Going Blond To Meet The Blues

Last month Marie Claire UK reported that a large number of British women are going blond. In fact, celebrity stylist Andrew Barton says he's seen a 67% increase in sales of his blond hair products compared to last year. UK grocery retailers have also seen sales of blond hair dye increase over the past few months?

So what's causing all of these women to reach for the bleach? When asked, women usually say they feel more confident, attractive, younger and fun as blonds. They also say they get more attention as a blond. If you're feeling down or stressed, that would probably make you feel better too!

If you decide to do the same and go lighter, make sure it looks good before you take the plunge. Everyone can find a shade of red that will look good on them, so its a very versatile color. Blond isn't the same. You really need to make sure you have the right skin tone to go blond without looking ill or washed out. You can use this tool to make sure blond looks good with minimal risk and no commitment. Sounds like a win-win situation to me!

Hollywood Hair...Jennifer Aniston at the Oscars

I have a secret. I watch the Oscars and Emmy's. Not to see who wins, but to see their hair. Last night's favorite was Jennifer Aniston. She was beautiful! LOVED her hair, it wasn't over done or swept back into an updo that wasn't her at all. It was simple and fresh.



This morning we did her style on my oldest. She is getting past the point of piggies and wants her hair down and older (WAH!) so this style fit the bill.



All we did was part the hair at an angle from above her eye to her crown. About an inch and a half up the part, I parted her hair again to the other side. I pulled the extra hair into a ponytail so I didn't inadvertently pull excess into the French braid. I sprayed the hair with water and hairspray and braided down like so. I secured the braid with an elastic and then to make sure it didn't move, I threaded a bobby pin through the elastic and up through the underside of the braid.







Then I pulled the ponytail out and ran my flat-iron through pieces of her hair to give it some "UMPH"

How'd we do?

Coming up next:

Nancy O'Dells Golden Globes Hair

Vanessa Hudgens

How To Prevent Stains When Coloring Your Hair

Hair dyes do stain to make sure you're prepared to deal with drips. You may want to set aside a "hair coloring shirt" that you don't mind ruining. Also, use some old towels that you also don't mind sacrificing. Use a butterfly hair clip to secure one towel around your neck to catch any drips that would otherwise fall on your shoulders or the floor.

You'll also need drop cloths or, again, old towels to put down on the floor. Hair dye will absolutely stain carpet and isn't so good for tiles either.

One tell tale sign you color your hair is if you stain your skin with the dye. To avoid this, make sure you have a jar of petroleum jelly on hand. Smear a good glob around your hairline all the way around your face and neck. Put some on your ears while you're at it to make sure you don't end up staining them as well. And make sure you use the gloves that come with the kit!

Born to Be Blonde

Here is a very funny video with Kelly Ripa and people who were born blond or born to BE blond!

Enjoy!

The 401K Cut and Color

Most salons are struggling because of the economy. To save money, women are going longer between trims and many of us are coloring our hair at home. Salons are losing out since we're becoming a bunch of do-it-yourselfers, so a lot of them are coming up with creative ways to get women back into their chairs.

I just came across a story about a salon in Minneapolis/St Paul that has the most creative promotion I've seen. To get new customers into the salon, they will discount the bill for any service (cut and/or color) by the amount you've lost in your 401K plan! If your 401K looks like mine, that could be a 30-40% discount! Partial highlights where I live are about $95. With this discount, it would be about $40 off. That's not too shabby and would get me in for a professional color!

So what does this mean if you don't live in the Twin Cities? As noted, a lot of salons are coming up with promotions to get people to come back in for services. Keep an eye out for discounts in your area. If you're picky like I am, you may not want to go to someone new for a hair cut. However, I would have no problem going to a different colorist if it meant saving some cash!

Save Lots of Green With These Hair Color Ideas

Most women are cutting back salon visits to save money. That doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your hair color. Hair coloring kits today are easy to use and convenient. All of the guesswork is taken out of blending colors and doing the dying. You just have to follow the instructions. The only one who needs to know you didn't have your hair colored at a salon is you!

That being said, there are some things you need to know about coloring your hair at home. Here are some things from CBS The Early Show that you need to consider:

1. Find the right hair color for you

Stay within 2 shades of your natural color (lighter or darker) unless you are covering gray hair. If you go lighter or darker than that, you really need to have your hair done by a professional. It will also require more maintenance to keep it looking good (meaning root touch ups).

If you're fair with light eyes, the best hair color ideas for you are cooler undertones. Think champagne blond, ash brown and darker reds. If you're darker complected, go with golden blonds, honey browns and coppery reds. You can use these shades for highlights as well as finding an all over color.

One thing about red - this is the most difficult shade to maintain, so think about it first. Reds oxidize quickly so you may need to touch up more often. In addition, you may need to use a more expensive shampoo and conditioner to protect the color.

2. Have a kit ready and waiting

In addition to the box of dye, there are some other tools you'll need to have in your kit. This includes a wide tooth comb that you'll use to distribute the color evenly and then comb in conditioner at the end of the process. You also need petroleum jelly to put around your hairline, ears and neck. This will prevent the dye from staining your skin. Put a kitchen timer in your hair color kit. This is one of the most important tools since you don't want to leave the dye on too long or rinse too early. You'll also need a hand held mirror or way to see the back of your head so you can make sure you have the dye evenly distributed. If you have someone who can help, that's even better. If you have long hair, make sure you have 2 kits in case the first one isn't enough.

Other things you'll need are old towels you don't mind staining and something to cover the floor. There are bound to be drips and they will stain tile and carpet.

3. Don't guess about your color

Don't base your decision about the color on the model on the front of the box. Use the chart on the side of the box. Women always think their hair is darker than it is. To get around this, pick the box you think is right for you and then buy the one that's a shade lighter. If you're really in doubt, ask a friend or someone in the store what looks right.

To be really sure about hair color, you can visit The Hairstyler. It has a really handy tool where you can upload a photo and try different colors on to see what looks right. Once you decide what looks good, it will give you the name and color of the product you should use.

4. Test first

Before you jump into coloring, do a small patch test on your arm and wait 24 hours. You want to make sure you don't have any reactions to the product before you commit to using it. You don't want red blotches around your face and neck, so this is important to do first.

5. Timing is everything

Don't leave the dye on your hair longer than it says in the directions. This won't improve the results. In fact, if you leave the dye on too long, your color will come out dull and flat.

6. How to apply

Start with the roots and work down. The ends of your hair are drier and absorb color faster, so you want to get to them last. Otherwise they'll look darker than the top. You can also mist the ends with water before applying the color. This will slow the processing. Start the timer when you start applying the dye - not when your done. This will also help keep the ends for absorbing too much color.

7. Invest in the color

Once your hair is colored, shampoo wisely. Since you did this at home, you saved a ton of money. Buying a good shampoo and conditioner specifically for color treated hair will still leave you ahead on your finances and lengthen your color.

Don't wash your hair for at least 24 hours after coloring. This gives the color time to absorb into your hair. After that, use a color safe shampoo and conditioner. A good intensive conditioner you use once a week is also a good investment. Keeping your hair hydrated will help extend the color so condition often!

So, you can skimp on the salon and color your hair yourself. Just make sure the hair color ideas you consider are right for you. Again, there is an excellent tool at The Hairstyler that let's you try before you buy. It is well worth the time to check this out and get it right the first time. The whole idea is to save money dying your hair yourself. You don't want to end up in the salon having a professional correct a mistake after all.

Hearts take three

I can't go off and enjoy all of the lovey dovey romance I have planned for my family without leaving you with one final style.

Super simple, remember those twists I did a couple of posts down? Simply do the same thing, only make sure that your final twist goes away from the crown. The secret here is in the parting. Start in the middle of the head and swoop forward in a curve towards the ears. Twist and secure and tie a romantic ribbon to the bottom. I should have grabbed a picture, but she is wearing some of her sisters babylegs that are black and pink stripes with hearts. LOVING the hearts!!!



Happy Valentine's Day!
XOXOXO

Stephanie

Sharing your hearts

Thank you all so much for the wonderful comments about the hearts. I appreciate each and every one of them.

I have received some e-mails with pictures of some of the hearts you have come up with. Keep them coming! I want to see how many heart hairstyles I can get on this post!

This first one is from my friend that I have had since we were sophomores in high school. Our timing on everything is pretty consistent. Weddings were 20 days apart (she was my maid of honor, I her matron), first and last babies were within weeks of each other, we even live four miles apart. I love her. This is her sweet chocolate covered K girl. Look at how cute her hair is! She did the knot the opposite way of normal and proceeded to do a heart with little clips! Brilliant! It gives you so much control over the shape of the heart!





Thanks Itybtyfrog!

Next is one I received from Kelly. She tried the heart on her little Jillian. SO cute! Next time I will try the hot pink ribbon! I love the way it makes her hair POP!




Ammy had a great idea if you don't have a long enough ribbon, just twist the halves into ropes and secure into a ponytail! SO CUTE!





Perfect timing! My sweet little neighbor Naomi came over to give Tess a Valentine and I snagged a picture of her on my front porch. She looks so cute with the snow melting on her hair. Her mom pulled all of her hair into a ponytail and did an upside down knot and then rope twisted the hair and held it into place with cute little clippies! Thanks Naomi and Kera! (Kera does all sorts of fun things with her daughters hair...you will probably be seeing some more of her ideas regularly on here).



Check out how cute this one is! Becky did a puffy braid heart with just the top portion of the hair. Darling!



Cindy has been super busy with her daughter Paige. These are TWO heart hairstyles they have done recently. SO CUTE! Thanks ladies!




Debbee did a beautiful heart framing her daughters pretty blonde hair. Thanks Debbee!



Keep those pictures coming ladies! It does my heart good! Blackeyedsue2@gmail.com

Baby Do's. Puffy Braid

Well, somedays you take what you can get on pictures. This one is a standby that I use on my babies while their fronts and sides are growing in.

Hearts take two

No tutorial on this one, I wasn't sure if it would turn out the way I wanted it to. There are a few things I would change. That first ponytail that is in a triangle? I would put the ponytail down as far as I could. The two on either side, I would bring forward towards her face. It will give it more of a definitive heart shape.

Instructions are simple. Start with the top ponytail and split it in two. Add each part to a consecutive ponytail on either side and follow the elastics into a heart shape to the end.

Without a ribbon...


...and with.

Hearts take one

In honor of Valentines Day and for something fun to do, we are going to do some "hair hearts".

First, start out with a ponytail from the part to the ear. Then tie a ribbon around the elastic. After I did this, I realized it was a waste of time because it fell out and I had to retie it. Forget what I said, just do the ponytail.

Then, flip the hair in a knot. Not one so the hair goes back on the head, but forward so it defies nature or gravity or something.

THEN tie the ribbon on. I promise, it's easier this way.

Now, split the ponytail in two and coat each side with gel or pomade and wrap the ribbon around like so (you want to make sure your ribbon is loooonnngggg. You want the ribbon to come up UNDER the sides...you will see why later. Wrap the ribbon around as far down as you can and secure with an elastic.

Now, ignore those for a minute. Part the rest of the hair in half and pull each side into a ponytail. The one underneath your ribbon wrapped hair, leave down, the one on the other side, only pull halfway through the last time you pull it through the elastic.

Now, have another elastic ready. Pull the two ribbon wrapped pieces into a heart with the bottom on the ponytail. Like so.

Secure them to the ponytail with an elastic. I didn't bother taking the elastics off the end of the wrapped peices. Who knows if the elastics would pop at dance class? I don't want to take any chances and I REALLY don't want to have to re-wrap her hair.

Make sure on that last pull through, you only pull it through half-way.

Tie the ends of your ribbon around the elastic and into a bow, and then tie another ribbon around the elastic on the other side

Like so.

Now curl those ends under and fluff them.

Voila...a heart! Can you see the reason the ribbon needed to go the way it did? It holds the curves on the top of the heart.