Playdates and hair

The first part of this post is dedicated to Preslee's growing hair! ha! I love bows, but I have people ask me if she ALWAYS has a bow in. Well, most of the time the answer is yes because otherwise her hair is in her eyes! Look at this crazy mess! 

 Then sometimes a bow still doesn't help! ha! (She looks way too old in this pic!)

A lot of time while at home, I just put in it a little front ponytail thing! It's pretty funny looking but at least its out of her face! I just love all her hair and can't wait to (hopefully, if she's willing) do fun things with her hair! 

Last week, we had a special visitor!! Annabel came to Little Rock and we got to play! It was a great day! 

 The girls are starting to really show affection and it was just too sweet seeing them together! 

 Preslee was trying to Annabel to stay in the chair! :) 

 Annabel might be the friendliest baby ever! She is always smiling at people and will hug people she doesn't even know well! I just love her and her momma!

 I was so happy to have gotten this affectionate interaction on camera! Preslee came over and went to kiss Annabel then Annabel put her arms around Preslee and hugged her! Seriously it was the sweetest thing ever! 

Preslee loves playing with other kids. I feel like she would like a mothers-day-out but I just love being with her and when I head back to work 2 days a week, my mom is going to come keep her! I know there are many opinions on this topic!

Stay at home moms... what age did your kids go to a MDO or day care?

hairchat. quick party hair.

Last week, we had a class/salon day at work! Our boss asked us to find 2 youtube videos of hairstyles we wanted to try on each other! This was one of the most fun and informative classes I have done. I wanted to share one of the videos that I took! You all know how much I love a good poof, so this was for sure one of my favorites! And he makes it look so quick and easy!

Johnny Lavoy has many videos on youtube that you should check out!

Here is the look recreated by one of my fellow stylist! I thought it looked really good!

It really was so simple and you could add a scarf or headband like we did or not wear one at all! Either way, this is a great quick updo for any holiday parties you might have coming up!

We also did some rearranging that day! The salon set up the same way for a couple of years and we were ready for something new!

Before

Before

And now for the After...

I think it seems more open and maybe a little bigger!

I love my new station! Change is always a good thing!

hairchat. Talking to your stylist.

Communicating with your hairstylist is so important in getting the results you want! You as the client, need information and understanding from your stylist and your stylist needs information and direction from you. Never assume that your stylist knows what you like even if you have been using the same person for years.

Your stylist needs to know what you like and dislike and how you manage your hair at home. A good stylist should explain any new look so that you can make the decision if you are ready for a change. No one knows your hair better than you do so providing as much information as possible will help your stylist make the proper decision about the right cut, color & style.

To avoid communication failure with your stylist, it's good to know some hair styling terminology.

Layering- This is a technique to change thickness of hair and can create a thinning or thicker appearance. Verify how much layering you want along with the length of the layers. You want them to be proportional with the rest of the style. Layers can give hair a fuller appearance with more texture and movement. A good hair cut is really about the art of layering!

Texturizing- This involves using a razor or thinning shears. If you are thinking you want your hair texturized, question your stylist about your hair type to be sure that your hair is the right texture and style for it.

Blunt cut- This means to cut sections of hair straight across. This is mainly done on hair that is one-length or between chin lengths to below the shoulder. It can also be used to cut any short layered hair style. This can result in thicker, fuller ends.

Undercutting- This is done to the hair around the neck. It can be cut shorter relative to the rest of the hair on the back of the head and this will prevent the hair from sticking out in the neck area. This will help achieve smooth, turned under hair.
Trim- Trimming is cutting very little or only cutting around the back, top or sides. Please be specific in the amount of hair you want to be cut so your stylist can understand your meaning of a trim!

Good luck at your next hair appointment!

Bad bangs...

While at home last weekend, I was observing some old photos that were on my parents basement walls. The conclusion is that I had a childhood of awful bangs!!

This had to take some talent to get these to go down and back!

At least mom had bad bangs too! Ha!

Now these bangs were just too short!

This picture cracks me up because my brother doesn't look like he belongs in this family at all! Look at the drastic hair color difference! :)

Yes there is a teacup poodle in a baby stroller! Her name was Baby Ju! Hahaha!

Whew! Look at the side profile of those bangs!

Bottom line... I hope all of you had some awesome bangs like me at some point in your life! Have a great weekend!!

hair chat. shampoos

I have many people ask me to talk about shampoos. There are so many different kinds of shampoos that range in prices so it can be hard to determine which is the best for you. I did quite a bit of online research and in no way can say that I knew all this info before I wrote this post. So don't feel bad if this is all new to you because some parts were for me as well!

• Shampoo is meant to remove dirt, sebum (a.k.a. oils), and product buildup from your hair. But there are dozens of different brands to choose from, and even more types within those brands. The same goes for conditioners. Conditioners are meant to add shine, protect hair from drying out and allow for easier combing.

• Some cheap shampoos contain foaming agents that can dry out the hair. This is good for oily, limp hair. But if your hair is sun-damaged, chlorine-damaged or color-damaged then you should invest in more expensive shampoo.

• If your hair is colored, you really should consider a shampoo that is specially designed for colored hair. This is because the shampoos are made to be more gentle on your hair & will contain ingredients to preserve color.

The many names of ingredients on bottles can be confusing. But it's true the right ingredients make all the difference. Rather than pay attention to the names on the bottles, pay more attention to the ingredients. Does the shampoo include a mild cleanser like sodium laureth sulfate or a stronger one like ammonium lauryl sulfate? This is something I do not pretend to know much about. HERE is a site that talks about the ingredients if you want to know more about them!

Since a lot of you are moms... I thought I would include some info about children's shampoos. Forget the cute bottles and pretty colors. That is the last thing that should concern you. Instead, look at the product. You want it as free as possible from coloring and fragrance. Those ingredients are not necessary and just because a product claims to be mild, does not make it so. Look at the ingredients!

I also found this info about dandruff/dry skin on the scalp... The best remedy for dandruff is to rotate three over-the-counter dandruff shampoos -- one containing salicylic acid (to exfoliate), one containing selenium sulfide (to soothe) and a third containing pyrithione zinc (an anti-inflammatory) interspersing them with regular shampoo. A trio of treatments is most effective because if you use only one the fungus could adapt and become immune to it. When the seasons change, my scalp gets dry. I will normally use head and shoulders at least once a week to prevent it from getting too bad.

Choosing a shampoo according to your hair type is a good way to start out your shampoo search!

• Coarse hair is usually porous, which means it quickly absorbs moisture and other chemicals applied to it. Coarse hair is sometimes the result of over processing. Thus if you often perm, color or straighten your hair you may have course hair. Usually coarse hair is dry. Because of this, you'll want to select a moisturizing shampoo that will help infuse more moisture in your hair. This can also help tame fly aways, common in coarse hair.
  
  
• Generally if you have fine hair you'll want to stick with light shampoos and conditioners. You don't need to use a heavy shampoo. Most gentle shampoos work well. You can usually wash your hair every day using gentler shampoos. You might also consider a clarifying shampoo once a week to help lift residue so your hair doesn't get too weighted down. The biggest problem with fine hair is overpowering it with too many products. This can make fine hair even limper than normal.
  
  
• If you have colored/processed hair, you want to be sure to select a shampoo that won't strip your hair color. It is possible to have dry ends but oily roots if you have processed hair. The trick here is cleaning hair with a good shampoo then applying some form of moisturizer to the ends of your hair. Fortunately there are dozens of color protection shampoos that help preserve your color but still add moisture to your hair.

I can't tell you each what shampoo would be best for you. I don't use anything but salon professional shampoo & conditioners so I am not going to name store brands for you to try. But I suggest is that you determine your hair type then do some research on what kind of shampoos will be best for your hair! You can always see if the inexpensive shampoos and conditions work for you and if they don't, or your hair is still not doing what you want it to do, then try salon product!

hair chat. Blondes

Ok blondies... I am talking to you today! The first step toward an attractive blond hair style is choosing the right color. There are hundreds of shades of blond hair from creamy light golden tones to ashy blondes with low lights. If you are a natural blonde, examine your color and see if you would like it lightened or highlighted. Natural blond hair darkens over time, and many blondes opt for mild treatments to keep naturally bright shades.

When choosing a blonde shade, particularly if you have naturally dark hair, be sure to match the color to your skin tone. Very pale skin may look washed out against a bright blonde, whereas darker skin is best complimented by warmer hair colors.

Foil highlights add strands of color to your hair by adding multiple different shades in the hair to make it look for natural. Low-lights allow stylist to add darker shades to the hair to give more contrast.

Consider adding highlights to create depth and texture in the hair, but use two or three highlight colors to avoid a streaked, patchwork look. Choosing highlight colors close to your natural shade will keep the style colorful longer as your natural color grows back in over time. But you can ask for lighter pieces around your face to brighten your complexion.

If you have brown hair and want to go blonde, you don't want to go too light or you could look washed out. Opt for contrast: Highlights and lowlights. And keep in mind that darker hair will actually complement brown or green eyes better than blonde hair.

A combination of light blonde highlights and warm- toned lowlights create a nice multi-tonal blonde.

Reese has a perfect blonde. She probably has 2-3 different blondes foiled in to achieve this natural blonde look.

Gwenyth has such beautiful blond hair. She has more of an ash blonde mixed in with her highlights.

Platinum blonde is not for everyone and can be hard to maintain because it can only be achieved by bleaching and toning the hair. Platinum is normally best for shorter hair styles because of the damage bleaching hair to this degree causes. The ends of long hair have been around and exposed to the elements for at least a year or 2. Deep conditioning is a must for platinum blondes!

Gwen Stefani is no natural blonde, but these days she's going darker than she's been in the past. Because her hair is naturally much darker, she has to get all-over color, rather than highlights.

Last few things...

• Keep in mind that due to root growth, all-over coloring will need to be touched up every four to eight weeks, while highlights can last up to two or three months, depending on what kind you get.

• If you're coloring your hair blonde, consider having your eyebrows lightened.

• Keep the brassy tones out of your blonde hair style by using a color depositing shampoo and conditioner. The conditioners work the best because they don't contain cleansing agents and can be left on the hair for long periods. The longer they're left on and more often they're used, the more pigment is deposited onto your hair strand. (Purple takes the yellow out of hair)

Many brands have color support shampoo and conditioner but of course I think Bumble and bumble's is the best! As you can see from the picture above color support isn't just for blondes. If you color tends to fade to a certain shade that you don't like, then these color support shampoo/conditioners will be your new best friend!

Hope this was somewhat helpful and not too confusing! Like always, you can email me with questions and I will try to answer them as best I can!

hair chat. beach hair

I will be honest... I am all out of ideas this week's for hair chat. So I am going to just tell you about 3 Bumble and bumble products that can help you have cute beach hair for the summer!

This is what I would call "Beach Hair- but not from the beach". The waves that your hair naturally gets when you are sitting on the beach with the humid warm breeze! Don't you want to be on a beach right now? I sure do!

Some of you may have naturally wavy hair and some may have board straight. Well, we all want what we don't have. But these 3 products from Bumble and bumble can hopefully help you achieve this look!

Surf Spray is very popular and I have seen it in many magazines for summer hair! The spray is a salt-infused styling spray for fullness, hold and cool matte finish. This can be used on wet or dry styles!

This product will add texture and lots of volume with a very light hold. It contains moisturizing seaweed extract and give hair a sexy, sun-dried, wind swept styles whenever you want!

Now for those of you with hard to handle, thick or wavy hair... this Grooming creme could help you get beach waves. It's a styling moisturizer that adds texture, give hair natural separation and subtle hold. Just a warning: a little bit goes a long way and you don't want to use too much or you will have to start over!

This is probably one of my favorite Bumble products. Brilliantine is a hair polish that provides body and shine allowing you to style your hair in many ways. It provides great separation and texture which is needed for beach hair. Brilliantine reduces dryness, leaving hair soft.

I am not saying you need all THREE of these products to achieve beach hair. I just wanted to give you some suggestions to check out if you are going to the beach this summer or just trying to have beach hair during the hot summer at home!

Now this is some great beach wave hair!

GOOD LUCK! :)