Hair

Easy Everyday Hair Styles for the Dog Days of Summer, Day 4: Friday Fun Buns

August 10th, 2018 by Karen 6 Comments

And for more heat-less hair styles for the dog days of summer, check out…

Day 1: The Woven Wonder

Day 2: Textured, Tousled Waves

Day 3: Wash-and-Wear Wow

OK, I’m sweating behind my knees and between my toes right now… I woke up this morning to second-day air-dried bed-head hair and scorching heat (today’s been in the ’90s, and we don’t have air conditioning), which left me with the following choices for living my best hair life on a blisteringly hot day like today: 1) throw it into a high pony (boring), 2) squirrel it underneath a hat (which is great for sun protection, but man…hats make me sweat so much.), or 3) fun bun it up.

Wanna guess which option I went with?

I feel like buns had a mega moment a few years back with the whole sock bun trend, but I’m still here for them in a major way. It’s an easy hairstyle for a summer Friday because you can look as sleek and done or as messy and undone as ya please! Do a single bun, or double the fun with two. Keep it simple, or jooj it up with dainty Dutch braids (like I do here). They’re surprisingly versatile.

Today’s fun buns is/are the last of the heat-less summer hair styles I had planned for this week, and they build on day 3’s wash-and-wear ‘do.

Once again, I Oribe’d it up…

Dry Texturizing Spray is an old fave of mine (I like keeping a backup on hand), but Mystify Restyling Spray is new to me. You spray it on second-day (or third- or fourth-day hair, for that matter), and it reactivates whatever styling product you have in your hair from the day before. It also has UV and heat protectors to guard your hair if you decide to use hot tools.

Let’s get ready to put the fun in ‘ze bun…

1. Fix flatness with dry shampoo

Spray a dry shampoo or texturizing spray through your hair, concentrating at the roots, to lift your second-day style.

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Easy Everyday Hairstyles for the Dog Days of Summer, Day 3: Wash-and-Wear Wow

August 9th, 2018 by Karen 22 Comments

And for more heat-less hairstyles for the dog days of summer, check out these posts here:

Day 1: The Woven Wonder

Day 2: Textured, Tousled Waves

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve thoroughly embraced the triple “L”s (otherwise known as #lazyladylife), or if it’s because stepping outside right now feels like walking into the world’s largest oven, but I’m super into wash-and-wear hair right now. Beach babe meets laid-back French girl chic, if you please. Loose waves that willfully bend whichever way they want, with textured ends that signify that I tried enough to care about my hair this morning but didn’t obsess over every stray strand.

Lurves it!

And ya know, it’s also an instant pick-me-up, too, because I swear, I stand up straighter and smile wider 🙂 when my hair is even just a little bit done. It makes me feel like a functional human being.

For this easy hairstyle, I used Oribe products again because right now “Or” is my “bae.”

See what I did there? (OK, that was pretty lame. I should not be allowed to say “bae” in public.)

Here’s how you can work those dog-days-of-summer breezes to your air drying advantage:

1. Prep with a repairing shampoo and conditioner to heal any damaged ends

I like shampoos and conditioners that don’t strip my color, and Gold Lust Shampoo and Conditioner do that while simultaneously adding moisture and shine.

2. Towel dry, then apply a lightweight, moisturizing styling balm from the mid-shaft to the ends

Here’s the thing about air drying: unless you’re one of the lucky people who steps out of the shower with perfect hair that automatically falls into place (my friend Christine has hair like this, and yes, I’ve been jealous for over two decades), you gotta work a little something-something into it. Ideally, it’s a styling balm that does a bit of everything — moisture, hold, a touch of smoothness, and hydration, of course! The goal is to tame that mane a little (but not too much).

Oribe Featherbalm does everything aforementioned, so your air-dried ‘do looks done but not overly worked.

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Easy Everyday Hair Styles for the Dog Days of Summer, Day 2: Textured, Tousled Waves

August 8th, 2018 by Karen 21 Comments

And for more heat-less hair styles for the dog days of summer, check out…

Day 1: The Woven Wonder

Peep these summery wavy-waves, kitty cat! — that is, if you can get past that luscious lip. (It’s Chanel Le Rouge Crayon de Couleur Jumbo Longwear Mat Lip Crayon in 269 Impact from the fall collection.)

Read on for chill, casual waves that are also chic (at least I think so).

Unlike the waves at Waikiki Beach, where, I kid you not, it takes me 15 minutes to paddle out to the surf lineup with my noodle arms on a massive longboard twice my height, catching these summery waves takes less than five minutes.

And yes, I can feel the extra love ? emanating through the screen from my hair tribe right now. You know who you are! You hit snooze more than a few extra times every morning and always end up with only five minutes to style that mop. I’m here for you, homegirl.

Anywho… Remember yesterday’s braids? Yup, this is the next day ‘do, and like yesterday’s, this one doesn’t require any heat styling. Once again, I used some Oribe faves, including Gold Lust Dry Shampoo (moar magical than Magic Mike, ’cause it completely sucks up all the funk on your scalp without leaving behind any visible residue!) and Flash Form Finishing Spray Wax, a sweet stylin’ spray wax to separate your strands for serious texture (how cool is that?).

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Easy Everyday Hair Styles for the Dog Days of Summer, Day 1: The Woven Wonder

August 7th, 2018 by Karen 20 Comments

Hello, ? lovebug. Someone on my Facebook feed kindly reminded me yesterday that there are officially 20 weeks left until Christmas, to which I was like, “Woman, you’re cray!” It’s 80+ degrees outside, and I’m not ready to think about roasting chestnuts on an open fire…which I’ve never done before, BTW, but it sounds hella dangerous, especially while wearing hair styling products, because I’m not about to spontaneously combust over roasted nuts…

Which brings us to summer hair and easy summer hair styles.

As you know, I’ll do almost anything in the name of le beauté, but who wants to stand in front of a hot hair dryer while it’s broiling outside? I love a marvelous mane as much as the next girl, but these are the dog days of summer. I’d like to avoid sweating more than necessary, thanks very much.

Over the next four days, I’ll be showcasing some totally doable everyday hair styles that don’t require heat styling tools, and I’ll be using some of my favorite products from Oribe.

Say it with me: “OAR-bae.”

Today is all about “the braid.” It’s simple, chic and easily my top summer fave because…have you ever noticed that it doesn’t really matter what type of braid you do — fishtail, French braid, Dutch braid, etc. — as long as you do something, people usually notice and give you props for it, even if the braids are messy as hell (a.k.a. my style!)? LOL! It’s so true, though!

For today’s plait…

1. Start with a shampoo and conditioning sesh

I’m using Gold Lust (the LOVE OF MY LIFE) Repair & Restore Shampoo and Conditioner because I have demi-permanent hair color at the moment, and this particular pairing gets everything super clean without stripping my color.

2. Towel dry that ‘do

Blot or squeeze the excess water out, and avoid aggressively rubbing your hair to minimize frizz. I also like to use a super water-absorbent towel to help reduce the drying time.

3. Prep, nourish and protect

It’s already August, and your hair may need some TLC after all of the sexytime summer fun you’ve been having, so do your hair a solid by working a restorative hair oil through your strands to moisturize and prep.

I do a squeeze or two of Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil, a lightweight repairing hair serum for dry hair to moisturize and condition. Added bonus: it also has UV protection (a must for color-treated hair!). I massage it into my hair, concentrating most if it on the ends.

4. Part your hair down the middle, then do a Dutch or French braid on each side.

Leave about an inch of hair at the ends, because you’ll want that much to be straight for tomorrow’s style.

Yup, we’re planning ahead. 🙂

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New Hair! (Or When Your Hair Stylist Has an Intervention With You) — and the Advantages of Demi Permanent Hair Color

July 31st, 2018 by Karen 39 Comments

karen new hair august 2018 demi permanent — New ‘do

Let it be known that I did not intend to walk out of the salon last night with darker and shorter hair, but thanks to some tough love from my friend/stylist/hair angel Alis Dokakis, I love how it turned out. Thank goodness for the people in our lives who sit us down and talk sense into us when we need to be saved from ourselves, because, yes, girl…I’ve been stuck in major a hair rut. Perhaps also a life rut? (More on that in a few.) I desperately needed a hair intervention but didn’t realize it. Last night Alis sat me down, listened to me vent for a while, and said that it was time to make some changes. If I didn’t, it was only a matter of time before I went the way of The Ring, full-on.

She’s been doing my hair for almost a decade now, and I trust her. Anyone who can take you from blonde and back successfully is ride-or-die in my book, so I took a deep breath, sat back and let her do her thing.

Breakdown of the new ‘do

I’m now the very happy owner of lots of textured layers in a kind of super-long bob with inverted bangs (that just means you can split them down the middle or part them left or right) and a demi-permanent color that’s a just a smidgen lighter than my natural black shade.

Alis took the color from roots to ends so that as it fades, the original chocolate base will peek through, along with the grays at the roots. The idea is that the demi-permanent color will weave everything together in a forgiving way and give me some time to decide whether I want to keep dying my hair or if I want to grow out the grays.

My friend Alis is a master stylist who splits her time between the San Francisco Bay Area and her home in Las Vegas. She’s been doing my hair FOR-EV-ER, and I adore her (obvs). It’s kinda hard to get an appointment here in the Bay, but you can try. If you live in Vegas, you’re in luck, because she’s doing hair there, too, and she’s taking new clients. You can reach her through her website, alisluvshair.com, or give her a ring at (415) 378-2192. Don’t forget to tell her that I sent ya!

Letting go and embracing a new start

Funny thing is, I’ve never been one to shy away from big hair changes. I figure that you can always change your hair color if you don’t like how it turns out, and hair will grow back, so why-the-heck not go for a bob or bright pink steaks? Carpe-the-frickin’-diem, ya know?

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Rahua by Amazon Beauty Is the Cat’s Meow

July 26th, 2018 by Karen 10 Comments

Yoga breathing right now so I can slow my roll…because my hair hasn’t been this glossy and soft and full in forever! — and now I’m ready to make it rain over at Rahua.

BREATHE, KAREN, BREATHE.

So, friend. You’ve probably seen Rahua around, yeah? Say it with me: “raw-wah.” It’s this hella hydrating line of of hair products (and some body things, too), and they’re carried at SpaceNK and Sephora.

The packaging has a silhouette of a lady with long locks drawing a bow and arrow (very Katniss Everdeen), and everything in the line has an ancient ingredient found deep in the Amazon rainforest called rahua oil. As the story goes, the women of the Ecuadorian Quecha-Shuar tribe have been using rahua oil for centuries to moisturize their hair and skin, because it is THE STUFF.

I’ve been bouncing back and forth between travel sizes of their different shampoos, conditioners and hair treatments, which are $9 each, and have had a series of epic hair days. Like, Oribe-caliber exceptional.

The Classic Shampoo and Conditioner (which also doubles as a leave-in), the Hydration Shampoo and Hydration Conditioner, the Color Full Hair Mask and the Founder’s Blend Hair & Scalp Treatment leave my wavy color-treated (and slightly dry at the moment) hair shiny, silky soft, bouncy and hydrated.

The only things I feel just so-so about are the Color Full Shampoo and Conditioner, because they aren’t as moisturizing as the other products (and moisture is my main motivation at the moment because the pool has been doing a number on my ends), but everything else I’ve tried from the line has me *this close* to forsaking all the other hair products sitting in my shower.

It’s fascinating to me how Rahua smooths frizzes, adds loads of glossy shine and moisturizes, all while removing all of the hair styling stuff I like to pile on, and it does this all without drying or weighing down the strands. Plus, the products don’t contain silicone or sulfates!

How do they do it? Must be the rahua oil.

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Unsung (Household) Heroes: The TubShroom Strainer/Hair Catcher

July 20th, 2018 by Karen 9 Comments

tubshroom review — The most magical mushroom of all

These are mushrooms…

And this is a magical ? mushroom…

But this is the most magical mushroom of all…

It’s called the TubShroom, and it’s one of those genius “as seen on TV” doohickeys that’ll have you wishing you were the person who invented it, because if you’ve got hair, and that hair clogs the tub drain, this thing will revolutionize your life.

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Unsung (Hair) Heroes: Revlon Essentials Maximum Hold Extra-Thick Elastics

July 10th, 2018 by Karen 16 Comments

revlon maximum hold extra thick elastics — If you have thick, heavy or otherwise wild, unruly hair, these will make you believe in unicorns (again).

My stylist buddy Alis likes to joke that I have enough hair on my head for three people (although, for the #officialmakeuprecord, I don’t have as much hair as I did pre-baby), but it’s not all kittens and rainbows, because having a decent amount of hair comes with its own challenges, like destroying every single hair elastic within striking distance.

When I’m putting my hair up in a ponytail, most elastics either break, or get stretched out so far that they look like the granny panties you should’ve thrown out THREE YEARS AGO (but still continue to wear when you’re on your period), and are thus rendered utterly and completely useless.

There’s also the whole “ponytail falling out while I’m merely existing” thing, which is a pain.

At HIIT class last week, I decided that enough was enough. I. Am. Done. Pulling up my ponytail every third burpee or switch lunge.

DUUUUUDE…Revlon has this little packet of miracles called the Maximum Hold Extra-Thick Elastics, which just changed everything in one fell swoop. It’s the strongest, thickest, sturdiest and most bass-@ass hair elastic I’ve ever worn.

Normally, I have to double-up elastics to keep my hair from falling all over the place, but in last night’s HIIT class, I used just one — ONE! — and my ponytail stayed perfectly in place through 60 minutes of intense jumps and sprints. Not once did I have to readjust.

When I took off the elastic before showering, I noticed two things. First, that my ponytail was in the exact same place it was when I first put it up. Second, that the elastic wasn’t stretched out at all. Not one teeny, tiny bit.

I also can’t get over how affordable they are. Three bucks for 15 of ’em!

So, so, good, you guys!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen