Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Beauty Break: Beat the Heat - A Very "Braidy" Sequel (Part 2)

Hello friends, time for more summer braids! To change it up a bit from a full up-do, Sharie did a romantic half-up, half-down braided style on me:

Braid it Baby Style #2 - Em's Look

Step 1: Sharie applied some mousse throughout my hair. Although my hair is super fine, there is a LOT of it - I find that mousse tends to be the best styling product for keeping it under control (my fav drugstore brand here).

Step 2: Section hair and place 1-2 inch sections in "foil rollers" (if you ever put your hair in rag curlers as a kid - I did! - this is exactly the same technique, only using strips of household aluminum foil instead of fabric). Sharie started at the base of each section and began wrapping it around the roller - when she had completed rolling my hair around the foil, she used the ends of the foil to hold each roller in place.



Step 3: Once foil rollers are in place, apply heat! I sat under the salon dryer but a blow-dryer w/ diffuser would also work well. I sat for about 15 minutes and after the rollers were taken out...


...my hair had LOTS of texture (texture = key for braids)!!


Step 4: Part hair to one side and begin loosely French braiding the larger section around your face. Sharie then braided the other, smaller side of my part in a regular braid and used a tiny elastic (yes, a single elastic!) to secure both braids in an uneven angle on the back of my head. She left the rest of my hair down & wavy. SUPER. EASY.



I couldn't help thinking that this would be a gorgeous hairstyle for a casual summer wedding (perhaps with a few tiny flowers tucked into the braids!) if one wanted to wear their hair down but still wanted something that would hold up and be comfortable in the heat/humidity.

We hope you enjoyed our summer braids! A huge thanks again to @ Sharie Manon and Matt Olivar (photos)!

<3,
Emy & Po


Mario Diab is a full-service salon located at 62 Crosby Street in New York City.  For bookings, please call212.226.6595 or email sohohair@mariodiab.com

Monday, July 25, 2011

Beauty Break: Beat the Heat - A Very "Braidy" Sequel

We here at Head to Toe look forward to summer all year long until of course it gets here and we remember how hard it is to look good in the heat(wave) and humidity of NYC.   The size of our hair seems to move in lock step with the temperature...as it gets hotter, our hair gets bigger...and bigger, and bigger, and bigger.  Now don't get us wrong, a little volume can be a girl's best friend, but there is a very big difference between a bit of volume and continuously expanding frizz.

Enter Sharie Manon of the Mario Diab salon in downtown New York City - a Style Network star in the making and a bonafide hair genius - with the perfect summer style to help us embrace our hair's natural texture (read HUGE) and yet still look chic as the temperature and humidity levels rise.


Braid it Baby Style #1 - Po's Look

For the record, Po is not gifted when it comes to doin' up the 'dos.  The day the scrunchie went out of style was the day that hairstyling surpassed her skill level...so if she can do this, anyone can.  This style took Sharie a grand total of 10 minutes and 5 pins...making this look perfect for a night out or a rushed weekday morning.

Step 1:   Keep things in control - Sharie ran some texturizing cream from roots to tips to help maintain volume, but control the frizz

Step 2:  Create an off-center part 

Step 3:  Begin to create two loose french braids on each side of your head.  Don't worry about making these perfect - the messier the better.

Step 4:   Continue the thicker of the two braids further along the back of your head.
 

Step 5:  Wrap each braid around the base of your head and secure with several bobby pins



Step 6:  Rock it! ;)


Stay tuned later this week for Em's braided look.  In the meantime, check out Sharie's blog for endless hair-spiration @ Sharie Manon and stay tuned for updates on her upcoming Style network show, The Glam Fairy!
 
Mario Diab is a full-service salon located at 62 Crosby Street in New York City.  For bookings, please call 212.226.6595 or email sohohair@mariodiab.com

Photo Credits: Matt Olivar  (Boom!)

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Summer Socials: Po's Look - In Stores Now!

Here are a few of our favorite wide/flare leg jeans looks - all perfect for any casual summer event.  We tried to keep the list within the financial relm of reality for us average janes, but the two Alexanders' bags (McQueen and Wang) were way too beautiful and way too bad-ass to leave out.  That being said, two of the three shirts featured below are under $40...so really if you bought both shirts and an expensive handbag it would all pretty much even out in the end...at least that's what we'll be telling ourselves. ;)

Happy Shopping!

<3,
Emy & Po


Summer Socials: Po's In-Stores Now!













Wildfox Couture racer back tank
$35 - lespommettes.com

Floral shirt
$33 - modcloth.com

Rebecca taylor
$275 - rebeccataylor.com

James Jeans flare jeans
$109 - boutique1.com

MIH-JEANS stretch jeans
$205 - net-a-porter.com

Alexander McQueen leather clutch
$1,545 - net-a-porter.com

Alexander Wang satchel bag
$825 - aloharag.com

Cleobella clutch handbag
$160 - pinkmascara.com

Monday, July 18, 2011

Summer Socials: Emily's Look

I wore this outfit a couple of weeks ago to a rooftop cocktail party at 60 Thompson. Many of my summer favorites are present here - an ethereal dress, flat sandals, an oversized envelope clutch. I love how flats seem to work really well for dressier occasions in the summer, don't you? Oh summer - please could you never end? ;)

<3,
Emy and Po





View at sunset from the roof of 60 Thompson.

Dress: Club Monaco
Sandals: J. Crew
Clutch: Alexis Hudson
Leaf ring: Denise Heffernan
Watch: Michael Kors

Friday, July 15, 2011

Summer Socials: Po's Look

This outfit is my go-to for any casual summer party.  A small floral print top and my favorite pair of flared jeans...'groovy baby'!  The look is as comfortable as it is flattering...god bless flared pants' ability to make everything else look so small (like my hips and thighs...best optical illusion ever!)  This particular pair of flared jeans is made by a London based company called MiH (short for Made in Heaven). They fit perfectly and are made of the most comfortable denim these gams have ever seen...making it that much easier to go back to the grill for seconds (or thirds) at any summer bar-b-que.

<3,
Emy & Po





Jeans: MiH
Top: Rebecca Taylor
Shoes: Franco Sarto
Sunglasses: BCBG
Clutch: Utility
Nail Polish:  Essie's Jelly Apple

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Summer Socials: Inspiration

Summer has the ability to bring out the social butterfly in even the most misanthropic among us - the warm temperatures, ample sunshine, and extra time off from work (summer Fridays!) mean that one's social calendar is likely to be jam-packed from May to September.  Between backyard barbecues, beer garden outings, rooftop cocktails and alfresco dinners, a girl needs a wardrobe that not only makes her feel cute but also keeps her comfortable (i.e., keeps her from passing out in 95 degree heat!).  Here are some great examples of summer social dressing at its finest:

The gorgeous Sophie Buhai and Lisa Mayock of Vena Cava do the backyard BBQ in style (via Vogue.com).

Emily Schuman (Cupcakes & Cashmere) in a great outfit for summer cocktails.

Olivia Palermo - love the bright cut-out top + mini skirt + flats combo!

Simple and casual yet dressy at the same time - summer in a nutshell. :) (via The Sartorialist)

More to come!
<3,
Emy & Po

Saturday, July 9, 2011

The Black Maxi: Emily's Look

Summer is in full swing here in NYC, which means long sunny days, rooftop BBQs, ice cream trucks on every corner, and generally spending as much time outdoors as I can manage. In keeping with this wondrously casual time of year, here is a great outfit for a lazy Saturday hanging around / exploring the city. 

Happy weekend everyone!! :)

<3,
Emy and Po







Top, skirt, bag, necklace: Urban Outfitters
Watch: Michael Kors
Sandals: Sam Edelman
Sunglasses: NYC street vendor
Nail polish: Essie "e-nuf is e-nuf"

Friday, July 8, 2011

The Black Maxi: Po's Look

A little lace, a little denim and a lot of skirt...  This is my favorite errands/grocery store/Sunday morning look because it looks like you bothered but feels like you didn't.   This skirt makes sweatpants feel restrictive and can be paired with just about anything.  I've worn it with everything from a white collared shirt for work to a vintage t and vest at a concert.  Here I've kept things really simple with just a lace t, chambray shirt and the most important Sunday morning accessory -- a cup of coffee.

Wishing you a comfortable and relaxing weekend.

<3,

Emy & Po





 Skirt: Splendid
Lace Top: Madewell
Denim Shirt: Gap
Necklaces: Vintage (thanks mom :)

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

The Black Maxi: Inspiration

This week, we are excited to feature one of our favorite basics, the black maxi skirt. This season-less piece works as well in the summer with a tank top and sandals as it does in the winter under a parka. More comfortable than a pair of jeans, better looking than a pair of leggings (sorry, leggings), and MUCH easier to wear than a mini skirt, the black maxi has few major flaws (except perhaps, its propensity to soak up water on a rainy day - best to avoid the maxi in a monsoon). On top of all this, adding this piece to your wardrobe will cost far from an arm and a leg - yet another reason a black maxi has found its way into both E. & P.'s closets. ;)

Below are a few of our favorite warm-weather black maxi skirt looks - we hope you enjoy!

<3,
Emy & Po


Andy T. via Style Scrapbook

Liz via Chictopia

Frida Gustavsson via Mr. Newton

Whitney Port via Fashion Circus