Blog Posts by StyleCaster

Renowned dermatologist Dr. Murad shares his secrets for minimizing pores, getting rid of zits, improving cellulite, and fighting aging skin.


Get Ahead of the Trends: What You Should Be Wearing for Fall 2010

As we age, we learn to spend more time on our appearences. Gone are the days when we used to run out of the house without brushing our hair (or teeth) because we just had to go swing on the swings right.that.second. Now we spend countless hours perfecting how straight we can get our hair with a straightening iron (or complaining about how we hate it that straight and lifeless), and obsessing over whether or not those lines under our eyes are permanent, or if they just appear when we crinkle our face.

Unfortunately, even if our skin is almost perfect-- we often still feel that it's just not good enough. We're surrounded by flawless celebrities, and we want to measure up. So, we spoke with Dr. Murad, the dermatologist and genius behind the Murad product line, and he clued us in on a

HUDSON Jeans' head denim designer gives us a few tricks on how to wear the denim cut with ease.


Summer Shades You Need Now!

I have a few denim regrets. Like in the 5th grade when I had to have flared jeans with a black and white racing stripe running down the outside seam. Or in the 9th grade when I tried to make my own pair of jeans inspired by Eve's pair in her "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" music video. Epic fail.

One denim purchase I thought I would regret was the first time I indulged in high waisted jeans. Two jeans purchases and three pairs of high waisted shorts later, however, I don't plan on looking back.

HUDSON jeans is launching a new collection of Minimalist jeans. As the name implies, this collection focuses on stripping jeans down to the core basics of clean lines, and it features my latest favorite pair of high waist denim: the Minimalist high waist button fly jeans. Ben Taverniti, HUDSON's head denim designer, shared his expert advice and tips on what to look for when buying

The Most Debated Shoe of the Season!

Riddle me this cool chicks-- how does one don spring's pretty, frilly ruffles without losing her edge? The answer is simple-- elevate a ruffled piece with some well-placed accessories and discerning fabric choices. Adding leather and denim go a long way in making the floaty trend less twee, as do chunky statement jewelry and perhaps a stud here and there. See below for looks that figure flatter and accentuate ruffles-- and you-- in all the right places.

1. Working Girl (above)
A flouncy pink skirt may appear a bit too girly on its own, but paired with a boyfriend blazer, slouchy silk top, wedges, and a cuff with some studded detailing-- the ballerina-chic look is suddenly transformed into a refined, work-appropriate ensemble. Toss on some tights to show a little less leg for day. Girls with boyish figures will love the curves the voluminous skirt gives them.

Black silk shantung-jersey blazer by Diane von Furstenberg; Black silk top with pocket by

The National Creative Director of Red Door Spas tells us how to pull off one of spring's biggest trends.


Sexy, Beachy Waves in 7 Simple Steps


Dear Beauty Banter,

A big trend on the runways for spring was teased out hair-- and it looked great on the models. Is this something that can transition into real life? How can I style my hair to get this messy, teased out look?

Sincerely,
To Tease or Not to Tease


How to Get Your Healthiest Hair Yet!



Dear To Tease Or Not,

Teased, big hair has definitely come back-- the curl, perm, and '60s-inspired wave have all been seen recently. You can certainly transition these to real life-- and the best way to do so is by using rollers or a smaller curling iron. A small iron will give you more control and curl texture, which you can then tease for more volume. After you are done adding texture to your hair, finish with a polish or styling gloss such as Davines Defining Relaxing Fluid. Just add a drop and rub it through your hair to maintain the

16 Best Floral Print Pieces for Spring!

Adding an extra pop of color to your face is a great way to boost your beauty look, and this spring, colored liner is a big trend. Our personal favorites were the bright aqua lines seen at shows including Nanette Lepore and Balenciaga.

If you're brave enough to attempt to copy this gorgeous look (and we hope you are-- it's a great way to attract attention to your best feature), read below for a list of our favorite aqua liners, and a few great tips for successful application.

1. MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Eyes


Our all-time favorite eyeliner is available in an aqua hue that's perfectly appropriate for testing out this trend. The pencil claims to be a shadow and liner in one-- but we prefer to use it as a liner only. Line your eyes with the metallic blue color on either the top lash line (lengthening the line to achieve a slight cat eye) or on the bottom lash line-- only do both if you're really brave. (MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Eyes, Blue with Green

From pale and plump to tanned and toned-- find out what has defined sexy for hundreds of years.


Lady Gaga to Design Sunglasses?

It's hard to believe that once upon a time, women were actually celebrated for their natural god-given bodies. That's right-- thin hasn't always been in. In fact, the female standard of beauty has gone through many drastic changes over the last several hundred years. We've compiled a timeline of all the major trends over the past 600 years, starting with the Renaissance up until the last decade. As we track everything from body types to hair and makeup, you may be surprised to see how the definition of sexy has changed so drastically over the years.

Renaissance (above): From the 1400s to the early 16 th century

Body Type: The ideal Renaissance woman was more voluptuous then any other time in history. Paintings from this era depict women who would be considered overweight by today's standards-- but at that time, these full-figured ladies were the

We share a list of ways to get your hair back to its best after years of styling.


Get Naturally Tousled Waves at Home

I tend to change my hair on a whim-- for instance, when I graduated from college, I chopped ten inches off. Later, I broke up with my college boyfriend and, of course, needed another drastic change-- so I dyed my hair from blond to brown. As I took these extreme measures, I had to be careful to maintain the health of my hair by giving it the care it needed.

To this day, I continue to change my 'do whenever the mood strikes-- this weekend, I'm going to dye it blond (again). However, I also religiously get trims to keep split ends at bay, and fit in moisturizing treatments to combat regular use of hot styling tools.

Below is a list of ways to keep your hair healthy-- even if you blow dry it, straighten it, and color it frequently-- like so many of us do.

1. Don't overly wash your hair
Shampooing every day doesn't help your hair-- it actually harms it. While you think

With Passover around the corner, here's a roundup of some of our favorite recipes from around the web.

Are you headed to a Seder dinner for Passover and don't want to show up empty handed? Below, are some delicious suggestions that are sure to dazzle your friends and family.

1. Onion-Braised Brisket

Ingredients:

• 1 beef brisket, 4 to 5 pounds, flat cut preferred
• Vegetable oil
• 3 large onions (about 2 1/2 pounds), halved and sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons potato starch
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar (to season sauce before serving)

Preparation:

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 300 degrees. Line 13 by 9-inch baking dish with