Some of us use one every day, but have no idea what it really does.  I mean, you press a button and hot air comes out and dries your hair.  But, what’s this ionic thing all about? Tourmaline? Ceramic? Is 1875 really that much better than 1800?  Blow dryers can be confusing little guys, but luckily, your favorite Blogging Beauty Buff is here to decode all the mumbo jumbo and get you in touch with all things blow dryer!  

It can be a pain to hold that little 1 pound hair dryer for ten to fifteen minutes, but imagine if your blow dryer was made of metal? Or, picture the early blow dryers that were huge stand up devices that actually sucked your hair back like a vacuum cleaner! We’ve come a long way since then in the weight and looks department.

So we all know what it does, but what’s the science behind it? A blowdryer or hair dryer is an electrical device designed to blow air over wet or damp hair, in order to accelerate the evaporation of water particles and dry the hair.  Blowdryers allow to better control the shape and style of hair, by accelerating and controlling the formation of temporary hydrogen bonds inside each strand. These hydrogen bonds are very powerful, but are temporary and extremely vulnerable to humidity. They disappear with a single washing of the hair.  Which explains why your hair gets frizzy at the slightest onset of fog, or why your blowout doesn’t last through a rainstorm.  

Many blow dryers say they’re “ceramic.”  Ok, so that means what?  Most hair dryers have ceramic heating elements because of their “instant heat” capability. This means that it takes less time for the dryers to heat up, so it takes a lot less time for the hair to dry.  Many also feature “ionic” operation, to reduce the amount of static electricity build-up in the hair. Manufacturers also claim this makes the hair “smoother.” Some stylists today consider the introduction of ionic technology to be one of the most important advances in the beauty industry, because of the way it negatively charges your hair to resist frizzies and other environmental bullies trying to destroy your perfect coif.

So what’s the big deal with watts? Early blow dryers only gave off 100 watts of heat, whereas today’s blow dryers can get up to 2000 watts.  Think of it this way: if you put a 40 watt light bulb into a lamp, you’ll have nice, low, ambient lighting.  But if you put a 100 watt bulb in, you can see that small spider web in the corner.  The amount of light put out is based on the wattage of the bulb, just like the amount of heat put out is based on the wattage of the dryer.  So, is there a huge difference between an 1875 and 2000 watt dryer? Not really.  

Sometimes, your blow dryer will come with a funny little nozzle that supposedly fits on the end of the blow dryer. Most of us throw those out, but you might not if you knew what it was for!  Do you crave a beautiful, smooth blow out?  Reach for the concentrator the next time you want to round brush your hair to smooth perfection.  This little guy helps direct air in one direction, enabling you to point downward on your hair shaft, thus creating smoothness and shine in your hair! 

Your local Planet Beauty store has a huge selection of blow dryers, from great brands like T3, Solano, Chi, Hai, X5, and more!  Come on down and get advice and see which one is right for you! 

XOXO, Allie

Allie Kelley has been a Planet Beauty Buff for five years and has a Bachelor’s Degree in English.  She enjoys painting her nails, trolling Pinterest for new trends, and has an obsession with lip gloss.  

It seems like EVERYBODY has been anxiously awaiting the release of what is sure to be one of the biggest movies of the year: The Great Gatsby.  And, who could resist a Baz Luhrman movie with Leonardo DiCaprio in it? (You had me at Leo).  This film, released last weekend is laced with beautiful details in the fashion, beauty, and jewels– and sure to be copied all summer long.  You, too, can be Gatsby-tastic, from your nails to your makeup, with a few hints and tricks from your favorite Blogging Beauty Buff, in no time!  

First off, The Great Gatsby is set in the opulence of Long Island in 1922– smack dab in the middle of the Art Deco phase.  Get yourself some art deco nails with a cute and relatively easy mani idea!  You’ll need black, gold, and silver nail polish, some sponge makeup applicators, scotch tape, polish remover, and of course, a good top and base coat.  Start off by preparing some narrow strips of tape. You’ll need a variety of widths up to about 5mm and also some triangular wedges. Rest the strips on the edge of a clean object so that they can be easily picked up later and also prepare a few big pieces of tape which will be used to protect your fingers from getting polish on them.  

The next thing you need to do is prep your fingers. Apply a base coat and then do two coats of gold on each nail.  Pick one nail to do as a contrast, and do the ombre technique (read about it here) with a makeup sponge.  When the base color is completely dry, arrange the strips and triangles of tape in your chosen pattern on all of the nails in an art deco, triangular effect along the length of the nail. Make sure they are smooth and in full contact with the nail but don’t push on too hard. Use tweezers if you  have a hard time getting it perfect. Apply a layer of black nail polish to each nail one at a time, removing the tape from each as you go, using tweezers. Finish up with a shiny top coat, like Umbrella from Deborah Lipmann, and show those talons off!

Want to look like you just stepped off the set of the movie?  It’s not as hard as you think! 1920s makeup is all about playing up the features that frame your face.  Egyptian influences were huge in this time period, so you want eyes that  are smoky, sultry and rimmed in deep jewel colors like blue, green, and purple,  with a peachy nude tone shadow to give your eye some pop. Follow with a cheek color that makes you look flushed and happy, and skip the bronzer if you can. Try Smashbox’s Halo blush in “In Bloom” for a perfect pink cheek.  Top off the look with matte or nude toned lips with a hint of glossy sheen.  

You can get the 1920′s look and be ready for a Gatsby shindig in no time with a few essentials from your local Planet Beauty store.  And, remember, “the best thing a girl can be in this world is a beautiful, little fool.”  Well, maybe just the beautiful part!  

XOXO, Allie

Allie Kelley has been a Planet Beauty Buff for five years and has a Bachelor’s Degree in English.  She enjoys painting her nails, trolling Pinterest for new trends, and has an obsession with lip gloss. 

Well hey there, May!  May weather is just about unbeatable– warm, sunny days perfect for a sun dress and hitting the beach.  May is also famous for hosting some of the best Product of the Month– who wouldn’t love products designed to get your ready for the upcoming summer months?  This month, the Buffs have chosen amazing products to feature that we’re hoping you’ll fall in love with, too!  Say hello to beachy waves and a perfect golden tan!

First up for the very merry month of May, a long time favorite of this blogger– Bare Minerals Faux Tan! (Um, Fox tan? No, beauties, it’s pronounced “Fo”).  Wish you could look like you spent a day at the beach? Thankfully, you can get a safe, all-over tan in a bottle. This luminous lotion is easy to apply to your whole body and works on even the most sensitive skin — leaving you soft and glowing.  With Faux Tan you can say goodbye to streaky tanner– this product has a tint so you can see where you’ve been and where you’re going!  You’ll see your tan develop in just a few hours, and you can enjoy it for 5 to 7 days thanks to a  mineral copper complex prolongs the tanning effects! This natural-based formula moisturizes, hydrates and protects the skin with aloe vera and vegetable-derived emollients for soft, supple, glowing skin– without all the damage from UV rays!  Want to look like you’ve basked in the sun longer? Build a deeper tan by reapplying.  The Buffs will be featuring this amazing product all month long, so stop in and ask for a tester to see your skin turn tan right before your eyes!  Available at all Planet Beauty locations for $26.00!

What’s a day at the beach without rocking that awesome salt-waved hair?  Surfer girls are so lucky– they always have amazing beachy waves!  Well, now you, too, can crib that lust worthy hair with the other Planet Beauty POM– Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray! Soy Renewal Beach Spray creates undone texture that looks and feels like you’ve spent a day by the sea. It also helps to nourish, protect, and heal hair damage with Argan oil infused into the mix!  How many beach sprays can say they actually help your hair?  But, this amazing product isn’t just for one thing alone– the texturizing component of this product can also be used to give amazing volume to your roots if you blow dry!  All you have to do to get spectacular beachy waves is spray on damp hair and let it dry naturally, or blow-dry with a diffuser for all over texture. You can use on dry hair for detailing funky texture,  or to add volume to the roots without having to wet down your hair.  An added bonus? It smells AMAZING!   Available at all Planet Beauty stores for $19.95!

Be sure to stop by your local Planet Beauty store to see our new lineup of products, and get yourself glowing for summer!

XOXO, Allie

Allie Kelley has been a Planet Beauty Buff for five years and has a Bachelor’s Degree in English.  She enjoys painting her nails, trolling Pinterest for new trends, and has an obsession with lip gloss.

Summer is fast approaching, and that means one thing:  trips to the beach or pool are definitely in order! You don’t want to be caught without the essentials on a relaxing day in the sun, lucky for you this blogger has rummaged around the Planet Beauty stores picking up the best products for your skin and hair for nothing but fun in the sun! Read on for picks from your favorite bogging beauty buff, and maybe discover a new favorite product!

First and foremost, you need SPF.  The ADA recommends one ounce (roughly the amount that would fill a standard shot glass) of sunscreen every two hours you’re in the sun.  Think lathering up is a chore? Next time you’re in your local Planet Beauty store, stock up on Sun Bum products!  Sun Bum is a high quality brand of sun care products that are specifically formulated for people who are in the sun a lot.  Sun Bum Sunscreens are tested, approved, and recommended by the skin Cancer Foundation, which doesn’t let just any sunscreen get their stamp of approval!  Sun Bum has both sprays and lotions formulated with Vitamin E to protect your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays,a s well s softening and soothing your skin.  Forget about that whole reapplication thing? That’s ok, Sun Bum has a line of cooling aloe vera gels to replenish lost moisture, and take the sting out of a sunburn.  Don’t forget to protect your lips, too!  Sun Bum has 5 flavors of AMAZINGLY creamy lip balms that offer a protective SPF 30 and nourishes your lips! (Try the pomegranate– trust me on this!)  You can find Sun Bum at select Planet Beauty stores! Remember– trust the bum!

Are you like 99 percent of women and color your hair?  Did you know that it’s not just sulfates that fade your hair color?  That’s right, basking in the sun can also damage your hair color, causing the color to change and even fade faster (gasp!).  Well, since you’re not going to avoid the sun, you’ll need some hair sunscreen.  Yes, I said hair sunscreen.  This isn’t sunscreen for our scalp, this is a special oil that you apply to your hair that is going to create a protective barrier between your hair and the rays of the sun.  Say hello to Rene Furterer’s Waterproof Moisturizing Fluid with SPF 90.  Spray it all over towel-dried hair prior to swimming or being out in the sun, (or after your first dip in the pool/ocean) and comb through.  It’s a non-oily leave-in blocks that 90% of UV rays while providing maximum hydration to locks. Your hair is protected against the damaging effects of the sun and has a soft, natural look!  This is a must have for any beauty that enhances her look with hair color, and is available at all Planet Beauty locations!

In addition to your sun products, don’t forget other essentials like a towel (or 2 if you’re at the beach!), magazines to keep up on the latest trends, a few delicious snacks, and of course, water!  Keep yourself hydrated to keep your skin and hair healthy and shiny!  

XOXO, Allie

Allie Kelley has been a Planet Beauty Buff for five years and has a Bachelor’s Degree in English.  She enjoys painting her nails, trolling Pinterest for new trends, and has an obsession with lip gloss.

Where did Spring go? It seems like Winter was last week and Summer is already on it’s way in!  While we still have a few more weeks until Memorial day– the unofficial start of Summer– it’s never too early to get a jump on your Summer beauty routines!  

What’s the best part of Summer? Kind of hard to put your finger on it, but it probably has something to do with longer days, warmer nights, and, of course, days lounging on the beach or by the pool!  Our skin is tan (either naturally from the sun or by a few enhancements of the spray tan variety!) and we look GOOD.  So why cover up all that natural beauty with a ton of makeup?  Plus, unless you live in Antarctica, it’s probably hot– meaning your makeup is melting off your face anyway!  Why not take this opportunity to lighten up the load a bit, and use just the bare minimums to enhance your already radiant beauty?  Read  on for the low down on replacing your heavy concealers and creams with minimalistic beauty finds!

Packing foundation on your skin is useless. You’re hiding your tan skin, it’s starting to look shiny because of the heat, and as soon as you jump in the pool it’s all going to be floating at the surface anyway.  Why not try a BB cream or tinted moisturizer that will at least give you some skin care benefits?  This blogger loves Too Faced’s Beauty Balm, which has just put out 2 new colors to better match your skin tone! This innovative beauty balm offers multiple skincare and makeup benefits in one simple step.The powerful, multi-mineral complex instantly achieves a healthy glow and improves skin’s overall appearance. Featuring light-diffusing pigments that tint and add radiance, anti-aging, multi-mineral complex primes and prevents damage, it also moisturizes with oil-free hydration, is hypo-allergenic and soothing for all skin types, and has a broad-spectrum, chemical-free SPF 20! What more could you want in a makeup? Available at select Planet Beauty locations for $34.00!   

Keep your healthy glow going with the new Halo Blushes from Smashbox!  Get a luminous, lit-from-within flush with this new long-wearing blush. The signature grinder shaves off just the right amount, so you’ll get the perfect flush every time. Buildable color allows for full control-dust on more color for even rosier radiance.  Available at your local Planet Beauty store for $24.00!  

Want to make your eyes center stage?  Keep that mascara on your lashes and not on your cheeks with a waterproof mascara, like Flawless Definition from Bare Minerals!  Waterproof Flawless Definition Mascara, with its sleek and savvy wand, gives your lashes the same perfect definition and nurturing mineral care as the original formula, but it won’t smudge or budge until you take it off intentionally — so go ahead and swim, sweat or laugh until you cry.  This longwearing, yet gentle formula accentuates and separates each and every lash, while it also lengthens, darkens, lifts and strengthens for all-around, beautiful lashes. Infused with nourishing 100% pure bareMinerals, antioxidants and natural extracts that condition, it fortifies and protects lashes. It’s smudge-free, clump-free, paraben free, and available at all Planet Beauty locations for $18.00!  

Remember: for summer, keep it light and let your natural beauty shine through! Check back all summer long for more beauty tips, tricks, and secrets to make this your best– and most beautiful– summer yet!

XOXO, Allie

Allie Kelley has been a Planet Beauty Buff for five years and has a Bachelor’s Degree in English.  She enjoys painting her nails, trolling Pinterest for new trends, and has an obsession with lip gloss. 

You know caffeine in your coffee gives you a jolt in the morning– a cup a day can increase your mental acuity and help you grow new brain cells– but did you know that many of your favorite beauty products feature caffeine and can help kick start your metabolism? Caffeine is a new hot ingredient in the skincare industry.  You may rely on it to perk up your mood in the morning, but now you can also rely on it to perk up your skin! It not only constricts blood vessels to reduce redness but also reduces puffiness and can even temporarily reduce the appearance of cellulite! Plus, recent studies  have shown caffeine to prevent and repair sun damage!  And many of these products are waiting for you within the walls of your local Planet Beauty store, so read on for a round up of the best of caffeinated products!

You already love Dr. Perricone’s products.  Now there’s something more to love: Cold Plasma Body. Formulated with the revolutionary Cold Plasma technology, this formula helps to reduce wrinkles and the “crepey” look of skin with wonder ingredient DMAE. It delivers superb hydrating, plumping, and smoothing benefits with sodium hyaluronate and minimizes the appearance of cellulite with concentrated levels of caffeine. It gives arms and legs a beautiful, defined, and contoured appearance and is shown to improve the appearance of cellulite and dimpled skin on thighs, buttocks, and arms. Get yours at your local Planet Beauty store for $98.00.

Also equally as amazing, and a featured Planet Beauty Product of the Month!  Although the name might turn you off, try out Bliss’ Fat Girl Slim.  You can reduce the appearance of cellulite with this advanced formula that fits perfectly into your body bettering routine. QuSome—powerful, encapsulated caffeine molecules—ensures targeted delivery and firm, smooth results. This product works best when  you use it right before and after working out so your body will absorb more of the good stuff and get to work blasting away cellulite. Get slimming with your own, available at select Planet Beauty stores for $36.00.

Have you tried Rodial skin care yet?  Great, then you already know they are always on the up and up of the latest and greatest skin care technologies.  And, what would a top tier skin care line be without a little body care that help syou look and feel your best?  Try out Rodial’s Body Sculpture. Body Sculpture is 5% caffeine anti-cellulite gel formulated to improve the appearance and moisturize  the skin in problem areas.  Rodial body sculpture firms and tones skin while reducing the appearance of cellulite. A combination of Red Sea Algae and caffeine work together to improve the appearance of cellulite while also improving tonicity and increasing suppleness. The fast acting formula works best when massaged onto the body in upward movements, focusing on your own problem areas. Grab your own at select Planet Beauty stores!

Get your caffeine fix at your local Planet Beauty store (many of which are located by Starbucks!).

XOXO, Allie

Allie Kelley has been a Planet Beauty Buff for five years and has a Bachelor’s Degree in English.  She enjoys painting her nails, trolling Pinterest for new trends, and has an obsession with lip gloss. 

It seems like everybody has a new buzz word or ingredient that you should be avoiding.  One year it was soy, another year it was high fructose corn syrup, but these days all you’re hearing about is gluten free.  But what the heck is gluten?  Well, beauties, gluten is an enzyme that is found on wheat, barley, and rye.  So. anything with any these three ingredients has gluten in it.  And, you wouldn’t believe how many foods and beauty products have wheat in them!

This blogger recently decided to make the change to a gluten free lifestyle (read: talked herself into having a gluten intolerance!), which got the hamster wheel turning: is there gluten in my beauty products? Is that contributing to my symptoms? Are they any good products out there that are G-free?  After walking the shelves of Planet Beauty, searching for lines that feature gluten free products, the conclusion was that there are indeed great beauty lines within the walls of Planet Beauty that are gluten free!  If you’re making the G-free change or just want something a little more healthy and natural, read on– Planet Beauty has you covered!

When it comes to your skin, you don’t want to mess around.  I mean, come on, you wear it every day! So, you want to make sure you use only the best of products in your daily regimen.  Luckily, Juice Beauty is a completely natural line that is free of just about all the yucky stuff you don’t want.  Juice Beauty’s mission is to bring high efficacy, authentically organic, and pleasurable beauty solutions to people worldwide. Juice Beauty is proud to purchase their all natural and organic ingredients from local California farmers who uphold their stringent standards of not using pesticides and other harmful things on their crops. And, the skin care is effective!  Looking for a new moisturizer? Try the Green Apple Age Defy moisturizer!  Replenish and firm your skin with this clinically proven power packed age defy moisturizer that combines a brightening and refining complex of certified organic juices, with an antioxidant cocktail of alpha lipoic acid, Co Q10, Vitamin C, peptides and DMAE for optimum age defying results.  $45.00 at select Planet Beauty stores.

Want to look your beauteous best, but don’t want the icky parabens and fillers that come with most makeups? You’re in luck!  Amazing lines like Smashbox, Too Faced, and Jane Iredale create beautiful cosmetics that are natural and gluten free!  All three lines have products to make you up (keep in mind that Too Faced’s reverse lipliner and Smashbox’s Halo Hydrating powders aren’t G-Free)  without causing a reaction if you need to be gluten free.  Who knew! You can find both of these amazing makeup lines at your local Planet Beauty store!

And, finally, a great hair care line that creates amazing products, with a good price point, without all the icky stuff you don’t want!  Say hello to Alterna hair care.  Their products are free on mineral oil, parabens, sulfates, sodium chloride, and gluten!  They strive to be the most natural line out there– and the price point on their products is very affordable! Alterna has two lines: Bamboo (every day) and Caviar (luxury).  This blogger loves the Bamboo Anti- Frizz shampoo and conditioner.  This gentle shampoo strengthens, moisturizes, and smoothes each strand to promote frizz-free hair. And, it’s perfect if you’ve recently had a keratin treatment or a Brazilian Blow Out!   Stop in to your local Planet Beauty store to check out all the Alterna products– there are some pretty amazing ones!

There are many more natural and organic lines in Planet Beauty, so stop in and talk to a friendly and knowledgeable Beauty Buff for info and maybe even a few samples!

XOXO, Allie

Allie Kelley has been a Planet Beauty Buff for five years and has a Bachelor’s Degree in English.  She enjoys painting her nails, trolling Pinterest for new trends, and has an obsession with lip gloss.

Really, celebrities are just like us. I mean, we all have to get up, brush our teeth, and face the day– celebrities just get to do that in huge homes, exotic locations, and with pretty nice products to help them look their beautiful best!  Guess what, beauties?  You too can have all the prettifiers the stars have access to– right inside your local Planet Beauty store! Read on for a roundup of the amazing products celebrities can’t live without– either will you!

Skin care isn’t just for the ladies!  Sexy singer Michael Buble’ recently tweeted a picture of himself donning the Glam Glow mud mask!  Everyone should use Mud Mask– especially guys!  This amazing mask is tightening, and when you rinse, it exfoliates off dead skin revealing younger, brighter, firmer looking skin!  Designed as a 10-minute professional ‘facial in a jar’ for behind-the-scenes use in Hollywood for immediate camera- ready glowing skin. Glam Glow’s mud base is from the South of France Mediterranean Sea, and features real green tea leaves, volcanic ash, and polyphenols to keep you looking young and beautiful.  No wonder Michael Buble’ is so good looking!  Available at all Planet Beauty stores in 1.7 oz for $69.00, or .5 oz for $29.

What would Kim Kardashian be without her flawless skin and smoldering eyes? (That’s up for debate!) Kim’s go to eyeliner for long days is (a favorite of this blogger, too!) Smashbox’s Limitless liners. This waterproof long-wearing liner provides bold definition for up to 8 hours. It is creamy, easy-to-apply formula, and contains vitamin E and jojoba oil to protect. Another amazing feature? The cap houses a unique built-in sharpener so you’ll always have the most precise application!  Once it’s on, you can sweat, cry, or swim without losing your beautifully lines eyes.  You’ll never have to worry about reapplying your eyeliner again with Limitless liners!  Available at select Planet Beauty stores for $19.00 in eight exciting shades!  

What does the Material Girl turn to when she wants to look extra fabulous?  A regular of NYC dermatologist, Dr.  Brandt, Madonna swears by his “Pores No More Anti-aging Mattifying Lotion.” This lightweight lotion formulated with apple stem cells to help delay the natural signs of aging by maintaining the longevity and activity of stem cells in the skin. Simultaneously, retinol stimulates new cell turnover and improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Dr. Brandt’s multi-tasking formula provides the best of both worlds, delivering anti-aging and pore minimizing/mattifying benefits.  Use daily in the AM for beautiful, hydrated skin all day! Available at Planet Beauty Newport for $60.00!

You too can reap the benefits of amazing skin care and look like you just stepped off the red carpet when you shop for your favorites at your local Planet Beauty store!  Stop by and get a consultation with our friendly and knowledgeable Buffs, and even some samples to try at home!

XOXO, Allie

Allie Kelley has been a Planet Beauty Buff for five years and has a Bachelor’s Degree in English.  She enjoys painting her nails, trolling Pinterest for new trends, and has an obsession with lip gloss.  

Riddle me this: what’s the difference between wax and pomade? What’s the difference between a finishing spray and a working spray? Not sure?? Not surprising.  Even the savviest of beauties fall victim to using the wrong products for their hair.  Or, you think a product is designed to do one thing, when it is actually meant for another!  The Buffs know it can be overwhelming trying to pick a product from the thousands in stock at your local Planet Beauty store, so here’s a blog dedicated to helping you discover which is which, and when to use it!

Ok, curly girls, listen up!  This blogger (and Beauty Buff of five years) has heard countless ladies over the years come in to find a mousse for her curly hair.  What she doesn’t know, is that mousse is made to give volume to limp locks.  What she really wants to keep her curls in check is a styling cream or a gel.  But which one is right for your curls?  Hair gel gives you control over your hair and hairstyle, regardless of what look you’re planning to go for. Good quality gels will moisturize and condition your hair for many days. Hair gel also cements your hairstyle for many hours, even in the face of strong winds. Furthermore, as hair gel is water-based, it can be easily washed off from the hair.  A good strong hold gel that is alcohol free and won’t dry your hair out or flake is Enjoy’s Strong Hold Gel.  Styling creams are the less strong version of gels, and don’t offer hold, but they do control frizz and help bundle curls together to create a frizz free, natural look.  This blogger loves to put Colure’s Curl Wave Styling Cream through her wavy locks to enhance curl and prevent the frizzies.

What about mousse, then?  Mousse is designed to give hair a lift.  You may also see mousses called “Root Lift.”  These products used to be used to give curly hair hold, but with the onset of higher hair product technology, we can safely go back to using mousse to get big hair.  The best way to apply mousse to hair is to create a part about an inch both sides off your center part, and spray a bit of the product, then massage it in.  This gives the hair lift and creates a foundation for the rest of the hair above it to be lifted.  Another trick to making your mousse go the distance is to blow dry your hair upside down for a few minutes.  A great volumizing mousse that is a favorite of the Buffs and faithful Planet Beauty shoppers is Rene Furterer’s Volumea mousse, $23.00 at all Planet Beauty stores.

There’s a lot of buzz about serums versus hair oils.   So what’s the difference? And when should you use one or the other? A serum is a thick liquid concentrate, made out of extractions of natural ingredients. They can be oil or water based, but basically coat your hair to make it shiny, as well as add protection from the heat of a blow dryer or curling iron.  A great one that this blogger loves is from French line Number 4—the Fluoro 5 elixir.  Serums can go on wet or dry hair, and add shine without greasiness or weight.  Hair oils, while similar to serums, are generally made to go on wet hair.  Oil should not contain any water content and should be a concentration of pure oil extracted from plants and herbs.  This makes it a bit heavier of a product, and should be applied sparingly where your hair is driest.   Putting oil on dry hair isn’t usually recommended, unless you have coarse, curly hair that needs a little extra weight to calm frizz.  A great hair oil beloved by all the Buffs is Ava Oil, available for $35.95 at all Planet Beauty locations.

See, that wasn’t so hard!  Now you have no excuse to use the wrong product.  Find any and every product your heart desires at your local Planet Beauty store!

XOXO, Allie

Allie Kelley has been a Planet Beauty Buff for five years and has a Bachelor’s Degree in English.  She enjoys painting her nails, trolling Pinterest for new trends, and has an obsession with lip gloss.

There’s nothing wrong with sporting a ponytail– this isn’t Mean Girls– but are you rocking the same boring pony your mom used to put your hair in back in 3rd grade?  Ponytails are the easiest way to turn a bad hair day into a great hair day, and you get to share a little of your personality by mixing it up a bit!

Let’s start with the basics: how to make a regular ponytail.  Brush your hair out, and then brush it back from your forehead.  Tilt your head back, and smooth all of your hair into a pony at whichever height you feel comfortable with. Secure with an elastic, and you’re good to go!

Now, let’s say you’re ready to change up your boring old pony, and stand out a little.   Here are a few ideas to get you going!

Add a braid!  Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port really started a revolution when they started weaving little braids into their hair.  Luckily, a face framing braid looks excellent when pulled back into a pony!  There is a trick, though: start your braid off your center part about an inch so it looks like a braided headband.  There little braids aren’t the easiest thing to master, but practice always makes perfect! And, if braids aren’t your thing, try a little twisty in the same place!

Are you a more undone than done up girl?  Try pulling the front section (where your bangs are/would be) and tease for a little height.  Then. pull your hair back into to a low pony, and lightly tug some of the pieces loose.  You can even tease the crown of your hair for a big, voluminous look, and add some loose curls for texture in the tail part.

A slicked bag pony is usually reserved for the gym, so add a little grown-up class to your pony by pumping up the volume.  Tease up the top section of your hair, and loosely gather all of your mane into the elastic.  Gently tug up some pieces for added height.  A cute way to disguise your elastic is to take a small section of hair from the bottom of your pony and wrap it around the elastic, securing with a hair pin.

Another fun ponytail idea that brings this blogger back to her days in the early 90s is called the topsy-tail pony!  It looks super complicated, but is actually very easy.  Simply start with a low pony, and pull the elastic away from your scalp.  Then, separate the hair just above the elastic, creating a hole.  Take the tail of your pony and slip it up and over through the hole, and pull it through.  Then, tighten the elastic.  BOOM! you have a cute, fancy looking– yet easy– new pony!

You can always accessorize!  Adding a fun comb, flower, hair-pin or headband will also dress sup a ponytail and be a cute way to add some spice to your outfit!

Find everything you need to make the perfect pony at your local Planet Beauty store!

XOXO, Allie

Allie Kelley has been a Planet Beauty Buff for five years and  has a Bachelor’s Degree in English.  She enjoys painting her nails, trolling Pinterest for new trends, and has an obsession with lip gloss.