Holiday Hair-spiration

I have two brand new holiday hair tutorials posted over at Yes To Carrots: a low side ponytail and a fun holiday updo. Go check them out... click HERE!

PS>> Love the red bow in the updo? Snag one here!

Topsy Tail Twist

Glasses: c/o Firmoo.com

Last week, The Beauty Department posted an amazing tutorial for a funky topsy tail bun. 
First, let me just say, I'm a huge fan of the topsy tail.
Second, this style is so easy.

1. Gather hair in a ponytail at the nape of your neck.
2. Secure with an elastic band.
3. Pull the elastic band to the bottom of your ponytail, leaving about 1-2 inches of hair at the end of the ponytail (or until your shorter layers don't start falling out).
4. Separate the hair in the gap of the ponytail right down the middle into two pieces.
5. Bring the ponytail up and through the gap, creating an upside-down topsy tail.
6. Repeat, repeat, repeat... the hair will begin to twist into coils! 
7. Once it's all coiled into a bun, secure the end of the ponytail underneath the bun with bobby pins.
8. If your shorter layers fall out (like mine did), let them hang loose or pin them back. I gently twisted mine back and pinned them underneath one of the bigger twists (top right photo).
9. You can tug on some of the pieces to give it some body and hide the part in the back.
10. You can also tug on the coils to make them look a little bigger and more full. I had to do this because my bun was so small at first!
11. A visual learner? Want to see how it is done? Visit TBD!

The Beauty Department recommended wearing this style slicked back and straight,
but I actually prefer it a little more loose and casual-looking.
I think it's perfect for a day at the office or a nice wedding updo.

I'd love to see your version of it. Tweet me or Instagram a photo with the hashtag #topsytailtwist!

Braided Side Topsy Tail.

Don't worry. It's not that bad. Trust me, if I can do it... you can do it!

Last night I just didn't feel like washing my hair. I had done the Zoë Twist yesterday, and I really wanted to give my hair one more day to grease itself up before I washed it. And no-- that's not gross. It's good for my hair, OK? So, instead of the whole shampoo routine, I tried something different. I Wrap Snap & Go curled my dry, dirty hair.

When I woke up, I took out the curlers and was a little dismayed to find that the back hardly curled at all, whereas the front was all spiraled. Bummer. But I gave this style a go anyway and this is the braided side topsy tail that I came up with:

Oh my, I loved it! It's so simple. Here are the steps:

1. Begin with wavy, crimped, curly or whatever hair you prefer.
2. Create a deep side part in the front of your hair.
3. Braid the front sections of your hair and secure them with clear plastic bands.
4. Pull your hair into a side ponytail.
5. Using a Topsy Tail tool (or just your own awesome skill), create a small hole right above your ponytail holder.
6. Pull your ponytail up and through the hole to make a topsy tail. 
7. Finish with a flower or leave it as-is.
8. Voila-- you're finished!

This style would be so beautiful for those ladies with longer hair. I just can't wait until mine is longer so it will cascade over my shoulders in soft waves. Oh, that will be the day!

P.S. If you want to see the fun nails I did to go along with that leopard print scarf, click here!

Zoë Twist.

 
I have a beautiful coworker. Her name is Zoë. She has a beautiful blog. She has a beautiful sense of style. She also has beautiful, wavy red hair. Figures, right?

When I first met Zoë, a little over a month ago, she wore her hair in this incredibly amazing style. I decided to call it the Zoë Twist. She is a huge fan of hair twists (since she has long bangs she likes to pull back), and this 'do is none other than the twisted look I've been looking for. See, it's not just a bang twist. It's a twisted updo that I just can't get enough of.

This look is so simple. Zoë does it on days where she needs to get her wet hair off her shoulders, or when her wavy hair needs to be controlled in a sleek look.

I love the elegance that this look gives you. I paired it with a white lacy sweater for an ethereal, feminine look and I just felt so natural and lady-like all day.

Here are the steps for the Zoë Twist:

1. Create a deep part in the front of your hair.
2. Twist a small piece of hair (or your bangs) to one side of your part along your scalp, pulling tightly and adding hair as you go. Bobby pin that small twist halfway back on your head.
3. Divide your remaining hair into 2 sections with a middle part down the back of your head. 
4. Grab each section of hair and twist it inwards three times. This creates the hair "crown" look.
5. Then, gather the twists together and put them into a regular low ponytail with a bun (I went with a simple bun, but Zoë usually does a fun messy bun). You can stop there; that's what Zoë does. If you want to add a little extra flair, move to Step 6.
6. Pull that bun up and through the extra space between the twists and your head, as to tuck it under the twists to keep it in place. It's just like a Topsy Tail!

Easy enough, right? This has quickly become Zoë's go-to look, and I think I might follow suit! I did it today because my hair was wet from my early-morning shower. Zoë also recommends doing it on days when your hair is curly, crimped or wavy so you can give the crown some good volume by tugging on a couple pieces or teasing it beforehand.

By the way, I usually like to use synonyms for words that I commonly use. For instance, in this post I repeated the word "twist" 16 times. But I just couldn't find a suitable word to replace "twist". I mean, the thesaurus suggested coil, helix, swivel, twine, zigzag, etc. but those just didn't seem to fit the bill. I apologize for not making my vocabulary a little more "convoluted" today... but it just wasn't appropriate to use swirl, warp, or wiggle instead of twist. So twist it is.