Blog Posts by BeautyRiot Diva

Wondering if you really need this pronunciation lesson? Keep reading.

Do you mumble when trying to pronounce your favorite beauty product's name? i.e. I'm looking for Illa-mumble-mumble-ka.

Do you fear the makeup counter at the department store because you actually have to say the name of the product you want?

Do you turn everything into an acronym? For example, Yves Saint Laurent? YSL. Christian Louboutin? Er, "the shoes with the red soles."

If you answered yes to any of those questions, you seriously need to check out this beauty pronunciation guide. No one should live in fear of pronunciation humiliation. (It's going to be OK. I promise.) Check out a few of the hardest-to-say names below -- and make sure to watch the videos for the exact pronunciations. Then, tell us: Which beauty names do you always mispronounce?

Kerastase

Say it like this: ker-a-stass

Click here to hear the correct pronunciation of Kerastase.


Shu Uemura

Say it like this: shoe

We're complete nerds. Case in point: "Twilight's Breaking Dawn" has us all kinds of giddy. (It premieres November 18th, FYI.) Among our many Twilight topics of discussion are: Bella's wedding dress, the creepy love triangle, and killer vampire babies. But the most important topic -- c'mon we're also beauty editors -- is Bella's hair and makeup. So, we did some major sleuthing and found how to recreate her look.

Related Link: What Twilight Character Are You?

To get Bella's soft, natural looking waves, we turned to Beatrice De Alba, lead hairstylist on "Breaking Dawn." Here's how to get the look:

1. Apply heat protectant cream to damp hair. Try Nexxus Thermal Volume Volumizing Heat Protection Mousse, $10.99.) Rake fingers through hair to spread the product.
2. Using a large, vented brush, blow dry hair. Once the hair is dry, section it off into 2" pieces.
3. Take a 1 1/4" inch curling iron and run iron straight down the shaft of the hair.
4. Start at the bottom and curl hair up,

Things you can get for $199: A year's supply of drugstore makeup (these are the best ones); a Shark steam mop; four new Goodyear tires; and now, this: a chair designed solely for your purse.

It's true. For $199, you can buy the BagPed -- a stainless steel chair with a little shelf underneath for your bag. As someone who has minimal desk space at the office and hates having to put her purse on the floor, I kinda loved the idea. And for a hot second, I even considered buying it.

Related link: Best Bag for Your Personality

Until I realized that for $199, I could buy a whole new bag that I would get more use out of (... or even an entire outfit, like this one). And it didn't solve my out-of-office problems. Like most women, I take my purse to restaurants, gas station bathrooms, and dive bars. I'm obviously not going to carry around a chair just to store my purse.

But here's what really put it all in perspective for me. These purse hooks let you hang your bag from the table or bar, and

I loove shopping. Need to find me on a Saturday? I'll be at the mall. And when I can't be physically in the store, you can bet I'm online trolling the ether racks. (Seriously, whoever invented online shopping is a god.) So when I started hearing about these online shopping clubs (like this one) and fashion rental sites (this one in particular), I -- and my wallet -- definitely perked up.

A different pair of shoes every month for just $40? A Vera Wang dress for $150?! There was no question about it -- I had to sign up. But I quickly learned that some are better than others. For example, I wish I skipped this shoe club and just went with this one. And the next time I need some fabulous, real diamonds, I'm heading here.

To check out all the online clubs and fashion rental sites I tried, click here. Or, check out some of the grades I gave below and see why. And if you've had a similar (or different) experience, leave your comments here, in the box below the picture. Now, if you'll excuse

What does your hair look like when you remove your super stylish cold weather hat? Frizzy and full of static? Or limp and lifeless? Either way, not such a hot look.

Related Link: Find the Best Hat for Your Face Shape

Time to turn the pros. Here are a few things I found out: 1) You can actually prevent hat hair before even putting on your hat (check that out here), 2) there's a simple way to perk up flat roots (that's here), and 3) forget about forehead-plastered bangs (click here).

Click here to get the complete list of hat hair fixes, and if you want to find the best hairstyle to match your favorite hat, check out these celeb inspirations.

More on BeautyRiot.com:

• New Hairstyle Trends for Your Face Shape

• Quiz: Do You Need A Haircut?

• 8 New Ways to Style Bangs

There have been a few loves in my life, but I'll never forget my first:

I saw it right after my high school graduation: the watch of my dreams. Unfortunately there were two things against me: The watch was Gucci, and I'd already spent all my graduation money. Worst timing ever.

Related link: 5 DIY Accessories to Make Yourself

I pined for it for four years, and by the time college graduation rolled around I was ready. I saved up all of my grad money and finally bought the beloved timepiece. It was (and is) as perfect as I imagined: I wear it every single day, since it matches with everything from these colored jeans to these white t-shirt combos.

Now, when I see its mother of pearl face and diamond dials smiling back at me, I know it was worth every single penny - even if it was an exorbitant amount of pennies.

Now it's your turn. Have YOU ever fallen in retail love? Leave a comment with your priciest fashion buy below.

More From Beauty Riot:

• What

I was shopping at American Apparel the other day when I saw a girl wearing bright turquoise jeans (kinda like these). They looked amaaazing.

Up until that point, colored jeans were a trend I would never have considered. They bordered on tacky in my mind, drawing up images of the '90s, big hair and Arsenio Hall. But this girl? She made me reconsider.

RELATED: Epic fashion and beauty mistakes

So I enlisted the help of fashion bloggers. Could they show our readers how to do the colored denim trend right? Indeed they could -- see their pictures and get their tips here.

More from BeautyRiot.com:

• Best Jeans for Your Body Type

• 10 Ways to Wear a White T-Shirt

• How to Wear Gold Eye Makeup

One of my biggest beauty pet peeves? How amazingly flawless every actor looks when you flip on the tube. Think about it: There's never a pimple in sight. Lips are always soft and kissable. And forget dark undereye circles. (These people definitely don't live in my world.) Then, I spoke with the makeup artists behind "Modern Family" and visited the makeup trailer on "Community." Here's what I learned …

It turns out makeup artists work some real magic. Actors do get pimples -- this is just how they hide the fact. As for that bright, refreshed skin? Everyone has his/her own special skin cocktail, like this, which keeps the face blemish free. And even the men spend a lot of time in the makeup trailer (those secrets are right here).

So, it turns out actors aren't as flawless as they seem on TV. They just fake it really well. To find out all the makeup secrets TV shows use, click here, or check out the gallery below. TV viewing will never be the same again.

More on