Extension Mania

A frequently asked question I receive is this:
How can I make my hair look like theirs (points to a celebrity) all the time!

Answer: Have a personal stylist or get extensions.

Seriously, how do you think they change their looks so often and are not bald from all of the chemical processes and color changes? Hello extensions.

Here is my advice. They are high maintenance and expensive. But, if you get them, shop around. Go to someone who has A LOT of experience and knows what they are doing. Seriously, we have all seen THAT GIRL walking down the mall and even your husband can tell she has extensions. You don't want to be her. If you do it, do it right!! That's my two cents. Now, I thought you might enjoy a little celebrity montage of extension hair dos! Some are better than others (Hello Paris!) But, oh well. Enjoy!

This was back before Jessica knew what food tasted like!!

Seriously, for how rich this girl is...Yikes!

Hair Icons

I have a lot of clients ask me how I know how to just do any kind of haircut. Well, the truth of it is, there aren't that many different kinds of haircuts. There are different versions, lengths, and things you can do to tweek them and make them specific to a person and their hair type. But there aren't that many different kinds of haircuts. As I was thinking about this post, I began thinking about some of the people who have influenced hair the most. I am sure that I left some really important people out, but....right now, this is all I could come up with.

Farrah, who doesn't love the Farrah. In fact, I have a few clients in Price who still get the Farrah. Just kidding. Kind of.

This picture is a MUST post, only because as I was going through beauty school "The Rachael" was huge!! Beyond huge. I think I did this haircut like 700 times. I could do it in my sleep. And, the funny thing is, I love this haircut. I think it is so cute. But, I am so over it!!

Meg, I loved Meg's hair in her romantic-comedy hayday. She looked so cute in it. This is another one of those haircuts that I did a ton, still a classic, I think!

The "Pob" Posh-bob. I love this haircut, in fact I am wearing a version of this right now. One of the new classics.

I loved when Katie cut her hair like this. She finally looked classy, polished and beautiful. Wish she still had it!

When Jessica Simpson cut her hair like this, it was a mini-Rachael craze. Everyone!! wanted it. I do like this cut a lot, still. This kind of started the heavy side bang trend.

Halle, if we were all only this beautiful, and could pull this off. Love this haircut.

Jess started and fueled the loose curl craze. Before this, we were all stuck in the stick straight phase. I love the soft, loose curls. Thanks Jess, you did good!

Well, I hope you enjoyed my hair trip down memory lane. Maybe I have inspired you to try something new. Bangs, layers, feathered hair, a pixie cut! Whatever it may be, make it a good one.

What do you think? I'm thinking of trying to bring this look back....

What? I said thick bangs were the It thing right now, right?? Whatever, I'm bringin' it back anyway!!!

The Basics

I've decided to compile a list of must-haves. Things that I can not live without on a daily basis. I am talking about styling my daughters hair. For mine, I have already listed my favs. Like, the Chi flat iron, the Centrix blowdryer, the pomade, the hairspray. So, this is my "basics" list:


Good shampoo. ALWAYS, ALWAYS start with good shampoo and conditioner. I always suggest professional products to all of my clients. If you don't use them, you should. Just try it once, you'll be hooked. You may say that they are too expensive, but I disagree. One of the reasons I suggest Biolage a lot, is that it is a really good basic line, and also inexpensive. The cost per bottle is a lot different, but the professional lines are much more concentrated so you need to use a lot less, so it goes a lot further. Trust me. Try it. Especially if you spend the time and the money to get your hair colored. If you are willing to invest money into making your hair look nice and have a great color, you are wasting your money if you are not using a good product on it! Trust me. Recently, I had a client, who I assumed was using a good shampoo and conditioner. She was complaining that her color was washing out so fast and starting to fade to a really red, brassy color. We could not figure out what the problem was. Lo and behold, she was using Garnier Fructis. AARGH!! She had wasted so much time and money worrying and re-coloring her hair, when it was as simple as that. Just do it. Do it for me, so I don't freak!!
Next is just a basic brush. A vent brush, as I call it. Something that has wide enough teeth that you can comb through your hair after the shower and it doesn't rip it all out. Also so you can brush it the next morning and it gets all the tangles out! Could not live without a brush like this!!! Feel free to spend as much as you like on this!! See, you can save your pennies on your brush and save it for shampoo!!

A squirt bottle. So innocent, small and unassuming. HOLY COW! I think, between my boys and my daughter (and a little ironing!!) I use this the most. It helps to spray the hair before pulling it back in a pony tail, pushing it back in a headband, or just if it's doing something funky!

The rat tail comb. Irreplaceable. This sucker parts like there is no tomorrow. For as many intricate things that I do to my daughters hair, I use this a ton. Even if you're just doing pony tails or braids, it gives you that nice crisp part line. LOVE IT!!

Butterfly clips, to separate hair while styling different sections. Especially when round brushing.

Aaahh, my round brush. I have a very fond relationship with my roundbrush. We go way back. This is how I get crazy smooth hair in pony tails and buns and it straightens hair like no other!! This is the only kind of round brush I will use. I have every size imagineable. You couldn't pay me to use something else.

Clear rubber bands. Fairly self explanitory, but I use them a ton. I just like using them because you don't have to find colors to match outfits, find 10 that match each other, they're awesome in any thickness of hair.

Thick elastic hair bands. My daughters hair is so crazy thick, that we use this like crazy and break them just as much. I buy them by the pound!! They are the only things that hold her pony tail up all day without sagging.

My old friend. I know I 've posted about it before, but it's part of everyone-in-my-house's daily routine. I love this hairspray. I can't tell you why, you just have to try it to believe it. It just smooths and finishes and holds every style, just where I like it!

Wow, that was a long post. I apologize, I didn't mean to bore you to death, but I thought I would just share a few of my must-haves!! Hope you find something you like!!

Hat's Off (or on in this case)

Today is definitley a hat day. I know this is kind of a funny blog post for a hair blog, but I think it is relevent. You can make an outfit so cute and add a little additude or funk to it by just adding a hat.

Another bonus is, you only have to do the bottom half of your hair!! Even if you have short hair, hats still look cute. When I was growing up, we really didn't have a lot of options. It was Gap baseball caps and occasionally a stolen baseball cap from your brother. But, now!! There are so many options, so cute and so feminine!! I love hats. I don't know that I'm one of those people that LOOKS GREAT in hats, but I do like wearing them. Here are just a few pics I found on the web of some cute hats, and how it can make your outfit!! Enjoy!

Now, to actually pull one off.....

So, go ahead. Try one on, give it a shot. You might be surprised!!

Fun New Curlers

Okay, I am forever in search of something that will curl and stay curled in my daughters crazy thick long hair. Something that she will not complain about (I don't think that exists!), and something that won't hurt her head to sleep on at night! I think I may have found just the thing. One of my clients was telling me about these curlers she bought from Sally Beauty Supply. They are called Curlformers.

They are a bit expensive, but for me it is an investment. I will be using them a lot! You can buy them in the pack that comes with 6 small and 6 med and 6 long and a hook. Well, since I had no use for the med or the small, I just bought the packages seperate and then the hook. Once you see them, you will understand what I mean. It took us a few minutes to figure it out and make it work smoothly. But all in all, it was a great experience. No complaining on her part. Whew!

Below are a few pictures and I'll kind of explain to you how they work.

We started of with wet hair fresh out of the shower. But you could probbably do dry hair and just squirt it down or even just do dry hair and put gel or mousse on it, it would probbably work really well.

Then I took a pretty good sized chunk. Coated it with mousse. Use whatever you like.

The instructions are on the package, but this kind of shows you the basic idea. We did find one trick though, before you slide the hair in the hook, you should twist it a few times. It keeps the hook from becoming tangled in the hair. You just pull the curler up towards the scalp and pull the hook out of the curler. They come in these flat things that are hollow. It's hard to explain, but then you shove the hook up through the bottom, hook it onto the hair and pull it through. Voila!

It really went rather quickly. I used smaller parts the closer I got to the top of her head, because it's really thick in there! So, the smaller the part, the easier it is to dry and curl.

That's what one looks like close up!

We have the luxury of having a hood dryer at home. If you do not, you could just run a blow dryer over them for a few minutes. I did this because her hair is so thick, it never would have dried before morning. If you have fairly think or med. hair, it would probbably be fine without it!

Pretty curl, right? Nice and even and no fuzzy ends!

Sorry for the face, we were having one of those mornings!!

That's more like it! Just a little fluffing and seperating of the curls and there you go!

A Word to the Wise

Okay, friends. I know that I suggested going darker for fall and winter and that I love change. But, not too much change. I have had a few (or more than a few) clients in the last year that want to go from dark to blonde to dark. Whew! That is just too much for you hair to handle. Especially if you like to be really blonde and then really dark. Your hair only has so much life in it. If you keep damaging it and changing colors, your hair is eventually going to put it's hands in the air, surrender and turn into cotton candy or turn completley black. Either of which is probbably not what you want. So, just do me a favor and make up your mind already! Just kidding. I am definitley a fan of change, but by that I mean adding some low lights to your highlight weave or adding some red to your normal brown, just subtle changes. Unless you are ready to commit. If you're ready to go for it and make it a fairly permenant change, then by all means. Do something fun. But if you're going to change your hair color back next month, try a semi-permenant color that's not so drastic or just add small changes. You might be surprised by how much of a difference a little change will make to you. Sorry for my little rant, just do yourself a favor and be more subtle. Your hair will thank you for it!!

One of my Trade Secrets

Well, It's time for me to reveal one of my hair styling secrets. It's not one that I share easily or give up often. It's what kind of blow dryer I use. I'm just kidding, I tell everyone who wants to know. For it is the best blow dryer in all the land!! It is the Centrix 5000 blow dryer. This sucker will blow the paint off your walls and the skin off your face, so use at your own risk. It actually has so much power and blow dries so quickly that on clients who have thinner or finer hair, I use it on medium speed and heat. It seriously is that best, ever. As with anything, you get what you pay for. It is a bit on the pricey side. I was using another type of hair dryer for many years, that I quite liked, but I was replacing it every year. I had come to accept that. But, no longer. I use this sucker frequently. I mean a TON!! So, the price is worth it to me. It pays for itself in no time! To prove my point, I will tell you this quick story. A few years ago, I was working at a salon only on weekends, and I would leave my stuff there, so I wouldn't have to cart it back and forth. So, my boss used it one day, because she was using my station. She was sold. She went right out and got one. Anyone who has used it, loves it! So, if you are having problems with your dryer or just need a great one, try this one. The link is on my side bar. Any questions, leave me a comment and I'll get back with you! This is especially great if you have really thick hair and if you have curly hair that you are round brushing out straight, it has a lot of power and saves you a lot of blow dry time! Give it a shot!!

Funky Hair

Well, as I mentioned in my earlier post, my kids had rock star day at school today. I just thought I would show you how I used the funky colored hair extensions. She wanted it to be crazy, so I braided it last night and put gel in it. Then, I had her sit under my hood dryer for about 1/2 hour before bed. Just because her hair is really thick and never would have dried before morning if we did not!! Then, we just undid the braids, I backcombed a mohawk section really high and just pinned it down in the back. The braids and the gel helped it back comb really well and it will have no problem staying in all day! Then, we just went through and randomly placed a few pink streaks throughout the 'do. They are kind of tricky to hide, but look so much better if they're hidden. They were pretty long, so I cut off about 3 inches. Becareful not to cut their real hair!!!



Back shot

Top shot

Front view

Hopefully that helps and gives you a real example of what it might look like! Have fun with it. It would also be cute with a few different colors in there together! Use your imagination.

Fun Hair for Halloween

So, I've been seeing these colored hair extensions everywhere lately. I don't know if it's because of Halloween or not, but I see people wear them in their everyday hair and I think it is so cute! Obviously I wouldn't wear pink in my hair, but that's not to say that someone might look really cute with it. I have been looking around and the easiest place to find them (and probbably the cheapest) is Sally Beauty Supply. They come in all kinds of colors. Blue, pink, white, green etc. Here are kind of some cute pictures that I found, to give you an idea of what I mean.





They come in tons of colors, you can buy them online or this is how they come at Sally's :

You can just buy one or two or more. To make sure that they look the best, make sure that you put them underneath some of your natural hair. They come attached to a little clip, so if you put in on top of your hair, it will look kind of silly. And, try to contrast your hair as much as possible. That way, they stand out more. On dark hair I have seen blue and green and they just don't stand out as much! So, give it a shot. My daughter has Rock Star day at school on Wednesday, and I think I am going to get some of these to spice her hair up a little. So, go on...try it!