Swell Hair: Z Mei by Dr. Janet Zand

We've been big with the hair stuff for the last week.

I gave Sarah a haircut - took about 6 inches off the bottom of her waist-length hair and gave her some layers. Bay is currently coloring her previously lightened hair back a medium brown, since she's realized that yes, dark hair does set her beautiful blue eyes off best.

I've been using a new to me line of hair care products from Z Mei. You can read my review over at Gadabout Media. This is the first shampoo that I've used in a long time that really, really, really made a difference in my hair. I have less frizz (yay!) and my hair is much fuller.

This week the girls and I are going to be trying Phillip Kingsley's Swimcap. It's a leave-in protective cream with a UV filter that resists water and protects against the effects of sun, chlorine, and salt water. It's supposed to extend the life of your color. Bay and her newly darkened locks will be the true test. I'll let you know what we find out.

Thanks for reading!

Image credit: Michelle Smith

Swell Hair: Miley Cyrus's New Hairdo

Have you seen Miley Cyrus's new hairdo? Take a look at this photo from last night's MuchMusic Awards held in Toronto, Canada.



What do you think? I love it. It looks so light and fresh and Summery. I bet she's not missing those extensions. I've been bored with my own hair lately. I covered my highlights about 2 months ago and now I feel sort of blah. Miley's new hairdo is a little shorter than my hair and a whole lot blonder. Hhmm, I have a package of bleach in the cupboard....



Image credit: Picapp.com

Swell Hair: Flower Up That Ponytail

When the weather gets warm, my hair goes up. Usually a variation on a ballerina bun, but I do wear a lot of ponytails. As comfortable and cool as this look can be, it gets B O R I N G after awhile. How to make it more interesting? Flowers!

I have a variety of cute pontytail bands or clips with silk flowers attached. The newest one came from Forever21 and I paid about a buck for it. That's also where I also found silver headbands for both of my girls for $1.50 a piece. They are both wearing them today, so the headbands are a hit!!

This cute purple flower accessory from the Wee Garden shop at Etsy would be perfect. You can transform it into a pin/brooch, hair comb, hair clip, barrette, or attach it to a skin headband. Wow, that's pretty versatile. Give me one in every color, please.

Image credit: Wee Garden shop at Etsy.com

Swell Hair: Sarah's Letters To Juliet Look

My youngest daughter graduated from elementary school today. She picked a very grownup dress for her promotion ceremony, so she wanted a grownup hairstyle to go with it. She saw the movie, Letters to Juliet for her birthday and wanted something similar to a look the main character wore in a scene in that movie. Half up, half down, it turned out very cute and was easy to do. It works best on long, wavy hair, like Sarah's.

Here's what I did......

*Start with clean hair. Comb the tangles out, apply a combo of leave in conditioner and gel (mix half and half), then put it up in a towel to pull out the extra moisture. (When She took the towel off she said, "It's like Kate's hair when she comes out of the ocean." Oh, my little LOST fan.)

*Start drying with your blower set at low. Scrunch the ends up toward the roots, to encourage the curl. Blow until it's damp-dry, then use your fingers to twirl a 1 or 2 inch section into a spiral, lay that down, move on to the next section, and repeat the process. Do this all the way around.

*Let it air-dry the rest of the way. This allows the curls to dry into an organic sort of no-work look.

*When it's dry, part the top of the crown off and give it a light back-combing to produce a little height. Nothing huge, we are going for a sort of mermaid-y look. More romance than Jersey Girl (not that I have a problem with Jersey Girls - they are skillful back-combers, that's for sure).

*To section off the "up" portion, use your fingers to slice off a hunk of hair, leaving the front sections free. Slide your finger along, drawing a line about an inch above your ear to the back of your head. Use a pony holder, to make a small ponytail, then gently pull the crown loose-ish, so create a little height.

*Give it a quick spray with some hairspray and you are good to go.

Swell Hair: DIY Haircolor Tips

I used to be a hairdresser. I loved the job, but quit working in a salon once I had children. I've continued to do hair since that time, haircuts for friends and family, also doing the occasional coloring process. I love to use color.


Yesterday, I colored my daughter, Bay's hair. She has gone through a few changes in the last 6 months. First, I took her medium brown hair to a champagne blonde. She enjoyed that for a little while, then she asked if I'd put some of the dark back in with lowlights. At the same time, I added some even lighter highlights. It was a fun project and her hair turned out great, but she grew bored and wanted to go back to dark.  Here's a photo of her freshly colored hair (she's with her boyfriend, PJ).

It's best to have a professional do your color work if you are going for an extreme change. Choosing the right shade can be tricky and everybody has some sort of color horror story, but doing something simple like a highlight, going a shade darker or lighter, or gray coverage can be done with a kit from the store. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when coloring your own hair at home.

*Make sure you have enough color. If you are coloring your entire head and your hair is shoulder-length or longer, purchase more than one kit. The only way to get even coverage is to have enough product.

*Don't scrub your scalp with shampoo before applying haircolor. The chemicals in the color can irritate your skin. Applying color to dirty hair is fine, just make sure you've combed the tangles out first, for ease in application.

*Start in the front. Apply to hairline, (use a towel or tissue to remove the tint from your skin), then move to the top. In order to get a uniform color, I do front, top from middle to right ear, then middle to left ear. I follow with the crown, then the nape. Move quickly.

*After application, use your fingers to lightly move color through the hair. Use a wide-tooth comb to work it through long hair ends, gently.

*If you do have stains on your face, apply a bit of shampoo and rub it into the tint, then wipe off. There was this saying back when I was in beauty school, "Tint removes tint." It attracts the color and helps to pull it off your skin.

*When you are finished processing, rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse, and then rinse again. Shampoo, rinse, then apply a deep conditioner. Treat your hair gently. Use a wide-toothed comb when wet, let your hair dry naturally when possible.

*If your shine fades, use a clear glossing product to brighten the shine. Natural Instincts by Clairol makes a good one, plus their product smoothes the cuticle and makes your hair appear healthier.

Image credit: Bailey Smith