Elnett hairspray is legendary. It’s been the one-and-only among editorial and celebrity stylists for as long as I can remember. The secret formula: a micro diffuser that sprays an ultra-fine mist of something so miraculous it manages to remain invisible while holding hair in place with the power of 10 men and the shine of 10,000 suns. Oh, and it protects hair from the horrors of humidity. Then does your laundry. No wonder people used smuggle it into the States before it rolled out to most drugstores last year. L’Oréal tells me that over the past four decades Elnett has evolved, incorporating breakthrough technology and optimized ingredients, to remain a cult-classic. Since I’m not much of a hairspray connoisseur, I need a couple of volunteers to be the judge. If you’re willing to wield a can and report back, please leave a comment with the one hair product you can’t live without. Happy Friday!

Photo courtesy of Liz Banfield / Makeup by Moore Makeup / Hair by Christie at Landis Salon in Charleston, SC (843-723-6100)

Happy hump day! I’m ready for the weekend. But first:

It’s about time.

Cosmetics hoarder checklist. Are you at risk?

The haircut everyone is talking about. Thoughts?

I could eat these creamy sherbet-y colored nail polishes.

Drama alert: my Twin Cities Live hair removal extravaganza.

A poignant portrayal of postpartum depression from Gwyneth + co.

Beauty crack: 105 lovely lipsticks.

How I’d like to look in every photo. Just naturally gorg.

Phresh Salonspa celebrates 2 years with a rare sale on Eminence, Oribe, and more.

Children of the 80s rejoice: Finesse is back!

The magic of sitting still. (working on it!)

I do enjoy a good cleanse now and again. It can be as simple as juicing in the morning, or eating only fruits and vegetables for a few days. Although there’s not much scientific proof to support cleanses, it doesn’t take any for me to know that something’s doing my body good when I feel more energized, when my skin looks clearer, my stomach is flatter, and my cravings have diminished. Contrary to popular belief, the hardest thing about detoxing isn’t going hungry. It’s meal planning. Try making three squares a day that don’t include sugar, dairy, wheat, or meat and see what happens. Enter: Cooler Cleanse. Created by Eric Helms, Salma Hayek’s personal juiceman, this made-to-order living-food liquid detox is now available nationwide in three- or five-day plans. I tried it for one day last week, and it was BRILLIANT.

On the first morning, Fedex delivered the goods. Cold-pressed and packed on ice in a cooler, natch. Each bottle is labeled 1-6. You drink one every two hours, in the assigned order. I loved lining up my nifty-looking rations in the fridge, like the greedy little eater that I am. The first drink, a blend of hard-core green vegetables like kale and dandelion greens, was a bitter pill to swallow. But it’s also drink #3, so I learned to live with it. The other flavors are absolutely delicious and unexpectedly exotic—grapefruit with mint, young coconut water, almond milk with dates. Six “meals” throughout the day actually felt generous to me. Just when I started feeling hungry, it was time for another drink. My steady energy made me wonder if maybe I’d be better off consuming smaller meals more frequently, instead of crashing everyday at 10 and 4 o’clock. At no point did I feel weak or headachy or hungry like I have with DIY detoxes (you’re dead to me, Master Cleanse!). In fact, I had enough in me for a gentle workout, which is recommended to things, um, flowing.

The next day I felt physically lighter and well-rested, even on 6 hours of sleep. One day isn’t long enough to reap the full benefits of this cleanse, but it was all I needed to know that I want more!

P.S. Don’t be tempted by the green apple, Be Delicious. It’s not nearly as good.

Remember this little eye-brightening trick? Well I learned it from the seriously fantastic makeup artist, Suzy Martin. She’s one of those rare breeds who puts you at ease instantly when you’re in her makeup chair. No airs, no industry jargon, no uncomfortable moments in which you want to flee and scrub everything off your face. I’ve never looked better yet still felt like myself, than after Suzy has done my makeup.

From now through August 15, Suzy is offering her mobile services to Twin Cities-based Beauty Bets readers for HALF OFF. I know! She’ll come to your house, office, reception site, etc., to do your makeup for an event, wedding, your high school reunion, or for no other reason than you need a pick-me-up. Think of it a gift to self. If you’re still groping your way through this beauty stuff, Suzy is also super for a makeup lesson and makeup bag overhaul. Oh, and she does killer hair, too.

SERVICES
Event makeup application: $75
Event makeup application + hair: $115 (craziness!!)
Makeup lesson + cleaning session: $100 for 1.5 hours

TO BOOK
Contact Suzy at suzymartin@mac.com

Click here to view the embedded video.

Have you heard? When it comes to SPF, 30 is the new 15. I’ve been saying it ever since my freckles went from seasonal cuties to year-round age spots, but dermatologist Jaime Davis of Uptown Dermatology recently confirmed it. In case, like me, you’re secretly confused about the actual difference between 15 and 30, Dr. Davis explains: The higher the SPF, the longer the protection (SPF 15=it will take 15 times longer for you to burn, SPF 30=30 times longer, etc.).

She has also declared that “physical is the new chemical”—because physical sunblocks, like mineral powders and zinc or titanium dioxide, break down less quickly. The good news is that unlike the lifeguard-white sunblocks of yore, the latest formulations absorb quickly and don’t leave that filmy residue. My go-to all summer has been Supergoop! The gold standard for active, waterproof sun protection, the entire line was recently reformulated without parabens, fragrance, proplyene glycol, or oxybenzone—a common ingredient that the Environmental Working Group recently cited as potentially cancer-causing (for the full study and the EWG’s list of “safe” sunscreens, read on). I’ve taken to toting around every from Supergoop—the moisturizing Lotion, chunky Quickstick for lips and face, and the handy dandy towelettes—perfect for travel or swiping on the go.