How to: Update your updo in 5 Super Simple ways

Going out tonightor simply to update your gruaig? Here are 5 easy updo's to do at home, with a few clips and a bit of back-combing and maybe an accessory or two, why not try one tonight?

1. The Messy Pony, a lá Leighton Meister

Often overlooked, this is a classic chic look, and super easy to do.
-Section off the top part of your hair.
-Backcomb from the back to the front to add height, and spritz with your fav hairspray,
-Using a fine-tail comb, run lightly through the top of the hair
-Pull back the hair into a pony and secure with a tight elastic

(to copy Leighton below, leave your fringe out of the backcombing, and wrap a piece of long hair around your elastic and secure with a Kirby grip)

2.Punked up, half down, a lá Nicole Scherzinger

The quiff added to a half up half down gives a punky twist to a girly favourite.

-Start with poker straight hair.
-Section off the top part, and then into two halves again, front and back.
-Backcomb the back to medium height, and the front higher so that its higher at the front than the back, spritzing with hairspray as you go.
-Run your fine-tooth comb from 1 inch from the roots at the front, back along your hair, to create a smoother look.
-Pull all the hair back, as if creating a pony tail and clip section by section. Don't forget the part just under and behind your ear. (It will feel like a Mohawk line at the back)
-Run your fine tooth comb through the hair at the back lightly, to hide the clips and make the hair sit sleekly.

(To copy Nicole's gleaming gruaig, spray shine spray onto the "tail" of the mohikan, and spritz a little onto your hands and smooth across your quiff)



3. The Side French Braid, a lá Cara Delevingne

Oh God, who has not got a crush on this girl? Ok, so this is not really an updo, but who cares? It's amazing, and so uncomplicated.


- Straighten your hair
-Part to the side, and section a rectangular piece off above your eye and going back about 2 inches.
-From that section, start a French plait and work all the way back, down to the tops of the hair-
-Tie with a see through elastic, and your away with it :)



4.Accessorize , a lá London Fashion Week


Bouffants and bows, what a breathtaking combination. Accessories will automatically update your style and put your own stamp on it. Try a velvet bow, a jewelled embellishment, or even a turban or headband for the more adventurous!
 






4.Brazen Braids , a lá NewYork  Fashion Week

Braids are still bold for Aw13 and for Spring 2014, so get those fingers out and start braiding. Fishtials, French, rope and the standard plait braid are the most popular. Work with mideel partings and combining braids to make different shapes.

-Part hair straight down the middle, and make two "pigtails" at the baack of the head.
-Plait both pigtails in the style you want (fishtail is in the pics)
-Wrap the two braids around each other, or sweep them across to each other, and pin with Kirby grips to secure.

Or you can have crown braids, (my personal favourite, especially with the plum lips.)

This does require having medium long hair, or using extensions, for instructions check out Lilith Moons youtube video here. It would take far too long to describe it on here, can you say carpal tunnel syndrome?














 And that's it girlies, update your updo in 5 easy ways!

I'm off to try the punked up half down, enjoy your Saturday night, whatever you're doin' and wherever you are :)

Le Grá,

F.A.S.H

Bounce in your Barnet - the Baking soda and Vinegar method

If this sounds like a mad idea, I hear you, but take it from yours truly, it works!



I noticed in the last few weeks that my hair was greasy on top, and dry at the ends. Normally I would have a bit of a bounce in my tresses, but for the past few weeks they've been lank and dull. I nearly dislocated my shoulder backcombing to get volume and sprayed many a lotion and potion onto my roots to lift them, all to no avail. I was at my "splits" end

Then I remembered a baking soda and vinegar rinse that I heard of many moons ago. I researched it on the old laptop-aroony, and found mixed results, some people loved it, some loathed it.

I thought it really worked a treat, once I got over the weird sensation of not having a traditional foaming shampoo! Once my hair was dry it felt lighter, they're was definitely more volume and it looked brighter too.....yippee! No more heavy roots!

The one thing I did notice however, was that my longer lengths were a little more difficult to blowdry and not as soft, but I added a lil' Morrocan oil to those babies and they were soft as silk after, and there wasn't even a vinegar smell after rinsing it out! Delira :)

But how does this home hair clarifying work?

Flashback  to my Leaving Cert Chemistry class.....somebody pass me my "science" glasses....






Baking soda is a base (alkaline), and vinegar is an acid. These two cancel each other out when put together, and creates a cool volcano! But it also creates water with a PH value of 7, the same as our skin. With me so far???

Did you know that shampoos is also a base, and conditioner an acid, they are very weak, but that is why they work so well together. However, shampoos and conditioners can also have added chemicals, for colour care, volume boost or clearing dandruff. It's these left behind chemicals that make our hair lank and dull :(


So like shampoo and conditioner working together, so also does baking soda and vinegar as it re-balances our scalps PH, and as the reaction occurs, it removes the build up of products on our scalp and in our hair.

The baking soda removes the build-up because it is like a really strong shampoo without the foam. The vinegar, as an acid, acts like a conditioner, smoothing the hair follicle, and closing the pores on the hair strands.

The method is the exact same as regular shampoo and conditioner. I just put two tablespoons of baking powder in an old shampoo bottle and fill with water, and then two tablespoons of vinegar in a conditioner bottle, and hey presto, my own hair clarifying set ready to use once a week!

Here is another "recipe" to make your own hair clarifying set!.Try it out and let me know if it works for you.

Best of luck with your new bouncy barnet.....

As always girls, if you have any questions or comments, post them here! And now F.A.S.H. is writing for the Wexfordian magazine, check it out here

Follow on Facebook and Twitter for extra news and updates!

Le Grá,

F.A.S.H

Simply Bun....derful :)

The ever so simple yet wonderful bun, whether a ballerina or a rock chick, you can make the bun work for you.

For those times when you want your hair in a sleek style or just outve the way, it's simply
 bun-derful :)

The easiest way to get a B E A utiful bun is to use a bun ring, which looks like this:

<---------------

These are for the different hair colours, but you can also get different sizes, depending on your hair length, and the size you wish the bun to be:



These are readily available in Penneys, Boots, Sam McCauleys and most chemists.


So now that you have the means, let's check out the method:

1. Decide where you want the bun to be, will it be high on the crown of your head, like Lauren Conrad, or at the nape of your neck, like Audrina....the Hills girls competing with each other? Never! ;)

 

2. When you have decided, tie a tight ponytail in that area, and slide the bun ring onto your ponytail, like so:

 

3. Wrap your hair around the bun, and pin into the bun with clips under the sponge. Spary with a little hairspray and hey presto, you look bunderful :)

 

 

If you are now thinking: "Hey F.A.S.H, I can do these buns in my sleep and they just don't do it for me anymore" have a look at these pics for some extra ideas:

 



  

A low ballerina bun, or a side sleek bun


Cross over the pieces to create a pattern in the centre of the bun, or leave a piece out, plait it and wrap it around.


(For a quick cheat, if you have a a plaited hairband, use the hairband and save a few precious minutes in bed :) ! )

This is my absolute favourite, and so quick to do

 

 



 

If you have any more bun-derful pics, links or tips girlies, post them on here, or you can post them on my facebook page.

 

https://www.facebook.com/fashblogger?ref=hl

 

Click "like" on the facebook page for updates, tips and tricks, or just to say you like the blog!

 

Le Grá,

F.A.S.H

 

Loving today : Dry shampoo

Leaving today; dolly shoes, gimme my boots!



The kinkiness always wins out.......especially with the Babyliss Big Hair Hot Air Styler

Yes girls, the kinkiness seems to be winning out in me, and I am of course talking about my hair. My wonderful bf bought me the Babyliss Big Styler for Christmas ( I only gave him about 4 million hints!) and I have to say....I am soooo dissapointed, and I put it down to my hair type.

I am of the breed that has kinky tendencies ;), no matter how much muscle power the hairdresser puts into straightening it, after half an hour it's got waves bigger than the Atantic. A drop of moisture in the air and I can look like Monica in that episode of Friends, you know the one!

Yep, this one!

So back to the styler, it just did not work for me, let me explain why:

1. It kept catching in my hair, unless I used only a half inch piece, literally any bigger and it would get caugt inbetween the parts of the styler. I have a lot of hair, doing it in half inch pieces would take me longer than travelling to Dublin......by pony.

2. The style just did not hold, I tried mouse, I tried hairspray, I tried freeze spray, root lifter, and volumising powder, I was close to trying dog shampoo ( I didn't, but I was close)

3. It doesn't really catch the hAir, so you have to hold your hand on it, and keep the hair in place.

4. The bristles were too soft. I'm one of the misfortunates who literally has to drag the brush and hairdryer through my hair to straighten it, the bristles were just too soft to really create enough tension, and therefore, the kink would return about half an hour after finishing my hair :(




So, although the Babyliss Hot Air Big Hair Styler does not really work for me, I am determined to keep trying for the ultimate volume blow dry. My next move is to combine the styler and a hairdryer, so I'll let you know how that goes!

I genuinely think it would be a great tool for the lucky, lucky girls whose hair straightens easily, and maybe for people with thinner hair, as mine is quick thick.


So back to the drawing board of back combing and hairspray, a long tried and tested method for volume, but I will keep you girlies updated on the styler, just in case it starts miraculously working for me!

I will defeat the kinkiness, if it kills me!



Le Grá,
F.A.S.H

 

Santa baby-liss!

Dear Santa,  I promise I have been a good girl this year. I have cleansed, toned and moisturised daily, I use a hair masque once a week, and I even bought a very expensive eye-cream. Plase forgive me leaving my make-up one after a night out once or twice, and using straighteners on damp hair, I really, truly am sorry.



This year all I want is the Babyliss Hot Air Big Hair Styler, let me explain why.....

- It has this big rotating barrel, with brushes that catch the hair and turn it while drying, like hairdresses do when they give you that b-e-au-tiful blowdry.

- It can spin two ways, so you can turn under, or flick out, and do both sides of your head.

- The hot air blows out of the barrel, and seals in the style.

- It comes in two different sizes, for longer hair, or shorter hair

PLUS, it can stop me using straighteners as much, and using lots of product to get a little bit of volume.

Please Santa, if you don't believe me, here is some evidence;

Holly's video is great, and she really explains how to use it properly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7Heb31Un74


Also, Santa, I promise to do a review here when I use it first. I have left out some biscuuits, milk and a carrot for Rudolph, all are organic and yummy!

Thank You Santa :)

Le Grá,

F.A.S.H