Dust It

I am totally OBSESSED with big hair. Now, I don't mean a bit of volume, I mean 80's Sarah Jessica Parker means (insert any Housewives Reality Star here). In all honesty, the higher your hair, the closer to God!

Well, in my attempt to add some serious volume to my hair, I started trying tons of new products. My sister (the best hair stylist in Florida--I always joke visiting her is my most expensive hair cut ever) introduced me to 'Dust It', it's like tease in a bottle. Now, I have tried several kinds without finding much of a difference, they are relatively the same {at least to me}. I have tried Volumis, Big and Sexy Hair, and Osis--they all work well. 

Here she is!

Just like teasing, section of the same areas on your head and sprinkle a bit in on your roots. The powder is light white flakes, which makes it easy to hold upside down and tap a few times with your finger rather than shake the bottle.  

I prefer to rub it in with my palm, but that photo looked awful (haha) so, here I am just using my finger tips in a small circular motion.

This is WITHOUT any teasing!

// Earrings Old Navy (only sold in stores) // Tshirt here for $8 // Lips MAC Up the Amp // Nails Essie I'm Strong //

I would be lying if I said it replaced  my teasing routine, but it is a fantastic way to add even more volume. Personally, I can't use any dust it product daily because the texture becomes, well, kind of like a dry oil. It's hard to describe, but once you try it you will instantly know. Since, I try to go several days without washing my hair, I only add the dust it on my last few days of wearing my hair down. 

PS--I must apologize for my sad faces :( I promise I am much happier than I appear. However, you may have read in earlier posts, I recently got braces and I just CANNOT stand to show off my, now, metal mouth to the camera... in time friends!

Thanks for stopping by,

Kelsey 

PS For more daily hair tips, tricks, and style, follow us on 

Instagram @KelseyMKipp and @Courtney_M_B

Curls--Done Right

OMG--How is it that thing, you know... life, gets in the way of my Fashion Passion!? Well, my apologies for the delay in the post, but I am feeling under the weather (ugh, this Buffalo weather is taking its toll!). Thankfully, I did accomplish a complete basement overhaul this weekend!

There are A LOT of pictures in this post, perhaps I should be thinking about a video tutorial!? Anyways, this post was before my new haircut, but the curling technique is the same, from the top!

To begin, I section my hair off and ALWAYS use a hot spray. Nothing touches my naked hair. Here, I have Kenra Hot Spray, but have been using KMS Heat Spray. Kenra has a bit of a more heavy texture and takes a bit longer to dry. Just be sure you are using something!

Be sure you hold the curling iron VERTICALLY! When done, pull down. Leave the curl alone until it cools. So, finish curling your whole head before you style.

I always start my curl from the TOP! Start with your curling iron at the root, and slowly twist the rod until your hair is all heated. TIP: it helps to hold one hand at the top for easy control.

Can you see this curl? I try to leave the ends of my hair out of the curl. This way my curls (when brushed out) look like natural waves. 

Just to prove my point--here is the "traditional way" of curling hair. People start at the bottom (including the ends-NO NO) and curl up! 

Look at the difference between these two curls!!! On MY left, you can see the curls is solid from root to tip. The other curl is heavy and really only flips a curl at the tail! Makes a difference, right!?

As I mentioned, I like to leave my curls reminiscent of Shirley Temple herself, at least until they cool. Don't touch, just yet. 

OK... ready for the style.

I use the same teasing brush Courtney mentions in her Tease Me post. I like this one because it is a bit wider. You won't find me without one!

Here I have teased from the bag, added a bit of hairspray, just look at my volume!

...and a little bit on the sides. 

Beauty in the works... now, it's time to blend.

My final product. The teasing element takes a bit of my curl away, but I am OK with that! I need the volume and it helps to make it look effortless! 

Thanks for stopping by! Let me know how this works for you!

Much Love,

--Kelsey

Follow us on Instagram @KelseyMKipp and @Courtney_m_B

Taming the Mane

Hair is an inherited trait that, unfortunately, cannot be permanently changed. Believe me, like any woman, I have tried. My natural hair (something my parents can actually be blamed for) is more like a lion's mane-coarse curls. Bad news-I have curly hair. Good news-low maintenance: the texture holds for days.

You can, however, make temporary changes--with a cut, extensions, a perm, chemical straightening, coloring, highlights--which last for several weeks. On the daily, heat tools, like curling and straightening irons, make quite a difference. Even non-heat products like sponge curlers and even, a braid, can drastically change your style.

Check out my hairstyles through the years...



The bob taught me how to use a straightener.

These are my natural curls!

Mastering the curling iron and my first color!




 

Of course, the clothes, jewelry, and shoes help create a fabulous outfit, but we must tame the mane in order to have a Polished look. So, I want to start with the basics, healthy hair. It's impossible to have a great hair day with brittle, dull, or greasy hair, right!?



Washing & Conditioning

We have all seen those girls that went a bit too long since their last wash. However, washing too often is not the answer!

 

My hair has always been a conversation piece among friends, who, by the way, are always shocked to know how little effort I give to maintain it. When I tell them it has been  5-6 days since my last wash, they always claim their hair could never go that long. I disagree!

 

Much like everything in life, just take baby steps. Start small by skipping 1 day between washes. Then, 2, and so on. Why is this important? Your hair follicles produce oils necessary for hair growth. Since hair is actually dead, lathering up every day strips the root of those natural oils it craves.

Added bonus-skipping the wash, also means skip the blow dry, which may be one of the most damaging things you can do to your locks. Less heat, the better.

 

Styling & Polishing

Now, making your hair last 5-6 days without a wash can present some challenges. Here is a loose guide and helpful tips to making your washes last.

Day 1-3 (Just Washed): Down and Styled

I re-heat my hair each day (in different ways) but I try to leave all of my hair down, I switch up the part, the amount of curl, etc, but my goal is to leave it down.

 

Day 4-5: Hiding the Problem Areas

For me, the front top layer of my hair is the first to misbehave, probably since I touch it the most. So, I try to pull that hair off of my face. I clip back the front pieces, pull it all back with a clip, or bust out a headband.

 

Day 5 or 6: The Last Leg

It has to go up, all of it! Mostly, I use a sock bun or low pony tail. When my hair has lots of curls, I simply take some bobby pins and pin it up. Tossing my hair up helps change up my whole look.

 

 

Bringing It Back to Life
Personally, I do not use dry shampoo. Many people love them, but I don't find them necessary for my hair. Instead, I start with a paddle brush. When waking up, my hair can look like something is living in it um... snarly. Take some time to brush through each strand and smooth everything out {getting the tease out from yesterday}, this also helps bring the shine back.

**Tip: Often, it is when I am brushing my hair out that I realize when a wash is a must or that I can squeeze another day out of it. If I can't make the roots look clean, it's time for a wash.**

When styling, it's the tease that makes it work. {Check out Courtney's tips on teasing hair here.} Teasing adds texture for all day hold. More importantly, it takes away shine from the roots.

And, if I am really pushing it, I add a drop of oil to the tips. It's like using a dry conditioner that allows you to mold and move your hair again, especially after 5 days of product sitting in it. That splurge of hydration gives me smooth hair again. Steer clear of the roots-this can make it look greasy.  

Weekend Wear
I RARELY {like almost never} wash, dry, or heat my hair on the weekends. I really try to keep my hair pinned up and give it a rest. It's a break for me and my hair--what else are weekends for? Reserving at least 1 day a week to let my hair recover from the heat used throughout the week keeps my hair healthy and strong.

Shirt from here ON SALE! // Earrings Brina Box // Necklace here for $17! // Headband Francesca's Collections //

I hope you found this helpful :) Thanks for reading!

--Kelsey

Follow Us On Instagram: Courtney_m_b & Kelseymkipp

 

Tease Me

My sad, tired hair.

What's a gal to do when her hair is looking a little tired in between blowouts? I certainly do not jump for joy every time I have to re-start a hairstyle (drying my hair is my least favorite beauty task BY FAR).  My go-to quick fix is a little teasing. I normally tease on a daily basis to add a little life to my hair look. I know that some people don’t like to tease on a daily basis and that's fine. My hair hasn’t been damaged by daily teasing, but to each her own hair. Anyhow, when I tease my hair, I think…”the higher the hair, the closer to heaven.” Kidding, I absolutely DO NOT live by that mantra. I believe that there is a fine line between voluptuous volume and well…a bee’s nest. Sorry, someone has got to say it and it might as well be me. 

No, just no.

When I tease my hair, I use a backcomb similar to this from Ulta that cost less than $5. I keep one of these combs in my car, at work, and I tend to find them in every purse I own. What can I say, my hair is my “thing” and I come prepared. I like to have a comb like this around because it can work some serious hair magic even if I don’t have hairspray on hand.

My favorite hair comb.

First thing first, I style my hair if needed. Sometimes I tease without using a heat tool on the bottom of my hair. In this case,  I was in serious need of a curling iron.

After curling my hair, before teasing.

After styling, I skip the hairspray. I save that for the end because I don't like to weigh my hair down or dry it out with spray. Okay back to the fun part! Take inch thick sections of hair starting at the crown of your head using the pointed end of the comb. I tease the hair near the root using 6 strokes. I count it out so I don’t over-do it (cue bee's nest reference). Keep working forward, repeating these steps until you reach the front of your hairline…and VOILA. You’re done!

This is about where I start teasing my hair, working my way forward.

Haha, so pretty!

Haha, I am sorry but no matter how many times I tease my hair I laugh a little LOT at this step. I mean come on, hair and beauty is fun, it doesn’t hurt to laugh at yourself. After I create this beautiful bouffant, I use the comb to smooth everything out and part my hair. This is really important because it is at this point that you smooth out any knots that are showing from the teasing. This step really Polishes the look.

Combing Polishes the look.

Also, don’t ignore that ends of your hair. I find that backcombing the ends throughout my hair helps add some volume throughout. I don't wear extensions, so I count on this step to add some texture to my hair.

Add some volume to the ends of your hair by brushing upward.

Finally, shake it out and spray it. I tell my friends all the time and I will say it again, DON’T OVERSPRAY. Unless you are on your way to tryout for Hairspray the musical, there is no excuse for creating a hair helmet. And think about it, how is a certain someone supposed to run their fingers through your hair if you put a spray shield over it? Trust me, just don’t.

All done!

I'm wearing NYX Extreme Lip Cream in Dolly Girl.

For those of you who don’t like to tease I have used a powder product to add some volume. Powders such as this one by Got 2 Be, add some volume to your hair with just a little sprinkle. A hairdresser once recommended this to me to give my hair a break from teasing and I use it every once in a while. I can’t help but stay loyal to my trusty backcomb, which has never let me down. The only problem I have with these powders is that they make my roots really dry and when I touch my hair I can feel the powder. It leaves almost a rubbery feeling to my hair that I don’t love. However the look is great and is a good alternative to traditional teasing.

If you already tease, you know how much it Polishes a look. If you don’t tease, I hope that this helps you to get started adding that finishing touch to your look. Just like a great necklace or bracelet, a great head of hair can make you look and feel like a million bucks!

Enjoy!

--Courtney