Much Ado About Hair

Sunday, February 19, 2012

My hair is thick, naturally wavy (borderline curly), and frizzy. The bane of my existence basically. Ok I'm exaggerating, but it's a feature that I wouldn't mind changing. I value my sleep too much in the mornings, so my hair usually gets pulled up into a bun or ponytail and I'm out the door. That's another reason why I crop my head out of pictures, hahaha.

On the days that I'm feeling extra rested, I would attempt to flat iron my hair. In the past I've used a (relatively) cheap Conair, which worked ok. I would spend 30-40 minutes with relative success, meaning the front and sides were pretty straight but the back is still a mess. I'd give up at this point and clip up the back for a half-up/half-down look.

Four months ago I decided to finally upgrade to a T3 Single Pass. Oh my gosh, I've been missing out! This smaller flat iron is much easier to maneuver, which does wonders for the back of my head. The "single pass" name is misleading because I usually have to run it through 2-3 times per section for better results (though this may just be me and my unruly hair). 20-30 minutes later and my hair would be presentable (see below). I have no idea how much longer I have to spend for pin straight hair, but pretty straight hair is already a vast improvement over the Conair, so I'll gladly take it.

I've stayed away from bangs since my pre-teen years due to my hair type. But now I'm rethinking side-swept bangs for spring. Do I dare? We'll see. If you asked me that last year, my answer would've been a resounding NO.

sunglasses: Old Navy round metal-hardware (similar; similar)
scarf: gift from SewPetiteGal (shop her Etsy store)
cardigan: J.Crew perfect-fit mixed-tape (sold here)
dress: Forever 21 Chantilly lace (similar; similar)
ring: Forever 21 pearlescent cluster (similar; similar)
tights: American Eagle (similar)
socks: Forever 21 knee length (similar)
bag: agnes b (similar) - gift from cousin
flats: Mossimo Desta ballet (similar)

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26 comments

  1. Your hair looks great, Cee! I was thinking about doing something different with my hair this Spring too. My hair is getting super long now and I am kinda tired of it. Love how you wore your socks with tights =) Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

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    1. I envy your short hair straigtening sessions even with super long hair ;) Can't wait to see what you do with your hair this spring!

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  2. Can you turn up the temperature on your flat iron? Try turning it up a bit (you probably need to experiment on the amount of heat) and run it through your hair a bit slower. You really shouldn't need to pass it through your hair multiple times even if your hair is wavy and on the coarser side. My hair is pin straight so it takes me less than 5 min. With a more difficult texture, it will probably take longer than 5 min, but I don't think it should take 30 min, particularly if your hair isn't that long. GL! Hair looks great!

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    1. Nope, my flat iron has one temperature setting, so that's one reason why I run it through my hair rather quickly. I'm kinda afraid to go slower (even if it means one pass) in fear that I'd fry my hair =/ My hair is really thick... and my stylist spends 15-20 minutes with the straightener! Hopefully I'll catch up to her level in time, but I'm not counting on it, haha.

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  3. Nice outfit. Love how you toned down that dress with the high socks.

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  4. So glad you found a better straightener! Your hair looks so shiny!

    Have you looked into any hair treatments like Keratin? There are a few out there that help lessen the frizz and make your hair more manageable.And don't forget to use a heat protectant in your hair if you are doing more flat=ironing! :) I like the spray kind.

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    1. Are you talking about semi-permanent treatments like Brazilian blowout? I'm the biggest wuss when it comes to using chemicals on my hair =/ I've never even gotten any highlights in my life, hahaha. Sigh. Maybe a few more years down the road I'll start experimenting more. For right now, straightening is about as far as I'll go. And yes, I am careful about using heat protectant. Thanks for the tip!

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  5. My hair is very similar...a quality flat iron is a must! I was amazed at the difference when I went from a drug store brand to a professional quality one. I also do keratin treatments like Michelle mentioned above :)

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  6. Cute outfit! I'm really loving the layering socks and tights - that is one of my favorite things to do :)

    Tasia

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  7. Nice outfit. I really like your jacket and high socks.

    http://beautyrollercoaster.blogspot.com/

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  8. do it (bangs, lol)!!! for my straightener i use cortex i think its called. i get them at tj maxx and have one for home and one for travel. they get nice and hot (quickly!) and do an excellent job straightening for me. i only take a few minutes to straighten my hair. nice thing is, they're only ~$30.

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    1. Haha thanks for the vote of confidence! Let's see how I'm feeling when spring rolls around ;)

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  9. You hair look so sleek and nice today! I'm always on the lookout for a better flat-iron! I've used the standard Chi and it is great! But I think using it everyday is making my hair straw-like :( yet I can't live without the flat iron, so maybe I need a better one with a lower or adjustable heat setting..

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    1. Yeah I've heard that about over-straightening :( I try to use it a couple days a week max. It helps that I don't wash my hair everyday so I can go a few extra days with straight hair w/o doing anything. Do you use heat protectant before you straighten? I've been using Kiehl's and have been liking that.

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  10. I'm really curious as to how you'd look with bangs! The good thing is that your oval face could really go with any kind of hair (envious!). I straighten my hair everyday when I work but usually only the highest setting will work for me. The unfortunate effect is "crunchy" hair :(

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    1. I can probably Photoshop bangs onto my face before going to the salon, hahaha. Or just dig up my childhood pics *shudder* Eeek to crunchy hair! Like I told Olyvia above, I've been using Kiehl's before straightening and I like it. I don't straighten my hair everyday though, so I don't know if it helps much/long-term effects.

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  11. I have the exact same kind of hair and I finally opted for bangs once I thought I could handle it. It ended up being a mistake for me because you have to straighten them every day, sometimes two or three times a day if you're going out, and the hair ends up getting really damaged. I don't want to discourage you, but if you decide to go for it make sure you have a really good conditioner and heat protector and use religiously!

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    1. THANK YOU for sharing your experience, Elise! It's not what I wanted to hear but I'm glad that I'm more prepared if I ever decide to go the bangs route. I think I'll start doing more routine deep conditioning because I've been slacking off on that =/ Or perhaps really long bangs (but that would defeat the purpose) lol.

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  12. Cute outfit. I think you will look great with side-swept bangs.

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  13. Nice outfit and your hair looks really great!

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  14. Oo I would love to see you with bangs! I really love this Chinese hairstylist in Eden! it has been forever since I been to DC so I havent had the chance to have him cut my hair, if you ever need a stylist, check him out!

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    1. I've been going to a Chinese hairstylist in Annandale, but if she's ever on vacation, I'll be sure to give yours a try ;) I really do only cut my hair 2x a year though.

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  15. Haha, I feel you on the hair. The coarse-and-semi-wavy-but-mostly-just-frizzy-Asian hair? I just wish it was either straight OR curly. Not any of that in-between stuff.

    I HATE straightening my hair because I always leave lumps in the back (srsly, so hard to get everything all straight), and it actually takes me LESS time to curl it than to straighten it, so I usually go for the curling route, unless it's dirty and then I just pony-tail or messy-bun it :)

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  16. Oh, and PS. about bangs, I totally bought clip on bangs at Ulta (from the Jessica Simpson/Ken Paves line)- they were about $30 but they usually have coupons and the darkest color (I think it's midnight brown? if you wanted to buy online) matched my natural un-dyed hair color. They are fun and blend in pretty well. You can totally see how you like bangs without having to worry about straightening/growing out/getting greasy, etc. :)

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    1. Less time to curl your hair?! Tutorial please :) I gave curling a short a long time ago, but I think I keep my hair too short for the curls to look right =/ Re: the JS/KP bangs, guess what I'll be doing this weekend? lol

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