Freckled Italian: Hair

Holiday Hair Inspiration (Part Two)

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Happy New Year! Last week I told you about my fun holiday partnership with Pantene, and today I'm here to give you an update! Last night I tried to follow this tutorial, I really did. I think my bangs and the fact that I don't have a rattail comb contributed to my failure, and I ended up just using the instructions and photos as inspiration and made it up as I went along. Steps one and two were fine, and then I just twisted along on my own, adding extra pieces as I went.

All of the products are awesome, but for this look I used the Pantene Root Lifter Spray Gel, Pantene Stylers Heat Protection Spray, and Pantene Stylers Extra Strong Shaping Hairspray. I'm not usually one for a root lifting spray of any kind, but this one is awesome and I think I'm going to start putting more time into styling my hair in different ways from now on. All it takes is a few extra minutes and a couple bobby pins!

Thanks for letting me share my experience with you--I hope you all had a great night last night! Rob has the day off and it's so nice spending the first day of our wedding year (!!!) at home together. How have you been celebrating this New Year?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

How To: Coconut Oil Hair Mask

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

I often get questions about my hair care routine, and I often feel weird about telling my "secrets," because really the truth is that I wash my hair as rarely as possible. My hair is very thick, and with a little baby powder or dry shampoo, I'm good with a once-weekly wash and conditioner. Once a month, though, I use a coconut oil hair mask first. It's super easy, perfect for a weekend afternoon at home, and is basically magic for your hair. I'll show you how.

Start with crazy hair that you're ready to wash.

YOU WILL NEED

+ two heaping tablespoons of coconut oil

(that's enough for my long and thick hair--you might need less if you have shorter or thinner hair)

+ a microwaveable bowl

+ shampoo and conditioner

Put two tablespoons of coconut oil into a bowl. Microwave for about ten seconds, or until the oil has melted.

Work the melted coconut oil into your hair. I just dip the ends straight into the bowl and massage through.

I stop at the base of my head because I don't like to get my roots or bangs.

Wrap your hair up into a top knot and go about your business.

Let it sit for 30 minutes to a couple of hours, and then shampoo (twice) and condition as usual.

Note: make sure you rinse the shower or tub really well so no coconut oil residue remains.

No one needs to start their day slipping in the shower!

Do you use coconut oil as a hair mask? How about as lotion?

Tell me your favorite DIY beauty treatment!

Pin Curls: A Tutorial

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

I can curl my hair in about three minutes flat. It's become an almost-daily task in the morning, and I'm really fast. But, if I'm going out and have a little more time to get ready, I like to curl slowly and pin everything up while I get ready. I find that pin curls are bouncier and hold a lot better than a simple, hasty turn of the curling iron. Here's how to get the look!

1. Separate hair into sections and curl the first one under. Roll curling iron up as far as possible.

2. When the hair is hot to the touch, release it and carefully (it'll be quite warm!) roll the curl up with your fingers.

3. Pin the curl against your head. I think you could use bobby pins, but my hair is super thick and heavy, so I use those metal hair pins pictured above.

4. Repeat steps 1-4 all the way around your head!

5. Once everything is pinned up, give the whole thing a spritz (I use Redken Wool Shake).

6. Hang out around your house feeling glamorous until it's time to leave! (If I weren't taking photos for the world to see, I'd usually wait until this moment to do my makeup and put some clothes on.)

7. Take out the pins, shake your head around, and give the ends one final spray. Go forth and be fancy!

Girl, How You Get Dem Curls?

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Believe it or not, over the past few years of my blogging career, the question I have gotten the most is, "How do you curl your hair?" After eventually deciding that your compliments are not actually tiny slaps on the face of my writing skills, I will now finally show you exactly how I do my hair. Because you asked. And yeah, because I thought it would be fun.

I recorded a vlog for you, but almost immediately after finishing it, I decided that I hated it. As far as video tutorials go, I don't think I'm the girl for you. So I'm not going to post it. If you have twelve minutes to spare and would like to watch a video in which I mumble and struggle to treat a video camera and computer screen as a mirror, please, be my guest. Just make sure to say something really nice about me in your comments, because I still feel a little weird about it.

If you have ideas for vlogs that you'd like to see that do not include me trying to teach you how to do something, I'd love to hear them. Until then, I have a step-by-step tutorial on how to get the most perfect of Megan Curls. You're welcome.