Hello!
Thanks for your post, fellow-Amanda. Yes, there is hope (for you and your wallet). Since you like the overall shape, I would recommend sectioning your hair off into 5 sections you can handle. Think three atop your crown area, one right behind it, and then another down by the nape of your neck. Twist each section and clip it to the center of the section so that it's out of your way. Then, starting at the bottom section, take smaller sections at a time, and simply trim them by following the cut that's already there. Instead of cutting straight across (scissors meeting the hair perpendicularly), try cutting into the hair (scissors meeting the hair at about a 30-degree angle). This is called "point cutting," and will allow the hair to have a softer edge. (It will also make any possible mistakes less visible :) ). And just repeat this process all over. Near your face, you can repeat the "slither cutting" technique I mention in the video, so that you can create better contour. If this idea freaks you out - don't do it. But chances are, if you feel comfortable enough cutting your own hair, you will also have the eye to account for some creative responsibility :)
Most importantly... have fun!
A
12.13.2010
9.19.2010
UpDo Continued (The Big Tease)
Daley, Yet again you've raised great questions! And you caught me trying to write a less than thorough post - plan foiled again!
Daley asked about the right kind of hairspray and comb to use for pre-updo teasing, which I'll elaborate on just below. I'll also say a word about teasing-technique.
Products: Appropriate Hairspray and Comb
Use a salon-quality (and -price), aerosol, hard-hold hairspray. The two that I most highly recommend are HardHead by TIGI's BedHead or the hardhold hairspray that BigSexyHair makes. If you're experiencing that your hair is more difficult to tease because of the hairspray, there a three bits of advice I'll offer: 1) Don't skimp by using a cheap hairspray. When you switch to the good stuff you'll notice the difference!, 2) tease before you spray, and 3) don't spray too close to your scalp. You want to create a net of strength (not an Aqua Net of strength...) so that bobby pins, hair ties, or whatever the hell else you're putting in your hair to hold it will hold, hold, HOLD!
As for the comb, this becomes a matter of preference, but over time, I have come to prefer a standard haircutting comb. These are also the combs that 60+ men keep in their back pockets, as well as the comb that Kiniki whips out in his big ensemble solo "Grease Lighting." Yes, that comb.
I find that "rat tail" combs, which have two or three different levels of bistles, are just over-kill in their knotting-capability. I've actually gotten these combs stuck in my hair. No good.
You'll also benefit from a small, soft bristle brush, to use after the teasing and spraying are finished. You'll use it to persuade the hair into place after deciding what kind of shape you're creating - be that a sleek ponytail, a classic chignon or french twist, or even something much more complicated.
A Word on Technique
That's right, Ladies: There is a right way to be a tease. Wah-Wah.
In step-one (teasing), you'll want to lift a sheath of hair that is 1-2 inches thick, depending upon the weight of your hair. Hold the hair straight up, and tease the first half of its length with about 3 soft, firm strokes. You'll do this by holding the comb at about a 30-degree angle to the hair above where you're teasing. Put another way, when the comb comes down on the hair below it, the comb and the sheath of hair running to the scalp will roughly form a 150 degree angle. Now tease the hair once, twice, three times, each successive brush stroke farther from the scalp.
This is where you say: Oh my goodness, Amanda! My hair is literally standing on end!
Bingo. That's what you want.
Now you can spray (step two).
Repeat all over your head - yes, you will look like a swamp-thing - and when you are through, you can use the soft bristle brush to coax the thicket into place like a well-groomed garden.
I believe that pretty much does it. Daley...did I miss anything? ;)
Daley asked about the right kind of hairspray and comb to use for pre-updo teasing, which I'll elaborate on just below. I'll also say a word about teasing-technique.
Products: Appropriate Hairspray and Comb
Use a salon-quality (and -price), aerosol, hard-hold hairspray. The two that I most highly recommend are HardHead by TIGI's BedHead or the hardhold hairspray that BigSexyHair makes. If you're experiencing that your hair is more difficult to tease because of the hairspray, there a three bits of advice I'll offer: 1) Don't skimp by using a cheap hairspray. When you switch to the good stuff you'll notice the difference!, 2) tease before you spray, and 3) don't spray too close to your scalp. You want to create a net of strength (not an Aqua Net of strength...) so that bobby pins, hair ties, or whatever the hell else you're putting in your hair to hold it will hold, hold, HOLD!
As for the comb, this becomes a matter of preference, but over time, I have come to prefer a standard haircutting comb. These are also the combs that 60+ men keep in their back pockets, as well as the comb that Kiniki whips out in his big ensemble solo "Grease Lighting." Yes, that comb.
I find that "rat tail" combs, which have two or three different levels of bistles, are just over-kill in their knotting-capability. I've actually gotten these combs stuck in my hair. No good.
You'll also benefit from a small, soft bristle brush, to use after the teasing and spraying are finished. You'll use it to persuade the hair into place after deciding what kind of shape you're creating - be that a sleek ponytail, a classic chignon or french twist, or even something much more complicated.
A Word on Technique
That's right, Ladies: There is a right way to be a tease. Wah-Wah.
In step-one (teasing), you'll want to lift a sheath of hair that is 1-2 inches thick, depending upon the weight of your hair. Hold the hair straight up, and tease the first half of its length with about 3 soft, firm strokes. You'll do this by holding the comb at about a 30-degree angle to the hair above where you're teasing. Put another way, when the comb comes down on the hair below it, the comb and the sheath of hair running to the scalp will roughly form a 150 degree angle. Now tease the hair once, twice, three times, each successive brush stroke farther from the scalp.
This is where you say: Oh my goodness, Amanda! My hair is literally standing on end!
Bingo. That's what you want.
Now you can spray (step two).
Repeat all over your head - yes, you will look like a swamp-thing - and when you are through, you can use the soft bristle brush to coax the thicket into place like a well-groomed garden.
I believe that pretty much does it. Daley...did I miss anything? ;)
9.07.2010
Easy Updos: It's all about the Foundation
For a simple Updo (as with any hairstyle you wish to keep for more than 2 hours), the most important part is the beginning, in which you will build a foundation for the hairstyle. Your steps are going to look like this:
1. Tease
2. Spray
3. Tease
4. Spray
And then comes the climax of this post's narrative:
5. Tease
6. Spray
7. Tease
8. Spray
9. Smooth
You get the picture.
Look like any other advice I've offered? (I see you nodding your head...) Very good! That's because ALL hairdos require a small repertoire of basic techniques that will help you obtain a limitless range of results (seriously).
By teasing and spraying (and smoothing!), you will create a hair-network for your bobby-pins to grab onto. You essentially create little hooks-and-eyes within the coif itself, allowing fewer bobby pins to do the job.
You can test my assertion by teasing your hair like crazy, and then simply putting it into a ponytail. You'll notice that your hair stays put with fewer twists of the hair-tie than usual. Or, if you're a clip-girl, you'll see that a claw that once slipped right out of your hair will hold firmly in place after a good teasing.
For the ultimate easy Updo (and a darn cute one, at that...), tie your hair up into a basic ponytail, and separate a tiny strand (about one half-inch in diameter) from its mass. Wrap this strand around your ponytail (teasing the strand itself will help it remain firm), and then use one or two bobby pins underneath the ponytail to keep the strand in place.
Voila!
Explaining other Updos via prose would really be a headache for all involved, which is why I'll now plug my phantom videos that have been made, but not yet posted. I'm hoping to put these up in just under a month. That said, I am fairly confident that anyone who teases, sprays, and smooths, will be able to do something with bobby pins or clips that she was previously unable to do!
Stay tuned for the video, and keep the questions coming!
Cheers!
1. Tease
2. Spray
3. Tease
4. Spray
And then comes the climax of this post's narrative:
5. Tease
6. Spray
7. Tease
8. Spray
9. Smooth
You get the picture.
Look like any other advice I've offered? (I see you nodding your head...) Very good! That's because ALL hairdos require a small repertoire of basic techniques that will help you obtain a limitless range of results (seriously).
By teasing and spraying (and smoothing!), you will create a hair-network for your bobby-pins to grab onto. You essentially create little hooks-and-eyes within the coif itself, allowing fewer bobby pins to do the job.
You can test my assertion by teasing your hair like crazy, and then simply putting it into a ponytail. You'll notice that your hair stays put with fewer twists of the hair-tie than usual. Or, if you're a clip-girl, you'll see that a claw that once slipped right out of your hair will hold firmly in place after a good teasing.
For the ultimate easy Updo (and a darn cute one, at that...), tie your hair up into a basic ponytail, and separate a tiny strand (about one half-inch in diameter) from its mass. Wrap this strand around your ponytail (teasing the strand itself will help it remain firm), and then use one or two bobby pins underneath the ponytail to keep the strand in place.
Voila!
Explaining other Updos via prose would really be a headache for all involved, which is why I'll now plug my phantom videos that have been made, but not yet posted. I'm hoping to put these up in just under a month. That said, I am fairly confident that anyone who teases, sprays, and smooths, will be able to do something with bobby pins or clips that she was previously unable to do!
Stay tuned for the video, and keep the questions coming!
Cheers!
8.09.2010
Unruly (& Indecisive) Hair
A follower Fiona has posted a keen query. And no, Fiona, yours is not a daft question at all. If our hair is doing one thing one day and something totally different the next, what are we to think?
Fiona asks,
"...my formerly straight hair is turning wavy! It's probably down to the menopause or the various medications I've been on for the past year to tackle my migraines. Actually I like it wavy - it's a new look! Problem is that the hair on top of my head is still straight... The hairdresser said she saw more curls growing in underneath. Will that happen so that all my hair is curly/wavy?"
The Facts
The truth (or at least one small part of it) is that our hair undergoes a full cycle of chemical/physical change over the course of 7 years. It's not unusual, however, to notice our hair doing something different one day than it had been the day prior. Depending on the haircut, the length, and the weight of a hairdo, your hair can hit a critical point where it starts falling differently one day, due to a new texture that has even been developing over the course of months.
But Why this Change?
Yes, it's quite possible that the menopause has done it. The most common characteristic of menopausal and post-menopausal hair is that it becomes more porous, and as a result, kinky. But it sounds from your post, Fiona, that you're beginning to get bona fide curls. This could just be part of the 7 year cycle. As for the migraine medication... Maybe? I couldn't say with any certainty on that one.
Will the Rest of My Hair Get the Memo?
Quite possibly not. However, I would be willing to bet (and you might have to find a very good stylist to discover this for you) that the seemingly straight hair on top does have a wave pattern to it, however more subtle. If this is the case, you have a variety of options. If you choose to wear your hair short, you can texturize the top layers in such a way to be supported and even shaped by the curls below. If you're wanting to wear it longer, you could have either a heavily-layered 'do, allowing the topmost layers to fall straighter, for a loosely tousled look, or a barely-layered 'do, so that the heaviness of the top layers weigh down or hide the more rebellious curls underneath.
I hope this helps. I don't know that I've offered you much by way of solution, but I will offer you one last morsel to consider. Perhaps the duality in your hair is simply bringing to light the presence of opposites in all things.... Oh Amanda, where's your Digeridoo and chime-set when you need one? But seriously Fiona, I think your indecisive hair sounds like a fun new adventure. Call it the incense talking, but I'd like to raise a glass to the grand new weirdness that is your hair. Thanks again for posting!
Fiona asks,
"...my formerly straight hair is turning wavy! It's probably down to the menopause or the various medications I've been on for the past year to tackle my migraines. Actually I like it wavy - it's a new look! Problem is that the hair on top of my head is still straight... The hairdresser said she saw more curls growing in underneath. Will that happen so that all my hair is curly/wavy?"
The Facts
The truth (or at least one small part of it) is that our hair undergoes a full cycle of chemical/physical change over the course of 7 years. It's not unusual, however, to notice our hair doing something different one day than it had been the day prior. Depending on the haircut, the length, and the weight of a hairdo, your hair can hit a critical point where it starts falling differently one day, due to a new texture that has even been developing over the course of months.
But Why this Change?
Yes, it's quite possible that the menopause has done it. The most common characteristic of menopausal and post-menopausal hair is that it becomes more porous, and as a result, kinky. But it sounds from your post, Fiona, that you're beginning to get bona fide curls. This could just be part of the 7 year cycle. As for the migraine medication... Maybe? I couldn't say with any certainty on that one.
Will the Rest of My Hair Get the Memo?
Quite possibly not. However, I would be willing to bet (and you might have to find a very good stylist to discover this for you) that the seemingly straight hair on top does have a wave pattern to it, however more subtle. If this is the case, you have a variety of options. If you choose to wear your hair short, you can texturize the top layers in such a way to be supported and even shaped by the curls below. If you're wanting to wear it longer, you could have either a heavily-layered 'do, allowing the topmost layers to fall straighter, for a loosely tousled look, or a barely-layered 'do, so that the heaviness of the top layers weigh down or hide the more rebellious curls underneath.
I hope this helps. I don't know that I've offered you much by way of solution, but I will offer you one last morsel to consider. Perhaps the duality in your hair is simply bringing to light the presence of opposites in all things.... Oh Amanda, where's your Digeridoo and chime-set when you need one? But seriously Fiona, I think your indecisive hair sounds like a fun new adventure. Call it the incense talking, but I'd like to raise a glass to the grand new weirdness that is your hair. Thanks again for posting!
4.25.2010
Curls for a Gal on the Go
Wooohoooo! I got my first post from someone I don't know. That's right, folks. I'm so excited about it, that I'm writing my first post in 4 months. As the youngest girl in a large family, I think I clearly need positive reinforcement to produce. Oh, what we learn in life...
Dear Anonymous,
You may be an acquaintance only trying to facelessly cuddle my ego, and you may truly be a stranger who has stumbled upon my videos and blog. Either way, I thank you for bringing a smile to my face and a fire to my ass.
And where did I go? Nowhere, really; I just got lazy. I have a variety of creative pursuits, and seem to get ahead of myself, occasionally. I have a bunch of hair videos, waiting to be edited and posted, so if my boyfriend will help with with the tech side of that--you better believe they'll get posted :)
In regards to your questions: if you want curls that last longer than 20 minutes, I would first follow up by asking you: "What kind of curls?" That said, an extensive exercise of hot rollers or sponge rollers might be the way to go. But if you have 10 minutes to get ready in the morning, like I do, you may want something a little more efficient. For that, I suggest the following:
Preheat your curling iron. (around 1" barrel)
1. Tease your hair like a a mad woman (this is usually step one for anything).
2. Spray the teased roots from about 6 inches with a hard-hold hairspray; I recommend Hardhead by TIGI or one of the Big Sexy Hair hairsprays.
3. Brush your hair through lightly. Now you've distributed the "gunkiness" throughout, so your fine hair actually has some toughness to it.
4. By now, your curling iron is nice and hot. I suggest curing irons by Hot Tools. They're really cheap, they do the job well, and they last forever. Grab vertical sections of your hair. Since your hair is thin, Anonymous, you can grab sections about 1.5 inches wide and 3-4 inches long. If some second reader out ther has thick hair, I'd go with 1" by 2", but use your own discretion.
5. Hold hair in the iron for a good 2 or three seconds, remove the iron, and spray the curl, now from about 8-12 inches away. You can even curl a few sections and then spray 2 or 3 at once. Whatever you do, DO NOT pull the curl out. It is very important for the curl to cool in as tight a position as possible, for the integrity/longevity of it's shape.
6. Repeat all over (Note: Experiment with different directions (ie facing forward v. backward) that flatter your face. As a general rule, curls going away from your face are going to be more flattering, but this isn't 100% accurate).
7. Give your hair a final spray and position curls however they need. You may want to pin a few pieces back and out of your face, or you may want to leave it all down. I almost always find that leaving it entirely down looks dowdy, but it really depends on the cut.
Hope that was helpful, and if I'm lucky enough to receive a comment, I'll even tell you how to put your hair back if it's too short for quick manageability :)
Best,
Amanda
Dear Anonymous,
You may be an acquaintance only trying to facelessly cuddle my ego, and you may truly be a stranger who has stumbled upon my videos and blog. Either way, I thank you for bringing a smile to my face and a fire to my ass.
And where did I go? Nowhere, really; I just got lazy. I have a variety of creative pursuits, and seem to get ahead of myself, occasionally. I have a bunch of hair videos, waiting to be edited and posted, so if my boyfriend will help with with the tech side of that--you better believe they'll get posted :)
In regards to your questions: if you want curls that last longer than 20 minutes, I would first follow up by asking you: "What kind of curls?" That said, an extensive exercise of hot rollers or sponge rollers might be the way to go. But if you have 10 minutes to get ready in the morning, like I do, you may want something a little more efficient. For that, I suggest the following:
Preheat your curling iron. (around 1" barrel)
1. Tease your hair like a a mad woman (this is usually step one for anything).
2. Spray the teased roots from about 6 inches with a hard-hold hairspray; I recommend Hardhead by TIGI or one of the Big Sexy Hair hairsprays.
3. Brush your hair through lightly. Now you've distributed the "gunkiness" throughout, so your fine hair actually has some toughness to it.
4. By now, your curling iron is nice and hot. I suggest curing irons by Hot Tools. They're really cheap, they do the job well, and they last forever. Grab vertical sections of your hair. Since your hair is thin, Anonymous, you can grab sections about 1.5 inches wide and 3-4 inches long. If some second reader out ther has thick hair, I'd go with 1" by 2", but use your own discretion.
5. Hold hair in the iron for a good 2 or three seconds, remove the iron, and spray the curl, now from about 8-12 inches away. You can even curl a few sections and then spray 2 or 3 at once. Whatever you do, DO NOT pull the curl out. It is very important for the curl to cool in as tight a position as possible, for the integrity/longevity of it's shape.
6. Repeat all over (Note: Experiment with different directions (ie facing forward v. backward) that flatter your face. As a general rule, curls going away from your face are going to be more flattering, but this isn't 100% accurate).
7. Give your hair a final spray and position curls however they need. You may want to pin a few pieces back and out of your face, or you may want to leave it all down. I almost always find that leaving it entirely down looks dowdy, but it really depends on the cut.
Hope that was helpful, and if I'm lucky enough to receive a comment, I'll even tell you how to put your hair back if it's too short for quick manageability :)
Best,
Amanda
10.21.2009
Open Thread for Hair Questions
But I'll start it off with a great goodie.
Now that the warm weather is finally behind us (hoorah!), some people may have tell-tale signs of chlorine left in their once-blond hair. But you don't want to color your hair, obviously. You just want the green to go away! A quick fix is to run ketchup through the discolored ends, throw a shower cap over your head, and apply medium heat with a blow drier from 8 inches away, for about 5 minutes. If you can steal one more warm and sunny day, sitting in the sun for a half an hour will do it, too.
Remove the cap, enjoy smelling like a hot dog, and shampoo like there's no tomorrow.
The Green is Gone!!!! Yaay!
10.07.2009
Hair + Log = Hog
I have not written in a while and to my twenty-one screaming fans, I truly apologize. I've heard you pounding at my door, weeping outside my window, but in truth, an artist of such grand vision often retires into the the depths of a creative void.
Kidding. I actually just have had no idea what to write.
I've been trying to figure out what exactly it means to keep a blog, and a hair blog, at that. "Blog," after all, comes from "Web Log," and certain evolutions have since occurred. We've seen the emergence of the "Vlog" (Video + Log), as one example. But, have we seen a Hair Log? I'm not so sure. And if we did? What exactly would we call it?
I'm tempted to call this blog a Hlog, which may be better spelled H'log, but I can't help but want to make it sound like Chalag, which then is really more of a Jewish blog about cooking. And this is not that. Hence, I'm going with Hog. And if my aims are misunderstood, at least we are left with the possible misunderstanding that this blog is about Hogs, and let's face it: pigs are really cute.
So if this is truly a Hog, I suppose I ought to find a way to thematically bring together my daily life and Hair, and if I'm lucky, the whole "ascetic," spiritual-quest element will make it's way in, too.
Hmmmm.
I think I know just the odd circumstance to fit the bill.
I was sitting on the subway yesterday to go meet some friends for a drink. I was trapped in my mind, which was circling around affirmations and visualizations the way a hamster runs around an exercise wheel. Having recently quit my job, and now just running my own businesses, I have been experiencing as much satisfied thrill as anxious hope. I've made ends meet every single week, but how--I'm often not sure. And so I've turned to creating mental images of my success, with the intention of "manifesting" them. Ah, the "m" word. Truly, Amanda has always been metaphysical and New Age-y, but moving to New York somehow really did it. (So much so, that she's even speaking in the third person.)
I looked up, and thought to myself, "Amanda. Just chill!" I enjoyed that feeling of solace that comes in between thoughts. The break that I first noticed while reading Tolle and having had too much wine. Could have been the Tolle, could have been the wine. So that's what I did, anyway, and I enjoyed the gap during which true creativity and being are meant to be experienced.
A dashing red nail color caught my eye, just ahead of me. "What a great nail color!" I said to the girl donning it.
"Oh thanks, I just got them done!" she answered.
"Well I just got mine done!" I said in reply. And it was true; I'm not that much of a schmoozer.
"And now I'm going to go get my hair cut," she finished.
Then embracing the inner schmoozer: "Well that's a pity because I'm a stylist. Looks like I just missed ya."
Her eyes lit up. "Oh! Well how about next time! Let me get your card!"
Really?
And then a voice from my right, "Um, I want your card, too!"
SERIOUSLY?
And then, a voice from, yep, you guessed it, my left. Same exclamation.
Of course what ensued was girlish ebullience about nail polish, haircuts, making friends on the MTA, and, even bras. I'm usually the one to take the impromptu bonding moments too far, and in bra-talk, I did not fail.
So the moral of this story, if I may attempt to create an MHlog (moral-driven hair log), is that in the moment that I stopped obsessing, everything just beautifully worked out, like a perfectly textured haircut. Every piece falling into place.
When we have a little faith in our ability to have faith, and stop trying so much, things work out. It's like when you're trying to force a key into a lock, and once you loosen your grip, it finally slips in with ease.
I don't know if I really will hear from these girls, but I do know that it put a smile on my face. Buzzing potentialities are just rearing to burst into reality if we care to let them.
Even if we have no idea what to say, do, or write.
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