Wedding Wednesday....Bridal Hair Tip

In the process of wedding season, I always get asked to do the #1 Bridal hairstyle, the side-swept one...you know which one....

Styled by Me 

Styled by Me

This style is beautiful and universal for any bride. It can be styled a few different ways and it transitions easily. You can wear your hair side-swept for the ceremony and then pin it up for the reception.

I highly recommend a pinup after the ceremony for brides that intend on having a reception involving dancing. It's nothing worse than sweating and having hair sticking to your neck and back. 

You want to have a good time without worrying about hair. 

With this style you can get 2 hairstyles within one. 

After taking pictures and greeting your guess, your curls would have fallen so pinning it up is the best option. 

The Tip is of you're planning to wear this style on your Big Day then make sure you factor in pinning it up for the reception. That's if you are planning to party after dinner. 

If no dancing and drinks are present then this style is perfect for the whole day and night. If you plan to wear this style for the whole day then get wand curls. They last longer than the loose curls. 

My favorite hairspray is by Redken. It's called 'Control Addict 28' . It's amazing. It preserves the style and it's easy to comb out.

Wedding Wednesday....Bridal Brunch Dc

I couldn't be more excited to participate in this wonderful event. It will be held at Hotel Palomar in Washington, DC on March 8, 2015. I encourage all of you that are in the area to come out and capitalize on the opportunity to not only speak to wedding experts but also get some insight that will assure that your wedding will be the wedding of your dreams. I am a sponsor for the event and will have the pleasure of styling models for the bridal fashion show that we will be having. I will post pictures after the event and leading up to it, I will be posting inspirational hairstyles.
Get your tickets at http://thebridalbrunchdc.eventbrite.com

Wedding Wednesday... Introducing Mrs.Lewis

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of styling this beauty for her wedding. I remember when she initially met her husband, It was classic "Detroit Style". 

Her husband is from Detroit, which is the same city I'm from. Of course I knew he would be a great guy. Midwest people are the Best, most anyway. I'm a little bias. 

Needless to say when she told me she was getting married, I was elated. That's after the initial shock that she was engaged went away. It was a shock because her husband is extremely laid-back. We would constantly try to figure out when the proposal would happen (I mean don't all women?!). We couldn't have predicted exactly how and when it would happen but it did and now they are One.

The ceremony took place in College Park, Maryland on January 16, 2015. 

It was a beautiful yet intimate ceremony, which I always love. The day was a perfect reflection of who they are as individuals.  I couldn't be more proud of how they have blossomed and I wish them a lifetime of marital bliss. 

To the Lewis' *Toast*

Wedding Wednesday....Versatile Clip-in extensions

Yesterday I had a trial appointment with a bride and I custom-made her clip-in extensions. I must admit that I was a little surprised at how versatile the clips were. I was able to pull them in a ponytail, a bun, and a side-swept style. I usually recommend brides get sew-in extensions because of the longevity and versatility of them. I always think about how long the wedding day is and the fact that the bride will be dancing and in turn sweating, so I always think it's best to go with extensions that will keep the style the longest.

However clip-in extensions are a great way to go if you don't want braids and you want something thats temporary. I also like micro-bead extensions as an option. http://hairbyserena.blogspot.com/2012/09/micro-bead-extensions-part-2.html

Below are the before and after looks. We did 2 different side swept looks. One has more volume at the top than the other. 

Natural hair after the shampoo and condition

Natural hair pressed 

Clip-in extensions added

Clip-ins are seamless

I wand and ceramic curled, then pinned it to the side

I readjusted the the style and added more volume to the top

Wedding Wednesday...Flower Girl Hairstyles

I woke up today and thought to myself, I've never done a post on kids wedding styles. Today is the day. It can be difficult to decide on styles for little girls because kids are active and there are concerns with practicality. 

It seems that for special occasions kids always have a way of ruining the style before they even get to the special event. 

I recommend buns for girls only because it's practical and if they sweat out their hair then it's still tamed.  When you deal with kids, it's only natural to want to give them curls and straighten their hair, but you don't want to waste money on something that's only going to last for the day, if even that long. Texture also has alot to do with what style you choose. I personally feel that a bun works for any texture of hair from fine-coarse. If the hair is fine, you make need to altar the bun (It may need teasing to give it more volume, and fill in the gaps). 

 Sometimes little girls wear braided hairstyles. A bun can still be achieved with certain braided styles as well. 

If you are seeking to soften your little girls curl pattern, a relaxer or keratin is not the answer. I don't believe in applying chemical straighteners to kids hair but I do believe in a pressing comb, blow dryer, or flat iron.

 If the texture of the hair is curly but on the fine side, all you need is a good blow dryer and maybe a flat-iron. A heat protectant is recommended as well. I like Paul Mitchell "super skinny" and also Kerastase' "elixir ultime". For edge control try Tigi Bedhead's wax stick. It's a miracle worker. 

Wedding Wednesday...WorkOut Hair Maintenance

Many of you are actively trying to keep your bodies together, whether it be for life or for your wedding day.
If you are trying to get 'Snatched' for the wedding day or for life then you need to be conscience of the way you are maintaining your natural hair.
Those that have fine hair are probably shampooing their hair regularly, whereas those that have normal to coarse hair are probably shampooing 1-0 times a week.
No matter what texture your hair is, if you are working out multiple times a week then you should be shampooing your hair at least once a week.
The reason being is because if you are "really" working out then you are sweating.
Sweat (Perspiration) has salt in it along with many other minerals, which is dependent upon what the individual produces. It could be sodium (salt), magnesium, calcium, etc.
Imagine if you didn't take a shower after a workout, how would you smell after a week?!
That should put things into perspective on the importance of shampooing your hair.
If you can't smell your own hair, then others can and chances are you're being talked about. Just saying!
I'm not saying you have to shampoo everyday but at least once a week.
Leaving salt in your hair can be damaging as well. It can cause breakage because salt is drying, think about it. Salt absorbs.
I like sea breeze.
You can mix it in while you are shampooing your hair. Make sure you are also using a hydrating conditioner to ensure that you are restoring moisture into your hair.

Even if you are wearing braids, run some water through that scalp to rinse the salt out.
Even when I'm shampooing extensions, I can smell it when people have been sweating alot, it's not the most pleasant smell.
Again I stress, maintain good hair hygiene, no matter if you have extensions or natural hair.
I really like Paul Mitchell "shampoo three" because it's does an amazing job in cutting any impurities from the hair. It's the best that I've seen on the market. You can literally feel the difference on your hair.  Trust me, you'll be amazed!

Wedding Wednesday...Bridal up-do (The Trial)

I have stressed to many clients how important it is to get a Trial so that you know what how your hair will look for your wedding day. The last thing you want to do is wait until your wedding day to see how your hair will look.
That is by far the worst thing you could do. I even encourage you to have a few different trial appointments.
This is so that you and your stylist are on the same page. The day of  your wedding is so stressful, it takes the stress out of having a hair crisis. Trust me!
It's even okay to seek other stylists for a trial appointment. You want variety and everyone has their own way of styling. You may like the way another stylist does up-dos, and that is okay.
This is one of the most important days of your life, you want to look your best.

Below are pictures from my latest Bridal Trail appointment:

Wedding Wednesday.... Versatility

Who doesn't like versatility when it comes to hair?
I know I want to be able to do as much with my hair as possible. Especially when I'm wearing extensions, I want to wear it up, down, to the side, etc. I want as many options as possible. I don't want to put excess amounts of heat on my hair so versatile extensions help give you different ways that you can wear your hair so that you don't damage your natural hair. There are a few options that I recommend. You can either choose, versatile sew-in extensions or micro bead extensions. Both are a healthy ways of achieving the perfect look. Micro bead extensions are more maintenance than sew-in extensions, so it just depends on what is best for you.
I usually recommend micro bead extensions for my brides because you will have more options for the wedding day and then it works out well for the honeymoon as well.

Sew-in versatile extensions-

Before Extensions

After extensions (Indique hair used) -Ponytail 

After-Bun

Wear it to the side 

After-With ceramic curls

Micro-bead Extensions-

First look

Client is natural. Hair is pressed, precision layered cut, and ceramic curled. Extensions are from Indique hair. 

Before 

After extensions are applied, hair can be worn up or down

Beads are barely noticeable

After

Hair is flawless

Second look

Client is relaxed. Hair was relaxed a week prior to micro bead application. Extensions are from Wagmans.

Hair is ceramic straightened, precision layered cut, and ceramic curled

Before