I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and is having a great start to the new year !
This is my first of many post's of 2014 YAY!
I have decided to do a BEAUTY WEEK post on answering questions that I get alot from viewers. I decided to call it Beauty Week, which starts today.
So all the new viewers have a chance to get to know the writer (aka me ), Which means I will be posting one blog post everyday this week on the inside scoop of all my favorite products and daily "go-to's" I use in the wonderful world of Beauty.
I thought i'd start it by answering some questions that I have been getting from viewers for the last few months. I have been quite well known for my "Big" hair, makeup etc and have been meaning to post tutorials on all that stuff for many months now.
But being 2014 now (haha) I am committed to getting a few tutorial videos out for everyone within the next short bit here, answering some questions I get, such as... My day to day makeup, my evening makeup, fashion, whats in my bag, what face products I use, out fits, style inspiration, nails etc!
So for the first of SEVEN posts this week I will be tackling the biggest question I get alllllll the time!
"How do you do your hair? ".
For years and years I have been asked this question! as of many others such as: How do you get so much volume ? How do you get your hair so shiny? What products do you use in your hair? What Shampoo & Conditioner do you use?
Well today is the day I spill my hair secrets!
To start off my hair journey I am very dedicated to using Redken Hair Products! So first and foremost I use Redken's " All Soft" Shampoo & Conditioner.
I am a big fan of having soft and silky hair because I have very thick and sometimes frizzy hair, I find that this helps tame alot of the frizz and of course gives it the soft and shiny touch making it look full and healthy. I have been using this product for the last year and a half and don't plan on going back! If you are like me and have long thick hair, I tend to use lots of conditioner so I always suggest getting the big bottles as they are cheaper and last alot longer.
Redken All Soft Shampoo & Conditioner can be bought at any professional Hair Salon ( not drug store's).
Average price is $15-$25 (Canadian) per bottle.
TIP! * I bought hand pumps for mine as it is alot easier than having a handful in the shower.
Next Step!
Drying your hair:
There are many different opinions on how you should dry your hair properly. I always choose to let my hair dry naturally my self, so that I am not frying it blow drying it all the time. If you notice in alot, if not most hair salons, when you go to get a hair cut and they wash your hair, they only leave it in the towel for less than five minutes, on top of that if you pay close attention you will notice that they don't "soak" the towel into your hair. If you can, when you get out of the shower try to let everything dry even with out using a towel! This way it secures the moisture in your hair for better healthier hair.
Next Step!
Straightening your hair with a flat iron:
First rule of thumb is ALWAYS have a hair protector spray! I never use to believe in this but until i found the perfect product I will now never look back!!
I have tried every product on the market anywhere ranging from $5-$50 hair protection spray and I finally found the perfect one after giving up for ages! It's called "Silk Elements" which can be found at any Sally's store ! It only retails for $6.00 online! Can you believe it! I was like "What ever it's only $6, might as well try it!" and the lovely ladies at Sally's swear by it and what do you know it's great!
It comes in a medium sized bottle and literally only need a few squirts and that's it. Not only is it good for heat protection when straightening your hair but by far it's been the best product I've used ( besides my shampoo & conditioner) for getting a complete soft silky feel.
TIP! *Make sure not to go hard core with using this product, you literally only needs a few quirts. Best way to spray it is to make sure you spray a quarter way down your hair and not getting the roots area ( that way you don't get oily looking roots) and make sure you spray at least 1 foot away from the direct area you are spraying, if not then you will over due it and it can easily become greasy!
When straightening hair I always make sure I section off my hair for the best results. Many people don't know that I have pretty curly/frizzy hair naturally so I have to take extra time to straighten it to ensure the frizz comes out ( especially under your ears). You want to straighten your hair section by section and nice and slow so that the iron will straighten at a consistent level.
TIP* Make sure you start straightening your hair at least a few inches away from your scalp. This will ensure that you are not damaging your roots ( very important!). If anything your roots will be a bit "fluffier" or frizzier so that it can add for wanted volume later.
Next Step!
Back combing your hair! ( the fun part)
This is the step that I find alot of people struggle with the most hence why I get so many people asking how I achieve so much volume everyday.
The secret to backcombing is actually not necessarily in which COMB you use it'self but how you comb it (and hair spray haha).
So my biggest secret has always been not spending over $1 on a comb. I would get a simple $1 comb from the dollar store or walmart (you want the comb with teeth that go from big to little). I always found these work the best and it's super cheap! As a secondary brush that I have started to use even in the last month that I thought I would test out is the Denman Dress out Brush, surprisingly i loved it ! It has thicker bristles so it can grab more hair to back comb.
Again you want to section your hair starting with your lower section. Alot of people start from the top and it may work for you, but I find that it works way better when you start from your lowest section and "build" up.
Your first section should start from the crown of your head. You want to split the first layer of hair into three sections, you can start from either side or the back ( middle) it doesn't matter. From there you want to lift the ends ( holding roughly the middle bunch of the hair to secure it) and simply brush downwards close to the roots ( starting maybe 2-3 inches away from your roots). You don't need to comb hard, you can do this several times until you achieve the crazy volume you want! Do not be afraid of how bad it looks when its all combed and out of control, the crazier the better (for now) !
Repeat this with each section of hair, then once around the desired areas you want volume you can pull down the next layer of hair, repeat until the final layer. Once you have back combed your final layer it might look crazy and lumpy! Not to worry! Simply take a brush ( any regular brush) and brush it out half way, repeat back combing until desired volume is achieved.
TIP! * If simply back combing your hair with a comb does not give you the desired look you can try using a hair crimper and simply crimp the first inch and a half of your roots then back comb them. This creates instant volume!
Final step is to finish it with hair spray! I usually will spray each section I back comb to ensure that I get maximum stability and then do an over spray all over once everything is set into place. Once this is done I normally brush the ends ( starting at my neck ) and brush out everything to ensure the rest of my hair is nice and straight. You can touch up with your straightener if desired.
My biggest secret I have is Hair Spray! Everyone always wants to know what secret product I use! Besides the back combing taking alot of practice the hair spray does play alot into being able to hold the look. The hair spray I use is called " Bed Head, Hard Head" By TIGI . I have tried their products before and was never a fan to be honest, just thought that most of them blended in with all the other products i've tried over the years. But this one stuck! I started using this stuff a few years ago and wouldn't use anything else. With using it everyday the bottle normally lasts me at least 3 months and retails at $20.99 - Which can be purchased at any Hair Salon as well as Drug Store.
Now you know some of my biggest hair secrets and the fun products I use!
PRODUCT RECAP:
1. Redken "All Soft" Shampoo & Conditioner
2. Straightener I use is a Chi Straightener.
3. "Silk Elements" Mega Silk Heat Protection
4. Dollar store comb & a "Dress out brush" - Denman
5. "Bed Head, Hard Head" Hair Spray by TIGI
I hope this online tutorial was helpful! I will be releasing a series of Youtube Tutorials for everything I will be covering this week for Beauty Week, but those are in the near future!
Up Next: I will be sharing what makeup products and basic skin products I use in my daily makeup routine! Stay tuned for most posts this week such as , Hair extensions, What's in my bag, Daily Out Fit, Style Inspirations, Trending colours & clothing of this season, Different makeup ideas for a ladies night out !
Please feel free to give me feed back and comment below on what else you would like to see!
Thanks for tuning in!
Sincerely,
Miss Von C
xo
