Coloring your hair - tips and tricks

Home tips:

You can get really results with the new home-coloring products. They have become so easy to use that they're practically fool proof, and ever so natural-looking.
- Deep condition before you color
- Wait two days after shampooing before coloring. The color will adhere better, since your scalp is more sensitive after shampooing, it will make the process more comfortable. Plus the natural oils in your hair will protect it.
HINT: Here's a bizarre secret to getting hair color off your hands and around the hairline. Rub the stains with wet cigarette ashes.

Natural hair coloring:

Dark Hair
Dark Haired beauties can create a temporary color with tea, walnuts and coffee.
- Brew a strong tea and use a final rinse. Boil one cup of chopped walnuts with one cup water. Strain the liquid and pour over head. Leave on thirty minutes before shampooing. Brew and espresso or other strong coffee. Add to dry hair. Leave on thirty minutes before shampooing out. This will add sparkling highlights to black or brown hair.
- Combine 1/2 cup vinegar with 1/4 cup soy sauce to give highlight and subtle coloring to dark hair. The soy sauce not only has protien for strenght, but also brown pigment. Leave on fifteen to twenty minutes. Wash out thoroughly.
- use 1/2 cup cranberry juice as final rinse to enhance red hair or create a subtle red highlights to dark hair.

Light Hair
Brew a cup of very strong chamomile tea. Let it cool to lukewarm. Spray or comb into dry hair. Leave on twenty minutes (if possible sit in the sun). Shampoo and rinse. This gives a color lift and subtle highlights to blonde and light brown hair.

Short Hair Styles

One of the most common disagreements between hair consumers and their hairdressers is what actually constitutes a short hairstyle. I think it’s important to note that hairdressers, as a rule, tend to think differently than hair consumers when it comes to length. Which is why it is critical to take images of new short hair styles you want to have created on your own head.

Over the years I have come to my own personal ranking scale based on a variety of factors, including my time in cosmetology school and from talking to hairdressers.

Of course I have also spent a lot of time over the past ten years categorizing the 24,000+ hairstyle images in the HairBoutique.com Gallery. Often I will ask for multiple opinions because what looks medium to me might look short to someone else.

In some cases will categorize a hairstyle in more than one category because it will be right on the borderline between medium and long. Truth be known, medium hairstyles are often harder to spot than clear cut short ones.

Not everyone will agree with me regarding my definition of short hair styles but I have decided to share my own terms .

Without further ado listed below are my own personal short hair styles guidelines:

Short Hair Styles - Medium To Long Length - Carmen Carmen

1. Bald/Shaved - No hair whatsoever. This would count as a hairstyle but would it fall into the short range? Hard to say. You be the judge.
2. Buzzed - Super short fuzz with hair lengths measuring in around 1-2″. There is definitely hair covering the head so this would be classified by me as an extremely short hair style. A buzz might result from growing out a shaved scalp or could deliberately be cut this short. I have seen both cases.
3. Short caps or crop hairstyles - The hair covers the entire scalp with more length than the buzzed. The length of the hair would range from the short range of 2″ to a long of 4″ or with hair that barely touches the top of the earlobes. This is classified by me as a very short hair style.
4. Short hairstyles - Coiffed into longer caps, short bobs or layers, this length of hairstyle generally extend sto the middle of the ear or the top of the nose.
5. Medium hairstyles - I classify medium hairstyles as extending from the tip of the nose to just slightly under the chin. Medium hairstyles do not touch the shoulder. Once the hair extends to the shoulders it transitions to long hair.
6. Long hairstyles - Hairstyles that brush the shoulders and extend down to the middle of the back are long. There are different opinions about this but it works well as classifying hair since hair consumers have a different opinion about what constitutes long versus very long or super long.
7. Very long hairstyles - A hairstyle that extends past the middle of the back to the waist is considered by me to be a very long hairstyle.

With everything related to hairstyles, there can be many different terms and opinions. The key is to find your own hairstyle definition and live by it. Also, always take images of what you consider the length you want your hairdresser to cut your hairstyle just to be sure. Remember, a photo speaks a thousand words.

Mod short hairstyles

"Mod hairstyles" or "modern hairstyles": the terms probably make you think of the 60s and sleek bob hairstyles and the Beatles and skinny suits and stuff like that. And if you're the perceptive type, you might have noticed a bit of a mod revival recently; you might have seen some trendy people with super short micro bobs, razor sharp edges and bowl cuts. Heck, even Zac Efron's got a mod-inspired Beatles shag cut happening most of the time.

Mod hairstyles have been in again for a while. We're going to show you a few examples and give you a couple of tips so you can talk to your hairstylist about getting your own mod hairstyle.

Mod Hairstyles: The 60s

Most sources say that mod fashion and mod hairstyles came out of 1960s London. Apparently, mods were reacting against both the conservative British culture of the time, the rocker culture of the 50s, and the 1960s hippy subculture.

So it makes sense that, in their reaction to the slicked-back rockabilly fashion of Elvis and co. and their loose long haired hippy cousins (picture Dennis Hopper in Easy Rider), mods chose a more streamlined neat and "sharp" appearance for their hair and clothes.

According to Wikipedia, male mods adopted a smooth and sophisticated look comprised of tailor-made suits, narrow lapels, thin ties, pointy shoes and the tidy hairstyles of French cinema actors. (Incidentally the Beatles- big mod identities- were also influenced by French New Wave cinema).

Female mods dressed androgynously yet still managed to push the limits of socially acceptable fashion by wearing excessively short skirts. Their hair was often short and they wore little or no makeup. Eventually, as mod fashion became more popular, Twiggy came to be the poster girl of the female mod.

Mod Hairstyles Today

For the ladies, today's mod hairstyles are all about sleek shiny lengths, straight-across bangs and chin length bobs. Katie Holmes' short chin length bob hairstyle is definitely mod-inspired, as is Victoria Beckham's precision cut concave bob. If you try a mod hairstyle like one of these, you can accentuate your cut with a straightening iron and wet-look shine.

Mod Hairstyle

Our models are also wearing examples of mod-inspired hairstyles. Above is an asymmetrical bob hairstyle with angled bangs; sleek and smooth, it's graduated up to the crown for extra body. Below is an example of a shorter mod-inspired hairstyle: a sharp pixie hair cut. The back and sides are cut short for balance and to blend in seamlessly with the textured top layers.

Some versions of Zac Efron's signature mop hairstyle- and Ashton Kutcher's also- take their cue from 1960s mod hairstyles, particularly the Beatles' "mop top" or shag. In the example below Zac's hair was styled onto his forehead and his length was left to fall over his ears. Layers were also cut into the ends to add extra movement.

Zac Efron: Mod Hairstyle

Many hairstyles and hairstyle fashions recycle themselves, and mod hairstyles from the 1960s are no exception. There are varying degrees of retro mod hairstyles around today, and you're likely to see them anywhere from the catwalk to the movie screen. If you're after a new look I'm sure there's a mod hairstyle for you.

Curly short hair styles

Styles for natural curly hair should always complement your hair's unique curl pattern. Not everyone knows how to "read" that pattern and the results could be disastrous.

Layered hair cuts are one of the most suitable haircuts for short to medium length soft curly hair. It is easier to maintain and give your curls a good structure.

Excessive hair weight is a curl's worst enemy. When your hair gets too long and heavy it tends to pull down and straighten your curls. Visit your stylist at least every six weeks. If you have thick curly hair, or your hair grows quickly, then every four to five weeks might be better for you.

The most important thing to know is that not all hair stylists understand the subtle nuances of cutting naturally curly hair. If you are searching for a new hair stylist, don't be afraid to call and ask if they have a curly hair stylist or specialist on their staff. If they say no, or act like you just asked the dumbest question that they have ever heard, hang up and move on.

Soft, cascading curls of hair, edgy waves, romantic ringlets or a la movie queens from the '40s. It's the latest curly look from the red carpet that called "Hollywood glam". If your curls are to keep their shape for a long time and look as natural as possible, the best things to use are rollers.

If this is what you looking for then learn about waving technique called the S Wave Thermal Set.This technique combined with a wave solution is much gentler and easier on the hair than a traditional perm while creating natural-looking, soft curls that last up to three months. It's suitable for those with straight or slightly straight hair types and create the perfect foundation or base for a multitude of curly hair styles.

If you have hard to manage natural curly hair and want to have straight OR soft curls and romantic waves, then you need to consider a Retexturizing service with your hair stylist. This option allow you to relax your curly hair to straight or re-create the curls in a new soft S wave hair style.

If you have already relaxed hair and you like to get back to your natural curl you can consult your hair stylist to use a more gentle relaxer like Caribbean Dream Relaxer and make the transition easier.

This Retexturizing System only works for Caucasian and Latino hair type and cannot re-establish a wave or curl on previously relaxed hair where sodium hydroxide or guanidine hydroxide chemicals were used.

However, it can overlap previous relaxers or colored treated hair. The CDR System can revert from relaxed to wave and from wave to relaxed.

To achieve the wave or curl, the CDR System can be applied as a relaxer, until a desired length, then revert to the wave.

Resist the temptation to wash your hair every day. It's fine to rinse it daily but curly hair should be shampooed once or twice per week if possible (This fact depends on your curls type, shampoo and its PH value). That's because curly hair is the result of the way that proteins in you hair called sulfides bonds (disulfide bonds) and harsh shampoo can break those bonds, so if you like to shampoo your hair regularly then use extra-mild or natural shampoo or your beautiful curls might become dry and also straighten a bit as a result. Use conditioning treatment after each wash.

Let your hair dry naturally if you have the time. If you are going to use a blow dryer then use a diffuser so your curls don't get packed down too tight.

Protect your hair in direct sun, wind or when driving in an opne car with hat and rinse your hair after swimming.
Use The Right Products for Curly Hair
Use products that are made especially for curly hair. You need shampoo and conditioner that will enhance, support and protect your style and natural curly hair rather than weigh them down.

You can spritz new life into your sagging curls by misting them lightly with water and letting your hair dry naturally. Rather than water, use shine spray to restore and refresh your hairs natural curls.

The real secret in beautiful curls and manageable curly hair style is "shine". The structure of your hair fiber is different than straight hair and does not reflect the light in the same way. The best way to deal with this is to use shine products like serums and shine enhancers or shine sprays.