"I am not afraid of walking down the street in something that people think is crazy. What I can't stand is looking like everyone else." ~ Mary Kate Olsen

Showing posts with label hair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hair. Show all posts

Saturday, July 24

DIY: Coffee Hair Rinse

This post is for all of my brunette ladies! This simple and inexpensive hair treatment will intensify the tone of your brown hair and add to its shine.

All you need is two cups of freshly brewed coffee, but you may need an extra cup if your hair is very long and/or very thick. You should need four cups at most. I used a dark French roast for my dark brown/almost black hair. Be sure not to use instant coffee since the additives in it may damage your hair (yikes). Before you attempt this, I have to give you a few words of warning. If your hair is naturally light or bleached, the coffee will stain it. After you brew the coffee, refrigerate it for a few hours. If it feels hot to your finger, it will be even hotter on your scalp.

Here's what you have to do: After you've shampooed and conditioned, pour the coffee over your hair in the shower. Leave it in while you finish the rest of your shower. Gently rinse it out when you are done. Dry and style as normal.

That's it! It's really that simple. My hair is naturally walnut brown but I dyed it black in late April. Parts of my hair had faded dye, a mix of my natural color, and light ends. After the coffee rinse, I noticed that the lightened parts of my hair darkened to a deep mahogany brown, the tone was more consistent throughout my hair, and it smelled like a delicious cup of java. If you are a natural brunette and like coloring your hair darker, consider doing a coffee rinse to revive your flagging color in between dye jobs.

xx Chloe

Thursday, June 24

Two Tone Hair: Yuck or Yay?

In recent years, two tone hair has been seeing a resurgance on our favorite celebs: Drew Barrymore rocked a blond bob with black tips at a Whip It! premiere, Rihanna (the hair chameleon) choose to add black streaks to her short blond cut earlier this year, and Alexa Chung usually has some variation of brown that fades to honey blonde. There are many variations to this trend that range from subtle to "OMG!?"

Of course, two tone hair is nothing new. I believe Blondie's lead singer and namesake, Debbie Harry, was the first to popularize the trend with her signature mane of peroxide blonde with dark brown underneath. (Correct me if I'm wrong!)

The culture vulture herself. I'm still sad disco is dead.

A more modern take on Harry's famed locks is beautifully done by Beyonce.

Her sleek honey blonde tresses give way to a chocolate brown in the under layers.

Another way to wear this trend is merely by lightening the ends to create a gradient of color. Depending on how you do it, it can look like you're growing out a dye job or have sun kissed hair.

I like Alexa Chung's suble take on the trend in this picture. I love how the walnut shade fades to caramel in a seamless way.

Cameron Diaz proves blondes can pull of the trend as well. Dark ash blonde transitions to a lighter shade. I think this look works especially well with curls.


It's hard for me to keep up with all of Hayley William's hair changes, but I was completely jealous of this auburn/cherry red gradient look. The color is bold, but the take on the trend is just as subtle as Diaz's or Chung's.

A more drastic take is the dipped ends look. This is a bit more dangerous, since your hair can either become punky or sloppy.

A buttery shade of blonde dipped in jet black? I'm on the fence with this one, merely because I know Drew has the personality to pull it off. It's still NOT my favorite look on her. I miss her red hair!
  
Lady Gaga's followed this trend numerous times (remember that blonde wig with the bright yellow ends at the Grammy's?), but this my favorite take. She proves you can have fun by dipping your hair in not-so-normal shades like lavender. Unlike Barrymore, there is more transition to the shade and isn't so abrupt.

Abbey Lee Kershaw rocked pink-dipped strands in a photo shoot. Brunettes are going to have to bleach their ends in order for the color to take hold. There are lots of temporary colorful dyes to choose from. I think brown hair looks super edgy when dipped in a more sophisticated red.

The two tone look also makes use of highlights. A major contrast is required from your natural hair color and the very visible streaks.

Rihanna's natural black was offset by majorly chunky and majorly blonde highlights. It looks punky and pretty on her, which is no small feat.

Joss Stone chose to work some thin raspberry streaks into her dark brown hair, concentrating the color in the front. I was in love with her hair when her "Introducing Joss Stone" album came out in 2008.


Back in Xtina's dirrrrty days, she was rocking this decidedly unglam (read: skunky) platinum blonde and black streaks combo hair.

What about Kristen Stewart's "Bella" hair color? Auburn was heavily streaked in a black base. It's a pretty and subtle take on the trend. Just remember to brush your hair or something, KStew!

My final verdict on the trend: YAY! I like to color outside the lines, if you will, and I find this trend can work on all lengths, textures, and colors. That's quite rare, isn't it? I would most like to attempt a look like Joss Stone's brown/raspberry combo or Hayley William's auburn/cherry red combo. I like the appearance of streaks as opposed to being dip-dyed. Once the dye fades, I think it'd be much harder to blend the ends into one tone if you get bored of the look. In Drew Barrymore's case, she may have had to chop off the black in order to get rid of it or dye all of her hair black to match. Too much fuss! Currently, I'm trying to grow out my hair and black dye I used to blend away my all-over blonde highlights. I'm too poor at the moment to buy hair dye, but I think I shall go redder my next dye job. Oh, and I think some burgundy streaks in it would be fun, right? I'm an incoming college freshman, so I think it's age-appropriate. 

xx Chloe

P.S. Post "Yuck" or "Yay" in a comment to let me know whether or not you're feeling the trend. It's okay to add plenty of qualifiers if you need to!

Thursday, June 17

Award-Winning Favorites

I've compiled some reader favorites from the following magazines: Cosmopolitan (American and British editions), Allure, Glamour, Self, and Teen Vogue. Next time you're out shopping for an essential, try picking up one of these babies.

HAIR
Shampoo
1. Redken All Soft Shampoo, $12 at Walgreens
2. John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Shine Release Shampoo, $6 at Walmart
3. Herbal Essences Body Envy Volumizing Shampoo, $5 at Walmart
4. Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion Shampoo, $7 at Walgreens
5. Pantene Pro-V Ice Shine Shampoo, $5 at CVS


Conditioner
1. Pantene Pro-V Always Smooth Conditioner, $10 at Walmart
2. Garnier Fructis Shine Burst Fortifying Cream Conditioner, $7 at Amazon
3. Pantene Pro-V Beautiful Lengths Conditioner, $5 at Overstock Drugstore
4. Matrix Sleek.look Smoothing Conditioner, $17 at Drugstore.com
5. Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Conditioner, $5 at Walmart

 
Hair Spray
1. Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Humidity Hairspray, $4 at CVS
2. Tresemme 24-Hour Body Finishing Spray, $5 at Walgreens
3. Umberto Beverly Hills Regular Hold Hairspray, $9 for 2 at Target
4. L'Oreal Professionnel Texture Expert Infinium 4 Extreme Hold Finishing Spray, $24 at Amazon
5. Garnier Fructis Style Full Control Hair Spray, $4 at CVS


LIPS
Lipstick
1. MAC Matte Lipstick in Russian Red, $14 at MAC
2. MAC Lustre Lipstick in Lustering, $14 at MAC
3. L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche in Mica, $9 at Walgreens
4. Cover Girl Queen Collection Shine Lipstick in Shiny Cinnamon, $7 at Walgreens
5. Dior Addict Lipcolor in Decadent Plum, $26 at Neiman Marcus

 
Lip Gloss
1. CoverGirl WetSlicks Fruit Spritzers in Guava, $5 at Drugstore.com
2. Lancome Juicy Tubes Smoothie in Cherry Burst, $18 at Nordstrom
3. YSL Gloss Volupte Sheer Sensual Gloss Stick in Frozen Cherry, $30 at Nordstrom
4. Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Lip Gloss in Strawberry Fizz, 2/$12 at Victoria's Secret
5. L'Oréal Paris Infallible Never Fail Lipgloss in Sangria, $10 at Drugstore.com


EYES
Eyeliner
1. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero, $17 at Sephora
2. MAC Eye Kohl in Smolder, $15 at MAC
3. MAC Eye Kohl in Teddy, $15 at MAC
4. Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner in Black, $9 for 2 at Walmart
5. Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink, $21 at Nordstrom


Mascara
1. Maybelline New York Great Lash Mascara in Very Black, $5 at Walgreens
2. Dior Diorshow Black Out Mascara in Kohl Black, $24 at Sephora
3. Cover Girl LashBlast in Black, $7 at Walmart
4. Chanel Inimitable Waterproof Mascara in Black, $30 at Saks Fifth Avenue
5. Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express in Glam Black, $6 at Target


Eye Shadow
1. MAC Eye Shadow in Shroom, $15 at MAC
2. Chanel Ombre Essentialle Soft Touch Eyeshadow in Cinnamon, $29 at Nordstrom
3. Urban Decay Eye Shadow in Midnight Cowboy, $17 at Sephora
4. Revlon 12-Hour ColorStay Eyeshadow Quad in Coffee Bean, $5 at Target
5. Nars Cream Eyeshadow in Lili Marlene, $22 at Saks Fifth Avenue


FACE
Blush
1. Cover Girl Cheekers Blush in Natural Twinkle, $4 at Drugstore.com
2. NARS Blush in Orgasm, $26 at Sephora
3. Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse in Soft Plum, $6 at Target
4. CoverGirl Cheekers Blush in Plumberry Glow, $4 at Drugstore.com
5. NARS The Multiple in Portofino, $38 at Sephora


NAILS
Nail polish
1. Essie Nail Polish in Naked Truth, $5 at Beauty Basic Supply
2. OPI Nail Lacquer in Lincoln After Dark, $7 at Discount Beauty Center
3. CND Nail Polish in Raspberry, $8 at Amazon
4. OPI Nail Lacquer in Russian Navy, $5 at Amazon
5. Sally Hansen No Chip 10 Day Nail Color in Infinite Natural, $2 at Ebay


If you have any time, I'd love for you to list your favorites. Eventually I hope to do a post on the favorites of all the To-The-Niners. I'll probably do an in-depth post on all of my favorite hair, body, face, and makeup products shortly!

xx Chloe

Tuesday, June 15

DIY: Brunette is the New Blonde

Brown, while sometimes getting a bad rep for being dowdy or less glamorous, has the widest range of shades. Think chocolates, caramels, mahogany, chestnut, walnut, ash browns, cinnamon, and golden browns. It's the most universally flattering hair color. Just look at the lovely ladies on the left! Leighton Meester's a natural blond, but her dark brown tresses put her on the map and made her the sexiest Gossip Girl. Victoria's Secret model Miranda Kerr has also experimented with the lighter side, but she looks catalogue-ready with chestnut curls. Jennifer Lopez looks sunny with her lightened brown locks, and Jessica Biel rocks a multifaceted walnut color.

Most of the population has brown hair, but those with blonde ambitions should be wary. As a girlie with walnut hair and a penchant for hair dye, I've tried going blonde myself - bleaching kits at home and finally a full head of foils at the salon. The process is super expensive, time consuming, and high-maintenance. Did I mention the nastiness of the roots? Bleh. So not worth it. If you're dying hair at home, make sure you stay within two shades of your natural hair color. That means you can go two shades lighter or two shades darker, and if you think about it there's a lot of wiggle room.

SELECTING THE RIGHT SHADE
During the summer, it's natural to get some sun-kissed streaks. Want to play this up? If you are fair-skinned with dark hair, considering lightening up a shade or two. Is your hair mousy? Your hair color is too bland, so deepen your color or add some red undertones - just look to Leighton. Is your skin tone olive or bronze? You can go lighter, so long as you keep things beachy like J.Lo. Select shades that have cool undertones to minimize the brass (look for words like "ash") since lightening your hair will bring out the red undertones. Is your hair damaged? Then be glad you're choosing to go (or stay) brunette. Dark hair reflects light the best and can camoflague any breakage.

(Psst! Not sure what formulation you should use at home? Read this post.)

Products to Try:
1. {Demi-permanent} Clairol Natural Instincts Hair Color in Nutmeg, $9 at CVS
2. {Demi-permanent} Clairol Natural Instincts Hair Color Creme in Caramel Creme, $9 at Drugstore.com
3. {Permanent} Feria Multi-faceted Shimmering Color in Crystal Brown, $10 at Walmart
4. {Permanent} Revlon Colorsilk Hair Color in Light Golden Brown, $4 at Walgreens
5. {Permanent} L'Oreal Superior Preference Hair Color in Light Amber Brown, $9 at CVS
6. {Permanent} Garnier Nutrisse Nourishing Color Creme in Chocolate Peanut Butter, $8 at Drugstore.com


MAINTAINING YOUR COLOR
Luckily for you, brown is the way to go if you're looking for low maintainence. All you need to do is invest in some shampoo and conditioner for color treated hair, but be sure not to wash your hair everyday. You may have to touch up your roots every 6 weeks if they are noticeably lighter or darker (say, black or blonde). I would advise you to use a minimal amount of hair spray, as the alcohol in it strips your hair of shine. Instead spritz on a shine serum for seriously glossy tresses. If you don't care to dye your hair again and prefer trying to grow out your natural color, try a clear gloss to revitalize your locks and add shine.

MAKEUP TIPS FOR BRUNETTES
Two words: black mascara. Natural brunettes usually have black lashes anyway. Depending on how light your hair is, you may want to consider darkening your eyebrows. You can do this at home by smearing some demi-permenant dye on them and letting the color process for 5-7 minutes, but be careful not to get it in your eyes! Fair-haired lassies should invest in some brown eyebrow pencils as well. The good news is that brunettes can basically get away with any kind of makeup. Dramatic eyes and lips have a tendency to look iffy at best - or whorish at worst - on blondes, but brunettes can pull them off. So branch out, will ya? The other great news? You can get away with less makeup. If you're feeling a bit washed out with your new hair color, try putting on some bronzer and some juicy pink lipstick.

xx Chloe

Sunday, June 13

DIY: Dying to be a Redheaded Vixen

From shades of light strawberry to fiery copper to rich auburn, red hair runs the gamut. It can be natural, cute, fresh, edgy, punky, or vampy depending on the shade or the girl wearing it. Below, you'll see Florence Welch rocking a bright cherry red, Hayley Williams with a striking rich copper shade, Christina Hendricks as a dark strawberry blonde, and Ashlee Simpson with a sophisticated auburn. Find out how to become a faux ginger yourself and how to maintain your newly red tresses!


SELECTING THE RIGHT SHADE
If your skin is fair and you are a natural blond (or have light brown hair), opt for a strawberry blond. Christina Hendricks should be your style muse. Those with fair to medium skin can try rich coppers and medium auburns. If your skin is darker and you are a natural brunette, you can pull off darker auburns and cherry reds. Remember: Do not dye your hair lighter than two shades your natural color. If you want to go significantly lighter, say from dark brown to strawberry blonde, please see a professional.

SELECTING THE RIGHT TYPE OF COLOR
To my commitment-phobes, there is such a thing as demi-permanent hair dye. If you aren't sure whether red is for you, you can always use this. Most brands wash out in 28 shampoos. For those who are more daring, you can use a permanent color. This will stay in your hair for about six months, but will probably require touch ups every 6ish weeks for the most vibrant color. It would be best to avoid ammonia or to use low-ammonia formulas if your hair is fine, damaged, or previously colored. Whenever you choose to go lighter, you must select a formula with peroxide. Dying your hair a darker shade will result in less damage to your tresses.

Products to Try:
1. {Demi-permanent}Clairol Natural Instincts in Malaysian Cherry, $8 at AmericaRx.com
2. {Permanent} L'Oreal Paris Feria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Color in Copper Shimmer, $10 at Walmart
3. {Permanent}L'Oreal Paris Feria Power Reds in Ruby Rush, $7 at Walgreens
4. {Permanent}Garnier Nutrisse Nourishing Hair Color in Hot Tamale, $8 at Walgreens
5. {Permanent}Revlon ColorSilk Hair Color in Light Auburn, $4 at Walgreens
6. {Demi-permanent}Garnier HerbaShine Hair Color in Copper Mahogany Brown, $6 at Walgreens


MAINTAINING YOUR COLOR
Red hair color has a tendency to fade the quickest out of all other colors on the market.

Keep the color vibrant by:
1. Staying out the sun as much as possible. Sunlight will fade your color quicker and turn it brassy! Wear a fashionable hat or scarf to shield your locks.
2. Use shampoos and conditioners that are for color-treated hair.
3. Do not wash it every day.

MAKEUP TIPS FOR YOUR NEW LOOK
Try coral and peach blush if your skin is fair, but if your skintone is darker experiment with raisin-hued ones. Neutral eyeshadows (especially browns and grays) will look great, as well as plums, moss greens, golds, and pinks. Who says you can't wear red lipstick? Go for it. See how Florence Welch matches her lips to her hair? Corals, peaches, and pinks are safe bets when it comes to lips as well.

Happy dying!

xx Chloe

Saturday, June 12

Backstage Beauty: The Lady's a Tramp

I've always appreciated the eccentricity of Betsey Johnson's style. She didn't disappoint with her Spring 2010 collection, which was starred vampy makeup, larger-than-life hair, lots of tulle, neon animal print, and her signature party dresses. Below you'll find the actual products used to create the "good girl gone bad" look of the runway.

MAKEUP
Stila was in charge of the makeup, which is supposed to be both messy and vampy. It's was smudgy like it was slept in. When you're doing this at home, remember that imperfection is perfection! Skin was merely evened out with a tinted moisturizer to balance out the edgy lips and eyes. Blend gray and black shadows, then top with silver glitter on the lids and dab your makeup brush in red glitter to add to the outer corners. Line the upper and lower lashlines with a black eyeliner, then take an eyeliner brush to add some gray shadow along the line (smudge, smudge, smudge!). Make a V-shape of red glitter on the outer eye. Add several coats of black mascara. For the lips, make sure you line them with a complimentary liner for a smooth finish. Use a dark almost-black red, then dab a little red glitter into the center of your lips for extra oomph.
Products Used: Stila Kajal Eyeliner in Black, Stila All Over Liquid Shimmer, Stila Major Major Mascara in Black

NAILS
The base coat used was butter LONDON Branwen Feather (blackish purple). The next coat was either butter LONDON Rosie Lee (pinkish glitter) or butter LONDON Henly Regatta (bluish-green glitter). It was very grunge chic.

HAIR
The hair was big and teased and offset with giant tulle hairpieces. Create the "mad texture" by using Redken Full Frame 07 Protective Volumizing Mousse and Redken Aerate 08 Bodifying Cream Mousse. You're aiming for a deconstructed coif.

CLOTHES
Here are my favorite three looks from the collection. Hot pink adds visual interest to classic black and white, strapless mini dresses are de rigeur, tulle makes the perfect hem, and killer strappy sandals finish the ensemble. Edgy, fun, and unique!


xx Chloe
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