There comes a time in a person’s life when you have to look in the mirror and admit that your hair just isn’t what it used to be.  Losing your hair can be an incredibly emotional experience, and people will search far and wide for a solution.  35 million women in the United States who suffer with hair loss all are looking for something to give them back the fullness they once had.  In this blog, we’ll look at some of the options available from Planet Beauty to help your hair regain what once was. 

First, here’s some info on the cause of female hair loss.  It may be more common in men, but women can also have unhealthy levels of DHT (Dihydrotestosterone), or basically a broken down product of testosterone production.  Some of the other contributing factors are unhealthy scalp, which can be caused by not enough or too much oil production.  Another way to tell that your scalp is unhealthy is how easily your hair breaks, or how much you shed. It’s normal for a person to lose up to 100 hairs a day, so don’t be frightened by the hair you find in your hair brush or the shower drain. You may lose more hair than normal due to serious illness, major surgery, inadequate protein intake, childbirth, and medications including antidepressants, retinoids, and beta blockers. 

Having thick, beautiful hair is not out of reach for anyone!  There is a thickening treatment that may make this possible, available at some salons around the country, known as Nioxin. The treatment is customized to your individual needs (such as color-treated hair, normal to thin looking hair, or noticeably thin hair)  as well as a newly released Xtrafusion treatment.  The new Diamax with HTX treatment has been designed to help increase the thickness of each strand of hair and fight against breakage, using ingredients and benefits that are successful in skin care products to nourish your hair.

The breakthrough product does many jobs.  First, it increases the thickness of each existing hair strand for fuller looking hair by binding a complex of niacinamide, caffeine, and panthenol to increase the diameter of the hair, and strengthen hair against breakage. Apply to the scalp whenever you need a little more fullness in your hair, and massage gently into the affected areas.  Follow up with your favorite Nioxin treatment product for healthy looking, thick hair!

Combat the levels of unwanted DHT on your scalp with an amazing product from hair care genius Rene Furterer.  Start by applying Complexe 5 to your scalp 10 to 15 minutes before washing your hair once a week. Essential for a healthy scalp and beautiful hair, Complexe 5 strengthens hair from the root while deeply cleansing the scalp and optimizing the effectiveness of René Furterer treatments. Its unique concentration of essential oils stimulates microcirculation and invigorates the scalp to enhance the growth of healthy, beautiful hair.

For more serious hair woes, try a more hardcore solution, also from Rene Furterer.   Sudden thinning hair most commonly affects women and can be triggered by various factors such as pregnancy, stress, an unbalanced diet or medication. RF 80 has a double patented and scientifically proven formula that combats the two major factors of sudden thinning hair: Vascular and Nutritional. It works against these two causes to naturally encourage the growth of stronger hair and improve hair structure for thicker and faster growing hair.  Ingredients stimulate and increase the growth of the blood capillaries around the root bulb of the hair to promote growth and strength. RF 80 is extremely concentrated, so use one ampule a week for 12 weeks to notice a difference in the fullness and health of your hair and scalp.  Rene Furterer products are available at all Planet Beauty locations, or find your perfect product online!

If hair loss is a problem for you, just remember you’re not alone, and there are plenty of products to help!  Come visit your local Planet Beauty and talk to our buffs to find out which product is best for you!

XOXO Allie Kelley

As the New Year settles in and the Old Year passes, let’s take a look back at what made beauty in 2011 so amazing! From hair products to nail colors to skin care, 2011 made us look like a million bucks.  How about a stroll down memory lane to recap the top selling products from our treasure trove?  Remember what makes you love your favorite, or maybe find a new product worth trying out. 

From the land of hair care comes a Knight in Shining Armor I like to call Enjoy.  Three of our best selling products come from this Southern California based company: Luxury Conditioner, Conditioning spray, and Hair Mask.  Luxury conditioner smoothes, moisturizes, and softens the hair while indulging your senses in an incredibly soothing and luxurious experience. Luxury conditioner is a thicker formula designed to hydrate and treat thick, coarse, or unruly hair to the smooth down it deserves.  Hair Mask is an intensive smoothing mask for enriching dry and unruly hair. It leaves your hair feeling soft, silky and easy to manage.  Apply to wet hair for 5 to 10 minutes and rinse for noticeably softer, shinier hair, or, if your hair is exceptionally rowdy, use as your normal conditioner every time you shampoo.  Finally, Enjoy’s leave in conditioner, Conditioning Spray, is a top seller because of its weightless formula and intoxicating smell.  Perfect for detangling hair, upping the conditioning factor, or even spraying on your skin for a quick moisture boost, you’ll never go wrong with Conditioning Spray. 

Another hair care item that is more than just a blip on the radar is Schwarzkopf’s Sealed Ends serum.  This creamy fluid is best used on wet hair, concentrating on the ends to repair breakage, prevent split ends, and maintain the integrity of your hair by rebuilding the cuticle.  This product is perfect for fake blondes who need some serious resuscitation after salon visits.  Use every day for seriously softer hair with less split ends—you’ll notice a difference! 

What’s worse than looking at your mani and realizing your cuticles are ripped to shreds? Um, nothing! Fix dry, dehydrated cuticles in a snap with Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Oil! This Cuticle Oil is as pure as it gets.  Made with jojoba oil, vitamin E, and coconut oil, a tiny drop goes a long way (the bottle should last months). Gently massage a drop to your cuticle area whenever you see white around your cuticle. Apply it anytime because it won’t stain your clothes or sheets. Cuticle Oil is so natural it may freeze in extreme cold, if it does, just let it sit at room temperature and it will return to its natural state.  Massaging the cuticles with oil actually helps stimulate nail growth, so get oiling!

Another treasure from Deborah Lippmann is the intensely hydrating Rich Girl hand cream.  Your hands are the first to reveal your age, so keep them guessing with this award-winning hand cream that is formulated with shea butter, avocado and jojoba oil for unparalleled hydration. A botanical brightening complex to help even skin tone and a broad-spectrum sunscreen also lend a hand. Apply a dime size, and then thoroughly massage into the hands and cuticles. It even has SPF 25 sun protection and was Health Magazine’s winner for “Healthiest Hand Cream.” Grab yours today and never reveal your real age again!

Skin care lines are always trying to help consumers reveal the new, younger looking you.  Lucky for us, Planet Beauty favorite Perricone MD skin care launched a new product that not only helped us have younger skin, but gave us the glow of a tan at the same time!   No Sun Tanner is a multi-tasking all over face and body self-tanner that nourishes the skin with pro-Vitamin D while promoting a gorgeous, natural looking tan.  Unlike traditional self-tanners it does not streak, smell, leave the skin dry or impart an unnatural color.  Results are truly dramatic with a tan that customizes to your skin tone within 3 to 7 days.  Best of all, it also acts as a treatment and hydrator delivering essential moisture and firming benefits to the skin. 

Also from Perricone on our top sellers list is the loved by all Face finishing Moisturizer.  This lightweight facial moisturizer is formulated with powerful antioxidants to help firm skin’s appearance and minimize fine lines and wrinkles. Face Finishing Moisturizer is emollient, yet not greasy and imparts a visibly radiant and smooth appearance. It’s formulated with three powerful anti-aging sciences: Alpha Lipoic Acid, DMAE and Vitamin C Ester, and is paraben free.

2011 also gave us celebrities best kept skin care secret: Glam Glow mask!  This amazing mud mask is packed with French sea clay, green tea leaves, and volcanic rock to purify and exfoliate your skin, revealing a truly glowing complexion.  When you apply the mask, it warms and tingles until it dries, and when you rinse it off, you scrub in a circular motion to exfoliate dead skin away.  You’re left with glowing, bright, soft skin!  This product comes in two sizes (small and large), and remember, a little bit goes a long way! 

Last on our list of best sellers comes to us from hair care giant Philip B.  Create an authentic Hawaiian hair experience with PHILIP B Maui Wowie Beach Mist. Not like other beach mists, this product gives your hair the look and feel of random texture, body, bounce, and volume without the crunch or stickiness of other similar products. With just a few mists onto your wet hair, enjoy alluring piecey body, texture, fullness, and bounce. Wrap your tresses in a loose bun until it’s half dry, then pull down and scrunch gently.  You’ll have beach worthy locks whenever you need a hint of summer!

 Find all of these products online from Planet Beauty, or head to your local store to score your own!

By Allie Kelley

Award show season continues with tresses styled to perfection with Wella Professionals at the 2012 Screen Actors Guild Awards! Remember the hairstyles from the Golden Globes?  The “it” girls at the SAG awards including Kyra Sedgwick, Busy Phillips, and Shailene Woodley put their hair in the hands of Wella Professionals stylists, who used a variety of Wella Professionals products to get unique looks perfect for the big night.

A-list looks aren’t just for celebrities—beauties at home can get the look, too!  Here are some tips from the pros on how to get red carpet worthy tresses at home!

To get classic loose waves like Kyra Sedgwick, liberally apply Wella Professionals Extra Volume Mousse to wet hair before blowing out for maximum volume. Spritz Wella Professionals Thermal Image to dried hair, especially focusing on the ends, to protect the hair from damage caused by heat styling.  Separate the hair in different sized sections, curling the hair with a 1inch barrel curling iron.  Then, brush out the curls and blow dry the hair again using a round boar-bristle brush to keep the curls from looking too manufactured. Here’s a tip for curling hair on any occasion: on the left side of your hair, put the curling iron under your hair, and on the right, put it on top.  That way, you’ll get beautiful curls that turn away from your face (think Kim Kardashian).

Another red hot look seen all awards season is a throwback to bohemian trends: braids! Busy Phillips rocked one, and now you can too! Don’t get frustrated if your braid doesn’t come out perfect the first time—keep at it and you’ll get it right!

Start by pulling a 1 inch section of hair from just above the arch of your brow, loosely braiding hair across the forehead while pulling small pieces into the braid, secure with an elastic.  Liberally spray the hair with Wella Professionals Dynamic Fix 45 Second Crafting Spray to tame all flyaways, and to maintain a long lasting, natural looking hold.

Great–that sounded simple enough already, but it’s not just your usual French braid. Instead of three strands, it’s just two woven around each other, with some hair pulled in from the top side as it went down her head.  A two-strand braid! That takes less juggling than the regular three strand kind, so it’s super-DIY-able.  LOVE it! Not sure what a 2 strand braid is? Check out this easy how to video to learn!

An easier look that is sexy for a romantic date or looks cute out running errands is Shailene Woodley’s swept back, textured pony tail!  Start by applying 3-5 pumps of Wella Professionals Velvet Amplifier on damp hair to prime it for styling – this product seals the cuticle of the hair and provides a smooth foundation for other products.  Blow out hair with a round brush for smoothness and volume, then pull back dry hair into a loose pony at the nape of the neck, securing with pony tail holder the same shade as your hair color.  Apply Wella Professionals Ocean Spritz beach texture spray for added texture in the pony, tousling with fingers while spraying for an overall beachy look. Last, take a 1 inch section from the bottom of your pony and wrap it around the elastic, securing underneath with open hair pins.  Instant glamour! Planet Beauty carries the full line of Wella Products to get you set for your big night! check it out at your local Planet Beauty store, or shop online!

By Allie Kelley <3

By now the best of the beauty buffs have realized that the PB Beauties feature a special product in our stores every month.  These products are featured either because they are a favorite amongst our buffs, or we want to give this wonderful product its turn to shine!  With that said, make sure to tune into the Planet Beauty blog on the first of every month to discover the newest Product of the Month!

This month’s featured product from the PB treasure trove is Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Touchable Weightless hairspray!  You’re probably familiar with the Sexy Hair line—who doesn’t love their amazing line of styling products—but you may not be familiar with this spankin’ new addition to the line.  From the line that brought you Chocolate milk scented shampoo and integrated soy into all of their formulas to strengthen hair comes another powerful product!

Soy Touchable is a feather light hairspray that is made with anti-frizz technology—minus the gunky product feel.  Buildable hold technology allows you to spray on a little for a little hold, or spray on a lot for those wild nights out without feeling like your hair is a helmet.  Anti-frizz technology comprised of weightless water repelling silicones creates a breathable layer on your hair cuticle, helping hair to remain smooth and frizz free in all climates! 

An unbeatable blend of soy, cocoa, and Argan oil helps nourish and repair hair as well as offer UV and heat protection.  Argan oil, rich in vitamin E and Omega-6 helps hydrate and heal damage done to your hair from curling and flat irons.  Spray Soy Touchable on finished style and layer as needed to build stronger hold without the added weight, offering a medium hold and intense shine.

If you want a hair spray that gives touchable, not crunchy, hold and gives bounce and shine to your hair, this is the product for you! Perfect for spraying on before flat ironing to achieve a sleek style with movement that will resist humidity, and also works as the perfect thermal protectant to lock in your curly style or banish frizzies and flyaways from your pony or up do.

Let’s take a look at how the key ingredients come together to not only finish your style, but improve the health of your hair.  Soy and cocoa hydrate, restore, and strengthen your locks, Argan oil protects against heat and UV damage, while also controlling frizz.  Keratin proteins and peptides create a barrier around the hair locking in moisture and blocking out environmental damage, and strengthening the hair from the cortex out to give your hair strength to defy split ends. 

If you want to double protect your hair, check out Sexy Hair’s line of soy products, designed with your hair’s health in mind. The beauties of PB are in love with this incredible new hair spray, and you will be too!  Find yours at your local Planet Beauty store, and find out what makes your hair sexy!

By Allie Kelley

Welcome back, beauties! Here comes the second part of the blog on the electric-ly exciting skin care tools available from Planet Beauty.  Just in case you missed the first one, check out the blog about amazing light therapy tools available at Planet Beauty!

While cleansing is the first step in any skin care ritual, it is often overlooked.  Typical manual cleansing can leave behind dirt, oil, and makeup trapped in pores. This build-up can damage the appearance and health of your skin and keep your skin care products from working like they should.  Planet Beauty offers two state-of-the-art cleansing systems: Clarisonic and DDF Revolve.  Both of these products smooth out your skin’s tone and texture, reduce oily areas, reduce pore size, and help products penetrate deeper into the skin to work their absolute best. 

First, let’s talk about the amazing Clarisonic line of products. Used and recommended by spas and dermatologists, Clarisonic Sonic Skin Cleansing Systems use a patented sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second to gently, yet thoroughly remove 6 times more makeup and 2 times  more dirt and oil than cleansing with your hands alone. Cleaner skin is the first step toward healthier skin. And healthier skin is smoother, more radiant and more beautiful. With four systems to choose from, Clarisonic has your skin care needs covered.  The Classic Clarisonic system revolutionized the way we clean our skin and is safe for all skin types, recommended for use with any non-abrasive cleanser, and is waterproof for use in the shower or tub.  Just one minute, twice a day for the best skin you’ve ever had!  Also available is the one speed Clarisonic MIA system, the 2 speed MIA 2 system, and the 3 speed Clarisonic Plus system.  There’s also a variety of replacement brush heads designed to cater to your specific type of skin, and should be replaced every 3 months.

It’s simple to get started: just charge your device for about 12 hours prior to using, apply a small amount of cleanser to the brush head, and then oscillate away! Clarisonic recommends spending 20 seconds on your forehead, 20 seconds on your nose and chin, and 10 seconds each on your cheeks.  This blogger (who is a faithful hot pink Clarisonic Mia user) suggests first washing your face to remove excess makeup, then going back in with your Clarisonic.  This also prolongs the life of your brush, and keeps makeup from being ground into your skin.  Check out this video to see what real life users are saying!  Priced from $119.00 to $225.00, get yours from any Planet Beauty store.

A similar product comes from renowned skin care line DDF (Doctor’s Dermatologic Formula).  DDF 400X Revolve Micro-Polishing System is a breakthrough device that delivers microdermabrasion results that are as effective as a professional treatment.  DDF Revolve 400X transmits energy to the skin with up to 400 rotations per minute.

The gentle, yet highly effective self-warming DDF Polishing Crystals and the soft Foam Exfoliator polish away surface imperfections to reveal radiant, healthy-looking skin. The kit also includes a brush head to use with the device for daily deep cleansing and to help maintain results between treatments. This amazing product also delivers 8 times better exfoliation than a scrub alone, allows for better absorption of skincare products, immediate improvement in pore appearance, skin tone and evenness, fine lines, skin clarity and brightness, and radiance, and after one week, also see a significant improvement in texture and smoothing of the skin’s surface.

This light-weight device offers two speed options to allow you to control the intensity of your treatment. It’s travel-friendly and waterproof to take in the shower with you, all for only $98.00 at Planet Beauty!

Both of these incredible products are available from Planet Beauty stores, or find yours online! With different colors and devices to choose from, you can find the one that’s perfectly you!

By Allie Kelley

IT’S ALIVE! Well, maybe not alive, per se, but definitely electrical.  All beauties love their tools, so here’s a special look at some of PB’s top dog electrical tools. In this two part blog, let’s take a look at the benefits to supersizing your beauty routine from lines like Light Stim,  Baby Quasar, Clarisonic, and DDF with some of the most technologically advanced tools to be found.

From the world of LED light therapy come three worthy contenders: Light Stim (which has several products for your every skin woe), and Baby Quasar.  But first, a little background on what exactly LED light therapy is.  LED Light Therapy is the use of light to create an anti-aging effect on the skin. It is quickly becoming recognized as one of the safest, fastest, and most affordable ways to achieve younger, more radiant looking skin. It’s non-invasive, safe for all skin types, builds collagen and elastin, and uses no lasers, injections, chemicals or surgery!  Now, don’t think that sitting in the sunlight is going to give you the same effect.  LED lights omit the damaging UV rays giving you just the good stuff.  These products are a little on the pricey side, but think of it this way: you’re getting long term benefits for the rest of your life, and it’s much less expensive and dangerous than going under the knife. 

Light Stim for Wrinkles is a revolutionary company that manufactures all of their products right here in the USA.  Using the highest quality of lights, their product is also the largest available on the market.  Light Stim for Wrinkles proudly boasts 72 high-grade, high output Amber, Red & Infrared LEDs of varying wavelengths between 600 and 900nm.  Each light is built to produce light for 100,000 hours—so if you used it for about an hour everyday it would still last 273 years! 

Light Stim also is in the process of getting their Acne Blue light and Rosacea lights FDA approved.  Possibly the only LED light on the market for treating this skin condition, the Rosacea light uses the red and blue lights to significantly diminish the symptoms associated with Rosacea.  The Light Stim Acne Light mixes medical-grade, blue LED lights along with red and infrared LED lights to kill bacteria in the skin, reduce pore size, treat existing acne, and prevent future breakouts! 

Next up is the Baby Quasar light therapy system.  Here’s how it works: The Quasar MD uses proprietary “SequePulse” technology with four wavelengths of red and infrared light. These wavelengths have been scientifically proven to diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, enlarged pores and discoloration. Used just once per week, the Quasar MD helps increase collagen production, resulting in skin that’s smoother, firmer and younger-looking.

As is key to any beauty regiment, you must be consistent with these treatments! If you don’t use it, you lose it so use your LED light while you’re catching up on your shows or reading your favorite beauty blog (wink wink).  Both of these amazing products are battery free, but need to be plugged in to use (this is so it operates at optimal levels every time).  This blogger has first-hand seen the positive,  powerful effects of using LED light therapy and definitely recommends trying one out for yourself.  Find yours today at your local Planet Beauty store, or shop online!

 Stay tuned… part two is coming your way!

By Allie Kelley

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and the big question on everybody’s mind is this: “How am I ever going to get V-Day date ready in a flash?” Well, maybe not everybody, but everybody with two X chromosomes will be! Lucky for you, Planet Beauty has specially crafted a week’s worth of prettifying deals to get you ready for your big night out. 

First, get your mani “ring showing off” ready with the love-liest of shades: RED!  Planet Beauty has huge stock of nail polish, so don’t get overwhelmed by choices. Here are some ideas to help:

From OPI, you could choose the ever popular “I’m Not Really a Waitress,” “An Affair in Red Square,” “The Thrill of Brazil,” or “OPI Red” which will all add a lovely accent to your perfectly polished mani!  These vibrant polishes are sold at all Planet Beauty locations for $8.50.  Essie features beautiful shades with quirky names such as “Red-y, Set, Ex,” “Lollipop,” “Red Nouveau,” and “Jag-u-are.”  Find them at Planet Beauty stores for $7.99!  Celebrity manicurist Deborah Lippmann also brings to the table glitters in “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” “Ruby Red Slippers,” or full color shades in “My Old Flame,” and “Stop and Stare.”  These specialty colors range in price from $16.00 to $20.00. 

Next on the WOW list is a product to help you fake a summertime glow.  Bare Minerals’ Faux Tan tanning lotion gives you the glow like you spent a day at the beach, without all the skin damage from UV rays. This luminous veil of color is easy to apply to your whole body and works on even the most sensitive skin — leaving you soft and glowing!  Simply apply to your skin, let it dry and develop for a few hours, then hop in the shower to rinse off the excess product.  Make sure to wash your hands VERY thoroughly after application.  You’ll be glowing and date ready in no time! Pop into your local Planet Beauty store  to snag this amazing product!

Get your hair primped and perfect in a hurry with the newest product to hit PB’s stores: It Factor hair care!  This revolutionary product decreases the time it takes you to blow dry your hair by up to 50 percent! Imagine having your hair styled and ready to walk out the door in half the time it normally takes!  Get your It Factor duo and be ready in a flash, now available at all Planet Beauty locations!

Smooth out your scaly winter skin with Goe Oil! “…What-ey oil?” Pronounced “GO-E,” this lightly scented moisturizer goes into the skin quickly and leaves it feeling incredibly smooth. Lighter than typical body butter, longer lasting than a moisturizer, Goe Oil is unique in that it actually replaces the natural oils that we tend to lose due to age, environmental stress, and weather. This unique product should be used all over your body after shower or shaving, or even in your hair for a quick smooth down.  Get your perfect all in one moisturizer from Planet Beauty stores and banish dryness ASAP!

For you ladies who wake up on February 14th and decide to snooze a few extra minutes instead of washing your hair.  Say hello to Philip B Russian Amber Imperial dry shampoo! This amazing product goes on completely translucent—no more white powdery residue to try and mix in!  It has an intoxicating amber musk smell, and give your hair serious volume without sacrificing shine.  Grab yours and feign freshness whenever you need!

 Pick one, pick them all! Make sure to stop by your local Planet Beauty store to get whatever you require to be Valentines Day fabulous in a snap.  Happy Valentine’s day to our favorite beauties! XOXO PB <3

By Allie Kelley

There’s a new kid in town!  Make some room on the shelves, because these products pack a serious punch.  From hair care to skin care to nail polish, we’ve got a great lineup of new products to share with you beauties! 

What if I told you that you could cut the amount of time it takes you to blow dry your hair in half? Well, darlings, I’m here to introduce a brand new product called “It Factor.”  It Factor Shampoos and conditioners feature a proprietary blend (read: they’re not sharing their secret) of ingredients to speed up drying time, plus includes protective antioxidants, broad-spectrum sunscreen, nourishing rose hip and hydrating sea kelp for healthy, shiny hair.  All It Factor products are safe for colored and chemically straightened hair and are free of harsh sulfates, parabens, sodium chloride and alcohol.  There are two formulas: one for fine hair types, and another for coarse hair types.  Pick the one that’s right for you, and get ready to be dry in no time! Available soon in all 30 Planet Beauty locations, check your nearest store to score your own!

New to Planet Beauty this year is a little company (you may have heard of it) called Philosophy! For the last 16 years Philosophy has been bringing smiles and sentiments to their products and consumers via fun, inspirational packaging.  All of their products are based on a rich, scientific heritage to create a fresh, approachable attitude towards beauty.  Their best sellers include the” Amazing Grace” line of fragrance and body products, “Purity made simple” facial cleansers, ”Hope in a Jar,” which is treatment based moisturizers, and  “Miracle Worker” addresses unwanted wrinkles, discoloration, and texture.     Their products include skin care, bath and body, fragrances and a huge selection of gift sets!  Check out Planet Beauty’s website to see the variety of products! 

Another player new to the game is LAQA&CO—a new line of nail polish pens! I know what you’re thinking, “Nail polish PENS? So nineties… and SO messy!” Look again, darling, and give LAQA&CO a chance.

  These aren’t the nail polish pens of the past, oh no.  These high gloss shades are super vibrant, and go on virtually streak free.  All of their products come packaged in beautiful boxes with artwork designed by up and coming artists who they even give a cut of their profits to!  Beauty and philanthropy, two worlds converging.  Currently, LAQA&CO has 9 shades to choose from, plus a high gloss top coat and nail polish remover pads. Just 8 little clicks get the polish flowing to the brush, and you’re ready for your mani!  As mentioned in a previous blog, many nail colors have hazardous chemicals, but these are free of the Big Bad 3: formaldehyde, toluene and DHP. Check out Planet Beauty online to find your perfect shade!

New for your body care needs is Lollia, created by designer Margot Elena, an innovator of luxurious formulas and signature packaging for over a decade. 

 Featuring a broad range of products with light and lovely fragrances, Lollia has the product or fragrance perfect for everybody! Fragrances include Relax, Breathe, Believe, Imagine, Wish, In Love and Calm, each featuring different designs to compliment the rich fragrances it accompanies.  Each fragrance has shea butter hand creams, perfumed body wash, bubble bath and beautiful candles to help you indulge in yourself! Perfect gifties for your closest gal pals; find your perfect Lollia product from Planet Beauty!

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and you’re ready for an updated look.  Spring is the time to pull out your beautiful sun dresses and closet your boring winter coats. What better accessory than beautiful, gleaming skin? Lucky for you, studio makeup line Smashbox has created the perfect addition to any beauty’s outfit with their new line for Spring 2012: Be Discovered.  Created at Smashbox Studios in Los Angeles, these colors were handpicked for rising stars and are packed with vibrant color.  

Just in time for Spring, Smashbox introduces their newest eight piece collection of prettifiers: lipstick, eyeliner, blush, and shadows.  In typical Smashbox fashion, the colors are on-trend and loaded with versatility.  Try one piece or all eight for a look that’s totally spring, and totally you!

By Allie Kelley

Awards show season kicked off last Sunday with the 2012 Golden Globe awards, and you know there were some hot fashions to be seen!  The usual question is “Who are you wearing?” directed at the gorgeous gown the starlet is draped in.  Here at PB, we are more interested in who are you wearing on your nails, of course! Everybody knows nail polish is the perfect complement to designer dresses, and luckily OPI has helped us out by letting us know that two ladies who walked the red carpet at the 2012 Golden Globes were wearing OPI nail colors. 

Stacy Keibler (aka George Clooney’s arm candy / luckiest girl in the world) wore “Did You ‘Ear About Van Gogh?” a subtle nude that lets the bright red dress do all the talking. “Did You ‘Ear About Van Gogh?”  is part of the OPI Holland Spring collection and launching in February.  Another lovely lady in OPI is Laura Linney wearing Congeniality Is My Middle Name – a complimentary ruby tone to her dress and a color that is part of the limited edition Miss Universe collection.  

Another part of the Golden Globes we all drool over is the star’s hairstyles!  This year big loose waves and curls are all the rage, with sophisticated chignon’s pulling in the award for second place. Many stars sported 60’s retro looks, with flipped ends and big teased crowns. Don’t stop there, adding a sparkly headband adds glam to any ‘do!  Take some advice from Wella’s hair guru’s and get the look yourself!

To get the look of beautiful beachy waves without the hassle of the ocean, first, apply a good amount of hair primer, like Wella Professionals Velvet Amplifier to wet hair. This will create an even surface on each hair follicle, improving the evenness of your overall look. Blow dry your hair with a diffuser, scrunching pieces of it up to create texture.  Then, take large sections of your hair and wrap it around the barrel of a 1 ¼ inch curling iron to create waves. Finish with a shot of shine spray likeWella Professionals Shimmer Delight to keep hair healthy and shimmering after all the heat styling.

To get the look of an undone bun, prep wet hair using Wella Professionals Velvet Amplifier and then let dry naturally with a diffuser. Once nearly dry, lightly mist hair with Wella Professionals Thermal Image Heat Protection Spray before using a 1 ¾ curling iron to enhance natural waves.  Once hair is prepped, then take a section from crown to ears to divide hair into a front and back split section.  At the back section, pull hair back into a ponytail, not pulling it too tight so that there is still a natural hair movement. Spray Wella Professionals Shimmer Delight Shine Spray in the front section to give the best glossy finish for the red carpet.  Then, sculpt hair into a side parted wavy style with hands moving into a beautiful twisted bun.  Finish off with Wella Professionals Stay Essential Hairspray.

Stars like Nicole Richie and Shailene Woodley love Wella, and you can get the whole line of products from Planet Beauty to get red carpet ready!

By Allie Kelley

Parlez-vous français?  Bonjour, and hello, Darlings! Meet the fabulous new addition to the PB beauty treasure trove – Number 4! Our beauty buffs are falling hard for the line inspired by the French ever-chic culture and virtues. Number 4 is a collection that was founded with the mission to develop a creative, high performance hair care line that runs parallel to fashion, science, art, music and industrial design creative cycles.  With a mission statement that proclaims “The most beautiful things in life are found in the simple,” No. 4 stays true to their roots by having products inspired by special moments in different parts of the City of Lights—Paris, France.   Each product has a story to tell, and you can read it right on the (simple, yet elegantly merchanised) box! 

Number 4 combines nature’s greatest ingredients and cutting edge technology to make your hair be what it should be—healthy and beautiful! Using the highest quality essential oils and extracts to repair damage, keep hair young, supple and color looking new. Shampoos cleanse gently with no harsh sulfates and styling products are free of stripping alcohols.

This product line took out all ingredients potentially toxic to humans and to the environment, and never includes harsh sulfates, sodium chloride, gluten or parabens in any product.  No. 4 styling products are designed to be used on wet or dry hair, and the shampoos are concentrated so that a little dollop goes a long way!

Discover your inspiration: Hydrate with L’eau de Mare, volumize with Fleurs de Temps, style with Jour d’automne, or keep it simple with Lumiere d’hiver.  Each inspiration features a different and unique fragrance that envelopes your senses, recreating the Parisian day in which the idea was conceived. 

Number 4 features shampoos and conditioners (hydrate, volume, and clarify), body lotion in two fragrances, and a plethora of styling products to fit your every need.  Check out Planet Beauty’s website to score your own Number 4 products, or see which store in your area already shelves it!

One product this blogger has tried and loves is relatively new to even the No. 4 line—the new Fluoro 5 Elixir Restore and Repair Oil!  This lightweight hair repair treatment serum illuminates hair with shine that lasts all day! The fragrance is light, and leaves your hair feeling silky smooth all day.  Designed to be used on wet or dry hair, you can first work 2-3 drops through wet hair and style, and add 1-2 drops to dry hair to tame frizzies!  This mega-product works as a thermal protectant, too, so you’ll never have any worries when you take your curling iron or straightener to your tresses. 

Sounds pretty incredible, right? Well, lovelies, luckily for you Planet Beauty and Number 4 have been generous enough to give 4 lucky ladies the chance to win a No. 4 mini kit!  Go on PB’s Facebook page and tell us which collection catches your fancy: volume, hydrate or style.  Hurry up! The contest ends Tuesday, January 24th!  Be sure to shop the line from Planet Beauty or at select PB locations!

By Allie Kelley