It seems there are zillions of new fashion blogs and Web sites being created every second.

Lauren Dimet Waters launched the fashion site Second City Style almost five years ago—a lifetime in the Web world—with her partner Carol Calacci.

Originally, she created the site to give style advice to Chicago women, hence the name. Today, it still serves the Windy City, as well as New York, Atlanta and Los Angeles. The consumer-friendly site includes fun features like "Chic Celebrity Looks at New York Fashion Week," "It Girl" Style and more.

Think you have what it takes to launch your own fashion blog or site? Read on for my interview with Waters. 

 

Chanel has a knack for creating nail colors that become the must-have shades every season—only to become beauty classics after their initial blockbuster debut.

Years ago, it was Vamp. And last year, it was Jade.

This spring, the color of the season is Particulière, also known as Shade 505. One might say the grayish clay color is the perfect answer for the neutrals dominating the fashion landscape this spring. I would agree.

 

Who has time or money these days to hit the salon every time you want your hair to look polished and perfect? To get the look of a salon blow out at home, I asked Antonio Prieto, owner of his namesake New York City salon. Here's how:

First step, it starts with a good shampoo. Prieto recommends starting with a shampoo and conditioner, formulated for your hair type. If your hair is frizzy, he recommends Kerastase Oleo Relax shampoo and the Oleo Relax Slim Masque, or any anti-frizz shampoo and conditioner will do. Then, use a styling product to prep and protect the hair for the blow dry, such as Kerastase Oleo Slim styling product, or any styling lotion.  

Let me tell you something, if you think your hair looks bad and are hiding behind ponytails and even considering a wig—it probably does look bad. Maybe even worse than you imagined. Sorry.

And if you're telling your hairstylist that you're not happy with your hair and they're not listening to you—it's time to say goodbye and find a new salon. Pronto. Don't be like me, and keep hoping you can work the situation out over a period of months while your hair is progressively getting worse. It's your money, your hair, move on.

 

What Lady Gaga actually said was: "I would rather die than have my fans not see me in a pair of high heels."

Wearing flats might make Gaga seem more like a regular Lady and take away from her star mystique. "You see legendary people taking out their trash, I think it's destroying show business," she said on the British television show. "I'd never give up my wigs and hats for anything."

What do you prefer—heels or flats?

Personally, I agree with Gaga and love how serious she takes her role as a performer and the need to dress the part.

But like the majority of gals, I don't have to worry about maintaining my show business image, so I prefer flats. They're much more comfortable than heels, easy to walk in and usually don't kill my feet (unless they don't fit correctly).  

Deep inside I harbor not a child, but one prissy missy.  

The tax deadline is right around the corner, and everyone is analyzing their spending.

Do you know how much you spend annually on your cosmetics? You may think splurging on a new mascara or lipstick won't make a dent in your overall budget.

Think again.

Don't get us wrong, we're not telling you not to buy new makeup, but a recent British survey shows that women spend an average of 9,000 British pounds, or about $14,000 (on this day, the exchange estimated it to be $13,530) over the course of their lifetime.

How? That's because, starting at about age 16, women will buy mascara, foundation and lipstick at least five times a year. They spend at least $40 each time, according to the survey.