Hair Styling Tools

Well it looks like Spornette just keeps on shining with both professional and celebrity hairstylists alike.  In fact, Allure Magazine has voted Spornette’s Porcupine Rounder Styling Brush with the Best of Beauty Award for 2009, 2010, and 2011.

This hair brush is magical with its combination of boar and nylon bristles.  The white porcupine nylon bristles that extend beyond the shorter black boar bristles help to lift the hair at the roots, while the black boar bristles penetrate the hair without snagging or tangling the hair.

Whether you have short, medium, or longer length hair, there is a size that will suit your styling needs.  The brush comes in a 2″, 3″, or 3 1/2″ barrel size with a lightweight, comfortable wooden handle.  The larger size barrels are going to give you a smoother blowout and provide that volume you want.  For those of you with fine hair, this is the perfect brush for adding volume to your type of hair.

Don’t you think that now is the time to check this brush out?

Picture yourself with long hair in the 1920″s and rather than women wearing their hair down, it is pinned up and pulled back into a roll.  Bring yourself forward in time to the Golden Globe Awards and you will see Amy Adams wearing stylist, Laini Reeves’ creation of  ”a modern textured” 1920′s look.  How was it done?

• Take your favorite styling cream and work it through damp hair. 
• Get your hair dryer out and blow-dry while using your finger to comb through your hair. 
•  To get the textured look, wrap a few sections of your hair around a waving iron (dual waver). 
•  Next, gather your hair and braid it loosely.
• Roll the braid up so the ends of the hair wind up against the nape of your neck.
• Secure the roll with pins.
• Lastly, pull out a few strands on both sides of your face to help soften the overall look.
• For a little extra shine, squeeze out a very minimal amount of hair serum and rub it on your fingertips (we like Potions Internation Super Serum).  Pat your fingertips  on random sections of your  hair.

Ok, so you ended up spraying way too much hairspray on your head and instead of that natural look, you are looking in the mirror at some very lacquered, weighed down hair.  Now what?  Harry Josh, a John Frieda International creative consultant, has devised the perfect fix.

Turn on your hair dryer to the coolest setting and gently brush through your hair while aiming  the blow dryer at your hair.  The force of the air from the dryer will help break up any flaky bit of dried spray.  Now all you need to do is rub a dab of your favorite styling cream haircare product into the palms of your hands and then gently smooth over your hair.  You will now regain the shine back into your hair and you are done.

If you have fine hair, then you already know that unless your hair is cut short, volume is something that is difficult to maintain throughout the day.  Celebrity hair stylist, Daniel Howell has shared some of his secrets to help prevent your style from falling flat.  The two important haircare products to have on hand are hair spray and a smoothing gel.  Try the following steps and see how they work for you:

• Apply smoothing gel from the midshaft down
• Using your blow dryer, dry in 2 – 3 inch sections using a medium size round styling brush – Start at the nape of your neck and work your way toward the front of your head
• As you reach the crown of your head, mist your roots with a very strong-hold hair spray and pull your hair up and forward as you dry to create volume
• Should you need additional lift, tease your crown of hair with either a rattail comb or why not use Spornette’s Little Wonder Teasing Brush?
• Flip your head back over and give it a good shake
• Give you hair a light mist of spray all over and it’s off to a day filled with volume!

Modern technology can be a wonderful thing.  In fact, Le Angelique has just introduced to their line of hair dryers, a most cutting edge dryer that has some of the most remarkable features and functions I have yet to see.  Just imagine a hair dryer that not only dries your hair quickly, but actually conditions the scalp while drying the hair.

Well, the Le Angelique Titan UV 2000 Watt Hair Dryer has been introduced as the newest member of their family of hair styling tools.  This dryer has features one can only dream of having in the world of hair drying excellence!  Not only is this 2000 watt dryer lightweight, it is by far one of the most powerful hair dryers I have experienced using.  It has been manufactured with UV Technology.  In other words, a UV Blue light shoots out from the nozzle of the dryer once you turn it on.  What does this blue ray of light do for your hair?  For starters, the heat that is generated is actually repairing the hair cuticles while at the same time it is nourishing your scalp.  So, if you have a dry and itchy scalp, this dryer will perform miracles.  Secondly, the UV Technology will provide protection from your hair overheating during the drying process.  And,  as and extra added bonus, the dryer has been equipped with perfumed inserts.  Just imagine a faint, yet subtle fragrance blowing out of your dryer while you are styling.

This amazing dryer has 3 heat and speed settings, more than enough to provide you with a variety of drying options.  2000 watts of power being generated from a long life AC motor is an enormous amount of power and you will find that you have dried even the thickest of hair in no time.  However, if you want to speed up any setting on your dryer, the dryer is also equipped with a Turbo Heat Button.  A great option to be able add that instant  hair drying punch of heat while styling. Not just one, but two concentrators are included with the dryer.  One has a wider space than the other to allow for more airflow when drying specific sections of your hair.  Of course, the dryer has a removable filter for easy cleaning.  And, for those who prefer hanging their dryer up when they are done using it, a hanger loop has been added to the dryer so that you are not using the cord of the dryer to hang it, which, over time will add pressure and strain to the cord with potential damage to the dryer.  Finally, as with all Le Angelique hair styling tools, this dryer comes with a 100% Lifetime Warranty!

What more can I say?      If you are looking for the ultimate in advanced technology in hair drying, then this dryer will fulfill all your expectations and more.

As with any electrical appliance, there are usually care instructions included in the packaging when your purchase it.  And, if you are like most of us, these instructions get tossed and when you need them you ask yourself why you didn’t just file them away.  Well, for those of you who fall into this category, here are some simple rules of thumb for taking care of your hair dryer so that it will hopefully last just a little longer as a result of that extra attention you give it.

1. Most hair dryers now come with a removable cover on the air intake screen where the dust, lint, and occasional hair accumulate.  By removing the cover and gently removing the debris, you are keeping the airway path open for maximum airflow.  Perform this cleaning at least once every two weeks to a month, especially if you keep your dryer out in the open and not stowed away in a drawer.
2. Do not wrap the cord of the dryer around the dryer.  The tension of doing this obviously stretches out the cord and adds to an earlier weakening of the cord where it is attached.  If you are not keeping the dryer plugged into the outlet at all times, take care to use a twist-tie or some time of band to coil up the cord.  Make sure that the cord has some leeway where it attaches to the dryer to relieve any tension.
3. When stowing away your hairdryer, be sure to not place it in a location where it is sitting on top of items or where items can easily shift and lay on top of it.  This is especially important in the area of where the intake screen is located.  If you don’t have enough counter space to keep your dryer out when not in use, consider purchasing a dryer holder that can be mounted on the wall or even looking at the selection of wall mounted hair dryers available for purchase.
4. Keep the hair dryer clear of any moisture. Most of us use our dryer in the bathroom, and naturally there can be water droplets on the vanity and in the sink.  While most of the time this is not an issue, however, there are times during the drying process that we lay the dryer down.  If there is water in that particular spot, it can make its way into the dryer and cause potential shortages.

While these are just a few simple tips to follow, it can make all the difference in keeping your hair dryer working well and certainly longer than if you had not taken these steps.

Photo Courtesy of Good Housekeeping

Having bangs can have its plus and minuses.  On the one hand it can shave a few years off your looks merely by the fact that they cover up wrinkles, but on the other hand, when they start to get too long, they can be a hassle.  Knowing that there are some easy options to either change up the look of your bangs or what to do to make them look more shapely, can relieve some of the stresses that bangs can sometimes present.  Here are just a few suggestions:

1)  If you are looking for a dramatic change, think about flattening the look of the bangs and give them a matte finish.  All you need to do is straighten your bangs with your flat iron (this works best on blunt cut bangs).  Spray your bangs with some dry shampoo, which removes the shine that the straightening brings on.

2)  For longer bangs, wash and condition your hair, and then towel-dry lightly to avoid frizz.  Take a dab of styling cream and blow dry with a large barrel styling brush to reduce any wave or curl in the bangs.  Let the bangs hang at an angle towards the ear.  If you want the matte finish, spritz with dry shampoo, which will also create a little extra volume.

3)  If you have a bob cut with bangs, take damp hair  and make a deep side part using a comb.  Blow dry your hair using a medium barrel brush to achieve a smooth finish.  Take larger sections of your hair and straighten with a flat iron to get that polished look.  Apply a spritz of shine spray and you are done.

Photo Courtesy of Good Housekeeping

4)  If you have layered hair, shampoo with a color boosting shampoo to bring out any highlights you may have.  Apply anti-frizz cream or serum from the roots of your hair to the tips.  Blow dry the roots and the bangs with a medium barrel brush.  Leave the ends of your bangs damp and roughly dry them for a more textured look.

Whenever there are ads on television or in magazines all you see are women with lush, thick, and most of the time long flowing strands of hair.  The reality of it all is that there are many of us who just don’t fit that profile.  There are probably just as many of us who have thin, fine hair and are many times struggling with styling it.  Using a hair dryer becomes a challenge because the power is just too much for the amount of hair we have to deal with.  That coupled with the frustration of trying to hold a styling brush in one hand and the dryer in the other, the experience is less than a positive one.  And, the problem doesn’t go away and we face it each and every time we have to wash, dry, and style our hair.  So are there other options?

If you ask me, hot air brushes were designed for us women who have thin, fine hair.  Why?  Well, for starters, hot air brushes range anywhere from 250 watts to a maximum of 1000 watts of power.  Why is this a consideration?  Most hair dryers range anywhere from 1300 to 2000 watts of power.  This is typically far more than is needed for people with thin, fine hair.  Secondly, the hot air brush is an all-in-one hair styling tool.  This hair styling tool is a hair dryer and styling brush combination.  You don’t need anything more than one hand to hold the tool and the other to be able to  take sections of your hair to wrap around the brush and work with it as you go.  While the hot air is blowing out from the center of the brush, it is not only drying your hair but styling it at the same time.  This is the same result that you would be achieving by holding a styling brush in one hand and the hair dryer in the other.

Hot air brushes are available with two different kinds of bristles for you to choose from.  One is the nylon bristle and the other is flexible ball-tipped bristles.  Both will result in frizz-free styling.   Another option of a hot air brush is that they range in barrel sizes from 3/4″ to 1 1/2″ so you can select the right size barrel for your particular length of hair and/or desired size curl.  Most models come with a curl release  button so that if the hair starts to get caught up in the brush you can easily release the hair.  Another great feature is that newer versions of hot air brushes are now available with ceramic and ionic technologies so these are even better for the health of your hair.

The price range for hot air brushes runs anywhere from $20.00 to $38.00, which is very affordable when you look at the fact that a hair dryer ranges anywhere from $40.00 on up, coupled with the fact that a good styling brush would cost you upwards of $10.00.  But most importantly, think of the reduced frustration you will experience.  For me that is worth more than the price of the hot air brush and then some.

Women with fine hair often complain that their locks fall flat. It is possible to create all-day volume even with thin, fine hair. After you wash and towel dry your hair, comb out the tangles. Comb the hair forward to expose the roots. Starting at the nape of your neck and working forward, spray root lifter onto the hair.

When that process has been completed, take a hair concentrator attached to your blow dryer, lift section of your hair with a brush, and then blast the concentrated air onto the roots for three seconds a piece. Do this process on the whole head, one section at a time. When you’re done, flip your hair back and you’ll notice a lot more fullness than before. Style the ends of your hair normally using a round brush and concentrator.

If you are looking for a durable, professional grade, quality hair dryer, then the BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium Portofino 6600 is the one for you.  This dryer has so many features and extras it is hard to believe it doesn’t cost more.  This versatile dryer can be used on almost all hair types from fine, thin hair, and normal to thick and coarse hair.  And, by taking advantage of the 6 heat/speed settings you will certainly be able to find just  the right setting combination for your particular type of hair.  You can also expect this dryer to be in your possession for a long time to come since it is made in Italy using a powerful long-life Italian AC Motor.

Since hair stylists are blow drying a variety of hair types throughout the day, you can understand why so many stylists enjoy the use of this 2000 watt hairdryer.  High intense air pressure in combination with a high outlet temperature delivers optimum results quickly.  So, if you have long or thick hair, you are not going to be standing there drying your hair for an extended period of time.  With the combined effects of the built-in ionic generator and the nano titanium technology, your hair will feel soft and conditioned and you will enjoy the added shine.

What I really like about this fabulous BaByliss hair dryer is the fact that it is lightweight, it feels balanced, and it has an ergonomic handle.  It comes with a diffuser attachment and three, yes three ultra-thin concentrator nozzles for complete sectional drying of the hair.  And yes, there is more.  You will find a cool shot button to lock in your style, a 9 foot cord,  and a removable stainless steel filter for ease in cleaning,  Most BaByliss hair dryers come with extended warranties and this is no exception with a limited 4 year warranty.  What more could you ask for?  IF YOU OWN ONE OF THESE PERHAPS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK.

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