I love my hair guru Paul. He gives me the best hair cut and style and has convinced me that the line of hair products by Kevin Murphy that  he sales and supports is the shiz. Seriously, I am in love with this new line of products. Check out Amazon for a good variety of products. I use the Angel Wash, Angel Rinse and Motion Lotion.

Yes, they are a bit pricier than drugstore brands at about $20 a pop, but they are well worth it. Natural and lovely and so fabulous for your hair. Plus, if you are like me and only wash your hair 3-4 times a week (don’t be grossed out – it’s good for it!) the bottles will last you for quite a while.

Also on my fave list is this Neutrogena wrinkle wonder. I have been using it on the lovely little lines I have acquired in my 27 yrs and it is making them softer and helping to prevent new ones from popping up. I highly recommend it, especially when you compare its $19 price tag to some of those uber-expensive serums.

(All you really need is the first 10-12 seconds – don’t waste your time)

I’ve heard them called “revolutionary”. I’ve heard it gives you “big happie (yeah, it’s definitely spelled like that) hair”. I’ve heard them called “comfortable, leave-in self-gripping, hidden inserts”. HUH!?!? Who the eff are these people? And who are these satisfied customers I keep reading about? I mean, I can’t fathom a reason to wear these sans 80’s prom, beauty pageants, or cheerleading competitions – well, other than if you happen to be a cast member of Big Love, that is.

They’re called Bumpits. I just don’t know how I feel about having a foreign object on my head all day. And who said flat was out. You can get some volume without having half an orb attached to your skull. Vomit. All I  can really say is WTF!? Definitely a questionable judgment.

Thank you to my dear friend Stitt who brought this thing to my attention. What a gal.

As I said before, I have gotten a little travel bug in me and I think it is going to get out of hand. I already have 4 big trips (possibly more) in the works this year. I need your help with some suggestions and I am willing to be your guinea pig in return. I’m going to list some things I am having trouble finding and then you can send me all of the products you have been dying to try and haven’t yet for whatever reason. Or items you have been searching for and can’t seem to find. I’m willing to try just about anything (within reason). I’m talking beauty and fashion items, just so we are clear. Feel free to get these to me by comment or by sending me a direct email if you’d prefer: jules@noelmarie.com. Regarding the items I’m about to list: I have done the research, I’ve tested out a lot of the beauty products, but am convinced some just don’t exist (like the first item)…here we go:

-swimsuit cover-up – the ones I have found are just ridiculous. I might as well wear an oversized t-shirt and call it a day. I’d really like to find something cute, casual*, and easy to slip on over my suit.

-swimsuit – I do have a couple backups here, but would like a new one this summer. So if you have found some goodies, I’d love to see them!

-a new skincare regiment – I am looking for something for combination skin that is anti-aging. I am using Aveeno at the moment, which is ok, but I’m not a huge fan. I’ve honestly tried nearly every brand out there. I’m willing to spend $ on this, but it’d be cool if I didn’t have to. If you have found one you love, I will test it out.

-eye primer – I tend to get that crease of shadow in my eyelid toward the end of the day. I tried MAC and it didn’t do the trick. If you have found something that works, send it my way.

-summer shoes – I love my fall/winter boots, but my summer foot wardrobe is lacking. Any help here would be much appreciated. The more flats, the better. And some cushion wouldn’t hurt either, but is not necessary (my poor back).

-a good deep, red lipstick – it terrifies me, but I want one and always have. I feel it is necessary when going to Europe.

Ok, so the list was a little longer than I thought, but send me anything you have found or anything you want me to try. Obviously I will do a post on any of the products I test out for you. Now, start sending me your lists!

I found this travel bag and these cute little containers while shopping at the MoMA Store with my mom this past Mother’s Day. This year I plan on travelling as much as I can and want to cart around as little as possible. 

There was one smaller option for the bag, but I decided to go for this one so I could throw all my toiletries into one compact space. I also purchased these nifty little containers to put my skin care regiment into, as well as bottles for shampoo and conditioner. And they all match and make it appear as if I’m an organized, well put together human being (not the case). 

I think the containers are great because then I won’t be carrying unnecessary weight all over the world when I can just throw in enough product for the time I will be away. I mean, come on ladies, primping products take up a lot of space if you were to bring all of those large bottles with you. It also means I don’t need to buy all those travel size products that I will inevitably throw away after my trip anyway. Plus they rarely carry the brands you are currently using in travel size.

I’m quite happy with this purchase and am really looking forward to my travels this year! Head over to the online MoMA Store and find everything for your modern travel needs.

I know a lot of you out there, even those of you who tend to pinch pennies, get regular manicures and/or pedicures. I think these are such a great treat to give yourself on special occasions or just for fun with the girls. But regular mani/pedis add up quickly and it is something you can easily do yourself. Cutting back on these really can save you some cash. 

I have been very intrigued by all the new nail polish colors as of late. It seems that no one color is off limits anymore – though I prefer to keep neons out of it. I even saw brown the other day in Urban Outfitters, which I’m dying to try. That could easily turn out to be a huge FAIL, but I am hoping it will surprise me. I have purchased quite a few from Urban lately. My most recent being a mint green, a gold, and a grayish-turquoise. Gold is my new favorite – subtle, yet daring. At Urban right now, I think they are buy one get one free at $5.

I also really like the brands essie and OPI. I’m not a nail polish snob though and will pick up pretty much any brand if I like the color. Same thing as with headbands, whatever I can find at the local drugstore. Luckily, they usually have my favorites. And even if you buy a few bottles of the more expensive brands, they last forever and end up being cheaper than just one manicure (the cheapest are usually around $20-25, but can be up to $50+). So stop being lazy, at least some of the time, and save some money by doing your own nails. Send me your favorite brands and colors!

Ok, I know I said Questionable Judgments were going to be reserved for fashion faux pas, but there are some pretty treacherous doozies in beauty as well, so I felt the need to share. Eyebrows. Let’s talk about them. Their main function is to protect the eyes. They also come into play in human communication and facial expression. But how, may I ask, are they going to protect your eyes or help to convey emotion when they are nonexistent? 

Now there are all different shapes and colors of eyebrows nowadays (even available in tattoo form – ick), and multiple ways to remove them as well. I personally opt for plucking myself. I’ve never had them waxed, but I think that is the most common. There is also threading, which I’m not even sure what it is, but the name just scares me. I’m not against any of these options and do not think mine is superior by any means. It is only when these forms of removal are overdone that it becomes an issue. And that is another thing I don’t understand – if you paying to get your brows done by a “professional”, how come so many people end up looking like clowns?

As always, I’m no authority on this, but I think this is a good rule of thumb: if you can see the brow bone when making facial expressions and it’s not covered in brow, you are probably overplucking. This image of Kate, from Jon & Kate Plus 8, is where I got my inspiration for this post…

See what I’m talking about? And hers aren’t even that bad. I’ve seen SO much worse from drawn in, essentially invisible, to “the hook”, as I like to call it. Kate has a decent “hook” starting above, but it gets so much worse. I think you know what I’m talking about. Sort of like a slab serif font apostrophe? You know, a square and a line?

Eyebrows should look smooth and natural. Not jagged, over-plucked, over-surprised, the wrong color, and just plain terrifying. Thoughts, suggestions, and/or horror stories?

I met Lauren Luke through a friend of mine a few weeks ago. She was so sweet and friendly and mentioned something to me about her new makeup line that was coming out as she handed me her card. The next day I went to check out her site, bylaurenluke. I discovered that hers are some of the most watched videos on all of YouTube, panacea81, but you would have never known from her humble disposition. Take a little time to watch any of her videos and you will quickly see why everyone has fallen in love with her bubbly personality. She has so many different makeup tutorials from wedding day to how to achieve celebrity-inspired looks. I think it is a great idea and one that can be used by those of us who cannot afford to have our own makeup artist, even for those special days when we deserve them.

Her new makeup line came out on April 27, and I’m having trouble deciding on which one I want to try first. The video attached below is the one where she is introducing all her new color palettes. She is absolutely adorable and you can truly see just how excited she is about having her brand new line available to the masses. Take a peek (it is nearly 15 minutes, so make sure to save it for a time when you can see the whole thing)…

I think that Lauren’s is such a great story and I wanted to share it with all of you in case you hadn’t stumbled across her videos or products yet. I love that she started this all on her own from her home and is now doing so well. She should be an inspiration to all of us. You can find all her new products as well as her tutorials by clicking on the two links above.

My name is Jessica, and I admit I don’t wash my hair everyday. Sometimes, I go a couple of days and I’m telling you I don’t care what you think of me. I’m betting you don’t wash it all the time either, so don’t try to act disgusted or above it all. Nobody likes washing their hair, getting it ready with the blowdryer, or flat iron, or whatever, every single morning. Honestly, the thought of doing that completely overwhelms me and I’ll choose 30 extra minutes of sleep every time. 

Oh, but what keeps me from looking like a complete mess on these, shall we say, off days? Hair powder. Lovely, amazing, my bff (yeah, I just used that abbreviation), hair powder. You must become acquainted with the world’s best invention. I have tried several brands in my quest to perfect being lazy, without looking lazy.  So, let me help you out.

1. Bumble and Bumble: $35 (though can be found cheaper). This is a really easy-to-use powder. It is an aerosol that comes in black, brown, white, blonde, or red which allows you to blend into your hair better. If you want to pay for it, it is worth it.

2. Klorane: $18. Works well and is on the natural/eco friendly bandwagon. It does spray in just white, so you have to work it through your hair more. Still, a good choice for the price.

3. Batiste: $7.29. The absolute rock star of the bunch. This is an oldie, but goodie and will last you a while. Yes, it too only sprays in white, and if you’re not careful you can look a little 18th century with a powdered wig, but after some working in it is the powder to beat and is an obvious winner for the price. 

Now, hit that snooze button and feel confident that you will look beautiful even without a shower.