Well, in a normal braid there are 3 strands. For this funky braid you take the normal 3 sections and braid one of the strands. Once that is braided, pull the braid apart a bit so it’s loose and messy and then proceed to braid the other two pieces into that as you would a normal braid. That’s it! A fun twist on your basic braid

Hottest 2011 Fall Hair Trends

1. Braids

There is nothing more practical, romantic and easy-to-do than your classic braid. This year, many fashion designers have used various kinds of braids in their fashion shows, so it’s safe to say braids will be big this Fall/Winter. There are so many styles to play around with, get creative! Ribbons, bows, headbands, clips… Simple braids, twin braids, milkmaid braids, loose braids, side braids and side-swept braided hairstyles will all be big this Fall/Winter 2011-2012.

2. Bangs

Bangs are always in style because I have them of course but this Fall/Winter 2011-2012 they are making a strong comeback. If you have been thinking about bangs, Winter months are the best time for them as they don’t sweat to your forehead like they do in Summer.

3. Center & Deep Side Parts

I definitely have to be in the mood for a center part so if you’re anything like me, now is the time to test this trend out. I am always a bit skeptical about how it looks on some faces but what better time to try it than when it’s in style? Another hot part to try out is a personal favorite, the deep side part.

4. Messy low side buns

As seen on numerous Chanel models during Fashion Week, the low messy bun is back.

5. Shaggy Short Cuts

I love love funky short haircuts. A few years back I chopped all my hair off into a similar cut. A lot of people said they liked it better? Perhaps a cut is in my Fall future? Doubt it, I love rollin on 22′s. How cute is she though? I love this cut and even the color. So very Fall.

“I call this haircut a ‘shab,’” says hairstylist Giannandrea, who created this look for the star. “It’s a cross between a bob and a shag.” The hair is cut above the shoulders, and then razored from back to front at a slight angle. “This is the kind of style that comes to life with the styling.”

6. Punk Rock Crop

This hairstyle is so cute I wish I had the guts to try it? A short on the sides, long on the top punk rock crop cut.

Color wise, this Season you will see very natural hair colors. Chunky highlights are out, and solid, warmer hair colors are in. Think deep reds, rich browns and warm tones of blonde. Key word: Warm.

Happy Hair-cutting/ coloring!

So bangs… be gone.

What style is your favorite?

I wash my hair every 2-3 days, so on day 3 Big Sexy Hair Dry Shampoo is my best friend. So long hats, hello dry shampoo! The product goes on like a hairspray and is designed to absorb extra oil that accumulates in your hair on those days you can’t get to washin.

How it works: Spray on roots or anywhere else that appears dull or dirty. Leave product on for 2 minutes and then brush out. Bam, volumized, clean hair!

Reasons I love Big Sexy Hair Dry Shampoo:

* Perfect for traveling or days where you have no time to wash your hair.

* Goes on clear, not white!

* Comes in a cute travel size, however I love it so much next time I will supersize it.

* Volumizes better than any shampoo or product I’ve used before. It leaves your hair so dry that it holds teasing even better.

Big Sexy Hair Volumizing Dry Shampoo $12.00

TIGI S-Factor Diamond Dreams Shampoo $16.00 & Conditioner $ 23.00

I was a bit skeptical at first, it seemed to good to be true, but honestly I am in loveeee with this line! Not only does it smell like a delicious Strawberries Wild smoothie from Jamba Juice, but it left my hair sooooooooooo smooth, shiny and easy to style. I really did feel like I had just washed my hair in diamonds and pearls after using it, so S Factor’s mission was accomplished! I loveeee my new shampoo!

What’s also nice about this line is it’s Sulfate-Free which means it won’t fade your color, as well as contains some of the worlds most prestigious ingredients, Diamond Dust, Cashmere and Crushed Pearls which create a multi-dimensional shimmer adding depth and richness to your color while protecting and conditioning your hair.

Favorite Parts of the Diamond Dreams line:

* Leaves your hair soooo silky smooth, no really, smoother than ever!

* It doesn’t weigh down your hair, it leaves your hair feeling light and manageable!

* Smells delicious while washing, as well as after. Strawberries! Yum!

* It has a real rich, nice, soapy lather.

* Smooth and shiny hair with no other styling than blowdrying.

* Pretty pink packaging.

* Leaves your hair bouncy, flirty and very moisturized.

Overall an amazingggg hair care line, the BEST I’ve used to date! 100% the investment, plus who can resist diamond shampoo?

Wondering how to buy this shampoo & conditioner? Find a salon near you that carries it here!

How to Get Mila’s Hair

To get Mila’s glamazon waves, celebrity hairstylist Mara Roszak applied Tresemmé 24 Hour Body Foaming Mousse to Mila’s wet hair. After parting it slightly off-center, she then blew it dry with a medium-sized round brush.

Next, Roszak sectioned off the hair, and used a one-inch barrel curling iron. When finished, she broke up the curls with her fingertips to create those stunning, effortless waves.

Lastly, Mila’s hair was sprayed all over with Tresemmé Tres Two Extra Hold Hair Spray to ensure that her chic style would last throughout the night.

For Mila’s Make Up

Lancôme makeup artist Tracey Levy was inspired to give her a dramatic look that would complement her amazing red gown:

Face: Levy started by using Teint Miracle Lit-from-Within Makeup to create a flawless base, then swept Blush Subtil in Sheer Amourose on the apples of Mila’s cheeks for a fresh, rosy glow.

Eyes: Mila’s eyes were the focal point of the look — and Levy made sure they stood out by layering two different shadows. She applied both Color Design 5 Pan Palette in Midnight Rush and Color Design Eye Shadow in Volcano to Mila’s lid for a smoky effect, and then lined both her top and bottom rims with Le Crayon Khôl EyeLiner in Black.

For lush lashes, Levy followed up with two coats of Hypnôse Drama Mascara in Excessive Black.

Lips: Levy applied L’Absolu Rouge Lipstick in Rich Cashmere and La Laque Fever Lipshine in Hotness.

Here are my top 5 flirty V-day styles, as well as a few tips on how to achieve them!

**For all styles, make sure you use a good root boost before you blow-dry your hair to get MAXIMUM volume! Sressed about not having long or thick hair for these looks? Clip in or permanent extensions can help!

Style: Voluminous, smaller, tight curls!

Hair cut needed: Longer bangs, thick hair, layers.

* Section off your hair the way you would normally curl it, and use a 1 inch iron to curl your entire head.

* The tip to these super curly curls, is to curl the 4 inches from the root, all the way to the bottom. Leave no tip out.

* Once your entire head is curled, tease curls a bit for a messier look, and spray!

Style: Romantic curls with hair pinned back- Less volume needed here, no ratting.

Hair cut needed: No bangs, long hair, minimal layers.

* Use a larger curling iron and a bit bigger of sections. I would use a 1.75 iron and 1 inch sections.

* Curl entire head, 2 inches from root, and leave out 1/2 an inch on the tip. Do not curl all the way down.

* Section off 1inch around your face to pull back and bobby pin.

Style: Voluminous up do!

Hair cut needed: Longer bangs, parted down the middle, shoulder length or longer hair.

* Ditch the curling iron and simply use root boost before round brush blow drying.

* Round brush your entire head.

* Pull hair back into a pony tail, twist to the left and up until it lays semi flat. Bobby pin.

* Leave a few strands down for a messy look.

Style: Simple, romantic curls.

Hair cut needed: No bangs, long, layered.

* Curl entire head with a 1.5-2 inch curling iron

* You will only want to curl 3 inches from the root, and leave 1 inch out of the iron at the end of the tip.

* Finger comb curls, and use a light hairspray

Style: Tousled straight with a bit of curl.

Hair cut needed: Long hair, medium bangs.

* Round brush blow dry entire head

* Use a 2 inch curling iron to curl a few pieces. Leave the majority of your head blow dry curled.

* Rat your hair at the root to give a slight messy look

* Finish off with a spray wax and light hair spray for a messy look.

]]> http://www.helloamanda.com/2011/01/flirty-february-hairstyles/feed/ 0 http://www.helloamanda.com/2010/11/hair-extensions-pros-and-cons/ http://www.helloamanda.com/2010/11/hair-extensions-pros-and-cons/#comments Sat, 27 Nov 2010 00:06:41 +0000 amandajo http://www.helloamanda.com/?p=6925 I am obsessedddd with hair extensions, no really, can’t live without em. I have pretty nice hair without them, but there is just something awesome about long, full, flowwwwyyy hair. Just like a tan, extensions make everyone better! I have posted about extensions before, but I wanted to do a recap of the types of extensions, the PROs & CONs as well as the cost comparison. There are affordable, minimal damage options out there, take my word for it I also attached a readers email with specific questions at the end if you’re looking for even more info.

Types of extensions:

1. Clip in hair extensions:

Clip in hair extensions are amazing if you want a temporary style change, they are extensions that are clipped into the hair to create a temporary hair effect, as you can easily create the length that you desire, as well as the volume with these types of hair extensions. You can either have a salon make them for you (Around $100.00) Or you can do what I do, buy the hair and make them yourself. You can buy hair from any beauty supply warehouse. There is a place in Mission Valley that makes them for you. For their site click here.

Cost: Free to insert. $100.00 total to have someone make them for you. $60.00- $100.00 total cost of hair if you make on your own.

PROS:

* No damage

* No cost to put them in

* Instant style change, removable when you’re done wearing them.

CONS:

* You cant wear a high pony tail, clips will show

* A bit uncomfy to sleep in them a bit, feels like you’re sleeping with bobby pins in your hair

* Temporary

* You can get them wet, swim, shower but they might fall out if you’re too rough.

2. Sewn in hair extensions:

My favorite! A teenie tiny braid is formed using your real hair and synthetic hair to support your real hair. Tracks of hair are then sewn onto the braid. I love this method the best because it attaches sturdy with little to no damage and is cheap! My girl Kimberly does an amazing job and for super cheap! To schedule an appointment, call her. Let her know you’re my friend and she will do it for only $20 bucks a track.

Kimberly Adams- 858-776-0281

Cost: $20 per track to insert. $60.00- $150.00 cost of hair, depends on brand and amount you want. I use the Outre Euro Premium hair, 20 inches.

PROS:

* Little to no damage. The only part of your real hair being effected by the extension is the row the hair is attached to. A synthetic braid is created horizontally across your head and extensions are sewn onto this braid.

* They stay on nice and snug, you can wear high pony tails, swim, shower, it’s as if it’s your own hair.

* CHEAP! I have a girl who does them SO cheap, $20.00 a track. I have 3 in so your only cost is $20 a track plus hair cost. My hair cost $80.00 so my TOTAL for extensions was $140.00. SOOOOOO cheap for long flowy, minimal damage, hair extensions.

CONS:

* Can get messy if you don’t brush your hair daily

* Some thinning can occur if you tug down too hard while you brush. The better you care for them the less damage you will have. I have had 0 damage so far but I baby them.

3. Fusion hair extensions:

These are the individual hair extensions fused on with special tools. I personally would never get these kinds because they attach to hair all over your head which means hair loss overall, vs. sewn in hair extensions you can only experience slight hair loss from the tiny braided area, not all over.

Cost: Anywhere from $500.00- $2,000.00. You must buy special fused hair, depends on brand and amount needed.

PROS:

* Fuller hair all over. Good option for someone with really short hair.

* Lasts longer than most extensions, up to 3 months.

* Can style in many ways, up do’s, pony tails, however the beads do show at times.

CONS-

* I always see the metal beads poking through girls hair.

* EXPENSIVE! Most fused extensions are over 1k. No thanks!

* They also fall out often

* They say there is no damage but every time you brush/style your hair, you’re pulling down on the bead that is attached to your real hair which causes hair loss.

* These are also near impossible to brush since you have a metal bead attached to your scalp.

Ok I think I’ve dissed these kind enough

4. GLUE in extensions:

Idk why anyone would GLUE hair into their head. Unless you don’t care about your hair what-so-ever, glue in extensions seem awful. Sure they’re cheap and a quick fix but in the long run, not worth it to me.

PRO: All I can think of as a pro would be that you temporarily get long hair?

CONS:

* The glue that is used to apply the hair extensions is definitely going to damage your natural hair by causing breakage and split ends. It is likely that you will require a trim after you remove the hair extensions. The glue will be tugging on your real hair, causing thinning.

Yuck.

Overall my favorite hair extensions are sewn in hair extensions or clip in hair extensions. If you get hair extensions that damage your hair, it defeats the entire purpose of an extension… you want long hair right? Then don’t damage your real hair Hope this helped clear up any hair extension questions, email me if you have any more! Happy hair hunting

UPDATE: Email from reader-

“Hi Amanda! I love your blog and have been reading it for awhile now! I’m in S.D. and I have some questions about hair extensions. I’ve been thinking about getting them for awhile and your post has helped to push me towards taking the plunge!”

Q1. How long is your hair without extensions? I have shoulder length hair and am wondering if sewn-in is even an option for me.

A1. My hair is about 5 inches longer than my shoulders but I cut all my hair off one night years ago and regretted it. I had almost ear length hair and managed to shove extensions in. Def possible, you would just add more tracks to add fullness.

Q2. Is the process for sewn-in extensions painful? I’ve heard that the process is and just wanted to know what your experience is.

A2. It does not hurt me at alllllll. If you are tender headed just let the person know, they know how to adjust their grasp and pull to make it ok. You do have an occasional tugging but it feels like a tug. I also have her not do mine too tight, if its too tight omg yes it hurts. Just be very vocal about your concerns. My girl Kimberly did it perfect this time, tight enough but not painful.

Q3. Do you buy your extensions at hair unlimited and then take them to your stylist or do you get them thru her?

A. I purchase my own hair at Beauty Supply Warehouse. I get the Outre brand, not the most expensive/nicest, but NEVER get the worst. Pointless, nappy hair. Mine are shiny and nice, 100% human hair and were around 80. I got 22inches.

Q4. Are you able to re-use your extensions when you get them re-done? How often do you have to replace them? How often do you get them re-done?

A4. I don’t keep mine sewn in too long, I don’t want long term damage. Usually I will wear clip ins for a few months and then sew them once every 6 months. I keep them in about 2 months, they begin to grow out and get annoying by then. You have the option of re doing them once a month if you want them tight, but I don’t want that much pulling on my hair. I wore my clip in hair extensions for about 2 months and then cut the clips off and sewed it in. you can re-use the hair as much as you like, depends on how well you take care of it. I still have extensions from a year ago, but I baby mine. So in a perfect world I would buy hair, sew it in and after 2 months take it out, give your head a break, and sew clips on to the same hair and use as needed. OR you can get it redone once more, won’t be bad for your hair, but I wouldn’t leave them in more than twice personally.

Q5. Are the extensions at hair unlimited easy to style? I bought some clip in ones that were HORRIBLE, even though they claimed they were easy to style!

A5. I love styling my hair I got a nice brand though which is important! Try the Outre brand or ask the girls for the BEST brand and they will give you their suggestions. I had good luck with Outre tho. I believe this is the exact type of Outre I use. I overly use Moraccanoil though, as well as rarely wash them, so keep them away from stinky areas. I find after you wash them they’re never really the same. Of course if you have them sewn in you have to wash them, but most the time I will wash only the top/real part of my hair to keep the extensions as untouched as possible if that makes sense.

Any other questions? hehehe

Moroccanoil has quickly become one of the best-selling hair care lines in the world. It’s been featured on Kathy Lee & Hoda, and is one of InStyle Magazine’s 2010 Best Beauty Buys. From the mega-successful ORIGINAL Moroccan Oil Treatment to the Morroccanoil Shampoo & Moroccanoil Conditioner. This full line of products has girls, and the press going gaga. Moroccanoil products are designed to: • Restore elasticity • Infuse hair with shine and • Protect from environmental factors. Perfect just what I need. Adddddd to cart.

Besides the magazines telling me about their products, my girlfriends also told me that their hair serum was by far the best serum around when it comes to smoothing out those unruly hairs. After trying the line, I can confirm that they are right! Moroccanoil hair products are magic! I combined the MOROCCANOIL® SHAMPOO, CONDITIONER & OIL and as a result have the shiniest, healthiest hair ever. The other day I was even stopped at a deli, a guy asked me if I was a Pantene Pro V hair model ahahah I said um no and quickly scurried off. Point is, these products are amazing

Shine was NOT photo-shopped, 100% how it was pictured.

Here are the products I personally tried and LOVED/LOVE:

Featured as one of 2010’s Best Beauty Buys in 2010 in InStyle Magazine, the ORIGINAL Moroccanoil Treatment deserves its place in beauty industry history. Many beauty insiders have told us that they’ve never seen anything like the success this product has enjoyed. ORIGINAL Moroccanoil Treatment is perfect for before or after blow drying. I prefer using it before if I only blow dry my hair. If I plan on curling my hair I use the oil after to smooth the curls out, it keeps my curls smooth and shiny all day. While it is $41.00 it is well worth the purchase since the bottle is HUGE and you only need a teeny tiny amount to go a long way. I mean it, only use a SMALL amount, too much will grease your hair as any oil does.

The shampoo smells soooooo good and it has such a good lather. I dislike shampoos that make you work for a good lather. It’s creamy and pearly too which is always a plus for me Good consistency and doesn’t fade your color.

Moroccanoil Moisture Repair Conditioner detangles and reconstructs while infusing hair with argan oil, keratin, fatty acids, proteins, and other nutrients. The formula is sulfate-FREE, phosphate-FREE, and paraben-FREE, and is safe to use with color-treated hair. It will help restore moisture, repair damage, and condition your hair back to health. Unlike most other watery conditioners, I actually feel this conditioner working and see results after styling. It’s a great thickness and hydrates my hair thoroughly.

Overall these Moroccanoil products are amazing. I really can tell a difference in the way my hair styles and feels. It smells yummier, looks shinier and leaves me ready to whip my new shiny hair back and forth. So, looking for a new hair care line, I would definitely try Moroccanoil products, one of the few products I can honestly say I LOVE! Plus, they never test on animals and used recycled materials whenever possible. Moroccanoil products also make a perfect stocking stuffer or present for the Alpha female in your life.

They have tonssss of other products to fit any hair crisis you may have. Leave in conditioners, hair sprays, scalp treatments etc… To view their website and full product line visit their site here.

They do not have the products for sale on their site however they do have a salon locator which shows all salons in your area that DO carry them! Click here for the locator.