My hair has been crying out for attention after a long summer of sun damage, heat exposure, and (okay, I admit it) chemical highlights, so I decided it was time to give it a little DIY TLC with some homemade hair care.

After scoping a ton of different homemade shampoo and conditioning recipes, I discovered that most agreed on the use of Castile oil soap or baking soda and essential oils and as a base, and all emphasized that the end product would not resemble the thick, foaming shampoo most of us are used to. Using all of this as inspiration, I created my own recipe that included honey (to detangle), coconut oil (instead of olive oil), and some other ingredient substitutes I had on-hand.

My First Attempt
DISASTROUS. When they say to go easy on the oil, they seriously mean it (I’m notoriously heavy handed). Even after my hair had dried, it still looked like I had been dipped  in a vat of hot candle wax. When I hit the mixing bowl for a second time, I was careful to use the coconut and essential oils in moderation, and also mixed up an apple cider vinegar/hot water rinse, which I read would remove any excess residue after shampooing.

Second Time’s The Charm
The results were better than I could have expected! My hair felt softer and looked more hydrated, only without any of the oily residue this time. I also noticed my natural wave was somewhat amplified. I was, however, disappointed that it was pretty much odorless. Next time, I would definitely play around with different essential oils like orange, rosewood, or almond to create a more distinct scent.

Recipe:

• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil (I used 4 tablespoons on the first try, oops)
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• Splash of Dr. Bronners soap
• Three drops tea tree oil
• 1/4 cup coconut milk

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in an old shampoo bottle or jar of some kind.
2. Shake well to mix.
3. Use about a teaspoon every time you shampoo.
4. Shake before each use.
5. Keep in shower for up to a month.

By Grace Romanowsky, Staff Writer

How did your road test fare? Share it in the comments below or tweet us @ruelala.

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I’d like to think that my day-to-day makeup routine is fairly low maintenance. I rarely venture from the confines of mascara, a swipe of eyeliner (top lid only), and my pot of Smith’s Rosebud Lip Balm.

This spring, I couldn’t get enough of the perfectly done hot pink and fiery coral pouts. I dabbled, but it never really worked for me.

Maybe it’s because I’m a child of the ’90s, but with fall here, and burgundy lips the next big thing, I’m all about it! Inspired by this post from Cupcakes and Cashmere, and armed with this well-timed tutorial from Styleite, I’m vowing to get my pucker in on this lipstick action.

My biggest takeaway? This one simple tip: illuminate and brighten up the skin with a touch of light-reflecting primer or bronzer. While a pale, matte complexion can be lovely, just the right amount of radiance softens the contrast of the merlot lip so it reads rich rather than ghastly.

Looking for more help achieving this look? The girls in the beauty department at Glamour put together a tutorial on how to achieve Kim Kardashain’s sculpted face.

What is your secret for glowing skin? Leave us your tips in the comments below or tweet us @ruelala.

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The Spring 2012 New York Fashion Week shows may be over, but the trend spotting continues. On the beauty front, the looks ranged from the don’t-try-this-at-home to the perfectly poised and polished.

Erickson Beamon heightened the drama of its jewelry by way of false-eyelashed, rainbow-hued glitter lids accompanied by matching multi-hued nails. Bright pink, red, and turquoise eyeshadow turned up at Richard Chai Love, Katie Gallagher, Pink by Douglas Hannant, and Faster by Mark Fast, among others (Fast, Chai, and Gant by Michael Bastian even did blue lips, making it look as though the models were very chilly, indeed). And several shows, including Marchesa, Fast, and Jeremy Scott, featured models with bright pink hair.

Dramatically smokey eyes were the big beauty story at Rodarte, while a more wearable version of the lined eye turned up at Bibhu Mohapatra, Victoria by Victoria Beckham, L.A.M.B., and alice + olivia. Karen Walker gave her girls sweet rosy cheeks paired with rolled, forties-inspired updos, and the Alexander Wang show featured slightly greasy long hair (a just-worked-out complement, perhaps, to his sports-inspired collection).

But the biggest spring hair trends on the New York runways were long hair brushed back off the face (at Victoria Beckham, Prabal Gurung, Cynthia Rowley, Cushnie et Ochs, BCBG) or left to hang naturally (Nicole Miller, Peter Som, DKNY, Lacoste, Kimberly Ovitz, Oscar de la Renta and Betsey Johnson), which is good news for those of us who like to keep it simple.

Another big hair trend: elegant chignons, elaborate buns worn on the top – or side – of the head, and all sorts of braids and ponytails, as shown by Michael Kors, Proenza Schouler, Donna Karan, and Carolina Herrera.

And there were as many natural or lightly glossed lips as there were pink or cherry red puckers. Meaning next season, the beauty trend is pretty much whatever you want it to be.

Lauren David Peden writes for Rue La La as a Contributing Editor.

Although parties in the Hamptons usually kick off July 4th weekend, Cynthia Rowley got a head start on things the last Saturday in June with a little soiree at her Montauk store to celebrate the “Tips to Toe Treats” she curated for the subscription beauty site, Birchbox.

Held in the “Shack in the Back,” a separate shop-within-a-shop behind the designer’s Main Street boutique (located next to the infamous Memory Motel), guests enjoyed cocktails and a free application of Rowley-designed Incoco Nail Strips — which are applied to your nails and then snapped off around the edges (look ma, no filing!) — with every Cynthia Rowley for Birchbox purchase.

All Birchbox subscribers get a Rowley-designed box full of high-end beauty samples throughout the month of July (including a “life-changing” eyebrow pencil). The limited-edition “Tip to Toe Treats” box the designer curated, meanwhile, is available starting July 11th for an extra $38 and features her favorite pampering and perfecting products, including AHAVA Placid syringa/green apple-scented bath salts, Tweezerman mini polka dot nail files, and LATHER AHA Hand Crème, among other goodies.

But the pièce de résistance, as far as I’m concerned, is the swirly, slightly surreal nail art, which makes it look like you dipped your digits in a can of colorful, iridescent gold paint. Très chic! Of course, I’d expect nothing less from a woman who used to melt Crayola crayons to make her own cosmetics as a kid. The fact that they last for several weeks without chipping? Très convenient.

Lauren David Peden writes for Rue La La as a Contributing Editor.

Olivia Chantecaille and I go way back, having first met six or seven years ago when I interviewed the striking beauty guru for a shopping column I used to write for Fashion Wire Daily.

So I was delighted when she recently invited me to Chantecaille’s newly revamped Soho office for a sneak peek at their new collections and the skinny on her not-so-average workday. (Chantecaille was founded by Olivia’s mother, Sylvie, in 1997 – her father, Olivier, and sister Alex now work for the company, as well.)

“Every day is so different, which is the fun part of my job,” Olivia told me as we sat in a corner of the loft-like whitewashed space in front of a display of Chantecaille cosmetics, all of which I was dying to play with. “I wear so many hats. For example, tomorrow I’m going to one of our labs to work on our new spring colors for 2012, which is very exciting. They’re actually a lab based in Italy, outside of Milan, but they have a satellite lab here [in upstate New York] where we can go and mix colors that they’ll produce in Italy. It’s a great, fun place to work with the technicians and be very creative and come up with all the new shades that were inspired by the current fashion trends.”

But before she turned her attention to next spring, I wanted to know what we could expect for Spring/Summer 2011. “This season was about two things: neutrals and color, and the balance between them,” she said. “So if you’re going to wear a lot of color [in your clothing], wear neutral colors on your face — or choose one pop color if you’re wearing neutral clothing.”

There’s also a movement toward very clean, healthy skin this season, which Chantecaille translated into three new products: Poudre de Perle, a mineral blush housed in its own flow-through brush (a similar refillable container houses Chantecaille’s Protection Naturelle loose powder, which contains SPF 46+ for on-the-go touch-ups). Ultra Sun Protection Anti-Glycation Primer, meanwhile, protects against the elements thanks to its collagen-boosting formula and SPF 50+ and can be worn alone or under foundation. For those of us who want to look sun-kissed without the sun damage, there’s Compact Soleil in St. Barth’s, a warm brown shade with sunny golden pearl highlights. Chantecaille’s spring/summer color palette was inspired by sea turtles, one of Olivia’s current obsessions (five percent of the proceeds from the sale of the eye/cheek palette go to WIDECAST, a Caribbean non-profit dedicated to saving sea turtles).

For fall, it’s all about a strong lip or a strong eye. “It’s very powerful and feminine and seductive,” enthused Olivia as she fanned out color copies of her fall inspiration boards. She snapped open a square grey compact to reveal “The New Classic” palette, which is all sophisticated inky plums for the eyes and a shimmery peachy-pink blush, offset by two new Lip Chic lipsticks in rich berry shades of Calla Lily and Violetta. They’re also launching a new version of Mascara Faux Cils, with a peptide that actually helps lashes grow (yes, really).

In addition to serving as Creative Director and the brand’s public face (that’s her gorgeous mug you see in all Chantecaille advertising and store displays), Olivia also personally presents all new products to editors, and designs the preview packaging, and oversees all global PR and US advertising as well – “from handling the accounts to working on the design of the ads.” She touts “the magic of the iPad” with helping her get it all done. “I am on it from the time I wake up until I go to sleep — and it’s also amazing for when I’m traveling.”

“I’m very lucky because I love my family and get along with them very well, so I’m actually very fortunate to work with them,” said Olivia as we prepared to say good-bye. “So it’s a great situation. It may not work for everybody, but it works for me.”

Lauren David Peden writes for Rue La La as a Contributing Editor.