Wednesday 30 July 2014

The Bandana

Recently seen posing for one of the most famous 'girl power' shots of the century, Beyonce rocked a bandana in the recent picture, showing that not only is it coming back in to style, it's also actually quite functional... Want to wear one?  Here's how!

Wear it like a headband 



Fold into a triangle and roll into a band, then tie at the nape of the neck, this is great for a casual look, teamed with denim or a summer dress.




Wear it as a top / side knot

This look is the classic, and can be used to keep hair off the back of the neck whilst adding a chic touch to some casual outfits, pick brightly coloured prints to add some volume to otherwise plain t-shirts and tops.

Rihanna made this also work for a more dressed up affair, by matching a black bandana with the dress and cape jacket.

The Retro Pin-Up

Beyonce showed this recently as mentioned above, and it's a great combo with most summer outfits.  Add volume to the fringe or the top of the hair to accentuate the  piece and really add that retro feel to your hair.



The Bonnet

This is something that can disguise a multitude of hair sins if you are having an off day!  Fold into the triangle, and place at the back of the head and tie, tuck the bandana in and if wearing a quiff, then secure with pins or tuck underneath the bandana.  If you want to do it loosely this will also protect curls / pinned hair from too much movement before a night out!


Thursday 24 July 2014

THERE SHE BLOWS!

As with all Hairdressing tips, nothing quite beats the stylist when you sit down in their chair, they ruffle up your locks and within 15 seconds they've achieved a look that you would be battling in front of the mirror for a good hour to achieve.  Well here are our top tips from Llandudno Stylist Jonny Williams to achieving your perfect blowdry.



Prep tips:
First of all, shake it!  No not your best Miley Cyrus impression, shake your products before applying them! For lots of body and volume, layer a root lift spray at the top with a volumising foam such as the Volumactive Expansion Mousse from Kerastase, to give gravity defying volume. If your hair is coarse and frizzy use an oil product such as Shu Uemura Essence Absolue, remember this goes a long way so not too much. A lot of products don't have heat protectors in as standard, so check and use a separate one if not, I highly reccommend the Forme Fatale or Lift Vertige from the Kerastase Styling range, these are great styling hold as well as protection for heat.

1. Rough dry your hair without the nozzle attachment (this makes it a lot quicker) until it’s 90% dry, don't try to blowdry your hair into a style from wet, it just won't work. As you do so, lift the hair up at the front for root lift and tip your head upside down for volume. This means that the hair will be lifted upward and give more volume.

2. Attach the nozzle for directional styling and using a round bristle brush work on small sections, It may feel like it takes a while but smaller sections will make it easier, and give you a better overall finish. Start with the top middle section of hair to give this the most time to set. Dry it forwards and backwards against the roots for lift then roll the sections around your brush. Heat it up then cool it down with the ‘cool shot’ setting (ever wondered what that little button does on your hairdryer??).  Pay attention to the ends when you lift them up between the hairdryer and the brush as to what shape you want to achieve.  Concentrating more on these parts with the brush and the hairdryer will give you a more definite curl at the end, or roll up and heat slowly to achieve a more longer curl. Separate the hair from the brush and pin the section up as it sets.

3. Repeat this technique until you have done all of your head.  Then spray with a light hairspray to achieve a degree of hold.


4.  Take the pins out, and tip your head upside again, ruffling from the root to achieve even more lift. Back-comb the roots with a fine comb in the underneath sections to achieve even more volume, style, and if you want to concentrate more on the curl, then curl with straighteners to get the desired look.  Fix with hairspray, and then hit the town!