Happy Hour

If you are like most people, you struggle with more than one issue with your hair. If not? Congrats. You are above average. But for the rest of us, let's discuss. I will use myself as an example. My hair struggles include...having soft, fine hair causing a limp and thin feeling, slight chemical damage from my past blondorexic days, and baby hairs that have minds of their own. How do I get out of bed each morning knowing I have all these issues to face? Products my friend. Beautiful, fabulous, life saving hair products. They can transform any head into one to be desired. So what product thickens, gives hold, de-frizzes, repairs damage, and protects my hair from heat? Trick question. No ONE product will take care of everything. Allow me to introduce you to a little thing called cocktailing. Maybe it is obvious, but rather than trying to use only one product, don't be afraid. Use the combination that you need to meet all your needs...and...put them all in at the same time. A squirt of each into your palm then work it through your hair and BAM. Mission accomplished in no time at all.

Feature Friday

Today I thought I would introduce you to a little gem. As you have noticed almost every tutorial I have done requires bobby pins. They are essential to almost any do at all. They are very easy to come but, but not all bobbies are created equal. These lovely Marianna Supreme Pins are a cut above the rest. They hold stronger, tighter, and longer than any other pins I have used. Thick hair? No prob. These are definitely up for the challenge. And the greatest news? You can pick these up at any Sally's Beauty Supply for under $2.00 a box. Definitely worth the trip!

Test time.

Ever wonder how healthy your hair is? Well there are many ways to test this, but here are a few you can do real fast when you are bored. It is a test to check the porosity of your hair. Porosity is the hair's ability to retain moisture. If you have high porosity your hair tends to be a bit more damaged while low porosity usually means your hair is healthier and the cuticle is sealed down giving a smooth, shiny, healthy look. When your hair is overly porous it become dangerous to chemically treat, breaks off easier, and always looks fried or frizzy. You will also notice it takes longer to blow dry.

So how can you tell aside from just looking at your hair how porous it is? There are a few ways, but let me share the fastest and easiest. Rip a hair out of your head. You can take one from a few different areas to compare damage (hair in the front is almost always more damaged). Place the root of your hair between your thumb and index finger then slide your fingers tightly down the entire hair shaft. Is it smooth or was it a bit bumpy? If your fingers had a smooth ride your hair is probably healthy but if you felt a rough texture that might mean you have a porosity problem. You might have also noticed it gets rougher as you get towards the end of the hair strand.

One other test you can do really fast is to place your hair in a cup of water. If if floats, it is healthy because the cuticle is properly sealed protecting your hair. If it sinks, it is time for some repair! The biggest cause of porous hair is bleaching it too much, too often or other harsh chemical treatments like perms. Protein infused shampoo will definitely do some good, along with regular trims.

So if you didn't quite pass this test, don't fret. Hair is fixable and with the right treatments you will have smooth, floating hair in no time.

Tuesday How To

Today I have a guest stylist! She might not be an actual professional stylist, but as a mother of four (3 of which are girls) she knows a thing or two about little girl hair. Since my dear sister is in town I asked her to share one of my favorite styles. She did it on me when I was little, and now she does it on her girls. It is super versatile as always and can be molded to fit any length or hair or any length of attention span. I like to call it wicker basket, but I am sure others call it many different things. So off we go! Today's model is sweet Hailey, the youngest of the girls. It took some sweet talk and persuasion to get her to do this video but boy am I glad she did!

SO how can you modify? The more ponytails you start with the more intricate your basket pattern will be. You can do it so tiny little ponies cover the entire head and really bring out the basket weave look. You can also get more picky about straight, clean partings...it all depends on the attention span of your child. This is a fabulous way to get short hair pulled back nice and tight for little girls. Perfect for dance, gymnastics, or any day that day up and away would be beneficial. You can also tie it off in different ways. We did plain pigs here, but buns or braids would be great too. It might seem tricky at first but once you catch on its a breeze.



I am really sorry...

...but only in a dream world does amazing hair take zero effort. In the summer time I tend to get requests like this.."I want really easy hair. I don't have time to blow dry, I hate using product, and I don't want to put any time into styling. It just needs to look great out of the shower." Hmmm...now we all know I am a HUGE advocate of quick and easy hair, and the right cut and hair texture really can look pretty good just air dried and untouched, but if you want head turning hair, or hair that is near perfect, it takes a bit of work.

Now I am not claiming everyday needs an hour or two devoted to your hair, but there should be a time each day that you take some time to fix it. This is why my tutorials are usually dedicated to quick do's that actually fool people into thinking you spent much more time than you actually did. Another way to trick them? My favorite little tip of not washing everyday. Cut out wash and blow dry time and you have much more time to devote to the styling of your hair. And my final tip? Good hair needs product. That is why they make fabulous hair products, because they work. Take my tools and products away and I would be in a world of hurt. So if you are anti styling products, start small, say with a heat protectant. After you see what it does for your hair you might just be converted.

So basically I just wanted to point out that if you see someone who has hair you love, chances are they spent some time on it, but getting a good cut, the right products, and washing less, will put you on the road to perfect hair in half the time.

Apologies

Remember how I said a special sister was coming to town? Well that combined with some camera/computer troubles have been interrupting my blogging life. Good things are in the works, so please stay tuned. Thanks!

And sometimes...

...hair is totally overrated. Hope you had a great 4th! Stay tuned for today's tutorial!

Feature Friday

Today's product is a new discovery I made while at the beauty supply a while ago. I have featured products like this before but I know for the people of the world with hard to handle hair, you can't get enough of products like this. It is called Matrix Sleek Look Blow Down Extreme. It has become my new go to product for thick, coarse, frizzy hair.

Who is it for? Anyone with hair that is a struggle to get straight, sleek, and shiny. Also great for people with damage or who spend a lot of time in the sun.
What does it do? It cuts out blow dry time, repairs chemical damage, protects hair from UV rays, locks out humidity, and adds a sleek shine. Added bonus? It protects against heat as well.
How does it do this? The added moisture is great for getting a sleek look, and the mineral oil, and silk amino acids provide repair and protection.
How do I use it? Use a small amount and work it through damp hair before you blow dry. Focus on ends and hard to handle areas.

This product is step three in a whole family of Sleek Look products, but this is the only one I have personally used and recommend. The others might be great too though!