Trendspotting; The Soc bun

Kim Kardashian wears the Soc bun with pride.

TRENDSPOTTING

 THE SOC BUN

Mmmmh… This is interesting how a stocking cut half can create a stunning yet elegant style that is timeless and sexy at the same time. Spotted on mostly the red carpet and high class parties, this style works best when you are attending a glamor party, getting married or  a dress up event. Please do not wear it for work!!! For those who have short hair, hair additions will work. Some famous celebrities have been spotted around wearing the soc bun, Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Mary J bilge  and Kim kardashian all have rocked the style.

 Start by repairing the hair with a gentle wash and condition. Apply some leave in treatment for thermal protection and shine. Blow dry or set the hair in Jumbo rollers and when dry, pull the hair at the centre, like you are doing a ponytail, and secure with a cotton hair band to prevent strays and less stretch to the hair. If you have a soc, or stocking, pull your hair up and place the soc at the tip of the hair. Now gently roll the hair down while tucking the hair in to achieve a smooth finish. Sounds difficult right… not really. The soc will keep the hair in place and secure with bobby pins once you reach the base of the ponytail.

 Another way of creating the soc bun is to pull all your hair up to a ponytail. Separate the ponytail into 3 sections. Now take one section at a time and starting at the tip, spray some holding spray and roll the hair like a ball till you reach the base, secure with bobby pins. Do that to the rest of the hair and when done, use a fine tooth comb to smooth the hair and cover the spaces.. Finish with a shine mist and wear minimal jewellery.

 This style will enhance your bone structure and widen your eyes. Less make up and bold lip colour works perfectly. You don’t have to worry about the style falling as it really stays in place. Square and oblong face shapes should not attempt to wear this style as that would really angulate your features instead of softening them. Enjoy the style.

Dress my Nest. Head gears

 Coats,heavy jackets,boots,socks,hats and a steaming hot cup of coffee/tea are what may be going through your mind every morning in this cold chilly weather.Its during this time of the year that you want to use all that make up you pile at your dressing table.Your foundation and powders lasts effortlessly and you need not worry about blotting powders and papers.

If your hair is under transition,like from perm/curly kit to natural,its a fantastic time to take a break from all the heat styling and concentrate on deep and intensive treatments.Rocking colorful scarfs  gives your body the illusion of warmth.With the neon colors hitting the  racks,its  time  the African woman  embraced  African colored scarfs,play them with trendy jewellery and well placed eye makeup and the true uniqueness of African beauty will be self explanatory.

Curls Aloud; Sexy Boody waves

Did this model for a photo shoot and it struck me how women fear to look good with artificial hair. For crying out loud doesn't this girl look dangerous with that hair, you will surely give her a second look and admire how she swings her hair and rocks it with attitude.

To recreate this look, a cut is the most important aspect. Get your stylist to cut short medium and long layers, shorter in front cascading in length though the back. If using extensions, quality human hair is a must. Set the hair in big rollers and don't put too much oil, a volumising shampoo and mousse will do the trick. Remove the rollers and comb your hair with your fingers while your head is tilted upside down. Dab some holding spray at the roots and arrange the curls into place. No oils needed just lightly mist a sheen 10 inches away from your hair and allow it to sit, do not spray directly. Enjoy the style.

Centric Balance; Straw sets

Here is another one for our natural sistas. Get gorgeous with my latest invention, straws unplugged. Define your natural curls with pomp in this simple style that will give you instant appeal, whatever your length.When i touch a head of hair, i take it like what an artist does to a canvas, and view it as a piece of art i can work with.
The model in this post has natural hair, she occasionally texturize it to manage the kink. I chose this set for her hair because her hair is light and she needed it to have body and a centric feel to it rather than blow drying it straight all the time.

 An inch sections were taken from the nape and strands were individually rolled on the  straws, some curl pudding was used to stretch the hair and moisturise it, making it hold on to the straw. She was then placed under a hood dryer for 45 50 minutes, then i let the hair cool down before removing the straws. A little bit of hair butter or a curl moisturising cream was applied before releasing the curls. separate the curls with your fingers  and use a blow dryer to lift the roots up, do like a scrunching effect on the roots while blowing the air to the roots. define the curls with extra cream and you are good to go.













This style can last up to a week or two,and a surprising thing is that the more you do straw set if you have natural hair, the hair tends to keep like a "memory" of the curl, after washing you notice the hair is forming itself like a patter, something good to look forward to in saving you some cash. For our relaxed sisters, use styling gel to roll the hair and use light pomade or a serum or polisher to separate the curls and define.

BRIDEZILLA.
Its just the other day it crossed my mind AGAIN.......!Why do some brides want to spoil their most important day by being bridezillas?Arguing with suppliers,degsiners,hairstylists,beauticians dj's etc.Some annoyingly do it even on the actual wedding day,changing things like colours presentations,styles and locations.This has never been useful to anyone.Bride zillas end up with distorted versions of originally very creative and beautiful ideas.

If you are planning for your wedding and you are the miss perfection kind,make it a priority to do all you consultations way in advance.Pick styles you'd like from magazine,freind's photos or the internet.Identify a stylist you'd like to work with and make detailed consultations with them.You should carry the pictures of styles you like when you visit your stylist so that the stylist can adequately prepare for the stlye you'll both agree on.

LISTENING to your stylist is very important.Do not be shy to express your opinions and ask questions.Make sure you get satisfactory answers.
If you've not seen work they have done before,it is important you go for hair and makeup trials before your big day just to be sure you are dealing with the right person.
Always remember this is a day you are excused for looking overly gorgeous.The only thing that reminds you of that great day is your pictures and videos.Get you look right.!

Have a fab wedding and a happy long marriage.

TRENDSPOTTING; THE UNDERCUT

Singer Rihanna spoting an undercut.

British Singer Emeli Sande undercut is Bold,clearly not for introverts.

Undercut, is a term to describe the shave with a haircutting machine or a scissor cut at the sides of your head. This style is an upgrade of the traditional cut where the sides of the head were mostly scissor cut or cut into layers to achieve consistency and blend on the haircut.This however is a one sided cut, you can decide to shape one or both sides, a sessionwith your stylist will help you decide.The trend these days as seen on celebrities like Rihanna and British pop singer Emeli Sande, girl group  and cassie are spotting the look.

Cassie rocks it with color.

Rihanna's version of Undercut with long hair is so right now!

This look moves from the traditional cut and its bold and can be worn by all age groups. It makes a statement and gives you a unique look that most people just dream of getting one. Whether you decide to wear it short or long, you are spoilt for choice. The good thing about it is that you can decide to hide it if you let the hair fall on either side. Discuss with your stylist on the best option for your face shape and texture of your hair. You can decide to customize the look if cutting is an issue, do a deep parting and sleek back the hair with a moulding gel or wax and secure it with bobby pins, style as desired. Caution is advised if you cut you will be required to relax your hair often to keep it looking neat. More undercut styles below for you to tke to your stylist.

 Have an Undercut Day.XX

Color Blocking Hair

Color, the essence of life. I agree that most of our women have sworn to the heavens that they will never color their hair. To some truth, there has been pretty nasty experiences in my years of hairdressing, color didn’t process well, it came out darker or lighter, my hair fell on the sink e.t.c, Haven’t  we heard all those stories  before.

As the years  go by, more knowledge has been impacted and colors have been improved to suit black hair, they are less harsh, and better aftercare products are available in the market. A consultation with your stylist is extremely important while considering color. I prefer that you use professional colors and the color proces should be performed by a professional.

Let’s  discuss color blocking. As what can be seen on runways by designers like Max Mara, Diane von Futsenberg,Luis Vuitton and Carl Largerfield,and high fashion celebrities like Beyonce, Rihanna, Mary J Blige and Queen Latifah , you are sure to get heads turning. Color blocking is the use of two or more contrasting colors on your hair, usually the lighter appears in the front and the darker at the back. Your stylist will help you to determine which colors will suit you and how bright you will need to go. Some of the stylists need some upgrading so my advice is that you  take matters in your own hands and take a picture that resembles the type of style that you want, google has zillion pictures of hairstyles  you can download and consult with them.

It’s  funky, fresh, wearable and bold, if you are on the laid back side do not attempt, as this is sure to get heads turning. My advice;-if you decide to take this bold step, regular rich deep conditioning and hot oil treatments every week is advisable. If you need to have more volume, you can use natural human hair extentions and have them glued instead of cornrowing. Use protetive color shampoos everytime you wash your hair.

Some color blocking hairstyle ideas for you to choose your signature style. Enjoy.