Entries Tagged as 'Hair Style'
Dear Belle,
The dry weather is destroying my hair. It is so lifeless that I can’t even curl it. Do you have a favorite conditioning product?
Sincerely, Jamie
Having fine hair, my ends get ragged after about four weeks. To keep them looking smooth for a bit longer, I like to use an oil treatment like Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment ($19).
It’s a solid product that you warm in your hands, apply to dry hair and wash out. I like to do it on a Saturday or Friday night because it does weigh my fine locks down a bit before the second wash. After than, it’s magic though. I use it twice-a-month to keep my ends neat.
In the summer, I don’t need as much help, thanks to the humidity, but I like to use Moroccan Oil Light formula to keep it well-hydrated.
And if you’re looking for something inexpensive that you can pick up at a drugstore, Aussie 3-Minute Miracle, which is a more traditional cream conditioner that you can use as often as needed.
Do you have a favorite hair moisturizing treatment?
While I prefer to wear updos for parties–they feels special and I don’t have to worry about my hair melting down halfway through the fete–I know that many women would rather wear their hair down. I know that most men certainly prefer when we do. So here are three ways to wear your hair down that feel festive enough for holiday events.
This bohemian-chic tutorial was found on beauty-tutorials.blogspot.com (I couldn’t determine the origin, so if you know it, leave it in the comments.). If you look at the rest of the tutorial on Pinterest, you will see that this hairstyle involves curling your hair into loose waves and then creating a crown using two braids. For tools, you’ll need clear elastics, wide mouth bobby pins and a light, curl-friendly hairspray.
If you like hair tutorials, The Beauty Department is a great source for easy-to-understand instructional diagrams. This tutorial is for Veronica Lake-style fingerwaves, but be forewarned, that this style takes a bit of time. It also takes a really good curling iron, a ceramic iron won’t cut it here, nor will a flat iron. For this, I like a metal barrel that maintains consistent temperature and has a quick release. This Hot Tools curling iron is a good choice. You’ll also need a heat-protecting spray to keep your locks from becoming crisp.
I like this bouffant style for a few reasons. First of all, it’s the kind of style that you could do pull together in the bathroom of your office in 20-minutes. Secondly, it’s simple but sexy. Lastly, I like that it works with curly or straight styles, and with hair of several lengths.
This tutorial comes from bobbyglam.com, and has great step-by-step instructions. For the easy version, all you need is a clip to separate hair, a comb and bobby pins. For the Belle version, you’ll need those items plus texturizing spray and a teasing brush (I like my bouffants big.). And for the I-have-an-hour-to-work-on-my-hair-so-let’s-go-all-in version, you’ll need all of those items plus a straightener/curling iron and some intense hold hairspray like Aquanet (just don’t breathe it in).
Holiday parties are a great reason to get dressed up, put on some extra eyeliner and try a new hairstyle. But who wants to spend hours working on their hair after a hard day at work? Not this girl. Here are three easy updos that look fabulous but won’t take all night.
Goody Color Collection Bobby Pins ($4) and Oribe Superfine Hairspray ($35)
This is the single easiest hair tutorial I have ever seen. Watching the video, I couldn’t believe how three simple steps could yield such a lovely hairdo. I would probably add a bit of texturizing spray for extra volume and hold, but other than that, Sidewalk Ready has come up with a perfectly simple style, visit her site for the shockingly easy tutorial.
Goody Color Collection Bobby Pins ($4) and Teasing Comb ($4) and L’Oreal Elnett Hairspray ($15)
I know that many of you, and professional women in general, have short hair. Too often, those with short styles get left out of the updo equation. Luckily, the Modcloth Blog features a how-to guide so that those with even the shortest locks can have a festive style.
The writer of this tutorial used L’Oreal Elnett Extra Strong Hold, and I agree with that choice. It’s by far the strongest holding hairspray I’ve used since they stopped selling Freeze It, the choice of pageant girls everywhere. (Oh how I miss it…)
Goody Color Collection Bobby Pins ($4) and DevaCurl Flexible Hold Hairspray ($25) and Sephora Collection Clear Snag-Free Elastics ($3.50)
This hairstyle looks difficult to achieve, but it’s not. Tying the knots is a bit labor intensive, but hardly difficult. In fact, the only difficult part of the EBeautyBlog tutorial is staying awake while watching the video, the elevator music she chose almost put me right to sleep. Maybe I’ll watch it tonight before bed, I’ll be out before my head hits the pillow.
I would advise clear elastics for this do, since cloth or thick lycra would be visible. I also chose a flexible hold spray since I would advise spraying the hair both before and after to prevent fly aways.
 Several years ago, I heard about an amazing product called LiQWd Volumizing Catalyst ($22). I wanted to purchase some, but it was only for sale via a website that struck me as more than a bit sketchy. So despite my love of big hair–it’s more like an obsession, really–I had to take a pass.
Then, last month, my Birchbox arrived and inside was a trial size of the volumizing catalyst. Once I had completed my happy dance, I jumped in the shower to wash my hair. I mentioned it was an obsession, didn’t I?
I am a firm believer that when it comes to body building of the follicular kind, sprays, gels and creams are all terrible impostors. The only products that have ever worked for me are frothy mousses. Until now.
I was fully prepared to be horribly disappointed by LiQWd. So imagine my surprise when it actually worked as well as my go to mousse (Pantene Pro-V Fine Hair Triple Action $4).
Not better, mind you, as well.
This would not have been enough to convince me to switch, except for one thing: the LiQWd spray isn’t drying like my mousse is. In fact, I think my hair is actually smoother, softer and less damaged since I started using it. And I certainly notice fewer flyaways.
Like any true volume addict (okay, maybe it’s an addiction more than an obsession), I tried mixing the LiQWd with the mousse. After all two products are better than one, right?
Sadly, not so much. In fact, the two times I tried this, I think my hair actually looked a bit weighed down. Kind of the opposite of what I was looking for.
LiQWd Volumizing Catalyst forced me to abandon one of my most deeply held beauty beliefs, that only mousse could raise my roots. The spray is light, moisturizing and gives me moderate lift. Sure, it’s not the giant Texas pageant hair that I was going for, but I’ll take it.
P.S. If you still haven’t joined Birchbox, I highly recommend that you take the plunge. Sure, not all the samples they send are winners, but I get enough good things to make it worth the $10 per month. Plus, they make great gifts for college students and younger relatives esp. now that they have Birchbox for Men.
Want to join? They put you on a waiting list until the next month, due to the way they do their ordering, but you can subscribe by clicking here.
 A few weeks ago, I ran out of my usual shampoo, so I switched to a drugstore brand that I had used before and liked. It worked fine, at first. But after a few weeks, I noticed that my hair was limp and dull and in need of a good conditioning.
I poured on the Moroccan Oil, but it wan’t enough. I even tried mayonnaise, but that was an incredibly messy let down. Finally, I went to Sephora to pick up an old standby Ojon Damage Reverse ($33), a hair masque that really revives my tired locks. It costs a bit, but it took me about two years to use up the last tub, so I think it’s worth it in the long run.
The treatment comes in solid form. To scrape a bit into your hands and then warm it into a thick balm. Then, you apply it liberally to the hair making sure to distribute it evenly. I usually have to section it with a comb to get even coverage.
I loathe the smell, something between cigar smoke and herbal tea. But it has to sit on your hair for at least 20 minutes before you can rinse, so I manage.
To shampoo it out, you need to get a really good lather going, but once your hair is rinsed and conditioned, it really sparks back to life.
I’ve tried other hair treatments–purchased, gifted, and home made–but this is the one I keep coming back to to solve my hair woes. Especially in these months of chlorine and windy, humid days, it’s the product that saves me every time.
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