How to do a perfect knot

When you're traveling or running to dinner, there's nothing sexier than twisting your hair into a top knot. It gives you the ease and nonchalance of a classic French starlet. Lucky for us, my hair-genius friend Caroline shares the steps below, and the fabulous Jamie Beck took photos...
Steps and "after" photos below...
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Do or don't: Orange-red lipstick

We got the J. Crew holiday catalog in the mail last night, and I was struck (once again) by how the models' orange-red lipstick is so adorable. I'm not sure I could pull it off with my pale skin tone, but a Glamour editor found a similar lipstick--Heatwave--that she swears looks good on everyone. (Here's photographic proof!) Would you try it?

P.S. Another similar color is Hot Coral.

How to look (extra) pretty on a first date

The absolutely positively most nerve-wracking moment of a date? Right before you see each other. Answering the front door or walking into the restaurant...eeks! Just writing this paragraph gives me butterflies.

So how do you look extra gorgeous for the big moment? My #1 random trick from my single days: Pinch your cheeks. Honestly, whenever I'd walk into a date, I'd pinch the apples of my cheeks, then gently rub them to "even" it out. Your rosy cheeks will make it look like you just walked in from the cold, and the color will suit your face perfectly since it's your natural color. (Or you can just cheat and wear blush; here are my two absolute favorites:)

What beauty routines do you have for dates? I'd love to hear your secrets! xoxo

Galaxy nails

My darlings, have you ever tried galaxy nails? They're brainy, nerdy, playful and cool all at the same time--yet still elegant enough to wear to work. I keep spotting them on pretty ladies around our neighborhood. Here's how to get the cosmic look...

1. Get a dark blue nail polish for the base, plus a few lighter sparkly polishes (for stars and comets!). We went for Navy Baby, Laser, Spectrum and Diamonds.
2. Paint the dark blue on all your nails as the base layer.
3. Now layer the glittery colors over the dark blue, but over only parts of each nail. A swipe here, a dab there. Mix things up with each nail, since you want them all to look different.
4. Layer a lot, since, instead of your nails looking flat, you want to get that 3-dimensional look of a far-away galaxy, like you're gazing up at the night sky.

(My friend Caroline modeled, since she has prettier nails than I do. Her rings are from her collection Brvtvs. Photos by the wonderful Jamie Beck for Cup of Jo)

DIY wedding hair: Pretzel braid

I'm excited to share another hair tutorial! My friend (and hair genius) Caroline adores this gorgeous pretzel braid, which she says is easy enough for brides to do themselves. So, we met at our favorite wedding shop, and Jamie Beck took photos. Doesn't her hair look breezy and romantic?

Here are Caroline's steps, if you'd like to try it out...
"I have a friend who was an Irish dancer, and she would always wear her hair in amazing elaborate braids. This one is not-too-fussy (my favorite way to wear my hair) and would look so pretty for an evening wedding or outdoor summer party."--Caroline

1. Start by making two pigtails, using rubber bands. Make them a bit higher up on your head.

2. Braid both pigtails...

3. ...and secure ends with a rubber band.

4-6. Remove the top rubber bands from the pigtails.

7. Cross one braid over the other.

8. Starting with the braid that's now on top, create a sort of "C" shape and pin. It doesn't have to be precise; you just want to have a nice curved shape from the braid.

9. Make the same curved shape with the other braid and pin. Curve it up and over the top of the braid you just pinned down.

10. Ultimately, you want to get a nice sort of pretzel or knot shape from the two braids. Tuck the ends of both braids behind the knot and pin them down securely.
Voila! Isn't it gorgeous? Would you wear it to your wedding (or a summer party)? This is one of my favorite hair tutorials of all time! Please ask any questions in the comments below; the instructions are a little tricky...

P.S. Seven genius hair ideas.

(Photos by Jamie Beck for Cup of Jo. In the step-by-step photos, Caroline is wearing an Eberjey robe. In the wedding photos, Caroline's wedding dress is by Ivy & Aster from Lovely, a gorgeous bridal boutique in the West Village. Her jewelry is from her own line, Brvtvs, and her lip color is lipstick is NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Damned.)

Sexy eyebrows (yes, eyebrows)

Oh my goodness, how gorgeous are these dramatic eyebrows? When I saw these stunning photos of Oscar de la Renta's recent runway show, my jaw dropped. Makeup artists often insist that eyebrows are the most important part of your look, since they frame your face and can make your eyes look bigger and make your face look younger. Wouldn't you love to recreate these sexy bold brows for a night out?

Happily, my make-up artist friend Suzy Gerstein shared the two steps to getting the look: "The secret to a gorgeous full brow is to layer products. First, sketch in any sparse areas with hairlike flicks of a brow pencil. Use the skinniest, pointiest pencil you can find, so your drawn-in 'hairs' will look natural. My favorite is the Kevyn Aucoin Precision Brow Pencil. Then layer a powder color over the pencil. Two colors that work well for brows: MAC eye shadow in Brun (for brunettes) and Concrete (for blondes)."

What do you think, my lovelies? Would you dare? xoxo

(Photos by Jamie Beck. A similar red lipstick is Rouge Dior in Red Muse)