Month: July 2019

So here’s the tea: I may be a beauty editor, but I suck at hair. French braids? Can’t do them. Fishtail braids? Impossible. I can’t do updos. I can’t do cool vintagey styles. I can’t even make a chic chignon work. I only know how to do one thing with my hair and one thing only: flat iron waves.

Call it a signature hairstyle, call it the only hairstyle I actually know how to do… However we want to frame it, my relaxed, bendy waves seem to work pretty well for me. They’re effortless and versatile; they take very few materials and very little time. Sometimes I add a hair clip or a headband, but that’s about as fancy as it gets. And yet, they earn me at least one compliment per day. 

Learn this absurdly simple styling technique (which I’ve nailed down thanks to years of advice from stylists as well as my own personal trial and error), and I hope you’ll find it as useful as I have. Keep scrolling for how to create the perfect flat-iron waves in 10 minutes or less!

The materials:

– A 1-inch thick flat iron with adjustable heat settings

– A heat protectant

– A hair tie

– Some texture spray (optional)

– A hair accessory (optional)

The instructions:

This technique will work best on anyone with hair lengths from a chin-length bob to just past the collar bone. (I have naturally straight hair, but I know it works on wavy textures, too.) All you need to do are the following seven steps.

1. Plug in your flat iron and set it to no more than 310 degrees. This is to protect your hair from burning to a crisp.

2. Spritz your hair protectant all throughout your hair. 

3. Gather all the hair above your ears into a loose half ponytail on top of your head to get it out of the way for now. Secure it up there temporarily with your hair tie.

4. When you create waves in your hair, you’re going to use two alternating motions. This is what gives the final result a more natural, tousled look. For both motions, you’ll take a 1-inch think section of hair and place it between the flat iron plates. The first motion goes in an M-shape: with the inch-thick section of hair between the plates, you’ll guide the flat ironin toward your face, then out, then back in at the ends. The other motion is simply to twist the flat iron (with hair between the plates) away from your face and hold it in that twisted position for about five seconds. Make sure to leave the ends out of the flat iron so they stay flat. Also, be sure not to brush the wave out while it’s still hot, not even with your fingers, or you’ll lose the shape.

When I’m waving this bottom layer of hair below my ears, I’m not super perfectionistic about it, because no one will really to see it when the look is all done. For some strands (like the hard-to-reach ones in the back), all I do is curve the ends inward. This allows you not to heat sections of hair that don’t really need it. 

5. Once you’re finished with the bottom layer of hair, let down the top. Part it where you like. Then repeat step four, with more attention to detail this time, all around your head. For the two strands of hair directly on either side of my face, I choose to use the wave motion that goes away from my face, to create a flattering curtain effect.

6. For a messier bed head look, spray a dry texturizer throughout your hair. Kristen Ess makes a great one that smells lovely and tousles your hair without leaving it crunchy. I also love Amika’s beautifully packaged volumizing formula and Sam McKnight’s Cool Girl Barely There Texture Mist, whose name says it all. Then Rusk and Oribe make what are, in my opinion, the best-smelling texture sprays on the market.

7. Add a whimsical hair clip, elegant headband, or just let your waves flow free. Once you get this routine down pat, it should only take about five or six minutes. 

There we have it! The only hairstyle I know how to do. At least it’s a good one.

When you think of the word “necessity,” it can often apply to things such as food, water, and shelter. Of course, it can also refer to items in your wardrobe such as everyday basics. You know the ones, those simple and timeless pieces in your closet that always form a solid foundation to an outfit. Well, it’s no secret that classic booties, an effortless option for nearly any occasion, are one such staple.  And if you’re looking for fresh, cool ideas on how to wear ankle boots to work, you’re in luck: The number of ways to style them is virtually infinite.

Ankle boots, much like pointy-toe pumps or strappy sandals, have a way of going seamlessly with anything you wear, which means they’re essentially a classic. Sure, they’ll always go well with a pair of vintage-inspired jeans and a classic white T-shirt, but if you’re looking for ways to polish them up for the office, we’ve gathered 12 stylish outfits to keep at the forefront of your ideas. Scroll down to see them all below.

Style Tip: Lace-up ankle boots will give an extra finesse to your outfits.

Style Tip: For a more casual option, opt for a lightweight and form-fitting turtleneck and looser jeans.

Style Tip: Flares always carry a touch of polish, especially when worn with heeled ankle boots.

Style Tip: Create an interesting juxtaposition of aesthetics by wearing edgy leather ankle boots with a romantic floral dress.

Style Tip: A pastel cardigan will soften a tougher-looking ensemble.

Style Tip: Take on a ’60s-inspired vibe and wear white ankle boots with a chic minidress.

Style Tip: Let your ankle boots be the staple that pulls together an eye-catching hero piece, like a sheer trench coat.

Style Tip: Classic ankle boots will go seamlessly with a statement-making printed dress.

Style Tip: If you want to show off your boots, opt for cropped pants that hit at the ankle.

Style Tip: A blazer with sleek trousers or dark-wash jeans will always go with your ankle boots.

Style Tip: Nothing will compliment a boilersuit quite like simple ankle boots.

Style Tip: For an elongating look, wear a pair of tailored shorts with heeled booties.

If you love your suede boots, here’s how to clean them right in your home.

Here at Who What Wear, we have zero chill when it comes to French-girl style and beauty. We openly aspire to the effortless IDGAF attitudes of our chic sisters across the pond who manage to have effortless confidence and imperfectly perfect glowy skin to match. It’s our daily mission to re-create what women in France seem to do naturally. In an effort to make our skincare routines just a little bit more French, we reached out to Sophie Strobel, a higher-up in the R&D department at French skincare brand Talika, and asked her what we Americans seem to be doing wrong.

“Wrong,” of course, is not quite the right word. It’s simply that the American approach to skincare is motivated by rules and perfection while the French come at it another way. “We don’t like pressure, and we tend to criticize the rules,” Strobel told me. “French women, as usual, don’t always listen to professional advice. They only take what they want from dermatologists and prefer keeping work to a minimum and fun for the rest!”

French women also value a little dash of imperfection, and they prefer to be out in the world drinking wine and kissing beautiful people rather than wasting away in the bathroom. This lifestyle is obviously not conducive to many common American skincare habits. Which products typical of most skincare routines in the USA would you never find in France? Below, Strobel listed six American products that she (and most other typical French girls) would never use—plus, a few French-inspired swaps.

Unless you have a serious clinical problem, if you’re French, you’re not getting your skincare products from a dermatologist. “In France we go to a dermatologist only of we have a skin issue like acne, psoriasis, or allergies,” says Strobel. Prescription-strength retinol, peels, and other potent deem-formulated products are simply not part of the average French-girl routine. This is especially true because the products you find at the dermatologist’s office often contain synthetic formulas, have rather plain packaging, and no fragrance. But according to Strobel, French women tend to prefer more natural, plant-based formulas with pleasant scents and pretty packaging, bien sûr.

Puritanical Americans are obsessed with hygiene and “squeaky-clean” skin—but not the French. The typical French girl’s daily cleanser contains no harsh detergents or exfoliating ingredients. She is more concerned with keeping the skin’s microbiome balanced and not stripping it of its healthy bacteria than removing every last spec of debris, Strobel says. That’s why micellar waters and cleansing milks are so big in France—they’re simple and light, able to remove your makeup and gently cleanse your skin without overdoing it.

Again with the hygiene thing. In America, “Everything has to be perfect, controlled, from the complexion to teeth whiteness,” Strobel says. But the French are much more concerned with pleasure and an au naturel vibe than looking FaceTuned IRL. Who could maintain perfectly white teeth with so much good red wine happening anyway?

The second an American gets a breakout, even a small one, she lunges for a prescription medication or an over-the-counter three-step skin-clearing system, like the ones from Proactiv and Clinique. Even though the French skincare market is starting to “Americanize” by putting out products like these, it violates the French skincare philosophy, which says that less is more, and it’s better to let the skin heal on its own rather than exfoliate it to death.

French women are extremely wary of the hormone disrupters found in chemical sunscreens, so Strobel says they only opt for mineral formulas, and the ingredient lists almost always contain other skincare benefits, like antioxidants and vitamins. And, despite dermatologists’ advice, French women normally don’t wear sunscreen every day in the winter, as they consider it an unnecessary and cumbersome precaution.

Let me repeat: Less is more. The average French routine (for a 20- or 30-something, at least) contains four steps at most: a gentle cleanser, *maybe* a serum, a day or night cream, and sunscreen if it feels necessary. Strobel says if a French woman is going to over-use any product, it’s going to be face mist. “Use and abuse of thermal water sprays” is very French, Strobel tells me. “They’re rich in minerals, they’re only natural water with no added ingredients, they’re cheap, and they’re available in all pharmacies and supermarkets!”

Next up: The “boring” makeup product French women over 50 will never stop using.

The energy around Hollywood is palpable. As I drive westward down Sunset Boulevard, I’m confronted by a plethora of billboards announcing Stranger Things’ much-anticipated third season (streaming on Netflix July 4) that rise out of the horizon like permanent fixtures on the landscape. We’re less than a week away until the new season airs, and despite the long day of doing press for the show that she’s just had, Sadie Sink greets me with an air of untainted excitement.

As we settle into the unusually calm lobby cafe of a prominent West Hollywood hotel, I can’t help but allow myself to be mesmerized by her big blue eyes, which, by the way, hardly dim throughout the course of our conversation. Sink gushes as she speaks. While describing the custom green Stranger Things sneakers she wore during our shoot—”those were so sick”—I happened to peer down below the table to find her not in the beat-up sneakers she dons on screen, but instead in a pair of blush-hued Gucci platforms that must have been no less than four inches high. The irony wasn’t lost on me. Although her character Max identifies squarely as a tomboy, Sink is content not to be tied down by any singular aesthetic. “I don’t think I’m defined by one style,” she boasts. “I’m not just edgy and I’m not just into a tomboy look and I’m not just girly. I do what I want, and if I like something, I’ll wear it.”

Her Stranger Things role aside, Sink has long been a student of style: “I’ve always been interested in fashion ever since I was little, and obviously I didn’t have access to the brands I do now,” she gushed. “I’d always just look at Chanel and Kate Spade and think how incredible these brands were.” Her blue eyes twinkled as she recounted a recent “pinch-me” moment: “To see that the campaign I did for Kate Spade is on the homepage, that’s insane. The number of times I’ve logged onto this website and just dreamed about all these clothes and now I’m in this campaign—I’m so blessed.”

The 17-year-old breakout star is both dreamy and yet grounded. She’s quick to express her gratitude for it all, but she also has no hesitation when it comes to what she likes and doesn’t like, a dichotomy I find to be nothing short of precocious, considering that at her age I was consumed by high school, popularity, friends, and boys. But here is Sink starring in Miu Miu campaigns and attending the CFDA awards (“Virgil from Off-White was there. I kind of fangirled when I saw him.”); she’s sitting front row at fashion week and working one-on-one with a celebrity stylist.

Before I can even ask about her favorite designer looks, she races ahead to tell me how the brand Hiraeth, Rooney Mara’s vegan collection, feels 100% like Sadie. “It represents my style a lot because, like I said, I’m not defined by one style. Her collection is so feminine—there are a lot of flowy, beautiful pieces—and then she has all of these tough elements that she adds to it like leather harnesses that just toughen up the look a bit. That’s my favorite thing to wear, I like to combine styles. If I’m ever wearing a super-flowy dress, I like to toughen it up with a boot or something.” I nodded along as she described what basically everyone with really good style knows intuitively to be called high-low dressing.

Moments later, when she’s answering my question about the current trends she’s drawn to, I start to sense a theme with Sink’s taste in clothes. “I think utility is really in right now.” She continued, “I like that one because usually when you think of summer, you think of nice florals, which are the classic choice, but I like the idea of toughening it up and wearing all those utility looks, which I think are all pretty sick.” Yep, a Virgil Abloh fan, wearer of dresses and boots—Sadie Sink cannot, will not, be put in a box, sartorially speaking. She’ll take a little bit of everything, thank you very much.

Defining—or rather, circumnavigating—her style isn’t something Sink is going at alone. She credits her stylist Molly Dickson with helping her to develop her own personal style “without pushing anything on me.” Again, she’s oddly mature when it comes to defining this ever-changing form of self-expression we call clothing. Dickson, who dresses such notable Hollywood starlets as Scarlett Johansson, has granted Sink access to her dream brands as well as introduced her to newer labels like Hiraeth. “What’s so great about fashion is that you can express yourself through clothes. And, sure, some people don’t understand what it means, but for those who do,” like Sink herself, I’m starting to believe, “that’s how they express themselves.”

Sadie may have a strong sense of style (and sense of self for that matter), but for her Stranger Things character, Max, season three is really the beginning of her interest in fashion. “A big part of this season is Max teaching Eleven how to just be herself and find a style that’s authentic to who she is,” she explained. It’s clear that Sink possesses the knowledge of fashion’s transformative nature that the teenage girls of Hawkins High School don’t necessarily have themselves. “They go shopping at the mall and do a bunch of girly things like that, but it’s a lot more than that. Max teaches her how she should use fashion to become Eleven and not just this lab experiment, to become her true self. So really it’s a lot about female empowerment.”

Max goes through a similar transformation to Eleven this season, letting her very California skater kid vibe give way just a bit to something softer. “My final outfit was this super-sporty look. I had these braids in and these sporty track shorts and a striped tank top. I felt like it was so Max because this season she kind of plays with her girly side but still had those sporty tomboy elements. I think that last outfit just captures all of it.”

Tougher or softer, sneakers or heels, Max or Sadie. It would be easier to identify squarely as one or the other. In fact, that’s what the world expects from a rising star like Sink, but she’s not interested in conforming to other people’s standards. The unexpected, according to her is “what makes it so exciting and what’s so fun about fashion, really.”

Production Credits:

Photographer: Amber Mahoney

Stylist: Doria Santlofer

Hair: Tommy Buckett

Makeup: Nina Park

There’s nothing as satisfying as finally booking a well-deserved summer getaway, is there? I look forward to the opportunity to really unplug and unwind every year. And in order to make my vacation (and the lead up to it) stress-free, I like to have a good idea of what I’ll be packing well in advance. Nothing ruins my holiday zen like cramming pieces into my carry-on the night before a flight. This year, I’m opting for multitasking pieces, stylish swimsuits, on-trend denim for those chillier nights, and, of course, breezy dresses for a day at the beach. Scroll to see everything I’m packing…

Next, What 21 Women From Across the U.S. Are Wearing (and Shopping) Now