Quick and Easy Natural Waves

All year, I've been growing my hair out in hopes of finally getting a spiffy digi perm a la those oh so trendy Japanese popstars. Exciting, I know! Most of my friends know that I've been teetering between lusting after long, luscious curls or a short, cropped A-line bob. I've pretty much stuck with the same haircut for the past 6 years now, and it was more than time for a change. I was even set on the bob by the springtime. However, after a rather disastrous experience at an Asian salon where the stylist proceeded to razor-blade off chunks of my already thin hair, I realized the only way to save my hair was to let it grow back out.

Fast forward to 6 months later and the thickness and length is finally perfectly ready for a digi perm transformation. After seeing bloggers flaunt their beautiful waves and hearing about the convenience of styling from my friend who's a strong believer in them, I was more than set to head on over to The Hair Epoch in West LA. Digital perms there run about $200 and are supposed to last 6 months. I dreamt of waking up and being able to twist my hair and be rewarded with perfect, natural waves every morning. However, as I did more research, the after-effects of dry, damaged hair just didn't seem worth it. I started doubting my decision and even realized that I might actually get bored with wavy hair after a while. The dream was over--this wasn't going to happen for me.

Thankfully, there's actually a much easier (and cheaper) alternative to getting the same kinds of waves produced by digi perms... HOT ROLLERS! I eagerly purchased a set of Conair hot rollers back in the summer of 2007, but never learned how to really use them. After a few failed attempts (mostly due to lack of the right prep routine), I gave up and tucked the set under my sink... Three years later, here they are:

The rollers heat up in 5 minutes and the red indicator on the center roller lights up when they are ready for use.

I have to admit that I'm still not much of a pro at rolling them the "correct" way (even countless hours of YouTube beauty guru videos has done little to help my clumsy hands). Nonetheless, that's okay because these are fairly easy to use. I first rub the Schwarzkopf Osis+ Styling Creme into my semi-dry hair, making sure that there is adequate coverage over my head. Next, I like to split my hair into two sections and begin rolling from the top of my head, moving towards the front. I then let them sit in while I do my makeup. This usually only requires a quick 10 minutes. You can leave the rollers in longer and blast with a hot blow dryer for stronger curls. When removing each roller, I hold the roller vertically, imitating how you would hold a curling iron, and lightly pull each one out of the curl (don't unroll the hair flat!). I then do a quick all-over spray of the Sunsilk Waves of Envy and use my hands to scrunch the hair afterwards for some extra texture. This stuff really, really works and smells fantastic! I can't believe it's been discontinued. I've tried the Garnier version and it was sticky and useless, so I'll have to think of another alternative for when I run out of my Sunsilk bottle (Sedu, perhaps?).

Anywhoiee, this quick 3-step process literally takes less than 20 minutes and is so completely stress-free compared to the hecticness of trying to individually curl each section with a curling iron. I love the convenience! And the result? Not bad at all. :)

Wish I could've gotten an actual backside view of my full head of waves, but trust me when I say they looked good! Overall, I think this is a great alternative to the digi perm for those who feel less likely to want to be stuck with a style for a few months. The waves lasted me all day and my hair felt soft and natural. I like that this doesn't interfere too much with my morning routine and I can have a few days of decently nice hair at work. My weekly hairstyles consist of (1) messy, unbrushed bedhead waves, (2) side braids, or (3) bobby pinned bangs, so I'm sure this will be a nice addition to the repertoire. I am still on the lookout for a new hair cut, but for now, I'm enjoying the possibilities of longer hair. I will have to share some more of my recently learned techniques soon!

Who Says Girls Can't Be Techy?!

With the latest slew of fancy beauty tools, my vanity continues to look more and more technologically advanced with each passing day. It's true that we live in a very fast-paced and ever changing world and the beauty sector is nowhere behind! Technology grants us two crucial positives: convenience and efficiency. With all the time that must be spent on prepping and primping, us girls need all the help we can get, right? Two new toys I picked up this year are the Enzo Milano clipless curler and Emjoi Light Caress epilator and they have made a world of difference in my life. Effectively easing the art of attaining perfect, long-lasting waves and smooth underarms, they've become my top must-have items!

Life saver #1 is my beloved Emjoi epilator. My friend, Polly, was the first person I knew to whip out an epilator and to be honest, I was pretty scared when I initially saw it. The swirling buzz (and vision) of 36 sets of tweezer plates would totally scare off anyone, right?! Thoughts of intense pain entered my head, immediately. However, never being one to like the after-feel of shaving my underarms (who does?), I figured this was something I needed in my life. No pain, no gain. It actually doesn't hurt at all after getting used to the feeling. The unit comes with a massage head attachment that's meant to reduce the pain sensation, but I found this to be completely useless and hindering of actual hair removal. Bite your lip, girls, and this will be your savior. The hypoallergenic plates work quickly and leave my arms smooth, without the fear of nicks, bumps, or ingrowns. I love that it's rechargeable, easy to clean and maintain, and small enough to travel with. It's perfect for those days where you decide last minute that you need to wear a sleeveless top or dress and didn't plan ahead. I've tried using it on my legs as well, but am too impatient to wait through that much surface area. The Emjoi comes in a great selection of adorable colors (yellow, pink, purple, blue) and has saved me from my constantly busy life! This was a perfect investment and I don't think I can live without it ever again. Summer days, I'm totally ready for you! You can buy this at places like Target, but I'd recommend searching Google Shopping or Ebay for some better deals. I got mine off the official Emjoi Ebay store for around $60 (compared to $90ish).

I'm a little late to the party since clipless curlers have been all the rage for a while now, but I couldn't really justify spending more than $30 for a curling iron, let alone $100! I've failed at learning how to curl my hair with straighteners, so have pretty much stuck to the use of drugstore curling irons for the past 5 years. I can decently handle my 1 1/2 inch Revlon curler well enough to attain natural-looking curls, but the frustration of seeing an hour's worth of work fade after 2 hours is no bueno! As such, beautiful waves are saved for very special occasions. How unfair! Finally, after being obsessed with the many YouTube gurus and their beautifully curled locks, I decided to just try out this miracle tool. I bought the 50mm (1-inch) Enzo earlier this year and tried it out for the first time on my recent trip to Vegas. Miracle, it kind of is! The handling takes a few tries to get used to in terms of holding the barrel correctly and looping your hair with the opposite hand using a heat-resistant glove, but once I got the hang of it, the rest was quick and easy! I found that without the hassle of flipping your hair through a curling clip, my curls heated up faster and were more evenly set. Even better was that my hair was pretty long--almost halfway down my back--and the whole thing only took about 20 minutes! Even with a half-attempt at prepping with styling creme, the curls lasted through the majority of the night and photographed super nicely--much better than what I've been able to get from any curling iron I've owned. I'll probably do some more practicing on future nights out, but am definitely sold on this. No more preshistoric curlers for meeeee.

Pick up both items from Beautychoice, especially since the Enzo Milano is on sale for $59.95 (orig. $119.95). I love this site for its quick, free shipping and plentiful promos. Like the Clarisonic, these cost a bit more than I'd like to spend on beauty tools, but definitely worth the investment. With enough care, they'll last forever anyways and save me from my laziness!