New Color

Today at the salon one of my colleagues got inspired and did some fun color on me. I had been thinking about it for a while, just waiting for the right moment I guess. (I had pieces of badly faded blue/green highlights and grey roots coming out.)

It was a lengthy double process since we had to lift a bunch of dark haircolor in the places we wanted to put the lighter color. Here is the beginning of phase 1.

 Julia used a volley ball pattern to create large panels of what will be my color. Then I had to sit under the dryer. (I forgot to smile!)

When my color was lifted, we washed it out and blow dried it to prepare it for phase 2. It looked like a hot mess! Of course, I was still a work in progress.

I kind of liked the gold (Is that wrong?) but  we were not finished yet. Julia used a red on the light pieces and a level 2 black in my roots.
Here we go again with the foils!

And at last the finished product! Lots of loud red peekaboo highlights.

The color placement is really versatile. Depending on how I part my hair, I can cover or show off as much of the red as I want.



Tanning Lotion

Hi y'all!

Today where I live the weather was cold and rainy all day. Yuck! :( I am so ready for it to be summer again. I can't stand it! Can you tell I'm not a winter person?

Well just because the weather is unfortunate outside doesn't mean we can't at least look like we've been enjoying the summer sun. Enter self tanning lotion! I'll admit, I'm a little behind the times when it comes to self tanners. The first time I tried one I was in high school and it was a mess. I had also witnessed the horrors of girls turning themselves orange. So I wrote the whole thing off.

Last year my friend got married. A week before the wedding she picked up a tube of self tanning lotion. She had never used the brand before and she was going to just put it on in good faith! I could just picture my friend going down the aisle looking like an oompaloompa. We decided to do a test patch on me before she tried it. It was amazing! The patch just looked like healthy natural tanned skin. I went out and bought my own. :)

The lotion is called Quick Tan fron Body Drench.

They have a dark formula and a medium formula that I know of. They are both good. I actually found the medium at Sally Beauty Supply. The dark came from a professional supply house. You just rub the lotion in where you want to tan, let it dry (which doesn't take long) and in 3 hours (!) you'll see results. It's not streaky or orange. It's actually really hard to mess up. I've even used it on my face. I've learned to use less product on ankels, knees, and toes because they can get darker and look unnatural or dirty.

I have very fair skin. (My husband calls it a moon tan.) I can use the tanning lotion to give myself a healthy glow until it is summer again.

A Very Braidy Updo

Hi all!

I know it's only February, but I am already thinking about prom season. I LOVE prom season! Updos are so much fun. To me it's like creating a sculpture only with hair as the medium. Generally an updo involves curling the hair into delightful ringlets and then strategically pinning them up in a pleasing way. This formula can be used to produce many different looks. Then I got to thinking: I'm becoming a one trick pony! I needed to think outside the box and add some different kinds of styles to my repertoire.

I was inspired by the messy braid updo tutorial by Jenny Strebe at Confessions of a Hairstylist. Check it out here. I love the way it looks unfussy. It makes me think of slow summer days and light cotton dresses.

For a more formal updo I thought I could take this idea and add more detail and braiding. Instead of pulling the hair back and fastening in the back, I sectioned the front into three big sections and french braided them all back. I took two sections along the nape and braided them both to the center. Then I pinned the braids in a sort of spiral pattern low on the back of the head.

 

To make the braid headband look, I took a small section behind each ear and braided them. I then pulled one braid over the top of the head, pinning it on the other side. Then I did the same thing on the other side.

I think the braided updo is a nice change from the old curly updo.

Speaking of updos, I'll bet many of you ladies with shorter hair believe that you don't have enough hair to wear and updo. Don't be so sure! I ran across this picture of me with my hair done for our salon Christmas party.

I keep my hair in a stacked bob. Most of the length of my hair is in the front. By twisting the front up into the crown, I create the illusion of my hair being pulled up.

Special occasion hair is for everybody!

M



This is it!!!

Hello and welcome to my humble little piece of the Internet! My name is Monica and I am a hairstylist and makeup artist in Hickory, North Carolina. I am a creative minded individual and in addition to doing hair I love crafting and all things DIY. I chose to begin this blog as a way to connect with like minded people as well as offer my professional expertise. I hope you will enjoy my blog. Feel free to comment or contact me. Ask questions...start a conversation :) Also, if you are in the Hickory area and would like to come see me to get your hair or makeup done, please email me for an appointment.

This is going to be fun!