How I Take Care of My (New) Hair

Hello, I'm here.

Has it been a month since I went on a break? I'm currently back and omigod, so much things have been happening! I've been teaching a lot of classes and been busy with a lot of stuff. It is a lot, and even if I come home just looking forward to go to sleep, I go home super happy because I'm doing things that I love doing. So much things has happened and I try to tell friends that, "Yes, I'm alive, please see my Facebook and Instagram for updates."

Anyway, after years of sporting mermaid-length hair, I've decided to take a summery cut and get a haircut a month ago. It's been really hot and humid and sticky hair that takes forever to dry is totally not something I want.

Left: Mermaid hair. Right: New hair

I told my friend Kit that it's a process of detachment. I've forever been attached to long locks since it's low maintenance and I can always tie it in case of a bad hair day. The heat though is telling me otherwise.I thought about it for a week, but decided to just go for it one Friday night after yoga class. I went to the mall, showed the peg, closed my eyes, and stared at the girl in the mirror sporting a lob (long bob).

20 minutes into my new hair

It's still long enough for me to tie it, but it's much lighter on my neck. I still can style this and unlike the pixie cut I did years ago, this one is more low-maintenance and I can wait a few more months before I have to cut it again. It now just takes minutes to style my hair now, which is a good thing. I can just scrunch some salt spray on my hair and run a blow-dryer while twirling my hair until it's 80 percent dry letting my natural texture do its course.

If I do have a bit more time, however, I can curl my hair with a large barrel curling iron for loose waves.

Curls while hugging a kitty 

I like too that it doesn't sit on my face when I arm balance or do forward folds or make me look like I'm from a Japanese horror flick after I do a hairflip.

Even though my hair is much shorter, I should take good care of my hair, Since I also subject my hair to the heat of a blowdryer, it needs the protection and care it needs. My hairstylist friends keep heat-protecting spray or serum in their bags and I apply this to my hair before styling. This creates a barrier so my hair doesn't get fried.

It's important to rest my hair as well from products and heat styling. When I do, I use hair products and hair care that cleans and nourish my hair.

Tresemme Keratin Smooth cleans and cares for my hair. It smells really good too. This one is currently in my gym bag. If the bottles are too big, you can transfer the contents to a smaller container to fit your gym kikay kit. This leaves my hair looking decent even if I don't use my styling tools.

Inasmuch as I love my ponytails, I also give my hair a breather when sleeping and try not to tie my hair super tight that it hurts. Once a week, I apply a deep conditioning treatment to my hair just to replenish and repair it too.

My hair grows fast, so my mermaid hair will be back before you know it. It does feel good once in a while to detach myself from my comfort zone. I may keep this length for a few months and maybe color it lighter for a nice, summery feel even though it's quite rainy.

Do I miss the long hair? No, not really. I do welcome it when it comes back in a few months but as of the moment, I'm enjoying this hair now.

Henri Calayag's On-The-Go tips for Gorgeous Hair

I'm one of those girls who leave the house with wet hair most especially in my always on a rush days. On a day that I actually have time to sit down and have it dried and styled, it looks fine since I'm lucky enough to have very obedient hair. However, the towel-dried, combed, and air-dried hair always looks like a frizzy mess whatever I do.

I chatted with TRESemme's newest hair professional Henri Calayag for tips for ladies who are on-the-go and have no time to actually sit down to blow-dry their hair to perfect salon-style smoothness.

For those who have no time to blow-dry their hair, Henri recommends putting a smoothing serum or leave-on treatment on the hair when it's around 70-80 percent dry (not dripping wet). Just leave hair down and wait for it to dry or if you're taking public transportation and don't want to annoy your fellow commuters with hair, you can pull it back with a clamp or tie it in a bun or braid for more texture when you let it loose. A ponytail isn't recommended because it creates a "dent" in the hair that would be hard to comb out.

Pro-blowdrying skills are actually a skill on its own, and it took years for the most seasoned hairstylists to master the perfect blowout with just using a round brush and a dryer. For us ladies who like to DIY, we know how hard it is to blowdry our own hair, most especially the back part. Sometimes, I end up looking like a cocker spaniel when I bring all my hair to the front.

Here's a pro styling tip that I learned as well: before blow-drying, apply TRESemme Keratin Smooth Heat Activated Treatment (PHP450 for 120 mL) or TRESemme Keratin Smooth Heat Activated Treatment Spray (Php495 for 236 mL) on the hair and comb it through to distribute evenly. This would protect your hair from damage, especially if you use heat tools such as irons and curlers, since the hair would be subject to direct heat. Roughly blow-dry your hair with your blowdryer and a brush until it's 100% dry. For hair with volume and just a bit of curl at the ends, we use a very tita staple - set your hair in Velcro rollers while you do your makeup. If you want your  hair straight, proceed to straighten your hair in sections. The same goes with curling or crimping your hair.

The TRESemme Keratin Smooth Range gives you 48-hour frizz control for beautiful, smooth hair you can have at home. They also have styling products and heat-activated treatment to protect your hair from damage when heat-styling.

Styling your hair also takes a toll in your hair so it's best to take good care of it. TRESemme's Keratin Smooth has keratin-infused formula which controls frizz so you hair looks so much better. Unlike the rebonding procedures of the early 2000s, this actually helps repair and care for your hair rather than breaking the natural chemical bonds of  your hair. A friend even told me that it was the TRESemme Keratin Smooth Range that saved her hair from a horrible hair coloring procedure.

Speaking of repairing damage, Do you know that I also use TRESemme shampoo and conditioner to wash my makeup brushes? Our makeup brushes are actually made up of animal hair. Quick-cleaning brush cleansers contain some form of alcohol, which is needed to disinfect the brushes for hygienic purposes. These also evaporate quickly, so we can use the brush right away for applying makeup. The brush strokes we do in makeup application can also damage your brushes. Notice how the older brushes are more brittle than  the newer ones? When I feel my brushes have been working extra hard, I use TRESemme shampoo and conditioner to wash them. Not only do they feel really soft on the skin, they smell really good too.

TRESemme Keratin Smooth is available in all leading department stores, groceries, and drugstores.

Twisty Bun Tutorial

The rainy season plus humidity also brings something to our hair - frizz. Frizzy hair is definitely not pretty and sometimes, no matter how much we are religious in those hair treatments or slaved our blow-dry. it just doesn't work.

Here's a very pretty hairstyle you can take to a formal, school, or work, or if you want to take your sticky hair off your neck. The twists give it some character and texture from the usual bun. The best part is, you wouldn't need any combs, heat styling tools, or even hair ties. All you need are bobby pins, that's it!

I chose bobby pins with a zigzag edge because they hold my hair better. I decided not to use product with my tutorial and worked with day-old hair, since I colored my hair yesterday.  You can add more twists if you want more rope-y, texture things. 

Steps:

1. Gather a small section of hair at the top front part of your head, from temple to temple.

2. Twist that strand but don't twist all the way.

3. Grab another section behind that lock of hair.

4. Twist the two sections together.

5. Pin at the back of your head, where you want your bun to sit. I pinned it at the middle of my head since I want a low bun.

6. Do two twists using this technique on the right side. 

7. Repeat on the left side.

8. When the hair's all pinned, the hair looks like this.

9. To create the bun, gather all the free hair into a ponytail and do a rope braid. To do a rope braid, split the hair into two sections and twist them together, like you're forming a rope. 

10. Wind the hair into a circle, forming a bun and pin your bun in place. Tuck any loose ends. 

The look is just a lot of twists in different sizes. Experiment with tinier, tighter twists for a cornrow effect or adding accessories if you'll be wearing this to a wedding. I didn't use product for this look as I wanted this to be a casual, everyday look but if you want more hold, you can go ahead and do a spritz of hairspray or use styling gel or wax if you want to give your hair more grip.

How would you wear this hair? Let me know in the comments below or show me a picture on Instagram and tag me @bambikitty. 

Tips for DIY Hair Coloring

If you're saving a few bucks and going DIY by purchasing your own box of hair color, you can avoid a DIY mess and get good results by following a few tips.

My new DIY color. Make DIY a breeze with a few simple steps

First of all, never forget to do a an allergy test.

We often take this for granted because we're excited for our new color right away. Different people react to different products so before placing the whole thing in your hair, best to know if that's good for you. A red patch behind your ear is better than your whole scalp flaring up. Better be safe than sorry.

Find a shade that would flatter you well

The shade on the model on the box may be different from your own natural color. To know which shade suits you well, you can download those fun makeover apps in your smartphone or tablet (like Virtual Makeover) so you can virtually "try" several shades and brands. This will help you narrow your choices so you don't stare at the shelf of hair colors looking clueless.

L'Oreal Excellence Creme (Php 399) in 6.35 is a flattering auburn shade that softens the features. It's an office-friendly shade too, making it the bestselling shade, Available at department stores, supermarkets, and drugstores

Do your application in the bathroom, where cleaning is easy, and keep pets away during the coloring process

Since I have pets, I had my furbabies hang out in the room first as I did my DIY coloring in the bathroom. There's less distraction of kitties rubbing against your leg or being curious on how you look. I hugged them later after the coloring has been done and my hair has been dried and styled.

Wear an old black top and use a dark-colored towel to protect your neck and shoulders.
DIY hair color can get messy so drape a black towel on your shoulders (secure it with a clamp, just like what they do in salons). Wear an old black top, especially if you have long hair so that just in case there may be stains, it's okay.

Don't forget the hair at the crown and back section! 

Make sure you get all areas covered! We often get the front side even but by the time we reach the back of the head, we can get a patchy, uneven result. You can get a friend to help with the back and make it a fun bonding session bringing memories of slumber parties of our pre-teen years.

Plan your activities

You can't wash your hair a day after color usually so make sure you're not going to the gym for a major sweat session right after your color. Plan your color when you are not going to go to the beach or swim on the pool since that can cause major fade. If I know I'll be hitting the beach, I would usually color my hair a month before. Also, no HIIT or core training the day after coloring since I know I'll be sweating buckets. Maybe yin yoga, light yoga flow, or pole dance perhaps?

Invest on a sulfate-free shampoo and products for color-treated hair

L'Oreal EverPure Sulfate-Free Color Care System Moisture Shampoo cleans your hair while caring and preserving your color.  Once a month, treat your hair to a hair masque treatment. I recommend the L'Oreal Professionel Vitamino Color Color Radiance Protection + Perfection Jelly Mask. Smells good too! Available at salons.

This would make your hair color last longer and stay more vibrant. They also contain ingredients that can hydrate your hair. Care for your hair as well by applying hair masque on your hair once a month.

Hopefully, these may make your DIY color experience a breeze. Have fun with your new color and rock that head of hair.

Hot New Trend: The V-Look

We're all obsessed with getting the perfect, slim, chiseled face shape. That's why we have the magical powers of contouring in the first place, where we take that extra step of shading and highlighting so we could achieve the supermodel  cheekbones and slimmer face. Others have gone to the extreme of going under the knife to taper off a few angles and achieve the perfect V-shape face, a trend among Asians. As us Asians have naturally round face shapes, this makes us look more youthful yet it can add the illusion of extra pounds in photos or can appear flat.

Without the extra step of makeup contouring and the layers of makeup sitting on your face or spending extra on a good cosmetic surgeon, the illusion of a slimmer face can be achieved through the new hairstyle trend called the V-Look, developed by L'Oreal Professionel.

This look takes inspiration from K-Pop stars, and is described as flattering in all angles and makes use of face-framing bangs, a bit of volume on the top and a few layers to get the ideal shape to flatter your own features. Aside from the perfect cut for your face shape and hair texture, hair color would be taken into consideration to give you the color that would flatter your skin tone and enhance it, no makeup necessary, sort of like, I woke-up-naturally-looking-like-this look. A pretty, fluffy-messy look that's low-maintenance. This look may also create a lot of volume, especially if your hair is fine, saving blow-drying time wrestling with your hair dryer and round brush.

Personally, I like layers to take away the weight from my hair and somehow, for wavy-haired girls like me, layers also enhances my hair's natural texture. I'm not so sure I would try bangs though on me since I don't like hair getting near my eyes when I work out, so my cut always opts for low-maintenance layers to add volume and shape. I'm always open to new color, since I color my hair.

Would you love to try this look for the season? What color would you choose? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Redhead Once More

I've been meaning to go redhead for as long as I can remember and I kinda miss having fun, fiery red hair. I get my hair colored since it gives me a better look and makes me look less washed out. I usually go for an ash color, since it brightens up my color and it's a color that's super low-maintenance. When I give my hair a rest, I revert it back to dark brown so the regrowth won't be that obvious.

I've seen a peg over at the BDJBox Instagram account, with the trend #fireombrehair, which starts as a bold shade of red, then fades to a copper/orange then to blonde or platinum. and I thought I'd give it a try. Thankfully, my job does not have a lot of strict restrictions with hair color, image, and tattoos or what not.

I went over to Salon Beauvoir yesterday morning and thankfully senior hairstylist Monette Rivera was there. She previously did my pixel hair highlights and I loved how the red didn't turn brassy after the fade. In fact, it actually had some snippets of red still and those that had some  fade weren't brassy orange but a nice, cool ash. Since my last dye job was like 3 months ago, it's time for a new change and I went for fire ombre hair, It's my first time to have my hair colored professionally from base to highlight so I'm really excited.


First up, my hair was applied its base color (a bright, bold red) directly with no bleaching.  Unlike usual base color where every part of my hair was colored, the color was applied only up to 2/3 of the way and left to develop for 20 minutes (the approximate amount for my hair to develop), washed, and then dried for the highlights to be applied. Unlike usual highlights where the colors were applied in foils at the top of my head, my foils were applied at the bottom. I still had some platinum chunks of hair from my last bleaching, and these would be the parts that would eventually turn platinum blond during the fade. In between the honey/blond and the red, I had a coppery shade for the orange part of my hair. Just like the base color, my hair was washed and blow-dried.

I didn't have the fiery bright red, although it could be achieved by having my hair bleached first and red applied. However, it would be too much for my hair to handle and I might end up with damaged hair. Also, I'm glad that Monette thought ahead about regrowth and colored my hair in such a way that even when regrowth happens, the natural color would look like it's still part of the whole ombre effect (instead of the distinct line of root regrowth that happens).  Some hair textures may take an extra platinum bleach at the tips, but apparently, my hair might get damaged if that's the case. I like the hair though, it's like Sansa Stark. I was told that the fade will be ash brown, and by the time my roots grow, it would blend well with my hair too (also, it would save me money so I can prolong the time before I go for a root retouch). The highlights being at the tips of my hair would also enhance my naturally wavy hair and create dimension.

super bright hair under the sun

Red hair can be very difficult to work with and I'm glad I read up on tips on how to maintain red hair color. I agree that going to the pros is the way to go and going DIY will just result into a red mess in the bathroom and a brassy, patchy hair color mess. If I went DIY and went ahead with the peg, I might have damaged my hair with all the bleaching and coloring I did.  This was a lesson I learned as well from my past DIY hair color mishaps. It took an expert to come up with a color that fits my complexion and hair texture and know the limitations and boundaries of my own hair and still come up with a look that I want.

The day after (I couldn't wash my hair 24 hours after color), the curls became softer.

I'm thinking of loving this look for quite some time. I'm usually not into a lot of bright colors but I think I'll maintain this look over up until the holidays.


Salon Information:
Salon Beauvoir is located at Upper G/F Sommerset Olympia 7912 Makati Ave Cor. Sto. Tomas, Makati 1200
(02) 478 7670

Color Restored via Serie Expert Vitamino Color

I spent my morning today at the L'Oreal Academie in Ortigas to experience Serie Expert, a high performance hair treatment that targets specific hair needs that go deep into the hair's molecular structure. Despite that I left the house at rush hour, around 8:30, the drive to Ortigas was unexpectedly breezy.

We were asked to choose which treatment we were supposed to have. First, was the Vitamino Color, which was for color lock for those who color their hair and want to restore its vibrancy and shine and give our color-treated hair its much needed nourishment.  For super damaged locks, Absolut Repair Lipidum is suggested to instantly reconstruct, detangle, and soften hair, basically making your hair not much of a pain to handle in life. I had my hair colored a month ago and it somehow faded, so I opted for the Vitamino Color. When I made my choice, my hair was washed and then my treatment started,

The first step was the application of Powerdose, a powerful concentrate (not to be taken in to give you superpowers, mind you) treatment to instantly revitalite color-treated hair. The serum was applied using a spray pump attachment, and depending on the length and thickness of hair, you may need a second vial or one might be enough. In my case, I think they only used one. 

The second step involved the application of a color masque. Unlike traditional conditioners which we use at home, this one is thicker, richer, and more intense which nourishes our dry and colored hair bringing it back to life. Just like the Powerdose. this was massaged well into my hair to really get my treatment to work.

The waiting game starts, the products have to be left in my hair for quite some time before rinsing them out. Oh and hello morning coffee!

My hair was blow-dried after into soft curls that feel super lush and smooth instead of dried and fried.  And yay for shine!!!!

My hair is alive. ALIIIIVVEEEE!!!!!

The whole procedure is really fast and took approximately 35 minutes for the whole treatment. Plus points also on the fruity scent of the treatment. Since it was fast, I had time to attend my pole lunch class where my shoulders died and went to pole heaven. My hair was still super smooth and shiny though, even after an hour of class. The curls were more relaxed though, but it was still a big check for touchable smoothness. This treatment may help preserve my color longer, especially if I'm the type that has a wash-and-wear kind of lifestyle. 

My Amazing Blow Dry Secret - Awesome Pink Potions to Save my Blow-Drying Skill's Neck

My hair literally has a world of its own and I have a love-hate relationship with it. I love it being long and thick and easy-to-style. I hate it for on days when I don't style it, it doesn't fall well like it's supposed to. Blow-drying seems to be the only key for it to look like it was naturally gorgeous and I kinda time some events where I need to look good when I'm gonna have my quarterly trims or if I have to go on trips to the salon where I can have my hair professionally blow-dried. I'm thankful for blow-dry bars and services where I can have my hair styled but if I have a client meeting or lunch with my friends, it's kinda too much if I go to a blow dry bar just to look pro enough so the solution is to gel and perpetually tie my hair. I do have a blow-dryer at home and there are times when I can go DIY but it still doesn't give the naturally flawless results a pro blowdry can give. Also, since my hair is long and thick, it takes forever to dry my hair perfectly. Some of the hairstylists I talk to actually said that even though they know how to fix and style hair, it's still hard to blow-dry your own hair.

I was introduced to a new and awesome product called My Amazing Blow Dry, which makes blow-drying a breeze without the need for pro-quality ionic blow dryers that cost a lot or the skills of a professional hairdresser. It's a safe, nice-smelling sulfate, phosphate, and pareben-free product that can be used by the lady who needs to look presentable all the time but does not have the time.

My Amazing Blow Dry has three products - shampoo, conditioner, and Quick Shake'N' Spray that work perfectly with each other in giving that perfect coif half the time. Of course they work tremendously well together but if you're saving money like I did, the Quick Shake 'N' Spray is the product you can purchase, which does not interfere or clash with your favorite shampoo and conditioner.

The Quick Shake 'N' Spray is a multi-purpose styler that's great for all hair types. If you noticed in the photo, it has like two formulas in the bottle, a clear layer, and a pinkish layer at the bottom. The clear layer on top speeds up blow-drying time by 50%. The pink layer at the bottom contains conditioners, moisturizers, heat, and sun protectors (as you all know, heat styling can damage the hair) to nourish the hair. All you have to do to use it is to shake the bottle very well to blend the ingredients together (it will turn a light cotton candy pink shade) and then spritz on to towel-dried hair before blow-drying. You can style your hair as desired and finish off with a final spritz for added shine. Unlike hair sprays, the results leave the hair soft and silky instead of crunchy, like traditional alcohol-based hair sprays. The Quick Shake 'N' Spray also can be used to refresh hair at the middle of the day to remove the smell of hair pollutants. Instead of odors reminiscent of a chem lab, this one has a fruity candy-like scent.  Hairstylists can have this in their kits should the client be sensitive to alcohol-based traditional hair products or would like to speed blow-drying time. Again, if you're the one who really prefers your usual favorite shampoo and conditioner, just get the Quick Shake 'N' Spray for your own DIY blow-drying at home.

My Amazing Blow Dry Secret is available at all Strip Manila stores and Tokyo Posh outlets. A 200-mL bottle costs Php 1250. If you want to get a set of three, (Shampoo, Conditioner, & Quick Shake 'N' Spray), the cost is Php 2998.

Hair Tutorial For Bombastic, Bodacious Hair

And finally, I got my blogging mojo so what does this little kitty do? I blog. Yay! Hello you all I hope you had an awesome, awesome Valentine's Day. This post today is actually a little carry-over from last week's Valentines. I do a hair tutorial! Omigod, yes. I actually am doing a hair tutorial, the girl who doesn't comb her hair. Anyway, you know me, I'm really not into the sugary saccharine pretty princessy looks for Valentines. I wanted something fierce and fab. Hence, the name of the hair tutorial - bombastic, bodacious hair. Or as I would like to call it, the bombastar hair. 

This really works well with Valentines if you want to look really sexy and sultry, or just any day of the week or year. I mean, darling, if you wanna look pretty and hot that day then GO! I might have to warn you though, this will take a lot of time though, especially if you have really long and thick hair, like me. The results, however are really pretty and worth it. So I suggest like make this hair really pretty and then I'll show you an easy way to wear your makeup so it matches your hair.

So here's what you need:

Equipment:

• four large velcro rollers
• a wide curling iron
• a hair dryer (my hair dryer has a built-in brush attachment to it, which I love, especially since I did this on my own)
• A sectioning comb with a pointy tip handle

Products

• Mousse
• Hair spray
• Light-hold Hair wax.

I'm using here all Indola products, which are really awesome in performance and quite easy to use and friendly to my hair. They're not available in drugstores though but you can get them in cosmetics fairs or salons that carry them.

Start with hair that's almost dry instead of hair that's dripping from the shower. You can do your makeup first    and then your hair or some jumping jacks too. Or you can just rough-dry first your hair with a blow dryer just to get some of the moisture out. This hairstyle works well with hair that's naturally wavy but not too curly or kinky and digipermed hair, that got quite a bit ramen-like in shape and you wanna shape it into something a bit prettier and sexier. Also, please if you want this hairstyle to work, please do not put shampoo and conditioner to your hair because the hairstyle will not stay with glossy squeaky clean hair. Dry, dirty hair works best for this. If you're the type who can't stand dirty hair, you may use strong soap to wash your hair. If your hair is fine, this can help if you want the style to hold too. 

So this is my hair. Like I told you, it's also got some wave into it, but there's quite a lot of frizzies and frizzy isn't bomba star like. 

First up, apply a dollop of mousse and spread on hair. Don't load up on the roots because that will weigh the hair down.

Then, blow dry hair smooth with a blow dryer. It doesn't have to be perfectly poker straight like the salons do it, just smooth enough to get the frizzies out. For extra beauty queen like volume, blow dry at a 90-degree angle. 

If you can see, my hair isn't poker straight after blow-drying but still quite smooth than the picture before this.

Take the three sections of hair that frame your face and set it in rollers as shown in the photo. The fourth roller may be placed at the back of the center roller for added volume.

Boo!! Scared you. 

 Next, curl the remaining hair using the curling iron. I started with the bottom section and moved up. If you want, you may set the hot curled hair with pins first and start dressing up. Walk around the house for a good 10 minutes looking like the Fat Lady in Kung Fu Hustle.

The curls have this kind of shape. It's soft and not too Goldilocks-like. 

Remove the rollers after 10 minutes. Or longer. The hair will have a slight wave.

You may go over these sections with hot curing iron if you want more shape.

Shape the hair with a comb to the style desired.

Use a bit of hair wax to tame any frizzies. Don't put too much or it would weigh hair down.

Set with hairspray.

Yay! Hair!

The best way to rock this look is to own it. You might want to change up your makeup into something a bit more dramatic. In this case, I added a bit of winged liner and hot pink lipstick for a vintagey vibe.

Own this look by feeling it when you get out of the house. There's no demure bomba star. Wear those heels, walk with fabulousness, and flash that smile. This pretty look is great for a party, a night out. Have fun!