We Have Moved!

Hearts Like Stars has a new home on Tumblr these days! It's still a fixer-upper but Jenn and Liz are still blogging their little hearts out there anyway while the design develops. HeartsLikeStars.com will now take you straight to our new spot.
xoxox

Sulfate Free Haircare

I don't know about you, but I am a self-proclaimed product junkie.

I'm also a compulsive impulse buyer. You can imagine what my bathroom shelves look like. My boyfriend's poor bottles of shower gel and shampoo are nearly being forced out of the shower by my army of gels, shampoos, conditioners, hair masques, and the list goes on. The funny thing is that although I buy products like crazy, I typically stick to regularly using the same products.

I've been trying to be better about getting my product spending under control, but last night we stopped by the store to pick up a few things and I saw L'Oreal's Sulfate-Free Haircare line. The packaging immediately caught my eye and at around $8 a bottle I just had to try it.

I know Pixie blogged about sulfate free shampoos a few weeks back and she thought the L'Oreal shampoos smelled a bit manly. Despite her review, I decided to go with the EverPure Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner. EverPure Color Care products are 100% vegan and contain natural cleansing ingredients with no sulfates or salts. It's also supposed to keep your color-treated hair from fading for up to 32 washes.

After being home for about an hour I just couldn't take it any more and I had to take a shower to test out my new goodies. As soon as I got the shampoo on my hair I was immediately in love. Its smell reminded me of the earthy smells like in Aveda products and it just felt great on my scalp. My hair feels soft and clean and it looks great. I typically stick to salon brand hair products, but I can see myself using this stuff for a while.

Good job, L'Oreal!

Vogue Curvy

Vogue Italia has launched a new site: Vogue Curvy. As a curvy girl I was psyched to see a company like Vogue embracing curvy women in fashion. The more curvy women I see presented in popular fashion outlets, the more comfortable I am with my curves. I appreciate being able to see looks that work well with big hips and boobs.

I think a lot of people associate curves with plus size, but Vogue Curvy doesn't seem to be doing that exclusively and I think that's awesome. You don't have to be a plus size girl to rock some serious curves! They have a variety of curvy ladies featured on their site including women like Liv Tyler, Johanna Dray, America Ferrera, Crystal Renn, and Christina Hendricks.

Along with Vogue Curvy, Vogue Italia also launched Vogue Black and Vogue Talents. Vogue Black provides insights on the beauty of color and Vogue Talents takes a look at up and coming designers and encourages users to submit their work.

Another Model Musician

Model Karen Elson - made famous for her "bad bob" back in the 90's - is releasing an album this summer. Looks like she's in the Carla Bruni league of multi-skilled mannequins who can actually sing and write a decent song. Download it for free here, or check it out the video:

Gaultier for Target Collection Images

On Sunday, March 7 select Target stores will be home to the latest Go! International design collaboration, this time featuring French fashion legend Jean Paul Gaultier.

The Good News: There are some cute dresses in retro silhouettes with floral outline motifs and bustier or halter necklines.

The Bad News: A good deal of the collection is tattoo-print mesh - something that can be made to work with hig quality fabrics, but after Target's Rodarte collection rife with scratchy 99 cent ballet tutu material I have serious doubt this "mesh" will be comfortable, let alone visually acceptable. There are a few pinup girl attempts with high waistlines and gingham, but they come off more Ellie May Clampett than Americana chic.

Check it all out HERE.

3-Day Shoe Sale at Urban

Urban Outfitters is offering an extra 20% off on shoes until Tuesday. Use Code: SHOEIN
Some of my picks below:

(I know the white platforms are a little bit standard-issue nurse uniform goes to the beach but if you steer clear of the floral trend and pair them with some crazy nautical stripes I feel like they could work.)

Jeffrey Campbell Suede Marly Heel, $50
Seychelles Teardrop T-Strap Heel, $88
UrbanOutfitters.com > We Who See Eyelet T-Strap Wedge, $58
Bright Canvas Overdye Lace-Up, $13
Jeffrey Campbell Roks Wedge, $150

Desert Boots: Hot or Not?

SJP was caught rocking desert boots in NYC a couple weeks ago and word in the fashion mags is that they're hot business for spring. I'm on the fence - they're either carefree chic or belong on some bare-faced outdoorswoman with a bandana over her hair. I was leaning towards the latter till I found these paint-splattered desert boots by Sam Edelman (Bernadette) on sale for $45. I think the neon splashes give them the art student vibe that's necessary to pass them off as stylish.

Desert Boots: Hot or Not?
	Hot
	Not
	I can't decide

Review: David Babaii for WildAid

Here's a hair truth: Most shampoos and conditioners are full of sulfates. Sulfates = salts = drying = sucks the color right out of your hair. And basically every shampoo on the shelf under $15 is full of them. Yeah, L'Oreal came out with Ever Pure and those are about $7 a pop, but they smell a bit manly I was convinced I could do better. Of course, I was right.

David Babaii for WildAid Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner smell like a delicious pina colada. Created by celebrity stylist David Babaii and hippie princess Kate Hudson to benefit global wildlife preservation organization WildAid, they're a trifecta of goodness: sulfate free, eco-friendly and cruelty free. (Can you imagine a reason to EVER test a hair product on anything but human hair? I simply can't. Hair is dead and it's a waste product.)

Price: $10 for 13.5oz.- and $1 of it goes directly to WildAid. It's nine parts an investment in preserving your dye job, one part charitable giving. When you think about it, its just a couple of dollars more than the L'Oreal junk. I bought mine at Ulta.

Verdict: Smells like a delicious pina colada. Conditioner needs to be left on for several minutes to do the job, which is kind of annoying. Beats Pureology in price and scent, but not in performance.

Michelle Obama Rocking Her Mizrahi

Not that there's any more room on this bandwagon, but how hot did Mrs. O look at the State of the Union tonight? The eggplant Isaac Mizrahi dress was fresh and flattering, and the haircut took her previous newscast look down a solid notch, now verging on Posh Spice territory. Love.

Review: Clinique High Lengths Mascara

So far, my quest for the best mascara in the world has led me to a lot of crumbly smeary raccoon-eyed days of test-run misery. As I've said a million times before, my miracle lash product thus far is Clinique Lash Power Mascara - waterproof, small precision applicator brush and all-around kickass formula that lasts through sweat, tears and Miami Beach in July.

Recently the fine folks at Clinique dropped me a sample of the NEW Clinique High Lengths Mascara. I didn't expect much since the other (non-Lash Power) Clinique mascaras out there rate a solid "meh" from me - they're nothing to write home about. High Lengths surprised me by being FREAKIN KILLER. KILL-ER.

Cost: $14
Details: The brush is this crazy skinny one-sided comb that looks like a praying mantis' leg or something. But it WORKS. Not only does it deliver enough product to give a glam lash look immediately (not a wussy wispy one) but it does so while enabling you to banish clumps and define each lash with a few swipes. NEVER in my life have I been able to get my lower lashes to look this long and separated.
Verdict: Get your ass to the Clinique counter STAT. I predict a sell-out in the near future!
Side Note: So far it's not on the Clinique site, but Neiman's, Bloomie's and Sephora have

Bad Ads: McQueen Snake Orgy

So I guess the crab shoes and a life of starvation weren't torture enough for this model so British goth god Alexander McQueen made her lie in a pile of man-eating snakes for his Spring 2010 ad campaign. At least there's no risk of this bitch getting swallowed - the only meat on her entire body is brain matter which essentially makes her a lollipop and I don't think snakes eat those?

Check it Out: Ulta Beauty

If you're anything like the majority of my lady friends, then you may not have ever gone to Ulta. I've known about Ulta for years, but being the Sephora junkie that I am, I sort of turned my nose up at Ulta. I thought they sold off-brand cosmetics and I referred to it (in my head) as the poor girl's Sephora. I'm not sure when or why I decided to give Ulta a chance, but I called up my BFF one day and told her we were going to check it out.

I have no problem admitting when I'm wrong and I will tell you right now that I was so wrong about Ulta. It's like Sephora and CVS had a baby. Ulta has a lot of the same make-up brands as Sephora, but they also carry your favorite drugstore brands. Additionally, Ulta carries just about every hair care product you can imagine AND they have a salon in the store! Now, I trust my hair to the one and only Maggie K. at Rapier Hair Design in North Palm Beach, but I will say that I've seen some good hair in the Ulta salon.

I like Ulta and Sephora equally in terms of product availability, but I do favor Sephora's rewards program. Ulta gives out quarterly rewards based on your point totals, whereas Sephora lets you cash in your points for gifts as soon as you reach the right amount of points. On the other hand, I see tons of coupons around for 20% off a purchase at Ulta and they have some killer sales and discounted products in the store.

I definitely recommend checking out your local Ulta if you have a chance. Not one in your area? No worries. Their website is full of goodies too and if you use promo code 22049 this week you can save 20% off your order!

Let me know what you ladies think and definitely tell me about your most recent Ulta purchase in the comments.

Urban Decay Releases "Alice in Wonderland" Set

Super-psyched about the Tim Burton-ified "Alice in Wonderland" coming out this March? Here's something to play with while you wait. Urban Decay cosmetics is about to release a cute-as-hell movie tie-in palette that's kind of like a pop-up book.

The products aren't new, but the shadows all got new "Underland" inspired names. The set contains one Eyeshadow Primer Potion, two travel size 24/7 Eye Pencils and 16 shades of eyeshadow. Just for fun here are the eyeshadow names: Underland, Alice, Oraculum, Queen, Chessur, White Rabbit, Wonderland, Curiouser, Muchness, Mushroom, Midnight Tea Party, Vorpal, Absolem, Drink Me, Eat Me, Mad Hatter and Jabberwocky.

The palette will be available on UrbanDecay.com on January 15th, Sephora.com on January 22nd and Sephora stores on February 1st.

If you haven't seen the "Alice in Wonderland" trailer yet, it looks magical.

Ghetto Fix: Make Your Own Dry Shampoo

In an effort to make my color last longer, I've been trying to shampoo my hair less frequently. Unfortunately, with baby-fine hair, dirtiness = stringiness. Unacceptable. Time to try a dry shampoo.

The cheapest one I found was at Sally Beauty for $7.49 called Batiste - I spritzed a little and it smelled like a toilet cleaner (not to mention the bottle looks like it's a scented vagina spray from the 1940s.) I checked Sephora next and everything was about $15-$40 for either a tiny spray can or a bottle that looked 15% full of baby powder. I looked at the ingredients on all of them - cornstarch was the key. I decided to make my own and total shocker - it worked.

What you need:
- A hair color applicator bottle with a narrow tip ($1.79 at Sally Beauty or any beauty supply store)
- Baby powder ($6ish at any drugstore. I HATE the smell of baby ass so I got the cucumber melon kind - very light and fresh)
- A funnel or a plastic bag

To use: Open the top of the applicator bottle and pour in the baby powder using either a funnel or a plastic bag with the corner cut off. Put the lid back on and apply the powder by gently squeezing the bottle and running the point of the applicator bottle along the hairline and part. It will require a little bit of rubbing in - but so do the pricy brands.

Bonus effect: If you're a bottle blonde it can help mask the appearance of dark roots.

MAC's Latest Multi-Culti Color Collection

Totally feeling the array of "nude" shades MAC just came out with in their All Ages, All Races, All Sexes collection. A few shades are re-runs of older shades, but the majority are limited edition and the loose pigment powders have gotten a packaging makeover that's going to stick. I'm dying to get my hands on the goldish "Universal Mix" pigment ($19.50) and the eyeshadow in "All Races" ($14.50)

5N, Empowered, Equality, Myself

Universal Mix, Rich Life

Personal Style, Alls Good

Cross Cultural, Banshee, Showstopper, All Races

Review: Clinique Youth Surge Night

Clinique just came out with the evening companion to their Youth Surge SPF 15 moisturizer - Youth Surge Night (1.7 oz. for $48.50)

I've been using Youth Surge SPF 15 for about a year now. While I could do with 15 extra notches of SPF thrown in (hello! 30 is the minimum), I appreciate how rich it is without making me feel like I rubbed a hamburger patty on my face. The new night version has a similar appeal. It goes on like a balm, which I deeply appreciate this time of year while the heat is blasting and parching the shit out of my skin. It absorbs fairly quickly and leaves your skin looking young and plump and taut and all that good stuff. I find that the next morning, I don't have to heap the moisturizer on as heavily, which is also great. I can add that thus far I have no zit evidence against Youth Surge Night. It comes in 2 versions - dry combination (2) and very dry to dry (1).

Price: $48.50 - Holy shit that's kind of expensive, right? But the jar is huge and if you don't have a freakishly large face this should last you a LONG time. I expect to get about a year out of mine.

Verdict: LOVE this. But get yourself to a Clinique counter and try before you buy - it's an investment.

Do Your Bras Die Young?

I always thought bras were supposed to last you at least a year. According to the Lady Grace website (famed experts in the science of bra fitting) they're only built to last 3-6 months. Um... three sounds like you're either wearing them in heavy combat or your cans are each the size of a small child. Judging by the condition of some of my best-loved bras I'd say six-ish is more like it.

Want to keep your bras alive longer? 3 tips:

1.) Don't wear the same bra more than 2x in a row.

2.) Hand wash your bras. If you're lazy like me, make sure you hook them and use the cold gentle cycle and a lingerie bag when you machine wash.

3.) Make sure the bra FITS in the first place. Not sure? Measure around your body right under your boobs, then measure again over the fullest part of your boobs. Subtract "underboob" from "overboob" - each inch you wind up with counts as a cup size. The underboob measurement is your band size. And no excuses, you can buy a measuring tape for $2.

My favorite bra (pictured above) for both shape (literally no lumpiness) and comfort is the Maidenform Sleek Fit Moulded Demi Bra - available in black, white, beige or brown and on sale for $15 at Amazon.com. The old standby for normally overpriced bras (VS) is having their winter Semi-Annual sale right now too - some of their bras are pretty decent. I'm curious - what's your favorite bra?