1. The Perfect White Shirt

This is the perfect white shirt: off the shoulder, a long slit on the sleeve to let in a cool breeze, and sexy without being too showy or form fitting. It drapes perfectly in the front and back! And, you know how much I love 3/4th sleeves:)

2. The Perfect White Shrug

I say perfect white shrug in that it is billowy, has great details, and can be paired with most tank tops. Sweet. I also adore the not so opaque fabric. Lovely. (And shhhh, it’s also 3/4th sleeve! I’m addicted.)

3. The Perfect Sexy but not Slutty July the 4th Top

Who knew red, white (-ish) and blue could be so sexy?! Again, another 3/4th sleeve gem:)You can buy it here.

Don’t you love spring? Living up here in the northwest where the seasons are so distinct, my favorite season has always been the time between spring and summer. Spring can be a bit rainy up here, but this week has been perfectly sunny. I love pairing white shorts with a loose navy cardigan and some simple white thong sandals on a lovely day like this.

Last year I searched high and low for the perfect white sandals. I ran into a lot of very uncomfortable ones, especially that area that goes right in between your toes. My hubby finally ran across some at JCPenney, and they are seriously the most comfortable sandals I’ve ever owned! I couldn’t find them on their online shop this year, but seeing that I scored at JCPenney, I’m confident that if you’re looking for a pair of comfy sandals, you’re sure to find something there:)

clockwise from top left- The recipe for a lovely day off: a lonely trail, comfy spring sandals, a bright vintage bike, and aviators

(note: Cameras and apps used for this post: Instagram app for vintage look and Pic Stitch app for layout, both on Iphone 4s camera, First two photos taken with Canon PowerShot A520)

Since we have been talking about how to give volume to thin hair, I’d also like to add that curling or waving your hair will also do the trick! I prefer waves over curls as they give me just enough volume without making my face look too round (curls usually create too much volume and make my face look rounder).

This mother’s day, I went to visit one of my best friends who also happens to be a mom (we call each other ‘wifey!’). We hung out at her sister’s house and caught up on gossip, Don’t Trust the “B” in Apartment 23, and of course I had my tweezers to do both of their eyebrows:) It was girl time complete with makeovers (she loved my new fuchsia lipstick!). Her poor fiance had to watch it all go down. lol.

Also, her sister introduced us to a new gadget, the awesome Goody Heat Wave Creator Styling Iron. I have been on a search for the perfect “wave” iron that creates waves instead of curls. She found it! I’m here to report the results:)

The PERFECT iron for creating beachy waves

1. Blow dried hair always looks more voluminous than air dried hair.

I think this is the main reason why I never air dry my hair. I’ve found that the quietest and strongest airflow from a blow dryer (the perfect combination) comes from my Conair Salon Series 1875 Watt blowdryer. Unfortunately, I’ve searched high and low for this, and I think it’s been discontinued. This one, Conair 276R Infiniti Pro Volume Dryer, looks like the most similar and has great reviews.

2. ALWAYS blow dry on the opposite direction of your part.

If you normally part your hair on the right side, create a left side part and blow dry your hair that way, so when you flip it back to your real part, you will have some lift in the roots.
If you normally part your hair in the middle, blow dry half of your hair in front of your face. It should cover your face like this:

I used this technique when I did Annie’s makeover and look how much volume it created!

BEFORE

AFTER

3. Dyed hair strands give the appearance of thicker hair compared to virgin hair strands.

All of that cuticle damage to the hair shaft? Sounds terrible huh? Well actually, for women with thin hair (myself included), the damaged hair actually helps create volume! I think it works even more so if you are going lighter instead of darker. As you know probably with clothing, dark colors make people thinner, bright and lighter colors make people look bigger. Same thing goes for hair. It’s easier to create the look of volume with lighter hair than it is with darker hair. Plus, the damaged hair, the open cuticle, gives texture to the hair which makes it look more voluminous.

It took me forever to find a “virgin” hair photo of me so you could see the difference, but here it is:

Compare with how much thicker my hair looks with blonde hair:

4. Root booster products give you volume where you need it most.

I love root boosting products, especially Catwalk Root Boost Styler By Tigi For Unisex Styling
and Big Sexy Hair Humidity Resistant Volumizing Spray Mousse, Root Pump Plus.

I only use them on the top of my head at the roots, never on the sides of my head. Why? Cuz you want volume on top. Unless you want to make your face look wider (for those with long or narrow faces), volume on the sides of your head will make you look more like you’re going for big Texas hair or 80′s hair.

Hope these tips help, ladies:)

What you need:

Large Flat Brush

Large Powder Brush and Wide Tooth Comb (and cornstarch of course)

Process

1. Starting on one side of the head, make a part right above your ear using your wide tooth comb.

2. Dip your large powder brush into the cornstarch and tap excess off. Then apply generously to the part.

3. Moving about an inch above from last part, create another part.

4. Apply cornstarch generously to part again.

5. Repeat process. (each side of head will have about 3-5 partitioned sections)

6. Make sure to focus your application on the crown of the head, or that area at the top back of the head, as this area tends to fall flat due to oil, and on some women with particularly thin hair, this area looks like it is thinning especially when it is oily. This is the most important area for application.

7. The second most important area for application is wherever your natural part is.

For some that may be a center part:

For me it’s a slight side part:

8. Don’t worry about applying too much cornstarch. Of course it’s easier if you tap the excess (it will lessen brushing time) but it doesn’t hurt to have too much. The most important thing is to make sure you cover all the oily roots.

Look how much I applied! (and I have black roots!)

9. Now it’s time to brush it all in so that you don’t have white roots. Start by brushing it from the front to the back.

You gotta do this for a good couple of minutes to really get the cornstarch blended. I mean brush the hell out of it! I sometimes even move my brush to the back of my head with a zigzag motion to really get the “blending” action. Don’t forget to brush out the area by your ears.

10. Now bend down so you can brush from the nape of your neck to the end of your hair.

When you flip your hair back up, it will be crazy big. This is when you just run your wide tooth comb through gently and give your hair some shape. I also use my fingers to “tame” the volume.

That’s it!

Another before picture: (compare how oily my hair looks in the before versus the afters!)

And some more after pictures:

As you can also tell, with my hair looking flat, oily and lifeless, it also has a tendency to make my face look wider. Volume to your hair, especially at the top, creates the illusion of a thinner face!

Have a great weekend! Next week, I’ll be giving more advice for giving volume and lift to thin hair.

Here’s what’s currently on my playlist:

And a little inspiration for your day:

{all photos were taken from Rockstar Diaries. Check it out!}

Sorry I’ve only now just posted my about page! Here it is:

Welcome to Midorile.com. I’m Midori (my middle name is Lei- pronounced like the Hawaiian flower necklace), and I love fashion, beauty and home decor. This blog is my creative outlet. I spend part of my time as a cosmetics captain for Target, and part of my time blogging here and on my dating advice column. I’ve been shaping eyebrows  and giving makeovers on friends for 17 years. It’s one of my favorite hobbies. When I see a woman, I always see someone beautiful. She may not always see her potential, but I always see something about her that makes her beautiful. The kinds of makeovers I give accentuate that beauty and cover up flaws. I like “natural” looking makeovers, where the woman stands out, not the makeup.

Below are some of the eyebrows I’ve shaped and makeovers I’ve done.

Foundation and concealer can make a complexion look flawless…

Sometimes just a little bit of makeup and eyebrow shaping can make a huge difference…

Sometimes completely reshaping the eyebrows can really bring out a person’s eyes…

Sometimes a girl just needs a little bit of eyebrow definition and some extra shading to fill in the eyebrows…

And sometimes eyebrows have been over-plucked and need even more shading…

Sometimes I do a whole day makeover event complete with a wardrobe change, hair wash and straightening…

And I love when we do a whole photo shoot complete with black and white photos and sepia…

AFTERS

And I love having “makeover parties” complete with face masks and cookies!

AFTERS

(For more makeovers check out my makeover site!)

In our home, the only places that have overhead lights are in the kitchen (you need to see everything you’re cooking), the dining room (you need to see everything you eat), and the hallway (you need to see where you’re going). When you think about it, all the other places are places where you’re most likely to lay down or plop yourself comfortably on a couch (bedrooms, guest rooms, living room, sitting rooms) Even in my office, I use “task” lighting in favor of the too glaringly bright overhead lights.

Overhead lighting feels sterile, like you’re in a waiting room at a dentist or doctor’s office.

Lamps,

lampshades,

recessed lighting,

{I just used stringed lights with large round bulbs and laid them (not touching anything else to prevent a fire hazard) on the top of the kitchen cabinets.}

You can get them from Amazon:

and Torchiere floor lamps

lend the kind of homey glow you want to bask in.