Blog Posts by Beyond the Beauty Pages, SELF Magazine

When I met super-talented celebrity hair and makeup stylist Kyra Dorman she had a perfect ballerina-bun in her hair. I complimented her look and she explained that the up-do works double-time, keeping hair out of the way during the day and making loose waves for night. I was totally intrigued and made her promise to teach me the bun secret. Read on for Kyra's step-by-step guide to curling iron-free loose waves!
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1. First apply a styling lotion or mousse to damp hair and comb through.
2. Next divide hair into four even sections.
3. Twist each section tightly and evenly from base to end.
4. Coil sections into a round bun and continue twisting until entire length of hair is twisted. Secure with a large hair pin.
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5. Once the bun is secure, leave it to dry for the day or blow dry and release for instant results!
For lasting hold, finish with one of our 2010 Healthy Beauty Award winning hair helpers!

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Whenever I see post-lunch tooth brushers in the SELF bathrooms, I'm hit with a wave of dental guilt. Although I know brushing after meals maximizes oral health, cleaning my teeth in a public bathroom seems counterintuitive. If you're like me, chewing gum may be the answer.

Related: Dine like a star

According to the American Dental Association, chewing sugarless gum after eating can help prevent tooth decay. All natural Supersmile Whitening Gum fits the bill perfectly. Unlike artificially flavored gum, which can cause stomach upset, Supersmile Whitening Gum is sweetened with Xylitol, a natural sugar substitute proven to fight cavities.

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Although chewing gum shouldn't replace brushing and flossing, chomping down after meals can supplement the ADA's recommended twice daily brushing.

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The endless stream of celebrity fragrance launches this spring had our noses in nirvana. Zoe Saldana's ethereal Eternal Magic made us feel like rare gems, while Sarah Jessica Parker's SJP NYC inspired us to put on our heels and hit the town. We could dance the night away in Outspoken by Fergie and have a relaxing lunch date in Halle Berry's Pure Orchid.

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Julia Roberts: We love your infectious laugh and daring spirit. If you could bottle up a fun, flirty floral before the Eat, Pray, Love premiere, we'd totally wear it!

Angelina Jolie: It's no secret, you're one spicy woman. Cook us up a sultry scent and we'd love to dab it on before a romantic night out.

Jennifer Hudson: Bring us a scent that's as smooth and creamy as your voice sounds, and we'd melt for it!

Related: Dine like a star

Jennifer Aniston: If you came up with a refreshingly sweet citrus mist, we'd wear it everywhere!

Hayden Panettiere: You graced our March cover as a surfer gal' and

True Blood-fever has definitely hit the SELF office (we can't wait for our July cover to hit stands this week...wink wink), and last night's premiere left two questions lingering in the beauty department: How amazing is Anna Paquin's skin? And, how can we get our skin to look that flawless?

Since we're sure you're asking the same question, we tracked down some behind-the-scenes info from the set of True Blood. Hint: It's REALLY easy.

Apparently, Brigitte A. Myre, Anna P's makeup artist, relies on Cover FX Powder FX M40 and Cover FX Matte FX Oil Absorbing Powder in Light.

Here's how you can get the look in three simple steps:

1. Prep with a primer to smooth skin and keep the foundation in place longer.

2. Use a dense kabuki brush to apply Powder FX, starting in the center of your face and working outwards. Make sure to use a small, circular motion to help polish the minerals and give that signature Sookie-radiance to your skin.

3. Apply Matte FX Oil Absorbing Powder to finish (and

"Likable" isn't an adjective often applied to reality stars, but if Whitney Port's on-screen persona is anything to go by, she's just that. Not only does "The City" star seem genuinely nice, she also has great style and a totally natural look.

I caught up with Amy Nadine, Whitney Port's go-to make up artist, for the scoop on Whitney's super-pretty make-up for the MTV Movie Awards. Amy went for "simple and fresh" make up to offset Whitney's yellow Yigal Azrouel dress. She applied Giorgio Armani Face Fabric Radiance with a foundation brush for a flawless base and sculpted cheeks with CoverGirl Simply Ageless on the apples.

To create Whitney's "60's Madmen-inspired eyes," Amy swept the lighter of shade of CoverGirl's Smoky Shadow Blast in Bronze Fusion over the entire lid and contoured with the darker shade. She topped with a heavy slick of CoverGirl LiquiLine in Black Fire and finished with CoverGirl LashBlast Fusion.

For a final touch Amy dusted Armani's Loose Powder in #0 over the

I've been meaning to experiment with hair color since Proenza Schouler's spring 2010 show featuring dusty variations on purple, blue and green. The subtle hues don't lend themselves very well to my dark brown hair, but Thakoon has introduced a bolder riff on the trend with his resort 2011 show that I can't wait to try!

The hair appears to have been blasted with an airbrush of electric pinks and blues. Some looks feature a muddle of both, others just a flash of pink.

For those not looking for a color commitment, Hairdo's clip-in extensions create a similar effect. I've never been a fake hair fan, but Hairdo's offerings feel surprisingly natural and can even withstand heat styling. The five fantasy jewel shades are my favorite, but the extensions come in 11 natural shades as well. I'm curious, would you experiment with bold hair color?

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I don't know about you, but I am way over due for some brow maintenance. And, take it from us, keeping your brows in shape this summer is the easiest way to look polished without loading on makeup.

Good news for all of you girls that prefer to leave brow styling to the professionals: On June 17, Ramy Brow Bars at Duane Reade Locations in NYC are offering free brow shaping, which saves you $30. You can either brave the crowds, or make an appointment beginning June 7 (Monday!) by calling any of the brow bar locations. Not in NYC (or can't get an appointment?), read on for at home brow tips!

If you need a major shaping, check out this slideshow to determine the best shape brows for your face, then try this:

Instead of haphazardly plucking (which I am totally guilty of), draw your desired shape over brows with a white eyeliner pencil and tweeze any hair not marked it white. Use a little makeup remover to wipe away the pencil, then walk away from the tweezers. A day later, brush your

Usually, makeup trends are similar each season. There are, of course, tiny tweaks between shows, but the general trends are the same. At the last fashion week, the two most prominent trends - Barely There and Slept In - are total opposites and we love them both! See this season's hottest makeup trends made easy after the jump.

Barely There




To get the "Barely There" look, try these tips:

To get the appearance of flawless, clean skin, start with a primer. The primer will help keep your foundation and concealer in place all day, so there's no tell-tale flakes or creasing. If you tend to have oily skin, dust a translucent powder over you t-zone to set the foundation and thwart oil slicks.

Since clean brows frame your face and make you look polished, make sure they are well groomed either by a professional or by a very steady hand.

Finish with a touch of peachy lip stain (it looks more natural) and a swipe of brown lengthening mascara (black will seem too obvious).

Slept In


To get the