A woman's 30s are a busy decade—careers take off, dating gets serious, and families get started. Your haircut needs to keep up. We rounded up five styles so gorgeous, you'll be looking forward to your next birthday.

SOFTENED PIXIE

Anne Hathaway

A short cut is perfect for women who are on the move, says hairstylist Bridget Brager. While this cut isn't exactly wash and go, your drying time will be seriously reduced. But not all pixies are created equal: Ask your stylist for layers that, in Brager's words, "melt—they're barely noticeable, and keep the sides from looking choppy or poufy." All it takes to style is a bit of pomade (we love Göt2b Defiant Define + Shine Pomade) or, for those with heart-shaped faces, a spritz of volumizing spray, such as Alterna Bamboo Volume 48-Hour Sustainable Volume Spray, to give the roots a boost. The goal is for this to look effortless, so those with coarse, curly hair may want to avoid, as it will require lots of styling. "It's such a confident style," she says. "And at 30, that's how you should be."

GRADUATED BOB

Michelle Dockery

Dockery may play an Edwardian lady in Downton Abbey, but her haircut is far from stuffy—or worse, soccer mom–ish. "It's a beautiful way to do a bob," Brager says. "Shorter in back and slightly angled in front, it has so much volume and shows off her natural texture." A bonus? It's easy to style (and flatters just about every face shape and hair texture). Just blow-dry with a diffuser until it's about 60 percent dry, then let your natural texture take care of the rest. Curl a few face-framing pieces, and run a pomade, such as WELLA Texture Touch Reworkable Clay 2.51oz, through the ends to make them look piecey.

BLUNT LOB

Olivia Munn

"The common thread with all of these styles is that they look so effortless, but put together," Brager says. "A collarbone-length cut is one of the most versatile. You can wear it up or down without it getting in the way." For those with round or heart-shaped faces, ask your stylist for a version that's all one length with blunt ends. If your face is oval or square, request a few face-framing layers to give it dimension and accentuate your cheekbones. Those with thicker hair will also want to ask their stylist to thin it out, eliminating bulk (and any chance of helmet head). All this cut needs for that tousled finish is a little volumizing spray, such as Fekkai Advanced Full Blown Volume Lifting Hairspray, before blow-drying. Spritz from the roots to midshaft, Brager says.

TOUSLED LAYERS

Zoe Saldana

"When you're younger, you want to make a statement," Brager says. "In your late teens and 20s, you try every trend and fry the crap out of your hair. For your 30s, you want your hair to do its own thing, not be overdone." And Saldana does just that with this wavy, medium-length cut. Because of its length, anyone can pull off this cut—heart-shaped or square face, coarse or fine hair. Using your natural part, ask for layers that start at your chin. "They make waves look even more bouncy," she says.

LONG LAYERS WITH SOFT BANGS
Jessica Biel

Now, we're not saying you should try fringe as a way to cover up signs of aging. There's actually a much better reason to give bangs a try: "They frame your best features," Brager says. Those with round faces can pull off straight-across styles, while others should go for a lash-grazing version that angles down at the corners. Long, below-the-shoulder layers are a perfect complement; just blow-dry smooth with a round brush (a little bend at the ends adds softness) and dab an oil, like L'Oréal Professionnel Mythic Oil, at the ends for major shine. "It looks so healthy—and totally age appropriate," Brager says.

Most hair thickeners coat strands and thus are easily washed off, but newer versions add volume from within. In laboratory studies, L'Oréal Paris researchers have shown that the compound filloxane (also known as Intra-Cylane) penetrates the hair shaft, expands and strengthens the hair, and lasts for several washes. Similar to the silica gel used to fill cracks in car windshields, the technology is also inspired by wrinkle fillers for the skin, says Elisabeth Bouhadana, global scientific communications director for L'Oréal Paris. Added to serums or shampoos and conditioners, filloxane's small molecules slip through hair cuticles, attracted like magnets to proteins inside the fiber. They bind to the hair proteins as well as to each other, forming a rigid, stable network that adds volume to naturally thin or aging hair, according to the company's research. Hair reaches its maximum thickness after ten uses, and the effect lasts for five to ten washes after that, Bouhadana says. The ingredient (found in L'Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle Volume Filler products) is compatible with colored hair.

These magical tools can do a lot more than just straighten your strands! From curls to color, check out five new hairstyles you can create with a flat iron.

Beachy Waves

For instant waves, section your dry hair into two-inch strands and braid each of them. Squeeze your flat iron down each braid, one at a time. After the sections cool, undo the braids and run your fingers through to separate the kinks into laid-back waves! Finish the style with a spritz of sea salt spray for beachy hold.

Big, Bouncy Curls

Once you master the flat iron technique, it's a way quicker method for making perfect curls. To create curls, clamp the iron at the top of about a two-inch section of hair, then twist the iron 90 degrees up or down and pull it through your hair. It's the same idea as curling a ribbon with scissors when you're wrapping a present!

Bright Strands

After applying hair chalk, go over your strands with a flat iron to make the color super vibrant! This smooths out your cuticles, trapping the pretty pastel chalk inside so it looks like a real dye job.

Bouncy Blowout

Similar to curling your hair, you can use a flat iron to just add a little bit of movement to the bottom of your strands. Starting about three inches from the end of your hair, clamp the iron on small sections of hair, flip it up or down 90 degrees, and pull it gently through.

Side-Swept Bangs

If your cowlick is bringing your bang game down, a flat iron is your hairstyling bestie. After blow drying your fringe in all different directions, use a mini straightener to get right up to your roots and straighten hair while sweeping bangs to the side.

Is it just us, or does anyone else get ticked off by those articles that tell you what beauty products to splurge on and what to cheap out on? Maybe we're being overly sensitive, but we don't appreciate being made to feel guilty for our love of pricey cleansers. We'll spend our hard-earned cash on whatever we damn well please, thank you very much.

Just as beauty is not one size fits all, so are spending habits unique to each girl. Maybe your skin does just fine with a drugstore moisturizer, but your lashes revolt if you give them anything but that expensive department-store mascara. There's no "right" category to splurge on because everyone values something different in the beauty realm. Nor is every girl working with the same bank balance — what seems exorbitant to one is a justifiable expense to another.

With that in mind, we've gathered up a whopping 90 of the best beauty products for literally every budget. In the following Pictures, you'll find our picks for the best of the best in each product category, sorted out into the low-, mid-, and luxury-price ranges. What you won't find is us shaming you into using a less fancy shampoo because "you're just washing your cash down the drain." You worked hard for your money, so spend it on whatever makes you happiest.

Skimp: Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash

This oil-free cleanser clears away dirt and oil without sucking all of the moisture from your skin in the process.

Split: Fresh Soy Face Cleanser

A favorite amongst aestheticians, this extra-gentle gel cleanser works wonders to remove even the most stubborn makeup, but leaves your face feeling soft and supple.

Splurge: Tata Harper Refreshing Cleanser

All-natural and non-foaming, this luxe cleanser babies sensitive skin with a gentle botanical formula that removes makeup and cleanses without drying out your complexion.

Best Price