In the hair care battle of women versus their curly locks, monotony often comes out the winner. Curly hair, in all its varieties of texture and curl patterns, can be maddeningly difficult to manage. Small wonder that once curly-haired women find a cut and style that works for them -- more or less -- they settle into wearing that day after day.

“Women with curly hair struggle a lot,” says Craig Carter, an ethnic-hair expert with the Carlos Lobo Salon in New York City. Dealing with curling hair’s twisty ringlets, tight coils or something in between may require additional deep conditioning and preparation with styling aids -- such as curl-defining or enhancing mousses and gels -- than other types of hair, he says. But with a regular at-home conditioning regimen and a few new and simple styling tricks, you can easily bust out of a hair rut.

Braids
If your hair grows in spiral curls, twist it into five French braids down your back and then sleep in them, suggests Daven Mayeda, a Los Angeles hair pro who styled Mariah Carey’s hair during her Angels Advocate tour. “When you wake up and take out the braids, your hair will be an amazing texture,” says Mayeda. “It’s a great no-heat, organic way to do a curly hairstyle, and it will last for several days.”

Buns
For a full, wavy look, create five or six small buns in places where they won’t interfere with your sleep, says Mayeda. Dampen hair with a mix of water and conditioner, then coil hair into ropes, twist into buns and secure with bobby pins. Let the hair dry overnight and simply unpin and tousle in the morning.

Asymmetry
“With curly hair, anything asymmetrical is amazing,” says Mayeda. He suggests experimenting with a few coils pinned up on one side. Another off-center look that’s a cinch to achieve: side-part your hair, and then plait it into a low-slung loose braid on the heavy side of your part.

Layers
“I’ve been giving women with really curly hair a few shorter layers or a bit of fringe around the face to help create shape, instead of letting the top and sides be flat,” says George Gonzalez, owner of George the Salon in Chicago and the hairstylist for Oprah’s in-house spa at Harpo Productions. With layers and bangs, you’ll have loose pieces that you can keep free when you create the half-up-half-down hair trends you’ve long admired on women with straight or wavy hair.

Creativity
With her waist-length, shiny black ringlets, Timon Cana, a Beverly Hills hairstylist, has lots of opportunities to experiment with new styling options. Unlike slick, straight hair that can slide around, “curly hair will stay where you put it,” says Cana. She’s a fan of a loose ponytail that you secure wherever it looks and feels best -- high at the crown, low on the nape or folded into a loop on the back of your head. Curly hair looks great slightly mussed, so Cana often allows some portion of a ponytail, braid or bun to hang loose.

Accessories
Curly hair is a great anchor for all types of accessories, including chopsticks, banana clips, combs, chignon pins and silk head scarves. Bun cages are a favorite of Cana’s; these cages or domes fit over a bun and are held in place with a hair stick. You can find them online or at your local beauty-supply shop in a wide variety of materials, including tortoise shell, beads and rhinestones.

Every woman has had the experience: A tried-and-true beauty routine that once left your hair beautiful and shiny and your skin its radiant best suddenly seems to have stopped working. Is it time to move on to a new set of products? Here, advice from the experts.

Should You Change Your Shampoo and Conditioner?
When your once bouncy, gleaming hair starts looking flat and dull, you may wonder if it has “gotten used to” your favorite shampoo or conditioner. There are two things to keep in mind. No. 1: As hair expert John Gray, author of The World of Hair Colour and lead consultant for P&G Beauty, says, “High-quality hair products are rigorously tested to ensure that their performance does not deteriorate.” No. 2: Hair is technically dead, so it can’t develop a tolerance to a product.

That doesn’t mean that you’re imagining the changes in your hair. Residue from styling products is one common reason why hair may look and feel drab. To give your hair a clean slate, try a one-time wash with a clarifying shampoo. These shampoos contain ingredients -- such as enzymes and citric acids -- that bind to product deposits and whisk them away.

Seasonal changes can also make it seem like your shampoo and conditioner aren’t doing their job. In fact, these products are delivering consistent results, but it’s your hair itself that behaves differently in the high humidity of summer than it does during dry winter conditions. While you always want to choose a shampoo and conditioner that’s right for your hair type and texture, if you use a volumizng shampoo and conditioner in the summer, you may find that richer and more hydrating versions of those products work better in winter.

Coloring, highlighting, relaxing and perming all affect the fundamental properties of your hair, says Gray. If you’ve had one of these chemical processes, you may need to add deep-conditioning treatments, including masks, to keep your hair in tip-top shape. Ask your stylist for advice on how frequently to use these at-home hair care treatments.

Do You Need to Swap Your Skin Care Products?
If the feeling that your skin care regimen isn’t working any more is a familiar one, then the fault may lie with your own expectations. “Using skin care products is a lot like dieting,” says Tom Woodhouse, head esthetician at Sally Hersberger’s Face Place, a skin care clinic in New York City. “Often, you’ll see a lot of improvement over the first three months, and then when you’ve achieved the maximum benefit from the products, your skin goes into more of a maintenance mode. What you’re missing is the excitement or novelty of those early results.”

Then again, our skin is dynamic, changing in some way almost every day, says Ellen Marmur, dermatologist and author of Simple Skin Beauty: Every Woman’s Guide to a Lifetime of Healthy, Gorgeous Skin. Rather than thinking of yourself as having one static skin type, Marmur says it’s more effective to learn to read your skin and be flexible in the types of products you use. While you may have a general tendency toward dry skin or oily skin, irritation or acne, it’s important to adjust your regimen to the type of skin you’re having today. If, for example, your skin is looking greasy and starting to break out, you may want to switch temporarily to a cleanser that contains salicylic acid, which will help unclog pores.

The active ingredients that keep our skin looking its best, like peptides or retinol, work year-round. But just as cotton feels cool against your skin in July and cashmere is cozy in December, different formulations feel -- and look -- better as the weather changes. Consider rotating your skin care regimen to include oil-free or gel-based products in summer and richer creams and lotions in the winter.



Photo: @iStockphoto.com/manonroy

At some point, it’s a decision every couple confronts. Try to sidestep it, and you’ll risk drab-looking, damaged hair or endless arguments that begin with “Did you finish my shampoo without telling me, again?!”

We’re talking, of course, about whether or not you and your mate share shampoo, conditioner and hair styling tools, or maintain your own. Merging his-and-hers may seem like the budget-friendly, eco-smart thing to do. And it may be -- but not if you use twice as much electricity trying to dry your hair into submission because you’ve started out with the wrong cleansing and conditioning regimen.

Here’s what you should consider:

1. Shampoo and conditioner. The newest science on hair care shows that different hair types have distinctly different structures. Fine hair, for example, contains 50 percent less protein than thicker hair, and curly hair has a twisted growth pattern that creates a lot of friction between strands. Coloring or relaxing your hair weakens the strand’s protective layer, which can leave it rough and dull. Finally, long hair has been exposed to way more washes, styling products and sun damage than shorter hair, making it more vulnerable to split ends, frizz and breakage.

What this means is that, to get your healthiest and most beautiful hair, you’ll want to choose products that are created especially for your hair type. Unless you and your partner have the exact same hair type, you’ll each want to choose the hair care products that suit your own hair texture.

Eco-friendly tip: Consider a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner to cut back on hair care product clutter.

2. Hair Dryer. Ionic, ceramic, tourmaline -- with high-tech innovations, today’s dryers do a lot more than simply blow hot air. Not every technological option is best for all hair textures, however. For example, tourmaline dryers contain ground mineral crystals that can speed up drying time by 70 percent. That’s a terrific time-saver if you have thick hair. But if you hair is fine, the extra power is a disadvantage. “Your hair will dry so fast you won’t have time to style it,” says stylist Sonya Dove, co-owner of the Doves Studio in Santa Monica, Calif. What’s more, says Reeve McNamara of Atlanta’s Van Michael Salon, “if your boyfriend or husband is going to share your dryer and his hair is thinning, the intense heat might burn his scalp.”

Keep in mind that with dryers, like jeans, fit is everything. “The single most important consideration when you pick a dyer is how it feels in your hands,” says Dove. If your hands are small, you might be most comfortable with a dryer that’s light and compact, while he’ll have better control with a heftier model.

Eco-friendly tip: Save electricity and still create the style you want by letting your hair air-dry before you use your blow-dryer.

3. Brushes. For starters, there’s the ick factor with sharing brushes -- they can spread lice or ringworm of the scalp. Beyond hygienic considerations, having a brush that’s suited to your hair -- thick, thin, curly or straight -- will make styling easier. If you have fine or thin hair, a ceramic brush with a small, square barrel will let you get right up against your scalp to lift your roots for a volume boost. To get the bounce and bends of a salon blowout on thick, coarse hair, choose a large, round brush that has a combination of synthetic and boar’s hair bristles. The nylon bristles will grip your hair, while the natural ones impart shine. If you have curly hair, skip the brush and opt instead for a detangling comb with a double row of extra-long teeth.

Eco-friendly tip: Clean out dead hair and dust with a tail comb every few days, and your brush should last about five years.

Will she or won’t she … wear her hair up? That’s the question royal watchers are asking about Kate Middleton’s ’do for the big day she marries Prince William -- April 29 -- in Westminster Abbey. One thing’s for sure: The 29-year-old future queen of England has her own sense of style, and she won’t take orders from the royal advisers just because it’s “tradition.”

With her long, shiny chestnut locks that are often topped with a hat (so very British), Middleton might want to wear her hair loose when she walks down the aisle -- that’s her signature look, after all. But given the fact that this is a royal wedding, with 1,900 gold-leafed invitations sent out and a fairy-tale glass coach to ride in after the vows are exchanged, some speculate that Kate’s hair should be as formal as it gets: worn up in a classic style, such as a French twist.

This sleek, sophisticated ’do would showcase the tiara the bride will undoubtedly wear, chosen from many in the queen’s “jewel pool” and usually presented by the queen as a wedding gift. However, “a French twist is so structured, it can look too severe and mature on a young woman,” says hairstylist (and fellow Brit) Christopher Dove of The Doves Studio in Santa Monica, Calif. “That said, I’m sure Kate would look amazing with her hair up in a French twist, but I’m voting for a much more youthful half-up, half-down style.”

Makeup Fit for a Princess
“All of the young brides I make up are asking for smoky eyes on their wedding day,” says Eugenia Weston, an Emmy-nominated makeup artist and owner of Senna makeup studios in Los Angeles. She imagines that Middleton, however, will skip the sultry makeup.

“I think she’ll go for a fresh, clean look -- starting with her skin -- to take advantage of the fact that it’s naturally luminous,” says Weston. “I’d define her eyes with delicate eyeliner, and add a few individual false lashes to fill in where needed for a feathery fringe. I’d also groom her brows so they are dramatic frames for those lovely eyes. And for her mouth, I’d suggest a rosy lipstick, or maybe even a matte shade that reads like a rosy stain.”

The bottom line: Middleton is so pretty, there isn’t much to be done, and in the conservative splendor of Westminster Abbey, dramatic makeup would look inappropriate. 

Your Own Wedding Countdown
Here’s how to achieve the healthiest and most beautiful hair possible on the big day.

4 weeks before the wedding: Schedule a practice session with the hairdresser. Bring in a photo of your dress and the actual headpiece (veil, jeweled clip, headband, tiara, silk flowers). Bring a camera to capture the range of hairstyles (updo, French twist, half-up half-down, long and flowing). At home, print out the top hairstyle so the hairdresser has a handy reference point for the big day. 

3 weeks: Start weekly at-home deep conditioning treatments.

2 weeks: Have hair cut or trimmed. Book an intensive in-salon conditioning hair care treatment.

1 week: So your hair color looks as fresh as possible, wait until now to have your color or highlights done. Have bangs or fringe trimmed. Continue with at-home conditioning.

Day of: At least three hours before the wedding, meet with the hairdresser. If you’ve chosen an upswept style that can be pinned up securely, you can have your hair done earlier. But if your hair will be worn down with soft curls that can go flat, the appointment needs to be closer to the wedding’s start time.

If you’re headed for a tropical honeymoon, don’t forget to pack that at-home conditioner to maintain your hair’s shine and to protect it from the sun and the sea.

When it comes to touching up your hair and makeup at work, scrubbing your face clean and starting from scratch is not an option. So we asked some of Hollywood’s top makeup artists and hairstylists for makeup tips on how to make the transition from sedate to dramatic while using the least amount of products.

The Best Touchups Begin at Home
By doing barely there makeup in the morning, you cut the risk of creasing and caking later in the day. So start with a tinted moisturizer or a sheer foundation, followed by a primer-and-mascara duo (which should deliver a long-lasting coat that doesn’t need a second one) and a neutral, rosy lipstick. “Pack the items you’ll need for the evening: a dark lipstick if you’re planning on a strong mouth, eyeliner and smoky eye shadow if you plan on strong eyes instead, translucent powder to absorb shine and an eyebrow pencil with a spooly brush on one end,” says Tonya Crooks, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist who grooms the brows of Megan Fox.

Refresh Your Complexion
Whether you’re coming in from a long lunch or heading out the door for the evening, the linchpin of the touchup is clean, healthy-looking skin, says Crooks. Job No. 1 is to cancel out imperfections: Blot out breakthrough shine with oil-absorbing rice-paper tissues. If your skin is dry, spray your face with rosewater and redistribute your existing foundation with a clean makeup sponge. Cover blemishes or dark circles with a creamy light-reflecting concealer, rub a little cream blush onto the apples of your cheeks and set everything with a light dusting of translucent pressed powder (or the talc-covered side of the rice-paper tissues).

Eyeliner for Evening
The quickest way to define your eyes at night is with eyeliner, says Eugenia Weston, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist. “Use a gel liner because it goes on creamily and gives you some playtime, unlike liquid eyeliner that dries so fast it demands precision,” she says. “Using a fine eyeliner brush, draw the line gradually thicker as it approaches the outer edge of the lid, and add a small cat-eye wing if you like.

“Fill in your brows with an eye pencil and brush them upward with the spooly end. And if you’re going for a strong eye, which I think you should because dim restaurant lighting calls for it, stroke on eye shadow in deep plummy brown, eggplant or espresso. If you must have more mascara, wet your fingers slightly to moisten your lashes and soften the old coat. Let dry, and then apply a new one, separating lashes with a tiny metal comb.”

Hair Care in a Hurry
“If your locks are droopy or oily, spray the roots with a dry shampoo and brush out thoroughly,” says stylist Lia Dominguez of the Tom Brophy salon in Beverly Hills. (Dry shampoo will add volume and traction for styling.) Using a rat-tail comb, tease the top for a little height and secure your hair into a French twist with four bobby pins.

High Style
“After work, give your hair a good brushing and gather it up into a high Barbie ponytail, which can look fun and youthful,” says Christopher Dove, creative director of The Doves salon in Santa Monica, Calif. “It also gives a nice sleek curve to the back of your head.” Final touchup tip: Ditch the plain brown or black elastic band for a slightly wider fabric-covered one in a color that coordinates with your blouse, dress, shoes or purse.