Mane Maintenance [by Mun]

Hawaii

2014-01-26T01:03:00.000-08:00

Hawaii is a secret haven for people with long hair. Normally spotting someone with hair past their waist is a once in a while occurrence, but I've been spotting them left and right. Natives, tourists, everything.

=)

Length

2013-09-02T05:52:00.001-07:00

While I was busy with work my hair grew another 3 inches. Crazy.

Quick Drop In

2013-07-05T06:59:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone.... Long hiatus! Quick drop in.... Fishtail headband...

Sorry, poor quality pics off the phone....

Something worth noting when doing fishtail braids. The smaller segments you use, the better results. In the top picture you can see the difference, left is doing small segments, right with slightly larger segments. Larger segments will make the braid look like a normal three strand.

As always, happy braiding....

Hiatus

2012-12-20T02:00:00.001-08:00

I'm surprised my blog is getting traffic lately! I haven't had a chance to post anything in the last couple months, so sorry for the new visitors for the lack of new posts!

Please be patient!

(I moved a couple months ago and have no camera -- it died in the move =( -- right now, so hopefully I can get back to posting soon!)

Some inspiration while you wait:

Gorgeous hair

2012-07-08T09:58:00.001-07:00

I ran into this girl with absolutely beautiful hair...

Zig Zag

2012-06-08T17:45:00.001-07:00

I taught my sister how to do this on me, haha. Vacation hair at it's best.

Post Graduation Waves

2012-05-31T09:46:00.001-07:00

So I haven't gotten any good pictures of my graduation hair, but I have a decent shot of my hair with after-do curls.

Enjoy!

Waterfall Braids

2012-04-14T11:30:00.001-07:00

My lovely friend Kelly needed an updo for a dining out she was going to. She has gorgeous hair past her shoulders, so I was flipping through some options with her -- I've always loved waterfall braids and thought they would go well with the subtle highlighting in her hair. Mind you, I've never done waterfall braids, so before she showed up, I did a quick trial on my head to show her (and to find out if I could do it). Took a little longer than we were hoping with curling the ends, and having to figure out how to hide the end on the fly.

You can judge the results:

My beautiful test model.....

Main side of of the braid.

Combined the braids behind her ear. Need to
figure out how to keep both sides tight so it
looks more uniform.

Thanks to Kelly for being so patient, Rachel for keeping her date occupied while we got her all dolled up, and her date for being so understanding.

=) Please feel free to comment and provide feedback!!!

* Also, my services can be rendered for the price of dinner. =P

Heidi Braids

2012-03-07T20:33:00.002-08:00

Not a style of school, but..... Spring Break is in two days!

Heidi, or Milkmaid Braids are a simple way to give yourself a crown-braid look, so long as your hair when braided can reach half-way over your head.

I didn't pin my up high enough to get the full-headband effect, but it is personal choice. The look is quick and easy, and neatness is not required. Celebrity examples pulled from Google

Knot Bun Tutorial

2012-02-13T17:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Six-Weeks! To celebrate a Probation-Free semester, I have a tutorial for you.....

A while back I was talking about chignons and I showed you an example of a more complicated hairstyle I do when I have the time. A week ago during the Five Bun Challenge (FBC) Day 4 I did another chignon-ish style -- the Knot Bun.

The style is elegant, chic and good for those of you who are not braid inclined!

Tools & Prep:
No hair ties this time.... =)

(L-R) Dove Nourishing Oil Care Leave in Smoothing Cream,
Magic Grip Pins, Monster Bobby Pin, Regular Bobby Pin
Boar Bristle & Nylon Quill Brush

I treat the ends of my hair with the Dove Smoothing Cream to help with fly aways and help my hair slide. You want your hair to be extra smooth and untangled for this style, so make sure to comb out your hair well.

Howzit Done?

Comb hair into a ponytail, hold with LEFT HAND.

Drape ponytail over RIGHT HAND.

Bring ponytail around RIGHT hand, close to your head.

Wrap all the way around and bring it back to where you started.

Grip the end of pony tail with the fingers of your right hand

Use your left hand to hold your hair as you thread the ponytail through the loop.

Tighten the knot as close to the head as possible.

Tuck the end of the knot under the knot.

Position the knot to hide the ends.

Start by pinning both sides down

Add pins at the base to keep the end from slipping out.
Check in a mirror and tuck and pin flyaways.

Final Product! (with a few fly aways =P)

Notes & Comments

You need hair that is past your shoulders -- how far past your shoulders will be determined by the thickness of your hair.
You'll have a hard time getting this to look super clean with layered hair.
The final shape is oblong, so it's possible to do this on its "side" to make a cover fit more comfortably.

As always -- comments, critiques, and suggestions are welcome!!!!

FBC: Day 5

2012-02-03T15:38:00.000-08:00

I had an inspection today -- so boring bun. =)

Cinnamon (or Standard) Bun.

Have a good weekend!!!!!

FBC: Day 4

2012-02-02T10:29:00.000-08:00

Presenting for the first time: the Knot Bun.

I found this bun a while back on YouTube, but my hair wasn't long enough to do it. My hair is still a little short for this (mostly because it's so thick) but with enough pins, it works out well. And holds surprisingly well. It did remind me, however, I need to invest in a few hair combs for styles like this when I need to pin down a thick mass of hair.

Will post instructions for you long-haired ladies out there at a later date. =)

Enjoy!!!!

FBC: Day 3

2012-02-01T17:46:00.000-08:00

[We're back to poor quality pictures. Sorry.]

A guy once told me that a sock bun was "the only neat bun a girl can do." For me, they're a nightmare; the sock never stays put and to keep my hair in place I have to cake on styling paste. To get a similar look, I do today's bun.

Gibraltar Bun

This bun is great because it's sturdy, it holds it's shape really well, and for those that are prone to split-ends it saves the ends of your hair. You will need to be able to make a little more than one full turn of your hair.

To do: gather your hair like you would do for a normal bun and twist up, keeping two fingers (opposite hand of the one that is twisting hair) inside the first coil you make. Twist the rest of your hair around, tuck the end under and hold it in place with your thumb. Using both hands take this first coil and pull it out and around the rest of your bun. Make sure that coil is securely over the rest of your hair (especially that tail end). Using bobby-pins, secure all around on the edges.

Tune in tomorrow -- I found a brand-new bun I'm going to test out. =)

FBC: Day 2

2012-01-31T08:40:00.000-08:00

So to keep my hair from getting too tangled last night, I left the French braid in -- this morning my hair was all frizzy and wavy so instead of doing a bun, I went with another braided style.

Three-Braid Bun

It looks much more intricate than it actually is. Section your hair off into three sections, braid each section, and braid the three braids. Coil into a bun and pin in place.

Yaaaay! =P

[And thanks Jess for saving me from "ghetto" pictures.]

FBC: Day 1

2012-01-30T19:51:00.000-08:00

(Forgive the terrible photo quality and angles; I was lazy and used my phone my arms are not very long or flexible.)

Daytime: Corkscrew

This style is more appropriate for shorter hair -- I get 3 (or more) coils and it looks silly as you can see on the side profile. I prefer this for softer hair -- it secures better. The excessive coils can be mediated for longer hair by pinning them down. I'll try to show an example of this later.

Night (Forrestal): French + Bun

French braids are not supposed to be bunned at the end and I see why when I see most people do it -- it looks messy and the bun sags because it's not secured. To fix this, I braid it down to the end and then pull it straight up and put two (or more) bobby pins at the base to secure and wrap firmly around to create a higher and sturdier bun.

Comments are welcome! (Send me your thoughts and suggestions for what I should do next!)

Five Bun Challenge

2012-01-29T19:04:00.000-08:00

Hello Ladies. Happy New Years!

Since we've started school up, I realize I've been tediously using the same bun every day and lately it's been looking progressively shabbier. So I am challenging myself (and anyone who wants to join me!) to do your hair different every day of the week. =)

I'll update again with pictures for this week!

Appointments

2012-01-01T19:50:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year's!

I'm hesitant to do this, but on request I am offering hair appointments for special events.

Specifically: Memorial Ball and I-Ball.
Less Specifically: Your next hot date, the next time you play dress up.

Please contact me if you're interested in this! =)

Cotillion Hairdo's

2011-12-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

Two of my friends went to a cotillion for Viennese Waltz this weekend in DC and they enlisted me to do their fancy do's. The pictures are not that great since they were taken with a phone, but bear with me....

Andrea

In progress shot.

Completed back.

Completed Side.

Andrea's hair is naturally straight, falls just past her bra-strap; her hair is about average thickness in a ponytail, baby soft and very pliable hair which is great for styling, but fly-away prone.

The front was parted to the side and swept back, combed smooth for the tiara. Originally I had planned to give her romantic side twists, but time constraints didn't allow me to jazz up her hair more. =( Her hair was swept into a mid-high pony tail and then twisted into a series of pincurls that were then pinned on their sides to give a pooled effect instead of a rolling wave effect and a few were twisted as they were pulled from the ponytail to give a slight blossoming effect.

With her length and volume of hair you get a medium sized spread for the curls with a low profile.

Pros: (1) Sturdy; unlikely to fall out on you; (2) works on most hair-types and any length shoulder-length and beyond.
Cons: (1) Fly aways -- requires some pre-prep for fly-away prone hair; (2) density and length of hair determine the side/spread of the style.

Codie

Side shot with (massive) tiara.

Back shot.

Codie's hair is naturally curly, falls just above her shoulder blades; her hair is thick, but reasonably pliable.

Codie found this for me to do on her hair -- this very simple hairstyle gives a very classic and fairy-tale effect on longer hair, and on shorter and less-dense hair (Codie's hair in a ponytail is almost a full thumb-forefinger around) the shape is abstract and unique. It requires loosely twining hair from multiple ponytails, which gives it a particular ovoid shape when done along the back of the head with the most loft along the center of the head. With Codie's particular hair, the curly nature of her hair gave it a certain amount of natural loft without pre-prep.

Pros: (1) Simple; (2) Works with both curly and straight hair; (3) allows for unique styling of front -- was kept reasonably simple for this example due to tiara
Cons: (1) Requires a large number of pins; (2) Shape can be irregular

Chignons

2011-12-04T19:13:00.001-08:00

I found out last year that a lot of people buy clip-in buns that are matched to their hair color so you can have a beautifully styled bun in seconds. Put your hair in a ponytail and clip your fancy little piece over it and pin it down and tada, you're done! Some examples pulled off Google:

I found Jessica Simpson created one of the more popular chignon's on the market. (Please note the Photoshop on Jessica Simpson's face in the top left two pictures.)

I have too much hair to use a chignon clip-in (it would be the size of a small bucket to contain all my hair) so when I am feeling fancy, I'll take fifteen minutes to braid my hair and do something like this:

Parted my hair into three sections and french braided them completed, secured the ends with plastic hairties. I separated out two small bunches of hair behind my ears before I did this and left those loose. I crossed the two side braids under the center braid and pinned where they crossed and brought them out and around to form the oblong shape (low to accommodate a cover), pinned the outward-most points and coiled them in to the center to fill out the bun, pinning as necessary to secure.

Using the third braid, I folded it over, pinning the loose end to the center to form a loop. I then flattened the loop left to right to fill in the center of the braid and hide the ends of the braids then pinned it down. Taking the two pieces of loose hair, I twisted these into ropes and wound them around the base of the braids, pinning as I arranged each around the braids. This was to give the braids more structured chignon/bun like look and also better anchor the hairstyle (for those of us that have dense/heavy hair, this distributes the weight over more space).

You can see fly-aways at the nape of my neck, these are easily handled either with hairspray to smooth them to the chignon or with a a few bobby pins by tucking the hair and pinning it. A style like this takes 15-30 three-inch long bobby pins depending on (1) how well it is pinned, (2) how well the braids are done, (3) how long I'm expecting it to stay up.

Long Time No See

2011-11-30T03:56:00.001-08:00

Cotillion Ball Pictures (Hair) will be posted sometime soon; I'm doing two ladies, so you'll have a little variety.

Bun Variations

2011-09-20T05:44:00.000-07:00

NEWS: Six weeks is looming near -- as a result you won't see much on here until exams are over.

I don't have any great pictures (I need my camera back, sigh.) but I've been snapping a few pictures when I do variations of the "standard" styles. (Please note, all pictures are adjusted to show the styles better.)

So what your standard bun should look like (yes, mine is huge and looks like it's going to eat my head):

Standard, Basic or "Cinnamon" Bun.
The edges of this bun should be pinned flat to your head
so there isn't any gap that shows your hairtie (which also
helps keep it in longer).

"Corkscrew" -- or two-coil bun. I've noticed when this is done right
it lies neater than a normal cinnamon bun.

"Medusa" -- not really a variation, but a fresh take on a bun

Infinity -- Twisted Variation; the left side was lower making it look
lopsided; I repinned it to be even and look more symmetrical.

Gibson Roll -- when done right it tends to be a little more secure,
lies a little closer to the head naturally (pins are still required) and
I don't usually need extra pins to tuck my ends in. (And yes, I
fixed the crooked bobby pin. =P)

Preview: French Cradle

2011-09-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

I finally managed to get pictures of (what I call) a French Cradle!

A 2/c in my company had one last week, but I missed snagging a picture of it; bummer since it came out really neat and she has awesome colored hair. I got lucky though and one of my Youngsters did her hair tonight and I managed to snap pictures this time!

This style is great for shorter hair, though it can be done on hair
that is well past shoulder length if your hair isn't as thick as mine!

This shows the low profile (while still staying off your neck),
which is good for keeping your cover sitting pretty.

TUTORIAL FORTHCOMING!

Coming soon: PLEBE EDITION (and for you short-haired sisters)!

Trial Run: Flower Bun

2011-09-13T05:04:00.000-07:00

[I had a plan to build this blog from the basics, nice and orderly, but -- like life -- sometimes it's hard to color inside the lines.]

This hairstyle is really brought to you by a friend of mine -- when I ran track I asked her how she did her hair, which was always done in this beautiful (and neat!) bun. I remember watching her show me thinking "My hair can't do that..." Turns out, it can, but it doesn't look quite as nifty on my hair.

(TOP) Picture taken from the wedding website, The Knot.
(BOTTOM) My version; not quite as awesome (sadly), but
hopefully with some more practice with pin-curls (the last time
I did them was on Codie's hair for Ring Dance, eek. =C ) it'll
look a little neater than this.

The hairstyle involves a technique called pin-curls. While it is more difficult for my hair due to it's thickness and dislike of being in tight coils, it is possible. It is, also, deceptively simple -- though pin-curls can take some practice to get exactly right. This style can be done at a variety of hair lengths, which is also a perk.

And you can tell this bun -- on me -- is huge because of the thickness of my hair. Most of you will (lucky you!) have smaller and tidier buns with better defined sections. =)

TUTORIAL FORTHCOMING!

Note: If you have as much hair as I do and your bun is as large as mine, your cover won't sit properly. Sigh, hair wins on this one.

Infinity Bun -- Tutorial

2011-09-08T20:19:00.000-07:00

Not what I promised, but something just as fun!

Presenting my current favorite "Everyday" Bun -- the Infinity Bun.

Instructions below!

Tools

Brush
2 hairties
3 roller pins

If you have layers, bad fly-aways, or finicky hair:

Smoothing balm
Hairspray
Spritz Bottle
Bobby pins
U-pins

Start with a low, off-set pony tail. I do mine to the right. You can do yours to the left if it's more comfortable.

Tip: to keep this style smooth, apply smoothing cream to hair now (or spritz with water if you don't want to use product)

Start twisting your hair and coiling it like you would making a normal bun. You will need two coils, so keep twisting your ponytail and coiling it firmly underneath the first coil. (If you can't get two coils, you may not be able to get a completed infinity.)

Tuck the end of your hair on the side closest to center of your head and secure with a second hairtie. If you have thin hair, you can use a plastic or thin hairtie. Note: this is to help keep the style looking sleek and it keeps your hair from slipping out.

Taking the top coil, pull it to your left. Flatten it out and position it horizontally next to the first bun. Make sure it is centered.

Pin the top coil down on the left side.

Arrows indicate where I use my three pins. Use additional pins to secure flyaways and wisps.

Finished style. (Right picture is after I redid it to hide the hairtie that was showing in the left picture.)

Note:

I am thinking of changing the format to better accommodate the images since the larger ones currently hang outside of the frame. Let me know if this is problem for anyone or ways I can make the website more accessible!
I will most likely to stick to pictures + instruction versus videos -- mostly because I don't have editing software, I don't want my phone voice to come out on video, and I find pictures easier to follow. Eventually I will probably supplement pictures with videos, but until then, let me know if something is unclear!

If you try this out, take a picture and leave a comment below on how it worked out for you!

"Some of the worst mistakes in my life were haircuts."
~ Jim Morrison

Tools + Products

2011-09-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

What my styling arsenal looks like:

From left to right. Back -- Products : Small spray bottle, Aerosol hairspray, Pump hairspray, Moisture spray, Smoothing Gel, Conditioning Oil (NEW), Small Mirror. Middle -- hair accessories: (Back) Mini bobby pin, regular bobby pin, "industrial" roller pin, hair pin, Magic Grip pin (NEW), Hair Hook (NEW); (Front): 100% silicone hairtie, cloth hairtie, flat silicone-lined hairtie. Front -- tools: Comb with wide and fine sides, Boar-bristle brush

Click below for details and storage ideas!

This does not include everything I own -- inevitably I have a whole box of trial-and-error purchases -- but the things I consider essential and/or am testing right now. I do my best to keep it simple -- for both cost efficiency and simplicity. Admittedly, I will go out of my way to purchase certain products because they work for me. Convenience wins out most of the time -- the majority of what I use is found in the Midstore, CVS, Target, or the Mall.

Left: I keep a small container with bobby pins and hairties handy (with my comb and brush) in the medicine cabinet.
Right: I bought a bucket ($1 at Target) to keep all my other things together and still handy. A bin makes it easy to sweep everything into it when you're in a rush.

Details are listed below (with a couple things that I don't have pictured that I use or you might find useful).

DISCLAIMER: These are products that work for me -- these won't work for everyone!

Comb

Wide-tooth (NOT PICTURED) -- for untangling wet hair; hair is fragile when wet, so you want to avoid ripping through your hair when it's wet (though occasionally it's unavoidable).
Two-sided -- making parts, combing through hair when damp/dry; still best to comb from the bottom up to avoid hair breakage

Brush

Boar-bristle with Nylon Quills (NOT PICTURED) -- brushing hair out, redistributing oil in hair; I like boar-bristle brushes because they spread the natural oils in your hair from scalp and make your hair healthier and shiner without product.
Boar-bristle -- smoothing, shine enhancer; like one with quills these are great for conditioning your hair naturally and when trying to smooth your hair down while styling, these are hard to beat for smoothing your hair down.

Shampoo/Conditioner (NOT PICTURED) -- I use non-sulfate shampoo and if I'm feeling fancy I'll go non-sulfate and non-silicone

Currently using -- Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo/Conditioner from Organix
Used in the past -- you can mix up shampoo and conditioner to meet your needs

L'Oreal Everstrong Shampoo/Conditioner; comes in Reconstruct, Hydrate, and Bodify
L'Oreal EverSleek; comes in Intense Smoothing and Repairative Smoothing

Hairpins -- essential for flyaways, especially if you have layers, to keep hair looking sleek all day as well as anchoring hairstyles

Mini bobby pins -- for those small flyaways or delicate styles that longer pins will show through
Regular bobby pins -- for fly aways, bangs, etc
"Flat" bobby pins (NOT PICTURED) -- you can find these in the Midstore; they don't budge
Roller pins -- my best friend bought me a pack of these that are close to industrial grade; I have yet to destroy one of these which is saying something and the tips don't peel off or poke/scratch. And best of all? If you bend them out of shape it's a snap to bend them back into shape.
(True) hairpins -- I haven't found a brand of these yet that make them sturdy enough for my hair, but people who do use them love them; when they are in well they're great for keeping larger bunches of hair down. (And if anyone finds a good brand of these let me know!)
Magic-Grip Pins -- I tested these today and I love them. They're plastic so they're a little more comfortable than roller pins and they hold thick hair well (important for me) but we'll see if they hold up to regular use and if they'll hold their shape long-term.

Hairties -- basic must have

Hair-hooks -- NEW; they are for thick hair, the idea is that pulling your hair through a hairtie will rip it out after it's past a certain length. They're nice for that and quick to put in, but I haven't figured out how to secure them as tight as normal hairties yet

Cloth covered hairties (thick) -- Cheap, easy to find; I usually need about 2 of these to keep my hair in a pony tail and about 3 to keep a normal bun in.
100% Silicone Hairties -- from Goody. These are great because they are tight and grippy, but they also rip my hair out and break if you're rough with them. I stopped using these -- but I recommend these for people who have a hard time keeping hairties in.
Flat Silicone-lined hairties -- from Scunii. They they have the nice cloth covering, are flat so they don't budge as easily and a little bit of silicone grip to keep it in place.
Plastic hairties (pictured below) -- I use these to secure the ends of multiple braids or for the end of a style I am going to tuck and pin, thicker hairties can get in the way of securely pinning down hair when you're using bobby pins (and the ones from Goody come in a variety of colors to match your hair color which is better than the clear ones if your hair is darker)

Products -- these are NOT an essential item. I bought all big bottles, because I thought I'd use them everyday, but I don't and when you do, less is more. I've had all of these since Youngster year and most of them are still a little less than half-full.

Paul Mitchell's Super Skinny Balm -- smooths my fly-aways and smells nice.
Paul Mitchell's Super Clean Hairspray -- it's light, adds a little bit of hold, doesn't make your hair feel tacky, and combs out well (which is nice going from school to working out)
Paul Mitchell's Freeze and Shine Super Spray -- harder hairspray, can give you helmet hair if you desire.
Paul Mitchell's Apuwahi Moisture Spray -- when I have to style my hair dry, this dampens my hair and adds a little oomph to dry strands (and smells nice).
Dove Nourishing Oil Care, Leave-in Smoothing Cream -- NEW, like Paul Mitchell's Super Skinny Balm, but with more conditioning properties.

Spray bottle

FOR THE NON-PRODUCT USERS. Spring for a small spray bottle (a small one so your arms don't kill if you're doing a longer style and have to hold it over your head for 10 minutes). A couple spritzes of water will take care of most wisps, though somewhat temporary, if you don't like using additional products on your hair or certain products interfere with something else you use on your hair. Also a spray bottle applies water more evenly and better than more product bottles (other than aerosols -- and if you feel tree-huggery then you can feel good about ditching the aerosols).
FOR THE CHEAP-PEOPLE. To make things like your hairspray or your moisture spray last longer mix 1 part of your product with 3 parts of water. Tada -- you're super thrifty.

Depending on your hair, you might also include some of the following:

Hair combs -- like a row of bobby pins, they come in various different lengths and sizes.
Mousse
Hair wax/creme
Different hair pins
Argan/Morrocan Oil -- if your hair is especially dry this stuff is great!