Chic Hairstyles: Part 5

Marley Smith: Period 6

Flipped Over Ponytail

Picture of hairstyle from the book

Looking professional doesn’t just mean the way you dress, the way your hair looks is important too. Recently I have been looking for a way to fix my hair for job interviews and other professional events. When I found this hair style I found a perfect way to achieve the professional put together style I was looking for.

Materials

-hair brush or comb

-elastic hair tie

The hairstyle I chose was something simple but still elegant. The style is called a Flipped Over Ponytail. This gives volume and body to this classic ponytail. It is an accessory in itself, although simple embellishments can be added. The first step to this look is to brush the hair out for any knots. Next you gather the hair into a loose ponytail that sits low on your neck. Then, you use your fingers to make a split above the elastic. Lastly, flip your ponytail through the split above the elastic (Butcher, 23).

My rendition of the Hairstyle

At first, I used a pink elastic to tie the hair with. However, this bright color made the look improper for a professional style. I couldn’t find a way to hide the elastic so I followed a tip in the book. The book states “Use hair elastics that match the color of your hair to keep them inconspicuous (Butcher, 22).” Adding the brown elastic to match the hair was a much easier way to complete the look than trying to hide the elastic.

After completing this look, I learned in order to look the part of a professional, simplicity is the key. A clean cut and simple look is sure to look great. This hairstyle perfectly suits this definition. Overall, I recommend this look to anyone who has medium-long hair. This hairstyle looked great and was the easiest one I’ve had to completed. It took very little effort and less than a minute to complete om myself. 



Would you wear this hairstyle to an interview or professional event?
Do you think that simplicity is a way to look professional?




Butcher, Christina. Braids, Buns, and Twists!: Step-by-Step Tutorials for 82 Fabulous Hairstyles. Chronicle Books, 2013.

Chic Hairstyles: Part 4

Dutch Braid Pigtails

By: Marley Smith

I have tired many new braids through my previous posts and decided to build my skills on a particular one, the Dutch braid. The Dutch braid is created by adding in strands while you braid. But instead of crossing the new hair over like in a French braid, you're passing it from side to side underneath.

For this hairstyle, I decided to do Dutch Braid Pigtails. The braids are created by splitting the hair down the middle of the head into two equal sections. Next you Dutch braid along your hairline until you reach the level of your ear. Once reaching the ear add in all extra hair and start braiding normally (Butcher,65). Make sure to secure the hair with an elastic so the braid won’t come apart. Do the same on the other side of the head. You will then be left with a beautiful style that frames your face!

While creating this style I learned that it is easier to use a comb to ensure that your hair is parted evenly. I also learned it could be worn in different ways. In the book Butcher claims “By stretching out the braids you’ll emphasize their shape.. to keep the look modern” (Butcher, 64). This is an important tip because it helps the braid elevate from a simple look to a more complex one.

After completing this look I was amazed with the results. It was so

simple, fast, and looked great! The braided pigtails perfectly shaped the face leaving an elegant look. Best of all it took only about 5 minutes to complete and is a perfect go to hairstyle for someone in a rush!

Would you wear a Dutch braid in pigtails?

What would you do to get creative with this hairstyle?

Citation:

Butcher, Christina. Braids, Buns, and Twists!: Step-by-Step Tutorials for 82 Fabulous Hairstyles. Apple Press, 2015.

Chic Hairstyles: part 3

Instructions With Pictures

For my third hairstyle, I decided to and up-do called Dutch Crown Braids. This hairstyle creates a crown of hair to sit on top of the hairline. It is perfect for long hair because you can pin the hair all around your head to create a double crown look.  It is a great way to wear your hair up, and perfectly frames the face making it gorgeous for any occasion.

To achieve this style, it is helpful to brush out your hair to ease any tangles. Also, the book recommends using a comb to perfectly achieve diagonally parted hair for this style (Butcher,109). Next, I started Dutch braiding all the way around the hairline adding hair in from the part line of the model’s hair. The last step is to take the braids and to pin them along the hairline to create a crown look.

Me braiding one side of the models head

Tips:

In the book, it states that it is helpful to “finish the style by Stretching out the braids” (Butcher,109). When learning this tip it gave me a helpful way to make the look more voluminous. Another tip from the book was to add to the style by placing flowers in the hair (Butcher,108).  This is a good tip because it can turn the look from an everyday up-do into elegant hairstyle for special occasions.

I really recommend this braid because I was amazed by the finished look. It is a great way to wear your hair up and can be worn for many different events. However, it was a more difficult style than other ones I’ve done previously, so it is helpful to be experienced in braiding before attempting this hairstyle.

The Finished Look!

Do you like this hairstyle?

What occasions would you wear it for?

Make sure to keep an eye out for my next post to see another amazing hairstyle!

Butcher, Christina. Braids, Buns, and Twists!: Step-by-Step Tutorials for 82 Fabulous Hairstyles. Apple Press, 2015.

Chic Hairstyles: Part 2

As I have practiced more hairstyles I have improved my skills, so I have decided to try a more complex hairstyle. The hairstyle I tried was called a fishtail braid. This braid looks elaborate and difficult but is surprisingly easy to master!

I started off the look by thoroughly brushings the model’s hair to remove any knots. Then I split the hair into two equal sections. The book encourages that you should hold one side of the braid in each hand and keep the sections separate as you braid (Butcher, 51). This helps to make the braid look more put together. Next, I crossed sections from their hair form each side repeatedly. The result was an amazing beautiful hairstyle with a unique texture!

Tips:

Step by step pictures

A tip in the book stated, “When you’re learning to fishtail braid, it’s easier to put your hair up in a ponytail” (Butcher, 51). This was the most helpful tip because I had just learned how to do this hairstyle. This tip provided me a helpful way to keep the hair in place, especially for layered hair. Another tip was to wet the hair a little before styling (Butcher, 51). I found this helpful because it I learned that it was a way to make the braid become more precise. Also, the damp hair was much easier to brush out and hold.

Me in the process of braiding

Overall, I recommend this hairstyle for people with long hair. I found it hard to complete on people with short hair because the layers of their hair made it hard to make even sections. On the long hair, I found this look to be quite easy to complete, but a little time consuming. However, I feel that the braid was worth the time! It is easy to personalize and can be worn tighter for a put together look or loose for a bohemian one!

Finished look!

How useful is this hairstyle, and how often would you use it?

Also please make sure to check out my next post for another chic hairstyle!

Source:

Butcher, Christina. Braids, Buns, and Twists!: Step-by-step Tutorials for 82 Fabulous Hairstyles. London: Apple, 2015. Print.

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Drawing: Face

               I have been drawing for quite a while now. when I'm bored at home a draw. when I'm bored in school you could find me either talking to my friends or doodling in my notebook. In elementary school if we ever had to use whiteboards and I had extra time, I would draw random things on the white board. it is kind of a hobby of mine. I am definitely not the best drawer in the world but I could say that I draw pretty well.
            As I have been reading my IRP book which is The Usborne Complete Book of Drawing, designed by Nigel Reece and edited by Alastair Smith and Judy Tatchell, the first page is about people. The book states "People's bodies are made up of lots of different shapes so they are tricky to draw realistically. Don't try to draw a finished outline straight off. Instead, sketch rough shapes lightly and loosely until the proportions look right" (Smith, Tatchell 5). For the picture I drew, I drew a face and it took me a while to get the right proportions for the head, eyes, nose, mouth. I drew an outline of the head and then proportioned all the face features to the size of the head since that order makes the most sense. The words in the book are true, it truly is hard to draw a face without an outline.
           Another thing that I noticed while reading my IRP was the fact that they showed how to do different face angles so the face is directly straight. the book showed how you would angle the face with specific instructions and an angled view of a face is also called a profile (Smith, Tatchell  7). I personally think that drawing an angled face is hard but it turns out pretty cool after the finishing touches. In my drawing I drew a girl with an angled face and I actually liked how the drawing turned out.

Do you like to draw or doodle? If so what do you like to draw?
Did you like the way my drawing turned out? why or why not?
Was this a good thing to draw or should I have started off a little more basic?

Smith, Alastair, and Judy Tatchel. The Usborne Complete Book of Drawing. Usborne Pub., 2009.

Chic Hairstyles: Part 1

Taming hair in the morning is stressful and time consuming, but what if there was a way to speed up this process. Well, there is! This hairstyle is both quick and easy, while still being elegant. It also suits all hair types from curly to straight and short to long! 

A book called  Braid, Buns, and Twists by Christina Butcher gives chic hairstyles that can be worn for all occasions. It provides simple how-to illustrations and photographs showing these breathtaking styles.

The first hairstyle I tried was the French Braid. I was interested in this hairstyle because the book stated “The French Braid sits close to your head and is a beautiful way to wear your hair up” (Butcher, 42). This means that this braid is a good way to get your hair out of your face. It also means the braid should start off tight so it is close to the head. From that I learned I had to start with smaller pieces of hair to achieve that. When I modeled this hairstyle on someone else, I started by using a basic braiding technique. Then, I started adding small sections of hair from each side all the way back down their head. Lastly, I secured the hairstyle with an elastic.

Tip: Make sure that the sections you add in are even (Butcher, 43). This is a really important tip because it helped me keep the braid keep straight.

Overall, I recommended this hairstyle because it is quick and easy to do. There are many variations to wear this braid, you can wear it loose for an effortless look or tightly for a more sophisticated one. It is very versatile and can be used on all hair types!

Would you wear a French Braid? If so, how would you  personalize it?

Make sure to read my next blog post to see what the next hairstyle will be!

Citation:
Butcher, Christina. Braids, Buns, and Twists!: Step-by-Step Tutorials for 82 Fabulous Hairstyles. Apple Press, 2015.

Chic Easy Hairstyles Part 3

In this third post, I would like to share one of the simplest hairstyles- the Curly Front Twist. This braid is very easy for quick mornings and to cover up that second day hair. First off, you want to have two strands of hair from one side of your head in the front, and as Jenny Strebe says in her 5-Minute Hairstyles book, “using only two strands of hair instead of three makes it a much easier choice if you are unsure of how to braid, or only have limited time!” (Strebe 104). Then, all you want to do is twist the two stands around each other grabbing more pieces of hair after every other twist, until you get to the other side of the head where you want to stop. When you get to the point where you want to stop the twist, with the two pieces of hair twist about half way and secure it with a bobby pin. A tip from Strebe is to use a little pomade if you have layers to control those flyways. Additionally you can pin the twist beneath the hair just so the bobby pin would not be visible.

Overall, this hairstyle is simple, easy but still makes you look like you put a little effort into your hair. How useful is this hairstyle to you and how often would you use it?

Chic Easy Hairstyles Part 2

Welcome back to my blog! In my previous post I asked how you would personalize the Full Fishtail Pony, because in this post I will continue off of that braid. In the introduction of the book 5-Minute Hairstyles by Jenny Strebe, she talks about how the braids in the book look great but it’s even better if you add your own special touch (Strebe 6). Meaning to be creative and add your own twist! 

                 After reading Strebe’s introduction, I began to look at the hairstyles and thought of ways to make them unique to me. On page 66 I had found the Braided Bun, looking at the picture steps I found them to be similar as the Full Fishtail Pony. I added my own unique touch to the Braided Bun by combing the hairstyle with the Full Fishtail Pony. Taking off where the Full Fishtail Pony ends, all I did was wrap the fishtail around in a bun and there I had a Braided Bun. The only difference between the two hairstyles was that the Braided Bun was a regular braid and you just wrapped the braid around into a bun. 

Images 1-3 Braided Bun modeled by Angela

                By making a little change in the hairstyle, I had made it personalized. The hairstyle was still quick and easy but it looks totally different. As Strede says on page 6 “Weather its adjusting the style of braid you use, or adding a special accessory, you can make each of these styles your own.” So get creative and have fun with your hair, it’s all whatever you think looks good on you.  

                How do you like your hair? Add a little twist and see what happens. Read my next blog to find out what hairstyle is next!

Chic Easy Hairstyles Part 1

Waking up in the morning is trouble enough, but what’s even more stressful is taming that hair! We tend to stick to morning routines and the basic boring looks because we just don’t have enough time in the morning. A book called 5-Minute Hairstyles by Jenny Strebe, including 50 hairstyles for the typical girl on the go, inspired me to experiment with some of the hairstyles to see if they are quick and easy while still looking good.

5-Minute Hairstyles by Jenny Strebe

This first look I tried was called a “Full Fishtail Pony”. I tried this look because "it looks great lived-in, so you don't have to worry about getting a little messy throughout the day" (Strebe 18), which means if throughout the day your hair gets messy, your hair will still be looking good. My friend Angela had volunteered to be my hair model, so getting started I gathered her hair in a high pony tail securing her hair with an elastic. Secondly I started fish tail braiding the pony tail by dividing it into two pieces and taking one small piece of hair from each side and bringing it over to the other side repeatedly. I fish tail braided until I got to the end of her hair and secured the end of the braid with another elastic. Lastly I went back to the top of the braid and slightly pulled the sides of the fishtail to make her hair look more voluminous, a tip from Strebe on page 18.

"Full Fishtail Pony" modeled by Angela

In all I recommend this look because it was very easy and quick to do. The Full Fishtail Pony is an effortless yet a very pretty braid. You can wear this braid neat or messy, which ever suits you. 

Would you wear a Full Fishtail Pony? And how would you personalize this braid? Read my next blog to learn what my following easy chic hairstyle will be!