka neem hair oil, $32; drhauschka.com)

china: take-out tresses -- boost your hair health by eating chinese food. it contains a lot of the natural herbs--such as sesame, ginger, and fleece flower root, a common chinese herb--that are good for hair health. ask for sesame chicken next time you order take-out.

thailand: coconut milk shampoo -- grate and squeeze a coconut to get the milk, heat on the stove until the oil separates. spoon out the oil and let cool before applying to the hair as a shampoo to provide moisture, softness, and shine.

vietnam: lush lotus treatment -- prevent breakage with a boket, or lotus tree, treatment. steep the leaves and use the liquid as a cleanser. then grind the pods to a thick, buttery consistency and use as a conditioner.

japan: start with the scalp -- japanese women believe that beautiful hair begins at the roots, often using treatments to exfoliate and deeply cleanse their scalps several times a week. (nigelle lx cleansing shampoo, $23; amazon.com)

australia: eucalyptus treatment --to keep hair in good shape, massage a few drops of eucalyptus oil into the scalp overnight. it provides moisture and shine, and promotes growth.

new zealand: seek out local ingredients -- manuka honey moisturizes, conditions, and has hair-protective qualities. (wild ferns manuka honey shampoo and conditioner, $24 for the set; parrsskincare.com for store locations)

colombia: avocado hair mask -- combine two egg whites with half a cup mashed-up avocado; leave it in hair for 15 minutes, then wash and condition. it's a fast and inexpensive natural remedy that leaves hair super-smooth.

brazil: coconut hair cocktail -- once a week, apply a cocoa butter treatment mask, let it sit for a half hour, then rinse it out with coconut water. the combination leaves hair incredibly soft and moisturized. (l 'oreal serie nature masque cacao, $33; us.lorealprofessionnel.com for stores. vita coco coconute water, $31/pack of 12; vitacoco.com)

argentina: hydrate with aloe vera -- to help keep long strands in shape, apply aloe vera directly to our scalp or add it to your usual shampoo.

mexico: gelatin hair mask -- fight frizz with a blend of 1 tbsp. unflavoured gelatin, 1 cup water, and 1 tsp. cider vinegar. massage the gel-like mixture through shampooed hair, leave it in for 5 minutes, then rinse.

italy: the olive oil (hair) diet

jamaica: cactus benefits -- peel the cactus and wash hair with the cactus oil

france: hydrate while you sleep -- rub l'occitane's shea butter cream on your scalp the evening before a shampoo. take herbal supplements to nourish hair from the inside. (l'occitane pure shea butter, $39; usa.loccitane.com. phyto phytophanere, $25/bottle of 60 caplets; sephora.com)

ireland: shiny strands -- wash hair with rainwater for shine.

eyeliner

leopard print tights

urge to splurge battle: leopard print scarf

fp loving leopard scarf

$68

100% acrylic

61" w x 68.5" l

fringe leopard scarf

$8.80

100% rayon

16" w x 66" l

all about hair

my hair is growing out. i grew out my bangs, they are long layers now. i dyed it three years ago, it is pretty much grown out. thinking about dying it again, but it is good condition. get it trimmed about every three months. long layers. wavy and thick in texture, but since it is heavy and long, tends to fall flat at roots. trying to wash it every other day to every three days. rarely brush or comb hair, wet or dry. usually wear it braided while sleeping.

• shampoo
• l'oreal eversleek intense smoothing -- sulfate, paraben, and silicone-free. found in drugstores. affordable. actually like the fragrance. does not leave my hair flat! love it so far.
• conditioner
• terax crema -- expensive, but totally worth it. silicone, paraben-free, of course no sulfates in conditioner.
• dry shampoo
• dislike the tresseme dry and waterless shampoo. leaves my hair with a dirty film. smell is okay. doesn't leave my hair feeling clean. 
• like the got2b dry shampoo. smell nice. no film. left hair itchy and flaky and greasy the following day
• have both osis dust-it and got2b powder'ful for root volume.
• the suave dry shampoo clogged after one use! never re-purchased.
• might try ojon, wanted to try the new john frieda volumizer but read mixed reviews and it is just corn starch.
• leave-in conditioner
• giovanni direct leave-in is organic. doesn't weigh hair down. found at target.
• brush
• wanted a mason pearson, but got a small sonia kashuk instead. seems fine, maybe should have gotten the big one.
• have a teasing brush.
• have a teasing comb.
• wide-tooth comb for combing wet hair.
• styling products 
• suave professionals volumizing mousse! smells good. doesn't clog. 
• suave volumizing root boost spray. same line, same smell. cheap. found at wal-mart.
• need to get aveda brilliant damage control (silicone-free heat treatment)
• hair accessories (obsessed with, but rarely wear)
• goody spin pins
• goody kirby grips
• scunci design weaver
• goody bun maker
• scunci perfect pony tail
• bump its
• headbands
• ornamental kirby grips

tinted nail polish

back in the 90s, cosmetic companies released a few tinted nail polishes. they disappeared but revlon is bringing them back for summer 2011. they are limited edition, of course. i remember my maybelline express finish nail polish in blue water. wish i would have picked up violet and berry, too.

dolce & gabbana 2011 spring

all about skincare

top ten facial skincare miracles

1. clarisonic plus with delicate brush head, can be used with body brush
2. aztec healing clay with organic acv
3. mua peel
4. skinceuticals serum
5. boscia mask
6. neutrogena sunscreen
7. mario badescu silver powder
8. moisturizer
9. bobbi brown eye cream
10. baby quasar light therapy

          bonus: water

for the body

1. body brush
2. dove sensitive skin body wash
3. dove sensitive skin deodorant
4. cetaphil moisturizer
5. bliss ingrown hair pads
6. loofah
7. neutrogena sunscreen
8. microdermabrasion

10 international beauty finds

1. biafine ointment. available in french and italian pharmacies, it's a savior for sunburned skin.

2. bioderma crealine h2o makeup remover from france. found backstage at every fashion show. it's a super-gentle makeup remover that feels just like water on the skin. and it doesn't leave your skin 

stripped or greasy.

3. cytol-nat centella cream. a french staple for redness and sensitive skin. you can use it on the face and body.

4. flavo-c serum. a superb skin-smoothing serum also from france.

5. homeoplasmine ointment from france. it’s like ea 8-hour cream (great for glossing eyelids and lips), but a tube costs less than 2 euros.

6. hot pink cotton swabs. you can get black cotton swabs in every family mart in tokyo (japan’s version of 7-eleven), but these over-the-top pink ones are found in tokyu hands department store in 

shinjuku.

7. pantene black sesame shampoo and conditioner from japan. the black sesame gives dark hair extra shine.

8. crème benamôr from portugal. a favorite of portugal's queen d. amelia, this light formula was first made in the 1920s, and the draw is in the pretty packaging as much as it is in the ultra-light formula.

9. bulgari uv gem spf 50 from italy. an incredibly light sunblock for the face that leaves skin with an even matte finish.

10. lucas’ papaw ointment. it's great for scrapes, skin irritations, and as a nourishing lip balm.

read more: best beauty products from other countries - marie claire