Hair Makeover Challenge: The Results

Week 3: Two weeks ago, Jessica walked out of Ted Gibson’s NYC salon with a new cut and head-turning color. She’s since delved into ideeli-supplied hair products and tools, styling her new ‘do differently for 14 days straight. How’d it go? Let’s find out!

Last week, Jessica gave us an update and told us how to get the look of three, new styles. Today she’s back with the three products she could not style without — all of which you can find in our 14-Day Makeover Challenge: Hair sale (ending 4/19 at 10AM). Find out why Jessica loves them below!

Carol’s Daughter Black Vanilla Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner
“This stuff is luxurious! Taking a shower feels like I'm being bathed in a rich vanilla scent, and it sticks with me throughout the day. It's a great foundation for soft, moisturized hair that's not weighed down at all.”

CHI Digital Ceramic Hair Waver
This helped me create a look I've been wanting to try for years! It creates those finger waves that were so popular in the '20s, and I've never been able to create those on my own. This tool is great for a formal occasion where you want to shine in a crowd. Literally, the ceramic plates give the hair a glistening shine. It's really gorgeous!

Carol’s Daughter Macadamia Heat-Styling Spray
“Just before and after styling, I use this hairspray. It doesn't leave the hair crunchy and gives it a soft, supple hold. My hair has been infallible on windy — if anything, it looks better! No matter what I do, with this arsenal at my fingertips, every day is a good hair day!”

Tempted to start your own hair makeover? Learn more about Jessica’s from start to finish. To find out more about our 14-Day Makeover Series Challenge, go here, where you can also follow our healthy eating and fashion challenges.

RUSH HOUR: A Beach Hat and Scarf

Start revving up your engines, Twitter mavens, because every Friday afternoon, you've got somewhere to be.

It's no secret that we love a good giveaway. So in the spirit of all things swag, we're switching up the game with Rush Hour, a Twitter giveaway that will have you racing to the finish for sweet finds — think statement-making dresses, swoon-worthy getaways, covetable designer accessories, and tons more! This week’s prize? A floppy sun hat and gauzy scarf, so you can be properly accessorized at the beach — no matter what the weather.

In a sea of straw fedoras — last summer’s “it” topper — Hat Attack’s floppy, wide-brimmed style is, well, a ray of sunshine. The woven, navy raffia grounds its ‘70s-inspired shape, while a pop of turquoise and coral on the trim takes the look to new wavelengths.

But, you know how fickle the sun is! One minute it’s out; the next it’s in. Between disappearing acts and chilly ocean breezes, no beach bag is complete without something warm to bundle up in. That’s why this gauzy scarf by Jessica Simpson is a beach hat’s natural companion. For a chance to win both the hat and scarf, tune in to our Twitter feed and look for the hashtag #RUSHHOUR. We'll randomly pick ONE ideeli followers to win when they tweet us the answer to the contest question.

What's the contest question, you ask? Get on Twitter and find out!

Here's a recap:

1. Follow us @ideeli on Twitter.

2. Tune in 9am-6pm every Friday for a surprise giveaway lasting just 1 hour.

3. We'll announce the contest question when we announce the giveaway.

4. Tweet your answer with the hash tag #RUSHHOUR to enter the giveaway (or if you're just excited, we won't mind)
.
5. We'll announce winners soon after the contest ends.


Sound good? Do you feel the need for speed? See you at Rush Hour!

*Winners will be chosen at random, and must be 18 years of age and over. Item subject to final availability. Contest only open to U.S. residents. Sorry, but we cannot ship outside the U.S. One entry per person only. Winners will be announced via Twitter and will have 7 days to claim their prize. After 7 days new winners will be chosen. Winners must be followers of ideeli's Twitter account at time of drawing.

14-Day Makeover Challenge: Hair

Week 2: Last week, we left Jessica with a chic, new cut and irresistible, coppery-red color. Still basking in her post-salon glow, the hard part of the 14-Day Makeover Challenge was just beginning: giving her new locks a different style for two weeks straight. Now with one week down, left’s find out how she’s doing!

Turns out, a makeover challenge isn’t so hard when you love your hair. Jessica can’t stop experimenting with her new beauty products from ideeli, straightening and curling her locks into new looks every single day. In fact, she gets so many compliments, she can barely field them anymore! But while it’s nice to be noticed, the best part is how she feels about herself.

”I actually feel lighter, better, and more confident in myself when I walk out the door in the morning. It really makes a difference in your disposition when you're happy with how you're presenting yourself.”

Here are Jessica’s three favorite looks—with easy steps to making them your own.

Scrunched-up Waves
“I wanted tight-messy curls that would loosen as the day went on—so they could go from a day at the office to a night out.”

1. Blow-dry hair fully.
2. Use medium-size, clipless curling iron; wrap hair downward around the iron with your hand, but don’t curl the ends.
3. Add de-frizzing product (I used E.V.A. Argan Oil Treatment).

Soft and Sleek
“For a just-from-the-salon look at work, I did a total 180 from my usual wavy hair, straightening it but still keeping a slight curl at the bottom.”

1. Blow-dry hair completely.
2. Add a heat-protecting product (I used Carol's Daughter Heat-Protection Foam). Straighten with flat iron.
3. Add de-frizzing product, like E.V.A. Argan Oil Treatment.

Pin Straight
“I wanted to straighten my hair, but spend less time than I did with the style above. The result is edgier and more textured.”

1. Blow-dry hair completely.
2. Add a heat-protecting product, like Carol's Daughter Heat-Protection Foam. Straighten with flat iron.
3. Use a hairspray or gel (I used Carol's Daughter Macadamia Heat-Styling Hairspray) to add texture.

Tune in next Tuesday (4/17) for the final results of Jessica’s hair makeover and to score her favorite styling tools and hair products in our 14-Day Makeover Challenge: Hair sale. You can also learn more about our makeover series and follow our healthy-eating and fashion challenges.

Healthy Eating: The Results

Now that Kirsten had a nutrition consultation, completed a food cleanse, and spent two weeks eating an ultra-healthy diet, she has new knowledge and tested tips to share with us. What did she learn? What tools helped the most? Let’s find out!

Kirsten started her journey with a one-on-one consultation with Keri Glassman, author and founder of NutritiousLife, and says Glassman’s Slim Calm Sexy Diet was equally helpful, providing recipes, nutritional facts, and quick references like ingredient substitutions. ”Knowing what each food has to offer (and not offer) makes it much easier to choose healthy foods,” says Kirsten. “Being aware is what can make or break your level of success.”

Here are five items that Kirsten found indispensable over the last two weeks.

Cuisineart 8-Piece Nonstick Pots and Pans Set
“These truly ‘nonstick’ pots and pans made it so easy to cut out unwanted fats while cooking. Clean-up was a breeze, too, because I wasn't busy scraping away particles that became one with the pan.”

Cuisineart SmartPower Premier Blender
“Experimenting with different types of smoothies entertained me for a freakishly long time, but this blender can also whip up a serious batch of salsa. Clean up was easy, and the smaller portions helped me maintain my cool without over indulging.”

Cool Gear Containers
“With sturdy utensils built in, it was easy to bring anything for lunch. The separate, built-in compartments are nothing short of genius!”

KitchenAid Salad Chopper
“My obsession with "Slim Slaw" (from Slim Calm Sexy Diet) pretty much began on day one of the cleanse—and this chopper was the easiest way to make it. It was fun to use, and life was so much easier when chopping fine, consistent pieces. Every kitchen should have one!”

Tempted to start your own healthy-eating makeover? Score Kirsten’s favorite products in our 14-Day Makeover Challenge: Cooking sale (ending 4/12 at 10AM EDT). You can also learn more about our makeover series and follow our hair and fashion challenges.

14-Day Makeover Challenge: Fashion

Week 1: What’s better than getting a wardrobe makeover? Not much if you ask us. It's like an exhilarating day shopping with your own personal stylist. So when our social media specialist, Nicole, said she was ready to punch up her wardrobe with colorful, new styles, we got right to work and asked for her three main goals.

1. Leave her all-black comfort zone for colorful pieces
2. Be more adventurous with cuts and styles
3. Update her work wardrobe, taking it from Florida-beach to New York-chic

To start, Nicole told us what she likes (A-line dresses, heels, and patterns) and what she doesn't (florals, skirts, and purses) and showed us some inspiration for her new look with magazine tear-outs. We then invited celebrity stylist and accessories designer Ariela Suster, founder of the Sequence Collection, to our Soho office for an afternoon of mixing, matching, and styling.

With a rack full of spring clothes from ideeli and a few of Nicole's favorite pieces from her own closet, Ariela put together three new looks.

Casual Summer Friday
Nicole’s own worn (but loved) jeans are the base of this casual-sophisticated look. A blouse with a bright, graphic print adds color, while a black blazer creates a streamlined polish. To step it up, Ariela chooses a pair of wedges that not only add a pop of blue, echoing Nicole's printed top, but also some welcome height to Nicole's 5'3" frame.

Presentation Perfect
A sunny yellow, A-line dress takes Nicole's look (and color) up a notch. Paired with the same versatile black blazer and wedges, Nicole’s ready for business. She looks summery, professional, and feminine.

Right on Time
This classic coat in crimson has it all: the sophisticated silhouette you’d expect of a trench and a modern pop of color Nicole wants. So whether she’s strutting down the street or walking into work, this coat makes a chic statement.

Check back tomorrow for a Q&A (plus some great styling tips) with Ariela Suster — and next Wednesday 4/18 to see how Nicole’s doing, one week in, as she incorporates a new piece into her look every day of the challenge. Want to learn more about the ideeli 14-Day Makeover Challenge? Click here.

You can also follow our 14-Day Makeover Challenge for hair and healthy eating.