hair Archives - loveRavayna

0 In beauty

heatless hair

I’ve always taken care of my hair, but now, more than ever, I baby it. It’s in great condition, but I’d like it to remain silky and vibrant, so I do my best to minimize heat damage. Since I prefer my hair styled in waves or curls, I’ve had to try heatless methods that go beyond my favorite curling rod, hot rollers (both under $20!), and curling iron.

For both the methods I’m sharing, I start with clean, slightly damp hair. Here, my extensions were out and I spritzed in some leave-in conditioner, rough dried it and brushed it out before adding some texturizing styling cream. If I’m working with second-day hair, I scrunch it with wet hands to dampen, then add product.

I tend to sleep with my hair set and wake up wavy, but some people prefer to just let it set for a few hours- it’s up to you and your hair! I use the sponge rollers for tighter curls, but most of the time I use my Savvycurls band for waves. And truth booth- taking pictures in my pajamas, at bedtime and wakeup, just felt a little ridiculous.

These rollers look enormous, but are super soft and squishy. I just section evenly but randomly, and roll. I have to make sure not to wind them too tight, though, or I wind up looking like Shirley Temple.

This is my favorite method for tight curls, like when I’m prepping for a faux bob or a braided up do.

This Savvy Curls band is what I use most nights, because a softer wave is totally my jam. I just slip the headband on and wrap the hair on each side around it towards the back. I keep wrapping it at the back of my head, then catch the end with a bobby pin across the roll.

From there, it’s bedtime. The Savvy Curl has a thermal core that reflects body heat to help set the wave, and it’s super comfy to sleep in. I even know some people who just wear it out and about, because it looks like a casual up-do!

It’s not nearly as neat or pretty when I wake up- I sleep hard- but that totally doesn’t matter. Once I remove the bobby pin, I gently pull out the band and let the curls unfurl.

And all I have to do is run my fingers through my hair, add a pinch of pomade on any frizzy bits, and hair is handled, with minimal time and effort, and no heat damage. Not too shabby!

Savvycurls sent me this product for my review, but all opinions are my own.

loveRavayna

August 7, 2016

1 In beauty

unicorn hair, 2.0: rarity realized

Once again, with feeling! I headed back to Butterfly Loft Salon to have my mane revamped with some fresh Pulp Riot color. I’ve honestly been so spoiled, working with ridiculously talented artists. This go round, Alexis Thurston (@alexisbutterflyloft) and Rickey (hairgod_zito) collaborated to make my childhood My Little Pony dreams come true.

I showed up at the salon, coffee in hand, for a day in the salon chair. My previous color had faded to a rooty, silvery blonde, but the quinoa (I swear!) and other nutrients in Pulp Riot, along with plenty of tlc, have kept it in pretty incredible shape. Needing to lift and even out the base for such vibrant fantasy color, we began with bleach. Lots of bleach- all the way to the root- I was a little afraid, but it was totally painless. To protect my hair and scalp, they always use Brazilian Bond Builder in with the bleach. I wouldn’t have basis for comparison, but it definately wasn’t nearly as awful as I’d feared.

In order to get the vivid translucence of Rarity’s mane, my hair needed to lift as light as possible. Not sure platinum’s ever going to be my look, but it sure made for a few fun snapchats.

And then the hair painting began. It takes some time, but the metamorphosis is so cool to watch, as it totally comes to life. For the color formula curious, it’s obviously all Pulp Riot products. My shadow root is Velvet, Smoke, and Noir. The lengths are Jam with a little Smoke, blending into Lilac, with accent highlights of Powder.

My color processed, was rinsed (icy water alwayssss!), dried and curled. The early evening light was perfect photoshoot time, for an upcoming Pulp Riot magazine ad. Yes, I’d been there all day.

Luxyhair gifted me a lovely set of extensions, and Alexis (isn’t she stunning? and that hair!) and her assistant Jenn custom colormatched them to bring Rarity’s mane to the next level. Coloring this much hair is a major undertaking- just washing and drying it is a thing- and I’m so grateful for their patience.

I take my unicorn life really rather seriously ?. My hair’s almost metallic, in that the color varies depending on the light. It glows almost ultraviolet in sunlight, is moodier in the dark. The pops of blue are my favorite- they make braids and buns so fun!

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the passionate reactions my hair garners from people. Some think I’m absolutely insane, but I’ve been suprised and very flattered by the compliments. If I’m out and about, I can get stopped literally dozens of times with comments and questions. It’s been an adjustment for this formerly wilting violet- I can be so shy, but I’m certainly getting less awkward at accepting compliments and interacting with strangers.

Much to my mama’s dismay, I can’t imagine going back to brown. This is just too much fun!

loveRavayna

July 29, 2016

1 In beauty/ lifestyle/ style

unicorn hair

If you follow me on snapchat (loveRavayna) or instagram, you may have peeped my new ‘do… and realized that I’ve upgraded my lifelong brunette hair to a multicolor pastel mane. Letting my inner unicorn out to play, I’m giving My Little Pony a run for her money.

A color melt of silver and smoke, lilac, lavender, and rose, slate and sapphire- my hair is practically a work of art! I’m obsessed with it, to be honest. Butterfly Loft Salon was kind enough to have me in as a model for an incredible new vivid haircolor line, Pulp Riot. I’d been feeling blah about my hair for a while, so was ready for something fresh.

I’m so, SO fortunate to have worked with such an amazing team. Linh Phan is one of the artists behind the Pulp Riot brand, and is incredible- he manipulates hair color like watercolor. He envisioned my hair as a smoky lavender, with peeks of slate and rose gold. I was wound tight about bleaching it half to death, but he assured me that careful application and B3 reconstructor would help preserve my mop. I trusted him, along with his precious assistant Niki, so I turned over creative control to the talented pair, accepted a cocktail and settled in for a beast of a bleaching. All told, I was at the salon for almost eight hours, and it was worth it.

Four hours in, they’d lifted my lengths from a level 3 to a level 9 and darkened my roots with a granite color, and I’d recognized that life as a blonde is not a good choice for me. The Butterfly Circus environment is so supportive, and I loved the creative collaboration from all the talented stylists. After a little powwow, it was hair painting time.

Linh popped in his headphones and got down to the nitty gritty, rocking out as he melted metallic pastel colors into a deep blue root, yet preserved the clarity of icy silver ends. I was processed, rinsed and styled- and was blown away when I finally saw the reveal. So grateful for these talented darlings!

I’ve never before taken such a leap with my look, but it is exhilarating! I will note that I’m surprised by just how much attention it garners- strangers regularly comment and compliment, which is incredibly flattering but totally unexpected in a city like LA.

I find myself wanting to wear more black than ever, and have had to stop myself from color-coordinating my clothes and hair… I love me some mitchy-matchy. I’m still a huge fan of these ear jackets, via my beloved Stella & Dot stylist (don’t hesitate to shop with her) and am always into the perfect Schiaparelli pink lipstick.

A mane like this is so fun to style- straight or curly, the color adds so much dimension. And though I’ve noticed some bleach dryness, the damage has actually given my lank hair a welcome volume boost. I swear I must be prepping for a shampoo commercial with all the hair tossing I’ve been doing lately.

It may just look pretty pink and blue, but color like this takes serious work to maintain. Fantasy colors are not permanent, so they fade with every wash- though freezing water and color care products like this shampoo, conditioner, and reconstructor from B3 help. Violet shampoo keeps the color icy, and pastel purple overtone helps up the lilac level. You can probably spot the fade (specifically of the navy and rose shades) in the above pictures- the black sequin shots were taken two washes after the images in the black teeshirt. I’m loving the evolution!

With hair color like this, a ponytail pops and a simple braid becomes a statement. It’s without a doubt my favorite accessory for the spring!

loveRavayna

April 5, 2016

0 In beauty

the friday five 003 a braid-y bunch

When I wrote my #15in15 earlier this year, I set a goal of learning to dutch braid. It took a decent amount of practice, but I’ve learned and then some! I’ve been wearing a variety of different styles and shapes of braids, while in Europe, at the farm, and pretty much all the time.

David even papped me braiding on the go- I thought he was taking pictures of architecture, but not so much.

I’m not claiming to be any kind of braid guru, I’m just a beginner. But today I’m passing on a little guidance, as I acquaint you with some of the hair vloggers from whom I’ve picked up my fancy braid skills.

Twist Me Pretty

Abby actually wrote a braiding ebook- girl really knows her stuff. She also introduced me to a favorite product for braiding, Kenra Platinum Texturizing Putty. As someone without a ton of hair, I don’t always want to wear my extensions, and most of her styles don’t need them. Her upbeat but not saccharine attitude and stinking adorable family (especially those twin baby boys) are also points in Abby’s ‘pro’ column.

Cute Girls Hair

Mindy is mom to four daughters, and therefore has lots of hair to do. She and her girls span ages, hair length, and hair texture, so there are lots of diverse styles demonstrated. Their specialty is styles that can be done in less than five minutes, which is awesome for any girl on her hustle, regardless of age.

Kirsten Zellers

She’s strikingly beautiful, and has the most amazing mane of icy lavender-silver hair- it makes me want to race to the salon, bleach my hair out and rinse it pale pastels. With that gorgeous color, I’m pretty sure she could tie it in knots and it would still be swoonworthy, but it seriously upgrades her braids to fairy tale status.

The Small Things Blog

Kate was one of the first vloggers I came across. She seems incredibly down to earth, and breaks things down into manageable steps really effectively. It sounds ridiculous to even watch the tutorial, but her lived-in messy bun video is super useful for a topknot that appears full and sloppy, but isn’t tangled into an actual knot below the surface. She teaches in-person braiding and curling classes near her hometown in Raleigh… I’ve always thought attending one would be so fun!

Barefoot Blonde

With a sheet of long, blonde hair, Amber incites hair envy with fat, lush braids. But she owns that it’s comprised of lots of extensions, and I appreciate knowing that from the outset. Her tutorials can be a bit rambly, but it’s nice not to have to rush to keep up with a hyperspeed video. Her directions for hiding my extensions within braids were really useful, and I wear what she calls a fishhook braid often.

I follow all of these lovely ladies on Instagram as well. I love speedy braid videos and micro-tutorials, plus the eye candy of some simply beautiful braids. And I’m still learning- working on a dutch fishtail now, but it’s tangly going!

loveRavayna

November 13, 2015

0 In beauty

the friday five 001

Introducing a new series today. Pretty self explanatory, it’s a roundup. Topics will range, but today these are five of my favorite tested-and-true beauty products. Read on…

Charming Charlie baby backs are perfect if you love a statement earring like I do. These squishy silicone, super supportive earring backs keep even the saggiest stud earring perfectly in position. I’m also convinced they help prevent my earring holes from stretching out, but that might be hopeful thinking.

Living Proof Prime Style Extender. This was one of those products I sampled multiple times out of scepticism, but it really does make a difference in how long my blowouts last- an extra day, sometimes two, and a little goes a long way! If you’re a member of the shower cap and dry shampoo corps, this product might be for you.

Bio-oil. I’ve been using this since my teens, because it’s amazing, inexpensive, and accessible. It moisturizes dry skin and cuticles, erases stubborn mascara smudges, and with consistent use, really fades scars. It even worked on my angry red and purple stretch marks, and some nasty surgery scars, so it’s pretty much the holy grail.

Shadow Shields. I love using these on clients and myself to avoid eyeshadow fallout. They make great guidelines if you are a little unsteady flicking your eyeliner into a cat’s eye, and also just keep more dramatic looks tidy.

Sonia Kashuk hairbrush. This is supposed to be the closest possible thing to the legendary Mason Pearson brush. Since David would check me for a fever if I tried to spend hundreds on a hairbrush, I cannot confirm nor deny. But I’ll say this: I don’t normally feel passionately about hair tools, but I really love this brush. Enough to own two, for home and on the go. Detangle, blow dry, tease, smooth, all done perfectly- and the mixed bristles allow for an amazing head massage. The Sonia Kashuk brand is a Target exclusive … as if you needed the excuse to head for the red.

Have a great weekend!

loveRavayna

October 2, 2015

hair

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