Fake Hair, Real Life

Oh, B.  We love you, but everybody knows your hair ain't real.  Here's the thing, B-girl.  Of all the women in the world, no one needs to fake it less than you.  You have an almost limitless resource to spend on your hair, you can (and maybe even do) have stylists on call 24/7/365.  So... why???

In Touch Magazine reported in their October 2008 print edition that "Sasha Fierce" has a wig collection valued at around $1 million.  So, in case you were wondering, mystery solved.  Most are made of real human hair, custom designed, and some cost over $10,000.  Beyonce regularly donates her used wigs to cancer patients in need.

Let's be fair.  Celebrities are often subjected to a great deal of hair stress that the rest of us don't have to go through.  Bad hair is unacceptable, with the millions of dollars riding on their looks and image.  In her interview with NaturallyCurly.com, Karyn Parsons (a.k.a. Hilary Banks) talked about the hair abuse she went through as a star on Fresh Prince of Bel Air.  They "touched up" her curls to the point where she was getting breakage and thinning at record speed!

Let's face it, the occasional clip in ponytail tidies things up in record time and gets you out the door.  Maybe you'd like to try out a new hair color just for fun, and a wig let's you do that, no harm, no foul.


Then you have celebs like Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga, who love wigs as a fun way to vamp up their look.



Next time you want to shake things up for an evening out,  why spend an hour with curling, teasing and pinning?  Throw on a hot, colorful wig that will get you noticed!

Summer Snake Side Braid

Tiffany and her Snake Braid


Braids are all the rage the summer! There are many articles on the fish braid, the headband braid, the classic French braid, etc. But I came across this very unique and interesting braid that can be done in three minutes or less!

All the credit goes to Nature’s Knockout – a mother and daughter duo who have worked in the fashion, film, and TV industry and who advocate using safe and natural products since Tiffany, the daughter, was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

To keep with Laurie Vukich and Tiffany Correa’s cause you might want to try using Original Sprout Natural Hair Gel to prep your hair for this fabulous braid. A mother who wanted to use only the safest products on her newborn daughter’s hair designed the product. Don't worry, this gel is perfect for adults too!

Original Sprout Natural Hair Gel


Original Sprout Natural Hair Gel also uses worry-free fragrances. You won’t find any of the ingredients linked to cancer such as phthalates, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, styrene toluene, chlorobenzene, glycol ethers, and musk in this product. In fact, you won't find any contaminated ingredients in any of the Original Sprout products. Plus they're also environmentally safe and animal friendly.

Use this gel to strengthen your hair, prevent breakage, and detangle your hair. Original Sprout Natural Hair Gel also calms frizzies and keeps flyaways in place – exactly what you need for a solid and smooth braid!

Are you ready to try the Summer Snake Slide Braid? Here’s Tiffany’s video tutorial…



Stay Beautiful! – Audrey



Did You Know? Egyptian women wore their hair in long braids that hung straight down the back. Often times, the braid’s ends were curled or weighted down with accessories to keep it straight.

Retro Glam from Kim K

From Us Magazine


Love her or hate her, Kim Kardashian keeps us talking!  She's creating quite a buzz with pics from her photo shoot for the launch of her new fragrance.  The look is all Old Hollywood, with tortoise shell cat glasses, a wrap around scarf, and a swooping curl across her forehead.

Which iconic star is she channeling in this intriguing look?  Many are pointing to the fabulous Audrey Hepburn as the inspiration.


In actuality, this look is named the Kelly scarf, it was Grace's signature look.


This style was worn to protect the hair while traveling.    Try it next time you hop in the car for a road trip with the sunroof open or the top down.

Start with a large square scarf.

Fold in half to form a triangle.

Place the edge over your head and bring the corners under your neck.  Cross in front of your neck and then tie in the back, under the tip of your triangle.  If you really want to go big, and you happen to have 900 bucks in disposable cash, an Hermes scarf is how it's done.



Kim also sported flowing waves in her commercial shoot.

From E! Online


Pin curls are the best way to get this style.  Compare this photo to this one...

From E! Online


Kim's lightened her hair for summer!  Sometimes it not about extreme changes.  A small switch in gears goes a long way.

Summer Fruits and Vegetables for Your Hair

Fruits and Vegetables for Your Hair / Photo from knowabouthealth.com"]

Summer Food For Healthy Hair

By: Audrey Marcher

Summertime often yields yummy ripe fruits and vegetables that just might make your hair healthier. Along with using the right hair products, try eating some of the following for Vitamin C and antioxidants that help boost circulation to the scalp and therefore boost hair growth:

Vegetables – Anything green such as broccoli, greens, and peas.

Fruits – citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons and dark-colored fruits such as cherries and plums.

Try these fruits and vegetables in salads or juices and not only will your body be well nourished during the hot summer months when you might be more active but you’ll also be nourishing your hair!

Featherlights

What's that in your hair?  Some kind of dye thing?

Well, no.  It's just the latest thing being cranked out by the trend machine... it's feather highlights for your hair!  Not only can you skip the chemical dye, you can match your outfit at the same time, and feather hair extensions are easy in and easy out.  Who knew???

Where did this trend come from?  Was some celebrity toying around in their arts and craft supplies?  It just seems to have sprung up in everyone's hair overnight.  Many are pointing to a certain American Idol judge as the source of inspiration.



Now, we've seen this trend before.  It was one hot accessory for Motley Crue and many glam rockers of 80's fame, back when men could get away with Aqua Net hair, feathers, colorful head scarves, and other such things, and still get girls.  Unlike, say, Jon Bon Jovi,  Steve's not much on updating his style.  Rock your scarves, baby!

While the updated version features strand-like feathers that are more subtle than their clip-in predecessors, Miley Cyrus has lifted the trend straight out of the bygone decade.

If you are at all eco-conscious, or a friend to the animals, this is a trend you may want to back off from.  Apparently, roosters are being slaughtered at an alarming rate in a manner that is far from humane, just to supply the sudden demand for their swanky, colorful feathers.



Eating is one thing, but if you want to have a bit of fun with this trend which will almost surely be out by next season,  there ARE synthetic options available that are just as fun to wear.  You can even go for a cool non-feather look like these tinsel strands worn by Beyonce.



Or you can try a sexy, edgy version, like these Steampunk  Hair Beads from Katarina Navane.


CLICK HERE TO GET AMAZING FEATHERED HAIR ACCENTS ONLY FROM BEAUTY ZIP'S FACEBOOK PAGE!

Keratin -- Why all the fuss?

Keratin hair treatments and products are probably the biggest breakthrough in the science of hair care in the past several decades.  Most women don't care about the science part - they just love what it does for their hair!  The use of these products has given them instantly smoother, more manageable hair.

Hair is mostly made up of the protein keratin.  For years, scientists have been struggling to find a way to recreate this naturally occurring protein in a lab in a form that could be used in hair products.  If you look at the structure of hair, you see why.

The hair is made up of two or three layers - the Medulla, the Cortex, and the Cuticle.  The Medulla is absent for many fine haired people.  The cortex is where all your hair pigment is contained.  The difference between permanent and semi-permanent hair color is that permanent color penetrates into the cortex and stays there, where other color types just lay on top and wear off over time.  When it comes to hair care, your biggest concern is the cuticle.  You spend a lot of time and energy on that cuticle.  That cuticle is the difference between big time frizz and smooth city.

The cuticle is made up of many overlapping, scale-like cells.  In a newborn baby, these scales are tightly bound and laying flat.


Through heat damage, brushing, and other wear and tear these scales stand up and get rough looking.


Coarse hair tends to be thicker and have many more of these scales, roughly overlapping and giving the hair a kinky or curly appearance. Hair coloring is also disruptive to the cuticle, making it rougher.  This hair is very porous.  Keratin products fill in these pores and smooth them out.  A tighter cuticle keeps moisture in the hair.

Lanza Healing Haircare Healing Pure Keratin Infusion replenishes keratin amino acids to the hair and instantly rebuilds the hair's integrity.


Keratin Complex Infusion Therapy Keratin Replenisher opens the cuticle with a high pH formula, then infuses Keratin proteins and emollients into the hair, penetrating deeply and revitalizing.  The cuticle is closed and the nourishment entrapped during blow drying.

Top Rated Hair Dryers

The verdicts are in, the critics have spoken. Certain hair dryers have stood out from the rest for their ability to bust frizz, boost volume, and optimize styling. No... getting your hair dry is NOT enough. When it comes to getting your hair healthy and beautiful, choosing a great dryer is one area where it pays to be critical. Wet hair is hair at its most vulnerable and susceptible. It will respond to whatever is being done to it. It's a great opportunity to lovingly infuse it with proteins and hydration to make it supple and shiny. It's also the time when mistreatment will lead to a blasted cuticle, frayed ends, and breakage.

The dryer is mightier than the sword... or, um, the scissors. The blow out is a time when what you do is just as important as what you do it with. Dryers are judged for their ability to dry as quickly as possible for the least damage, seal the cuticle, neutralize static electricity with high negative ionic output, heat the hair gently with far-infrared heat from a ceramic heating element, and more.

All this sophisticated technology is what makes a modern hair dryer more expensive than those of old. The only way to know is the road test, and certain pros are in a position to road test several without sustaining major pocket damage.

The Super Solano



Top stylists like Vanessa Price love this brand for its frizz busting capabilities. She took Justin Bieber from his little boy mullet to sexy layered side bangs fit for a man, and her other clients include Zooey Deschanel and Thandie Newton. InStyle magazine named it one of its "Six Splurge-Worthy Hair Products". Plus an award from American Salon? Not too shabby.

Bespoke Labs T3 Featherweight Super Lightweight Tourmaline Ionic Hair Dryer



The InStyle Magazine Best Buys is one product list that separates the men from the boys. The editors and their legions of stylists, makeup artists, writers, and other experts seek out the latest and greatest in the beauty market, and they test out everything. Everything??? EVERYTHING. For a beauty product to make this list is nothing to sneeze at. This dryer topped the list in 2008 and 2009 as winner for Best Hair Dryer. It really broke the mold with its technology, infusing crushed tourmaline gems into its ceramic heating elements for mega ionic-output. It's also a FOUR time winner for Allure's Editor's Pick. Wow!

Product Review: It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product

If you have dry, damaged, or frizzy hair, or all three then you might want to try It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product.

Carolyn Plummer and Scott Scharg both worked a combined two decades at salons. Together, they created the It's a 10 hair care collection stating that "this line is perfect – it's a 10." Each product from the collection is supposed to do 10 things for your hair.

Here's what the It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product claims to do:

1. Repairs dry, damaged hair

2. Adds shine

3. Detangles

4. Controls Frizz

5. Seals and protects hair color

6. Prevents split ends

7. Stops hair breakage

8. Makes hair silky

9. Adds body

10. Protects hair from heat and heat products.

Various beauty websites show that this product has no less than a four-star rating. One customer, with thick curly hair and who regularly flat irons and blow dries her hair, says that the product does make good on its promises. Another customer says she uses the product on her eight-year-old daughter's hair and now it is more manageable and easy to comb through. Still others appropriately call it "miraculous."

Among the product's ingredients are silk amino acids and sunflower seed extract. Use It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product with It's a 10 Miracle Moisture Shampoo and It's a 10 Miracle Daily Conditioner. To use It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product, towel dry, spray product all over your hair and comb through. Then you can blow dry and style.

Stay Beautiful! - Audrey

Homemade Hair Masks

Try Making a Hair Mask at Home

While I'm on the topic of hair masks, I thought I'd share with you a few recipes for homemade hair masks. Of course, you can always buy pre-made hair masks. Click here to see some very good ones. But if you're in the mood for something organic and don't mind doing the work, here's what you can concoct in your kitchen.

For Dry and Damaged hair try a Banana and Almond Mask:

1. Mash one ripe banana in a bowl

2. Add a few drops of almond oil

3. Mix ingredients

4. Massage into your hair

5. Let it sit in your hair for 30 minutes

6. Wash out with your favorite shampoo


For Normal to Dry hair try this easy Milk and Honey Mask:

1. Pour 1 tablespoon honey and ½ cup whole milk into a bowl

2. Mix ingredients

3. Massage into your hair

4. Leave in 15 minutes for normal hair and 30 minutes for dry hair

5. Wash out with your favorite shampoo


For Oily Hair try this Yogurt Hair Mask:

1. Crack one egg into a bowl

2. Add a cup of plain yogurt

3. Mix

4. Massage into your hair

5. Leave in for 15 minutes

6. Rinse with your favorite shampoo

For Hair Loss try this Egg and Honey Mask:

1. Put 1 egg yolk into a bowl

2. Add 1 tablespoon honey

3. Add 1 tablespoon of peach or cabbage juice

4. Mix ingredients

5. Massage into your hair

6. Leave in for 2 hours

7. Rinse with lukewarm water


Stay Beautiful! - Audrey

Healthy Hair Oils

Natural oils are a staple in the formulation of hair products. They are such amazing multitaskers, each having such an array of health-promoting functions, that even the most sophisticated laboratories can't create an equal. When used in the hair, they create shine, add suppleness, repair damage, seal the cuticle, soothe the scalp, and more.

Once you understand what they do, they become a powerful tool in the quest for great hair. You can pick up one or two on your next trip to the grocery store and use them straight or mix them into your favorite hair products in many creative ways. If you know which ones your hair responds to, look for products that are formulated with them to see your hair behaving better than ever.

Jojoba Oil

Jojoba oil is a superior quality oil that is closer than any other compound in nature to the human skin oil sebum. There are theories that it can balance the oil production in skin for this reason. You can add a few drops of organic jojoba oil to your daily moisturizer to subside any flakiness and it won't clog your pores.

When it comes to hair, jojoba is excellent for the scalp and helpful in preventing dandruff. Tri Jojoba Hair and Scalp Conditioner is excellent for normalizing oily hair and giving fine hair exceptional body.



Olive Oil

Olive oil is an amazing multitasker for the hair. You can use it in a variety of ways.

• Olive oil accelerates the sun's highlighting ability. Get natural highlights in the summer by rubbing a few drops into the hair every day.
• Include it in hot oil treatments.
• Olive oil improves the elasticity of your hair. Use it to mend dryness and brittleness.

You can also incorporate it into a moisture rich conditioning treatment like Nexxus Phyto Organics Babassu Mudd Hair Treatment, which contains other amazing but less common oils like emollient-rich Babassu and strengthening Kaolin.

Other oils that are easy to find are organic coconut oil which reduces protein loss in the hair, and castor oil which is great for sealing your ends. If you prefer a pre-mixed oil treatment to dress the hair, Nexxus Aloxxi Botanic Oil blends moisturizing vegetable oils to replenish dry hair and it's great for skin and nails as well.

Hair Envy

Chance and circumstance have conspired, and seated you right next to Miss Fab Fab for the past several minutes. You've pretended to thumb through your InStyle, but secretly (you hope) you've been checking out her hair. You've wanted to get your hair just like that! Magazine ads are easy to explain with money and experts paid handsomely to create the illusion, but this chick is no Beyonce. She's ordinary enough to be right next to you. You get an opening, exchange a bit of small talk, and then you have to ask.

"Your hair looks great. What did you do?"

This can go one of two ways - helpful or not helpful at all.

She may suggest a product or technique that you've already tried without success, leaving you frustrated. Maybe, just maybe, she's a beauty geek, and ready to preach The Gospel of Great Hair! Jackpot! She walks you through it, has great information, and inspires you.

Or not.

How often is looking great an accident? Are The Beautiful Ones working just as hard at it as you? How many products does a girl have to buy before it all works out? Hair hotness is a journey, not a destination. You'll be a happy(er) traveler if you can keep a few things in mind.

It's OK to be a product junkie. Or not.

For some women, beauty products are retail therapy. They love the hunt. They find a great product. And another. And another. It's great to have your choice of three conditioners, even if they pretty much all work just as well. It's OK to find one that works and keep using it - you could do better, but, hey, you could certainly do worse.

If you want a product that's tried and true, Joico K-PAK Deep Penetrating Reconstructor has stood the test of time and won multiple awards for its hair mending capabilities.



If you're looking to experiment with the latest and greatest in hair care, Crome Hair Food Leave In Keratin Collagen Treatment blends the advances of keratin treatment with collagen for a deeply conditioning leave-in.


A hair mentor can be a big comfort.

Fab hair divas who are ready and willing to dish are as close by as a youtube search. Find a blogger or v-logger who shares your beauty aesthetic and hair type. Let her buy all the products and tune in to her channel for the post-mortem. Your wallet will thank you, and she'll be thrilled to have you for a new subscriber.

Retro Glam

Certain images are immortal.  Princess Di exiting St. Paul's Cathedral in that huge gown,  Marilyn standing on a grate in that sexy halter dress with the skirt blowing up around her.  Going retro makes you feel like you possess a bit of that elegance and glamour.

Puffy sleeves and enormous trains are hard to work into a modern look, but you can channel the classy sophistication of a Hollywood icon in an updated version of a classic screen moment.

Pin Up Worthy Pin Curls

Pin curls are a little tricky to perfect, but the results are well worth it.  Start with a rat tail or fine tooth comb.  The right comb makes styling much easier.  Smooth AG Hair Details Defining Cream into dry hair for soft curls with definition.  Section off 1 inch or so of hair and comb it smooth, then hold it against your head with one finger.



Take the opposite hand and wind the section in a smooth clockwise circle around your index finger, trying for a perfect round.  Make it as smooth as possible without twists.  Press the finished curl with your thumb and and slide on one bobby pin or two in a crisscross pattern.

[caption id="attachment_1154" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="From ultralayered.com"][/caption]

Make sure your curls are secure, especially if you plan to sleep on them.  You can also set the style under a hooded dryer.  Take the curls out and finger style once set.

So Foxy Curly 'Fro

Pam Grier was one sexy siren with no problem flaunting her bodacious curves.  Bring her sultry look into the new millennium with an updated spiral set.

This look is amazing on natural hair, with great volume.  It's also a lifesaver if you are transitioning or several weeks post relaxer, as it will blend your two textures.
This style is best done on hair that is 80% dry.  Excess moisture will shrink your curls and give you roughness at the roots.  Let the moisture from your products set the style.  Start by spraying in Bed Head TIGI Foxy Curls Hi Def Curl Spray to smooth the cuticle, define curls, and bust frizz.  Follow with curl mousse to ensure your curls maintain their shape.  You can also use a bit of olive oil or coconut oil for sheen.

Section your hair into four sections.  Clip three sections out of the way, then start winding one inch sections on flexi rods from the end in a spiral, only bending the rod once you reach the roots.  Let the style set.  A diffuser attachment will speed things up a great deal, or you can sit under a hooded dryer.

Remove the rods and finger style, separating your curls as you go.

 

 

 

 

Up-do Hot-to

Most days, you're just a girl.  The hair gets a quick once-over, and you're out the door.  Sometimes, when the occasion demands it, you want STATEMENT hair!  Hair that says elegance, sophistication, and measures up to the dress and stilettos.  At those times, you may feel a bit out of your element.  This is NOT your usual routine!  This calls for a professional!  You don't have to panic.  A few simple hair tricks can have you feeling glamorous in an updo that stops the show.

Tower of Power

A highly textured pin up starts with volume.  Begin by applying AG Volume Bigwigg Root Volumizer generously in sections of your hair before setting the hair on hot rollers, alternating sizes and starting at the crown.  Leave for at least 20 minutes until the curls set.

Style by backcombing and teasing your curls into a delicious poof.  Finish by pulling the edges of your hair towards the crown and pinning with bobby pins.  A touch of hairspray ensures the style lasts all night.

Spiraling Out



Break out the curling iron.  Spiral curls are a fun and girly.  First, pull out a couple of small sections at the hair line to frame the face.  Braid the pieces loosely and stick a bobby pin on the end.  Begin at the crown and spritz each section with firm hold spray before winding around a small barrel curling iron.  Hot Tools Coil Spring Curling Iron has coil guides to create perfect loops.  Pin up the sides and finger style your spirals.  Finish by undoing the braided sections and spiral curling them.