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!

The "Big Bang"Theory

NO! I am not blogging about my sisters big bangs from 1985. I am blogging about one of my new favorite things. I know bangs are about as new as...hair. But, I love the new full, long bangs. The soft, yet strong bangs. I just love them. Now, again, bangs are one of those things that are a personal preference, some love them, some hate them. Some try and try to wear them, but just can't. (Guilty). Some can't live without them. So, I found some of my favorite celebs with some great bangs. Love them!!

Don't you just love the varitey in styles of bangs. You can wear them any way you are comfortable. They just soften your face and style and just change things up a bit, if you're thinking about doing something drastic, but are unsure, bangs are an easy thing to try, not too life-altering, but fun to try. If you hate them, grow them out. So shoot me for suggesting it!!