By Andi Douglas, nwaMotherlode.com beauty editor
Even though the Super Bowl was over a week ago, the usually fickle media is keeping Beyonce’s half-time performance front and center, thanks to stories about the scary freeze frame photos her publicist tried to squelch (which still look better than most of my pics, by the way) and the PETA controversy over her leather outfit.
Beyoncé, of course, is beyond imitation, but we can be inspired by her fierce look with beautiful beachy waves and a unique manicure.
Beyonce’s long waves were created with a curling wand to curl her hair in a vertical pattern. But this is time-consuming and potentially heart-breaking when your curls fall 5 minutes later.
Luckily, soft, mermaid waves can be achieved with little effort:
- After you wash your hair, apply a leave in conditioning cream, like Biolage Deep Smoothing Leave-in Cream, and a shine serum, avoiding the roots of your hair.
- Use a wide tooth comb to distribute the product.
- Now that the frizz is under control, encourage your hair to curl with a curling lotion, like Pure Shine Curls Lotion and scrunch your hair. I prefer lotions over gel, because it leaves a softer texture.
- After your hair has air dried for a little while (the time it takes to clean the kitchen or sort the laundry), braid two inch sections at the front of your hair LOOSELY. Too tight and you will end up with crimps instead of waves.
- Then, including the front braids, make Pocahontas braids (once again, loosely) on both sides and go about your day or go to bed, if you shower at night.
- When your hair is dry, take out the braids and finger comb.
- Before you go to bed, wet your hair to reactivate your product and re-braid and you will be ready to go the next day. Experiment with the size and placement of your braids to get the perfect combo for your hair.
Now, on to the manicure
I love the look of a black manicure, and this new take on a French mani using matte black polish and a high gloss polish mimics the hot mix of slick leather and delicate lace that made up Beyonce’s wardrobe.
Thanks to all of the genius DIYers out there, French manicures have become an option at home.
Remember those little hole reinforcement stickers you used back in school? They are the perfect size to use as a guideline for French tips.
Make sure your base coat is dry before applying the stickers or the polish will peel off with them. You can speed up the drying process by spraying PAM on your nails.
Now, where can I buy a leather and lace onesie to wear to my next PTA meeting?
Have a question for Andi, beauty blogger and fellow mama? Andi welcomes your questions and feedback to Beauty Buzz. E-mail her at mamas@nwaMotherlode.com.
