DIY Bettie Page fringe/bangs

Hi guys,

I hope you all have been well enjoying the hot weather. Talking about the weather, Summer is the hardest time to keep your hair looking good, you guys know the drama... Summer = humidity, humidity = curls and kinks.

My biggest drama is my fringe! I have a huge 'cow lick' right at the front that makes my hair jump upwards madly. I shouldn't really have a fringe to be honest, is not the most suitable thing for my hair but I love having it and I couldn't not imagine myself without one anymore.
Along the years, I got to know my fringe very well and due so many disasters at the hairdressers I decided that I know best and so I cut my fringe myself! My hairdressers friends laugh at me because it takes me a few cuts to get it right but to be honest it's never right...lol
My fringe has a life of it's own, some days it's fine, others I wake up like Cameron Diaz in Something about Mary. So, I do my cut in stages, which may take me a couple of days.


You guys have commented a lot about my fringe and so that is how it got started, initially I used to wear it straight across and then a few years back, I came across the 'pin up' fringe. I tried it and got hooked on that hairstyle. (because I think it makes my face looks a bit slimmer and less like a chipmunk).

Nowadays quite a few celebrities have had a go on the Bettie Page style, making it more popular.

Burlesque queen Dita, has got it to perfection!

Nicole Scherzinger , has a pretty neat hairstyle going on.

Kate Perry, on the other hand has a fringe a bit like mine.

Beyonce, opted for the easy option, a wig.

Petra Nemcova, has a subtle one.

Sabrina Sato, (Brazilian actress) recently got hugely slated by the Brazilian press because of her new 'bangs'!

Are you feeling inspired?

So, the main and most crucial step for a pin up fringe is obviously to get the shape right. I try to get mine into a soft curve, more or less like a U shape. I visualize this shape and then I am ready for the trimmers. With my hair completely dry, I divide my hair into sections, the first layer is the bottom one, where I'll cut it shorter so when the hair falls on top, I won't get wispy poking out bits at the bottom, then I'll cut the second layer slightly longer than the first one and that's how it goes, you just have to be careful not to go very high on your temples. A tip is to start the cut from the base of the fringe and work upwards towards your temples.

To achieve this look, the easiest way for me is to cut my hair with a pair of mini clippers! It was scary at first but luckily I have never caught my eyebrows.

If you get the shape right, second thing to do is to use some hair straighteners. I decided that I need to make my life easier and tame my hair once for all but if you have no problems with your fringe you can just use them to curly it a bit more for that perfect pin up look.

And finally a good layer of hairspray should hold everything in place, just like in the old 50's.

This is my hairstyle tip for you but whilst browsing around I came across the GHD website which features loads of hairstyle tips, videos and trends. Worth having a look.

See you soon.
x

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Hair ideas for bad hair days

Hi guys,

A quick post with 4 quick hair ideas which are fantastic for either bad hair days or when your hair is dirty and you need to hide.
The best thing to do in the latter (and if you are in a hurry) is to spray your hair with dry shampoo. Dry shampoo is basically some of the good old talcum in powder, in a spray version. It works really well, as the powder absorbs the oil and magically makes your hair 'clean'. The secret is to spray it far from your roots and then shake the hair about afterwards to remove any white patches. Dry shampoo is also good for giving texture to the hair and it will make your blow dry last longer.

So, after spraying your hair you could try some of these styles, as I said your hair will have texture and most of the styles will easily stay the way you have planned.

The messy plait

A loose, easy plait will do, then just run your fingers a few times upwards from the tip of the plait to the top in order to lift some strands. Messy and chic, as seen on the runaway.

The easy chic hair bun.

To achieve this bouffant look at the back, I tip my head upside down and then I make a ponytail quite high up, paying attention not to make a tight ponytail. You must hold your hair loosely otherwise there will be nothing to puff. The rest is easy, I just leave a loop of the end of my ponytail and spread the hair around.

The ponytail with a twist.

One of my favourite and the easiest, a small detail that adds a polished look to a simple ponytail.
Leave a section of your hair out of your ponytail and then just wrap it around afterwards, secure with a hair pin.

Knotted hair. (A ponytail variation)

Divide your hair in 2 sections and knot them twice. I think this would work better with coarse/dry hair but it's worth a try even if your hair is on the softer side, bearing in mind that you might not be able to achieve the same look as you will have to secure it with some pins and if your hair is very soft the knots may slide.

Another tip if your are using dry shampoo is to detox your hair once a week, because the dry shampoo leaves residues on your scalp which can block follicles and cause hair loss. It's very important to use a shampoo that will clean your hair and scalp properly.
I recommend shampoos with menthol or eucalyptus, one of those that will make our scalp tingle.
I use a shampoo called Phyto Neutre, from a French brand called Phytologie, it leaves your hair squeak clean. I don't mind the fact that it does stripes my hair colour a little bit, but most of shampoos with that formulation will do it anyways and it's very slight if you use it with moderation. It's also ideal for people that use hairspray, gel or wax frequently.

On the dry shampoo side, I use Batiste. It sells in most of drugstores and it's really cheap, just over £2 for a 150 ml can.

See you soon.
x

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Hair of the Gods

The 70s was a decade of extremes. There were many different mainstream hairstyles and celebrity styles influenced the high street too. For the glamorous look, women favored long, waved tresses that framed the face, while the Punks preferred their trademark Mohican-style hair sculptures. Many African American women stopped trying to straighten their hair, and instead let it grow. Afro hairstyles were donned by many ladies including Marsha Hunt and Diana Ross. Crimped hair was all the rage for the decade’s most fabulous disco dolls. Susan Dey and Maureen McCormick favored a more natural look, and wore their silky hair long and straight. Bo Derek made cornrows fashionable in 1979, when she wore them in the movie 10. However, the most famous hairstyle of the 70s probably goes to Charlie’s Angels’ Farrah Fawcett’s locks, which launched a generation of long-layered feathery hairstyles.

late 1969

(scans by me from: Getty: Decades of Fashion, Vogue, People Magazine, Unseen Vogue, Taschen: 70s Fashion and Beauty Ads, Screen Stories Magazine, Photoplay Magazine. TFS. http://www.ciaovogue.com/ )

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