A blog about hair, written by hair junkies at Folica.com

This just in from Alterna!

Alterna & celebrity stylist Daniel Howell team up at the 64th Annual Emmy Awards to style Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s lovely locks! Find out just how Daniel achieved this fabulous look below.

Daniel’s Inspiration: “I loved that Julia’s modern dress had subtle vintage details, and I wanted to translate that into her hairstyle with an organic & textured chignon at the nape of the neck.”

Hair Prep:

•Begin by washing hair using Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner. It’s important to use products specifically designed for colored treated hair to lock in moisture.
•Towel dry hair and spray generously with Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Styling Prep; comb product through using a wide-tooth comb.
•Rough dry with fingertips and a diffuser attachment in an upward motion to create lots of volume from the scalp.

Hair Style:
•Begin at the nape & divide hair into 2” sections. Spray with Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Perfect Iron Spray; this will lock in moisture but block out humidity (which is the enemy of keeping a style)
•Using a ¾” curling iron, wrap sections around the iron keeping it an inch from the scalp. Hold for 30 seconds. Continue until all hair is curled.
•Smooth a dime-sized amount of Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Ultra Sleek Polishing Serum through the ends of the hair to eliminate flyaways.
•Create a deep center part, and pull hair into a low, loose ponytail. Twist and wrap pony into a loose knot and secure with small bobby pins

Finishing Touches:
•“To ensure the style holds, mist with Alterna Caviar Extra Hold Hair Spray in long feathery strokes.

Shop Alterna here- http://www.folica.com/brands/alterna

This past Wednesday I had the privilege of attending the LUXHAIR launch party at LAVO in NYC for the LUXHAIR’s How. Now. Wow. Collections of Fashion Forward Wigs, Ad-ons and Hair Extensions. It was a fabulous time filled with cocktails, horderves, djs, celebrity guests/brand ambassadors and Hair Hair Hair! Tabatha Coffey of Bravo’s Tabatha Takes Over, Sherri Shepherd of ABC’s The View and Daisy Fuentes, model/international television personality, graced the event floor and mixed and mingled to support the fabulous lines truly taking wigs, extensions and accents to the next level.

The LUXHAIR launch party was held on the upper east side of NYC at night club/restaurant LAVO and it was a spectacularly well planed event. There were three hair bars where you could consult with a stylist and speak with the celebrity creator themselves. An intimate setting filled with a ton of women dressed, experimenting and interacting with a variety wigs from the How. Now. Wow. Collection, and did I mention tons of fun! After consulting with the stylist at the How. Now. Wow. Wig bars, you would retrieve your wig and head over to the hair styling section where a hair stylist helped you put on your new wig. Voila! A brand new you.

I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Tabatha and Sherri – what lovely ladies! Tabatha’s line is How. This directly addresses adding more style to your do through accenting your current look by adding volume and length to hair while combating hair loss if necessary. Nine pieces make up Tabatha’s How. line and they come in 20 shades to match and blend with all natural tones. “I wanted to help create the LUXHAIR HOW collection to empower women who felt less confident with their natural hair.” says Tabatha Coffey. “Whether it’s naturally thinning hair that can use a little boost, female pattern baldness or illness related hair loss issues, there is a large community of women looking for effective and fashionable hair solutions. For them, I wanted to help them love their hair again. A woman’s style is closely linked to her hair. And I truly believe a great hairstyle is more transformative and powerful than any accessory and any bold shade of red lipstick. These aren’t wigs or extensions – they are secret weapons of style.”

Sherrie’s line Now. is for women who want to look sassy, sexy, fierce and beautiful NOW! My personal favorite from Sherrie’s NOW collection is the sassy curly wig pictured above and the greatest quality of the line is that they’re easy to use. “What I love about the LUXHAIR NOW by Sherri Shepherd™ collection is that they mirror styles of expensive cuts and of the moment trends that can be worn in seconds. I treat these styles as another way to accessorize my look and another way to express my own personal style. These are not your mother’s wig or extension options. The LUXHAIR NOW by Sherri Shepherd™ collection provides the look you want, the style you want and the perfect accent to make a personal style statement, now.”

Daisy’s Wow. Collection is focused on adding the WOW factor and infusing it into every woman’s wardrobe. “As a Latina woman, I’ve always been passionate about glamour with a fierce flare for fashion. I think this has come through in my collection. I believe that a woman’s hair isn’t just a statement. It’s an entire story,” says Daisy Fuentes. Long and blonde, edgy and cool, high and mighty. Whether you’re adding volume or just experimenting with a look, the WOW collection of wigs and extensions allows one to write their own daily beauty destiny.”

You could feel each light up with excitement about their lines as they can truly relate to women’s hair issues and are happy to be part of the solution! I was thrilled to be part of the excitement and launch of such an innovative line, focused on helping all women become stylish with these fabulous hair lines. You better believe I’ll be rocking my new locks when I start feeling like a temporary change. I’ve included some before and after pictures of Noelle and I so you can see how easy it is to transform your locks with How. Now. Wow.

Happy Hair Days!

Lauren xoxox

It’s that time of year again – Fashion Week in NYC. Even though the designers are showing for Spring 2012, it feels positively like Fall today (temps are in the 50′s!).

There is a ton of hair-spiration on the runways, per usual. The trend that I am loving is creative use of color. Not just for the clothes (lots of bold jewel-tones and pastels) but in the hair!

A few highlights, if you will:

Thakoon:

Marchesa:

Narcisco Rodriguez (these models are also demonstrating another trend – the “wet look”. Slicked back hair is everywhere, and its easy to do yourself. Use a generous amount of mousse or gel to get this look at home):

Leave it to the ladies of NYC to take a runway trend and make it perfect for every day. These three ladies are seriously killing it. They’ve taken the (now ubiquitous?) ombre trend and added a whole new level of amazing – delicate splashes of color. I really want to know what that brunette did to get that super-subtle purple tint in her hair because I want to be a copy-cat.

If you’re looking to play with color, Folica.com has you covered with our assortment of Hair Color products. Try Jerome Russell B Wild Color Spray for something completely temporary and super bright. Similarly, Splat Coloring Kits have the most vibrant hues around – a better option if you want something semi-permanent (or try Splat Extensions).

What other hair trends are you guys noticing?

There was a great article in the New York Times this weekend about naturally curly hair.  I’ve always been jealous of curly haired people – personally, I adore a head of wild, unruly curls. They’re totally sexy, carefree, and stunning. I have mildly wavy hair, which doesn’t really compare. Also, curls are really having their moment in the sun right now. Per the article:

“I’d like to say that curls are enjoying a renaissance; after all, for fall fashion week, designers like Rebecca Minkoff and Nicholas K were featuring something they called “next-day hair”: disheveled, slightly frizzy curls that one stylist described as “hair that looks like you’ve been living in the woods for three days.” Finally, my time had come!”

I can really get down with “disheveled” as a trend. Little effort = awesome in my book. But I can also understand the sentiment of not wanting to have to deal with that sort of hair you find unruly each and everyday. The author continues:

“But in real life, one always gets the sense that curly hair is the consolation prize. Products from Ouidad and Devachan, both specializing in curlies, seem to be patting us gently on the back and saying: “Listen, we know what you want. We know. But be proud. If you can’t have straight hair without massive amounts of time and effort, at least we’ll help you look like you didn’t stick your finger in an electric socket.”

Ladies (and gents) with curls – do you share this sentiment? The author goes on to discuss how rarely we see women in the public eye – be it politicians, or newscasters – letting their curls be totally free.

In any case, you should read the full article. In the end, along with the author, we at Folica encourage everyone to embrace their natural beauty!:

The New York Times – “Making Waves, With No Apology”

Folica.com has a Specialty Shop specifically for you guys – The Kinky, Curly, Wavy Shop. In the end, no matter what you feel about your hair, its our job to make it better! If you don’t have curls naturally, fake it! We highly recommend the staying power that the Sedu Clipless Curling Iron delivers, or browse our full selection of curling tools.

Do you have them? Erinn says she doesn’t. Julie helps investigate:

Verdict? Couldn’t find any! Are you that lucky? I’m not. Try these products for damaged hair and split ends.