I am obsessed with braids. And I’m never 100% satisfied with my own ability to braid my hair. So anytime I can find some good “how to” information, I’m elated. This video comes from Free People’s own blog. Thank you Free People for this great video. I heart you!

I love side braids, and I especially love the way celebrities have been rocking the look. Always so messy. Always on-trend. Yet, I can never seem to get my own side braid to look the same way. That’s why I turned to the great folks at Goody who provided me with some great tips for the do-it-yourself side braid.


1. Sweep hair over right or left shoulder (opposite side from your part)


2. Separate hair into three even sections placing the second section right behind the ear


3. Begin braiding the three sections facing forward


4. Once you reach an inch from the end of your hair wrap a Goody StayPut Hold Ponytail Holder to ensure the braid stays in place.


The Goody StayPut accessory line is for busy women who crave chic hair that will take them from morning to night, without letting their hairstyle down. The Goody StayPut line features Slide-Proof Hold technology which will not roll, slide or fall out of hair, no matter what. StayPut is fashionable AND reliable.

If you need more side braid guidance, check out this YouTube video by hummiemd and featuring JJ. She is super cute, and super helpful when it comes to hair and beauty.

Your hair is an important part of your style and should complement whatever outfit you’re wearing. It’s important to experiment with various hairstyles, such as updos, ponytails, side braids and the use of hair accessories. But, what is the best hairstyle? That’s easy. Healthy hair.


So often women stress over how to do their hair for special occasions and events. For example, wedding hair is a hot topic right now since it’s wedding season. But the best advice I can give you is to start at the root of the issue, and make sure your hair is as healthy as it can be.


I’m growing my hair out in order to donate it, so I’m often analyzing the best ways to encourage hair growth and health. After all, when I do donate my hair, I want it to be in great condition.


Below is a list of Dos and Don’ts for healthy hair. Put these suggestions to good use and look forward to lush, lovely locks.


*DO use hair products and treatments. Most of today’s hair products use nourishing ingredients which can condition your hair while managing your style. Read the label before you buy and make sure you’re purchasing and using hair products and treatments without harsh chemicals.


*DON’T wash your hair everyday. Washing your hair daily can dry your scalp, thus drying out your hair. If you must, rinse your hair out with lukewarm water without shampooing and use conditioner on the ends of your hair. (Lollie Tip: I wash my hair only 2-3 times per week.)


*DO receive a trim every six weeks, in order to rid your hair of split ends and freshen up your look.


*DON’T over style. Using heat daily on your hair will only damage it. Give your hair a break every other day.

It’s one of the hottest beauty trends right now – a semi-permanent sparkling, tinsel hair accessory that adds dimension and glimmer to your style. Beyonce wore it to the Grammy’s and April Fried is the creator of the original product to set this trend – PopTinsel.

While April travels the country promoting PopTinsel and teaching hair stylists how to apply the product to their clients’ hair, she’s based out of Las Vegas. So I have easy access to her and her shimmering product, which comes in all kinds of stunning colors. We met for coffee and April shared with me her experience and style tips.

April’s family has a long history in the beauty industry, beginning with her grandfather. She joked that she has hair dye in her blood and stated her first beauty job was taking inventory at the age of four. It’s this kind of connection to beauty and style that has driven April throughout her entrepreneurial career and inspired her to create her company.

The future holds many beauty-related opportunities for April, but her focus right now is on PopTinsel, which she is successfully promoting among celebrities, including Melissa Rivers, Tiffany “New York” Pollard and Bridget Marquardt. In fact, April has just returned from promoting PopTinsel in the gift suites of the Oscars. “I like to say that I’m spreading PopTinsel all over tinsel town,” she said.

Melissa Rivers with PopTinsel in her hair.

For those who worry that PopTinsel is too bold a look for them, April recommends the more subtle types use PopTinsel from her monochromatic collection. For example, brunettes can incorporate brown or black tinsel into their raven tresses while those with all gray can use silver tinsel to create a sweet, peek-a-boo effect. “I’m not trying to make anyone look like a Christmas tree,” said April. And when you tire of the look, just remove the tinsel. As April told me, “It’s easy in, easy out.”

Is your stylist offering you PopTinsel yet? If not, introduce your stylist to April. Her goal is to educate stylists across the world on PopTinsel and the proper way for application. “I’m helping independent stylists one strand at a time,” quipped April. There are currently over 1000 stylists across the U.S. beautifying their clients with PopTinsel. Make sure your stylist is one of them.

Here I am wearing red PopTinsel.

WIN POPTINSEL with the HAI-COOL CONTEST!

Now you can have your very own set of PopTinsel. Win the PopTinsel Celebrity Six-Pack, a special set of PopTinsel colors that April provides to her celebrity clients, when you submit the winning PopTinsel Hai-Cool.

All you have to do is submit your coolest PopTinsel traditional style haiku via the comment selection below or @ reply me on Twitter (Twitter.com/lollieshopping), making sure you use the PopTinsel name at least one.

One entry per person, per email address or per Twitter account. If you leave your Hai-Cool via comments below, you must set up a profile at OnSugar so I can contact you if you win. Contact information will be kept private and never sold or used for any other purposes than to contact the winner.

Judging will be conducted by April Fried and me (Lollie Shopping). Submitted haikus must the original work of the entrant. Deadline to enter is midnight Pacific time, April 31, 2010. Contest is open to entrants of the contiguous United States only. Good luck!

I feel a little guilty. I have a pretty good head of hair, and yet I constantly keep it short. I don’t like long hair on my petite frame. Long hair is pretty difficult to maintain and short hair is so rebellious (like me). Meanwhile, so many children suffer from the complications of cancer, including losing their hair. How can I continue to be selfish knowing that my hair could be used to make the life of a child battling cancer just a little bit easier?