Tuesday, September 28, 2010

The Hair is where it's at! (Tutorial 1)

A photo tutorial of my simple curling set that will allow you to achieve an everyday style reminiscent of Miss Monroe. I typically set my hair in curlers overnight, so it will be dry in the morning. But of course you can set your hair doing the day if you have a hot date or whatever for the evening, as long as you have at least 3-4 hours to let your curlers dry, you'll have a successful set. Remember to practice lots!

What you need:
+  1" Curling Brush (the kind that's basically a cylinder with a bunch of spines on it).
+  Rat-Tail Comb
+  Bobby Pins (about 20 or more just in case)
+  Sponge Rollers (these are most comfortable and give great results)
+  Water Mist Bottle
+  HairSpray (aquanet is ideal, but inexpensive suave maxhold works great too).
+  Smoothing Lotion/Creme for hair (anti frizz stuff)
++  Pomade is optional, i recommend layrite, or royal crown. 
i use it to sculpt my bangs, to get that perfect swoopy shape. 
using pomade takes practice though, it's not a hair gel so if you're
feeling adventurous, expect maybe a little frustration.
++  Hair Flowers also optional.




Makeup done for the day. This is my hair washed and air dried overnight. i advise clean hair to start your set.


Step 1. Brush your hair, and rid of all tangles. Use the Rat-tail comb to part to the side. To do this, use the tail end like a pencil and draw a line from the crown of your head to your hairline, then comb over.     (A trick to the most effective part: Take the tail of the comb and line it up vertically from the highest point of the arch of your eyebrow, to your hairline. This point should look the most pleasing).

Step 2. Maintaining your side part, use the tail end of your comb to section out your bang. If it helps, use metal clips or a bobby pin to hold the rest of your hair away. This section should be about 2" wide, this will be the first curl of the set.
Step 3. Comb your sectioned bang away from your part. Mist your section with water, two spritzes are probably fine, you just want your hair to be damp to the touch. Not wet! Comb the section straight, align your roller under the end of your hair section and begin to slowly roll the hair under and under towards your head so it looks like the picture above.
                                                          
**Insert bobby pins to anchor the curl to your scalp because after time they will try to fall out or sag which could make your dried curls sag.**
Step 4. Use your Rat-tail comb to section hair at the side of your head. Remember to draw with the end of the comb, from your side part in a straight line down behind your ear. Comb this section toward your face and pin back the hair behind to stay out of your way. This section will become two curls.

Step 5. From the section you just created split it in half vertically. I usually curl the section toward the back of my head first. Mist it, comb it straight. Align the curler right in front of the sectioned hair ends and curl forward, toward your face. Repeat for the section on your hairline and bobby pin them both tightly. 
Step 6. Directly behind your bang curl, section the hair into a 2" piece. Mist, Comb it straight, curl under and under away from your part; just like the bang curl.
( I know in the pictures it shows i did step 6 before step 5, but it doesn't matter as long as you're keeping your sections clear of unwanted pieces).

Step 7. Section the hair on the other side of your head, and repeat all steps in #5. Mist, comb straight, curl toward the face, and bobby pin them tight.( My blue arrows are to remind you what direction the curlers should be on your head. It's actually very important that you follow them. Curl Direction is like a science, surprisingly, i will post an informational dialogue later about the details of curl direction. For your benefit, look for it soon!)

Step 8. Section hair at the crown of your head. Mist, Comb straight, and curl it under and down, toward the back of your head.

Step 9. Section a piece of hair below the last (on the back of your head). Mist, Comb it straight, and curl under (like the last) downward and bobby pin tight.

Step 10. This is the plan for the rest of the set. Keep in mind that the right side is the back of my head, and the left is behind my ear. So in reality there is another section behind the other ear. The blue curly-q's are the direction you will be curling the rest of your hair. Also: everyone has different hair types and whatnot, so depending on how much hair you have, you may need more, or less curlers. i happen to have a LOT of hair, when it was only 3 inches longer, it took about 11/2 bottles of developer to bleach my hair.

** My hair is all set!**

**Here's a map of the back of the set.**

**Here is a map of what the side should look like- make sure to hairspray all over your curls to lock in the curl factor.**

If you have errands to run like i did this day, wrap up in a bandanna and do what ya gotta do while your hair dries and sets.

Step 11. After about 3-5 hours, disassemble your curlers carefully and slowly to maintain your hair's set. You'll look a bit like Orphan Annie.

Step 12. Use your fingers to split your curls apart, and integrate all the pieces together.

Step 13. Use your curling brush to smooth your curls by setting it at the base of each of your curled "sections" and brush through in the direction that your hair was set. For example in the photo above, remember that the hair on the sides of my head were curled toward my face, so i'm brushing my hair in a circular motion like my hair was set.

**Using the same technique, brush your hair carefully in the direction that your sections were curled.**

**While using the curling brush, begin to shape your hair with your hand to achieve the desired sculpted effect.**

**On the side opposite of your curled bang, comb your hair back and up. The green arrows show how i secure the hair with bobby pins.**

**I don't know about you, but my hair frizzes after curling. i use this guy, the Pantene smoothing creme. i also like John Frieda's. When i put this in my hair, i continue to shape it and curl it under or over, using hairspray periodically to hold my hair when it's just right.**

Add a hairflower where you think it looks best, tease under your hair where you want more volume, a quick once over with hairspray- and you're done!

enjoy your sassiness!

Saturday, September 25, 2010

famous women with gorgeous hair.

I have posted this because hair was an entirely different world from the 40's to the 60's. I'm particularly partial to the 50's era, so i posted a few famous women with gorgeous hair. Now, i know many ladies out there want to imitate these styles, and some just can't wrap their minds around how to even approach the styles themselves. I totally understand, we've all been there. To begin with, these fancy females had lots of bucks to spend on fancy tools and fancy people to help them do their hair to look so gosh darn fancy. All the other workin' women had to make do with what they had. Necessity is the mother of invention, right? check this out, my great grandmother told me that she hadn't even seen a set of rollers until she was 30 or 40 years old. She and her ladyfriends would cut up tin cans and make their own, or just use pincurls. RAD. And also very uncomfortable. 
Hair length is also a thing many people walk right past-many many women had relatively short hair. Anywhere between pixie to shoulder length. The cut has much to do with how your hair will turn out as well, there were strategic layers so waves and curls would hold and mold easily. Didn't think it was so complicated, ya? trust me, it isn't. with lots of practice and many frustrating moments, you will reach the mighty awesomeness of the most gorgeous hair ever land!
Audrey Hepburn


Jayne Mansfield

Mamie Van Doren

Elizabeth Taylor

Rita Hayworth

Marilyn Monroe

Bettie Page

Jane Russel