The Magic Of A Straightener

Every morning when I get out of the shower, my hair is an absolute frizz-ball mess. It’s not fun having to go through the day with your hair sticking out every which way because it contains so much frizz. If you have this exact feeling every morning too then you are completely normal. The only way to help soothe some of these crazy ends in your hair is to apply some heat. When I say heat I don’t mean you should blow dry your hair. Blow drying is so bad for this cause because it just creates even more frizz for you to have to deal with in the end.

One of the easiest ways to begin your process of removing frizz is to let your hair air dry. I do this almost every time that I shower and it never fails. Some say it leaves their hair feeling snarly but if you brush it once before you get out of the shower and then pull back your bangs and let the rest of the hair hang, it dries so much faster. The less bulk you have in your hair, the easier and less time it will take.

After your hair is completely dry, you can apply your pre-straightening helper. This would be the heat protectant spray that helps prevent so much split end outcome from hair straightening everyday. Even if you don’t straighten everyday, it still helps and should be used thoroughly anytime you use a straightener. Back in the day, women didn’t have any kind of protection from their curlers or curling irons so take advantage of these kinds of sprays to keep your hair healthy.

This next step is where all the magic begins to transform your stringy, frizzy hair into a lovely and lengthened style. Turn your iron onto the according heat setting for your kind of hair and as you begin to straighten, pull the iron through the section of hair in a vertical motion. This helps prevent crease lines that show where the straightener began in your hair. As you pull it through the hair, notice the beauty it creates in your hair. The frizz seems to disappear and shine seems to stand out like never before.

It seems weird knowing that your hair can transform into a goddess style with just one pull-through of a straightener. It’s because of all the heat that your hair seems to tame itself and look more relaxed. Your last step should be to apply some kind of serum that will tame the frizz even more and also keep it from reappearing after being in humid air. Apply a dime sized amount to your hair and smooth it through to be sure and lock in the shine.

Facebook-Inspired Styles

Lots of girls think that they have to get celebrity-inspired styles for big events. It’s a smart idea and not to mention a very popular idea too. The only thing is, usually hairdressers can’t do exactly what pictures of celebrities look like. It’s a little more difficult than it seems because everyone’s hair is different for one thing. For another thing, celebrity stylists have access to the most top-of-the-line tools because of who’s hair they style. It’d be boring to see a celebrity on the red carpet with their tossed up into a ponytail wouldn’t it?

Most stylists use tools like hair straighteners and curling irons to reach the exact style that their client may be after. Although these tools are available to everyone around the world, celebrity hairstylists own brands of these tools that some couldn’t even imagine to afford. Certain straighteners are extremely hard to get your hands on and it’s not something so simple as just going to Wal-Mart and grabbing an iron for twenty bucks. We’re talking hundreds of dollars for a simple straightener and why? Because it’s used on stylists like Jessica Alba and Taylor Swift.

One tip you can use to help get more realistic ideas for prom would be to look at websites like Facebook or Pinterest. These websites have styles inspired by girls who are going to the exact same occasions if you search specifically for “prom styles.” Facebook is great because you can search a hairstyle that one of your friends from school used in previous years. If you don’t want them to think you copied you, change a little something about the style-pull your bangs back into a poof or add in a flower to distract from identical matching. This is where Pinterest may be a little more helpful. You can search “prom styles” and you won’t get pictures of girls from your school but the pictures will still be realistic. Maybe you can even save a little more money by finding a DIY (do it yourself) kind of hairstyle for your big night.

Using celebrity-inspired styles on your hair is really fun and a great way to pull of the biggest night of the year. The only problem is that it may not give you the most realistic styles. Some of the styles can be impossible to pull of, depending on how detailed the style is. Go ahead and do a search for fun celebrity ideas, but remind yourself to take a look at your number one visited website, Facebook. You’d be surprised at how many fun styles you can find.

How Celebrities Do It

Have you ever been to a concert or seen a performance on an awards show and noticed how absolutely perfect the performer looks? Her makeup doesn’t seem to run no matter how much she sweats, her hair seems to remain free from frizz and doesn’t get wet from all the sweat. How do they do it? Looking perfect seems so hard for normal people to pull off and if you think about it, celebrities surely couldn’t do it without the help of their stylists.

Seeing a girl on a blazing hot stage with dozens of lights on her with flawless makeup makes you wonder why you can’t keep your makeup flawless during a low-stress day at school. The truth behind the scenes is actually…behind the scenes! Stars could never look as great as they do if they didn’t have touch up’s every time they exited stage during breaks. The job of a stylist is to update the performer’s look at every possible second.

For example, Fergie could sprint off stage with straight hair just to “change her outfit,” but when she gets back she has a whole different wardrobe, a new smoky-eyed makeup, and curly hair. This all happens in a matter of about sixty seconds and many people are amazed at how this can be pulled off. A stylist has tons and tons of practice and knows just how the business works: fast-pace and frantic. No matter how hard they may work it out on stage, celebs can always count on their trusty hair straighteners to get through frizz and messed up ends for each moment of the show.

You know those things called dress rehearsals? Yep, that’s how the stylist prepares him or herself and gets ready for the big show. They time everything from curling pieces of hair to getting the ride shade of eyeshadow applied. Of course they have their little secret tools that they love/have to use but it’s all about time and the pace that everyone moves at. The flawlessness is almost impossible to achieve, mostly because no one has the same type of hair as another person. Therefore, there isn’t one trick that is going to help each and every person’s hair; it takes a variety of ways depending on the type of hair you have.

 

Spring Transformation Cuts

Bust out the hair shears, it’s time to get rid of your boring winter hairstyle and bring out a fun new ‘do for the new season. Spring needs a little splash of fun and what better way to bring out your fun side than to get a fun new cut. No matter how much time it takes, it is definitely worth the time and effort. Your final transformation in the end will be enough proof that the time and money are worth the investment.

Some of the easiest styles to perfect are during the spring season, especially the early spring time. This is because the humidity in the air is beginning to change in the early part of spring, so you’re catching the frizz and damaged ends right at the perfect time. It’s much easier to cut hair in the transition of seasons rather than in the middle of the summer when the hair is filled with frizz and bulky ends that have been damaged by humidity. Use this to your advantage when you get your new cut for springtime.

Some of the hottest trends in hair right now are being drenched with shine and glam. One of the biggest trends of spring this year, 2012, is to have “glistening hair” according to Harper’s Bazaar. Whether you long and bouncy curls or a short and pin-straight bob, your hair could definitely fit in this spring when its paired with some shine. To complete this look, buy yourself a fresh trim from your hairstylist to start out and be sure she cuts off all of the damaged ends. The best part of this spring trend is that you don’t have to use your shears all that much. As long as your stylist gets rid of the dead ends in your hair, you can just get by with a trim and finish it off with your shining serum.

On the other hand, some girls do a completely new look for their spring/summer cut and are more than happy to lose tons of their locks. If you’d be interested in doing something like this to keep cooler in the awful humidity, there are a few easy and simple steps to follow. One piece of advice to start out with is to put this project into the hands of a professional. If you usually give yourself at-home trims, do not trust yourself to perform a spring transformation style like this.

A couple of fun trends for getting hair all cut off include the pixie cut, and the short Victoria Beckham style. These styles are very easy and fun to play with as long as you keep it thin and edgy. With a pixie cut, you should always be looking for choppy and extremely short so that the ends are fun yet easy to take care of each day. This is one of the easiest styles of summer/spring because it has the least amount of hair and is easiest to style.

As for the Beckham bob, you need the help of your stylist to get a really good angle. Start with extreme layers that stack up the back of your head of hair. Make sure she keeps it light and thin so it’s not an overbearing process to style it each morning. The point of this cut is to accentuate your cheek bones and give a little volume to the roots of your hair. To do this, have your stylist bring the sides of the bob down to the ears and cut them at an angle so each side stars at the stack behind the head and “diags” all the way down to your earlobes or longer (your choice). Edgy is always fun for spring and it’s totally in this year!

Whether you plan on getting all your hair chopped off, or just getting a quick trim to keep cool for the spring/summer seasons, these ideas are sure to help. With funky bobs to long and “glistening” hair, you are sure to get a great look that will turn heads this season!

The Life Of A Straight Girl

People often ask me what my natural hair looks like. Recently, I have been lazy about styling my hair each day and just have had no time to do anything besides shower and let it hang the whole day. Of course it dries as the day goes on but so many people ask if I straighten my hair after it dries because it looks pin straight, draping down my shoulders. The truth is, I probably have the straightest hair known to mankind. Having naturally straight hair does have its perks at times but it definitely is not as fun as having wavy hair.

When I wake up in the morning and begin styling my hair, I realize how straight my hair already is and instantly, I know that my routine will not take as long as most girls my age. Since my hair is so naturally straight, I can cut about twenty minutes off of  my “getting ready for the day” time each morning. I either let it go for the day, only running a brush through the ends or I throw it up in a ponytail. This is a benefit of having straight hair because it allows me to focus on eating a bigger breakfast, doing my makeup better, or picking out a prettier outfit. But there are some cons to having straight hair too.

Each time that I look in my hair in the mirror, I am reminded how dull and boring it is. I wish that somedays it would hold a little bounce in the roots. I can barely even tease my hair because it’s so thin and fine and straight. Thicker, curlier hair tends to hold volume much easier. It’s also not fun having straight hair because you can’t really mix up your style each day. It gets boring wearing my hair straight day after day while other girls can scrunch their hair with gel some days and show off their natural waves.

I do use hair straighteners, but not as often as most people my age. This could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you look at it. It saves me some time and damage to my ends but it also limits what else I can do to style my hair each morning, especially if I don’t have time to do something fun like curl it to be bouncy. There may be others in the world with the same problem that I have, but I must say, my hair has got to be one of the straightest out there.

Give Up Boring Cuts

I grew up with a hairstylist whom my family was very devout to and also served as a second mom to me. I have never gotten a haircut from anyone other than my long-time stylist. I have mastered exactly how she works toward cutting hair and the exact tools she uses in the process. I have seen her in action so many times that sometimes I swear I could be her. But recently, I watched a friend perform a cut on a client and realized there are so many more tools available for stylists. It was like I came out of my sheltered styling life that I was living.

Although I’m not a hairstylist myself, Jeanette (my hairdresser) has always told me the exact tools that she uses on my hair and all the things I need to know about her process of styling. Since I have grown up watching her give cuts, I haven’t known there to be any other way to cut someone’s hair. It was amazing to me to see how much there is to offer in the world of hair salons and styling besides just hair scissors and hairspray.

My friend began her process with a fresh wash. She then moved over to her cutting station where she began her actual haircut with the professional shears. The shears she used were very high-profile and glided right through the client’s hair. This part of the process is the only part I’ve ever seen take place. The next part was the big surprise for me; my friend got out her “texturizing shears” and began creating layers upon layers of hair and removing excess bulk in the client’s hair. After she got all of the texturizing done, she moved on to the bangs. She styled this part of the hair but using a razor and running it through the ends of the bangs to take off split ends and excess bulk, once again.

I, of course, have heard of texturizing shears and a razor but I had never seen them in action, so I had never known the performance they gave. I was truly amazed by these two tools and all they had to offer. If you were in the same position as me and have never really had anything done to your hair other than a trim every time you visit your stylist, it’s time to get rid of the boring cuts. Next time you get a haircut, make it a cut, not just a trim, by asking your stylist to use her texturizing shears and razor to help blend some new layers and make your hair healthier and lighter on your shoulders.

Do You Really Need Two Straighteners?

Some households have all girls in them. Some households have only one girl in them. Either way, most households own a hair straightener to style hair with each day. The trendy hairstyle has been known to be popular with girls but some guys even do it if their hair is long enough. What if you are the only girl in your household and you own two or more hair straighteners? Doesn’t that seem a little ridiculous?

Many people would beg to differ that owning more than one straightener is odd. It’s easy to understand if there were two or three or even four girls in the same household. Each of those girls could have different types of hair (thick, thin, wavy, extremely curly) and each girl may need to use a different straightener. Weird as it may sound, there are households of one girl who owns three hair straighteners. I, myself, am the only daughter left in my house but I own three hair straighteners. Of course I have my favorite flat iron over the others but they all get used just as equally as the other. But is it really necessary to own more than one hair straightener?

More than one straightener in a household of one girl, in my opinion, can be bittersweet. I don’t mind owning three at once, as long as there is room to store each of the other two that aren’t in use. Some girls don’t even use the other straighteners that are in their house; they use the same straightener everyday and let the other(s) lie in the cupboard to collect dust. This is the part that doesn’t seem right in my mind. Why own so many yet only use one; you could get money out of the unused ones!

However, one reason some girls may own more than one flat iron is because one straightener may have a feature that the others don’t. For example, one of my flat irons has a rounded edged plate that makes it easier to curl hair with a straightener. Some girls like to use straighteners to curl their hair instead of an actual curling iron, so this kind of straightener is great for them. Some irons may have higher heat settings also and can therefore straighten better than others. Variety of plate sizes are also a popular reason for multiple straighteners in one household as well.

Whatever your reason may be for owning more than one straightener in your house, it’s not a crime so who cares, carry on! It’s more fun for girls to own more than one of something so they can switch up their look everyday. Even if you’re the only girl/woman in your household, you can find more than one straightener that will help you accomplish perfect looks every single day.

What To Do Last Minute With Unsharpened Shears

“I want tons of layers and make it edgier this time!” These are the words of your most valued client who means so much to you. You would do anything to keep her coming back to you because she loves the way you do her hair and is never disappointed. Usually hearing this words would be no problem and you could throw something together in less than an hour for her. But today you go to grab your shears and realize they’re completely dull and in such bad shape that you can’t even use them. Now what do you do?

In emergency cases like these, you may begin to panic. But that’s not what you want to do; you want to keep things calm so that your client (especially this woman) doesn’t know that anything is wrong. The more relaxed you can keep someone about their new cut, the better feedback you’ll get in the long run. After so long of thinking about what to do next, you need to come to a conclusion and quick! You may decide to pick a few different options.

One decision you could make would be to borrow another stylist’s shears. As long as she is in the same salon and you don’t have to run across town to get the pair of scissors, you should be fine. Just make sure you sanitize the shears well enough so they don’t have build-up on them that will make then stick and change their performance. You may then proceed with no problems and once the client leaves, go call the nearest silversmith to help you sharpen the blades before the next day.

That is one good decision that will help in case you don’t know how to sharpen shears without damaging them. Some hairstylists know how to do this and that’s why they may choose the option to sharpen them quick themselves and just tell the client to “hold on while I sharpen these shears quickly!” Knowing how to sharpen shears can also come in handy for those times when you may go to borrow another stylist’s pair and she’s already using them; now that would not be fun! However, it is possible.

If both the other stylist is using her shears and you don’t know how to sharpen shears, you may have to do one of the hardest things in life and say, “no.” You could try sharpening the blades yourself but that could just get you into even more trouble because you don’t have experience doing this like a professional silversmith does. Kindly tell this important customer that your scissors are not in their best shape and you will need to run and get them sharpened and reschedule her appointment. Be sure to tell her how sorry you are for the inconvenience and that you would rather reschedule and have her be unhappy than give her an awful haircut and have her be unhappy. Even offer a free haircut since this was your own fault.

Sharpness of scissors is what makes them scissors. Without that sharp-to-the-touch texture to them, you can’t even call them hair scissors. When this does happen to you, it will be embarrassing but if you just apologize and do so sincerely, the customer will more than likely understand. Maybe not any old customer but since this woman loves your performance, one little slip up wouldn’t hurt…as long as it never happens again. Emergencies will happen in times like this but remember how important your h

How To Style Hair In Less Than Five Minutes

Waking up in the morning a half-hour too late is one of the biggest pains. Not only is it difficult to get yourself ready for the day, the fact that you wake up late also pretty much guarantees you a bad day. The worst part about having a bad morning is that you can’t make yourself look great, right? Wrong! In just a few tricks I’ll have you ready for a day your good looks will never forget and your face will thank you for.

Forget freshly showered hair that looks stringy all day; you need hair that you won’t regret styling and will look great all day. So even if you’ve waken up way too late to blow dry and straighten your hair, you can pull it all together with one simple look. The easiest way to do this is to start with a few tools that are handy right in your own home. Grab a brush, a teasing comb, hairspray and a few bobby pins.

First you’ll need to smooth the hair down with your brush to get all tangles out. When you sleep on a pillow that is made out of material other than silk, your hair gets ratty and messy from turning your head around all night. This means your brush is your best friend and will save the day. Once you’ve run the brush through the hair, use your teasing come to give a little oomph to the crown of your hair. Do this by taking sections at a time and lifting them straight up to the ceiling, spray the base of the section with hairspray and run the comb up and down for about 5 seconds. Next, let the sections fall and comb over them to leave a smooth overlay that will still give off a poofy look.

Next take your bobby pins and comb to part your hair with. Part the hair to the side and bring a section of hair (whether it be bangs or a loose section near the face) over to the side. Twist the section of hair to give a fun and cute edge to the style and pin it back with your bobby pin(s). To finish off this extremely easy look, tip your head to the ground and give it a quick hairspray refresher and then flip the hair back up to normal. You may need to run your hands through your hair to get rid of snarly parts, but this last step is the finishing touch to give your hair a boost of volume to look as if you just got done blow drying and styling for two hours. A style (which doesn’t even call for a hair straightener, might I add!) in less than five minutes can give you a look that will last you through the day.

Trashy Vs. Classy At Formal Events

Recently, my high school held a little event we like to call winter formal. This is just one of three of the craziest times of the year for high school students. Hallways are filled with conversations about spray tans, dresses, and most importantly the perfect hairstyle! For homecoming, simple styles with straight or loose waves are more common for girls’ hair. Winter formal and prom are two completely different stories from homecoming, though.

Dances like winter formal and prom aren’t just events for girls to show up wearing a ponytail; this is one day in the school year where a girl can actually get glammed up with lots of makeup and huge hair without being judged…unless someone brings out her inner trashy! Time for the fashion police to begin handing out some fines.

When you walk into the school (or wherever else your event may be held) you want eyes to be on you in a good way, not in a bad way. To find a hairstyle where you can avoid trashy, go with a celebrity-inspired style. One of my favorite go-to girls to find classy styles from is Jessica Alba; she has the prettiest low ballerina bun with a sweet twist like throwing in a braid. Nothing says sassy yet classy like a small (1-inch wide) braid, and let me tell you, this girl knows how to pull it off!

If you’re looking for even more ways to avoid trashy, I’d say to avoid leaving too much hair down. At my school, I saw lots of girls who liked to put only some of their hair up and leave giant strands down to hang in their face. This doesn’t let others see your beautiful face and makes you look self-conscious; be proud of your face and own your beauty! I would suggest maybe even using some hair shears and trimming the bangs off at an angle to give you a perfectly elegant look. When the bangs begin above the brow and go at a diagonal down to the ear, you create a swoopy look that is sure to highlight your best features!

The number one tip of keeping hairstyles classy for prom and winter formal season is to get it back! Get it up out of your face and prevent it from blocking your sparkling eyes and stunning cheekbones! Popular styles for school dances are french twists, curly messy buns, and poofy bouffants. There are plenty other ways to keep your style classy and not trashy. For example the way you wear your dress. Another story for another day; keep your look classy at your next school dance with these great tips for great hair.

 

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