How To Dye Your Hair at Home

Hi, my name is Kristina, and I've been dyeing my hair myself for twelve years. What?! Sometimes even I forget, but I'm not really a redhead. Freaky.

I started off dyeing my hair myself in college (oh no, I just aged myself) and initially chose box dye because I'd seen friends have issues with brighter colors fading really quickly after going to the salon. And, let's be honest, I could barely afford my life even working two jobs in college, there's no way I was paying to have someone color my hair.

I wanted to share some tips for doing hair dye at home in case you are starting to get desperate after 6 weeks of quarantine. 

Before we dive in, my main tip is DON'T DYE YOUR HAIR AT HOME. Especially if you usually go to a salon. At-home hair dye is completely different than salon dye, and your hair can have weird reactions when you go back to the salon after using a box kit at home. I've heard horror stories about terrible hair breakage and weird, unexpected colors. At home hair dye is also much more damaging to your hair, and after twelve years of using it, my hair won't grow more than a few inches past my collarbone.

I know you're desperate, but might it be better to just throw your hair in a ponytail for the next month?

Okay, now that my PSA is out of the way, here are my top tips for coloring your hair at home: 

1. Choose a realistic color

With at-home dye, there just is no way you're going to make a drastic color change. You can go a few shades darker, or maybe one or two lighter. Now is not the time to try something crazy. Yes, I dye my hair red and it works, but my natural hair color has red tones so the color "sticks" better according to my hair stylist. By the way, this is the box dye that I have used for years! I use color C74, Power Copper. Definitely don't use this if you plan to go back to the salon, a stylist specifically told me that I'll have to use henna for a while to wean my hair off of the chemicals in it before trying to dye it in a salon. (EDIT: another stylist reached out to me and said DON'T USE HENNA!!! It's the only thing they can't dye over in the salon.) 

2. Prep your hair correctly 

If your hair has any product in it, the color may not stick correctly. Any product is blocking the hair shaft from fully absorbing the color. Also, since the dye is so damaging, you don't want to apply it to a squeaky clean scalp - a little oil is better for protecting those strands! When I know I'm going to be dyeing my hair, I try to wash my hair at least 24 hours in advance, and I don't apply any products to it. I also try to let it air dry to give it a break from damage!

3. Protect your bathroom

Hair dye is no joke. I got a drop on the vanity in my parents' bathroom years and years ago and they still haven't managed to get the stain out! Seriously think about how porous / susceptible to stains the surfaces in your bathroom are, and cover anything that could stain with an old towel. And definitely move any rugs or towels out of the dye zone (you'd be amazed how far the splatters can go!). When I lived with roommates, I designated one shirt to wear every time I dyed my hair so I wouldn't ruin all of my clothes, but now I usually am just naked to avoid any issues.

4. Follow the directions to the T, and think about back-up plans

Do NOT go over the amount of time you're supposed to leave dye in your hair. If you aren't good about remembering things, set a timer when you start the dye so you don't leave it in too long. Add the ingredients to the dye in the correct order, and don't leave the dye in a sealed container or it could explode! 

Think about plan b too. I always have a second box of dye on hand just in case I make a huge mistake (like the time I left a brown line all the way around my head) or in case one box isn't enough for your hair. It might also be handy to think about what you might do if your water gets cut off. This is a long shot, but once my aunt put dye in her hair, and when she went to rinse it out it turned off she didn't have any water! Long story short, she had to put her head in the toilet. Yikes! 

5. Avoid shampooing as long as you can! 

Box dye needs a long time to "set" in your hair, even after you rinse it out. I've noticed before that if I shampoo too soon, the color at my roots fades a lot faster than the rest of my hair. I try to let my hair rest without shampooing for at least three days after I dye it to make sure the color really sticks. Thanks to quarantine, I managed to go a full week without shampooing the last time I colored my hair! 

Are you dyeing your hair at home? Good luck! 

Follow along with everything Kristina does via Bloglovin!

5 Tips for Dealing With Postpartum Hair Loss

I'm now five and a half months postpartum which means it's time for, you guessed it, hair loss. Yay for bodies being weird!

I actually thought I would escape this unfortunate part of postpartum life, because my hair did not get thicker at all while I was pregnant. But then, lo and behold, two weeks after I had Mia my hair stopped falling out and growing. What?! I mean, really I first noticed because I kept getting confused in the shower about whether or not I had shaved. Turns out I hadn't, my leg hair just wasn't growing! Once again, yay for bodies being weird!

But, since my hair got thicker, that meant that eventually it would have to shed back to normal, and oh my goodness it has been happening. I've been losing hair like crazy (our vacuum even broke - couldn't handle the shedding!!) for the past month or so, from all over my head but especially around the temples and my hairline.

I've actually always struggled with having extreme baby hairs, which really is what postpartum hair loss gives you. In middle school whenever I wore a ponytail I would shellac all of my baby hairs back to my head, and then eventually in high school I gave up and let them fly everywhere in all of their glory. I even cut bangs (and then kept them for almost 10 years!) as a way to camouflage the baby hairs. Over the years, they've given me lots of practice for keeping baby hairs under control.

Here are my top five tips for dealing with postpartum hair loss:

1. Part your hair when it's wet 

A lot of tips for volume include waiting to part your hair until it's dry, but if you're trying to get baby hairs under control that's going to result in them standing straight up! My technique for years has been to get out of the shower and then comb and part my hair with a wide tooth comb while it's still wet. Then I go over my hair again with a fine tooth comb to make sure that my baby hairs are in place (this also helps keep my hair sleek and smooth!) and let them dry that way. I also part my baby hairs closer to the center even though I part my hair over to the side, as this also keeps them from standing up.

2. Change up your part to hide any sparse or bald spots 

If you have any spots that are starting to thin on your part, change it up now before things get worse. That will give that spot a chance to recover without the stress of being directly on your part. Since my left temple is right on my part it has suffered the most, but since I shifted my part a little closer to center it has started to get better.

3. Keep your part when putting your hair in a ponytail

You may have noticed that whenever I wear my hair up, I don't push all of my hair straight back. Instead, I always keep the first inch or two of my hair parted (like here - wow that's a pregnant belly!). This allows my baby hairs to lay flat and stay camouflaged. When you try combing your hair straight back, that means those baby hairs are going to stick out and any sparse spots are going to show.

4. Use a toothbrush and hairspray

If you are trying for a style that isn't cooperating with your baby hairs, try putting hairspray on a toothbrush and using that to brush those little hairs into place! A toothbrush has much finer bristles than a brush or even a fine tooth comb, so it can catch those short little hairs and help them conform to your style.

5. Don't stress it!

Worrying about how your hair looks will just make things worse, as stress can increase hair loss! Just know that it's likely that no one else has noticed your hair, and that things should bounce back to normal soon.

Are there any other tips you've used that have worked? Let me know in the comments! 

Follow along with everything Kristina does via Bloglovin!

How to Curl Stick Straight Hair

I've been getting requests for how I curl my hair for a long time now, and it seems I've finally acquiesced to your request. I have super straight, hard-to-curl hair so it really gets some effort to get curls to stay. I shared some tips for curling stick-straight hair a couple of years ago, but I used to use a curling iron and had to pin up my curls while they cooled to get any sort of staying power. Now I've upgraded to a curling wand I can skip that step. I don't know what's so different about a curling wand, but they just work so much better for me! I use the T3 Whirl and I love it, it's super expensive but it actually works. They sell it at Sephora, so I was able to pick it up at a discount during the last VIB sale - score!

I apologize in advance for how long this thing turned out - it turns out I have a lot of thoughts about hair ;) If you don't feel like watching the whole video, just know that my top tips are to use a curling wand like the T3, and to use way more products than you feel comfortable admitting. Here are all of the products I used in the video:

Redken Guts 10 Volume Spray Foam

Redken Pillow Proof Blow Dry Express Primer

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo 

Kenra Thermal Styling Spray 19

Kenra Volume Spray 25

Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast Spray

Follow along with everything Kristina does via Bloglovin!

Lobbing It Off

Why is it that we always want the hairstyles we can't have? I was perfectly content with having long hair and even wanted it to grow longer, but ever since I got engaged and started "growing it for the wedding" (ahem, it didn't grow at all. silly hair.) all I've wanted to do is cut it off. I'm no stranger to short hair, in the past I had a pixie and went through several iterations of bobs. Now I can't get the lob (or long bob) out of my head. It feels so perfectly "now" and looks so fun to style. I know it's so cliche to cut your hair short post-wedding, but I just can't help myself. I saw my hair stylist for a little trim last weekend, and we decided next time I come in we're doing something fun - lob, here I come!

Image sources: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Follow along with everything Kristina does via Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin!

How to Fake a Blowout with a Hot Air Brush

I don't know about you, but I can never quite get the results I want with a blow drier. I've read a bunch of "how to get a blowout at home" articles and always study my hairdresser but I've still never quite gotten it. It's hard to hold the dryer in one hand and a brush in the other while getting the right angle, my arm always gets tired and I end up hot and sweaty, and some of my ends end up curling while others stay straight. God only knows what's going on in the back. 

I ordered a hot air brush (I'm using a 1.5" brush by John Frieda) before Christmas because I thought it would curl my hair (wrong-o) but I'm loving the results I get with it for straight hair. It's funny, hot air brushes and hot combs sound like something my mom would have used back in the '70s, so I was a little hesitant to try it, but it works surprisingly well. It gets me the volume I crave while also keeping my hair looking polished and shiny.

To use the hot air brush, you're going to want to start with hair that's mostly dry, either because it's dried naturally or through a rough dry with your blow drier. In a lot of tutorials people say "80% dry" which is a little confusing to me, so I thought I'd show you what my hair looks like when I go at it, starting to actually look dry but still feels damp. I added a volumizing spray throughout my hair (I like Ojon volume advance) and volumizing foam to my roots (I like Aquage Uplifting Spray).

First, start by sectioning off all of your hair off below your ears, and clipping the rest on top of your head with duckbill clips. Grab about a fourth of the hair you left down (or less if you have really thick hair), lift it up, and put the brush underneath it, pushing up hair at the root, and hold with the brush on hot for 5-10 seconds.

Then I slowly pull the brush through to the ends, and roll it up to the root. I keep the brush on hot for about 5 seconds, and then switch it to cool to set the hair and leave it for about 10 seconds before pulling it out. The cool switch on this brush works so much better than any hair dryer I've ever used, and actually does set my hair. You can see how curled that first piece got: 

I repeat this process all over my head, letting down small sections from the hair I have clipped up at a time.

Once I get to the top of my head, I overlap the sections I'm drying with previously dried sections to avoid having any weird separation and help the style blend together. 

And voila, an at home blowout! The beauty of this is it really only takes one hand and not a lot of concentration, so I can watch Netflix, text, or even put on makeup at the same time.

Have you ever tried using a hot air brush?

Follow along with everything Kristina does via Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin!

Top 5 Hair Products

With my hair, my goal is usually one of two things - to either add more moisture or more volume. It's naturally straight, but since I dye it it's usually a little dry. According to my hair dresser, I also have "a lot of thin hair," so if I don't apply the right products it can fall flat. My hair is also so straight that I need a little help in the curling department. Here are five of my favorite hair products:

Ojon Volume Advance Thickening Spray - This thickening spray was one of the first things I ever got in my Birchbox. This product does just what the name suggests, and makes my hair look a whole lot thicker. I spray a few pumps in my hair while it's still wet and comb it through to distribute it evenly and then blow dry normally.

Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge - I actually got a free sample of this moisturizing treatment in the mail and have been buying it in bulk from Amazon ever since (I can never find it in stores). It's somehow a super moisturizing treatment that leaves my hair feeling light and silky rather than weighed down. You can use it in place of a regular conditioner, but I usually add it after rinsing out my usual conditioner for extra silk and shine.

Aussie Moist 3 Minute Miracle - 3 minute miracle indeed. I can usually find this in drugstores for under three dollars and it works better than most of the high end deep conditioners I've tried. Not to mention that it smells great too!

Kenra Thermal Styling Spray - I tried this the first time because a travel size came attached to my giant bottle of Kenra Volume 25 and it is freaking amazing. Before I started using this product I could never get my curls to last longer than an hour or two, even if I wrapped them up and let them sit to fully cool. I don't know how this stuff works, but seriously, whoever created it is a miracle worker.

Kerastase Elixir Ultime - My hair stylist originally recommended this to me, and she pointed out that it's pretty expensive but would last me a long time. She was so right, I've used my bottle almost daily for the past two years and it's only halfway gone! The elixir is a hair oil that can be used on wet or dry hair. I usually run one pump of oil from the point where I can gather my hair into a ponytail through to my ends. I also occasionally put a little on my ends to add some shine to my second-day hair.


What are some of your favorite products?

Linking up with Random Wednesday.

Follow along with everything Kristina does via Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin!

Five Tips for the Best Second Day Hair

I've been a second day hair fan back since middle school.  That's not to say I always had "technically good" second day hair, just that I was often rocking it.  Lately though, I've been managing to get shiny, voluminous second day hair rather than second day hair that's just passable.  Note that my hair is naturally straight, and have what hairdressers describe as "a lot of thin hair."  Here are five of my tips to get the best possible second day hair:

1. Use dry shampoo the night before.  It allows the product to stop grease before it takes over, and helps you wake up with tons of volume.  I was using Suave for a long time, and well it worked and the price was right, I never liked the smell of it.  I recently switched to Batiste and have been loving it.

2. Don't rely on the ponytail.  My hair is usually greasiest along my hairline, so pulling my hair into a ponytail highlights the fact that I haven't washed it, and actually makes it look worse.  Instead, I may pull back my bangs, but leave the rest of my hair down.  The only exception to this is if I was wearing my hair up the day before.  Then my hairline seems to magically stay clean.

3. Use products when you do your hair the day before.  Sometimes I'm really lazy and just comb my hair and let it air dry.  While it looks fine on day one, it never translates into day two.  I've found that using products on day one, like Redken Guts 10, help my hair stay voluminous and keep the greasies away for day two.

4. Don't fight your day one style. If you wore your hair up, put it up again.  If you pulled back your bangs, you can try braiding them or twisting them, but don't try to wear them down.  If you curled your hair, don't try to straighten it.  My hair always looks better if I try to mimic the style I had the day before rather than fighting with it.  The one exception here would be curling your hair if you previously wore it straight, this definitely works.

5. Rinse, don't wash.  If you've been really pushing yourself at the gym, second day hair can sound kind of gross.  Sure, there's dry shampoo, but that can't make your hair less sweaty.  Whenever this happens to me, I go ahead and get my hair wet in the shower, but instead of using shampoo I just massage my scalp with my fingertips, like I'm washing my hair.  This helps to rinse away any sweat that's hanging around and can help with any grease, but won't dry out your hair.  I'll use a little conditioner after this, but I just put it on the ends of my hair to stop it from getting weighed down.

Are you a second-day girl?  Do you have any more tips for getting great second day hair?

Follow along with everything Kristina does via Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin!

Spill It: Bridal Hair

Image sources can be found on my Pinterest board

Planning a wedding makes you think about all sorts of little details you never thought you'd care about.  And actually still don't really care that much about, in my case.  One thing I knew I'd have to think about was my hair - would I try to grow it longer?  Stop cutting my bangs?  Change the color?  Ha, just kidding on that one, I'm never changing the color!

I casually said something to my hair stylist about having to decide whether to grow it longer, and she told me that she actually has a set formula for brides.  Starting at least a year before the wedding, she stops cutting layers in their hair, and instead only gives a tiny trim and does some face framing so that when the big day comes it's easier to put your hair in an up-do.

I was really surprised.  So, for a year before my wedding, I have to have the same sad haircut I had in middle school?  All for one good hair day?  Sounds crazy, right?

At this point I'm not sure I even want an up-do, so I may eschew her advice and keep cutting my hair normally.   I'm just curious, have you heard of this before?  Is it something you did before your wedding?  Spill it!

P.S. Don't forget to enter to win a Rebecca Minkoff bag!! Also, I'm being featured on Simple Easy Style today.




Follow along via Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin!

5 Secrets to Soft and Shiny Hair

I often get comments about how shiny and soft my hair is, but I've got a secret for you - I work hard to get it that way.  Don't tell my sister, as I'd like to keep her convinced I just have good genes.  Here are five of my secrets to getting really soft and shiny hair.

1. Leave conditioner in your hair as long as possible.  I wash and condition my hair first thing when I get in the shower, and leave the conditioner in until I'm ready to get out.  I also use deep conditioner ever two to three times I wash my hair to repair damage from coloring and styling.
2. After washing and conditioning your hair, rinse your hair in cold water, which helps to seal the cuticle.  It isn't always fun (especially in the winter!) but makes a big difference with my hair.
3. Comb your hair twice when getting out of the shower.  I go through first with a wide tooth comb to get the tangles out, and then with a fine tooth comb to smooth everything out.  This helps to cut down on flyaways and smooths everything out to make my hair really shiny.
4. Use the right products when you get out of the shower.  I swear by Kerastase's leave in conditioner and Elixer.  The conditioner should go in first, throughout all of your hair.  For the elixer, squeeze one pump into your hand, then gather your hair in a loose ponytail and spread only from mid-shaft to the ends.
5. Try to avoid heat styling whenever you can.  In the summer, I'll only blowdry my hair if I'm getting really dressed up.  In the winter, I dry it on a lower heat just enough so that it doesn't freeze during my walk to work.  

Let me know if any of these tips work for you!




Linking up:

Follow along via Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin!

The Twisted Topknot and a Giveaway (CLOSED)

I've never been a fan of the topknot on myself - regular buns always looked a little sad on my head, and my hair is a bit to thin for a sock bun to work.  Then I saw this little gem on Pinterest, and my whole view on topknots was changed.  This version sits a little closer to your head, but is actually two buns twisted around each other which adds a little more volume.  I've rocked this almost every day over the past week - this could be love.

And now for a little giveaway!  To celebrate Dani and Ainslee's birthdays, we teamed up to giveaway $200 in Paypal cash.  To enter, just use the Rafflecopter widget below.  The giveaway will be open until 7/13 at midnight MST.  

 | Love Me, Dani Marie | A Beautiful Heart | Little J Style | Fitness Fashion and Mommyhood | 

| Fawn over Baby | Love Shelbey | All Things Unpredictable and Chic | Jessica Jean | 

| Kristina Does the Internets | Marvelous Cara | The Joy of Fashion | Haircut and General Attitude | 

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway, the winner is Amy Harris.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Top Posts of 2012

It's crazy to think that I've been rocking this blog for six months now.  I was looking through some of my early posts and if feels like they were so long ago.  As 2012 winds down, I wanted to share my top 5 posts of the year:

1. Easy Costume: Wendy from Peter Pan
How to turn a nightgown from Sears and some ribbon into a quick Wendy costume

2. Giving Cash as a Gift

An amusing way to gussy up cash monies 

3. 5 Tips for Curling Stubbornly Straight Hair
How I get my crazy straight hair to stay curled, as well as a gift for my almost sister-in-law

4. Mini Meatloaf Bites

The recipe for my favorite appetizer, Mini Meatloaf Bites

5. Sisterface Wedding Extravaganza

A look back at my little sister's wedding as well as a double-denim outfit

Thank you to everyone who has read and supported my little blog over the past few months!  For 2013 expect a lot more how-to posts as well as a (hopeful) improvement on my photography skills.  Can't wait to see you then! 

How-To Hair: Day Old Waves

Last weekend I was trying to get ready in a hurry and had to do something with my day old hair.  I wanted to look nice but still fun and casual.  These waves took about 5 minutes to create and turned into some fun dreadlocks the next morning, so double win.

(kind of weird picture due to the fact that my face was reacting to some spider bites - yay!)

Products: Dry Shampoo (I've tried a lot of brands, and Suave works best for me) and hairspray

Tools: 1-2 inch curling iron, fine tooth comb

Step one: This is a day-old look, so start by spraying the crap out of your hair with dry shampoo.  I like to let mine sit and dry while I put on makeup.  Once the dry shampoo has dried, brush out your hair.  This should take away any greasies you may have as well as add some volume.  

Step two: Pin back your bangs (or front section of hair) using two bobby pins crossed over one another.  If you'd like a little more height to your poof, tease your bangs a little first.  I then teased the hair around  my poof to add a little volume.

Step three: Spray hair with a healthy amount of hairspray.  Don't brush it through since this look is supposed to be a little messy.  Holding your curling iron vertically, wrap one inch sections once around the barrel, hold for 5-10 seconds and release.  Make sure to vary the direction you curl around the barrel as well as which part of your hair is curled (i.e., top, middle, bottom).  Don't curl your ends.  Add curls until you achieve the look you want.  

Good luck curling! 

Their Way / My Way: Easy Updo

This past weekend I had another wedding to attend, so I thought I would try out the Twisted Updo from Kate at The Small Things Blog.  Kate was one of the first bloggers I ever followed, and I've been wanting to try out this style for a couple of months now.  As Kate pointed out in her post, this actually is a super easy style as long as you break it down into steps.

Step one is to lightly curl your hair.  Don't worry about locking in the curls like I did here, since you mostly just want volume and curled ends that won't stick straight out of the style.  Then section out your hair so that there are two front sections, from the top of your head to your ears, the crown, and the back of your hair.

Step two is to lightly tease hair at the crown, and then pin that hair into a small poof on the back of your head. Use two bobby pins crossed over one another to lock it in.

Step three is to lightly tease the bottom section of your hair and then pin up random sections.  Kate just pinned each piece once, leaving the ends out and loose.  I've always had some struggles with leaving my hair "undone" - my braids are always tight, my ponytails slicked back - so  I wanted a little more structure (and hold, for all of the kicking up my heels and whatnot).  I did the original lifting and pinning that she did, but then pinned most of the ends into the style as well.

The final step is to take the two front pieces and lightly twist them, and then pin them over the style.  Finish with a lot of hair spray.

Let me tell you, I got a lot of compliments on this hair (mostly from elderly attendees, who thought I looked "like Adele, but prettier").  People were surprised to hear that I had done it myself.  It took less than 10 minutes (minus the curling part) and held all night!

Funny story, this wedding was actually in the same location as the one I went to two weeks ago, so I thought I'd take the same picture in the same mirror in the bathroom.

It was a little chilly on Saturday, had to break out a coat!  And yes, I decided to go with the white patterned dress.  

Oh and a final sidebar: they used frames with childhood photos of the bride and groom for the table numbers.  So cute!

Wedding Weekend Day 4: The Big Day

Sunday was finally the big day.  We stayed at The James in downtown Chicago, and let me tell you, we had a very odd room.  For example, instead of a door to the bathroom, there was a sliding panel with a circular, frosted glass window in the center.  Also, this reading nook in a dark corner of the room:

I knew it would be a pretty fancy wedding, so I went super fancy:

Dress - Ralph Lauren, Shoes - Calvin Klein, Bag - Michael Kors, Jewelry - gifts

People kept asking me if I had gotten my hair done, but it was actually a really simple updo I did myself.  I curled my hair, teased the crown a little, and then pulled it into a low pony, leaving small sections out on either side of my face.  I then wrapped each piece I left out around the ponytail, crossing one over the other, and secured with bobby pins.  This was a less than 5-min hairstyle (once my hair was already curled).

Was it obnoxious that I matched my lip color to my nails?  Probably.  Did I care?  Absolutely not.

Me with the best man ;)

Overall it was a great but exhausting weekend!  Let me tell you, I had a looooot of laundry to do last week ;) Now I'm starting to get excited for my trip to California next week, and mentally planning all of my outfits.  How early is too early to start packing?