DIY HAIR NECKLACE

In this beautiful world of buns + top knots, we’re always searching for ways to mix it up. Today’s DIY helps us do just that! Making hair jewelry can be really fun & it’s very likely that you’ll have most of these supplies already at home! You can take apart an inexpensive multi-strand chain necklace that you don’t wear anymore, or if you don’t have that you can go to a bead shop where they sell chain and necklace making supplies. Here’s how I created this golden goodness:

photos+ tutorial by Kristin Ess

TOOLS: Wire cutters, flat-head pliers, thin gold wire, strands of necklace chain, a brass loop, a small hair comb + a bobby pin that matches your hair color. (FYI, all of the metal used here can be found at a bead store if you don’t have a necklace to take apart at home!)

  1. Open the brass loop.
  2. String your first chain on to the loop.
  3. Continue stringing chain until you have as many as you want on there. I only used 4.
  4. Use your flat-head pliers to close the brass loop back up.
  5. Slide your bobby pin through the brass loop.
  6. Cut your chains using your wire cutters. I cut each one about half an inch longer than the next. That way they have a draped look and fall about half an inch apart!
  7. Cut a piece of thin wire. You want to cut the wire about 3 times the length of your comb so you have enough to wrap. (see photo)
  8. Wrap your piece of wire around the first prong of your comb. I wrapped it three times to make sure it stays put! After you wrap it, tighten it using your flat-head pliers.
  9. String your shortest chain on the first loop.
  10. Now wrap your wire around the top of your comb and back under. Loop it around once or twice.
  11. Continue stringing your chain and then looping the wire around. You’ll want to go from shortest to longest so that the longest chain will hang the lowest.
  12. Once you’ve finished stringing your chains, tighten it off with flat-head pliers.

 

SHORT STUFF

YES… spring has sprung! That means fresh, new short cuts will be on the rise. So many of my clients have been on a mission to go shorter this year and the very first thing I tell them is: short hair is all about learning different textures! It’s really easy to find updos, styles, braids + buns for longer hair lengths but not usually so easy for girls with mid-length hair or shorter. Here’s the thing… you girls with bobs & lobs have the advantage of creating new textures in a way that girls with long hair do not! Girls with longer length don’t get to utilize product the same way girls with short hair can. Here are 8 perfect examples of ways to keep your mid-length & short haircuts exciting:

  1. Romantic, soft texture- Try setting your bob with large hot rollers. Use a thermal setting spray before putting them in, then leave the rollers in until they cool all the way down. Allowing your rollers to set until they’re cool will make curls last much longer.
  2. Matte + messy- There are so many dry shampoos and texture sprays out there now. An even dirtier secret: If you work a little pomade into dry hair and then spray dry  shampoo it becomes even more matte! After applying, flip your hair upside down, “stir it up” with the blow dryer on the cool setting, flip back up and scrunch with your fingers. Don’t brush after that. READ MORE…

BAND TOGETHER

photos by angelaandithyle.com post designed by kristin ess

Music festivals like SXSW, Coachella + Bonnaroo not only bring out the serious sound, but the serious style as well. We’ve seen more types of braids at these festivals than we even knew existed. Our current favorite is this mamma jamma right here. It’s just a regular braid, but instead of taking 3 equal sized pieces like you do in a normal braid, you just make one piece smaller than the other 2. You can see how one section is smaller in the braid if you look closely at the top photo.

Luckily, Jaclyn Johnson, from the blog somenotesonnapkins.com, was kind enough to lend us her lovely locks. We did 3 of these braids to create a little cluster and tied each of them off with small clear elastics. We think doing a few of these in back makes wearing your hair half up so much more interesting! And since you’ll find yourself standing in the middle of a bazillion people at any given time, you’ll be giving the person behind you something fabulous to look at!

Why it’s great for a music festival: it’s totally texture friendly, so dancing + swinging this hair do everywhere is highly encouraged!

KEEP IT TOGETHER

photos: Nookie A/W '12 Lookbook post designed by Kristin Ess

HAPPY WEDNESDAY, hair hustlers! Since pretty much nobody enjoys thinking about blowing out their hair on a random wednesday night, it feels like a great time to talk about NOT blowing out your hair. I ran across this gorgeous lookbook from Nookie while browsing the www, so I had to share it with you guys! I couldn’t help but notice that this model’s hair was repping days 2, 3 and 4 of a blow out in the most amazing ways. This post will be a great visual for someone who’s learning to extend the life of their blowdry. Here are some step-by-step suggestions to go with the images above… READ MORE…

FASHION FRIDAY

post designed by Kristin Ess photos: gettyimages.com, gap, marie claire, http://www.etsy.com/shop/LanaStepul?ref=pr_shop_more

Hey friends!! It’s Friday, which means we’re talking fashion. Today’s topic is the backless dress. READ MORE…