Trend alert

Feather hair extensions.

 

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These are awesome, all over the place, 

and I want some.

monday's muse #5

Getting more creative with hair do's...

{ see tutorial here at Fashionising }

Something that I can say I really haven't seen before, and is legitimately wearable. Although I am suspicious that it may be deceptively difficult despite it's laid back appeal.

I guess I will need to give it a trial run! 

Have a beautiful week.

me, playing teacher

I mentioned in Orange Berlin review: part ii  that Brigitte did my hair in a super easy way that I never knew possible. This is what it looks like:

 { I felt like a 7th grade MySpacer taking this picture... }

And this is how I do it:

- Let hair air dry, do a little rub-rub with the towel, or just towel scrunching. Blow dry on low while scrunching, if you are in a hurry. but it looks best when it just air dries (easy peazy!) If your hair isn't naturally wavy, try sleeping with your hair in a braid, and doing the next steps in the morning.

- Mix (roughly) equal parts leave in conditioner (I use Pearatin Fortifying Repairative Serum by Loma, which is hands down the best hair product I have found, to date) and a sculpting wax (I use Graham Webb Brit Style Sculptor. Brigitte used some sort of curl cream wax and I loved it. I mix two products to imitate the one she used--that I of course forget the name of.)

- Rub it together really well in your palms, warm it up,and scrunch this concoction in. Do this evenly and gradually. I have super thick hair, so I am that sure I can handle more than my fine-haired-friends. Don't over do it, of it will look greasy. Start out slow, you can always add more.

*The wax was really the secret. I had never tried it before, and I love the way it looks. I am not CRAZY about how it feels, but it is often worth the trade off for me. It is that awesome.*

- Once it's totally dry, I fluff it around, and use a flat iron to tame the bangs, and give the front few pieces a little more bend. I know that curling your hair with a flat iron sounds crazy, but it is seriously perfect when you want loose, wavy curls. I hold the flat iron vertical while clamping a 1/2"-1" section of hair while pulling it taught and forward, away from my face, so the hair bends around the clamp of the iron.

Like this:

{ curling with a flat iron }

- Do this a couple of times on the same section, as it doesn't work in one fell swoop for long hair. I usually do a little bend at the end, then up once more toward the middle of the piece of hair. I go in the same direction, so it makes a loose curl, and not just a flipped out end. I don't do it too close to my scalp, as that looks too prom-y and perfect. More ringlet than messy. Leave it relatively straight on top, so it lays closer to your head, then wave up the ends.

Voile!

I hope these instructions made sense? Not quite a YouTube tutorial (which by the way, have you indulged in that yet? It's addicting.), but hey.

can i get a headband?

I have been hesitant about the whole hippie-headband trend thing. It took me awhile to warm up to the idea at all, and then was never sure how it was supposed to look on a girl with bangs...

Plus, all the headbands that I've liked are ones that I've seen on Etsy or other online stores (i.e. I can't try them on and convince myself).

So I was really excited when I found this little guy at Old Navy (I know, right?) for $6.50.

{ Old Navy headband -- not available online, only in select stores }

The rosette is made of raw edged twill--I bought mine in khaki, but stood there debating between this one, and the ballet pink, for several minutes.

Tough choice. Not gonna lie.

{ How I wear my hippie-headband with bangs }

...

Okay... so why the "can i get a headband" title?

Because I miss my Portland Trail Blazers, and the word "headband" always makes me sing this song:

Feel free to laugh at me now :]

Hairpiece

I have been meaning to post this for awhile now... This AMAZING hairpiece was given to me by my lovely Cristine, whom you may remember from mr. & mrs. montgomery and sewing adventures continued... .

{ Hairpiece by Zida in Eugene, Oregon }

You may ALSO remember that I have been coveting a feather hairpiece for some time now [ see Peacocking ].

Don't you just love it when you friends really, really know you?

Thanks, Teen!

Orange Berlin review: part ii

Since I did excessive describing in my Orange Berlin review: part i, I will keep these shorter. You now know the ambiance, the stylist, and the general vibe of the salon. After my initial appointment for a haircut, I have been back to Orange Berlin twice:

Highlight appointment :: December 24, 3pm
Brigitte was not very impressed with my at-home attempts at lightening my hair (neither was I) and was insistent in scheduling me for highlights on Christmas Eve so I could have "pretty Christmas and Birthday hair!" I was very appreciative.

She did a TON of foils on my head, as I have a lot of hair, and my hair was pretty dark. She was very meticulous and careful to make the streaks very tiny, but large in number, so they would look natural but cover a lot of hair. (Umm... and can I please mention that this took FOREVER? I was seriously there for FIVE HOURS.) I was so excited to go back to blonde. We flipped through the sample book to choose a toner color, and chose one on the agreement that what I was going for was "more Giselle blonde than Claudia Schiffer blonde."

Unfortunately, what I ended up with was hardly different than what I walked in with. The toner was way too dark, and even reddish. Brigitte is still stumped as to how this happened, because according to her, my hair was "very blonde" pre-toner (I never saw it, this stage was just in the sink). I told her I really wasn't happy with the color, so she used a product called Re-Light (sp?) to tone down the redness, and give it a cooler tone. I was happier with this, as it canceled out the red, and even showed a little more blonde through, as a result of re-washing my hair immediately after coloring--but it was still brown. I left very disappointed that my hair wasn't blonde. The highlights were done very well--natural, shimmery--but subtle.

Apparently, I shouldn't have ever used permanent hair-color on my naturally blonde hair when I decided to go dark. I should have used a toner, which slowly fades out, and makes for a much easier transition when wanting to go back to my natural color. I didn't even know you could buy this without being a stylist! Ugh. Going back to blonde that I want will be much harder than I thought. I tried it last May and totally hated the tone, so I re-dyed it to brown. I should have used a toner on that, and I probably could have stayed blonde. Oh well, lesson learned, I suppose?

I am noticing that the toner is indeed fading, and my highlights are surfacing.

Maybe this is the best way to transition to blonde? Switch so gradually that no one will notice? I am trying to stay positive.

I am washing my hair more often, thoroughly scrubbing with my shampoo, and rinsing with hot water to encourage the fading...but don't worry and use lots of conditioner :]

{ here is a before and after so you can at least sort of tell that, yes, my hair is a little lighter... }

Complimentary bang trim :: December 30, 3pm

This was a very pleasant and quick stop in. I had an appointment, didn't have to wait, sipped a Mimosa, got my bangs trimmed, talked with Brigitte about how my toner will soon fade and my hair will get blonder by the day, and went on my way. :]

{ photo 1 via a hilarious post on Mod Mom Furniture blog (Seriously! Go read it!); photo 2 via Think Big blog }

Orange Berlin review: part i (continued)

Ha! As promised, and I followed through...

Here is my new haircut. Grown out a bit, since it's been a month now (I suck). This is also with my new highlights (that review is coming soon, too!)

{ photo of moi taken by the hubs. Hair by Brigitte of Orange Berlin }

Orange Berlin review: part i

Get ready for details, because that is what I am about. And the whole experience was just so divine, I had to indulge!

Haircut appointment :: December 15th at 10am

 I was the first appointment of the morning, and actually beat my stylist there. That was a-okay with me though, as I was a little flustered when I got there because my GPS had been losing signal and stressing me out into thinking I was going to be late. I was greeted by the lovely Martina (who had a gorgeous German accent, not to mention impeccable style), who was setting out some amazing yellow sun umbrellas on the sidewalk in front of the shop. She invited me to sit down on their deliciously gaudy white and gold damask Louis XIV style chairs in their waiting area that is juxtaposed in their minimalist, modern, and completely open floor plan. She offered me coffee, to which I accepted, and was delighted to be brought a personal french press of a hazelnut brew, a white ceramic coffee cup with matching saucer and creamer, and a gingerbread man shaped biscotti cookie all on a geometrically patterned gray lucite tray.

{ something like this, but prettier }

When Brigitte, my stylist, arrived, she was very friendly and instantly put me at ease. She had one of those soft, warm voices that practically lulls you to sleep (in a good way) that was topped off with a gorgeous French accent. We talked about what I wanted (and how I really didn't know exactly what I wanted) and she sat down with me and really listened. She also ran her hands through my hair and checked out my current cut, and then made some suggestions. She told me that she really liked what I already had, but had a few suggestions for improvements that would make it even better.

Her suggestions were:

1) Cut straight across bangs

2) Move my deep side part to the center

3) Grow out my tapered layers around my face to create a fuller, more blunt cut. (Brigitte said that she likes to set goals with her clients--"It's so fun to reach them together!")

I was totally on board with all of these suggestions. I knew I wanted something different, but I wasn't unhappy enough with my current cut for anything too drastically different. This would be perfect. ...And I never realized how much my front layers bugged me until she made this suggestion. I don't like that the front of my hair is not the same length as the back--why did I never realize this? That is the kind of thing that makes you a good stylist, right there.

I told her that I had already washed my hair that morning, so we only needed to get it wet, but we ended up talking so much that she ended up washing my hair mindlessly and I didn't object. Plus, I got a head massage as a result that was totally incredible!

Fast forward to the end of the cut, and I was very happy with the end result. What really sold me though, was the fact that she styled my hair in a way that I actually loved. My hair is really wavy, really thick, and no one really know how to deal with it but me. I have never had a hairstylist style my hair after a cut in a way that I actually like it (okay, there was one time, but it was because she took the time to completely flatiron it). I usually throw it in a ponytail and head home after a haircut. She used some sort of curl-cream-wax that totally worked wonders, and actually showed me a look that I didn't know my hair could so easily achieve. Amazing! 

She even flattered me by showing me off to Martina, the other stylist, and her client. They said that my wavy curls were what everyone was paying big bucks for lately--thanks mom for the awesome hair genes!

...so I know that this is incredibly anti-climactic of me, but I don't have an acceptable picture of my haircut yet. But my hope is that since I posted this, it will remind me to hurry up and take one and post it ASAP. That is my way of keeping myself accountable. So expect a photo soon!

Orange Berlin, here I come

It's official! I have convinced myself (and yes, Lauren, you influenced me as well) that I will indeedy be going with Bridgitte at Orange Berlin in West LA for my first haircut here in the city.

I booked my appointment through Lifebooker. The whole process was smooth, and oh-so convenient to do online, without dealing with a salon's phone. ...Do salon phones bother anyone else? I feel like even if you call during business hours that they ring forever, and if you're lucky enough to get an answering machine, good luck hearing from them at the earliest two days from now.

Anyway. Lifebooker asks for your credit card number, not to charge you for the booked service, but to charge you in case you don't show up, or cancel outside the salon's policy (most salons

require 24 hours notice, but the policy for your specific locale is clearly stated before you click "Book!"). Otherwise, your card won't be charged a dime.

This Lifebooker concept really has me intrigued. It is a brilliant idea. Win-win for consumer and vendor alike. Discounts for me... Clients for them... Convenience for me...Money pumping in from flakey potential clients for them...

My appointment is next Tuesday morning. I will most definitely be blogging about my experience. And--fingers crossed--have a good enough experience to post pictures of the outcome.

I am nervous and excited. Now I have to find some pictures of what I want... And before that, DECIDE what I want.

I am bouncing back and forth between growing it out as fast as possible (my hair is actually getting pretty long already)... like option A.

{ A. Vanessa Hudgens }

What I like: I can do more with it when it's long, and I can wear it wavy (read: little to no effort)

What I dislike: My hair is about this length right now, and the longest layers sometimes look and feel stringy (like in this picture) which can tend to drive me crazy.

What I can't decide if I like or dislike: Bangs... Straight across, side swept, or grow them out?

Or, to chop the longer layers to a more medium-length. I am not as stoked on this style idea, but I am trying to phase into lighter brown shades and eventually back to my naturally dirty blonde haircolor. So chopping it off will help that process. I know that I am hyper-neurotic about hair damage, but I am not crazy with how my hair is handling all this dying business. So there is that. Like option B.

{ B. Rachel McAdams }

What I like: The volume of the not quite curly, but not quite straight. I could do that.

What I dislike: The long layers. I would need to have some shorter layers with how outrageously thick my hair is.

What I can't decide if I like or dislike: Will going shorter make me look like I'm a grown up with a real job... or like I did in 6th grade? And again... bangs or no?

My fringe debate...

{ Demi Lovato }

Bang-option in question.

{ Random bride model, I guess... }

No-bang-option in question.

To further keep my mind racing (yes, I really stress about this unimportant kind of thing...) There is always option C. None of the above.

i.e. Some uber trendy LA cut that I have not yet identified (and I always have my eyes peeled for this type of thing), or that Bridgette, my future-stylist, may suggest. This is obviously a huge gamble--I either adore it, or despise it.

Yikes.

Decisions.

Hairstylist hunt

Unfortunately, I am rapidly approaching the in-dire-need-of-a-haircut stage. Ugh. I so don't want to deal with finding a hairstylist around here.

I am poor, but don't want to fall victim to a fresh out of beauty school n00b trying to be LA edgy type of disaster (but it was such a deal!).

You know what I am talking about.I stumbled upon this website a few weeks ago and have been seriously contemplating using it. It's called LifeBooker. Lucky for me, and not-so-lucky for my Oregon readers, this site is for the biggest cities only. My guess is it will slowly grow to encompass smaller metropolises. But until then--it is helpful if you live in NYC or LA.

{ Lifebooker LA screenshot }

The site provides lists of vendors for different services: haircut, hair color, mani, pedi, massage, waxing, etc. The LA list even encompasses teeth whitening and Pole Dancing Workout classes. What?!

Check out the right side of the screen. The search engine for the site absolutely rocks. You can select your price range (or how high you want the discount to be), where the business is located, practitioner gender, time of appointment availability, etc. ...Basically awesome.

Once you find a couple of potential businesses you are interested in, you can view their list of services and prices and--the best part--reviews!

This is the Lifebooker page of the salon that I am considering. It's called Orange Berlin, and a ton of the reviews rave about a stylist named Brigitte.

{ Lifebooker LA - Orange Berlin screenshot }

...Don't you want your haircut on Beverly Blvd in West LA by a woman by that name? 'Cause I sure do.

This is what the salon looks like:

{ photo via Blackburn and Sweetzer blog }

*sidenote: even the blogpost on Blackburn and Sweetzer

had people commenting about Brigitte. I think she must be legit.

And their cute logo (why am I a sucker for this stuff?). Although, other than this banner, their website totally sucks:

{ via orangeberlin.com }

I expected to have to pay more living here for a haircut than my $20-something Salem style (ah, those were the days)... But with 65% off, bringing it down to $52.50 for a salon--and stylist, no less--with rave reviews... I am very tempted to just go for it.

What do you think?

Peacocking

I am more than a little obsessed with feather hairpieces right now. I have yet to snag one... I am waiting for the perfect one. I can't decide what I like best.

In the meantime, here are a few that make me drool.

Top left, clockwise: Sweet Grass Mill, mlachin, Jenny Pickle, and twigs & honey all found on Etsy.com