Category: Series

Holiday Hair Series:Christmas

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I can’t believe it is already Christmas Eve! It is always crazy to me how fast time flies.  I wonder if I’ll ever get used to it 🙂 Even though it came quickly, I’m just as excited as ever!  Such a magical time and I can’t wait to spend it with family.

The week of Thanksgiving, I posted part 1 of my Holiday Hair Series with my good friend, and incredibly talented photographer, Jennifer Munoz. This is part 2, and I can’t wait to show you.  I love coming up with fun new braids! This one looks complicated, but it is actually super simple. I would definitely wear it to a holiday party, or dress it down with a hoodie and a cup of cocoa.  It goes with everything!

To begin, section the top half of your hair off and clip it up.jennifer-munoz,boise-wedding-photographer,blooms-flower-studio,wedding-hair-tutorial-78

Next, separate the bottom half into two parts and fishtail each.  After you tie them off, slightly pull on the braids to loosen them.  To fishtail, you split the hair into two, take a small piece from one side and add it to the other.  Then, switch and take a small piece from the side you just added to, and move it to the first side.  Repeat until you near the end of your hair.

Pull the fishtails forward so they are out of your way.  Let down the top half.  I chose to French braid the top, but if it is feeling awkward to French braid behind you, you can just braid the whole piece at once.  To braid, split the top into three pieces and alternate moving the outside strands over the middle strand.  After you move the outside strand to the middle, it becomes the middle strand for the other side to cross over. If you move the strands under instead, your braid will be more raised(Dutch braid)jennifer-munoz,boise-wedding-photographer,blooms-flower-studio,wedding-hair-tutorial-104When you have all your hair tied off, braid the three braids together.  Move the outer strand over the middle strand, and alternate. Remove the three elastics, and attach all the ends together with one elastic.  I like to wrap a small piece of hair around it to cover it. jennifer-munoz,boise-wedding-photographer,blooms-flower-studio,wedding-hair-tutorial-114Gently pull and loosen the braid to give it some volume and help the braids work together.

Then you are set! Get creative with it.  It can be as tight and clean or as messy as you want!

 

Huge thank you to Jennifer Munoz for the photography. I adore her! Check her out HERE and here:

Instagram- @jennifer.munoz
Website- http://www.jennifermunoz.co
Phone for Wedding or Lifestyle Photography- (208)557-1566
Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/jennifermunozphotography

Thank you also to  Blooms Flower Studio for letting us shoot in your gorgeous space!

Stay tuned for part 3 coming next week.  Have a wonderful Christmas!

Holiday Hair Series: Thanksgiving

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I am so excited to be working with my incredibly talented photographer friend Jennifer Munoz to bring you a three part holiday hair series!  We took these photos in Blooms Flower Studio, and I don’t think we could have found a more lovely spot.  Working with Jennifer is a dream.  She has such an elegant style, and I love her work!

There will be a step by step guide for each look in our series, making it simple to recreate these styles for any holiday event.  The first up is a Thanksgiving inspired style.  It is simple, works on any hair type or length, and can be casual or dressy!

To begin, take a small section of hair from the right side.

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Softly twist it as you pull it across the back of your head to the other side.

Using a bobby pin, secure the first twist in place.

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Now, take a small section from the opposite side and twist it across.  Pull it over to cover the bobby pin from the first twist.

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Secure with a bobby pin on the opposite side.

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Take a third piece of hair from the original side, and twist again.  Remember to use the strand to cover the previous bobby pin.

Bobby pin on the opposite side.

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I stopped at this point, but feel free to continue the pattern as far as you would like!

 

Let me know if you try this out! I would love to hear what you think! Stay tuned for part 2 of the holiday series!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you to Jennifer Munoz for the phography. Check her out HERE and here:

Instagram- @jennifer.munoz
Website- http://www.jennifermunoz.co
Phone for Wedding or Lifestyle Photography- (208)557-1566
Facebook- http://www.facecbook.com/jennifermunozphotography

 

 

Day 5 Eliminate and Enhance: Contouring

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Our last day! You made it to day 5.  How has it been going so far? I hope you have learned a new tip that has helped you embrace your natural beauty more!

For our last day, I want to walk you through how to enhance your facial features.  Pair this with the eyes from day 3 and you are ready for any occasion!

1. Start by using a foundation/concealer/powder, or any combination of the three.  Level out any redness, dark circles, or blemishes.

2. Use a light powder, highlight, or light eyeshadow and gently sweep over your upper cheekbones and the top of your nose from the bridge to the tip.

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3. Working in a line from your upper ear to the corner of your mouth, make small circles with a bronzing powder.  I like to use a powder with a matte finish.  Stop on your lower cheek.

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4. Use the bronzing powder to lightly shadow the sides of your nose and the top of your forehead.  Blend everything together with a large powder brush and translucent powder.

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5. Apply blush from the center of your cheek up toward your ear.

6. Add a fun lip and you are set!

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Thank you for following along with this series! Enjoy your weekend!

Day 4 Eliminate and Enhance: Pull Through Braid

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Day 4! Today I’m going to show you a simple pull through braid that is great for any occasion.  I love it for working out because it stays tight, unlike other braids.  Let me know if you have any questions!

1. Make two ponytails.

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2. Split the first ponytail in half.

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3. Pull the second pony through the split and clip it out of the way.

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4. Make a third ponytail and include the hair from the first ponytail.

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5. Unclip the second pony.  It now becomes the first.  Split it in half, and repeat the steps again as many times as you want.

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6. Once you have braided as far as you like, begin to loosen the sections.

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Pull and adjust until you see fit!

The end. Have a wonderful day!

Day 3 Eliminate and Enhance: Eyes

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Welcome to day 3! Hope it is going well and you are feeling more beautiful already.
Today I’m sharing my most simple eye makeup tips to make the biggest impact. They are meant to enhance and highlight the natural beauty of your eyes. Also, they should take no more than five minutes, so they can be done even when you are running late!

The steps move left to right, starting with the top left, moving to top right, then middle left, middle right, so on…

1. Start with a primer, if you would like to, otherwise just a blank slate.

2. & 3. Use a light eyeshadow and soft brush to highlight under the brow (not the whole eyelid, just the brow bone) and the inner eye.

4. & 5. Softly brush a light layer of eyeshadow on the top of your cheekbone, under the outer corner of your eye.

6. Add eyeliner to your upper lids.

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7. Add mascara to the upper lashes.  If you want, you can also add a strip of false eyelashes to add a little oomph.

8. Begin shaping your brows.  Use a brush to create a line from the outside of your nose to the inside of your eye. Mark it on your brow.

9. Next, create a line from the outside of your nose to the outside of your iris. This is the highest point of your brow.

10. Create a line from the outside of your nose to the outside of your eye.  This is where your brow ends.

11. Use a brow kit, powder, pencil, whatever you prefer to fill in and connect the three points.

12. Soften your brows with an empty mascara wand.  You can get them at the grocery store, or just get one from a cosmetic counter in the mall.  Brush softly from the inner brow towards the outside.

That’s it! Quick, simple, and effective!

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Day 2 Eliminate and Enhance: Healthy, Shiny Hair

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Welcome to day 2!

How was day 1? Does your skin feel softer and look brighter?

For day 2 we are focussing on restoring shine and preventing further damage to your hair. I’m a believer in many kinds of fancy hair products, but nothing beats a good DIY conditioning treatment. I love this one, because of how shiny it makes my hair! Once you get over how weird it feels to smash avocados into your hair, hopefully you will love it too! Starting with damp hair will help you work the treatment in a little easier. I also prefer to quickly warm the treatment up in the microwave. I feel like it makes it smoother and able to penetrate better. Start by working the softened coconut oil in. You may need to adjust the amount based on how much hair you have. Leave that on for ten minutes while you combine the olive oil and avocado together. Make sure they are very well blended. If they aren’t you will be picking chunks of avocado out of your hair for a while…been there! I use a hand mixer. Work the avocado paste into your hair, keeping the coconut oil in as well. Pull your hair into a shower cap, or use plastic wrap to lock it all in place. Then wrap a towel around it and let it sit for 20-30 minutes. I like to blow dry the towel occasionally to keep the hair warm inside. At the end, rinse with cool water. I know, cool water is rough, but your hair loves it. It will help seal the cuticle around all that good stuff you put on it. Shampoo well and condition.  When it’s dry it should be nice and soft, with a beautiful shine!  It shouldn’t feel oily after it’s dry. If it does, you needed more thorough shampooing 🙂

Hair Mask: 2 Tablespoons coconut oil (microwaved about ten seconds to soften) 2 Tablespoons olive oil, blended with half an avocado (I have to double this for my amount of hair, feel free to adjust to fit you)

Some of my tips for keeping your hair in great shape:

Avoid brushing it when it’s wet. This can cause the hair stands to stretch and break. If you feel you have to comb it out, use a leave in conditioner and be gentle.

Protect it from heat as much as possible. If you are using heat, try a thermal protectant product.

Wash your hair less often.  By removing the natural oils from your hair, they don’t have a chance to nourish your strands.  You don’t have to wait until the point that it looks greasy, but giving it a day or two in between washes will improve the health of you hair.  At first, you may feel like your hair is overly oily, but it will eventually level out as your body learns it doesn’t need to produce as much.

Eating nutritious things will help your body look and feel it’s best.  Same goes for your hair!

Protect your locks from the sun when possible.  Those rays can be damaging and drying.

Have fun! Hope you have a great day!

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Day 1 Eliminate and Enhance: Brighten and Refresh

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Hi! My friend Ashlee Buchert and I have teamed up to combine fitness and beauty for a five day “Eliminate and Enhance” challenge!  I will be posting the “Enhance” part here. If there are any of you out there reading this and you want to be a part of the whole challenge, let me know and I’ll get you involved!

Before we can get into makeup and hair tips, it’s important to start with the basics! A clean, fresh face and scalp, and healthy hair.  That’s why day one is going to help heal your scalp, especially if you suffer from dryness.  While you are conditioning your scalp, you can try this fun sugar scrub to brighten and exfoliate your face.  A clean, healthy base is going to do more for your natural beauty than any magical tip or trick can do!

Lemon scalp treatment:

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 Tablespoons coconut oil (liquid, or slightly heated to soften) you may also substitute olive oil

2 Tablespoons water

Mix together and massage well into damp scalp.  Let it sit for 15-20 minutes, then rinse and shampoo.

Sugar face scrub:

1 1/2 Tablespoons sour cream

1/2 Cup white sugar

1/4 Cup brown sugar

1/4 Cup ground almonds

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Mix all ingredients together and gently scrub your face.  Rinse with water.  Make sure to use sunscreen to protect your fresh skin and help it continue to look its best!

Enjoy!