Heat is slowly killing all of our hair (if you forget the fact that technically your hair is already dead). No heat is the way to go, no matter the season, but since it is so hard for me to leave the warmth of my bed in the mornings now that it is freezing outside in Utah, I am a sucker for a quick and bomb no-heat style. Without further adieu, let me introduce you to two of my go-tos so far this winter.

Also, let me add the side note that hair scarves are not dead yet, and they transition beautifully to fall and winter from summer.

#1 The Twisted Party Pony

1. Gather all the little plastic hair ties in the world, cause you’re gonna need them.
2. Take small sections of hair from either side and have them meet at the back.
3. Tie them off with a clear hair tie.*
4. Flip the hair up and over itself.
5. Pull the hair tie tight and pull pieces loose until you have the desired look.
6. Repeat until all of your hair has been used up.
7. You can leave the remaining hair down like a ponytail, or continue to flip it through itself for a braided look.
8. Add a hair scarf to cover up your last hair tie.

*Use colored plastic hair ties and let them show, for some added spunk and less hassle.

 

#2 The Big Braided Bun

1. Braid your hair into a dutch braid that is centered in the back of your head.
2. Start the braid up high, next to your part and stop the braid where you would tie-off a low ponytail.
3. Sprinkle Kristin Ess Working Texture Loose Styling Powder onto the braid.
4. Pull apart the braid generously.
5. Turn the remaining ponytail hair into a messy bun.
6. Add a hair tie around the circumference of your bun to hide any bobby pins or imperfections.

 

Give your hair a break from your curling irons, flat irons, and blow dryers. Work in a bunch of hair oils, I recommend Moroccanoil, and try out one of these no-heat styles and let me know what you think. If you add the hair scarf, you get extra props for keeping them in style.

If that isn’t your style and you want more party showing in the front to compensate for the party going on in the back, add a headband. ASOS is my go-to for cute, cheap headbands that aren’t made for a 5-year-olds, so they don’t squeeze your brain out and give you a migraine at the expense of looking BOMB!

What no-heat styles are your go-tos?

The best curling irons on earth are the BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Spring Curling Irons. If you follow any other hair girls, you have heard their shameless plug about them, and I am here to concur.

The curling iron you use matters, but I want to focus on the importance of using the right size curling iron.  To get the look you want, you have to make sure that you are using the right size curling iron, or it just won’t look the same as the inspiration picture that you have looming in your mind.

I have two go-to sizes: the 1” and the 1 ¼” BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Spring Curling Irons. You might be questioning in your mind how big of a difference can a ¼ of an inch can make. The difference is actually quite substantial. Each one has their time and their place and the way that your hair holds a curl is an important factor to consider.

THE 1”

This size is perfect for tighter curls. This is the curling iron that you should be using if your hair does not hold a curl very well. If you are a bride or a model, or you just need your curls to look picture perfect for a long day, go for tighter curls so that when they relax they look the way you want. If you ever get the burning desire to recreate old Hollywood curls,this is what you need. Another way to take advantage of the 1” is to curl your hair with it, and then wear the curls for 3 days. Each day they will loosen up and the last day, your curls should look similar to the 1 ¼”.

THE 1 ¼”

This is the size you need if you are prepared to rock loose, effortless curls. If your hair holds a curl well, this should be your go-to curling iron. This size iron will give you the same loose curl look that you see all the bloggers and Instagram moms are rocking. Sometimes, I even just curl the top layer of my hair and  leave the rest of my hair be in its natural wave. These curls are definitely looser, but are an elegant look that is very versatile.

To show you the difference between the two, I curled one half of my head with the 1” and the other with the 1 ¼” BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Spring Curling Iron.

On the left are the curls from the 1” and on the right are the 1 ¼ “ curls.

The size of your curling iron matters, so choose carefully. What size curling iron is your go-to?

 

Have you ever gone through all of the effort to make the most picture-perfect pulled-apart braid, just to look in the mirror an hour later and have it look like trash? Oh, the agony of having your arms burn from braiding and feeling embarrassed that you were walking around like that. There is a little secret weapon that can save you from suffering this pain.

This is your golden ticket to the perfect pulled apart braid. Consider it the 30 second add on to the normal process you would go through, but this one seals the deal. The Kristin Ess Working Texture Loose Styling Powder is only $10 and it is the literal best. The only thing that makes it better, is that you can pick it up at Target! Next time you are roaming the isles adding everything to your cart that catches your eye, pick it up! Your husband won’t even get mad when you bring this one home.

How to use it:

1. Braid your hair just like you normally would.
2. Pull it apart about half as much as you normally would.
3. Sprinkle the Kristin Ess Working Texture Loose Styling Powder on top of the briad.

• The powder comes out white, but do not worry, once it gets worked in, it will become transparent! Even in the darkest of hair!
• The powder will also feel cold. It is the weirdest sensation, but you will get over it once you see how bomb it is.

1. Pat the powder into the half-pulled apart braid.
2. Pull apart the braid the rest of the way, until you are satisfied!
3. If your hair is thick, you can be generous with the powder.
4. If your hair tends to slip out of how you pull it apart a ton, I recommend using the powder on both sides of your braid.

It may seem trivial that I am recommending a $10 product sold to the masses at Target, but it really is the real deal. No need to spend money on anything fancy, if the cheap stuff works better anyway. Plus, this product comes in handy in other times of need. Is your hair the kind that does not seem to hold a tease, no matter how much hairspray you use? Sprinkle this on the roots of your hair and then backcomb it. TA DA! It will hold no problem! Does your fishtail look tiny and thin? Sprinkle this powder and work it into the fishtail and pull-apart and fluff. Now it looks like you are wearing $500 worth of extensions, at the tiniest fraction of the price.

Try it out, post a picture in your story, and tag me in your pictures! Or leave a comment with your thoughts on how the Kristin Ess Working Texture Loose Styling Powder worked for you!

Link to product

I know I may seem like the typical all-knowing hairstylist, but I don’t even work in a salon. I only do special occasion and on-site styling. My favorite of all my clients are my brides. Living in Utah, it is always wedding season, which means I am always booking bridal styling appointments. So, for today’s post I wanted to share with you how the process works and what I offer my brides.

The Process

Almost all of my brides find me on Instagram, and a few are referred to me from their other vendors. My favorite make-up artist is Merrie (@merriemakeupartist) and we send lots of clients to each other because together we are the dream team. After receiving a message or email from a potential client, I will first ask for specific information. I need to know the date, time of events or what time you need to be ready by, and what the prep location is. I am available for travel, so if you want me to come to you, we can work that out. After knowing these details and if I am available for when you need me, I will send my pricing sheet. As soon as you give me the go ahead, I put you in my calendar, take a deposit, and you are good to go until we meet.

Upon meeting, I will being with questions to understand how your hair reacts. This is how I learn how I will need to curl your hair and which products I will need to use in order for your hair to last a full day.

After the questioning, we go through inspiration pictures that you have collected. I love to see them all, even if you want to combine components of 9 different pictures into one style, I can make it happen. I will then walk you through the process and will get started.

Since most of my bridal clients want curled styles, I start by curling your hair. I will then make small steps towards completing the style. I talk you through each step and make sure that you like what I am doing, there is enough hair down in the front to make sure you don’t feel bald or see too much of your ears, and that no bobby pins are stabbing you to death.

Once the style is complete and you give me the okay, I give you one big hairspray, volumizing spray, and touch up. From there, you are all done. I take a few pictures for my portfolio, or so you can end up on here like the cute bride in the video, and give you a big hug and send you on your way.

I love my brides with all of my heart because there is something so special and magical about being a part of a most memorable day, whether that be bridals, actual wedding day, or both. That being said, let me tell you the importance of choosing one hairstylist to do both your bridals styling and day-of-wedding hair. On the day of your wedding, we make any changes that you want from seeing your bridals. This is critical because you (hopefully) only get married once, and I want those pictures to reflect exactly how you want to look.

Another tip that you need to remember as a bridal client: Voice your opinion. If you think one piece of hair is sticking out funny, you need more hair in front or covering your ears, or ANYTHING else you don’t like, SAY SOMETHING. You have to wear the style, not me. It is your big day, not me. And more than anything, I want you to feel confident. So say something, because I won’t be offended in the slightest. This day is about you, and you are paying to look picture perfect. This brings up my last point, be realistic. It is very possible that the picture you want is of a girl with $700 worth of sewn in extensions, which you don’t have. That being said, I will recreate that style to the best of my ability, but unless you have extensions, I can only do so much.

Tips Recap

• Say something, if it isn’t turning out the way you want.
• Be realistic in your expectations.
• Get bridals and day-of styling done by the same person.

I am always looking for more people to fill my calendar, so if you are interested in booking me to style your hair for any occasion, please contact me!

Have you invested in a set of clip in extensions, but don’t like to wear them every day? I am going to show you three ways to style your hair using just the one inch/front fill-in clip. You can take a simple hair style and upgrade it to a little something extra with just one clip!

The three ways:

• Braided headband
• Intertwined side braid
• Ponytail wrap

STEP-BY-STEP:

Braided Headband

1. Start by braiding your single extension clip and tying it off with a clear plastic hair tie. *The easiest way, (Yes, I know how ghetto this is going to sound) is to hold the clip between your lips as you braid it.
2. Section off the front triangle of hair that you want to hang in front of the headband and clip the extension upward (the opposite direction you are used to).
3. Drape the braid over your head while you section off the triangle of hair that you want to be in front from the other side.
4. Bobby pin your tied-off end of the extension so it is hidden.

TA DA! There you have it. It is as easy as that and looks great with natural hair or cur it to make it look more formal.

 

Intertwined Side Braid

1. Start by braiding your single extension clip and tying it off with a clear plastic hair tie. *The easiest way, (Yes, I know how ghetto this is going to sound) is to hold the clip between your lips as you braid it.
2. Pull your hair to one side and section your hair into two. The front section will have ⅔ of your hair and the back section will have the remaining ⅓ of your hair.
3. Clip your extension clip to the back ⅓ section.
4. Divide the front section into 2. You will now have three equal sections for you to start braiding.
5. Braid your sections and focus on keeping the inserted braid towards the top of it’s section, in order to keep it visible.
6. Tie off your braid once you reach the hair tie of your extension.
7. Pull your braid apart and if needed pull the small braid into view.

TA DA! There you have it. You are ready to rock this style.

 

Ponytail Wrap

1. Start by braiding your single extension clip and tying it off with a clear plastic hair tie. *The easiest way, (Yes, I know how ghetto this is going to sound) is to hold the clip between your lips as you braid it.
2. Put your hair into your desired ponytail.
3. Clip your extension clip on the bottom side of your ponytail, as close to the hair tie as possible.
4. Wrap your braid around and around the ponytail until the braid’s hair tie is closest to the bottom of the ponytail.
5. Bobby pin the end into place or use my special trick to secure the end of your extension into place.

TA DA! There you have it. You just took a ponytail to the next level.

BONUS POINTS: Combine all three and you’ve got one banging hairstyle for a night out or for a day running errands! If you try this out, please tag me on Instagram so I can see how it turns out for you!

Leave a comment with another style you want a tutorial on.

 

There is a little trick that has circulated the hair world that involves a toothbrush. Let me start out by describing how this trick is meant to help. You put your hair in a ponytail, spray your flyaways with hairspray, and magically when you look in the mirror 2 hours later, your flyaways are sticking right back up again. Now let’s talk about how the trick works. So basically, you put your hair into that ponytail and either right after you spray your flyaways directly you brush them down with a toothbrush, or you spray hairspray generously, directly onto the toothbrush and brush down your flyaways.

As a hairstylist with the most annoying flyaways who seem to be impervious to hairspray alone, I tested this trick out to see if it was everything that it was talked up to be. I tried it both ways, spraying my hair then toothbrushing it and spraying the toothbrush directly then brushing with it.

Spraying my hair directly, then brushing with the toothbrush.

This method ended up in the crunchier looking and feeling ponytail. I also noticed that the hairspray dried or got sticky too fast when sprayed directly onto a decent sized section of my hair. When I say decent sized, I mean a section three toothbrush bristle sets wide.

Spraying the toothbrush directly, then brushing with it.

Out of the two methods, this one would be my preferred. I tried it, and loved it. It totally works and is not an internet scam. I have used it three times this week. (Yes, I know that I do hair and should have more variety with my styling on my own hair than constant ponytails.) From trial and error, I would suggest not going crazy with the mount of hairspray that you spray onto it. I just did a single one second spritz, and quickly brushed down some flyaways. My second suggestion would be to spray in between each brush down, so that there is enough product being distributed onto your hair to hold it down for the whole day.

Overall, I would suggest spraying the toothbrush directly, then brushing your flyaways down. I could also see how the hairspray that you chose to use could play into the results of the methods, because of the difference in stickiness, quickness in drying, and stiffness/crunchiness. Another component that could give you different results, is hair type. My hair is stick straight, fine, and hates to be manipulated. If your hair strands are individually thicker or have a tight curl to them, you might find more resistance to this trick than the rest of us.

It works people! Next time you are at Target, pick up a super cheap toothbrush to try it out, it doesn’t have to be anything fancy or cute. Another suggestion would be to use an adult toothbrush because the bristles are stiffer than a children’s one, and this could also alter your results.

Leave any tips or tricks that you have learned using the toothbrush trick in the comments!

You will hear me say over and over again that the easiest way to take your hairstyles to the next level, is to always cover your hair ties. I am always a fan of bows, scarves, scrunchies, and any accessories, but the easiest way to cover them is with your hair itself and it will never go out of style. Now we have all seen the video where you wrap your hair around your hair ties and jam 3 bobby pins into it and you’re “good to go”. Well that never worked for me because my hair always slipped out of the bobby pins or the bobby pins started stabbing me to death. In order to save you guys from stabbing yourself with bobby pins or having your hair slip out on you, I am going to share the secret trick to covering your hair tie with your own hair.

This 30 second trick on how to hide your hair tie has saved me so many times. To do this trick you will need:

1. Your hair held in a hair tie
2. A bobby pin
3. A hair pin

That’s ALL.

Here is a video that shows you how to step-by-step complete the trick.

To break it down:

You start out by styling your hair. For this example, I did a simple three-strand braid to the side. I tied it off with a small plastic hair tie. The hair pin then comes into play. Push it under the hair tie halfway through, with the round part facing up, and then stop. Next, take a small section of hair from the backside of the ends and wrap a it around one and a half times, so that you end with the remaining section in the front. Thread the ends into a bobby pin. Send the bobby pin full of hair through the hair pin and hold onto the ends tight, so they don’t slip out and undo your progress. The final step is to pull the hair pin full of hair down through the plastic hair tie.

STEP 1: Style your hair.

STEP 2: Insert hair pin.

STEP 3: Wrap hair tie.

STEP 4: Thread hair into bobby pin.

STEP 5: Thread bobby pin through the hair pin.

STEP 6: Pull hair pin down.

TA DA. There you have it. Your hair tie is covered and you won’t be stabbed with any bobby pins.

You all know that I love everything braids. So basically for this post, just braid your hair in any way and add one of these accessories and you will be holiday party ready and Braidz by Maddie approved. You also all know that I am a sucker for a great deal. All of these recommendations are budget friendly and will add that little extra something to complete your look for the holidays. These are also great accessories for year round (SO THEY ARE AN EVEN BETTER INVESTMENT)! All of these are linked and can be found on ASOS.com!

   #1   Silver Jewel Comb

 #2   2 Pack of Gold Headbands

 #3   Hammered Gold Hair Tie

 #4   Oversized Pink Bow

 #5   Hammered Gold Arrow Clip

 #6   Chocolate Velvet Headband

 #7   Marble Hair Clip

HOW I WOULD STYLE EACH OF THESE

#1 Silver Jewel Comb: I would use this to style and half up style you could possibly imagine. Picture a halo fishtail or two dutch braids that are topped off by inserting this into their meeting point.

#2 Pack of Gold Headbands: Since this is a two pack there an opportunity for double the fun. They could be worn with super tight curls, with a big pulled apart side fishtail, or a loose topknot. Basically, these could elevate any hairstyle to holiday chic.

#3 Hammered Gold Hair Tie: Not only could this make any ponytail look extra fancy, but it could also be the perfect addition to the end of a braid or fishtail. I always try and cover my little plastic hair ties, and this is the perfect accessory to do just that.

#4 Oversized Pink Bow: What could be a better way to communicate that you are the best present they could ever have than by wearing an oversized bow? Perfect for the end of a braid, on a ponytail, next to a topknot, or a half up-half down style.

#5 Hammered Gold Arrow Clip: This is the perfect accessory to hold back awkward bangs or a small braid.

#6 Chocolate Velvet Headband: The perfect way to make your outfit look super thought out, but you can wear it with greasy natural hair and still look bomb and put together. Rock it with some volume in the back, or completely natural. The perfect pair to anything from a fancy dress to casual denim.

#7 Marble Hair Clip: Another greasy hair friendly accessory. By simply having it hold a half-up style, you would have me convinced that you put a decent amount of thought and effort into your accessory choice.

If you end up buying any of these, make sure that you tag me in your pictures so that I can see how cute your accessorized styles are.

Every single time I see someone wearing a hat while I am out and about, I automatically assume that they are wearing it for one of three reasons. The three reasons are that they did not want to do their hair, did not have time to do their hair, or they are covering up how greasy their hair is because they did not wash it. This is a mean assumption of me, because hats are totally cute. Because it is finally Fall and hats are totally in, I want to change the stigma of hats and share with you a few ways to style. And let me clarify that if I were to see you out and about with your hair styled with a hat in one of these ways, I would not consider you lazy enough to fall into one of my three categories.

Were you offended that I called you out for covering your greasy hair with a hat? Well then this style is for you. This style works for even the greasiest of hair. Basically the hardest part of this style is the part that it requires a hat. Here are the steps to getting this hat look:

1. Part your hair in the middle.*
2. Hold your hair back like you are going to put it into a ponytail.
3. Take out the square inch of hair on either side of your part by your face.
4. Secure your hair into a ponytail without the sectioned off chunks from the front.
5. Make your ponytail into a low messy bun.
6. Lightly curl the two chunks of hair that you did not secure into the ponytail.
7. TA DA! Spray with your favorite hairspray and top it off with a hat!

Now you look like you actually tried to get ready, but really your hair is super greasy and the whole style took 10 minutes. Pair this look with bold earrings (my favorites are @roziejune) and you’re looking like you tried super hard to be put together for the day.

If you are feeling spicy, double the buns. The only change in instruction:

In Step 4 you will need to part your hair for pigtails and secure both of them and in Step 5 make them both into separate messy buns.

Are you the type of girl that does a cute messy braid and 5 minutes later it has all fallen out and looks awful? This is the hat style for you. Here are the the steps to getting the braided hat style that won’t fall out:

1. Part your hair in the middle.*
2. Hold your hair to the side like you are going to put it into a side ponytail.
3. Take out the square inch of hair on either side of your part by your face.
4. Secure your hair into a side ponytail without the sectioned off chunks from the front.
5. Wrap your ponytail with a piece of your hair.
6. Fishtail or braid the hair in your ponytail and end with a plastic hair tie.
7. Wrap the bottom hair tie with a piece of your hair.
8. Lightly curl the two chunks of hair that you did not secure into the ponytail.
9. TA DA! Spray with your favorite hairspray and top it off with a hat!

If you are feeling spicy, double the braids. The only change in instruction:

In Step 4 you will need to part your hair for pigtails and secure both of them and in Step 5 make them both into separate braids or fishtails.

My favorite hats are by far Gigi Pip hats, both hats that are pictured are from their shop! They are the best quality with the greatest community.

*I prefer middle parts when wearing hats, but you can part where you are most comfortable.

1. A Wet Brush.

Whether you are caring for your natural hair or extensions, what you brush it with matters! Especially when wet, our hair is more fragile and sensitive and we need to be careful not to be rough on it. If you are one of those people, like me, who is too lazy to have a wide comb to use when your hair is wet and a brush for when it is dry, then you need a Wet Brush.

2. A good hairspray.

There is nothing worse than walking to the bathroom and realizing that all of your fly aways have somehow managed to release themselves from the hold of your hairspray. A good hairspray will keep those puppies tamed without making your hair crispy or movement-less. Some of my favorites are Bed Head Masterpiece Shine Hairspray and Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray Medium.

TIP: You can usually find Bed Head Masterpiece Shine Hairspray for at least $6 cheaper than its regular $23 price tag at Nordstrom Rack.

3. A good dry shampoo.

Another one of my pet peeves is when I wake up and I discover that my hair is greasy. Dry shampoo should get more credit for all the work it truly does. Now think forward to a time when you have sprayed so much dry shampoo into your hair and it is still flat as can be and won’t move like clean hair. At this moment you have learned how important a good dry shampoo really is. My favorite is Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo. It is perfect for if you need it in a pinch and need it to refresh your hair, but it also is great for adding volume and texture. If Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo isn’t your jam, then my other suggestions are Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo and Bumble and bumble Prêt-à-powder Très Invisible (Nourishing) Dry Shampoo.

4. The best tools.

I use nothing else besides the BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium curling irons on my clients and myself. Don’t believe all of the Instagramers posting ads about “their favorite curling iron”. The BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium curling irons are my personal favorite because they produce beautiful curls on a lower heat setting. I am always concerned with the health of my own and my clients hair. Heat plays a huge impact, so the BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium irons not only produce a beautiful curl, but at a fraction of the damage to your hair. I most commonly use the 1.25” for looser curls and the 1” for tighter curls.

5. All of the extras.

To recreate any of my hairstyles, or any pretty much anywhere else, you’ll need a whole lotta bobby pins and little plastic hair ties. You for sure gotta have lots of those hanging around because we all know that they disappear out of thin air. But asides from the basics, your arsenal is not complete without a plethora of hair scarves, headbands, and scrunchies. Add them to any and every hairstyle and you will automatically take it to the next level.

And there you have it! The short list of my must-haves. What are some of your personal favorites or must-haves?

Braiding Made Easy.