Friday Link Love 04/26/2013

• 15 hair accessories for grown ups. Um, look what made the list. Flowers :)
• Bye bye hair chalking. Hello watercolors.
• Time to be bronze baby!
• I'm always saying red lipstick will make any girl more confident. Make sure you're sporting it lik a boss. 
• Style lessons from Disney Princesses. Obviously. 
• Just because. 25 things every 90s kid wants to do
• For all you DIYers out there. Craft hacks. 
• Make your pony tail super long with this simple trick.
• Oh. Mm. Gee. The Bling Ring. 
• 33 universal truths about fashion. Pretty much all true. 

What did you see online this week?

Hair Flowers

Okay, that title might be a little misleading. While I am talking about hair flowers, I am not talking about flowers made out of your hair. I'm talking about real flowers that you put in your hair. You know, for decoration.

I've been really into flowers in the hair for a while. It's such an ethereal look. It takes me back to the 70s, with hippies, and love, and peace. Which...how could you not want that?

Don't you just need some flowers in your hair now? I do.

How To Tuesday: Everyday Volume

Sometimes, it's the easiest things that are the hardest to achieve. Like the perfect blowdry. An easy braid. Great volume.

Great volume. It can actually be pretty hard to achieve. Luckily, Aveda has our backs.





How are you with a round brush?

Runway to Real Life

Let's talk about runway fashion.

It's a little strange.

Unless you're sitting at the J. Crew runway show things can get a little avante garde. Which is what runway is about a lot of times. But it's difficult for the consumer (That's us!) to translate that avante garde fashion into the every day life.

It goes further than that though. Not only are the clothes over the top, but so is the hair and makeup. I don't know about you, but I look to the runway to see the trends for the upcoming season. So it's all about taking the outrageous, and turning into the fabulous.


Check it out.


From this....

To this...

Forget the weird bird bangs. Just pile that hair up, braid it, pin it. done.

From this...

To this...

Not much different. Still a side braid. Still messy. Just not as big. Because lets face it...anywhere outside of Texas would look at you like you were a crazy if you had hair that big.

From this...

To this...

Lilly Collins has some of the best eyebrows out there. They aren't overdone, but they are still thick and full. 

From this...

To this...

Retro inspired. It's done perfectly.

Friday Link Love 4/12/2013

• Have you seen the photos from the Russians who illegally climbed up The Great Pyramids? Amazing. 
• Everyone wants loose waves. 
• Anyone else as excited about this as I am? Just keep swimming!
• The weather has been up and down lately. Which can be trouble for travel plans. Here are some tips in case this happens to you!
• So Game of Thrones is back. And awesome. So is their hair and makeup. 
• The 6 people you become on Fridays from The Thought Catalogue. So true. 
• Another good tutorial on contouring and highlighting. 
• The 4 best uses of hairspray. 
• Some super cool hair accessories for Spring and Summer. 

What did you see online this week?

Big Hair Love

The other day I posted a Facebook status saying something like, "some days you just have to embrace big hair."

And it's so true. There are days where you can try and try but no matter want you do you're going to have big hair. And that's okay. There's nothing wrong with big hair. In fact, one could argue that big hair is sexier.

One, being me.

I love me some big hair.

How To Tuesday: Twisty Turny

You guys...there are so many easy ways to pull your hair off of your neck. Cute, easy ways. Being a Texas...and it being April...the shadow of summer is looming overhead.

Get it? 

And my goodness does it get hot. If you have long hair, you know what it's like to feel it sticking to your neck with sweat. Ew. It's gross. But maybe you get tired of the same old pony tail routine.

Try this one out next time.

Step 1: tease

Most updos are easier when your hair is curled first. It helps to be able to twist and tuck. So start with it curled, then tease it big girl!

Step 2: twist and pin

Twist back both sides, leaving some face framers. Pin into place.

Step 3: roll up

I just rolled the rest of the hair up, and pinned it into place. It's off her neck, and way cuter than a pony.

That's all folks. Now, time to stock up on shorts and tank tops. Summer is coming.

It's Okay If You...

• pull off your finger nail polish bit by bit
• put on makeup to work out
• feel bad about eating that cookie...only to eat another one.
• laugh when you see your ex with someone else...and they're a downgrade.
• cry
• still don't like your in-laws
• try to photoshop your dream hair onto your face
• still can't get your eyeliner to be symmetrical 
• turn up the music really loud to drown out your own voice, especially when Adele is on
• laugh at a joke you don't get
  

Did You Know You Could: Other Blonding Techniques

When you go in to your salon and want to be blonder, whats the first thing you say?

"Highlights please."

Don't lie. I know you do. Because I do too. But there are other ways to achieve the look you want.

Balayage 
It's a French technique found a couple of decades ago. The technique uses a thicker bleach mixture that allows for the stylist to freehand where they want to place the highlight. It can be used on pretty much any hair length, pixie to super long.

It's a nice technique that can produces a lot of cool effects, from ombre and subtle highlights to extreme blonding. It's great because since it is placed freehanded, it doesn't produce a harsh line when growing out like normal highlights sometimes can.


12 series
Here at On Stage we use Wella color, which has a line called 12 series. Basically, there are levels of hair shades. The lower the number the darker the hair. 12 is pretty much as blonde as you can get. The 12 series is a high-lift color, which can help you achieve that look you want without the harshness of bleach.


These are a couple of other options that you have for blonding. Next time your in the chair and want to say, "highlights please," talk with your haircare professional about some other options. Change can be good.

How To Tuesday: Messy Hair Bun

Let's be honest...there are done we don't want to do anything to our hair. The last thing we want to do is get up early, fix your hair, and look presentable. I mean, I know I'd rather sleep that extra twenty minutes.

So this tutorial is for those days. For second day hair. Or third day hair. Or, hell, even fourth day hair.


Step 1: start will curled hair

Step 2: tease the heck out of it

You want really big hair.

Step 3: pull it back into bun shape

 I just pulled all of Amanda's hair back, then pinned it in a bun. I pulled a the bun to made it more full, and then pinned some stray pieces. 

All in all, it took less than 5 minutes.

Cute. Easy. What more could you ask for?

Friday Link Love 03/29/2013

• This double rope braid bun from The Beauty Department is ah-mazing. 
• Christina from Hair Romance never fails to create some really amazing styles. This one is truly beautiful. 
• Who doesn't want better skin, and who doesn't like saving money? Done. And done. 
• Some more acne tips. 
• Stinky shoes? Ew. Get rid of that. 
• In your 20s? LC (how I'm going to refer to Lauren "flawless" Conrad) has some great advice. 
• It's time to get tan. Sunless tan. 
• It's also time for spring cleaning...how about spring cleaning your mind?
• Are you a Downton Abbey fan? Check out these IRL pictures of the cast!
• Some more really awesome updos from ELLE. 
• Beauty tips from NYFW 2013!
• Remember that super cute musical festival inspired updo from last week? Well here are a couple more. 

What did you see online this week?

Friday Link Love 03/22/2013

• A live Disney fashion show? OMG yes. 
• I've talked about Spring beauty trends...but here's another list for ya. 
• Don't you just love a well-dressed man? Mmm I do.
• I love Hello Giggles, and this article about increasing your attention span is actually really helpful.
• Ever wonder about the history of blue jeans?
• SxSW may be over, but you can still rock this musical festival hairdo. 
• 15 nail salon nightmares and how to avoid them. Hilarious and informative. 
• Lauren Conrad is pretty much flawless, so I'll take any advice she gives.
• If you're an online shopper and don't know how to measure yourself...well...you should.
• Um...what?
• Makeup kit basics. From beginner to advanced!
• Cure your mind of negative thoughts. 

Spring 2013 Makeup Trends

With yesterday the official start of Spring I feel like jumping up and down for joy. Already bluebonnets are out and I can't help by drive down I-45 saying, "ooooo ahhhh."


When new Spring styles come out I always feel like Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada.

It just always feels the same to me. But I'm kind of excited about these trends, because well...they're sort of like the Fall trends and I was obsessed with those.

Red lips.

I'm mean...let's be honest. You know I'm obsessed with red lips. It's an instant confidence booster. 

Eyeliner and lush lashes.

I can't tell you how excited I am about this. I've been all about eyeliner for years now. It's my signature look. I'm happy that society is finally catching up.

Big brows. 

I blame the beautiful Lily Collins. Just look at those lovelies. 

Other trends.

Blues and greens. Glowing skin. Things like that.

What are your favorite Spring trends?

How To Tuesday: Dewy Makeup

I like to start this post off by saying...

Ginnifer Goodwin is flawless. There has never been a time I looked at that girl and thought, wow, she could use a little work. I mean...she is freaking Snow White. 

You see how dewy she looks? Like she is glowing. Well...that look can be achieved very simply using some highlighter. 

Step 1: moisturize

It's arguably the most important step. If you're skin isn't moisturized, then the dewiness has no reason to look dewy. Does that even make sense?

Step 2: foundation

you can apply your foundation as normal. 

Step 3: cheek contouring

click here for tutorial. 

Step 4: highlighter

You want to apply your highlighter in these areas. It's okay if you don't have an actually "highlighter", you can use any light colored eyeshadow. That one that you always use to swipe across your brows? It's perfect for this. 

Do you have a moisture spray that sets your foundation? Make sure you use it!

Now...go be flawless like Ginnifer. I know you are. 

Skin Stuff: Petechia

It's okay if you can't pronounce that word. I can barely pronounce it. But here's what it means...

petechia or the plural, petechiae: red or purple spots on the body caused by minor busted capillary blood vessels.

Basically it is bleeding under the skin, which in turn causes the skin to appear red or purple. It looks like a rash, but is flat to the touch and doesn't change color when your press on it. But don't freak out. It is usually not life threatening.

You know what I'm talking about now? So what causes it you ask?

Well...

Petechia is usually caused by some distress to the skin. Things like:

• crying
• coughing
• vomiting
• weightlifting 
• even childbirth

But sometimes medicine can cause petechia. 

• Aspirin
• Atropine
• Carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Epitol, Tegretol, others)
• Chloral hydrate (Somnote)
• Cimetidine (Tagamet)
• Desipramine (Norpramin)
• Indomethacin (Indocin)
• Morphine (Avinza, Ms Contin, others)
• Naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox, Naprosyn)
• Nitrofurantoin (Furadantin, Macrobid, Macrodantin)
• Penicillin
• Quinine (Qualaquin)

There are times that petechia can be a sign of a larger illness, like leukemia or mononucleosis. If you develop widespread or unexplained petechia, it is time to see a doctor. 

But unless you have some underlying problem, don't worry, petechia will go away in a couple of days. Leaving no traces behind. 

Info from Mayo Clinic.

How To Tuesday Wednesday: Make Your Eyes Look Wider

Due to some technical difficulties yesterday, I was unable to post this tutorial. But here it is now. In all it's glory.

People are always talking about trying to make their eyes appear wider, because let's face it...No one likes sad, closed eyes. So here's a quick tutorial on how to do so. It's very easy. It only involves two eyeshadow colors (nude and brown), eyeliner (black), and mascara (black).


Step 1: base color

Apply a nude shadow all over eyelid.

Step 2: crease

In the crease, apply your brown shadow, bringing it around to a point on the outer edge of your lid, sweeping lightly over outer lash line.

Step 3: liner

Black liner along top lash line. Apply it thicker toward the outside, thinning out as it reacher inner corner.

Step 5: mascara

ta-da! That's it. 

Told you it was easy. 

Friday Link Love 3/08/2013

• Thinking about cutting your hair into a bob? Check out these 12 adorable bobs. 
• Ever sat down to think about what your shoes are doing to your feet? Probably not. 
• This scarf turban is a bit different than our tutorial and super cute!
• Did you love Jennifer Lawrence's updo at the Academy Awards as much as I did? Luckily, someone did a tutorial inspired by it.
• The Chinese staircase pony tail. It looks a bit complicated, but it's super cute!
• This nail art is not for the beginner. But omg is it amazing. 
• For the English nerd like me, 8 new and necessary punctuation marks. Yes please. 
• Feather nail art!
• 8 makeup tips for looking flawless, and come on, who doesn't want to look flawless?
• Love this. 10 actresses who could be live-action Disney Princesses. 
• I'm pretty impressed with this polo shirt refashion. 

What did you see online this week?

How Medicine Affects Your Hair

It's not something you normally think about. Medicine and your hair. You think about all those crazy side effects that are said so fast on the commercial that you can't ever really understand what their saying. Maybe they mention something about your hair, maybe that don't. But the truth remains the same...there are numerous ways that medicine can affect your hair.

Hair loss. Is probably one of the biggest ones. Sometimes people experience something called telogen effluvium. It's a fancy word that means some of your hair follicles are prematurely falling out. 


pH balance. Some medications can cause the pH in your hair to get off balance. It can affect how soft your hair is or even cause problems when getting your hair colored. 


If you start taking a new medicine, talk to your doctor about possible side effects for your hair. Or if you start experiencing any sort of funny business with your hair, talk to your doctor. Your stylist can work with you on any problems you're experiencing, whether that be hair loss, brittleness, or color spotting. 

And remember...always read your med info packet. That's all for today's public service announcement. 

How To Tuesday: Aveda Pin Curls

Okay, that title might be a little misleading. This post is about enhancing your curls by using a pin curl technique. I guess technically you leave your hair in the pin curl, though I would use some different clips. Then it wouldn't be false advertisement. Good. I'm not a liar then.

So this technique utilizes the entire be curly line, which I love. If you have curly hair and haven't tried it out, please do. It is pretty amazing.

Check it out.

Gray Hair 101

Let's face it, gray hair sucks. In fact, it's a multibillion dollar industry...the anti-gray hair industry. Only few people can pull it off. Like Meryl Streep. But let's be honest...she could probably pull off purple hair. Or no hair.

So what causes it?

Something called apoptosis. Basically, the cells located at the base of the hair follicles slow, thus stopping the production of color pigment. It is the lack of pigment that makes the hair appear gray or white. So it's not really your hair turning gray, it's your hair losing its color.

Things that cause hair to turn gray are:

1. Obviously aging. More than 60% of Americans have some gray hair by the time their forty, but can start getting it as early as childhood.
2. Stress
3. Medical conditions. Albinism, malnutrition, Werner Syndrome.
4. Other factors. Like smoking. Some studies have found a link between smoking and gray hair. Just another reason not to do it.

Do you have gray hair? Do you cover it up, or let if grow free?

What is Keratosis Pilaris?

Sounds scary right? But don't worry...keratosis pilaris is something that lots of people deal with and it's not life threatening.

Wikipedia describes it as:

a common, autosomal dominant, genetic follicular condition that is manifested by the appearance of rough, slightly red, bumps on the skin. It most often appears on the back and outer sides of the arm

Simply put, it's those little red bumps that some people get on their arms. Somewhere around 40% of the population suffer from it.  

What happens is, the body produces too much keratin. You know keratin, it's a natural protein found in your skin and hair. So this extra protein has no where to go, so it surronds the hair follicles in the pore, producing little bumps. A lot of times, this causes ingrown hairs to form. 

So what do you do if you have it?

Well, there has been some research the links a deficiency in Vitamin A to keratosis pilaris. So make sure your getting some Vitamin A. 

You also will want to exfoliate the area, to help out with those ingrowns. 

And of course, moisturize. 

Friday Link Love 2/22/2013

• I almost feel bad for laughing, but seriously, this is hilarious. And my worst nightmare. 
• R29 tells you how to get out of a bad mood fast! It's Friday, no one should be in a bad mood, but when Monday rolls around. Make sure you have it handy. 
• Some at home teeth whitening advice.
• With Spring Break and Summer coming up, it's always good to know how to pack your beauty essentials. 
• Chambray is an essential for every wardrobe, but do you know how to wear it? Click here.  
• For all the other English nerds out there, 7 words that came about from people getting them wrong. 
• Nighttime yoga could help you to sleep better. 
• Fashion week not only has fantastic fashion, but also some really great beauty tips! 
• This braided 'do for curly hair from Hair Romance is ah-mazing. 
• Looking tired is the worst. So don't.
• How to deal with stress. That is all. 
• Cats are awesome.
• 24 things that make you beautiful from The Thought Catalogue.  
• 10 makeup tips that make you look spectacular in photos.
• Can't have a Link Love with something Disney. The Disney Princes ranked by hotness. 

It's Okay If You...

• Order the trenta size at Starbucks. Sometimes you need that extra bit of caffeine. 
• Throw on a hat on those days.
• Envy those who can do nail art. 
• Don't brush your hair after your shower...every once in a while. 
• Put makeup where no one would expect it to cover up a little sometime.
• Have three different types of shampoos in your shower, and use them all...or just one.
• Fully intend to DIY, only to just end up buying the real thing. 
• Have that guilty pleasure show you want no one knowing about. 
• Or, make a party with your friends with that guilty pleasure show.
• Don't make your bed.

Send your "it's okay if you..." to cassidy@onstagehairdesgin.com

How To Tuesday: Pixie Poof

Today I stepped out of my little pixie box. For two months, I've worn it the exact same way every day. Don't get me wrong, it's super cute that way, but it was like wearing the same outfit every day. I can barely wear the same outfit twice.

We've done a tutorial in the past on a punk rock pixie, but I wasn't really feeling the "punk" today...so I decided to do a similar style, but more polished.

Step 1: Product

While wet, apply some product that will give you some hold. I used Sebastian Whipped Creme. A light mousse, that also makes your hair super soft.

Step 2: Blowdry

 You want to use a round brush to blowdry the hair away from the face.

Step 3: Flat Iron

Again, using the flat iron to smooth, direct the hair away from the face.

Step 4: Pin

Place hair exactly where you want, and use a couple of bobby pins to keep it there. Pin lightly, not too tight, to still give you that poof look.

Step 5: Spray

Didn't really think we'd get through a tutorial without telling you to hairspray did you?

I Tried It: Edible Sugar Lip Scrub

A couple of weeks ago I posted this recipe for an edible sugar lip scrub. My lips have been feeling a bit dry lately, so I thought it was the perfect time to try it out. It was super easy and I had all of the ingredients already in my pantry. So that's a plus!


The Recipe:

• 1/2 teaspoon of brown or white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of honey
• 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil
• a pinch of powdered cinnamon

Then the directions say to rub all over lips for 2-3 minutes. Wash off. And then put on some chapstick. It was all so easy. This recipe wasn't hard like the other DIY recipes I have tried in the past. It took less the 5 minutes for the entire treatment. 

And my lips actually do feel softer. I don't know if I rubbed for the entire 2-3 minutes. (I had muffins in the oven that needed to come out!) But I did do it for at least a minute. I'm sure they would feel a whole lot softer if I had continued. 

The edible part is for real. It tasted good when it slipped off my lips into my mouth. I wouldn't use a lip scrub unless it was made from real products. Don't want to ingest yucky processed stuff.

The grade: A

Top Knot Love

I've got some serious top knot envy recently.

Okay, I've got some serious long hair envy. Don't get me wrong, I love my short hair. But I wear it the same every day. So when I see someone with a top knot, I know that they could also wear their hair down. Or curled. Or a thousand other ways.

Just look at these pretty top knots.

Don't know how to do a top knot? Well...we've done a tutorial on the subject. Or two.