Fake Volume in Your Updo

Adding volume to your hair can take a lot of effort.  It may take some combination of washing with a volumizing shampoo/conditioner, applying mousse, blow-drying from various crazy angles, teasing, massaging in dry shampoo, adding hold with hairspray, etc….  On days when you only have time to throw your hair up in a ponytail or a bun but you don’t want the look to be flat, there’s no way you’ll have time to go through all of those steps for volume!  Here’s a way to fake your way to tons of volume in little to no time!

Take a small section of hair along your hairline and separate it from the rest of your hair.  (Secure it with an elastic to make sure you don’t lose it.)  Quickly tease the rest of your hair at the roots all over your head.  This can be really rough, no need to make it perfect!  Gently smooth out the surface hair with a comb and (loosely!) pull all of this hair straight back into a ponytail.  (You don’t want the hair pulled back too tightly as that will detract from the voluminous look you’re going for.)

If you’re doing a bun rather than a ponytail, gently backcomb the ponytail and gather into a messy bun, secure with an elastic, and pin down any stray pieces.  (By just gathering the hair and securing it with an elastic you’ll be sure that the bun will hold up all day, and by shaping the bun itself by pinning down the edges you’ll be able to get any size and shape you like.)

Now take the hair you separated at your hairline and gently pull it back toward your ponytail/bun.  Loosely pin these pieces right at the ponytail/bun in a few separate chunks, following the way the hair would be pulled back normally.  (You don’t want to pull all of this separated hair back straight down the center of the head and secure it in one piece; you want it to look as if it were never separated from the rest of your hair in the first place.)  Pin down any loose ends around the ponytail/bun.  Gently tug on these pieces at the top of your head to loosen them a bit more.  They’ll stick up from the top of your head just a bit and give the illusion of tons of volume!  

~Alyssa

Pasta with Clam Sauce

 Ingredients:

2 cans of clams, save the juice.

½ cup of white wine

3 shallots, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

¼ cup of chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Red pepper flakes

Dried parsley

Garlic powder

2 tbsps of lemon juice

3 tsps of flour

String pasta, such as linguine or angel hair

Directions:

Open cans of clams, saving the juice. Rinse the clams and put them in a bowl. Mix with 1 tbsp of lemon juice, some garlic powder, pepper, red pepper flake, and some parsley. Then chopped the garlic and shallots and saute it with some olive oil for 7 minutes. Once they are done, add the flour and cook for a minute. Then add the wine, clam juice, chicken broth, and remaining lemon juice. Let this thicken a little and season it to taste. Boil some water and cook your pasta. When there is about 5 minutes left til your pasta is al dente, add your clams and cook them a little. Drain and mix the sauce and pasta with some cheese and enjoy. 

~Katrina

Neutral & Neon Negative Space Manicure

This nail look is simple and trendy, combining negative space with neon for a summery touch!

You need:

Base coat

Top coat

Neutral nail color

Neon nail color

Striper brush and/or tape

Glitter top coat (optional)

Start with a base coat.  Paint your entire pinky nail with two to three coats of the neutral nail color for an opaque look.  Allow to dry, then use either the striper brush or tape to create a diagonal strip of the neon color at the top outer edge.

Use either the striper brush or tape to create two horizontal stripes of the neon color near the top and center of your ring finger.  If you choose to add glitter, put the glitter top coat over just the top stripe.

Paint your middle finger with two to three coats of the neutral color until it is opaque.  Use your striper brush dipped in the neon nail color to outline and fill in a palm tree shape.

Use either the striper brush or tape to paint your index finger with the neutral color, leaving a single vertical stripe of negative space in the center.

Use either the striper brush or tape to fill in a half moon shape on your thumb with the neon color.  Add a glitter top coat to the half moon.

Finish with a top coat and you’re done!

~Alyssa

How to have a Productive Summer

Now that school is wrapping up, everyone is getting excited for summer. I have some tips on how to make the most of your summer vacation.

-If you can, get a part time job. This can give you something to keep you busy during the summer. Work experience and earning some money never hurts either. And you can use that money to help you plan more fun things with your friends this summer.

-Learn something new- If you found an interest during the school year, but had no time to pursue it, now would be the perfect time to do so. You learn it at home with youtube or take a class during the summer. Summer is also perfect to try new things. For example, if you want to try a different type of cuisine invite your friends and find a local restaurant.

-Make plans with friends- See your friends as often as possible and have fun. Find fun things to do like watching movies and relaxing girl days.

-Find Local Events- Look up in your local newspaper and see what is going on around the area, like concerts. Invite your friends and do something fun!

Get Fit- Summer is the perfect time for find activities to get you fit. Do outdoor activities, like swimming and walking, or take an exercise class, like Zumba. You have plenty of time to get the body you want.

Spend more time outdoors- Go camping or do a nature walk! Make the most out of the beautiful weather that we have now. 

~Katrina

Our Summer Must-See List

There are so many great movies coming out this summer, so we’re sharing the ones we’re most excited to see!

1.     Insidious: Chapter 3- I mean, obviously.  If you’ve watched the first two you’re already invested in the series so this is a no-brainer.  Plus, what’s summer without a good horror film?  (Coming out June 5.)

2.     Spy- Just about any film starring Melissa McCarthy is necessary.  Melissa McCarthy in the CIA?  Um, YES.  (Coming out June 5.)

3.     Inside Out- You’re lying if you say you can’t identify completely with one of those hilarious emotions.  (Disgust and sadness, I’m looking at you.)  This is the perfect light comedy for summer!  (Coming out June 19.)

4.     Magic Mike XXL- Need we say more?  (Coming out July 1.)

5.     Minions- You can’t help but love the Minions and their adorable, strange antics.  This is the perfect kids movie that you don’t actually need to bring a kid along to see because, well, you saw Despicable Me first.  Just saying.  (Coming out July 10.)

6.     Trainwreck- Because Amy Schumer’s character is way too relatable.  (Coming out July 17.)

7.     We Are Your Friends- Hello, Zac Efron.  (Coming out August 28.)

~Alyssa & Katrina

Birthday Cake Popcorn

To kick off a birthday series here, we have a festive, sugary snack!  This popcorn is quick, sweet and delicious, plus it’s really fun whether it’s your birthday or not!

Ingredients:

Popcorn

6 oz white chocolate chips

Rainbow sprinkles

Directions: Prepare the popcorn.  Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave then pour over the popcorn.  Throw in the rainbow sprinkles then toss the popcorn to coat it!  Enjoy!

~Alyssa

Disney Princess Nails: Rapunzel

At last I see the light…  These nails are inspired by the princess Rapunzel from the movie Tangled (2010).  Each month I will bring you a new set of nails based on a Disney princess, in the order of their release.

You’ll need:

Base coat

Top coat (I prefer Seche Vite)

Striper brush

Dotting tool

Light pink, bright pink, nude, pearl, dark purple, light purple, purple-y pink, lime green, dark green, white, dark brown, light brown, black, light blue, orange, yellow and gold nail polishes  (I used: Pure Ice in Love; OPI Nail Lacquer in Strawberry Margarita; Sally Hansen Diamond Strength in 78 Sealed with a Kiss; NYC Quick Dry Nail Color in 212 Mulberry Street; Sephora by OPI in Stop Stocking Me!; Sally Hansen Hard as Nails in 370 No Hard Feelings; Sephora by OPI in Domestic Goddess; Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in 02 Green With Envy; Butter London in British Racing Green; Sally Hansen Hard as Nails in 110 Hard to Get; OPI Nail Lacquer in You Don’t Know Jacques! Suede; Sally Hansen Satin Glam in 01 Go Gold; Sally Hansen Hard as Nails in 880 Black Heart; Sinful Colors in Cinderella; NYC in 112 Times Square Tangerine Creme; Pure Ice in Excuse Me; and Love My Nails in Gold Dust)

Start with a base coat.  Paint your pinky nail light pink, your ring and index fingers nude and your middle finger a bright neutral color (like a pearl shade).  Using the dry brush technique, paint your thumb deep purple at the base about halfway up, then a medium-light purple starting in the middle of the deep purple and going about three-quarters of the way up the nail.  Use a clear coat to smooth out harsh lines, but it doesn’t need to be perfect.  (You’ll be covering it up later.)

On your pinky nail, use the striper brush dipped in lime green to outline and fill in the chameleon, Pascal’s face.  Use your dotting tool to make two big, white circles for eyes, then small brown dots with tiny black pupils.  Use the striper brush and dotting tool dipped in dark green to make his smirk and mischievous eyebrows.

Use the striper brush on your ring finger to outline and fill in the back of Rapunzel’s purple-y pink dress with light purple sleeves.  Then use it to make her golden-yellow braid all the way down her back.  Use the dotting tool in multiple bright colors to make small flowers in her braid.

On your middle finger use the striper brush to create the shape of a light brown tower with a deep purple roof.  Add some dark brown details, like the window on the side and some wood near the base of the top section of the tower, then add some dark green ivy to the base of the tower and the long golden-yellow hair flowing from the window.

Use your striper brush dipped in yellow to outline and fill in the shape of the magical flower from Tangled.  Then add some light brown in the same shape in the very center of the flower, followed by white in the center of that.  Use dark brown to add some small pieces stemming from the center of the flower, then a dark green stem.

On your thumb, continue to use the dry brush technique to fill in the rest of the nail with a light pink, bringing it down slightly into a point near the center of the nail.  Next, lightly add some bright orange just where the light purple and light pink meet, then smooth out with a clear coat.  Do the same with yellow where the orange and pink meet.  (Again, this doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth, as you’ll be covering up the center.)

Now use the striper brush dipped in black to outline and fill in a castle on a hill right in the center of the nail.  Use dark brown to create a small boat in the water beneath the castle shape, with a small brown dot for Flynn Rider’s head and a small yellow dot (with the braid and the flowers!) for Rapunzel’s head.  Use the dotting tool to make gold/yellow lanterns floating above and over the castle, starting near the boat.

Finish with a top coat!

~Alyssa