I haven’t worn my hair stick-straight for years now. I like movement. I want some bounce. The trick, for me, is to attain movement and bounce without making my hair too big. I like a sort of flattened wave, if you will. (Rachel Zoe does this particularly well.) I’ve tried everything: braiding, concave brushes, curling irons and flat irons with curved plates. Truthfully, they all work, they all just require a lot of time and a fair amount of precision.

Then I discovered the Sedu Revolution Clipless Curling Iron, herein referred to as “The Wand”. I promise you, and I do not say this lightly: IT HAS CHANGED MY LIFE. It is a 1″ clipless barrel and it is absolutely fool proof. You know how one side of your hair always comes out better than the other side? Doesn’t happen with The Wand. Those kinks and bends you can get with a curling iron? Eradicated with the Wand. And it couldn’t be easier. Start with dry hair–and you don’t have to agonize over a perfect blow out because the wand, at up to 350 degrees, smoothes hair. You can even sleep in a wet bun. Then, all you do is wrap hair around the barrel, count to maybe 5, and voila! Perfect, silky waves that last. The best part? It takes about 5-10 minutes to do your whole head.

The Wand is pricey, at about $150, but it is worth every penny. I have actually stopped getting blowouts for special occasions. And I have never gotten so many compliments on my hair.

Tips to remember: leave the bottom inch of strands straight for a slightly edgier, less bouncy look. And a small warning: The Wand is extremely hot and I recommend using the glove that comes with it until you get into a groove. I got a few burns in the beginning because I didn’t wear it. Also, be sure to use a heat protectant spray on your hair. I like Chi 44 Iron Guard because it’s paraben free and seems to provide some hold, too.

My older daughter was practically bald until she was three. She had more hair in the back of her head than the front, and it moved in mysterious ways around a cowlick on the right and a severe part on the left. She didn’t have enough hair for pigtails or bows. She refused to wear hats. And when the humidity went up, her hair did things I had only seen on the heads of puppets. Bad toddler hair is kind of like baby acne: you just have dig deep and wait for them to age out of it.  Read more

Frizz is scientific—although, believe me, I know it can get emotional. But, simply put, dry, damaged hair expands when it is exposed to moisture and, depending upon the natural structure of you hair, humidity can curl it, poof it or flatten it—or, as in my case, all of the above.

The leading anti-frizz fighter for the past 30 years has been silicone. Idea being, coat hair with a moisture-resistant material and it wards off the frizzies. Silicone works okay, but it can really make hair greasy. My humidity-blocker of choice is hands down Living Proof No-Frizz. It’s an entirely new molecule that was discovered by a scientist who was trying to figure out how to keep moisture of the wings of airplanes. And it works. Not only does it work, but it protects hair so well, it actually repels dirt, too. So your hair is softer, smoother and cleaner.

I’ve been using Living Proof for five years and the line has really grown. These are my personal favorites for thick, medium-coarse hair. But my friends with finer hair have been equally as happy with the products formulated for them.

1: no-frizz wave shaping, curl making styling cream: This gives nice hold if you like more movement in your blowout or use hot styling tools.

2: restore revitalizing spray: With heat and UV defense, this restorative spray instantly polishes the cuticle and protects hair from damage.  Works well on all hair types.

3: flex shaping hairspray: provides soft yet enduring hold and smells really good for all hair types.

I’ve been wearing makeup since I was 13, when my eyeliner of choice was a bright aqua by Cover Girl. I’d compliment the blue with a nice, frosty Wet n’ Wild pink then finish the whole look off with some Cody powder and black Maybelline mascara. I thought it all really worked for me in 1987.

Over the years, my look has evolved to a more neutral palette, but my makeup bag has remained a motley mix of brands, from drugstore standbys to department store treasures. Until now. Now, Tom Ford has me, beauty and soul. Can the man do no wrong? The packaging: rich chocolate brown with gold hardware. The colors: a spectrum of perfection. The textures: dreamy, creamy. The ingredients: my skin practically purrs. The best part, besides the subtle marshmallow scent of the lipgloss? IT LASTS ALL DAY. I can say this with confidence because my skin generally absorbs makeup so fast I usually have to apply it twice before I walk out the door. Much of this longevity is due to the remarkable Translucent Finishing Powder (I wear Ivory Fawn), which sets the TF foundations beautifully—and also seem to all but erase my pores in the process. I really could go on and on.

My Tom Ford All-Stars:

Illuminating Primer  (This deserves its own post)

Bronzing Powder in Gold Dust (The most decadent compact possibly ever)

Eye Color Quads in Golden Mink (Wearable but can get shimmery for night) and Cocoa Mirage (best earthy basics. I’ve literally worn this palette every day 2 years)

Cheek Color in Frantic Pink (beats Nars’ Orgasm any day)

Eye Shadow blend brush #13 (the key to the perfect smokey eye. I am obsessed with this brush)

Bronzer brush #05 (huge, soft yet dense enough to contour)

Lip Color Sheer in In the Buff (pink nude with subtle shimmer)

If you’re in New York City, I highly recommend a trip to the Tom Ford counter at Bergdorf Goodman, where the skilled, easygoing team (Hi Winnie! Hi Cliff!) will help you find what you’re looking for—and probably lead you to discover a bunch of things you aren’t looking for but need to have.

*I’d like to take a moment here to reiterate my editorial policy: this is not a sponsored post. This is authentic makeup obsession.

Part of my mission with BeautyMama is to bring awareness to organizations that benefit women and children around the world. Sometimes, I really believe that world peace, hunger, opposition and religious and spiritual freedom could all be achieved if women everywhere were safe and healthy, enabled and educated to be bold and beautiful, inside and out.

The magnificent Christy Turlington-Burns founded Every Mother Counts to raise the standards of global maternal health. This fact makes me shiver: every day, in fact every 90 seconds, a mother dies from childbirth complications that can be prevented.

Please join me in supporting Every Mother Counts any way you can. Here is a link to their donation page. Also, the non-profit has partnered with Minted, Jennifer Fisher jewelry, Tracey Anderson: The Pregnancy Project, Oiselle clothing (I own the t-shirts), ErgoBaby and Roberta Freyman on exclusive products. Proceeds from sales help educate and support women to reduce the maternal mortality rate worldwide.