BLOW-DRYING BASICS: MY WAY

It took some trial and error to finally get a good  hair routine down for myself. I used different products, brushes & techniques before I knew what my hair needed when it came to blow drying. 
I've been meaning to post my hair care routine for a while now. I hope you guys enjoy it and maybe pick up a tip or two.
I know everyone's hair is different and I have straight/wavy thick hair. So even if you don't have my type of hair I hope you like it anyway.  I apologize for the length of this post but I wanted to let you know everything I did and used :)

Wednesday's Beauty Tip

Beauty Tip of the Week

GIVE YOUR HAIR BRUSHES SOME LOVIN ♥ 

Did you ever notice when your at a hair salon how they have their hair brushes and combs soaking in water?  which is actually disinfectant. They do this for sanitation reasons but also to keep everyone's hair looking nice and clean. Think about it, if they didn't clean their brushes then there would be dirt, oil and dandruff from everyone's hair, ewww!!!

Hair Brushes 101

HAIR BRUSHES 101

Ceramic/Thermal Brushes

          

     

There are all these different types of brushes with different kinds of bristles. There are five main types or classes of brushes (vent brush, paddle brushes, Denman styling brush, thermal/ceramic and round brushes) each designed for a special purpose. Brushes are often determined by their brand name (Denman is an example) but its what you can create shape wise with the brush, that is important. The right brush will give you volume, height, bounce and curl for “big hair” or smooth, flat sleek and straight hair. The right hair tools do make a difference.

What usually happens, (at least it did to me before I got into experimenting with different hair tools), is that we have this one “old favorite” brush that we use for all different types of styling and expect it to be a jack of all trades when in reality its robbing you off getting that style you want.

I named this post “Hair Brushes 101” because I wanted to give you a description of each brush and what type of hair works best with each. I own each one of the brushes above, I’ve realized that I don’t need all of them but that was just me wanting more hair products in my room..lol. But,, im glad I got to try out each brush so I know from now on which brush is best for my hair type and style. I hope this post helps any of you that weren’t aware of the major effects a certain type of brush can give you.

1. Ceramic/Thermal Round Brush:   Round brushes aren’t just for creating curl. The more “open bristle type” is good for creating maximum height and lift. The densely packed real bristle round brush is great at smoothing and straightening your hair, with the tension need for hair that has a natural wave or curl. The size of the brush you use needs to depend on the length of your hair and the effect you want. *Your hair needs to be long enough to wrap around the whole brush*.

These round brushes also come in vent or style types. These brushes work using metal or heat material as the center of the brush and this gets hot by using the heat from your blow dryer. As you increase the heat that is drying your hair it will be working not only on the surface of your hair, but internally as well. You can get effects similar to setting your hair with hot rollers when you really get the hang of using this kind of brush.

  * To use these round brushes correctly; practice makes perfect!!  I have medium length, naturally very thick hair. My hair cut has lots of short layers on the top and longer layers on the       bottom which makes my hair feel a lot lighter. I use the thermal round brush (medium size) to achieve volume at the crown of my head. These brushes also reduce drying time (and that’s super helpful if you have thick hair).

2. Paddle Brush:  Paddle brushes have a cushion base, used to smooth hair without lift or volume. Their used when you have lots or long hair to deal with.They are great to smooth naturally straight hair or to finish off with after using a round brush to straighten wavy, frizzy or curly hair. There very simple to use and actually very popular with men to create smooth shapes without creating any lift.

3. Boar Bristle Round Brush:  If your looking to achieve smooth and shiny hair and is ideal for someone who has thick or wavy hair. It smooths the hair without tearing your hair or leaving static. You can also achieve volume with boar bristle brushes that are “round”. (just like the “round brush is meant to do). These brushes are also very helpful after teasing your hair by smoothing the top hair over the teased part to make it look natural and smooth. Try to purchase a brush like this with natural bristles and make sure you buy the right size. Smaller brushes are good for shorter hair and medium to big brushes are good for long hair.

4. Vent Brush:   This is a good starter brush and  is probably the simplest brush to usen and we all probably own one, but it only gives you the simplest of effects. The “open vents” where air can flow reduces your blow drying time. It’s also used to create root lift and volume for your hair and to give some movement and direction, like flicking out the ends of your hair. It’s a great brush for easing out tangles on medium to thick hair. To get added volume with this brush: hold the hair away from the roots with the brush and spray it lightly with a finishing spray.

5. Denman Styling Brush: I’ve had this kind of brush forever and never knew there was an exact name for it. “Denman” is just a brand name often used to describe this type of brush. They have no vents and a solid couching backing. They are best used on bob haircuts and medium length hair to achieve a little root and to smooth and straighten the lengths and ends of your hair. Like the vent brush, it is easy to use, but if you can’t get the smoothness you want from this brush, it is because your not getting enough tension and you would be better off using a large round brush.

6. The Wide Tooth Comb:  This is something everyone should own. I’m sure you know that you’re not supposed to use any kind of brush when your hair is wet or you can really damage your hair. I use this comb to detangle my hair after I just get out of the shower and use it up until my hair is dry enough to blow dry with a brush. It’s also good to take in the shower with you and comb you hair after applying your conditioner to evenly distribute it.  Its also good to use in the shower if you have a lot of tangles, because if you comb through them with conditioner in your hair, it will be a lot easier when your out of the shower.

I hope this little article on hair brushes helped at least one person..lol. I’m sure you guys way past the “Hair Brushes 101” stage. But I learned a few things about the different types of styles you can achieve with certain brushes. I always learn great new things when doing research. Hope you guys enjoyed this and leave comments! xOxO!

The Easy Steps It Takes To Blow Dry Like A Pro

After years and years of trying to blow dry my hair like my hair stylist would, I finally learned and I actually don’t hate blow drying it anymore bc I’m happy with the results. It took lots of practice to get the techniques you need to get a great blow out down. But I promise you once you understand them and are using the correct products and tools, you to will be able to get salon like results.

I’m sure there's a lot of you that already are satisfied with the results you get but for those of you that are still struggling or want to get some extra pointers, I decided to dedicate this post solely on how to blow dry your hair to get professional results. I hope you guys enjoy and please feel free to comment or add any tips you have. xoxo!

I absolutely believe that one of the main tools that will make a difference is the blow dryer your using. With blow dryers the price is really right. They can range anywhere from $10 to some that are over $100 (those most expensive are the professional ones that salons use). It all really depends on what your personnel needs are: (i.e heat settings, attachments, wattage, etc.)  If you have short hair or don’t use a blow dryer very often, then an inexpensive dryer with fewer options will likely work for you.  When you get into the $50+ range, you are investing in a dryer that will last longer, use newer drying technologies to reduce damage on your hair, and contain more options for cater to your hair needs.  While the more expensive, salon-quality models do tend to have all the bells and whistles, you can get a good, well-equipped dryer with great features for around $40 or $60. You want an ionic blow dryer with at least 1800 watts (will reduce the drying time and are less damaging to your hair), make sure it has variable heat setting with a cool button (that button is important). It should come with a diffuser and a nozzle for smoothing the hair.

Now that I got that out of the way lets get started! After you wash your hair instead of using your regular towel try paper towels.  Take 3 or 4 sheets and wrap around your hair to get out excess wetness. If the paper towels come away soaked, do it again. Then let it air-dry as long as possible, or wrap it in an absorbent towel, such as an Aquis Hair Towel ($18, amazon.com), to remove excess water. You don’t want to start blow drying your hair until its about 70% dry and don’t bother putting in your hair products yet either, hair really wet wont take in the styling products like you want them to.

I will start pre-drying my hair with the blow dryer on a medium heat setting and massage your roots while doing this. I wouldn’t do this for more than 10 minutes, the thicker your hair is the longer you’ll want to pre dry and vise versa for thinner hair. You always want to get your roots dried first so with your fingers lift your hair away from your roots while directing the blow dryer at the roots.

Once your hair is almost dry apply your products. I have normal to dry hair so I use a leave in conditioner right after getting out of the shower. Then when its almost dry I use Paul Mitchell’s Skinny Serum ,It helps smooth out the hairs and cuts down on drying time. The trick is to make sure you coat every strand, besides the crown because that will weigh the hair down. I flip my head over, use a dime size amount in my palms, rub your palms together and start at the ends and work your way up to the mid shaft. Then comb through your hair to evenly distribute. For volume I use Sauvé's Professional Root Boosting Spray, spray the roots by parting hair into 1-2 sections and continue to mist evenly through roots and mid shaft. Everyone has a different hair type so you’ll probably have to experiment with a few different products before you find the right ones for your hair. Once you do find the right mixture, it will make your life a lot easier.  

I have thick hair so I like to part my hair into a lot of different sections. Like the diagram on the right shows. But if your lucky to not have as much hair as I do,  you can just do three sections, from the top, the middle and the nape.( on the diagram that would be numbers 1, 4 and 6). Leave the nape section loose because this is where you'll begin blow-drying. You might have been told to start blow drying your bangs and front section first and if it works for you go with it, but I personally have tried it both ways and prefer doing the front section last, my reason is bc I feel it’s easier to start at the bottom and work your way up because when you drop the hair down, you aren’t putting dry hair on top of wet. It’s also easier because you can see what you are doing more easily. (just my personnel preference).

As far as brushes, if you want a very straight look you can use a paddle brush but if you want a straight look with some volume use a big round brush (my favorite brush). It can be tricky to use at first but once you get it down it’s a no brainer. I used to hate using these brushes bc I didn’t know the correct way to use them but now that I do I love them. To use the round brush, take a section of hair that is about the same width as the brush. Place the hair over and around the brush. Apply the dryer and rotate the brush as you dry. The bristles work to smooth each hair as they rotate. If this seems to be too  complicated, leave out the rotation of the brush. Always point the nozzle attachment on your dryer facing down the hair shaft. This helps to flatten the cuticle for the sleekest results. Once your done with the bottom half, unclip the middle section.

You want to achieve some volume in this section.  I do that by placing the brush right under the section of hair, and then bringing the brush up. Direct the dryer flow against the hair as you lift to lock in volume, then smooth through the rest of the strand as usual.

Extra Tips: Remember when your section is dry, use the cold shot button on your hair dryer for a few seconds to set the shape

                 As you dry, turn and move the brush toward the ends of your hair.

When your done with the middle section unclip the top and you'll want to dry your bangs in a desired style, depending on the length and cut of your bangs. Typically bangs respond better when dried forward, but you will have to experiment to see what works best for your hairstyle. For me, I like to spend the most time on this section bc I want to achieve volume while framing the layers around my face.  I do that using my large round brush and blow drying the hair forward and up while over directing the hair. This creates a great deal of volume and body especially when used with a volumizing mouse or spray.

Before you put away the blow dryer, feel with your hands that you haven’t missed any areas that are damp. You might want to go over you bangs again with either the blow dyer or a flat iron to achieve your desired style. After your hair is dry to the touch, give it a blast of cool air to set the style in place. Finally, massage a pea-size amount of smoothing serum (or styling cream) into the ends to flatten fly aways, and pat the top of your head with your hands so that any residual serum will level shorter, broken hairs that tend to stand up around the crown.

So that’s it, I hope this was somewhat helpful and not confusing. Let me know loves xoxo