India Arie sang:

I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations, no no
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am a soul that lives within

I love you, India, and while I agree with the skin and expectations parts of your song--I am the soul that lives within--I have to admit, I am my hair. I remember getting the infamous haircut of '06 (pictured right). I went to my trusted hair guru, Eddie (who coincidentally cuts hair like Edward Scissorhands) and asked for "Nelly Furtado bangs." It was the perfect idea... or so I thought.

What happened? When Eddie finished, I noticed my bangs were a half of an inch shorter than I had hoped. Fear! Half of an inch may not sound like a lot, but when one can see eyebrows and a quarter of an inch of forehead under bangs, one gets alarmed. (Oh yes, I freaked.) As a result of my hair mishap and my hairdresser wanting me to look like a Harajuku girl, I sported a headband for two months.

Luckily, my bangs grew out to the Nicole-Richie goodness that they are. And, while I am not my skin, I am not your expectations, and I am the soul that lives within, I am also very much my hair, thank you. I can't deny its significance--it's a part of me and it's important.

I'm not alone on this notion, I know. A survey conducted by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery found that--out of more money, more friends or more hair--59 percent of survey takers chose they'd prefer more hair. That's right--over half of the lot chose an aesthetic over finance and humans. Go figure.

So yeah, I am among the many women obsessed with my scalp and what's growing out of it. And, I can sooo relate to the ladies featured in this Chris Rock documentary, Good Hair:



Are you hair-obsessed, too?

--Ysolt

For years and years, we always assumed that headbands were just our go-to for bad hair days, exercise outings and general lazy days. But recently, pretty hair accessories have been all over our radar--thanks to Boho queens like Nicole Richie and Rachel Zoe, and to TV high society's Blair Waldorf, who practically wears a different headband every episode on Gossip Girl.

While we don't have our own Dorota (tear!), we do have access to a million different kinds of hair accessories from the basic stocked shelves of Walmart to my personal favorite, New York-based brand Pas Comme Les Moutons (which was actually featured on GG).

Anyway, since we've figured out that headbands are back in style, here are three different ways to wear them whether it's a lazy day or it's a night on the town:

 

Lindsay Lohan rocks the everyday headband look by wrapping a thick black band twice around her head while wearing her hair down. She wore it for a day of shopping--a perfect day look that can easily take you into night.

 

 

Eva Mendes wears this bejeweled beauty on the red carpet, and it seems every girl should invest in a pretty, statement headband for special occasions. You can wear it with a sexy ponytail like Mendes, pull everything back into a classic up-do, or wear it like a crown with your hair down.

Jessica Szohr, the Boho Brooklyn babe of Gossip Girl, wears an adorable headband while on a date with hunk Ed Westwick. The thin, braided material makes it special, while the little flower detail really makes it pop. Szohr threw up the rest of her hair into a messy chignon, but added this headband to pull the look together. So chic!



--Venus Tsang

The breakup hair has finally happened. Kate Gosselin rocked a new 'do while co-hosting The View this morning, and I must say, she looked absolutely fabulous. Even better, she handled herself sooo well when asked about her marriage and Jon (who, by the way, recently said he despises her). So classy! (If anyone wants to challenge me on that thought, bring it!)

Even if you're not a fan of the mom of 8, you can't deny the fab asymmetrical bob. I'm sure some of you are just dying to rock it, too, so we asked Ellin LaVar, who's transformed the locks of major celebs, like Whitney Houston, Iman and Oprah, to give us the hair how-to:

Step 1: Use a dab of LiquidGlass ($7.79 at CVS.com) for gloss. Apply while wet to get the wavy effect.

Step 2: Use a round brush on your hair in the direction of your face. Then, direct hair away from your face using your fingers as a comb.

Step 3: Apply a little more LiquidGlass for definition.

Step 4: Top off your style with NaturalControl flexible hold spray ($7.79 at CVS.com).

Your 'do should last the entire day, says LaVar. Happy styling, ladies!

--Ysolt

Hey, Fashionator readers, let me tell you about my latest beauty find. Do you have a friend who's expecting? Consider giving her the gift of good baby health and gorgeous locks. One of my girlfriends is expecting and I'm so including these in her gift basket!

I'm talking about the Nine Naturals Gift Set, which comes with shampoo and conditioner that are free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates, DEA and silicone. What does that mean, you ask? That means your baby will be super-safe in your tummy!

With ingredients like olive oil, citrus foot, pro-vitamin B5, aloe vera, natural plant alcohol, natural preservatives, wheat proteins, and more, this top-of-the-line hair care was specifically designed just for moms-to-be. Pre-natal safety is a huge concern so Nine Naturals kicked those sinister ingredients to the curb (you know, those that experts suspect may cause unborn babies harm). Thank goodness!

And get this--the natural plant oils in the shampoo and conditioner duo will hydrate and soften the momma-to-be's hair. Not to mention, its wheat proteins can bring extra shine, while the pure mint helps fight fatigue. It's more than just haircare!

Get the gift set for $36 at NineNaturals.com for your fab pregger pals!

--Ysolt

Three previously dark-haired Ks recently went blonde: Kim Kardashain, Katharine McPhee and Kat Von D. The style world is all astir! Did these dark-haired lovelies ruin their hair? I don't think so. I, too, have gone blonde and plan to never go back black.

Overall, the ladies pulled off the look, says Laurent Dufourg, celebrity stylist and owner of Prive Salon. He prefers Kim as a brunette, but thinks she looks really good as a blonde. He believes Katharine's new edgy style is totally working for her. And as for Kat Von D, the celebrity hair guru prefers her as a brunette also--it makes her stand out more. What do you think of these transformations?

The newly single reality star showed off her blonde highlights at the Teen Choice Awards. (Can you say breakover?!) Many thought she was sporting a wig, but Kim Kardashian blogged that it's real! Her glam guru, Clyde Haygood was behind the transformation.

Katharine McPhee lightened her locks for her next album cover (Unbroken in stores October 6). The singer says she's never dyed her hair before so this was a drastic change! Katharine says the change has encouraged her to try more daring fashion, too--fabulous! Maybe that'll inspire some of you hair-dye virgins to take a leap in edgy style?

As drastic as it is, Kat Von D's hair makeover doesn't come as a surprise to us at all. The LA Ink star has been known to take plenty of chances when it comes to style. We kind of like it, but many fans are coming out in pure hatred of it, saying "the base color on her face is doing nothing for her."

Are you planning to follow in these stars' footsteps and go blonde? Be careful! Laurent says going from brunette to blonde is a hardcore project. "Not only is there the process of stripping the hair without damaging [it]--it will turn red first--you have to try and get the red out before going [light]," he explains. "[There's] heavy maintenance involved dying the roots every two weeks, as well."

Before you jump into a pool of hair dye, try light locks on your face using Makeover-o-Matic, a virtual hairstyling tool. Or, ask the iVillage community for advice on our "Get Great Hair" Message Board. Make sure the hair revamp is worth all the trouble!

 

--Ysolt

Michelle Obama's new 'do at last week's "A Country Music Celebration" is all the rage. Did she cut it? Did she tuck it back? Who cares?! It's too cute for words. We did some research and found out that the first lady's new hairstyle is just trickery at its best. Mrs. O's hair is still the shoulder bob we're familiar with under this style.

Want to get the look? Follow these steps:

Step 1: Apply Soft & Beautiful StyleProtect Spritz on wet hair from roots to ends. Blow dry hair with a medium-sized round brush, to create volume and lift.

Step 2: Gather hair in a loose pony at the nape and tuck under, pinning with bobby pins as you go.

Step 3: Finish with Soft & Beautiful Oil Sheen Spray to leave hair looking healthy and vibrant!

--Ysolt

No question, divorce is a scary ordeal. I couldn't even imagine! I've gone through several breakups myself and it never gets any easier, does it?

One good thing that does come out of a relation-split is that you become empowered, reminding yourself about how awesome you are, that there are plenty of fish in the sea and that you've still got it. Who cares about that guy? 

The first step? A healthy hair makeover! We decided to give Kate Gosselin (whose divorce was recently announced on TLC's Jon & Kate Plus 8) one using our Makeover-o-Matic tool. She's gorgeous in her own right, but if she wants to jazz up her look with a new 'do, these are what we'd suggest to the mom of eight. Goodbye spikey bob. Hello extensions!

Which do you think suits Kate best?

--Ysolt

For some reason completely beyond me, the hair on the New York Fashion Week runway shows is even harder to identify with than the clothing. Someone please explain to me why stylists feel the need to create looks that are frightening rather than fabulous? I understand the thought process: The fashions are bigger than life, the hair and makeup should agree. Wearable fashions are toned down versions of the fantastic ones we see on the runway.

Still, shouldn't "fantastic" equal a style that is not identical to my own hair after getting caught in the rain? I'd hope so.

This trend is pretty frustrating, considering that some of the biggest names in the biz - capable of changing lives with a snip of their scissor - are behind the scenes at these runways. Seriously. If i want this much shock and awe, I'll look at the stock market.

-- Aly

  Okay, I vowed never to go political on this blog, but I can't help it this time. I recently heard a handful of ladies at Barnes and Noble talking Palin ... Not as a potential VP -- more like as a style icon. Sarah Palin, a star icon? A part of me wanted to cringe at the thought (after all, my style icons are Sarah Jessica Parker, Katie Holmes and Nicole Ritchie). But then again, I guess something could be said for her Naughty Monkey pumps, vivacious updos and pink power suits.

  If you are one of these ladies who adore Sarah Palin's style, perhaps you'd like to give her hair a shot. Before you run off to your hair guru to replicate her mane though, try it on virtually first using Makeover-o-Matic! (Feel free to draw inspiration from this for your Halloween costume, as well, should you decide to go as the VP candidate.)

And if Palin's updo is not quite your flavor, you can also make yourself over like Cindy McCain, Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton online for free using the tool. Totally fun -- I suggest you try it!

—Ysolt