Do the Donut

Photo by: Rory M.

Hello Beauty Bloggers! Today, I want to share one of my favorite recent beauty tricks! In 2012, the sock bun took us by storm. It is fun, easy to do, easy to accessorize, and looks fabulous! However, I found a device that makes it even easier! Enter the donut.

The donut is made of a meshy, spongy material, and comes in multiple sizes and colors. What I like about it is the hair tends to hold better to the material, and it allows bobby pins to be inserted directly into the device, making for better security. If that isn't enough, it also comes in my hair color, which makes it harder to spot.

Here's how it works!

Step 1: Tie hair off in a pony tail at the point where you want your bun.

Photo by: Rory M.

Step 2: Pull the pony through the center of the donut.

Photo by: Rory M. 

Photo by: Rory M. 

Step 3: Slide the donut up the pony until it gets to the ends. Don't go so far that the pieces begin to fall out. If that happens, slide it back down and repeat Step 3.

Step 4: Tuck the ends under the donut. I even tuck them back up in to the center of the donut for maximum hold.

Step 5: Start turning the donut inside out, rolling it down the ponytail until you get to the base. The number of turns depend on the length of your hair. The longer the hair, the more turns.

The bun will probably be a little loose when you get to the bottom. I pin the loose hairs under the bun (or into it) to make it tighter.

Photo by: Rory M. 

Experiment with some accessories (flowers, bows, etc.) to make it your own! There are a bazilion (yes, that many) ways to get creative with a fun bun!

Photo by: Rory M. 

Be sure to share some of your ideas with us at: anewbeautyblog@gmail.com!

High Resolution

Photo by: Rory M. 

Today's topic is a difficult one for me, but I feel it is too important to ignore. So, here goes!

According to Facebook, the most popular 2013 New Year's Resolution is to lose weight. Although I'm not surprised by the statistic, it was initially saddening. Don't get me wrong - I think it's great when people take care of their bodies, and feel good doing it.

I've lived much of my life feeling insecure about my own body. In high school, I tried dieting, different exercise regimes, some healthy and some not. I read books and watched programs, and it quickly became an obsession. Despite all the time and energy I put into feeling great about my body, I never felt truly comfortable.

The reason for this is that I was putting effort into changing my body with the belief that when it was what I wanted, I would accept it. In college, I realized that my body would change and fluctuate my entire life, and the secret to feeling great wasn't to look great.

Feeling great came when I stopped comparing myself to other people. It happened when every negative thought was followed by ten positive ones, until the negative thoughts stopped altogether. A positive self-image came as a result of understanding that my body is unique, and rather than trying to look like other people, I should celebrate what I have, and take care of it.

If you resolved to improve your body this year, you have the full support of EOB! However, I challenge you to take your resolution one step further, and work on building a more positive self-image. Every morning, list five things you like about who you are. Surround yourself with positive people. And never, ever, entertain the idea that you are not beautiful.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so focus those eyes to see the real, beautiful you!

Happy New Year,

Rory

"A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely." -Roald Dahl, The Twits

Rory's Secret Twist

Photo by: Rory M.

The French Twist is an old style, but the technique I am sharing is one that I discovered by accident, and it remains the only way I do twists now. 

Photo by: Rory M.

Step 1: Brush out the hair nice and smooth!

Step 2: Gather the hair at the base of the neck into a pony tail. 

Step 3: Position your hand over the ponytail, holding it between your thumb and index finger. 

Now it gets fun...

Photo by: Rory M.

Step 4: Rotate your finger counter-clockwise from 6 to 12 o'clock. The hair should be wrapped once 

around your finger.

Step 5: From there, rotate your hair down to 3 o'clock. 

Step 6: Turn your index finger to the left, so it points directly at your head. Keep turning until your finger is at nine o'clock (as seen in figure 5). 

Photo by: Rory M.

Step 7: Pull, tug, and tuck until the twist looks as you want it to. Bobby pin all the excess hair in place. Bekka's hair is very long, but we only used 7 bobby pins to keep it all in place!

Once your twist is all in place, give it a veil of hairspray to keep it smooth and together. 

Photo by: Rory M.

Don't be afraid try accessorizing like we did with a little red rose. The French Twist is a great style if you want simple elegance, or if you want to experiment with flowers, bows, clips, headbands, etc. 

Photo by: Rory M. 

Photo by: Rory M. 

Happy Holiday Hairdressing!
EOB

Winter Series: Hats

Photo by: Rory M. 

This is a winter trend I wish I took more advantage of. Hats are a great accessory because so much heat is retained through the head, and hats come in more styles than just about any other accessory. For this chapter of our Winter Series, we're going to showcase some of the most common styles of the season:

The Pom-Pom

Photo by: Rory M. 

The Goofy/Animal 

Photo by: Rory M. 

The Headband

Photo by: Rory M. 

Photo by: Rory M. 

The Paperboy

Photo by: Rory M. 

Do you have a favorite winter trend? Share your secrets with us at: anewbeautyblog@gmail.com!

EOB

Five-piece Braid

Photo by: Rory M. 

Photo by: Mike B. 

Today's tutorial isn't an easy one. The five-piece braid is complicated, not because of the process, but because of the nature of the braid. No matter how dexterous your hands may be, most of us have only two at the most, and juggling five strands takes a lot of concentration and coordination. 

I began the braid by taking a small chunk of hair from the heavier side of a side-part. Next, I separated the hair into five even pieces.

Photo by: Mike B.

The five-piece braid is essentially made up of weaving the five pieces in-and-out of each other. I begin with the right piece and pull it over the piece directly to its left. 

Next, I pull it under the next one to the left. Then, I go over the next piece. 

Instead of going under the following piece (on the far right), I took the strand on the far right and pulled it over the new strand now directly to it's right.

Photo by: Mike B. 

I know that's a lot of overs and unders. The way that I remember it is this: 

• Begin on on end.
• Over
• Under
• Over
• Repeat from other end. 

One of our readers sent us a great website that shows very clearly how to make four, five, six, even seven-piece braids! I like this site because it shows how to make the braids in a very clear way.

Photo by: Mike B. 

Photo by: Mike B. 

E-mail us your hair challenges at: anewbeautyblog.gmail.com. 

That Time of Year

Photo by: Rory M.

Hello beauty bloggers!

My apologies for being remiss. This is a reminder that we are still alive, however, the next week consists of finals. Preparing shoots and articles has gotten increasingly difficult with all that's going on at school, but we are trying our best to keep up!

Thank you all for your support!

EOB

PS: You can still follow some of my (Rory) holiday-themed adventures on my personal blog, Creatively Me.

Giving Thanks

Photo by: Rory M.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are so thankful for a lot around here. We're especially thankful for your support and suggestions over the course of our first year on the internet.

Let's remember to keep the spirit of Thanksgiving all year because there is always something to be thankful for!

"I do not think of all the misery, but of the glory that remains. Go outside into the fields, nature and the sun, go out and seek happiness in yourself and in God. Think of the beauty that again and again discharges itself within and without you and be happy." -Anne Frank

EOB

Winter Series: Scarves

Photo by: Rory M.

Photo by: Rory

To kick off our winter series, we're going to talk about scarves! I convinced my friend, Samantha, to play dress-up with me as we discussed our favorite scarves and how we like to wear them.

Scarf #1 is one of my personal favorites. I just love the idea of wrapping a heavy scarf around my face to keep warm. It's comfy, cozy, and carefree! To wear this scarf, you simply wrap it around your neck (Not too tight!) until it reaches its desired length and thickness.

To me, these scarves are the sweatpants of the accessorizing world. You can wear them with anything for instant comfort for a relaxed and informal feel. They are also fun to get in neutrals or bright colors (like Samantha's).

Photo by: Rory M.

Scarf #2 is my personal go-to for cold weather accessorizing (I'm wearing it right now)! It's perfect because the many colors go with anything, and it is a bright pop of color to go with winter's greys, browns, blacks, and other neutrals.

To wear it like Samantha, fold the scarf in half (from 6ft to 3ft), wrap it around the back of your neck so over one shoulder you have the tassels or ends, and over the other is a loop. Tuck the end through the loop and pull until it reaches its desired tightness. 

Photo by: Rory M.

Samantha is wearing Scarf #3 in the style of an ascot. It's traditionally a mens accessory, however, on women it looks sophisticated with a  dash of prep. Read Samantha's article from Lucky Mag on how to wear an ascot scarf here.

Scarf #4 is an accent scarf. It's purpose isn't to keep the wearer warm, but just to look fabulous. Samantha is a writer, so this scarf is the perfect accent for her! You can also have fun picking out specialty scarves that showcase your interests. 

Photo by: Rory M.

Remember, no matter what's in style, fashion is personal expression. Find a way to share your personality in what you wear, then you'll never be out of style!

One of our readers, Jen, sent us an e-mail about why she likes wearing scarves in winter, so we thought we'd share it! 

Scarves have come to be an always increasing love of mine all throughout the year, but especially in the winter since I get to wear my absolute favorite long, warm-knit scarves. My current favorite is a super long cream colored one that, like any go to accesory, I can wear with anything! I especially love wearing it as I walk down the street on a windy winter day, especially whn I feel rather stiff in the many warm layers protecting me from the chill. As the tip of it swings side to side I feel my step turn into a sudden sache, beginning to imagine myself as a heroine from a book or classic film, about to embark on the next big step in my own story. 


Just like being mood lifters, scarves can also be outfit lifters. As a pair of cute summer shoes or purse do, scarves can be that extra pop of color you could be looking for if you feel your winter could use some brightening up! They also make for a lovely, and timeless gift perfect for anyone this time of year, making them all the more splendid winter-time accessory for anyone in need of a simple addition to their ensemble, with the perfect added touch of warmth. 

Jen

Do you have a favorite winter style or accessory? We want to hear about it! Send your thoughts to anewbeautyblog@gmail.com.

Happy styling!

Rory

Winter Series

Photo by: Rory M.

Hello all you beautiful bloggers!

In the upcoming weeks, I will be writing about some of my favorite winter/cold weather trends. I used to hate the cold weather because I felt there was no way to look good and be comfortable. I'm pleased to say that is no longer the case!

I'm still in the process of discovering all the wonderful winter-time fashions, so if you have a favorite, send us a photo and/or information about why you love your cold-weather trend. You can e-mail us at: anewbeautyblog@gmail.com.

Rory

Something I Saw on the Tube

Photo by: Rory M.

Last night, I saw this hairstyle on a contestant on "The Voice", and desperately wanted to try it out! Lucky for me, I was enjoying a wonderful evening with some girlfriends who let me experiment with their hair. Here's what we got!

Step 1: Take a small section of hair from one side of the head.

Photo by: Rory M.

Step 2: Begin braiding small section around the head until you start getting to the back.

Photo by: Rory M.

Step 3: Once you get to the back, start adding strands to the upper side of the braid. This looks like a French braid with hair only being added to one side.

Photo by: Rory M.

Step 4: Continue half-French braiding, angling the braid downwards. It should begin to look diagonal. Follow this step until you reach the opposite side from which you began.

Photo by: Rory M.

Step 5. Finish the braid, and tie it off.

Photo by: Rory M. 

Give it a try!

Rory