Beauty and Style


New You, Coming Through!

beauty transformation Forget a head-to-toe makeover. From angling in bangs to upgrading your moisturizer to switching laundry detergents, a change doesn't have to be a big deal to be a real breakthrough. We've got 53 smart little ways to make you feel dazzling.

Here's how to…

Deepen Your Color
Feel enriched—or at least enrich your haircolor with a tinted gloss. In-salon treatments are great, but an at-home version like John Frieda Collection Luminous Color Glaze ($10) works well, too, and keeps your color lush for about a month.

Shine On
Every couple of months, you can use clear henna to add shine. Mix the powder with warm water, work the mixture through your hair, and leave it on for the recommended time (about 45 minutes).

Go for Glow
Brighten your face with a few face-framing highlights. Keep it subtle by going just a few shades lighter than your natural color.

Become a Blonde
Or if you're feeling bold (or bored), go for a dramatic haircolor change. If you've always wondered how you'd look as a blonde, now's the time to do it: The chemicals that lift dark color are gentler than ever, so you can lighten without getting fried.

Pump it Up
Really pump up your hair's volume by applying mousse the right way: Trace a thin stream of foam along your hairline and part. Then use your fingertips to lightly massage the product into the roots. The mousse will be more evenly and efficiently distributed than if you had applied it the way most people do, in one big blob.

Wake Up Gorgeous
Before bed, apply a liberal amount of leave-in conditioner on dry hair. With a soft elastic that won't leave a ridge, put it up in a high ponytail (which will create volume when you take it down). In the morning, your hair will be shinier and silkier. Or, if your hair is always stringy in the morning, apply a little Bumble and Bumble Hair Powder ($34) at night. The powder absorbs the oils in your hair, making it fluffier.

Hide Thinning Hair
If you have thinning hair and your scalp is starting to show, don't try to give your hair height with teasing or root-lifting products. Use a texturizing gel, and get a cut with long layers.

Stay Polished
Freshen your cut with a few skillful strokes of a curling iron. Mist the ends of your hair with a thermal protecting spray (which adds shine and flexibility), then wrap them around the barrel of a medium or large curling iron. Your style will immediately look more polished.

Do the Flip
Create a new hairstyle with a flatiron. Run it down four-inch-wide sections of your hair. When you reach the ends, flick your wrist upward so that the bottoms flip up and out, giving you a lifted look. (This trick is great for heavy, bulky hair.)

Defeat Frizz
Buy a boar-bristle brush. Unlike plastic, boar bristles evenly distribute your hair's natural oils from root to tip, and they help the outer layer of the hair lie flat, making it shiny.

Make an Easy Change
Switch your part! Moving it from the center to the side (or vice versa) can give you a refreshing change.

Go Wavy
To get loose waves, separate your hair into two sections (as if you were going to make two pigtails), wrap each section around a chopstick, and push the point of the chopstick through your hair so that it's secure. Then mist your hair with water (unless it's still slightly damp after a shower), set the style with a blow-dryer, and wait about five minutes before taking out the chopsticks.

Cut Bangs
Bangs don't work for everyone, but they're a great way to get a new look without going shorter. Ask for a few tapered, side-swept bangs, cut at an angle and not too thick, so that they'll grow out easily. (Don't consider side bangs if you have a cowlick at the hairline or very curly hair.)

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From the January 2008 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine. Subscribe now!