I finally watched Jessica Simpson’s The Price of Beauty and I must say that I actually enjoyed it. Jessica is trying to educate America on the different ways of life that exist throughout the world. And in the meantime she gets to travel to some fabulous destinations!

This week, Jessica traveled to one of the fashion capitals of the world – Paris. Here, she focused on models and the runway. Throughout the show there are various facts popping up on the screen that give you statistics and little bits of information that the audience has probably never realized before. One such fact included: fashion models are thinner than 98% of women. That is completely crazy. We always knew models were stereotypically thin and tall, but that is quite a statistic.

During the episode, Jessica spoke with a fashion model who faced the horrors of anorexia. She was so thin and sickly that it was sad to see. And the point of this was certainly to educate viewers on the realities of the dangers of the life of a fashion model. It’s intense and sometimes very dangerous.

It was great to see Jessica feeling rather comfortable (and at times vulnerable) in her own skin. It was interesting to have her walk the runway, yet be so nervous. You’d think that a pop singer superstar wouldn’t get the nerves Jessica faced when walking the runway. But we could see that she is just like a typical young woman who can easily be intimidated in an unfamiliar situation.

I think the main takeaway from the show is that beauty exists in many shapes, sizes, and colors. But true beauty is being able to be comfortable and happy with yourself. The true price of the elusive term “beauty” can have serious consequences when we let others define it for us. Skinny doesn’t have to be beautiful – and in the case of that French fashion model, it was certainly out of control.

I really enjoyed Jessica’s show. I think it shows us a side of other cultures that we might not normally see, even if we visited the country. I intend to continue watching, as Jessica seemed less ditzy (than how she has been portrayed in the past) and more endearing. In the coming weeks, I hope to see the many ways beauty is defined and what the true price of that may be.

-Amanda Fornecker

We can all go back to the days of MTV’s “The Newlyweds” and remember Jessica Simpson’s ridiculous comments and blonde moments. The show ended five years ago (can you believe that?) and now it’s time for Jessica to begin a new reality show – this time with VH1, called “The Price of Beauty.”

The show is slated to begin on March 15 and will document Jessica as she travels the world to see how other cultures view beauty. It’s definitely an interesting concept, especially in the wake of how some people find it necessary to change their entire body for others.

In the show, Jessica walks in a runway show in Paris and visits a woman preparing herself by fattening up in a cave in Uganda for her husband. These are different ideas of beauty. I guess the point here is that every person in every culture has their own definition of beauty.

Even beauty professionals have their own definitions. This can be seen in each individual person’s style. A hairstylist may be the best at cutting short hairstyles because they love this style and thinks it looks beautiful on a wide variety of people; a makeup artist might really love the smoky eye look as the perfect way to accentuate a client’s eyes; and a wardrobe stylist might have all the latest styles in their client’s closet to convey beauty.

No matter who you are, you have your own opinion of beauty. I wonder what Jessica’s will be. Maybe I’ll check out the show. Stay tuned…

-Amanda Fornecker

Everyone should have their own set of beauty tools, whether they are a beauty professional or not. With just the right tool, you’ll be able to properly amp up your beauty routine and ensure that you’re really looking your best at all times. Read about what the artistic director of Empire Beauty Schools, Gina Pieper, has to recommend.

When updating your styling tools, what products do you recommend avoiding?
I recommend staying away from nylon bristle round brushes as they can start to melt and bend when they come in contact with heat. Using these types of brushes can cause your hair to tangle during your blowout causing split ends and breakage. Also, I recommend staying away from nonionic blow dryers because they are extremely damaging to your hair. Avoid using a blow dryer that is more than 15 years old as it may even contain asbestos, which was formerly used as a heat resistant material in the power cord.

What kind of technology is used in these news tools and how does that help hair styling?
An ionic blow dryer is faster and leaves your hair shinier and healthier than the traditional blow dryer. It emits millions of charged particles called ions that bond to your hair, breaking down moisture molecules without frying your hair like the old blow dryers do. The Thermoceramic brushes produce more consistent heat for your hair which is less damaging and smoothes the cuticle, minimizing breakage and split ends. The boar bristles on brushes help smooth the hair strands individually for added shine and protection.

What are two must-have hair styling tools that stylists need to have right now?
Right now I love the big and sexy tousled curl trend! Having the newest hot rollers is a must; I recommend The Babyliss Pro Ceramic and Ionic Hair Setter as my choice of tool to accomplish this style. Stick straight hair is becoming a thing of the past, but having the right flat iron to twist some locks into a sassy wave is without a doubt a necessity. I love the Babyliss Diamond Titanium Flat Iron because it leaves the hair soft and shiny.

What are two must-have hair styling tools that consumers need to have right now?
A great “cheater tool” for someone that is not a professional is the InStyler (http://getinstyler.com/). I also recommend having a professional ionic blow dryer at home to avoid damaging your hair everyday.

As a hairstylist, what are the newest hair styling tools that you love?
I just became a big fan of the Denman Thermoceramic Straightening Brush, and Denman Thermoceramic Bristle Radial Brush. I recommend using them with an ionic blow dryer; I use the Babyliss Diamond Titanium.

-Empire Beauty Schools

Since a young age, I’ve always loved makeup and nail polish and high heels. I’m a girly girl, who may (at times) be a little high maintenance. But at least I accept who I am! Since I’ve been snowed in in my apartment I haven’t had a need to put on makeup or blow out my hair. And ya know what? It’s kind of liberating.

Due to my skin type (I’m on the extreme side of the oily spectrum), I tend to find that my foundation will often wipe off throughout the day. This certainly drives me insane, but that’s why I keep my green tea oil-blotting sheets on hand for free moments of glancing in the mirror. This week, I’ve naturally still had the oil problem, but haven’t felt my foundation melting away. Another common “day face” product I use is mascara to brighten my eyes and accentuate my face. This would have not been a good thing this week, especially due to my lounging around (and tendency to nap the day my electricity was out). It was nice to not have to worry about finding makeup everywhere but actually on my face. It was like giving my face a very much well-deserved break.

Of course, I’ve been keeping up with my normal beauty routine of cleansing, toning, and moisturizing my face. I’m not completely lazy! There’s a difference between maintenance and putting on your everyday face. When I’m leaving my apartment, I like to feel as beautiful as I can. This doesn’t mean that I need to do a complete going-out routine. It’s just a little grooming and tweaking to enhance my face and fix some imperfections.

Meanwhile, I’ve also been able to sleep in this week and get caught up on some beauty rest! Though I may have been cursing the snow and Mother Nature during the past week, I’ve sure been able to relax with my beauty routine under the covers.

-Amanda Fornecker