Beauty Reporter: Beauty 101 Card.

Beauty Reporter

Shop talk

Wave Maker

Wave Maker Gisele makes rumpled waves look easy -- but anyone who has walked away from a curling iron with poodle-tight spirals knows otherwise. The T3 Tourmaline 3/4'' Domed Iron has two rounded plates that, when clamped over inch-wide sections of hair and tilted upward, produce soft waves. "The curved shape makes it easier to place a bend only where you want it," says hairstylist Orlando Pita, who used the T3 at the Proenza Schouler show. Best of all, the wand doubles as a straightener when pulled from roots to ends. Bottom Line: The first few tries resulted in more kinks than waves -- but with a little practice, we mastered the casual texture like a pro. -- CATHERINE PIERCY

Makeup Trend

Pale Fire

Pale Fire More proof that all that glitters isn't gold: Bits of sparkle are now showing up in formerly sedate shades like rose, mauve, and lavender. These subtle hues -- found in M.A.C. Shimmersouffle cream in Adorn, Versace Lights on Lips gloss in #2085, and Yves Saint Laurent La Laque Long-Lasting Nail Laquer -- "are closer to the color of the skin, allowing the glitter to act more like a natural shine rather than just sitting on top," says makeup artist Chrisanne Davis. But that's no excuse for excess: Davis advises keeping glitter to one area -- nails, eyes, or lips -- and pairing soft pastel glitz on the face with deep, rich color on nails, or vice versa. Bottom Line: Worn on one feature only, the latest pastel glitters give a sophisticated sparkle.