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| A bright orange scarf with a swirl bang can add a fun vintage flair to any look. |
Friday, September 28, 2012
Fun with Scarves
I recently bought several new(old) scarves on Etsy. I found some wonderful colors including hot pink, orange, yellow, green, and blue. I have been having lots of fun incorporating them into my hair styles. A punch of color can do wonders.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Swirl Bangs
If you are looking for a quick retro look without having to use a curling iron, here is an easy do that I call the "Swirl Bangs."
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| 1. Section off the font of your hair and put the rest in a ponytail. 2. Take that section, pull it straight up and give it a little tease. |
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| 3. Start at the tip and make a pin curl. 4. Roll it down toward your head and secure with a few bobby pins. |
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| The final result is a large swirl that stands up like a little pompadour. Don't forget to spray the hell out of it with hairspray. |
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Sculpture Pin Curlers Review
I found a link to a new gadget on the Pinup Girl Style website called Sculpture Pin Curlers.
Don't be fooled by the name, it isn't a set of curlers. They are plastic tubes with combs on the ends that help create uniform pin curls. You put the comb at the base of your head and drag it to the ends of your hair, then either roll up or under, depending on the look that you want to achieve. Once you get to the scalp, turn the tube sideways and pop the curl off the end and secure with a bobby pin.
You may not think that having a device like this is necessary, but if they don't get you with the tool itself, the packaging pulls you in with the pink box and the poster of vintage hair silhouettes.
I tried it out myself and found that it may not have cut off much time in the pin curling process, but it did help relieve the stress of trying to make the pin curls the same size and shape. I have a lot of hair and of course the next day when it's time to take out the pins, I am left with a frizzy mess, but with a little patience and a lot of brushing I was able to achieve a decent hair style. I was inspired by a vintage Barbie Doll for this look.
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| Sculpture Pin Curlers |
Don't be fooled by the name, it isn't a set of curlers. They are plastic tubes with combs on the ends that help create uniform pin curls. You put the comb at the base of your head and drag it to the ends of your hair, then either roll up or under, depending on the look that you want to achieve. Once you get to the scalp, turn the tube sideways and pop the curl off the end and secure with a bobby pin.
You may not think that having a device like this is necessary, but if they don't get you with the tool itself, the packaging pulls you in with the pink box and the poster of vintage hair silhouettes.
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| Sculpture Pin Curler Packaging |
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| Poster of Vintage Hair Ideas |
I tried it out myself and found that it may not have cut off much time in the pin curling process, but it did help relieve the stress of trying to make the pin curls the same size and shape. I have a lot of hair and of course the next day when it's time to take out the pins, I am left with a frizzy mess, but with a little patience and a lot of brushing I was able to achieve a decent hair style. I was inspired by a vintage Barbie Doll for this look.
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| Final hair style after using the sculpture pin curlers |
Friday, August 17, 2012
A Change of Pace
I created the woman on the right in Photoshop by combining different women's "assets"
that people find appealing in our culture today. I also created an
updated version of "My Little Pony" on the left. These are both comments
on the warped way the world sees women
and the obsession with the oversexualization of even the most innocent
of images, e.g. slutty Disney Halloween costumes.
And whenever I create a digital imagery like this I always feel the need to raise it to a higher level artistically by turning them into a paintings. As a designer I struggle with how to display something that is digital and wonder where things like this fit into the world of art.
Would they be better as paintings or does being digital suffice?
And whenever I create a digital imagery like this I always feel the need to raise it to a higher level artistically by turning them into a paintings. As a designer I struggle with how to display something that is digital and wonder where things like this fit into the world of art.
Would they be better as paintings or does being digital suffice?
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| Updated Version of My Little Pony | My version of the 2012 ideal woman according to popular culture. |
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Vintage Explosion
I'm not sure what is fueling the vintage craze right now, but it seems like vintage boutiques are popping up everywhere. Here is a list of some places in Fayetteville that you can find vintage clothes:
Grey Dog
Vintage Violet
Black Cherry Vintage
Mayapple Salon & Boutique
Trunk Factory
Cheap Thrills (The OG of the bunch)
Emily Smith on Etsy (her stuff is also sold at Mayapple)
If you have lived in Fayetteville a long time you might remember we used to have a vintage store called Decades, in the old UARK bowl building, and a great one called Experienced Denim. They were wonderful stores and I miss them.
A lot of these stores specialize in a style that I can only describe as something that is a mix between 80's vintage and prairie girl chic. Lots of floral patterns, bright colors, short shorts, mixing and matching of different decades, etc. Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on it, I think there is something to be said for taking the vintage and making it modern, but I am just more of a fan of the traditional vintage look.
My personal favorite place to buy vintage inspired clothes is online at Pinup Girl Clothing. They are not authentic vintage, they are vintage reproductions, which as anyone with curves knows, it's almost impossible to find real vintage clothes that fit. You can also buy reproductions and authentic vintage clothes online at at Mod Cloth.
For the real do-it-yourself ladies, you can buy sewing patterns from Vogue that are vintage inspired. That way you can choose your own fabrics and make sure they fit like a glove.
Grey Dog
Vintage Violet
Black Cherry Vintage
Mayapple Salon & Boutique
Trunk Factory
Cheap Thrills (The OG of the bunch)
Emily Smith on Etsy (her stuff is also sold at Mayapple)
If you have lived in Fayetteville a long time you might remember we used to have a vintage store called Decades, in the old UARK bowl building, and a great one called Experienced Denim. They were wonderful stores and I miss them.
A lot of these stores specialize in a style that I can only describe as something that is a mix between 80's vintage and prairie girl chic. Lots of floral patterns, bright colors, short shorts, mixing and matching of different decades, etc. Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on it, I think there is something to be said for taking the vintage and making it modern, but I am just more of a fan of the traditional vintage look.
My personal favorite place to buy vintage inspired clothes is online at Pinup Girl Clothing. They are not authentic vintage, they are vintage reproductions, which as anyone with curves knows, it's almost impossible to find real vintage clothes that fit. You can also buy reproductions and authentic vintage clothes online at at Mod Cloth.
For the real do-it-yourself ladies, you can buy sewing patterns from Vogue that are vintage inspired. That way you can choose your own fabrics and make sure they fit like a glove.
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| Vintage Vogue Pattern |
Friday, August 3, 2012
Hair Rats: Creating Voluminous, Perfect Buns
When you think of the words hair rat, something pretty gross probably comes to mind, but hair rats have been around a very long time. Back before the days of the Bumpits and hair extensions women were collecting their hair in jars called Hair Receivers. These jars had holes in the top so that when you brushed your hair and some of it fell out, you could put it in the jar and use it at a later date to make fuller hair styles. When enough hair was collected, they would wad it up or wrap a hair net around it and stuff it in bangs, victory rolls or on the crown of their heads to create volume. This reduced the amount of backcombing that had to be done.
Well, today you don't have to keep a creepy little jar of your own hair to create volume. You can buy a new form of hair rat made out of foam that comes in a variety of colors and sizes. I have a long one that has snaps on the ends to either create bumper bangs or the perfect bun.
One warning, if you are going to wear the large bun on the top of your head, unless you are Pentecostal, I suggest avoiding wearing long denim skirts with this look. (:
To create the perfect bun on top of your head, put your hair in a high pony, then stretch your hair out above your head until it's straight and place the long hair rat at the end of your hair. Roll it down and roll your hair around it until you get to your head. Snap the ends together to form a ring and then carefully distribute the hair around the form to hide it. Bobby pin in a few spots to secure and your done. A perfectly full bun in no time.
If you want to go the cheaper route and create your own form, you can always use a sock. No kidding, it's called a sock bun and here is a great tutorial.
Other styles you can create with the hair rat include bumper bangs, which I mentioned before. Here is a great tutorial using the rat by Cherry Dollface.
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| Antique Hair Receiver |
Well, today you don't have to keep a creepy little jar of your own hair to create volume. You can buy a new form of hair rat made out of foam that comes in a variety of colors and sizes. I have a long one that has snaps on the ends to either create bumper bangs or the perfect bun.
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| Hair Rat/Bun Form, Long in Blonde with snaps |
One warning, if you are going to wear the large bun on the top of your head, unless you are Pentecostal, I suggest avoiding wearing long denim skirts with this look. (:
To create the perfect bun on top of your head, put your hair in a high pony, then stretch your hair out above your head until it's straight and place the long hair rat at the end of your hair. Roll it down and roll your hair around it until you get to your head. Snap the ends together to form a ring and then carefully distribute the hair around the form to hide it. Bobby pin in a few spots to secure and your done. A perfectly full bun in no time.
If you want to go the cheaper route and create your own form, you can always use a sock. No kidding, it's called a sock bun and here is a great tutorial.
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| The Final Look |
Other styles you can create with the hair rat include bumper bangs, which I mentioned before. Here is a great tutorial using the rat by Cherry Dollface.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Quick Tip
For all you full figured women out there. Hate to wear dresses or skirts because your thighs get sweaty and chaffed? Well, since we don't have the luxury of not having our thighs touch, there isn't much you can do about it, until now! Here is a little tip...when you are getting ready in the morning and you put on your deodorant, put some between your thighs. Put a little on each leg and it will create a smooth, sweat proof barrier that prevents chaffing and smells nice. I actually discovered this on my own one morning. I used to use baby powder, but it wore off very quickly and made a mess. I thought, if deodorant can do for my thighs what it does for my underarms, this may just work. And it does, like a charm. I use dove invisible solid, but I think any solid will work. Your thighs will thank you.
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