Oh, Please!

In reading various articles on the internet about long hair over 40, I was eventually led to this blog entry. In a way, I wish I hadn't read it, but I think I'm happier that I did.

The blogger in question seems to generally write a very helpful blog that gives good tips to career women. However, this post has a different tone completely. It seems downright snarky.

She starts off the entry with complaining about Hillary Rodham Clinton's recent longer hair. She descends into making comments such as, " I know this doesn't sound very liberated, but I find women over 40 with very long hair unsettling—particularly if it is straight and hangs more than a few inches below the shoulder. (And don't get me started on straight, blond long hair on women over a certain age!) They look rather sad and dated to me—as if they're desperately trying to rechannel Joni Mitchell in her heyday."

Well no, it certainly doesn't sound very liberated. For heaven's sake, there are many business women who have longer hair!

I think it's a good idea to wear updos to the office if one's hair is too long to look or feel neat and professional for a whole day, and of course, for women with very long hair, there can be practical concerns as well. For those of you who are lost on how to wear professional but flattering hairstyles, there are a wealth of resources on the internet to teach you.

However, most women with hair just a few inches below the shoulders can and do look lovely with wearing their hair down at any age.

What bothers me the most is that almost 45 years after the advent of the Women's Liberation Movement, women are still criticizing women for their personal choices.

Women already have it rough in so many ways. Those who choose to stay at home to raise their children too often feel put down by career women, and many career women feel the need to justify just why they are choosing to work. It just doesn't seem right for women to continue picking on one another for our lifestyle choices or even something as simple as our hair choices.

It really has to stop!

It's 2012, folks. Yes, it's only hair, but isn't it time for we women to support one another and our choices? Is it really necessary to mock an older woman for her hairstyle?

I would never think of criticizing a woman for her hairstyle choice, whether her hair is long or short.

The most important thing to me is how a woman's hair makes her feel. If she's confident at whatever length, then she will succeed. So rock that pixie cut or that knee length hair! Wear it in a way that makes you feel good about yourself! It's worth it.

Love to all, and extra hugs to anyone feeling tired today.
xo
 

Hairstyle: Dutch Braided Bun

The hairstyle I'm wearing today is a Dutch Braided Bun. If you can make a regular French braid, you can make a Dutch or inverted braid. I've mentioned before that to make a Dutch Braid, you cross the middle strand over instead of under for every round of braiding.

I Dutch braided my hair and continued the braid to the ends and fastened it with a hair-friendly elastic. Then I took the braid, coiled it around itself and secured it with a Ficcarissimo in Emerald.

The braiding in these photos looks a bit loose. I think my hair was a bit too soft today to do a really nice tight Dutch braid. Sometimes it's easier to have a tighter braid a day or two after washing. However, if you know me, you know that I like looser braids just as much.


It's been a very windy day here today, and this is the first time it is actually starting to feel cold. We got the tiniest dusting of snow flurries. It was so light that it looked like the powdered sugar on a doughnut. Here for a few moments and then gone.


I hope that everyone has a lovely weekend.

'Til tomorrow, my friends. Much love to all.
xo

Hairstyle: Asymmetrical Boho Bun

Today I'm wearing an Asymmetrical Boho Bun.

I did a rather loose Dutch lace braid from my right temple to my left ear. Making a lace braid is just like making a regular French or Dutch braid, except that I only add new hair to the outermost strands as I go.

And to be honest, the term "Dutch braid" is really a misnomer, but it seems to be the common terminology for an inverted French braid. With a Dutch braid, the centre strand is always braided over the other two strands rather than under as in a usual French braid.

After I finished braiding, I just twisted a bun under my left ear and pinned it into place. It has a bit of a messy look, but it just doesn't look right to me if it's too perfect. It should look as though it's just thrown together.

I hope that everyone's week is off to a good start.

'Til tomorrow, my friends. Much love to all.
xo

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Video How-To: Figure 8 Updo

This bun is fairly easy, once you get the knack. I tried to go slowly so that you can follow along. I hope it's helpful to some of you.

Remember, if your hair is too short or too thick to do this bun right now, you can always do a Figure 8 Half-Up, or do two or three Figure 8 Buns in a vertical row.



Thanks to all who left comments and sent emails. I can never tell you how much I appreciate them. I will respond as soon as possible.

'Til tomorrow. Much love to all, and extra hugs to anyone feeling lost today.
xo

Hairstyle How-To: Folded Braid

Well, I'm just barely starting to feel a bit better, so I'm still not feeling too chatty, but I do have some instructions for a really simple style. It works with shorter hair, and looks great with much longer hair. As long as you have hair long enough to braid, you can make a version of this simple, casual style.

1. Make a braid high up on the head and fasten the ends with a hair friendly elastic.

2. Fold braid under and bring tasseled ends right up to the base of the braid.

3. Shape hair into place and fasten with a barrette or a spring clip. In these photos, I am wearing a Ficcare Ficcarissimo in Emerald. You can play around with the placement of the clip and how you arrange your braid. This style can look very different depending on how you place your braid and barrette. For a more finished look, lightly dampen the hair first and perhaps use Aloe Vera Gel, or hair friendly styling gel.

For every day, I like the slightly dishevelled look, as anyone who follows this blog knows.

Still hoping to feel better tomorrow. I'm hankering for a good yak. Thanks again to all who have sent get well wishes, and positive thoughts.

Love to all. 'Til tomorrow.

Rose Bun

Today I'm wearing a Rose Bun. I made it by putting my hair in a ponytail, dividing the ponytail into three and then making three separate Rope Braids. Written instructions on how to make a Rope Braid can be found in this entry.

After the Rope Braids were made, I then coiled all three braids, pinned them into place and created the Rose Bun.

 

In these photos, there are a lot of sticking-out ends. If I were planning on having a more polished look for an evening out, I would likely dampen my hair with distilled water and perhaps add a bit of gel before making both the ponytail and the Rope Braids. I might also add a hair stick or another hair accessory for adornment only. In a future entry, I'll post photos of such a polished Rose Bun.

Before too long, I'll make an instructional video for making Rope Braids for those of you who prefer visual instructions.

I enjoyed and appreciated the comments to yesterday's entry, and I will respond tomorrow in the comments section. I'm still having a rough go with the migraines, and I can't spend any more time writing today.

'Til tomorrow, my friends. Much love to all.

Mini-Milestone: I Can Do A Figure 8 Again!

Well, just 2 weeks ago, I still couldn't make a Figure 8 Updo with my hair, but today I was able to make the bun, and secure it with just hair sticks. While it's not yet perfect as some ends are sticking out at the top, it is something I could not do again until today. Woo-hoo!

It's another one of those little milestones that lets me see my growth progress in a real way. It will take another inch or two before I have a perfect Figure 8 with no sticking-out ends, but this is still a Figure 8 and it's holding!

I've said it before, but it's these little things that make the journey so much fun.

Once I have that extra inch or two, I'll be able to make a how-to video for this hairstyle.

My Figure 8 in this photo is secured with Mei Fa Hairstyx with "Hollywood" toppers.

I did get that good night's sleep last night. While I'm still not feeling top drawer, I feel worlds better than I did yesterday, having been sleep-deprived.

Happy Friday everyone, and I wish you a wonderful weekend.

'Til tomorrow, my friends. Love to all.

Video How-To: Gibson Tuck

The Gibson Tuck is a great protective updo, but it gets harder to do the using the usual instructions after hair gets much longer than shoulder length. This video gives step by step instructions on how to do the Gibson Tuck for longer hair.  



I hope that this video is of help to some of you.

'Til tomorrow, my friends.  Love to all.

Hairstyle How-To: Annalee's Folded Twist

I based this hairstyle on one done by someone close to me by the name of--you guessed it--Annalee. :)

Here are the instructions.

1. Twist hair straight upwards, in a counterclockwise direction.

2. Place pinky finger of right hand as an anchoring spot near the crown of the head, and bring the twisted ponytail around the anchor.

3. Grasp the loop that has been formed and flip it to the left.

4. Place flipped loop against head. If you wish, you can wrap the ends and tuck them in.  I leave the tail hanging out. Prepare to secure the style with a hair fork, hair sticks or a hair clip.

5. Here is the finished style. I secured it with a Ficcare Maximas in Royal Blue (or Sapphire) from the Lotus Jewel II Collection.

I hope you like it, and I hope that everyone has had a wonderful weekend. 

Love to all!  'Til tomorrow, my friends.

Video Hairstyle How-To: Southern Tease

This is a variation that I came up with to make the Southern Tease or Southern Pleat hairstyle work for me. The methods used in the other instructions I'd seen just didn't work on my fine and slippery hair. It's a really good protective updo, and it's very easy to do.

While I've slowed down my motions for the video, the style usually takes me about 30 to 40 seconds and actually works out better than when I do it quickly than it turned out in the video.

I hope you like it.



Love to all.  'Til tomorrow, friends.

Hairstyle: 3 Knot Updo

Today, I'm wearing another messy/casual updo. It's made from three knots pinned down with the ends sticking out. This style tends to look slightly different every time I do it.

To make this updo, I divided my hair into three. I made a part on each side of my head from the crown to the ear. The back section was the largest.

I took the back section, wrapped it around my fingers, then pulled the ends through the loop that was created by the wrapping. Essentially it's a slip knot. I then just pinned the knot into place.

Then I took the loose hair from the right side, crossed it over the pinned knot and then created a second knot, which I then pinned into place on the left. Finally, I took the loose hair from the left, crossed it over the two knots and created a third knot on the right side, and also pinned that into place.

The reason I crossed the left to the right and the right to the left is so that the parts wouldn't show.

If I wanted to make this style more polished, I could take the ends of each knot, wrap them around and pin them under. I could also use a smoothing hair-friendly gel or spray if I wanted to reduce the flyaways.  However, for a casual summer day, I like the flyaway, ends-sticking-out look.

I can do a step-by-step of how to make the knots in a future entry if anyone is interested.

I hope that everyone is enjoying a lovely weekend. Myself, I'm feeling a bit better than I was yesterday.

Love to all.

Embellish Your Updo: Accent Braids

Sometimes when you have long hair, and like to wear it up to protect it, to keep cool, or for style, certain updos can seem to look too severe from the front.

An easy way to soften your look is to embellish your updo around the hairline near the face. There are a few different methods that I use, but I'm going to start with a very simple one. In these photos, I am wearing accent braids.

I took a small section of hair from right beside my face and I made a small braid on each side. I then incorporated them into the cinnamon bun hairstyle (instructions for the cinnamon bun in this video). The accent braids add a little bit of interest to a very simple style, and they also create a pleasing lift beside the face.  Occasionally we like to have the tight-bunned mean lady look, but sometimes it's nice to look a little softer. Sometimes I use one accent braid on each side, and other times I may use 2 or more.  Sometimes I like a thicker braid, and other times just a thin one as pictured. As always, the photos may be clicked to see the full-size version.

I hope that all of my American friends are having a great 4th of July weekend, and for everyone else, I wish you a happy weekend too.

Love to all.  'Til tomorrow.

Video Hairstyle How-To: Wrapped Hairstick Bun Updo

This style works for hair shorter than mine and hair much longer than mine. If your hair is longer, you may need a longer hair stick, and also you will make more wraps around the bun, before completely inserting the hair stick.

It's a versatile hairstyle.  You can leave the ends sticking out as I did, or you can pin them neatly into place.

I hope you like it.

Messy Bun Updo

First of all, thank you AutumnLeaves and Schnauzermom for your nice comments about my daughter's hair.  And A.L., you are correct. She has my hair and figure, but she gets her face from her dad's side of the family.

Today I wanted to try something a little different, so I fashioned this messy bun. It may just be a bit too messy.

I made a ponytail and I only pulled the ponytail through a little less than halfway after the last loop of elastic. Then I took pieces of hair and pinned some over and others under the elastic.  It was very easy. It is funny though that it takes me a bit longer to make a messy bun than to make a neat-looking bun.

I think the next time I try this, I'll make braids with strands of hair next to my face, or I'll French braid the sides. Perhaps I'll part my hair on the side, and make the bun assymetrical.

Anyway, at this point, it's a work in progress, and this was just a test run.


After a couple of days with a lot of family and a lot of chatter, I find myself with an evening alone.  Everyone else has somewhere to be. As usual, I'll likely watch a movie. One of these days, I really must talk about some of the films I've enjoyed. I really am a movie buff.

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Saturday, and I wish you a good Sunday.

Love to all.  'Til tomorrow.

Hairstyle How To: Franny's Easy Summer Updo

This is an easy summer style that is quick, easy, requires no twisting and requires no braiding.  It can be adapted for height, and the ends can be left loose as I have chosen to do, or they can be tucked under. Also, you can experiment with flipping the ponytail through more than once for a fuller topknot.


All you need for this style is a brush or comb, a ponytail holder, and a barrette or slide. A Topsy Tail Tool is helpful, but not essential.

Here are the instructions:

1. Put hair in a high ponytail.

2. Take Topsy Tail Tool and  insert it behind the hair elastic from the bottom, with the ponytail in the Topsy Tail loop.

3. Pull ponytail up behind the elastic with the Topsy Tail.

4. Now that you've pulled the ponytail through, hold it straight up and give it a gentle yank.

5. Pull ponytail down over the flip-through, smooth it with your hand and insert as small slide or barrette.  I am using a Flexi-8 slide that was given to me by a dear friend.

Lightly comb the ends, which are now likely disheveled, and smooth them.

6. The finished style.

Another view:

Hairstyle: Faux Coiled Braid--First Attempt

Today I tried this hairstyle for the first time.  I call it a "faux" coiled braid because it's actually 3 separate braids, one coiled around the other.  I'm surprised at how big it looks, even at my current length.

This is a surprisingly easy style to do.  It simply requires making 3 single braids, one under the other.  Then I coiled the top braid and pinned into place.  After that I coiled the braid immediately underneath it around the first coil.  The bottom braid was then coiled and pinned around that.

Since this was my first attempt, it's not as neat as I'd like, but I want to post a photo anyway. 

I'm fairly pleased at how this turned out and how easy it is.

I'll post a tutorial with photos in a future entry.

Hair Style: Boho Nape Knot

Today I'm showing a photo of a boho-style nape knot. 


I lace-braided each side of the hair, and then combined the sides with the rest of my hair.


Then I made a loose braid.  After that, I rolled up the braid and pinned it into a chignon, or low bun.  


This is a quick and easy hairstyle, provided that you can lace-braid.  I originally learned how to do this braid from the book Beautiful Braids.  When the braid is done in the manner of this styles, it's also known as the Face-Framing braid.  Lace braiding is similar to French braiding.  The only difference is that instead of adding hair to both the inner and outer strands of the French braid, you just gather new pieces of hair from the side closest to the face. These pieces are added to the outer strands of the braid.


I'll be adding this to my Updo Gallery on my website when I get some better photos.  Or maybe it should go in the Braids Gallery.  I'm not sure.


I hope you like this casual updo.  It's a great look for summer, and very comfortable.

Protect Your Hair With Style

It's sunny but very windy here where I live today. The wind put my mind to just one of the reasons that protective hairstyles are important for longer hair.

Many people with long hair wear it down all of the time, because they like it that way.  I like to wear my hair down too, but wearing hair loose exposes longer hair to additional friction against one's clothes, being whipped by wind, and other wear and tear.

If you plan on growing your hair to mid-back or longer, it's a good idea to learn some easy protective hairstyles to wear not only most of the time, but especially when you're out in the elements.

We've all experienced those beautiful car rides in lovely weather, when the wind whips through our hair.  It feels good, but in the end, there are a mess of tangles left in the hair, which can lead to breakage. 

Then there are the more delicate areas of the hair.  First of all, the ends are delicate and more fragile than the rest of the hair, as the ends are the oldest and have been exposed to the environment for longer.  When you think about it, hair that doesn't yet quite graze the shoulder is already two years old at the very ends.  On average, every six inches of growth beyond that represents another year.

So we must protect those ends from too much wear and tear.

Secondly, the top part of the hair that grows around the crown is also more fragile than the rest of the hair.  We call this part of the hair the "canopy".  It's the part of the hair that you use if you make a half-up hairstyle.  It is the hair that is constantly exposed to sun and breezes if you're outdoors, and once again, it's the longest and therefore the oldest portion of your hair.

So we must protect the canopy as much as possible.

There are several ways in which you can contain and protect your hair that are quick and easy.

One way women have been protecting their hair for millennia is by wearing a simple, single braid.  It's easy to do, keeps the hair out of the way, and is protective.  If you don't like the idea of the braid rubbing against your clothes, you can wear a flipped braid as shown in my entry of April 26th, 2010.

Half-up hairstyles are perfect for when you want to still want to show your length but want to protect the fragile canopy hair.  You can wear a half-up bun or braid of just about any style you like, and it will help protect the hair that has most been exposed to friction and the elements.

Updos are among the most protective hairstyles of all, and I recommend wearing them most of the time, if possible.

Even when hair is at shoulder length, it's not too soon to start doing protective styles.  At shoulder length you may not be able to do a bun in your hair, but you will be able to make a French Twist, a Peacock Twist or a Gibson Tuck.  This is also a great time to learn how to French Braid, if you don't already know how to do so.  You can see examples of all of those styles in the Updos Gallery and the Braids Gallery on my website.

Half-ups can be done at any length as well, and are a wonderful way of not only protecting your hair, but of trying out updos that your hair may be too short for.  See my Half-Ups Gallery for ideas.

I will eventually be giving instructions here on how to do most of the hairstyles shown on my website.


Now of course there will be times when you're going out that you really want to wear your hair down and loose, and that's fine.  We all want to enjoy wearing our hair down from time to time. That's one of the reasons many of us want to grow it long.

Nevertheless, if you wear protective hairstyles most of the time, it will pay off with great rewards in the long run, giving you the freedom to wear your healthier-looking hair down for an afternoon or an evening out and even the occasional windy car ride.  And everyone knows; you're never too old for that occasional windy car ride.

Hairstyle How-To: Flipped Braid

This is another extremely quick and easy hairstyle.  It's so simple that it almost doesn't need instructions. It's also a great "convertible" style, as you can choose to begin your day with a simple 3 strand braid, and if you want to comfortably get the hair off of your neck, you can do this styles in the blink of an eye, provided that you have a hair clip, hair slide or a large barrette.  Here are the extremely simple instructions:

1. Make a single regular braid at the back of the head.

2. Flip braid up.

3. Tuck the braid's tassel under the braid.

4. Hold in place with the hair accessory of your choice.  I chose to use a Ficcare Ficcarissimo in the Eggplant colour.  The Ficcarissimo will hold that braid in place all day.

So that's it!  If you can make a braid and you have even a simple hair accessory, you can do this style in seconds.  This is a favourite for warm days that become hot days and it has a simple but classic look to it.

If you have some layers and bits stick out of the braid, don't give it a second thought.  This is one of those styles that doesn't need to look perfect.

Thanks to everyone for your kind comments yesterday regarding my instructions on how to trim your own bangs or fringe.  They're much appreciated.

Hairstyle How-To: Peacock Twist

This is a quick and easy hairstyle for people with shoulder-length to lower mid-back length hair.  It's a great first updo for when you're first growing out your hair.  Even at my length, I've just about grown out of it.  There are different ways to wear it, whether you use different clips, or whether you finish it by fanning the ends out, bending them to one side, or dividing them in two to both left and right.

On my hairstyle site, I've had several people write and request instructions for this style, so I'll give them in this entry. As I mentioned, my hair has gotten just about too long for it, but I'm adapting.

Here are the instructions:

1. Brush hair back and hold it as if ready to make a ponytail.

2. Twist hair several times in a counter-clockwise direction.

 

3. Pull twist upwards while twisting some more.

4. With right hand, grab a jaw clip, beak clip, French Twist comb, or the hair accessory of your choice.  I have chosen to use a medium Ficcare Innovation Beak Clip in Pink Marble.

5. Insert clip.  Arrange ends to the left as shown below.

6. Or for a traditional "peacock" look, clip a bit higher, if necessary and fan hair out as shown below.

And that's it!  You've got a Peacock Twist.  It will likely look a bit different every time you try it and at different lengths, and it is a quick updo that can be done in seconds, which can come in very handy.

Another variation would to be to part the ends in two and have them lean both to the left and the right.  Play with the placement of the clip and experiment with how you place the ends.  Have some fun with it!