Growing out that Bob!!

Change the look of your hair without cutting it.  One cut can be styled many ways.  Get creative.  Don’t be afraid to get yout hands in there.

Take for instance the ever so popular “Beckham” bob.  This bob requires monthly maintenance and because it is decontructed and/or layered, it has a tendancy to be a little of a pain to grow out.  (especially the nape of the neck where it often gets bushy)

 

ONE LOOK 3 WAYS

1.  Flat iron your bob, wear it sleek and close  to the face.

2.  On wet/damp hair, slick back the sides with some gel and pin behind the ears.  This look is great for summertime after the pool.

3.  Try scrunching some wave/curl into your hair.  Use a styling aid for curl and finish off with a little hair spray.

www.raincry.com

Blowdryer Technology

QUESTION:

I just purchased new boar bristle round brushes and would like to know if the type of blowdryer I’m using will give a better end result?

 

ANSWER:

Like brushes, blow-dryers also differ in quality.

There are 2 types of blow-dryers currently being offered in the market.

 

 

The first is traditional blow-dryers.  They have not changed in design and performance since their introduction almost 50 years ago.  They work a lot like a convection oven- a heat source with air being blown over the element to provide you with the hot air coming from your blow-dryer.  This style blow-dryer’s heat is more abrasive then some of the newer technology blow-dryers.  Think of it like a toaster oven.  They typically range in price from about $60 – $120

The newer technology blow-dryers use an infrared heat source that dries your hair more from the inside rather than “browning” the outside of the hair.  Think of them more like a microwave oven- keeping the moisture without browning / baking.  Many of them are also ionic.  Ionic blow-dryers are said to give hair greater shine and health.  Hairstylists might notice a slight improvement with an ionic blow-dryer regarding hair health and shine, but most consumers might not notice a huge difference.  Where you might notice a difference is with the blow-drying time.  Ions are also supposed to break apart the H20 molecules quicker, resulting in faster blow-drying times.  These types of blow-dryers are “healthier” for your hair but are also more expensive; ranging from $175 – $250. 

Easy Way to Keep Your Style All Day!

There’s a dirty little secret for ensuring your style will hold all day…oil!  The best time to style your hair is when it is a little oily.  When your hair is freshly washed and blowdried, it can be a bit ’slippery’, and, especially when creating curls, fall limp.  When your hair is a bit oily, curs will stay beautiful and bouncy all day!  Using a round brush that has natural boar britles to create curl is also your best bet, as the natural bristles help to disperse the natural oils all thorugh your hair, preventing fly-aways, and ensuring fully, naturally moisturized curls.  RAINCRY makes a great boar bristle round brush, found at http://www.raincry.com
To get the perfect amount of oil in your hair, wash it the night before you style.  And to finish off your style, use a flexible hold aerosol finishing spray.  You want your still to have lots of movement and to look touchable all day, so a strong hold, ‘crunchy’ hairspry would not do the job.  Also, aerosol is a better spray to go with, because it dried almost instantly, and will not weigh down your hair wil it dries, like some spray-pump hairsprays.
Good luck!

You Asked For It- More Wet Hair Styles!

On request, here is another quick and very easy wet hair style!  Whether you’re coming from the beach, or straight out of the pool, this braided style is a great, relaxed way to style your hair without having to blow dry.

First, spritz your hair with a detangling spray, or apply a leave-in conditioner (this will help to detangle your hair, while reducing the risk of breakage).  Brush your hair with a detangling paddle brush, and part your hair down the middle.  If you have bangs, brush them in the style you choose (to the side or straight across).* 

Next, divide your hair into two equal halves.  The easiest way to do this is to take a comb, and follow your centre part down the back of your head.  Put one half in a loose elastice to keep it out of the way.

Take the loose half of your hair (not the one in the elastic) and proceed to braid, holding the section of your hair over your shoulder, to the front.  When you reach the end of the section, secure the braid with a snag-free elastic.  Remove loose elastic from other section, and repeat braiding steps.

Finally, step back and admire the cute, put-together you!

*If you have wavy, unruly bangs like I do, or you just want them off your face, try pinning them back before you braid in a classic bouffant style.  To do this, pull bangs back and pinch the end of the section.  Push pinched section forward until desired pouffe is achieved.  Slide bobby pins into the pinched section (one insterted left, one inserted right).

Ponytail

Heres a step by step on how to master a smooth ponytail.

1. Put your hair behind your ears.
2. Use a boar bristle paddle brush to smooth out the bumps.
3. Grasp hair with one hand and bring all the hair to the middle of the head.
4. Using an elastic band, fasten the hair securely.
5. **For a more sophisticated look, take a small section of hair from underneath the pony and wrap around the elastic.  Pin the end into the base.

Hairdryer Settings

No matter what hairdryer you own whether it be professional or department store brand, they all have several settings ranging from warm, to hot to cool.  Most of us use only the hottest setting to dry our hair from beginning to end, but what about the others?  Should we be using the warm setting instead of hot?

Use this guide to use your dryer and all its bells and whistles!

HOT–Use hot air to dry wet hair using your fingers or a round brush.  When you have a product that is not pliable enough try heating it up with some hot air.

WARM–Use for diffusing.  Curly/wavy hair is often dry by nature.  Hot air tends to dry out the hair to fast thus leaving a frizzy untamed mess.  Using the warm setting will be much gentler on your locks.

COOL–Use your cool button to seal the cuticle at the end of your blowdrying.  This shot of cool air closes the cuticle, making your hair smooth and shiny.