How to: Get easy effortless waves with a hair straightener

Having super thin hair, I like having a bit of volume to my hair without a lot of effort. Reading other tutorials, I don't know what their normal routine encompasses, but I don't consider mousse, hairspray, hair pins, and 10+ minutes to be "effortless". So, I came up with my own trick that only takes 2-5 minutes and no extra fuss.

My Irresistable Me professional flat iron instantly heats up, which really helps when I press snooze too many times. With diamond and tourmaline technology, I actually don't need to spray my hair before use because my hair is truly still smooth and not fried afterwards. 

How to get the look: Instead of wasting time sectioning off my hair, I just grab strands and start curling. To do this, clamp the strand of hair between the straightener and pull the hair while curling inwards, holding the straightening iron vertically. I like really loose waves, so curling from the mid-section of my hair to the end of each strand typically takes about 3 seconds at 370 degrees heat. 

The beauty about these messy waves is that it really doesn't matter if you're a little sloppy with the technique. Some waves bigger than others? Miss a few strands? No problem! Remember, effortless waves should actually be effortless. Just run your fingers through your hair a bit and you're good to go. I still have a few fly-aways in my finished photo below, but I kind of like it like that - it really adds to the "I woke up like this" polished messy look.

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Review: Tangle Teezer vs Wet Brush

Full disclosure, I don't think I've brushed my hair in 3 years. Half of that is just a fear of having half my hair fall out while I try to comb through it. There's something unsettling about trying to get through a tangle, then seeing a clump of your hair in the brush after. I'd rather live with tangles than see that. I have thin hair so I don't get huge tangles, but my hair does break very easily when brushed or combed.

Thanks to Nail Polish Canada, I had the chance to review two of the top brushes that everyone has been buzzing about: The Wet Brush and the Tangle Teezer.

First up, the Tangle Teezer.

Pros:

• Bristles are thin and goes through hair easily. When there's a knot, the bristles are flexible and braise through the hair easily, which prevents harsh tugging on tangles. This does mean that it takes a bit longer to brush out tangles, but it's definitely less painful. 
• Portability. Fits in the palm of your hand, so it's a good size to throw into your bag on the go.

Cons:

• There's no handle, which isn't for everyone. I can see the benefit where it feels like holding the brush gives you more control, but I find it a bit awkward when I like to brush under or upwards onto my hair. 
• Makes my thin hair super staticky. The plastic bristles on my dry hair creates instant frizz. My hair doesn't look dry or damaged from brushing, but frizz is frizz. 

And the Wet Brush.

Pros:

• Combs through smoothly. The bristles grip hair firmly enough, but without tugging too hard. 
• Classic brush style with the handle makes it easy to use. 
• Since the brush is made for wet hair, you get really smooth hair right after you wash it that will last for a good amount of time.
• Keeps hair looking healthy. I find that there's less breakage here than with a typical brush that pulls knots straight out of the follicle. 

Cons:

• The only real con is that since it works nicely, I'm skeptical about whether or not it's the brush or whether it's the fact that my hair is fresh and conditioned, which could make it easier to brush through anyway.

Conclusion: I'd go with the Wet Brush. If you have thin hair, brushing your hair while wet is definitely best. No matter how good the bristles of the Tangle Teezer are, I just can't get over how frizzy it makes my hair.

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Review: Hair extensions

I was bored last week and decided to cut two inches off my hair. It doesn't look like I got attacked by a lawn mower, but doing a DIY haircut really isn't the same as going to a professional.  Thankfully, I got some hair extensions that give me back the layers and length that I hacked away.

I'm using Cliphair's Double Weft extensions in darkest brown. After choosing the colour and length you want, each pack comes with extensions of multiple widths that are made with genuine human hair that can be cut, curled/straightened, and dyed. The extensions clip easily underneath the back of your hair for added length and volume.

Before

After

There's a noticeable difference in the length of my hair, but I'm more excited about how much extra hair and volume I get with the extensions. As someone with super thin hair (and not a lot of it), it's pretty great having enough hair to fall over my shoulders and onto my back at the same time. The extensions matched my hair colour perfectly, even giving me a bit of a highlight, and was soft and lightweight. Also, it's a bit weird getting used to extensions, but in a good way. Running my fingers through my hair, I was left wondering which bits were my own hair and which bits were the extensions.  It's definitely a good sign when even I have trouble telling them apart.

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