As someone who has been (fake) blonde for decades, I know a thing or two about brassiness. These unwanted warm tones can make blonde look too yellow or even red-orange. Purple shampoo can help neutralize these tones but it can be seriously drying to strands. Enter: Olaplex’s first purple shampoo. No.4P Blonde Enhancer Toning Shampoo, to be exact.

“A purple shampoo is designed for blondes, anyone with blonde highlights, and all hair types including gray hair,” said colorist Christin Brown. “Brassy hair can be caused by everything from hard water to time elapsed in between color sessions and even exposure to [the] sun.”

Purple shampoo works by depositing pigments of purple color into the hair to neutralize yellow tones. But not all purple shampoo is created equal.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Olaplex.

Since many toning shampoos can dry strands, Olaplex finally released its own enhancer to brighten blondes while hydrating and repairing strands. It contains the brand’s patterned bond-building technology to rebuild broken and weakened bonds. That way, you can repair damaged hair while you tone.

While I’m nothing close to a colorist, I fancy myself a bit of a blonde pro and a purple shampoo connoisseur. Here’s how I used Olaplex’s new version. I washed my hair with my own regular shampoo first. I find this helps get rid of product build-up first. You can totally use Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo ($28 at Sephora) but you don’t have to. Then, I massaged a quarter-sized amount of No. 4P into my hair, concentrating on where I have the brightest blonde (the front of my hair and my ends).

Now, this stuff is concentrated. What does that mean? Well, the darker the purple shampoo, the better it will brighten. (Those lavender hues don’t do much.) This one is dark — so dark, in fact, you should move quickly because it temporarily dyed my nails and hands. Don’t worry, it washes off. The color concentration is worth it.

The directions say to leave it in for 2-3 minutes or up to five minutes for more intense toning. I was too lazy to set my phone timer so I guessed it was ready after about five minutes. I washed it out and followed up with my regular ultra-hydrating conditioner. Again, you can use Olaplex No. 5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner ($28 at Sephora) but that’s totally up to you.

Before, I was wearing scarves and headbands until I see my colorist again.

Elizabeth Denton.

While not drastic after just one wash, I did notice my hair looked a lot brighter. I snapped a quick selfie at brunch thinking my color looked really good! You can see how the front pieces have much fewer orange tones. Even better, my hair didn’t feel dry at all.

Elizabeth Denton.

While the brand says you can use No.4P as often as you’d like, I think I’ll use it every few washes. Those with platinum or gray hair might want to use it a little more often as they’ll want to neutralize more yellow than my golden strands. My hair is pretty fine so I prefer to only use bond-building products a few times a month.

No.4P Blonde Enhancer Toning Shampoo just launched and I have a feeling Sephora will have a hard time keeping it in stock. Grab it online now while you can.

Clutter in our technology is not that
different from the clutter we maintain in our home. The more unorganized we
get, the more overwhelmed we are, and the more ineffective technology becomes
to us.

It doesn’t take long for our devices
to be stuffed with unused apps. Photos, emails, and files are strewn, without
order or a system, in various places. Once it becomes apparent we are lost, we
don’t even know how to clean it all up. Here are some tips to help avoid
digital chaos.

Keeping a Tidy Inbox

Many of us are guilty of maintaining
thousands of emails in our Inbox. Your Inbox isn’t a storage bin. Treat it like
your mailbox at home. Likewise, your Inbox should only have the new email that
hasn’t been read or processed.

The best way to avoid having an
overflowing Inbox is to empty it every day. Make it a habit. It’s best practice
to review email and then either respond to it, delete it, or move it to the
appropriate folder for future reference.

Email providers give you the option
to create folders to help keep your space organized. Use this feature! You can
create folders by a person’s name, a topic, or an entity.

If your Inbox is already overflowing,
start the clean-up process by bulk deleting emails, especially junk, to take
control of your email situation.

On any device you can select all or remove multiple emails all at once. This will help you get back to zero, or at least a manageable number.

If it’s crazy, search the Inbox by a
sender’s name, and then delete the bunch. Devote half an hour, once a week, to
the cleaning up process and stay out of overwhelm.

When it comes to email, like with
snail mail, junk mail is unavoidable. Fortunately, the spam filter can catch a
lot of the garbage, so you don’t have to deal with it. To get the most out of
the spam filter, you must train it.

If an email in the Inbox is spam,
don’t just delete it, mark it as junk. It is also good to get in the habit to
check your junk/spam folder once a week to make sure relevant emails are not
accidentally caught by the spam filter.

Once you have cleaned up your junk
email, start unsubscribing as new unwanted emails come in. Or use a free
service like Unroll.Me that helps you to unsubscribe from newsletters or
organize them into one email delivered daily or weekly.

Smart Photo Management

One of the most significant benefits
of having a smartphone is that you have a camera everywhere you go, so you
don’t miss out on life’s little moments.

The downside is that you have photos
of every moment, and if you are like me, you have multiple shots of the
same thing to ensure you got the perfect one.

The technology running our phones has dramatically improved. On most phones, you can search by person, place, or categories (i.e., dogs, Manhattan, or beach) to find a photo, but that doesn’t mean you should let your photos get out of control. There are a few things you can do to stay organized.

Sift Through the Bulk

Take some time after a vacation or
special event to go through the photos and delete the non-essential images.
Only keep the best pictures.

Use Special Recognition Filters

Facial recognition is a technology
that makes organizing photos easier. With Apple or Google Photos and multiple
other apps, you can assign faces to named people. Your photos are automatically
sorted into albums by names. All it takes is a little time to get it organized
and set up.

Get Cloud Storage

Cloud storage has gotten very
affordable and easy to use. It is best to back-up your photos to a cloud
service in case something happens to your device.

Some of the more reliable options are
Apple iCloud, Google Photos, and Amazon Photos. Once you choose which service
you prefer, make sure it is set-up to sync with your device automatically.

Better File Organization

Organization is vital to file
management and being able to retrieve things when you need them. The search
function on your device or computer can be handy to find files, but you
shouldn’t merely rely on that. Having a few critical systems in place will make
your digital life much more functional.

• Set
  up a naming method for your files that is detailed and consistent.
• Use
  dates and keywords in file names.
• Create
  folder structures for high-level categories such as Kids, Finances, Home, or
  Medical. Don’t make it overly complicated.
• Put
  digital files in the appropriate folders quickly when saving.

Make it a practice every few months
to clean up your device. Get rid of every app, game, and file you haven’t used
in 90 days. Ask yourself: do I really need this? If not, delete it!

What is
your biggest frustration with keeping files, photos, or emails organized? What
is the best tip you know of for getting organized? We would love to hear from
you.

I went on my first diet when I was 14. I had been a gymnast and a diver when I was younger, and as I slipped into the more sedentary life of a teenager – and my body entered puberty – I started worrying that I weighed too much.

I came by it honestly. My mother went on a diet every Monday morning for most of my childhood. By Thursday, we were eating cookies and ice cream for dessert again and her weight – which I actually never noticed – didn’t change much.

I became a runner in my 30s and for years that allowed me to eat what I wanted to eat and stay within a comfortable weight range for myself. It wasn’t really until menopause that I entered another phase of having trouble keeping weight off.

Fitness After 50 Is More than a Number on a Scale

I’m almost embarrassed to say that it took me that long to realize that the number on the scale, the shape of our body and how we feel about that shape is not something we can fix or correct or change with a short-term eating plan. As trite as it may sound – and as many times as we’ve heard it – being fit really is about how we live, not about how little we can manage to eat or what we put into our mouths.

More than anything, fitness is a result of paying attention to what and how much we eat, moving our bodies every single day, enjoying a mix of good, healthy foods and making this a lifetime commitment, not a short-term fix.

Paying Attention to What and How Much We Eat

More and more, fitness and weight loss plans are getting on board with the approach of paying attention by providing computer apps that help you track what foods you consume each day. This makes it infinitely easier than writing down each granola bar and chicken breast you eat, but the idea is the same. It keeps you accountable to yourself.

If you know you are going to record what you eat, it makes you pay attention. After a few days of noting what you’re consuming, you start thinking about food before you eat it. Do I really want to have to write down that I ate a half a box of Wheat Thins? Maybe I’ll have a sliced apple instead.

Most of the programs give you a range of calories or points for food items based on your objectives so you know that if you stay within that range, you can achieve your goals.

Moving Your Body Every Single Day

You don’t have to run marathons to get in shape or stay there. You need to move every day and you need to gradually increase that movement when you’re ready. If it’s been awhile since you’ve walked around the block, try a half a block. Let’s face it – it’s better than sitting on your couch.

Researchers believe that as we age and begin to feel that our bodies aren’t as capable as they once were, it may have more to do with the fact that we stop moving than it does with actual decline.

Keeping our bodies going, including some kind of cardiovascular movement and some kind of weight-bearing exercise, is what we need to get through the long haul. The cardio keeps our blood flowing and the weight-bearing work builds muscle and bone density. We all need that whether we’re trying to lose weight or gain it.

Enjoying a Mix of Good, Healthy Foods

For most of us, when we start thinking about losing weight or getting into better shape, we immediately think of having to eat foods that are “good” for us, and nothing that is delicious.

Although it’s not a good idea to live on hot dogs and French fries, it’s the balanced diet that will allow us to make this a lifestyle and not just a quickly failing, one-shot venture.

We all know that it’s a good idea to eat fruits and vegetables, lean protein and fiber, and it’s easier than ever today to follow this guideline. Grocery stores even sell packaged meals that are both fresh and frozen.

The good news is that you can also have a treat every once in a while, especially if you’re paying attention to what you’re consuming and how much of it you’re eating.

Making This a Lifetime Commitment

I wish my mother had lived long enough to realize that we all struggle with staying healthy and fit and that no new diet plan is going to change that.

They key is always moderation, but it’s also remembering to see fitness in the same way you think of any aspect of your health. You would never say, “Well, I brushed my teeth for three months so now I don’t have to do it anymore,” or “I slept a lot last week. I think I’ll stay awake all this week.”

We need to be smart and realistic about our weight and our fitness and there’s plenty of help in the world these days to get there. Look around online and find a good app for tracking what you eat. Find out which works best for your lifestyle.

What “treat” foods do you have trouble moderating? Maybe try keeping smaller containers in your cupboards, but still let yourself have a little bit now and then. Meet with a friend who also wants to get into better shape and make a health plan together. Who would be a good partner as you embark on this new lifestyle?

How have you committed to fitness in your life? What have you found most helpful in avoiding pitfalls? Do you have a group of friends with similar goals? How do you support one another? Please join the conversation.

I’m not trying to brag too much here, but I’m pretty certain that I have one of the coolest, most enviable jobs around. Reason being? I scour the internet for the best shopping deals and coolest trends every day, and get to test out so many amazing new clothing pieces, beauty products, and home goods. I’ve been a shopping writer and editor for a few years now, and have developed a knack for determining which products are worth every penny, and which ones are better left in the virtual cart. 

This month is all about stepping into the fall comfortably. Stores like Target are beginning to roll out their fall home lines and sites are seeing increased search interest in moisturizing and clarifying products (makes sense, given that temps are sadly going to plummet and the air is about to dry). Amazon’s Movers & Shakers page—a section that shows what items are rising in popularity—is filled to the brim with soothing lotions and oils. Google is being inundated with “fall fashion” inquiries and people on Pinterest are starting to search for pumpkin recipes and candles once more. 

My shopping carts fit the bill for these fall trends perfectly. I’m shopping for nourishing face masks, sleek platform loafers, and cozy throw blankets to start my cold weather months off the right way. Check out the eight essentials I’ll be buying this September below: 

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Target is a STYLECASTER sponsor, however, all products in this article were independently selected by our editors. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Courtesy: Neutrogena.

Neutrogena Anti-Residue Clarifying Shampoo

I don’t know what it is about spending so much time indoors, but ever since the pandemic began, my scalp has been a mess. I’ve experienced more dandruff and dryness these past two years than I have collectively my entire life. My one saving grace? This simple clarifying shampoo. It removes icky product build-up from dry shampoos and conditioners without stripping my hair of its natural oils. For best results, I swap this product with my typical purple shampoo once or twice a week. 

Courtesy: Sam Edelman.

Sam Edelman Laurs Platform Loafer 

I’m of the belief that if you have a good pair of loafers, you can wear them across every season. I love the androgynous vibe of the shoes. They’re punk and sexy at the same time. Unfortunately, most quality pairs are a few hundred dollars. That’s why, when I found these Sam Edelman ones, I squealed out loud with glee. The Olivia Rodrigo-esque shoes platforms come in black, tan, or green and pair them with practically every dress or pair of pants you’ve got hanging in your closet. 

Courtesy: Target.

Cable Knit Chenille Throw Blanket

There is no problem that curling into a cozy throw blanket can’t solve. This is why at the beginning of every fall season, I gift myself a new one. I love the look of all things cable knit. The sophisticated design makes tops and accessories like this blanket, which is just $25, look so much more expensive than they are. 

Courtesy: Nest New York.

Nest Pumpkin Chai Candle

It’s time for society to pass the point of calling everything pumpkin scented or flavored basic. Let’s all just agree that pumpkin anything is delicious and should be celebrated, not mocked. This September, I’m going all in on candles. Nest’s Pumpkin Chai candle is everything I want to cover my space. The spice scent is decadent without being overwhelming. Plus, the candle itself is a warm orange. You can’t find a better fall candle than this. 

Courtesy: Mr. Coffee.

Mr. Coffee Mug Warmer

I’m fairly certain that this clever coffee invention was made for me. It ensures that slow sippers (moi) won’t ever have to deal with lukewarm drinks ever again. To use it, all you have to do is flip the switch on, and the base will warm your cup’s bottom and keep the liquids inside nice and hot. I’ll be keeping this accessory on my WFH desk at all times. 

Courtesy: Free People.

Free People Picnic Sweater Romper

This fall, I don’t want to wear anything that requires more than a little effort to put on. Jeans? Absolutely not. A button-up shirt? You’ve got to be kidding. Heels? Please, don’t make me laugh. But this sweater romper? Sign me tf up. It’s like wearing a stylish and socially acceptable set of onesie pajamas. I plan to keep it on at home during work and lounge time, then dress it up when I go out with tights and combat boots. It’s such a simple look, but those are the best ones to style again and again.  

Courtesy: PÜR.

PÜR 4-in-1 Sculpting Concealer 

There are very few people I trust with makeup advice. One of them is Rachel Nussbaum, InStyle’s beauty writer. She knows everything there is to know about the ingredients that comprise popular foundations, hairsprays, etc. Her vast knowledge comes with a lot of heartbreak. She often tells me (and her readers) of the harmful irritants that are too-often included in name brand products, so when there’s a brand she approves of, I take note. Rachel told me that Pur is on her list of A-Okay concealers, so I’m hopping on this 4-in-1 color corrector faster than a kid on a trampoline. It comes in 16 shades, costs under $25, and is free from the nastiness of phthalates, aluminum, and talc.

Courtesy: Summer Fridays.

Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask

I’m a writer living in New York. Translation: I don’t have an income that gives me the means to spend hefty amounts of cash on skincare (nor do I want to). Spending close to $50 on a face mask would physically and emotionally pain me if I didn’t already know and love this one so much. I’ve been using Summer Fridays’ Jet Lag Mask for years. It saved my skin when I was on Accutane, and continues to be my secret to non-greasy hydration. I’d say I have to stock up on it about every five months, and this September is one of them. I’ll be using it to prevent cracked winter skin, and before date nights or brunches to give me a Hailey Bieber-esque glow.

Do you ever feel like the Universe or other people are out to get you? Interestingly, the greatest enemy you’ll ever face is staring back at you in the mirror. It knows all your tricks and how to push your buttons. Maybe you sabotage yourself in ways you’ve never imagined.

Consider these ways you might be keeping yourself from the rich and fulfilling life you deserve:

Your Standards Are Too Low

It has been said that you get what you tolerate. You, of all people, should consider your life to be a sacred thing, but sometimes you’re willing to get into relationships with people who aren’t worthy of you.

Do you ever bristle at someone’s response to you? That is your heart telling you not to tolerate treatment that is not respectful. The next time you have a negative feeling about how you are treated, ask yourself if you would ever treat someone that way.

Treat yourself like someone you care deeply for.

You’re Too Concerned with the Opinions of Others

Be brave enough to do your thing without concern for what others will think. This is part of the freedom of aging. If someone wants to judge your actions or activities, so what? You are free to be fun, adventurous or quirky!

You Lack Assertiveness

You can be ‘nice’ and still be assertive. Be willing to let others know what you think, want, and need. You’ll be more likely to achieve what you want and garner respect from others.

Make sure you speak up when you are not respected. When someone says something disrespectful to me, I sometimes respond with an innocent but assertive response: “Are you talking to ME?”

You Spend Money on Things You Don’t Need

When I had four young children, I was in a constant battle to manage their possessions. Toys and clothing threatened to bury me! I was perpetually sifting and sorting.

Now, I am in a new season of sifting and sorting. Before I buy something, I ask myself if I will really use it, where I will put it and if I really need it. A season of downsizing is easier when you stem the tide of new possessions!

You Prioritize Short-Term Over Long-Term

A vanilla latte every day versus a family vacation next year. People that struggle with this kind of dilemma are too influenced by their emotions in the present instead of thinking long-term.

I admit I struggle greatly in this area. That yummy dish of ice cream often wins out over the thought of thinner thighs. But, as in all things, there is a balance.

I choose to live enough in the short-term to savor it. Yet I keep in mind the needs of the long-term, like sufficient finances, continued activity and mobility and a rich and fulfilling life.

You Put Your Heart Over Your Head, and Vice Versa

Figuring out whether to listen to your heart or head is a personal journey. When it comes to dealing with day-to-day decisions, your intellect is usually the best choice. Far-reaching decisions are often best left to the heart.

For example, choosing a career or a spouse might be best left to the heart. Deciding whether to spend $100 at a yard sale versus paying your electric bill on time should be made with your head.

You Fail to Commit

Without commitment, you’re just wishing, hoping and wasting your time. Once you commit to something, it’s as good as done. It’s only a question of how long it will take to do your part. If you’re willing to change your mind, you eventually will.

A case in point for me is the exercise of creativity. If I don’t commit to a writing schedule, or even a loose plan, those words don’t get created! Because I am committed to the joy of self-expression, I make the time to write and create.

You Give Fear Too Much Power in Your Decision-Making Process

We are inclined to avoid fear in the short-term rather than override that fear with intellect. Unless your life or finances are in danger, fear should be left out of the picture.

Are there things you are afraid to do? Maybe you want to travel or try something new, but fear holds you back. Would your life be enriched by the experience you fear? Sometimes you just need to go for it!

Self-sabotage is frustrating and often challenging to notice. We all sabotage ourselves in a variety of ways. The biggest obstacle to your success is yourself. Notice which of your habits make you get in your own way and begin changing them. Mastering yourself is the biggest step to mastering life.

Can you identify ways you sabotage yourself? What areas, for you, are most vulnerable? Can you think of a few small steps you can take to smash the sabotage? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.