Hair How-To: Twisted Tiara

Hola hola hola!  It's Caroline.  I'm currently in the process of growing out some super awkward bangs, and so I rarely wear them down.  Because of this, I've had to come up with some cute ways to hide a bobby pin without having the shortest bits of bang falling in my eyes!

This one is my personal favorite, other than just a French braid.  I like to call it the twisted tiara because it's raised up from the scalp and looks a bit like a crown.  And also because who doesn't love alliteration?

     {Step One}
Starting at your part, lift up two pieces of hair and do one twist.

     {Step Two}
Pick up another strand of hair from your hairline and add it to the front piece.  

     {Step Three}
Twist that front piece and the new strand backwards and over the back piece.  Your back piece is now your front piece.

     {Step Four}
Repeat Step Two and Three over and over until you think you're done.

     {Step Five}
Grasp the two pieces and twist them together into one, and push them against your scalp so the French Twist you've just created gets a bit of volume.

     {Step Six}
Take a bobby pin.  Push it through the end of your twist from underneath and twist/push it in until it feels secure to you.  You can add more bobby pins throughout the "tiara" if you feel some places are loose.

Hit that baby with some hairspray and you've hidden your bangs away for the day!  This is great for summer, too, because it's fast (once you get the hang of it) and looks great with beachy waves.  Or with just plain ol' fresh from sleep lazy butt I just don't care hair.

Happy hair-days to you all.

Love,
Caro
          

Hair: Long and Healthy How-To

Hey, ladies, Emilyann here!

I'm tuning in for a familiar topic on our blog, how to get healthy hair.  I know a lot of you girls out there are growing out your hair.  It can be frustrating and you often become impatient, am I right?  I'm in the middle of growing out my hair right now, and lately, I have realized that yeah, it's great if my hair is long, but it's more important for my hair to be healthy.  So even if you're not growing your hair out, these tips will help you keep your hair healthy and hydrated.


In the shower....

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As we approach summer, it's extremely important to not dry out your hair.  That's why it's vital to keep your hair hydrated. Even if you have oily hair, apply conditioner. Having greasy hair does not mean you should do everything you can to strip it of it's oil.  Like Caroline said in her last post about oily skin, the same goes for oily hair.  If you strip your hair of all of its nutrients, it will only produce more oil to replace it.  So instead of ignoring conditioner because you think it will add unwanted grease to your hair, only apply conditioner to the ends of your hair. I apply conditioner from my ends, up to about halfway to my head. This keeps all of the hair threatening to break off and split, healthy and hydrated.

Try a deep conditioner.  I love Aussie's three minute miracle. It keeps your hair silky and smooth like no other conditioner I've ever used before. Use this in the shower once a week, and it will heal your hair as well as keep it shiny and smooth.

Switch up shampoos. I literally always buy a different shampoo every time I go to the store to purchase a new one.  Using one shampoo over and over can dull your hair and leave it lifeless and unstimulated.  Keep your follicles guessing.  Every time you change up your routine, it has to adapt. It keeps the hair working and growing. What will also help you is switching up the function of the shampoo you're using.  If you're using one for body boost, next time you buy a shampoo, get one that hydrates your hair, and then the next time get one that enhances color, etc.  Keep it lively and your hair will respond.

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Outside the shower...

Only brush your hair with a wide tooth comb or a boar bristle brush. When your hair is wet, use the comb, and when it is try, use the brush. The boar bristle brush will take all of the nutrients at your roots and disperse them thoughout your hair, whereas a regular brush will only break your ends.

Massage your scalp when you wake up everyday, and before you go to sleep.  This can both rejuvenate your hair and calm you down.  If your hair has been up in a ponytail all day, a nice scalp massage feels so good.  It gets your follicles working and your hair growing.

After every shower, apply a silk oil.  Start at your ends and work your way up to your roots.  This does wonders, I swear by it.  It is literally magic.  Plus it smells delish.  


Tone it down on the heat.  The farther you can go without straightening or curling your hair, (and don't forget blowdrying) the better. The more heat you use, the easier it is to kill the roots and break the ends.  I only use heat about one to two times a week.  Give your hair a break and go natural, put it in a messy braid, or curl it overnight with foam curlers.  All of these are great alternatives to using heat on your hair.  When you must use heat, USE. A. HEAT. PROTECTANT, and keep the temperature low.  I cannot stretch this enough. About two years ago I literally killed my hair's curls because I overlooked this step. Don't let it happen to you.

Don't dye your hair.  This will damage it like crazy.  If you must dye your hair, try a natural dye, like a henna hair dye, which is also a conditional and will actually boost your hair's shine and health.

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Try different hair masks.  You don't even have to go any farther than your kitchen.  You can have a hot oil treatment with a cup of olive oil and a microwave, or an avocado and some egg whites.  The possibilities are endless, just Pinterest natural hair remedies and you're sure to come up with a ton.

Your hair will not grow faster if you trim it often.  This is a myth.  But cutting off your ends when they get too frayed and split, does keep your hair healthier and stronger.  Cut your hair when you feel like it.  It doesn't make it grow any faster.  I personally don't like to cut mine every three months, but do what suits you.

And then there are of course the staples, like drinking a ton of water, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep.  We all sort of take these rules as freebees, but if you make a pattern for yourself and stick to it, you will see results.

This has been a pretty long post, but for those of you trying to grow out your hair, it'll be worth it if you try all of these instructions. You will start to see a difference!

xx, 
Emilyann

The Reaping.

Grey.

I was re-reading the descriptions of District 12 on order to prepare for my post on Reaping Day fashions there. If I had to summarize it all in one word I think that word would be grey. Everything there seems listless, dull, and without life. Its truly an interesting picture that the author paints considering the capitol is the direct antithesis exploding with color yet they too are in a sense dead to reality. Anyway I promised a fashion post so here we go.

I'm going to attempt to give you some inspiration for a Reaping Day inspired outfit. This would be perfect to wear to a midnight premier perhaps? Or if your like me and simply like dressing up, it could just make your weekday interesting. The key to Reaping Day fashions in District 12 is muted colors. So greys, whites, light blues, and browns. This is the poorest district in the whole country and it shows. No bright colors and frippery here. Plain and slightly old fashion trends are prevalent. So here's what I came up with to try and accomplish the style. I picked flower backgrounds because despite the gloomy surroundings they did still have wildflowers which were obviously precious since so many people are named from them. Oh! and check our my interpretation of Katniss's braided hairstyle. I was rather excited about how it turned out. :)

Reaping Day Fashion
1. Light toned dresses or skirts. (button downs seem to be popular in the film.)
2. Minimal makeup if any just to disguise blemishes and perhaps make the eyes brighter but nothing more.
3. Simple sensible shoes.
4. Braids. And the many rabbit trails they imply. :)

May the odds be ever in your favor. 

Choose my color! ***Poll now closed***

Hey everyone, it's Caroline again!

I've gotten quite bored of my hair color.  At this point it's just a very dark brown with brassy undertones.

Because I'm indecisive, I can't think of what color I should get next!  So I'm enlisting the help of all of you (dressing room door girls included)!

I've made a poll to give you some idea of what I would generally go for.  Choose one and vote, and I'll do my hair in the highest voted color.  I thought this would be a fun way to make the decision and involve our readers, since we love you all so much!

I don't want anything crazy.  I've done ombre before (where the hair is darker at the top and fades to slightly lighter at the bottom) and it's gorgeous, and I'd consider it again.  I've done highlights, and I've done slightly lighter browns.  If you go to my info page up above, there's a link at the bottom to all of my posts.  You can look at pictures I've posted of me to get an idea of what would be best for my skin and coloring, etc.

Now, here we go!  I trust you guys, and I'm excited to see what the results are!  Once I dye it, I'll let you know and probably do a tutorial, since I prefer to dye my hair at home.

Pick from the pictures below that correspond to a poll number, and vote away!

**Disclaimer:  Just because I post a picture of a certain celebrity/model doesn't mean I necessarily endorse that person, I just dig their color.**

((Color ONE))

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((Color TWO))

mine would be slightly darker and less bleachy/yellow.

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((Color THREE))

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Choose away, my friends!  I love all three colors, so I'm up for any of them.

Poll closes at 11 AM EST on Thursday.  :)

***POLL NOW CLOSED***

Thanks for your votes! Results in a while. :)

Messy Braid Hair Tutorial

Hello, everyone!

You're getting two videos back to back!  I've been planning this tutorial for quite a while, but just didn't have the time to sit down and film/edit it for a while.  I hope you like it, I've been wearing it often.  It's cute, simple, and soo quick, you wouldn't believe.

There's two ways to approach this messy braid.  The actual MESSY version, and the kind of princess-y like variation as well.  Both are featured in this video, so there's a little variation for everyone.  :)

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas break.  I'm wearing my new present in this video, my Snitch necklace.  I'm in love.  Shout out to all of the fellow Harry Potter lovers who read our blog!  :)

Enjoy the video!





Support the band who wrote and preformed the music I featured in the video- "like" Saticoy on Facebook!

xx,
Emilyann

Un-washing your hair

Caroline here!  Like I promised you, here's a post on how to wash your hair less and still look like a model.  (Or, you know, like someone with pretty hair.)

Let's just go ahead and get started!

{Step 1}

                Plan out a few days where you're not going to go anywhere special.  You're hair's gonna look pretty unattractive for a few days, but if you can manage to pull it back or cover it up with a hat, you're set. But the best plan is to do this when you've got lots of time at home.  

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{Step 2}

Wash your hair thoroughly on the first day.  You need to remove every impurity possible!  So you can buy a clarifying shampoo if you want, but the best way to really get in there without damaging your hair is to use baking soda.  Make a thick paste with 2 parts baking soda and 1 part water and rub it into your scalp.  Really get in there with it, and then rinse with warm water.  Follow up by mixing one part apple cider vinegar with one part water, and rub it gently through your hair.  Rinse and style your hair as usual, but don't add any hair products.

{Hair Health Tip:  Don't use those same baking soda measurements if you have incredibly fine hair, or if you use this cleansing method daily.  Instead, use about two tablespoons of baking soda in a cup of water and just pour it over your hair and scrub.}

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{Step 3}

Now here's the hard part.  You need to completely refrain from washing your hair for AT LEAST three days.  I recommend five, but that can be reaching for the stars for some of us.  No matter how nasty your hair looks, don't put anything in it!  You could use dry shampoo, but that could build up and end up making it look worse more quickly.  Just... don't touch!

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{Step 4}

On the final day of your waiting, when it's been long enough and you just don't even want to think about your hair anymore, you're free to wash.  You might want to use the baking soda method again, but you can also just use plain old shampoo and conditioner.  

{Step 5}  

Now, wait three days before you wash your hair again.  It should be loads easier this time around already!

{Step 6}  

Wash that nasty scalp.

{Step 7}

Now, do what you will!  I trained myself to wash my hair two (occasionally three) times a week.  You could do it every other day if you're more comfortable with that!  But there's no way you can do either of these things without doing the hard part of living with the nastiness for a while.  My hair, now, doesn't get gross until the third day, which is my "pony-tail" day.  

I hope this helped you!  Once you start washing your hair less, your hair will be healthier and stronger.  Plus, you won't have to blow-dry and straighten it every day anymore, either!

Go forth and have awesome hair.

-Caroline

Hairapy

Hey, y'all, it's Caroline!

It's no secret that in order to have pretty hair, you have to have healthy hair.  You may have the longest, thickest hair in the land, but it can be wildly unattractive from the frayed, broken ends and the lackluster color.

So, what are you going to do about it?  Here are some tips on getting your healthiest hair yet.

• Get your hair trimmed once every 4 to 6 weeks, even if you're trying to grow out your hair.  This cleans up split ends and fragile tips, and heightens the overall healthy appearance of your locks.  A trim doesn't have to remove much length at all.

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• Wash your hair less.  Yup, you heard me right:  LESS!  This probably freaks you out, because you're thinking about how oily your hair gets after even just a day without washing it.  Well, worry no more!  The reason your hair is this prone to oil is because every time you wash your hair, you strip it of its natural oils.  This causes all of that good stuff to come in too quickly and powerfully to compensate for all the oil you took away.  I only wash my hair twice a week, and by the time I wash it, it's only just starting to look dirty.  Next week, I'll be doing a post on how to pull this off, so stay tuned!

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• Let your hair down!  When you put your hair up with clips and pins and rubberbands, you're inevitably going to break some of your hair.  So try to wear your hair down more often, and if you need to "put it away" for a while, try braiding it loosely and securing with a no-snag hair band.

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• Never brush wet hair.  When you get out of the shower, use a wide tooth comb.  Start at the ends of your hair and gently work out the knots and kinks.  Try not to tug, pull, or yank at your hair.

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• Every once in a while, use a clarifying shampoo.  This reduces the amount of build-up in your hair so you can get a shinier look.  For people with color-treated hair, and also for people on a budget, use baking soda!  Make a paste out of two parts baking soda and one part water, and work it through your hair.  Rinse thoroughly, and follow with your usual shampoo and conditioner.

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• Keep off!  Try to use heat tools as sparingly as possible, and when you just must, please use a heat protectant.  Don't handle your hair too much throughout the day, because that will cause greasiness.  Also, don't put too much product in your hair or brush it too often!

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These are just a few thoughts on healthy hair, and I hope this all helped you!  Like I said, stay tuned for a post on how you can go days without washing your hair.

Have a great day!

-Caroline

DIY ~ Salt

Hey!  It's Caroline.

I love creating homemade beauty products.  Anything that prevents me from spending more money is certainly a good thing!  So imagine how excited I was when I realized that I could do three things with a very small amount of products that I already had in my pantry.

Here's what you'll need:

• Salt
• Water
• Olive Oil

That's it!  I've got three "recipes for you guys, and I hope you enjoy them.

Salt Water Facial

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Mix one part course salt with two parts filtered water.  I used Sea salt.  I keep my mixture in an old makeup remover bottle (which I cleaned out thoroughly), and this mix actually gets better with time.

All I do is shake up this mixture and pour a bit into the palm of your hand.  Rub it around, all over your face.  You don't need a lot, so a small bottle of salt water goes a long way.  Now, go about your other business while you let this dry.  After about 5-8 minutes, if you look closely at your face, you'll see little white grains all over, and you'll feel a noticeable tightness in your skin.

Gently use your hands and warm water to rinse this off.  You'll be left with smoother skin!  Salt also helps combat acne.  Do this no more than two or three times a week, as it can be a little harsh.

Salt Lip Scrub

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Simply mix a coarsely ground salt with a little bit of olive oil, until it's reached a pasty consistency.  Gently rub it onto your lips, and rinse off with warm water.  Voila!  You now have soft lips.

Salt Water Hair?

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This one isn't for everyone, but I love doing this to my hair.  I've noticed that whenever I go swimming at the beach, I get the prettiest messy waves in my hair.  So while my hair is wet, I put a bit of the salt water mixture from the first recipe into my hair and scrunch my fingers in it.  I simply blow dry with my head turned over while continuing to scrunch and to wrap pieces around my finger under the heat, and I'm left with messy waves, which I love.  This works especially well if you use a strong-hold or curl-boosting mousse before you add the salt water.

I hope you enjoyed this quick DIY!  Have a great day.

~Caroline

About Town

Hey!  It's Caroline.
Yesterday, some dear friends of ours drove down to hang out with us for a day, and they wanted to do something very "Rome."  So, naturally, we took our friends and their three boys to the Colosseum!  The weather has been so nice, so I didn't have to bundle up at all.  It was quite a pleasure.

This stance is one I like to call: CLICHE FASHION BLOGGER POSE
Alternately Titled = Where'd my face go?

This is one of four pictures my mom took.  In the other three, I was talking.  I'm very professional.


Cropped Floral Cardigan ~ H&M
Orange and White Pin-stripe Button-down shirt ~ Old Navy
White undershirt ~ Macy's
Boyfriend jeans ~ The Gap
Flats ~ Alfani (sold at Macy's)
Yellow bag ~ Shoe Station
Sunglasses ~ Michael Kors

In the end, this outfit was incredibly comfortable.  I wanted to wear heels, but I realized I'd probably be running after the little boys too, so that wouldn't have been wise.  For my hair, I just parted it towards the middle again (this is a new thing, usually I do a deep side part) because my bangs are getting too long.  I'm trying to grow them out, but they're in the awkward phase, so I'm just doing what I can to make them appear less heavy.  I, again, just took a flat iron to it and waved it out, like in Emilyann's last post.

Have a great day!

OOTD Except two days before yesterday...

Basically whenever I post an outfit you can pretty much assume I actually wore it the day and/or week before since I seem to never have the time to post the actual day of... I suppose I'm just confusing that way. :)

Oh and its Elizabeth, in case you hadn't guessed. Spelt with a "z."
I went to the mall today!! ( Which merits an exclamation point because I hardly Ever go actually shopping. Nearly everything I wear comes from the great vast internet....) And got a new coral shrug to go with my Eiffel tower sun dress! I'm going to wear it to a wedding tomorrow and hopefully post pictures! :) The pattern in the same as the background of my blog in case you wondered. Oo la love!
I'm so psyched... Does anyone else get way too excited about wearing something special? Or that just a elizabeth-being-silly-and-way-too-easily-excited sort of thing? Ah well here's what I wore to school on Wednesday. I found the vest in our dress-up clothes bin and decided it merited a try. So I built the outfit around it. Watcha think? =)

Shirt: Vintage 

Vest: Vintage/dress up clothes...

Boots: Gift from a friend

Denim Skirt: Boden

 Red Wooden Ear Rings:  What's In Store

 Ribbon Headband: Christmas gift ribbon ( creative right? )

Concealer: Covergirl 

Liner: Clinique Chocolate Lustre

Mascara: Covergirl Lash Blast

Lip: Clinique Think Bronze combined with Carmex Lip Balm

Not actually wearing foundation but if I were it would be Clinique Magic Powder Stuff  Type 106. Its not actually called that but something pretty darn similar. I think these people just sit around in conference rooms thinking up ridiculous, cliché, badly witty, sort of names for the color pink. Like Blushing Rose... or Nude-alicious, I mean really? And then they get paid for it! Some people have all the luck...

And my hair. Well about that. I meant to, I really did mean to actually take the time to curl it or do something special. But I didn't. I was in too much of a hurry to finish my math homework. So you get my au' naturale' look... Which basically means this is what I woke up with after sleeping on wet hair. Sorry, no cool tutorial on how to look awesome. If you want that try Caroline's post. It has great tips for curling and parting and all that jazz. I'm afraid mine just consist of wash, comb, and pray for mercy in the morning. <3 <3 <3

Laughter and Song,

~Elizabeth

Mall OOTD

Hey!  It's Caroline.

Today my family and I went out to the mall, and I got a couple of things I can't wait to show you!  I'm planning on filming a haul video of some things I got today and a belated E.L.F haul, now that I can give a full review on the products I got.

But this is my OOTD.  The light on the balcony was fantastic, so I snapped a few shots of my makeup and hair, but sadly I was by myself so I had to take lame pictures in the old crusty vintage mirror.

Purple Cardigan ~  Italian store, Piazza Italia
Brown skirt ~ Piazza Italia
Shirt ~ Market (we could say thrifted)
Purple Eyeshadow ~ 60 Palette from Icing's
Liner ~ Ready-to-Wear cream liner
Foundation ~ Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse
Blush ~ Maybelline Dream Mousse
Lips ~ Combo of L'oreal Colour Riche in "Tickled Pink" and Stila lipgloss in "Majesty"
Mascara ~ Combo of Maybelline "The Falsies" and CoverGirl "Lashblast"

For my hair,  I just moved my part closer to the center of my head than usual and used my Paul Mitchell ProTools Ion Styling flat iron to curl pieces away from my face.  This wavy look is very popular right now, and will look best once my hair continues to grow longer and longer.

Have a great day!