How to Curl Your Hair With A Wand

Hair wands are so popular, but the thing is you can get the exact same look with a regular curling iron you already own. So save your money and go buy yourself some new clothes or go out to eat.

Polka Dot Tank // Grey Sweater (both Loft)

Pretty Ponytail

So you want to know what to do with all those curls from yesterdays tutorial? Well your in luck because that's exactly what I am going to show you today.

This tutorial is great for putting your hair up in a little fancier way than just a boring old ponytail.

Curling and Setting your Hair

This tutorial is great for a fancy updo that needs to be super curly or have a lot of texture. Also, this is great for those of you that have hair that doesn't hold curls. If you wanted a similar look with not quite as tight of curls you could use a little bigger curling iron than a 1" like I did.

This tutorial is going to be 2 parts in 2 days. I wanted to show you how to curl your hair like this first (part 1). The part 2 of this tutorial, which will be tomorrow, will be how to put these tight curls up into a fancy ponytail. 

Blowdryers

I decided to write some tips to use when looking for a  new blowdryer. (Maybe a great Christmas present for someone on your list.) It is often a daunting task as there are so many out there to chose from so follow these simple steps and you should be all set.

1. Wattage. You know how some blowdryers take forever for your hair to dry? That's because the wattage is low. The higher the wattage the more powerful the heat will be. 

2. Accessories. I would definitely look for a blowdryer that comes with both a concentrator and a diffuser.   

3. Controls.  A blowdryer that has hot, warm, and cool options as well as high, medium, and low speed options are important. The cool option or sometimes button, helps to set a style and smooth the cuticle down while being able to change the speed and heat are important depending on what you are doing to your hair. Also you might want to change the heat and speed setting depending the condition of your hair. 

4. Weight. While this is more important for some than others it is nice to not have a blowdryer that weights a ton. For someone with really thick hair that takes forever to dry or someone that straightens their hair with their blowdryer and concentrator I would definitely go with very lightweight dryer.

5. Lastly, the words ceramic, tourmaline, and ionic are thrown around a lot. While I don't know if these are the most important things or how big of a difference they make in a dryer I will let you know what they are. If a blowdryer is ceramic it is also ionic. This just refers to how the heat is distributed through the blowdryer. If a blowdryer has these qualities the heat should be a more even and powerful heat. Tourmaline promotes smooth and shiny hair because of the ions it emits. All of these qualities will make the blowdryer price increase significantly.

My favorite brands. While I am not saying these are the best, these are the ones I have found that I love the most over the years.

Rusk Speed Freak 
Of all the hairstylists I have worked with this one seems to be a favorite.





















Super Solano 
This is what I currently own and love.

CHI Pro Dyer
Both with blowdryers and straighteners this company knows what they are doing.

Messy Bun

You know those days where you are running so late and you just don't have time to do your hair. This tutorial is perfect for those days. It should only take 5 minutes or less to throw your hair up in this style and it still looks cute.

To see how to curl your hair like I did before I got started refer to my everyday waves tutorial here. To see a more in depth tutorial on teasing click here. Otherwise all you need are two clear elastic bands, a fine tooth comb, and hairspray.

 Sweater: Loft

Top: Loft

Leggings: Macys

Boots: DSW

Beachy Waves

There are so many little changes you can make while curling your hair to change how the end result looks. This tutorial will show you how to do those beachy waves that are more messy and unfinished than my everyday waves tutorial. This is great for a more casual look.

This style can be done on any texture hair. I used a 1 1/4" curling iron. If your hair is longer I would use a bigger curling iron.

To finish this style I used the Oscar Blandi Pronto Texture and Volume Spray I got in my Birchbox that I told you I have been loving.

You can really see the subtle ombre I was talking about in these pictures that I have going on.

November Birchbox

 

 When I found out about the company birchbox I was so excited to sign up. Basically you pay $10 a month and receive a box in the mail full of sample size products to try out and review. If you love them you can purchase the products online at the birchbox store. Also you get points for then reviewing the products and  points for dollars spent. With 100 points you receive $10 off any purchase. To find out more click here.

This month my birchbox was a good one!

To start it off I was given a full tube of ModelCo FIBRE LASHXTEND lengthening mascara (usually everything is sample size so this is a huge bonus!). I have wore it two days now and think I might really love this, which is saying something since I am picky about my mascara.

The soyjoy bar was pretty good however I felt like the cranberries were a bit tart for me. The Stella Cadente Miss Me Eau de perfume was light and refreshing.

I am waiting for a relaxing spa night to drop the feeling smitten bath bomb in my tub. The cupcake almost seems to cute to have melt away in water. The Caldrea Hand Soap I set out on my bathroom counter and am excited to try. 

The last was by far my favorite Oscar Blandi Pronto Texture and Volume spray. It is similar to a dry shampoo. You can spray it on clean hair to "dirty" it up and give it texture or on second day hair to revamp your style and give it volume. I used it to give my curling iron curls a beachy wave look, and it did just that.

Subtle Ombre

 

(just disregard th best pop in the whole world in the background)

After having blonde hair for a while I was kind of getting bored. I knew I didn't want to go really dark (I did that once and that will be the only time) but I needed a change. I never have been a huge fan of the ombre look because I felt like they were all so drastic or severe, however I have discovered I love very subtle almost natural ombre look. To me it looks best when it appears that maybe over time your ends have just faded out to a lighter color naturally and the root area may just  might be you natural color.

This is the kinda ombre I have fallen in love with.

 

 

Polished Side Ponytail

The holidays are right around the corner, and with all those parties you have to go to I'm sure you are looking for a quick way to put your hair up that looks elegant and polished. This tutorial will show you exactly that.

You can do this on curly or straight hair, but it will look a little more fancy on curled hair.

How to Tease Your Hair

If you know me at all you know I love volume, and as far as I'm concerned there is nothing wrong with a little height. With that said I decided it was time for you to learn how to tease your hair.

You can do this on any hair type: fine, coarse, curly, straight it doesn't matter. This is a great way to create a base for a half up style, updo, ponytail, or just to wear down. Have fun!

Half Up Reverse French Twist

This tutorial is a different way to put your hair half up that is a little more elegant and polished than a regular half up style. 

I used a 1” curling iron to curl my hair before. For this look all you need is a fine tooth rattail comb and a few bobby pins, finishing with a little hairspray. You can do this on any length hair (other than a pixie of course) curly or straight. 

 

 

She had to get in on the photo shoot too!

Everyday Soft Waves

One of the most common questions I get from clients and friends is how do I get those casual soft waves I wear most days.

Here I will show you how to create this look. I washed my hair right before I did this tutorial and used Brocato Cloud 9 Miracle Repair Mousse and Brocato Root Fix before I blow dried my hair.

 

 My favorite brand of curling iron is hot tools. I used a marcel 2 1/4” iron, but you could use a regular curling iron. If your hair is shorter than mine I would use a smaller size iron, not too small though since we are going for a softer larger curl look. 

       

           

Hope this helps. Good luck!