I was extremely interested to see that short hairdos were a summer trend. I, myself, had the short haircut for a while, but decided that summertime was the best opportunity for me to grow my hair out a little bit. After all, it’s summer and it’s easier to manage when you can wear it different ways – or just throw it up into a ponytail. Personally, I like to be able to put some product in my hair after a shower and keep walking. That is not something I can do with a short hairstyle. However, let’s see why these short haircuts have been trending throughout the summer this year.

Latrice Strader is the master stylist and owner of Destiny De’Ve Hair Salon (Washington, D.C.). She says that short hairstyles are a big summer trend this year. “My clients love how convenient short hairstyles are and easy to maintain,” says Latrice. “They’re perfect for any woman who doesn’t have a lot of time in the morning to spend on her hair, but wants maximum style,” she says. Below you’ll find four short celebrity hairstyles, highlighted by Latrice…

The Vamp Look
Twilight star Kristen Stewart chose a short style to frame her face. She added some wispy bangs with auburn highlights, a great way to brighten up her look for summer. “Summer is a great time of year to go with a lighter shade,” says Latrice. “This length is perfect for women with a more oval shaped face, who may typically shy away from short cuts,” she says.

Red Hot
Rhianna took the short hairstyle to a different look by dying her hair bright red and adding a cropped semi-shaved look to her ‘do. This is certainly a red hot look that shows how Rhianna doesn’t hold back – a look that is great for the risk-taker. “Bold colors are definitely in this season,” says Latrice. “Shades of red and copper look fantastic on brown skin tones and bright orange adds an amazing pop of color to more fair skin tones.”

Short, Sweet, and to the Point
Check out this fresh face of Neutrogena’s hairstyle… Hayden Panettiere has shortened her golden locks to show she’s all grown up. Taking it to the next level, she framed her face with some fabulous bangs. It’s the perfect way to show off her glowing, fresh face. “Side swoop bangs are very popular right now and look great with a super short cut,” says Latrice.

Low Maintenance, Lots of Volume
Janet Jackson gives her new short hairdo a little bit of volume. This is a great look for the red carpet or just a special occasion because it gives you volume and a way to change it up from your normal, everyday hairstyle. It’s also a great time saver! “This elegant look works well for many occasions,” says Latrice. “It’s also very versatile and can easily be transformed and smoothed down to an everyday look.”

-Amanda Fornecker

Happy June to all of my spa beauties and welcome to the fifth edition of the Beauty Smarts Blog Carnival! Summer may not be official on the calendar, but I’m already in that summer mood. Let’s be honest — there are lots of reasons to focus on beauty during the summer. Your skin is more likely to be exposed to the sun’s rays so properly caring for your skin is essential. You may also take a dip in the pool, which can certainly do a number on your hair. Finally, the warm weather screams sandal weather to me and if you’re going to break out your finest flip flops then you may want to make sure your feet are in tip-top shape! See some of these blog posts and get into summer gear!

Your Face

Your skin is so important. That is why I always say that you need to take care of it with the proper products. This will help prevent aging, wrinkles, and any other skin problems. For the summer you especially want to have a product with SPF on your face. There are so many products that already contain SPF — including moisturizers and foundations — so finding them for daily use is fairly simple.

In Summer Challenge: No Breakouts! Risi-Leanne Baranja presents us with some tips and tricks on getting the most out of our summer beauty routine at Palacinka Beauty. Preferred products are listed for various uses.

Do different types of food really affect your face or is it all a myth? Victor answers some of these common questions in Skin Care – Eat Right And Your Skin Will Reward You posted at http://www.acnesolutionsinfo.com.

There are lots of options when it comes to face wash and face masks. So what can you look for? “Here are some of the best and worst ingredients you can find in facial masks and cleansing products,” according to VANYA in Best and Worst Ingredients for Facial Masks & Cleansing Products | Facial masks for facial skin |VANYA posted at Facial masks for facial skin |VANYA.

Speaking of facials, “A” of Makeup Lovers Anonymous explains a little bit about facials and what to do in between when you need a fresh face in A Face for Facials.

Despite getting out of your teen years, you still may fight off some nasty remnants of acne and teenage skin. Vicky Allison gives us some tips on fighting this off without breaking the bank. Check out Twentysomethings with Teenage Skin: Skin Care posted at AntiCelebrity.net.

No one wants to age. So what can we do to prevent the signs of again? IAWT presents Aging Gracefully posted at It’s a WOMAN Thing! to give us some tips on how to treat our skin in each decade of our lives.

Your Hair

I always want my hair as shiny and healthy as possible. The summer can tend to take a toll on my locks if I go to the beach or hang out in the backyard, poolside. There are definitely ways to counter this problem before it even begins. Check out some ways that these beauty bloggers deal with hair.

Hair removal is often a necessary evil, especially in the summer. Julie presents Hair Removal Treatments – Getting Ready for Summer posted at Healthtrition Beauty and Health to advise you on the best ways to prep for the warm months.

“Most Acupressure Therapists swear by this,” says Aparna in Rubbing Nails Cures Hair Loss?. “They say that rubbing the nails of both the hands can reduce hair fall and give you dense, thick and strong hair. Moreover, it can also prevent graying of hair.” Check this phenomenon out on Beauty and Personal Grooming.

Courtney presents Healthy Hair Means A Healthy Internal Body posted at Female and Proud, saying, “Eating foods that are high in B vitamins are crucial to the development of healthy hair.” See why.

There are so many shampoos and conditioners out there that it’s sometimes tough to pick one that will work best for you. Woman Tribune gives us a look at the latest shampoo to hit the drugstore shelves in Aveeno’s Nourish+ Hair Care Line. Also posted at Woman Tribune is All Natural Beauty Care You Can Make at Home, giving us some simple recipes to make natural beauty products.

Your Nails

I don’t know about all you spa beauties but I love getting pampered. And I also like to have my nails perfectly manicured, especially if I’ll be showing off my tootsies. Here are some things to check out and keep in mind when working on your feet in the summertime.

It’s typical of the summer months to wear flip flops. This can surely do a number on your feet. In Three Steps to Getting Rid of Dry and Cracked Heels, Sheena of SpaBoutique.com explains a few things you can do to help your feet feel soft and smooth. She makes a great point about being consistent: “The products don’t work if you don’t use them and give them time to work.”

In our very own A Minute With SpaBeautySchools we present you with 10 I’ve Learned From Doing Manicures and Pedicures Professionally from Sheena at SpaBoutique!

That does it for this fifth edition of the Beauty Smarts Blog Carnival! Thanks for reading and be sure to get your beauty on for Summer 09!

-Amanda Fornecker

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