Hair Tricks + Tips | 20something cupcakes

well-fed friday: do werk.

June 22, 2012 — 2 Comments

{feed your soul}

A reminder for anyone who’s hard at work on something you care deeply about: Dreams don’t materialize if you don’t make them happen. I believe everything happens for a reason – and in that same vein, people who work hard always get what they deserve. Every time fear or tiredness or frustration knocks you down and you get back up, you become stronger – and take one more step toward your goal.

Do werk.

Passionately. Feverishly. Unapologetically. Because no one’s going to do it for you.

{feed your brain}

Did you know that the wedding ring goes on the left ring finger because it’s the only one with a vein that connects directly to the heart? Science meets romance. Loves it.

Also – on a slightly more shallow level, just in case you haven’t heard about the brilliantness that is makeshift measurement lines on a Solo cup … You can measure a 1-ounce portion of liquor, a 5-ounce serving of wine, and a 12-ounce serving of beer using the ridges built right into these babies. I’m not so much into drinking liquor or wine in plastic, but it’s still a super-fun fact!

{feed your belly}

DIY popsicles: Ice pops you make at home, with your own favorite flavors – preferably with booze. What’s not to love?

In Well-Fed Friday frozen treats, hair tricks + tips, ice pops, inspiration

methodology: growing long, healthy hair.

April 4, 2012 — 6 Comments

Lately, I’ve been fielding a lot of questions from people about my hair. how to grow long, healthy hair

What’s my secret? How do I get it to grow so long?

I wish I had an answer for everyone, but the truth is that there is no magical solution. I’m afraid that much of it is genetics – some people have hair that just grows. Like a weed. And I happen to be one of those people.

Please don’t be mad.

Because while there’s no top-secret magic pill you can take, there are things you can do to help speed the process along. And the longer it grows, the more you’ve got to take care of it – if you want it to look halfway decent – so here are my tips for doing so!

Trim regularly, but not too much and not too often. You’ve likely heard people tell you that if you want long hair, you need to trim it regularly. This is partly true and partly false. No one wants raggedy ends – so when they start to split, you should get a trim. Otherwise, you could end up with hair that’s difficult to brush or comb, which may result in losing hair. Not a good look. However – and this is a big however – you don’t want to trim too much hair off at a time, and you don’t want to trim too often. Hair is already dead, if that makes any sense, and so cutting it is not going to change whether it grows more or not. The trimming is just about keeping it healthy. Frazzled ends, no matter how long your hair is, aren’t sexy on anyone. My hair grows fast, but I still only trim every 12 weeks, when I do my color.

In Methodology, Product Junkie growing long hair, hair products, hair tricks + tips, healthy lifestyle

There are a few things in this world that scare me.

Pastry bags, Splenda, and up until now, curling irons. Okay, well they still do scare me a little bit. But for the most part – minus the fact the occasional minor neck burn – I’m starting to get the hang of it.

{And the pastry bag. I guess I’m starting to get the hang of that, too}

Living in South Florida, it doesn’t really get more humid than this. And humidity, as we all know, is the enemy of any sort of good hair day. So, when I discovered that this foolproof method using the curling iron was the secret to getting my waves to survive (even through to the next day), it was a pretty big moment.

No matter your hair struggle – be it the weather, the utensil, or just another bad hair day – here is my go-to method for achieving perfect waves that will last through just about anything.

What You’ll Need:

Blow dryer (or you can allow your hair to air dry if you prefer)
Curling iron – preferably high quality ceramic; use 1 inch for waves as shown, 1.5-2 inches for looser waves, and 0.75 inch for tighter curls
Hair spray – something with strong hold, but still touchable

First, give your hair a rough blow dry. I usually use my fingers for the most part, maybe running a brush through a few times at the end. I find that if you make your hair too smooth, the curl doesn’t hold as well.

Now, begin with a 2 inch section of hair. Give it a nice shot of hair spray – very important if you want good hold.

{I usually start with the front of my head, and when I get about halfway done – to the back of my head – I bring over what I’ve done to one side, and then start from the front of the other side; in the picture above, I’m actually just re-curling a front piece}

Holding the iron upside-down and with the clamp closed, wrap the section of hair around the iron.

When you get to the end of the section, hold it there for about 15-30 seconds. How long you hold it will depend on how hot your curling iron gets and how your hair takes the heat. I have a 1 inch ceramic curling iron by Hot Tools, and it gets pretty hot – but I like to let it sit for a full 30 seconds because I have thick hair and it can handle it.

After each section of hair is curled, give it another light spray. Repeat, section by section, until all of your hair is curled. You will have tighter curls at first (see first photo, after I had just curled most of my hair), but they will fall into looser waves after 15-20 minutes. You can also run your fingers through your hair to loosen them up, if you wish.