how I curl my hair with a flat iron, and other hair related babble.

I've had a bunch of people ask me lately if I could write a post detailing how I style my hair. It's been "in the works" (meaning, not really in the works) for about 6 months now because it feels really awkward to post something like this.

Here's why. 

I'm not a beauty blogger. I buy cheap makeup from Target. I use the brushes that come with my Revlon blush. I just recently started wearing lipstick, and my favorite hairspray is one that I accidentally took from Chris' parents house last year. I have no idea what the brand is. So yes, I love style, and I believe that it's really important for women to feel great in their skin and in their clothes. And yes, I'm totally happy to share how I do my hair, but I'm not an expert. Hopefully this will be at least somewhat helpful to you if you're looking for a similar hairstyle or something new to try with your short 'do! And I'd love to hear any hair tips that you have to offer! Favorite hair spray? Best trick for smoothing flyways? Favorite 'do for short curly hair?

I started curling my hair on a regular basis last summer. After doing it a several times for a few different outings, I realized that I really loved the volume and the way that it shaped around my face. It gave me a little more of a sophisticated look that made me feel put together even in a tee and jeans. It takes me about 5-8 minutes to curl my whole head, and even less if I'm just touching up curls. So, that became my go-to styling option. 

First, I'll let you know that my hair is stick straight and when it is long, it holds a curl for about 2 seconds before falling flat. I've worn my hair in a stacked bob for about five years, sometimes with side bangs and sometimes not. I love the ease of short hair and the way it frames my face. Even though Chris tries to convince me every once in awhile, I won't be growing it out anytime in the foreseeable future. Short hair is ME, and I'll do my best to convince just about anyone to try it out at least once. 

If you want to see the kinds of inspiration for my own bob, you can check out my Pinterest board here. The image below is one that I've printed out in the past to show at the hair salon. I'd love for you to use it in the same manner, or create your own to show your hairstylist. This winter I've been going for longer layers and I'm growing out my side bangs, so I should probably make a new collage to reflect that. Come summertime, I'm sure I'll be ready for some shorter, fresh layers. 

When I'm curling my hair on a regular basis, the choppy layers above make for some funky antennae sticking out of my head. So, since curly hair is my go-to lately, I've opted for longer layers, instead of the usual choppiness. You can see below that this gives me a lot less volume when I wear my hair straight, but I'm ok with that since I wear my hair curly 95% of the time, and that gives me plenty of volume.

To create my curls, I use a flat iron. I find that it works best for my short hair because I can grab on to those shorter strands, and the curls hold for a really long time (I can go about two days on the curls). I tried a curling wand once, and I found that it did not work for my short hair at all, so back to the store it went.

Instead of creating an awkward video tutorial of myself, I'm just gonna link you to this one. It's the best one I've seen and I use the same technique she uses. Start with clean, dry hair. I separate sections of my hair using a claw clip, and start from the bottom. I spray each section really lightly with hairspray once I'm finished, and I use a variation of curl techniques (just like in the video) to create a more natural look.

Remember when I said I was a cheap when it comes to beauty products? Well, the flat iron I use is a 5 year old one-inch Conair and as I was looking for this link to a similar one, it dawned on me that I should probably spring for a new one. Do you have a flat iron that you love? Divulge your secrets, sisters!

So there ya go, hair stuff. Got any more questions? Fire them at me!