Retail Therapy

Sometimes, when waiting for your hair to reach that next milestone, it's nice to get a new hair accessory for your hair. You can just put your hair up and forget about it for a while when you're getting impatient, and a beautiful new hair accessory makes it that much more fun.


Even if you're on a budget, as I am, it's a good idea to save a bit of money (even a dollar) each week, to save up for a good quality hair clip, hair sticks or any other accessory that you might like.


Drugstore hair accessories can be pretty, but they are often not very sturdy and don't always hold the hair well.  Some of the higher end accessories are products that will last a lifetime.  Ficcare hair clips are a really good example of this.  They are extremely well-crafted, they have extra strong springs that won't give out, and they're strong and sturdy.


While some people refer to their hair accessories as "hairtoys", I consider Ficcares, and some other accessories that I will discuss in future to be "Hair Jewelry".


Most recently, I purchased a Ficcare Maximas in the small size.  It's part of the now-defunct "diamond" collection.  The colour is Antique Silver with Aurora Borealis coloured crystals.  


After quite a search, I found it online at a reasonable price and it just arrived today!  I was so excited to go to my mail box and receive this parcel that had come to me all the way from Germany.

So here is a photo of my new Ficcare Maximas, another esteemed member of my hair jewelry collection.  Forgive the lack of much style, I just wanted to get that clip in my hair and show you right away!

Hairstyle How-To: Flipped Braid

This is another extremely quick and easy hairstyle.  It's so simple that it almost doesn't need instructions. It's also a great "convertible" style, as you can choose to begin your day with a simple 3 strand braid, and if you want to comfortably get the hair off of your neck, you can do this styles in the blink of an eye, provided that you have a hair clip, hair slide or a large barrette.  Here are the extremely simple instructions:

1. Make a single regular braid at the back of the head.

2. Flip braid up.

3. Tuck the braid's tassel under the braid.

4. Hold in place with the hair accessory of your choice.  I chose to use a Ficcare Ficcarissimo in the Eggplant colour.  The Ficcarissimo will hold that braid in place all day.

So that's it!  If you can make a braid and you have even a simple hair accessory, you can do this style in seconds.  This is a favourite for warm days that become hot days and it has a simple but classic look to it.

If you have some layers and bits stick out of the braid, don't give it a second thought.  This is one of those styles that doesn't need to look perfect.

Thanks to everyone for your kind comments yesterday regarding my instructions on how to trim your own bangs or fringe.  They're much appreciated.

Hairstyle How-To: Peacock Twist

This is a quick and easy hairstyle for people with shoulder-length to lower mid-back length hair.  It's a great first updo for when you're first growing out your hair.  Even at my length, I've just about grown out of it.  There are different ways to wear it, whether you use different clips, or whether you finish it by fanning the ends out, bending them to one side, or dividing them in two to both left and right.

On my hairstyle site, I've had several people write and request instructions for this style, so I'll give them in this entry. As I mentioned, my hair has gotten just about too long for it, but I'm adapting.

Here are the instructions:

1. Brush hair back and hold it as if ready to make a ponytail.

2. Twist hair several times in a counter-clockwise direction.

 

3. Pull twist upwards while twisting some more.

4. With right hand, grab a jaw clip, beak clip, French Twist comb, or the hair accessory of your choice.  I have chosen to use a medium Ficcare Innovation Beak Clip in Pink Marble.

5. Insert clip.  Arrange ends to the left as shown below.

6. Or for a traditional "peacock" look, clip a bit higher, if necessary and fan hair out as shown below.

And that's it!  You've got a Peacock Twist.  It will likely look a bit different every time you try it and at different lengths, and it is a quick updo that can be done in seconds, which can come in very handy.

Another variation would to be to part the ends in two and have them lean both to the left and the right.  Play with the placement of the clip and experiment with how you place the ends.  Have some fun with it!