Thursday, February 10, 2011

Celebrities Love Shearling And You Can Get The Faux Look Too




With the cold 'n crazy winter most of the country's been seeing lately, we could all use a toasty, cozy, stylish jacket.

Say hello to the shearling! This is the hot trend that celebrities like Anne Hathaway, Halle Berry, and Blake Lively have been wearing as they hit the winter artic blast. Check out this year's new Oscar host Anne departing from the airport in her cropped Burberry Prorsum aviator. She's been photographed in that shearling all over the place.

And while a real leather and shearling jacket could cost you close to $2,000 or more, we do have some lovely fauxs that are vegan-friendly and would make PETA proud.

Here are just 2 we found. And trust us....there are tons of great-looking, faux shearling jackets on sale now:

1. Victoria's Secret Faux Shearling Drapey Jacket in camel and black ($148, now on sale for $79.99).

2. Jou Jou Faux Leather and Shearling Belted Jacket by dELIAs.com ($89.50, now on sale for $79.50).

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Vertical Fingernail Ridges? Don't Worry---Quite Normal


Vertical fingernail ridges. Let's be frank here, the ridges aren't pretty. And no, you can't file them down and make them disappear, unfortunately. We've already tried.

But don't freak out----the condition is quite normal, according to the experts at the famous Mayo Clinic:

"Vertical nail ridges, which extend from your cuticle to the tip of your nail, are fairly common and often become more numerous or prominent as you age. Vertical ridges in your nails are not a health concern. Although the exact cause of such ridging isn't known, heredity likely plays a role."

Hmmm. We don't like these vertical ridges, but then again, it's the horizontal ridges we should be concerned about, says the Mayo Clinic:

"If your fingernails change color or develop horizontal ridges, see your doctor. These changes may indicate underlying health problems, such as respiratory disease, malnutrition or even heart attack."

Our best nail advice: Don't worry about the ridges. But do worry about having strong, healthy nails. There's nothing worse than splits and cracks, and weak nail beds.

There are some super nail strengtheners out there, like this cult favorite:

Mavala Scientifique Nail Hardener ($16.99, follica). This little bottle has a huge following of fans. Hard to find, but we located a stash at folica.com. One woman says she's been using Mavala for some 30 years. Now, that's an opinion we can trust.

Mavala describes their little nail hardener this way:
The tip of nail is the most fragile part which breaks easily. Logic and experience have proven that it is the tip of nail which needs to be strengthened. This Scientifique is a special treatment for the nail tip. It helps prevent splitting or flaking, strengthens soft nails. It features fast result, ease to apply and economical. And one little bottle lasts an entire year.