You’re unique, your products should be too

SHOP H2BAR BEAUTY PRODUCTS
Makeup

When In Doubt, Wear Red This Holiday Season!

By: Olivia Volpe

What’s the best way to wear red during the holiday season? Well it’s a long-standing myth that redheads shouldn’t wear red, but it’s time to put that myth to bed with some fabulous new ways to style that vibrant hue. We rock this fabulous shade all year round and a little extra never hurt anyone, so here are my favorite ways to rock the crimson shade this winter!

Pucker Up! The easiest way to work a little extra red into your look is to add a pop of color on your lips!   Never choose a lipstick too close to your hair color because it can make our faces look hollow and lifeless; instead, choose a great shade that stands out even next to fiery locks!  Try NARS Heat Wave for a pumped up look that only adds 10 seconds to your getting ready routine.

Fabulous Accents! Brightly colored accents are so on trend right now, so think back to your color wheel to gain some inspiration.  From jeans to belts or a great pair of shoes, red is an especially eye-catching color that adds a little oomph to any outfit!

Glitz and Glamour! Red and gold jewelry has a fabulously luxurious feel that makes any outfit ten times better!  Try adding stacks of gold and red bangles on your arm for a simple touch that really adds to your outfit.  My favorite is this pair of earrings.   The gold color near your face and hair will make your features pop!

Go All the Way! Take the plunge and make an entrance in the perfect red dress.  Jessica Rabbit rocked her famous red sequin number and made jaws drop and so can you!  While floor length red sparkles may be a bit much, instead opt for a deep garnet or burgundy color in flirty style.  Just as most other jewel tones bring out the best of our ginger features, a deep crimson will accent your red hair and you’ll definitely stand out in a sea of black, green and gold at the office party!

Redhead Celebrities

Adele Tells Chelsea Handler, “I Wouldn’t Date A Ginger Guy!”

Adele, the beautiful and talented redhead, was interviewed on Chelsea Lately. When host, Chelsea Handler, asked Adele what color her hair was, she responded with, “ginger biscuit!”

She then told Chelsea, “we [redheads] are a dying breed!” They both laughed and Adele said, “I wouldn’t date a ginger guy!”

After How to be a Redhead‘s previous posts on redheads dating each other,

READ: How to Have a Relationship With A Redhead

READ: Redheads Date Real Men

…perhaps Adele should date a ginger? But, hey, that’s our bias opinion.

In the October issue of Vogue UK, Adele talked about her dating history: “I do get massively distracted when I’ve got someone in my life, which I can’t afford to do right now. Besides, no one treats me as well as I do.”

Watch it all below:

Olivia Volpe

Susan Ciminelli Gives You Tips on How To Keep Skin Blemish Free

Edited By: Olivia Volpe

Susan Ciminelli, a world-renowned skin expert and consult to the stars, is the founder of Susan Ciminelli Beauty Clinic in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, where she uses natural and holistic methods and products to give your skin the “Susan Ciminelli Glow”.

CLICK FOR INTERVIEW WITH SUSAN ABOUT HER BOOK, THE CIMINELLI SOLUTION

As a teenager, Susan found that her lifestyle was causing many of her skin problems and from a very young age devoted her time and energy to researching holistic and natural ways to solve many of her dermatology issues.  Today, she draws women from around the world eager to learn how to glow from the inside out with nurturing techniques and Susan’s pure, natural product line!

Susan says, “There’s something beautiful about white skin on redheads”, so why not take the expert’s advice and test out some of her tried and true (and celeb-approved!) techniques to keep your milky, freckled skin blemish free!

How to be a Redhead had the pleasure to sit down with Susan Ciminelli for a second time to discuss how redheads (and women of all hair colors) should be taking care of their skin!

H2BAR:  Why do women break out on their chin?

SS:  Breaking out means that your skin is eliminating toxins. Don’t ignore it. If you break out on your chin, it’s usually indicative of a problem in your endocrine system.

H2BAR:  How can we solve that issue?

SS:  Drinking ample amounts of water, as well as eating fresh fruits, leafy greens, and other fibrous foods, help keep things moving through your colon.

H2BAR:  What are some skin exfoliating tips?

SS: Warm a damp wash cloth and apply to your face. Always wash with warm and rinse with cool. After you wash, exfoliate with the Algae Deep Cleanse.

H2BAR:  How often should you get a facial?

SS:  If you can, get a facial every 4 to 5 weeks.

H2BAR:  What are some of the healthiest foods for your skin?

SS: Vegetables and fruits, especially berries and apples.

H2BAR:  How do you protect your skin from dry heat in your apartment or house?

SS:  Get a humidifier! Make sure to get the filter free one and also get one for each bedroom and living room.

More tips from Susan:

1. Try to switch up caffeine by doing every other day and replacing with green tea.

2. Steam your face weekly with herbs, like rosemary and thyme.

 

Style

The Everyday Redhead: Fashion Tips from the Streets of Vienna

Agatha Zachoszcz is a redhead from Vienna, Austria. She is a studying Transcultural Communications, works at Starbucks and is a big coffee lover! She is in love with Latin American culture and cannot imagine her life without dancing salsa and other cuban dances. Her passion is learning foreign languages and getting to know people from all over the world!

Agatha spoke with How to be a Redhead about her style and stated she chooses fashion pieces that reflect her fiery personality.She is open to new things and is not afraid to be and look extraordinary! She loves to stand out from the crowd.

H2BAR: What are your top 3 wardrobe pieces you cannot live without?

AZ: I cannot live without my Zara green sandals with 4 inch heels, my tiny, “Audrey Hepburn style” dress found in a second hand store and my Forever 21 leopard-print shorts. All of these pieces look great with red hair!

H2BAR: What’s your favorite winter fashion trend?

AZ: High heels paired with a fur coat!

H2BAR: What is one item that is on your wish list?

AZ: Wow! I am would love a chic, black lace dress!

H2BAR: Do you have a favorite fashion website?

AZ: My favorite fashion website is lookbook.nu because I love to get inspirited by others styles.

Brittany Henderson

In Honor of NYC Fashion Week: Rock A Great Boot

By: Brittany Henderson 

Boots were all the rage at NYC’s 2012 Fashion WeekRag & Bone featured a funky boot with every look. As the winter months progress and the temperature cools, we must find our staple pair of boots in order to keep our feet snug.

It is easy to go for the typical halfway-up-the calf brown leather boot, but this season, lets be more adventurous! 

Play with length: Try an ankle bootie to show off your legs or try an over-the-knee boot to wear with your favorite skinny jeans.

Play with texture: Boots can be found in so many fun textures; like suede, knit, or a fabric shaft.

Play with detail: I encourage you to look for something that catches your eye. This will help you to personalize the average boot; it will give your style some edge. My personal favorite is a big buckle and two-toned boots.

Play with color: Try an awesome red, leather boot.

Rock it, ladies! 

Confident Lifestyle

Staying Beautiful This Cold & Flu Season

By: Olivia Shea

Some experts claim redheads have a weak immune system, others claim it’s actually stronger, I say it’s cold and flu season and everyone regardless of hair shade is bound to feel under the weather at some point. The symptoms are far from sexy – chapped lips, rudded skin, puffy eyes ooo baby.

This season while stalking up on decongestants, cough drops and tissues from your local drug store, don’t forget to take a trip down the beauty isle and pick these 5 essential products for cold and flu season.

1. Concealer: will free you of looking like Rudolf the rednose redhead and more like Ariel – out of this world. Since skin is already extra sensitive during winter months and constant tissue contact only adds to irritation, gently pat a yellow based concealer onto the nose and any other areas of redness you wish to hide.

2. Lip Exfoliator: If you’re feeling at all stuffed up, you will have to succumb to Darth Vaderesque mouth breathing causing dry and flakey lips. Try to refrain from repeating “Luke I am your father” in front of a fan and exfoliate your lips with a home remedy of white sugar mixed with Vaseline. Rub the paste over your lips in a circular motion for approximately 1 minute then rinse. The blood will rush to the fresh soft skin of your mouth leaving a healthy rosy tint.

3. Tinted Moisturizer: Wintry cold air when outdoors combined with blasting hot air when indoors can wreak havoc on your completion. The best remedy for this is tinted moisturizer. After washing and moisturizing skin in the morning, apply a layer for sheer coverage or build layers for medium coverage, try Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, $42.00.

4. Cream Blush: While crisp winter air leaves a flush on cheeks, it doesn’t tend to last longer than 5 minutes after coming indoors. Powder will be too dry for skin this season, so I recommend a cream blush. Lightly pat onto the apples of your cheeks for a healthy and dewy glow that will last all day.

5. Water Proof Mascara: Not just for sappy holiday love songs, this makeup essential will be there for you like an eyelash to cry on from your first sneeze of the day till your last. You can’t go wrong with Maybelline Great Lash, $5.

Hair

Kool Aid To Dye Your Hair Red? Rona O’Connor Answers Your Questions

QUESTION: I’ve been told that Kool Aid can temporarily dye my hair red (I am a strawberry blonde). This seems like a bad idea, but I think I’d get your expertise. Does it work?!

ANSWER: By: Rona O’Connor: If you want an unnatural look, I’m sure it can stain the hair temporarily.  But honestly, I’d say forget it.  Get yourself a red conditioner in the golden coppers for a lighter red and one that won’t turn pink.  I like ‘Bixa’ by Aveda if you can find it. There are several good brands out there. Color conditioner is is my first choice over Kool Aid.

Makeup

Glimmer & Glitter In Gold

By: Sarah Reeves

All that glitters is GOLD and that rings very true for redheads because the color adds a sparkle to red hair and compliments light skin tones. This is why gold is the GO-TO color of the holiday season!

How You Should Wear Gold For The Holiday Season:

1. Add a New Sparkly Spin!

-With a gold blazer.

-Or try showing your sparkle in your makeup. Gold eyeliner and shadow can really brighten the eyes for those holiday parties.

2. Accessorize

Accessorize your red hair! Gold embellished hairpins and headbands will look great against your fiery red hair.

-If you already have some great outfits this holiday season try spicing it up with a gold scarf, gold clutch or cross body bag. Cross body bags are great this time of year because you’ll need your hands free to give presents and find your gloves.

3. Rock a Gold Dress

Why save it for New Years? You already stand out in a crowd with the best hair in the room, so why not stand out even more with the best dress?  Try to pick a cut that works with your figure and glam it up with red heels and red lips!

Cheers to being the cutest at the holiday party!

Eyebrows

Arch Nemesis: Top Tips for Brilliant Brows

By: Liz Washer 

Who doesn’t envy those lucky folks who have balanced, symmetrical eyebrows that frame their features perfectly, express their emotions adeptly, and beautifully match their hair? If you weren’t born that way (and, trust me, few are!), here’s what you can do to achieve perfect arches:

1. Go with a pro. Even if you hope to achieve brow independence, your best bet is to start with a professional shaping and maintain it from there. But don’t just opt for the add-on wax at any old salon; you want to find a skilled brow shaper who will create the perfect frame for your face. (My preference is for plucking and threading, but there are good waxers out there, too.) Then, all you’ll need to do to “stay in shape” is remove the hairs that grow outside of the lines. Determined to go it solo?  Eyebrowz.com is a great resource for shaping!

2. Step away from the magnifying mirror! Try your best to avoid using mirrors that make every pore in your face look like a crater on the moon. These mirrors encourage excessive plucking (not to mention irrational levels of insecurity!) They are largely to blame for a lot of overzealous – and regrettable – eyebrow plucking. The trick to brow maintenance: less is more. It can take weeks for plucked hairs to reappear, so don’t overdo it. Full, natural brows are always on trend and youthful, while overplucked ones are aging.

3. Trim first, pluck second! One commandment of brow happiness: TRIM before you pluck. Long errant brow hairs might actually be supporting the shape of the brow, and once they’re gone, you’re left with an unsightly gap. Instead of reaching for the tweezers prematurely, use a brow brush or a clean mascara wand to brush your brows straight up. Any hairs that reach well beyond the brow shape can then be trimmed, carefully, with the smallest, sharpest pair of scissors you can find (I use cuticle scissors). You can brush them down, too, to see which hairs on the bottom might need to be shortened a bit. Only THEN should you pluck the hairs that grow in outside of the brow shape you want to maintain.

4. Get your fill. So, your natural brow hair doesn’t match your fabulous red locks, whether au naturel or bottled beauty? Not to worry! Lots of redheads have nearly invisible blonde brows that can be easily tinted with an auburn-toned brow mascara. If your brows are much darker than your hair, consult a qualified cosmetologist to lighten them chemically (do not try this at home!) To fill in sparse eyebrows, I like to use a mix of matte or satin eyeshadow and pencil eyeliner – the powder gives the brow a backdrop (just don’t go too dark!), and the eyeliner, applied in subtle tiny strokes, mimics the 3-D look and sheen of real hair. The result is believable, not drag queen (unless that’s what you’re going for!)

Liz’s product picks: MAC eyeshadows in Brown Script and Corduroy, Lorac Creamy Brow Pencil in Auburn, VanityMark Ultra-Brow pencils in Gingerella and Auburnista.

Rock it, ladies! 

Olivia Volpe

Gift Guide: What to Get Your Redheaded Girlfriend This Holiday Season

By: Olivia Volpe

Along with the snowflakes and decorations that come with the holiday season, also comes the time for some gift giving.  I think gifts that have a fun twist, such as including a fun activity or a adding personal touch, are the best!

So boyfriends, listen up!

Here’s my foolproof list of some creative holiday gifts for your redheaded girlfriend that will earn you some brownie points and leave her with special memories to last longer than just the holiday season!

1. For the Adventurous Redhead: Surprise your girl with something to get the adrenaline pumping.  Think skydiving or some other extreme sport.  Redheads tend to always be ready for a challenge and skydiving is a super fun activity you can do together!  What better way to bond than jumping out of a plane at 10,000 feet up?  It’s a creative gift and will create a memory you two can share forever.  Visit this skydiving site to find a jump location near you.

2. For the Old School Redhead: Is she still listening to a CD Walkman or a first generation iPod?  If your redhead is in need of some new music technology, think of getting her one of the new Apple iPod Nanos and filling it with favorite songs you two share!  It’ll make her think of you every time she’s working out on the treadmill or rocking out on the way to work!

3. For the Gourmet Redhead: Those with copper locks tend to have fiery personalities and a taste for the exotic to match.  Think about taking her to a cooking lesson where you can try some new and unheard of foods.  Most classes offer a lively dinner party after the class to enjoy what you just made, but you could head home and share your newfound skills cooking a meal together in your own kitchen!

4. For the Traveling Redhead: Plan a weekend getaway somewhere and put the tickets or hotel reservations in a new overnight bag!  It’s a chance for the two of you to escape daily reality for a little and spend some quality time together.  The adventurous streak that most ginger gals have means she will be thrilled to experience a new place with her special guy.

5. For the Overworked Redhead: Redheads are caring people who often put other peoples’ happiness in front of their own.  Get her a spa treatment, like a Swedish massage, so she can have some time to focus on herself and recharge!

6. For Redhead Who’s a Team Player: Those with copper tresses are some of the most loyal  (as I’m sure you boyfriends all know), so there’s a good chance she has a favorite sports team!  Check game schedules and see if there’s a home game you can go to.  It’s a super fun way to spend some time together and she’ll love that you’re sharing in her passion!  For an added bonus, pair the tickets with a new jersey she can sport to the game!  These winter months mean you’ll likely head to a football or hockey game, so check out the the online NFL Shop or the NHL’s gift shop to find something that will compliment your lady’s fiery tresses and get her amped for the game!

7. For Every Redhead: There’s one thing you can never go wrong with- jewelry.  Whether it’s a lovingly chosen locket or a modern pair of earrings, girls love something that sparkles and you can’t go wrong a little bit of bling.  Golds and greens best accent a redhead’s features, so keep that in mind when choosing something special!

 

Makeup

Read My (Red) Lips: 5 Tips For The Perfect Pout

One of the best makeup trends is the return of a bold lip.. and it’s the most fun! Lipstick colors like fuchsia, tangerine, bright pink and even orange will be some of the hottest looks for spring and summer. Changing your lipstick is an easy, low commitment way to update your style.

Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of this exciting trend:

1. Prep Your Lips: You want to make sure that your lips are in prime condition before calling full attention to them. Tip: Gently exfoliate lips with a moist wash cloth to remove any dry skin. Then, apply a light coat of lip balm to insure that lips are at their softest.

2. Minimal Makeup: To keep your look contemporary, when working with a bright lip, keep other makeup soft and subtle. Tip: Try a soft eye and just a hint of natural looking blush. The emphasis should be an over all natural look with lips played up to make a bold statement.

3. To Use Lip Pencil or To Not Use Lip Pencil: This has been an age old debate. Lip pencil does help lipstick last longer and eliminate “color bleeding,” but for a sheer coat of color, it’s best to skip liner all together. Tip: If you do choose to wear lip liner, NEVER, EVER outline lips with a dark pencil and then apply a light colored  lipstick because it is instant age.

4. Find The Perfect Shade: Every woman, even a redhead, can find the perfect shade of natural lipstick. Here’s a nifty trick to find the pink that mother nature intended for you: Tip: Look into a mirror and smile, the shade of your gums or just a hint darker will be the most flattering pink for your skin tone! Pretty cool, huh? To attain a bold lip, go a bit darker than your skin tone.

5. Low Key Hair: To keep focus on your pretty pout, keep your hair soft and natural. Tip: Opt for a tousled, wavy look.

Lipstick is a fun way to instantly update your look. It’s time for you to get noticed for your beautiful locks and your pretty pout!

Rock it like a Redhead! 

Photo Credit 

Confidence

Redheads Date Real Men

Kirsten Dunst recently stated in an interview with Style Bistro, “I attract a different kind of boy when my hair’s red. I get more quality men, like a more thoughtful, nerdy dude.”

Redheads are known to have a temper, be feisty and funny. For a man to develop a successful relationship with a lady ginger, he must have confidence, patience, love and spontaneity to truly date her.

Want to date a redhead? Here’s how:

1. Confidence- You must be secure with your own self image. Don’t take it personally when your redheaded lady stands out in a crowd because of her ginger locks. You must be able to stand with her in confidence. Also, many redheads are opinionated, so you must be able to take constructive criticism if need be.

2. Fun- Most redheads are fun and ready to have a good time. You must be able to be spontaneous and join her for the ride.

3. Know Your Role- It has been scientifically proven that redheads feel more pain. Make sure you are ready to rescue the damsel in distress without overbearing her because redheads are usually very powerful and desire control. The trick is to make her feel comforted without dominating her.

4. Patience- Many redheads have personalities that are intense and powerful. There is a quote that states, ” There are two ways of spreading light, to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”  The trick is to understand that you must compliment the light, that being the redhead, and be careful to not blow it out.

While it may seem like a little less effort to simply date a sexy blonde or smart brunette, dating a redhead is worth the extra effort. With redheads you will get the whole package. Yes, they are extreme (think more allure, intelligence and fun) and what you give to your loyal redhead lady, you’ll get back 10 fold.