Chalk Highlights | Teen Hairstyles
December 14, 2011
Aside from feather extensions, I am starting to see quite a trend towards color highlights in girls hairstyles. I am not a fan of permanent color in my girls’ hair, for obvious age reasons, but also because it can be damaging and a big commitment to that color.
My girls are coming home stating that many girls in their classes are using highlighters or Sharpies to color strands of hair {I about died hearing this}! That certainly cannot be good for the hair, even if they believe it washes out!
Just a few weeks ago, a Facebook fan commented that she thought we had used chalk highlights on a hairstyle we posted for our #3 daughter. We didn’t… however, intrigued, we looked into what it would take to use chalk as highlights and this tutorial is the end result.
What is great about these highlights is that they are fairly easy to apply, are non-toxic, last for one day and then easy to wash out. I bought our chalk pastels at Michael’s {with a 50% off coupon}, but you may buy similar pastels on Amazon. I, personally, would not use oil pastels as they will be messier and much harder to wash out.
I had my daughter’s hair in a soft braid the day before, to help add some body to the hair, so this is perfect 2nd day hairstyle! Be sure your daughter is wearing a shirt that you do not mind getting a little dirty {or use a plastic cape or towel over the shoulders}. You can create these highlights with minimal mess, if you are very careful.
Next, I take a bright colored pastel chalk and gently wet it with either the spray bottle or faucet. I then take a small strand of hair and, by gently rubbing the wet chalk in a downward motion. I color the bottom 4-5 inches of the strand. {Do not rub the chalk up and down the strand as this will ruin the hair.} I do the same on another 2 strands or so, and then switch to another color, and vary the colored segment lengths a bit.
After I have colored the desired strands, you can {if you wish} gently brush through the strand once with a brush, and then take a curling iron or wand and help set the chalk by curling the highlights. This also allows for the strands to fall beautifully within the rest of the hair. You may also choose to spritz the strand with hairspray to help the chalk highlights stay in longer.
Chalk highlights can work with many different colors of hair, including dark. Obviously, the darker vibrant colors show better on blonde hair with the lighter vibrant colors showing better on dark hair. You can use any number of colors, and it can be fun to experiment!
Fans on YouTube are going nuts over this hairstyle, because it is so easy to do and easy to wash out. As this is a chalk application, when you wash the hair… be sure to use a good conditioner. Chalk has a tendency to remove oils, so it is important to keep the hair conditioned.
This hairstyle tip is perfect for holiday hairstyles, school spirit day, cheerleaders, crazy hair day, or for use in many of our hairstyle combinations. It is a way to have a little color, which is becoming popular, without the committment! Enjoy!
Items Needed: Brush, rat-tail comb, spray bottle, towel, pastel chalks, curling iron, hairspray.
Time Requirement: 5+ minutes
Skill Level: Easy
Happy Hairdoing!
* Note from Mindy: Don’t forget to follow us on BlogLovin, a new easy-to-use blog reader!
Headband Curls | No-Heat Hairstyles
December 12, 2011
I do use heat on my hair from time to time, and also on a few hairstyles with my girls, but always make an effort to use a good heat protectant.
There are, however, hairstyles where you can get gorgeous curls without the use of heat. These no-heat hairstyles have been used for years in the form of pin curls, rag curls, foam rollers, sock buns, etc.
Here is a curling method you may not have heard about, for low curls only using a simple headband. How neat is that?
To begin, simply place a thin cotton headband on the forehead but over the back of the hair. Then spritz the hair with the water bottle so that the hair is slightly damp, gently finger-combing the water through the hair. {If the hair is too wet, then it will not hold the curls.} Proceed next by separating out small sections of hair to be wound tightly around the headband, until you reach the back of the head
Do the same on the other side and combine the remaining hair into one central strand that you wind through the headband until there is no hair remaining. {You can use a Topsy Tail on this step to make things much easier… I thought of that after we filmed the hairstyle!}
If you have a really cute headband, the hair at this stage can actually be a fun hairstyle for that day. It almost has a Greek Goddess look to it.
The key is to sleep on this hairstyle overnight until you are ready to take it out. You may choose to wear a silk scarf over the hair to keep it from falling out while you sleep.
The next morning, gently unwind the strands of hair from the headband. You should end up with large, voluminous curls in the lower sections of the strands, and you can style the hair as you wish in all sorts of combinations. We made this a half-up/half-down hairstyle by forming an upper ponytail with some of the hair, and then gently bobby pinning the curls back into the ponytail holder.
Again, this is a fun hairstyle for girls of all ages. It is so easy to do and you never have to touch a curling iron! Enjoy!
Items Needed: Brush, water bottle, 1 thin cotton/soft headband, 1 ponytail holder, 2-3 bobby pins, hairspray.
Time Requirement: 5 minutes (night before), 2 minutes (morning after)
Skill Level: Easy
Happy Hairdoing!
* Note from Mindy: Don’t forget to follow us on BlogLovin, a new easy-to-use blog reader!
Comment on this post »Suave Dry Shampoo | Hairstyle Tips
October 17, 2011
Two months ago a friend of mine introduced me to the idea of dry shampoo. I guess I have seen it around for awhile, but literally thought to myself, “C’mon, a dry shampoo? How useful can that be?”
On this occasion, I saw how it was used and we were hooked from then on!
With that recommendation, and with a limited budget, I went to WalMart and purchased several bottles of Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo for about USD$2.50.
Most girls have learned that washing the hair everyday can be high maintenance and may actually cause damage by stripping the hair of its natural oils. If you do not wash it often enough, however, the hairline and parts {areas next to the scalp} start to get oily, leaving an unsightly greasy look and feel.
We wash our hair every other day, sometimes skipping two days. How regular you wash your hair is really up to you, as everyone is different. {We do find, however, that not washing the hair daily can actually help in styling as a little bit of natural buildup and left-over hairspray/gel gives the hair more “grip”.} So, what can you do on those in-between days when the hair starts to look a little greasy? Try a dry shampoo to revive it!
Suave’s Dry Shampoo contains a mineral clay that helps absorb excess oils secreted from the skin glands next to the hair follicles. Notice I did not say that it eliminates the oils 100%, as natural oils are good for the hair – it just helps remove the excess. After spraying along the hairline, 10-12 inches from the hair, gently rub the powder in with the palm of your hand or fingertips and style as desired. It also has a citrus/grapefruit smell that is very nice.
You can read more about ingredients and product usage from the Suave website, and can see the professional Suave Stylists use the product. If you cannot find this in stores near you, those of you in the US can buy it online from Amazon.com.
The tutorial below shows how we use Suave Professional’s Dry Shampoo on those off-wash days. I include before and after shots of our actual results, although please recognize that with different hair types, your results may not be exactly like ours.
{To get a sneak peak of all future videos, the moment they are uploaded to YouTube, and before they are posted here or on Facebook, be sure to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel!}
So if you are looking for a way to revive your hair on those in-between wash days, give Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo a try! If your results are as good as mine, you will not be able to live without it!
Happy Hairdoing!
* Note from Mindy: Don’t forget to follow us on BlogLovin, a new easy-to-use blog reader! I purchased this product on my own, the results are our actual results, and I am not being compensated by Suave for this review. I just wanted to share one of my new loves with all of you!
Comment on this post »Side Ponytail Combo | Teen Hairstyles
July 21, 2011
Here is a teen hairstyle that we uploaded to YouTube two months ago, but had not yet posted it here! My #2 daughter loves this style and does it all the time on herself {single or double ponytails}!
For added texture, you can Double French Braid the hair the day before and use the curls for 2nd Day ‘Do before completing this style {as I did in the photo}. In the tutorial, the hair was straight.
This hairstyle uses a simple side ponytial, with a partial Fishtail Braid. I also show how to use a hair-wrap around the hairbands, which really makes the style look darling {I only did one in the video, but would recommend wrapping both elastics}! Enjoy!
Items Needed: Rat-tail comb, two hairbands, Topsy Tail tool {if desired}, hairspray {if desired}.
Time Requirement: 5 minutes
Skill Level: Medium
Happy Hairdoing!
* Note from Mindy: Don’t forget to follow us on BlogLovin, a new easy-to-use blog reader!
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