Hairball Alley

lelbetch asked: i love your blog! its great!! I love doing vintage hairstyles, the one problem i have is finding the balance of dampness while doping my wet set. How wet is your hair when you set it? and what kind of setting lotion do you use? thank yoU!!

Hey, thanks for the comments. My hair is close to bone dry when I set it. I dampen it down slightly with setting lotion/water mix in a spray bottle so I get a good coating on each section of hair before I pincurl or wave it.

Hope this helps!

Kxx

Anonymous asked: Would you consider starting a youtube channel?

I was just told that you can earn £200,000 a year from You Tube sponsorship, even this is not enough.

I’m not a fan of video tutorials, they make me cringe.

I’ve always preferred learning from looking at pictures and figuring it out myself, so I hope I can cater to the people like myself. Also I work all the god-given hours of the week already, editing videos would just be mentalism, but then I have been known to partake in that, I might do a demo at some point for pincurls or waves, but not a talkie.

We do hair workshops and 1:1 tutorials at Miss Dixiebelle, which work a lot better because people can ask questions and get practical answers on their hair at the time, answering questions about other people’s hair is near impossible unless you have the hair in front of you xx

We Need to Talk About Audrey

It’s no secret that I’m more than slightly obsessed with the character Audrey Horne, from Twin Peaks. I’ve mentioned her on my blog many times, and half my wardrobe is based on her 1950s style. It’s not just the character to be fair, Sherilyn Fenn, the actress formally known as Audrey and hardly seen since, had the classic 50s sex kitten look down.

There’s no one more important in establishing this fact than the wonderful, god rest her soul, Elizabeth Taylor.

I spend 50% of my life trying to be Audrey yet I don’t have a bob. 1950s bobs and short cuts are quintessential, keep it short, set it tight, pencil in those eyebrows heavy and you have a killer look.

BUT… when you have all those fabulous Rita dos to consider you need to keep it long don’t you? This is why it is of vital importance that everyone perfects their own mock bob.

There’s so many different things you can do with a mock bob, consider the possibilities, not just 50s, this is going to take you from the 1920s Louise Brooks, in any of her hair forms

To Natalie Wood 60s style

And everything in between

First thing to think about is curl, how much curl, how tight the curl and how big the curl. Even a classic Louise Brooks, you should curl your ends to help you with the style.

Next do you want a wave shaping? A fringe? Well you’re going to curl that in too. This is the fun part, just try things out, directions, size of curl, you can get some great effects from just going wild.

Once you’ve brushed out to suit your style you’re going to need a mountain of kirby grips, and possibly a little backcombing, depending on your hair type and the volume you want, and a heap of hairspray.

Every mock bob is going to have the under-section of hair pinned at the nape of the neck and it’s up to you to get creative with what you can do from there, especially at the front.

Nothing without lipstick, as always.

This is my Lizzy Taylor tribute, but I might well be bobbing all week. Hopefully I’ll have a glamorous assistant on Friday in the shape of the beautiful model and talented artist Eleni Kalorkoti, who has the privilege of having a bona fide bob, oh the fun we’re going to have! 

Anonymous asked: Hi Kay, I've really enjoyed reading your blog. I have a question regarding brushing out curls. My curls may looked soft and polished right after brushing out but after half a day of moving around in the office, they tend to have a frizzed out look. I've noticed in photgraphs of everyday women from the 40s that frizzy curls were not that all uncommon, however I would still like to be able to tame my mane. I've tried pomade but if I fiddle with my curls too much, they fall out. Any tips?

Hi there, sorry taken a while to respond to this, I have no excuse but laziness!

Thanks for following the blog.

There’s a few things you can try out, if you aren’t up for embracing the frizz (which is what I tend towards, again out of laziness, I’d rather brush it through, sleek the top, coat in a bit hairspray, top up my red lipstick, put on a beret and pull my best Bacall face). Heavy products like pomades/oils will make your curls fall quicker, but they do stop frizzing, so it’s a catch 22 really, but oils are a lighter option.

Here’s some alternatives you can try out

1. try using a very small amount of light hold hairspray throughout the day to coat the hair

2. use more setting lotion when you curl your hair

3. use an invisible hairnet

4. try a shine spray after curling

5. just pin your hair up at the end of the day, why not change your style you have a basic wave shaping there from the curls it’s the ideal time to change it up!

Hope that helps!

Glamour -Getter

My mum’s first choice of name for me was Rita.

Now don’t get me wrong Kay is alright, there’s Kay Francis…

Kay Kendall…

and the lovely Kay Starr…

…but, everytime I see Rita I curse my mother’s decision.

To be fair to my beautiful mother, who is one of my favourite hair models, Rita would sound horrible in most Scottish accents, maybe she did me a favour with the 1 syllable name that even the broadest of Scots can’t add much flavour to.

Moans over, I have this fabulous/hilarious article by Rita called “Every Woman Should Glamour for Attention”.

It’s a typical all over the place article by a filmstar, but there are a few gems in it which I can get behind in a Glamour Army kind of a way…

“Combine the two, mystery and sincerity, and you have a womanly personality which is irresistible. For the mystery will intrigue and the sincerity will gain and hold respect”

“It is your duty to be glamorous. This workaday world needs all the enchantment it can get and it is up to you to provide your quota.”

“Even the stay-at-home who has no chance to sparkle beneath the bright lights can be glamorous, for glamour does not demand public attention but is something you can be famous for even amongst a limited circle of friends or even in one’s own family”

She recommends expressing your “innate womanliness” through, perfect hair, perfect hands and a perfect voice (at least 2 or 3 registers below the everyday), carefully chosen perfume, and steeliness of spirit… make of that what you will.

Anyway, let’s work on the “perfect” Rita hair. 

First off, here’s my easy wave shaping method for wet setting…

Side part and comb hair back, securing with sectioning clip,

With hair securely clipped, comb the remaining part of the section back on itself, into a ‘c’ shape

Give that hair a little nudge up with the comb still in it, and stick a clip in to hold in place before removing the comb (which should have created a little ridge by nudging it up a little),

Now reverse the hair ‘c’ shape again, but pulling the hair away from the face, so the hair is now snaking over your hairline, again give a little nudge up with the comb, you can see the little ridge in the picture, this isn’t a really hard fingerwave ridge, just enough to encourage a shaping, and clip again,

I rolled in 2 pincurls with the ends of the waved section of hair.

2 finger pincurl, for slightly looser curls, 1 finger ones can be pretty crazy stuff to deal with and tame sometimes.

Now I’m thinking a good number of large pincurls throughout the hair.

I sectioned my hair into 3 layers.

Pincurls starting at bottom layer.

I noticed Rita often had a section of hair from the back coming over the front, so I simply combed that forward and pincurled beside the first pincurls I did with the wave.

All of this can be done with heated rollers or tongs, as always though I like the wet set effect for a traditional and long-lasting look.

The next morning comes the brushing out and using my new camera again, which I am trying to get used to using for this, but it’s not easy, I may revert back to the old one for blogging!

 I brushed out well for this style as I wanted looser waves rather than curls.

I do the sides before the front wave section,

I brushed through the wave, and remember I brought a section forward from the back in the set, well I combed that over the front wave, and tucked the ends behind the front section.

Now I just need to work on my voice.

And as Rita says:

“The girl born with pretty features can be lovely but it is the girl who uses her intelligence who becomes glamorous”

Any Place I Hang My Hat is Home

It’s 2012 now, happy new year, and I resolve to get back on top of my blog. 

After Japan, it went a bit festive, and moving house is never the best time to try and get anything done.

I’m now finished my Christmas holidays, a lot more chirpy than I started them. Spending time with my nearest and dearest, getting dressed up, getting clients dressed up and playing with my new camera, have given me a well needed boost after the stress of moving.

One thing I got the chance to do in the holidays was to model some of Miss Dixiebelle’s lovely head wear, and so my obsession du jour was born.

I’m a huge hair ornament fan, never more so than seeing the Geisha attire in Japan, but I’ve heard this is the year in fashion for hair ornaments and I’m running with it.

For my shoot with Fiona Timantti hats and Miss Dixiebelle’s range of vintage jewellery, I did a basic pincurl set in my hair, which I took out half way through to change for some classic waves. This is my favourite kind of set for getting the finished femme fatale waves.

The set was basic large pincurls (wrapped around 2 fingers), with a wave shaping at the front, which I promise a tutorial on this year!

You can see the full shoot on Facebook

Now, if today is anything to go by, my obsession with headscarves will be long continuing, but the lovely Emma made my day on Hogmanay at work, when she gifted me with a leopard print Bubble Betty. 

If you’re not familiar with these retro delights, favourite of older ladies in the UK certainly, but in dire need of a revival not only because they are incredibly practical and keep your hair dry and untouched by the hellish wind but because they looks stylish (do not beg to differ, they are chique, it’s only connotations that makes my boyfriend laugh at me in it), then you need to get familiar.

If there’s one piece of important advice I can give this season, it’s don’t go outside uncovered!

caycejanebrain asked: Do you have any suggestions for hairstyling books that I should buy? I do what I can with my hair now but I would love to learn and do more before I start going to hair school. Thank you! -Cayce

Hey again

All books on hairstyling are helpful, once you have the basic skills all you need is inspiration.

For easy vintage Lauren Rennels book is great for starting out and you can pick up good vintage books online, “Hairshaping & Hairstyling You Can Do, by Ivan of Hollywood is great.

Modern books are handy and more straight forward, Spectacular Hair by Eric Mayost is a good choice.

You’ve just inspired me to go book shopping, or at least I know what I want for Christmas now!

Kx

caycejanebrain asked: I just had a quick questions about your post "Last night my kisses were banked in black hair." It mentions a pin curl set that you disguise as a hairstyle for all day wear. Did you finger wave the front of your hair? Its difficult for me to see from your pictures. It looks like the top of the front/side section of your hair is finger waved while the bottom/side section is tucked into a pin curl. I understand the back. The pin curls hidden with a bigger, side curl. Just unsure about the front.

Hi Cayce

Sorry, I obviously need to invest in a better camera at some point!

Yes, the front section is fingerwaved (loosely) and the end pincurled in.

I’ll do a clearer instruction on this part soon, as it’s always the one I’m explaining to people. Watch this space!

Kayx