Beautiful Thursday: What to Consider when Choosing an Updo

August 20, 2015August 20, 2015 / Blu Owl Gypsy / Leave a comment

Weddings, Proms, Homecomings, Social Events…there are so many events that come up where you may be in need of a beautiful coiffed style. Oftentimes, my clients will bring pictures of what they want,which is incredibly helpful and welcomed. However, there are some important factors that many people do not consider ahead of time and are sorely disappointed when “dream hair” does not turn out what they expected.

Here are some important considerations when pulling together a Pinterest look book of option for your stylist.

Color

Yes, a brunette can wear the same updo as a blonde or ginger but you won’t see the details in pictures. When looking at pictures of updos decide if it’s the shape or the detail that excites you. Typically a picture of a blonde will showcase the beautiful details in the creation where in darker brunette a, it’s all about the shape. Don’t believe me? Look back at old prom pictures and compare the blondes from the brunette a. If the brunette did a style that focused on details the chances are those details, though visible, did not pop like the blonde.

A blonde an brunette. Same style, different results

Does this mean brunette a can’t have details? Of course not! Just make sure the shape is the wow factor.

Clothing

What are you wearing?

It’s one of the first questions I ask my clients when they sit in my chair. This can be a deciding factor on up, down, vintage or modern. For instance, when wearing a dress with one shoulder and you want an asymmetric updo, which side do you put the heavy side? If your stylist doesn’t know wear the straps are, you may look very heavy on one side. Or, if you chose a bridal gown because you think the back of it is gloriously detailed, you’ll want to make sure you style your hair up to show it off. Keep these factors in mind both when choosing a hairstyle but your dress as well!

Extensions, Extension, Extensions…

I can do amazing things with hair. Really. But I cannot give you Taylor Swifts hair. She’s got more hair than the average girl so if you want your hair to have that fullness, you may need extensions. Clip ins work. Preferably real hair because the synthetic kind can not have heat on it. Expect the price to be a minimum of $100 to buy those bad boys but on the plus side, you get to keep them!

She had surprised me on the photoshoot with her hair all cut off….extensions save the day!!!

Veils, Tiaras and Adornments! Oh My!

If a stylist does not know what you are wearing on your head, we cannot make proper space for it in our creation. Even if you are planning on putting a simple clip in your hair, a stylist should do it. Why? Because once we’ve constructed your hairstyle and lacquered it with hairspray you cannot muss with it. Besides, wouldn’t you want there to be no unsightly pins or elastic showing? That’s our job.

You are not Kim Kardashian. You are : fill in the blank.

When you show me a picture of a celebrity updo, I will take it as inspiration to make the best possible you…not said celebrity.

Why?

Because a kabillion other women are showing that same picture to THEIR stylists. Each client is an individual. My job is to highlight that and make it uniquely and authentically YOU. I mean, why have cookie cutter hair when you can have couture?

Still some detail in her updo but we focused on how the shape would go with her dress.

Tell us your experiences with getting your hair done and how you felt about it. We want to hear!

Beautiful Thursday-MacGuyvering Your Hair Through a Busy Day

July 23, 2015July 23, 2015 / Blu Owl Gypsy / 3 Comments

I don’t want to piss off my fellow stylists, but I am a very busy single mother of three who is also a workaholic. Sometimes I go a shameful amount of time between shampoos.

This particular blog post is dedicated to my filthy hair, that smells like mixture of bacon and who knows what else. I probably should not even say! So, I am in between clients and pulling a 12 hour day today and finishing my evening by fulfilling my promise to take the kids to a movie. Tomorrow is a crazy day too and I still have to pack for my trip to Chicago for my training with Peter Coppola! That being said, here are some 911 MacGuyver hair tips to pull off looking fresh for even one more day:

Febreeze. Yes, I literally Febreezed my hair this morning. I have gone out one night this week into a smokey bar as well as cooked up some bacon. So, yes, I flipped my hair over and Febreezed it! Normally, my go-to is the Chi Shine Infusion spray because it brings my hair back to life with shine and also, the scent is strong and smells amazing.
Powder. I live and swear by dry shampoo. I usually have a small amount in my purse at all times. Of course, sometimes I am out or can’t find the damn thing. I prefer Sexy Hair H2NO. If you are in a pinch, you can use any powder, like baby powder or talc. I usually use my face powder because it is in my purse and is a quick way to matte oily hair in between shoots under this scorching Florida sun.
Lotion. I know all of you ladies have lotion in your car or purse. Sometimes, my hair will be extra dry or I had no time to tame it and it becomes a frizzy monster. Lotion can be a quick mane tamer if you are in a pinch. Otherwise, I use Moroccan Oil or a light creamy product such as Aquage Transforming Paste.

And don’t worry! I plan to shampoo my hair tonight….. Or tomorrow! Gotta go!

Top 5 Tuesday-How to Take Care of Your Hair

July 21, 2015July 22, 2015 / Blu Owl Gypsy / Leave a comment

How to shampoo: Most of you are shampooing wrong! The most effective way to shampoo your hair is to make sure it is wet enough and creates a lather. If it has been a few days, shampoo twice! I always do and occasionally need to use a clarifying shampoo to remove product buildup. You only need to shampoo your scalp. When you rinse your hair, it will rinse down through your ends. You want to avoid directly putting shampoo on your ends or it can cause dyness. You should not shampoo everyday. Invest in a good dry shampoo for inbetween.
Conditioning: The opposite goes for conditioning. You do not want to condition the scalp because it is new, healthy hair and your scalp produces oil already. Conditioning your scalp can cause an oily look and will require you to shampoo sooner. I like to leave the conditioner in while I do the rest of my shower business so that the steam and time helps to open the cuticle and get a deep conditioning. Finally, make sure you rinse your back after conditioning so that you do not have an oily film that can cause breakouts.
After Treatment: I chronically torture my hair with hot tools and color services, therefore, I like to use leave in treatments for my poor ends. For those with curly hair, where the hair bends is more fragile and finer than the other areas of the hair, which means: breakage. Leave in conditioners are important but make sure it is meant to be left in. I hear sometimes people leave their conditioner in and it is not meant for that.
Haircuts: I know most of the ladies want to grow out their hair, believe me, I am one of them. However, when you have split ends, the ends will continue to split up the hairshaft or break off. Maintaining a trim on a 4-6 week basis will help keep your hail healthy and prevent breakage.
Hair Ties: Please stop. Just….. Stop. You are causing friction from constantly pulling your hair up and twisting the hair ties around, which erodes the hair and causes breakage. I see this too often with clients. If you feel the need to wear your hair up daily, I suggest getting a haircut or doing something to switch it up so that you are out of your hair rut. Otherwise, I know it gets hot and some of you people live at the gym. Just use with caution and moderately.

Misti Blu Day is a stylist and co-owns a salon with her brother Danny Day in Cocoa Village called The Big Bang Studio. She was an educator for Sexy Hair and now is beginning training to be be an educator for Peter Coppola.