Hair Styling Tools

Did you know that if you have an oval shaped faced then you are the lucky one.  Why?  Well, an oval shaped face is the most versatile one to work with and you can wear almost any hairstyle while using the proper hair styling tools and some ingenuity.  You don’t even have to worry about evening out the proportions of your hair.  In fact, most oval shaped faces can afford to go short, or even super short as evidenced by the following picture of Rihanna.

Regardless of what length cut you have, the best look is with layering near your cheekbones, lips or chin, or whatever features you want to highlight.  

Some simple rules for selecting the right hair style are:

1. Stay current with your hairstyle.
2. Stick with your natural texture of hair.  You can use a hair straightener if your hair is curly, or you can check out a new style that is strictly for curly hair. 
3. If your hair is thin, don’t try to grow it out beyond your shoulders as it will only end up looking flatter and lifeless, no matter how many haircare products you use.  Consider having your hair cut in layers while keeping the length of your hair above the shoulders.
4. If your hair is long, consider tossing gentle waves over your shoulders while pulling the sides of the hair back.  Or, pull your hair back behind your ears while the bottom half of your hair is pulled forward over the shoulders.  This can add depth to your eyes and smile.
5. If your hair is medium length try slightly teasing and tossing your hair on the sides with the right teasing brush.  If you have bangs let them hang gently upon the forehead.  This particular style will draw attention to the mouth area on the face.
6. Lastly, if you already have short hair, try a spiky look as this is the best way to bring out your best facial features.  If you can, try to keep the bangs off of your face.

How many times when you are done shampooing your hair do you find yourself struggling with getting out the snarls that somehow mysteriously show up in your hair?  Even when you use the best conditioner, there are still some straggling snarls that just seem to be difficult to deal with.  The key to solving this problem is using the right comb.

Fortunately, there are a few combs that I have found that are great for ridding the hair of those nasty snarls and make the process of preparing for drying and/or styling your hair so much less a pain.  Mebco, a division of the Fromm International line of products has two particular detangling combs that are wonderful. 

First, if you have thick, curly, or long hair, I recommend the Mebco Tortoise Shower Detangler.  This particular comb comes with staggered size teeth/tines of   2  3/4″, 2 1/2″ and 2 1/4″ lengths, which enable the comb to literally slide through your wet hair and rid the hair of the snarls.   Because the length of the tines are longer than most combs, this is why this comb is especially good for those who have thicker hair.  

The second detangling comb is one that I would recommend for those that have more fine to medium dense hair, and also short to medium length hair.  The Mebco Ionic Volume Detangler is one of the newer combs added to their product line.  The tines on this comb are about 1 1/2″ in length.  Mebco uses what they call a double dipping process on this comb, which results in protection of your scalp and hair shaft, as well as allowing the teeth of the comb to glide gently through your hair.  One of the coolest features of this comb is the ionic technology that has gone into it.  The results of this technology provide reduced static electricity, minimizing of split ends and hair damage, increased shine and softness, and the support of healthy, moisture-rich hair.  After using this comb you will see that your hair dries faster and requires less heat.  Additionally the cuticle of the hair dries smooth and closed, which ultimately protects the hair shaft.

Sometimes we tend to get in a rut with an existing hairstyle and what seemed popular at one time starts to take the downward turn.  Such as with the “bob”.  While it has been trendy for the past couple of years to have the “bob” and it’s almost meticulous straight lines and layers, it appears that this particular cut has taken on a messier and yet softer appearance.

The new ”bob” cut has even more layering than before.  The ends are not as choppy or blunt, but more “fringy”.  If you currently have the old “bob” and it is on the somewhat shorter side, let your hair grow out a bit so that the length hits below your chin.  Then, when you see your stylist the next time, ask to have the bottom cut in a more loosly graduated style.  This will enable you to flip your hair more so that it has somewhat more of a bounce.   

When using your hair dryer to blow out your hair out after washing, take a somewhat smaller diameter styling brush than what you have previously used.  This will allow for you to get a little more curl and wave to the ends of your hair as you are wrapping the hair back on the brush rather than under.

Nowadays coloring our hair is just as routine as is washing our hair.  This is not only true for those of us who are experiencing a natural change in color due to age, but for all ages alike due to modern trends  With this in mind, it extremely important that special care be given to the hair and that the right haircare products are used on the hair for the simple reason that dyes can dry out and cause damage because dye consists of ammonia and peroxides.

Cutting Your Hair:   If you have highlights in your hair, make sure layering the hair is minimized.  The reason for this is that with layers, the overall effect may appear too choppy.

Coloring Your Hair:  The best results can be obtained if you get your hair cut prior to getting your color.  By doing this you will avoid your stylist trimming away any newly added hue.

Haircare Products:   A mild, moisturizing shampoo that is free of sulfates and paraben should be used so that when washing the hair, the cuticle is sealed. which, results in locking in the color and extending the life of the color.  There are two shampoos I recommend:  Potions Internations Super Moist Shampoo and CHI Ionic Color Protect Shampoo.  For conditioning the hair, there are three different products that are high on my list:  Potions Inernational Super Moist Conditioner, Potions International Hydrating Conditioner, and lastly CHI Ionic Color Protector Conditioner.  And, to help with fading of your color, a leave-in UV protective spray is a must.  The favorite product for this is Potions International Super Argan Spray-In.

Spornette has done it again!  One of the newest brushes added to their collection of awesome hairstyling tools is the Utra Lite Brush.  This Spornette hairbrush is by far one of the lightest brushes I’ve ever used.  What makes it so lightweight is that they have embedded the bristles in the barrel to save weight and material.  Pretty ingenious don’t you think?

Not only did I enjoy the lightweight feature of this brush, but even more importantly, the bristles of this brush grabbed my hair and held it in place while blow drying.  Each section of bristles have an extended ball tipped nylon bristle that adds to the penetration and holding of the hair without the hair getting tangled up in the brush.  I found that this made  it easier to unroll each section of my hair from the brush.  The bristles of the brush are evenly spaced apart, which,  allows for better airflow while drying.  

There’s even more to be said about the bristles and that is that they are natural procupine boar bristles that have been tourmaline infused.  Ok, so what does that really mean?  Plain and simple, certain natural minerals are ground up and are infused into the bristle.  When the brush is used in conjunction with your hair dryer, ions are released into the hair and this breaks the water molecules of your wet hair into smaller water molecules. Now, the smaller molecules more easily enter the hair and this results in promoting more supple, stronger, healthier, and shinier hair.  Spornette doesn’t stop there.  Nano Silver additives have also been added to the bristles, which, help eliminate odor causing bacteria.  Bottom line is that this additive will make your hair smell fresh and look cleaner.

The barrel of the Ultra Lite is tourmaline infused as well as ceramic.  The benefit of this is that  the heat from your hair dryer is distributed and retained evenly throughout the brush so that there won’t be any hot spots while styling.  And, for one last bonus feature, each Ultra Lite Brush has a removable sectioning pik at the bottom of the brush.  You really should check out this brush.  It is available in three sizes:  2 1/4″ barrel, 3″ barrel, and a 3 1/2″ barrel.

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.

Whether you get your hair dyed by a professional colorist, or you do it yourself at home, your hair is always subject to dryness and damage due to the ammonia and peroxides that are found in hair dyes.   That is why it is so important that a hair conditioner or moisturizer is applied at some point either during or after the process.  Just recently, colorist , Anthony Palermo reported that by mixing a frizz fighting oil with the hair dye, can result in keeping even bleached hair silky.

Potions International, a manufacturer of  all natural haircare products, has just the right anti-frizz oil that can be mixed with your hair dye.  PI’s Super Serum hair oil is made with organic argan oil and is alcohol and paraben free.  By adding two teaspoons of the serum to the color mixture, you will find that the serum is moisturizing, and thus, resulting in your hair being conditioned while it is being processed.   And, the end result is soft and shiny hair.

Are you tired of your straight hair and are looking to rev up some dull, flat hair?  If so, and your hair is at least an inch or more below your ears, by simply using a one inch barrel curling iron, you can create some wave or loose cascading ringlets for a new glam style.

If your hair is long, I recommend using a higher heat to get a tighter curl.  Remember that the longer your hair, the weight of the hair factors in resulting in curls falling out more easily.  However, if the end result that you want is more wavy than curly, the falling out can be a good thing.  For this style, decide what hair you want to curl.  Typically the hair around your face and at the crown will be the areas of focus.  It is not important that your entire head of hair be curled as this style is not intended to be picture perfect. 

As with any use of a hairstyling tool, be sure to use the appropriate haircare products prior to use.  You are now ready to follow the easy steps below:

1. 1.  Take a two inch section of your hair and open the curling iron and grip the hair at the ends. 
2. 2.  Turn the curling iron clockwise toward your face, stopping about an inch away from your roots. 
3. 3.  Wait five seconds and release the curl from the iron. 
4. 4.  Repeat this process with other selected sections of your hair.

Many things can impact the condition of your hair.  Some of the key factors contributing to damaged hair include stress, mental health, diet, overuse of hair styling tools, and excessive coloring of your hair.  Certainly reducing stress,  having a positive outlook, eating the right foods and supplementing with vitamins will have a tremendous affect on getting your hair back to that beautiful, shiny condition we all want to have.  However, most of us who style our hair will continue to use our hair styling tools and we will also continue to get our hair dyed, especially if those unwanted grays continue to poke their ugly heads out every four to six weeks.  For others, our natural color just doesn’t fit the bill so dying the hair is  something  we just can’t stop.

So, this is where a deep conditioning of the hair on a semi-regular basis becomes quite important.  There are many haircare  products on the market that are available, however, I have found a product that I highly recommend.  Potions International has developed an incredible Cream Reconstructor (with pure carrot oil).  It is an exceptional hair, scalp, and body nourishing treatment that is rich in vitamins, marine extracts and essential oils. This synergy helps recondition the skin of the scalp, hair, and the skin of the body through oxygenation and stimulation.  This conditioner is one of the only conditioners in the market that combines the hydrating powers of the purified essential oils, Mango and Olive butter.

Power Construct is easy to use.  Apply a generous amount of this cream conditioner onto the hair and scalp.  Allow to moisturize for 15-25 minutes, then rinse with lukewarm water.   It is recommended that you use on a weekly basis.  This deep conditioner is available in a convenient 2 ounce travel size and 8.5 ounce size for home use.  Give it a try and I’m certain that you will be glad you did.