Get Healthy Summer Hair

Sunkissed goddess or fryed-up frizzies: how’s summer treating your hair?

Lots of us spend more time outdoors this time of year, and our hair pays for it. The heat from the sun’s rays dry out the natural oils. Summer breezes can help to create split ends. Pollution or pool chemicals leave our hair dull and limp.

The elements can also cause expensive highlights and color treatments to fade faster than normal.

I have several friends who are hair sytlists and they all want to see you if your hair is in bad shape from the summer sun. They’ll trim off split ends (if they’re badly split—no product will be able to really repair them).

Then, they’d show you some moisturizing and protective products that will help to keep your hair healthy, soft, and shiny when you head back outside.

Good ingredients to look for include vitamin C, vitamin B5, acai-berry antioxidants, and jojoba. Each of these things have protective qualities to guard against harsh summer elements and heat styling.

Here’s a great tip for a DIY potion you can mix up fast:
In a spray bottle combine 1/3 cup of sunscreen lotion, 1/3 cup of hair conditionor, and 1/3 cup of water. Shake well and spray on your hair before you go outside, and again throughout the day—even after wet at the pool or beach.

The sunscreen works to shield your scalp from harmful rays, and helps to prevent hair color fade. The conditioner helps to keep the hair moisturized.
The clean water helps to seal hair cuticles to keep pool chemicals and other irritants out.

Alright, now get out there and enjoy, you sunkissed goddess!

Wanna share any of your summer hair tips (or disasters?!)

j.

Flip-Flop Flap

Wish I would’ve seen this before I bought Old Navy flip-flops in nearly every color!

It took me a very long time to even be able to put the things on, because I couldn’t stand the feeling of something in between my toes. Now that I’m feeling comforatble in them, this:

Researchers (doesn’t that sound like a fun job: Flip-Flop Researcher?!)
have found that when we wear flip flops, we walk differently—scrunching our toes to keep the flip-flops flipping along with us.

OK, I’m sure I knew that flip-flops aren’t the most supportive shoe out there. But they’re cute, and comfortable, and cheap! Can they really do that much damage to our feet?

That motion, researchers say, can cause pretty serious damage to our soles, heels, and arches.

And it gets worse—also to keep our flip-flops from falling off, we tend to shorten our stride, and turn our ankles inward. Researchers think those habits can cause long-term ankle and hip pain!

Wearing flip-flops once in a while seems to be OK, but living in them for the summer may be enough to cause problems.

Sandals with straps are healthier for our feet. We don’t have to struggle to keep them on, and many give better support.

So what do you think? Do you love your flip-flops? Will this change the way you wear them? Leave a comment below!

I usually wear them around the house or for quick trips out, but I don’t really wear them when we go someplace that requires a lot of walking. I think I’m OK.

Maybe this is why our youngest calls them “slip-slops”???!

j.

How to Start your Daughter with Makeup

I’m fortunate to have a friend who happens to be a professional makeup artist. Gina Pravlochak does the makeup for our TV show. Many of our viewers write to her for beauty help. Here’s a question I wanted to share here, from a mom who wants to help her daughter get started—the right way—with makeup:

Q. Hi Gina, at what age can I start introducing make-up to my daughter? She is 13. Some of her friends wear it and its dark and too much. Can this damage their young skin?

A. I get this question a lot on the web. There is no magic age for letting your daughter wear makeup. When you decide it’s right–for both of you—I would stress the importance of clean, clear skin first.

Start her on a cleansing, toning, and moisturizing routine. Then ease into the make-up one product at a time.This is so you can monitor and wait for her to master that before she moves onto another product.
Also stress the importance of make-up removal so she falls into the habit of thoroughly cleaning her skin before bed.

When to start with make-up is a topic that really seems to get people fired up! Some worry that allowing makeup means allowing their daughters to grow up too fast, look older than they are and causes long term skin problems. As a professional make-up artist, I feel that these are unnecessary worries if makeup is done properly! The key to beginner’s make-up is to look as natural as possible.

I would suggest clear or brown mascara, not waterproof. A lightly tinted lip-gloss. Look for the words sheer or tinted, that way they can’t overdo it. I would stay away from black eyeliners, foundations and bright shadows for now. The key to those products is learning to use them the right way. Makeup should always enhance and not try to take away from natural beauty.

Any of you dealing with issues like this?
j.

At Home Spa: Soften Up

Noticing some dryness or roughness in your skin? Here’s a great at-home treatment that you can do in minutes. I like how it makes my skin feel…I LOVE how the treatment smells! Gives a real energy boost!

Here’s how to make your own citrus-sugar scrub. In this blend, citric acid works to soften and loosen dry skin, and the sugar scrub removes it.

What Do I Need?

1 orange, lemon or small grapefruit
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of olive oil

How Do I Make It?

1. Mix the juice of one half of an orange in a bowl with 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1/4 cup of olive oil (an incredible year-round all natural moisturizer).

2. Rub the other half of the orange where you need it…elbows, kneels, heels, hands. Rub the organge-sugar mixture over those same spots.

3. Gently rinse and dry.

Give it a try and let me know what you think! Also, if you don’t have an orange but you do have a lemon, lime, or grapefruit—go ahead and use that. You’ll get the citric acid benefit and a wonderful, different scent. Enjoy!

j.

Back to School/Fall Beauty

Fall beauty products have taken over the beauty counters an cosmetic stores. My friend (and professional makeup artist) Gina went to Ulta outside of Monroeville Mall so we could scan the idles and find out what’s most popular. Here are the things you’ll want to look for:

Gina also saw some products that make her want to remind us all about the importance of taking the time to clean off our makeup. It’s a step that’s easy to neglect, especially for those of us who sleep walk our way to bed many nights.
We found some products that make it easier for everyone to be able to give their skin a little love.

j.

Back to School and Fall Trends

Back to School shopping is in full swing. If you want to make the trip a little easier, take a look at these videos before you go.
I talked with people at JCPenney at Monroeville Mall to find out about what’s popular this year.
Urban, Flashy, Trendy are all words that were used to describe the looks.
Penney’s has the new Kimora Lee line in their juniors department. It’s hard to miss the display with all the leopard print! Jessica showed us some of the most popular pieces:

We didn’t forget about the guys! JC Penney Store Manager, Gary, told us about what the guys want for back to school:

And… we’ve gotta give our flip flops up sometime…what are we going to put on our feet this Fall? Here are some ideas from Jacki at Nine West:

There are some great end of summer sales going on right now. You can save big on basics that you can pair with other pieces to stretch them into year round wear.
If you’re really thinking ahead, now’s a great time to stretch your clothing dollars by picking up summer clothes for kids at 60 or even 70 percent off in sizes they’ll be able to wear next year.
j.

Go With Everything Face

Of course we want to look pulled together as we move through our busy days.

Summer Beauty Tips

Got to go shopping with my friend Gina Pravlochak who also happens to be a professional make-up artist and does my make-up for our TV show. We went to Ulta right outside the Monroeville Mall (love that store! It can make even a mom of five feel girlie!)
I asked Gina about easy ways to boost your look for summer. She talked first about self-tanners…the safest, fastest, least expensive way to get a healthy glow.

Then we moved on to the nail polish area…oh my gosh, hundreds of colors to choose from. You need sunglasses for the hottest shades for summer this year!

It makes sense to go a little trendy especially with something like nail polish, because it’s inexpensive, and easily changeable. Have fun being a little daring!
j.

Easy Ways to Wear White

It’s been so hot and humid in our part of the world lately; it’s a necessity to dress to be comfortable. You can do that and be stylish in crisp, cool, summer white. I know from emails we get at jenniferTVshow.com that a lot of women are a little afraid to wear white…but it can be very slimming if you know a few tricks! I got to go shopping with my good friend and professional stylist Suzanne Mauro recently. Here we are at White House Black Market at the Monroeville Mall:

So, to recap tips for easy ways to wear white:

• Keep it simple and dress in head to toe white: we show a long top with an attached belt, pants with a slightly wide leg, and white sandals
• Choose pants in a heavier weight fabric like denim to reduce “pocket lines”, and to provide some slimming support
• Add white hot accessories in platinum and silver for a cool summer look

My tip for wearing white over the summer would be to fill your purse with Shout wipes or a Tide Stain Stick for fast fixes when peanut butter and jelly, ice cream, or chocolate flies your way!
j.

Latest Hair Trends and Summer Hair Care

I was able to break away today for some much needed hair maintenance. I drove to my friend Cindy Cochran’s Salon and Day Spa in New Castle, PA (an absolutely beautiful converted Victorian house) to freshen up my color and cut.
Cindy is just back from a business trip to New York where she got caught up on the latest looks. She shared a trend with me that makes it easy for anyone to pull off an updated style. I did what I could to keep the camera steady (I was trying to shoot both of us in the mirror and be her hair model for you…give me a little break, please! ha!) …

I also asked Cindy about how to protect your hair from the summer sun, pool chemicals, etc. :

You can find more tips from Cindy in the Jen’s Friends area of jenniferTVshow.com.
j.