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!