Hair Inspiration | Sleek Pony

I've never been one to put too much effort into doing my hair each morning, instead opting for the simplicity of leaving my hair down or pulling it half back, but when I saw sleek ponytails on the spring runways I was inspired.  The style is simple and will take less than 5 minutes to style, but is still pretty and polished.

Alice + Olivia

Jenny Packham

[photos courtesy of Style.com]

Hair Inspiration | Part Face Off

I have been rocking a trusty side part ever since I can remember, and I couldn't help but notice that strong parts were hot on the Spring 2013 runways.  Whether it's a center part or a side part, the look is sleek and chic.  Which one gets your vote?

Center Part

Chanel

Elizabeth and James

Gucci

Lela Rose

Stella McCartney

Side Part

Alice + Olivia

DKNY

Michael Kors

Rebecca Taylor

Salvatore Ferragamo

Topshop Unique

[photos courtesy of Style.com]

DIY Braids | Day Five

Day Five:

Summer Wedding

Braids are a welcome update to this classic 'do - 
perfect for a formal summer event.

Have a wonderful weekend!

DIY Braids | Day Four

Day Four:

Outdoor Concert

This swept back style is laid back and pretty for an afternoon or evening of sitting in the grass and listening to the sweet strum of a guitar.

DIY Braids | Day Three

Day Three:

Date Night

This braided style is perfect for date night.  The braid keeps your hair out of your face so you can show off sultry eyes, while the rest of your hair is soft and touchable.

DIY Braids | Day Two

Day Two:

A Day at the Beach

Inspired by our love of The Hunger Games, Kirsten and I recreated Katniss Everdeen's favorite hairstyle.  The side swept French braid is romantic and sweet, and it will keep your hair out of your face and off of your neck while you frolic in the waves and relax in the sunshine. 

DIY Braids | Day One

My little sister is constantly experimenting with new hairstyles, 

so I challenged her to create a week's worth of gorgeous summer styles.  

Inspired by the summer heat and our mutual love of braids, 

we created five braided hairstyles that are perfect for a barbecue, 

a day at the beach, a music festival, or any other 

event on your calendar this season.  

Day One:

BBQ

DIY Old Hollywood Curls

photo courtesy of Pinterest

I cannot get enough of these gorgeous Old Hollywood curls!

I was totally inspired when I found this how-to video via Stylelist.

Because I can't get my hair to hold a curl to save my life, 

I enlisted the help of my little sister, 

whose straight blonde locks curl with ease.

We started with clean, air-dried strands.

Then I curled her hair into ringlets using a small barrel curling iron.

Finally, I brushed out her curls using a paddle brush, 

beginning and the roots and gently brushing towards the ends

 to create smooth waves.

The Art of the Ballerina Bun

Lauren Conrad

photo courtesy of The Beauty Department

I've been seeing ballerina buns everywhere - magazines, New York Fashion Week, Pinterest - and I wanted one toooo!  That said, there is nothing that I hate more than a hairstyle that always feels like it is on the verge of collapse.  (Ok, that's not entirely true, but man is it annoying when you can feel your updo start to slip.  Hence the reason why I wear my straight hair in a trusty side part every single day.)  My hair is layered and slips right out of bobby pins.  It seemed that beautiful ballerina buns and high-fashion top knots simply were not an option for me.

That's when I heard about the sock bun.  Simply cut the curved end off of a sock, roll the remaining tube into a donut, and roll your hair up in the sock donut.  Brilliant, right?!  

Wrong.  Instead my layers went berserk, and I was left with was a spiky mess of hair and a ruined sock.

Then I had a thought: I bet my Hairagami would come in handy!  90's kids, you know what I'm talking about.  Who would have thought that I'd ever have two consecutive days of fashion inspiration from the 90's?!  Mom dug my Hairagami out of my desk drawer (see, it pays to be a hoarder) and mailed it to me at school.  That's when the fun began.

Hairagami

photo courtesy of Google

Start with a ponytail at the desired height of your bun.

Place ponytail inside Hairagami and slide Hairagami down the ponytail, 

stopping at the ends of the shortest layers.

Fold Hairagami upwards toward your head, tucking in ends of hair and any 

sneaky layers as you continue to roll the Hairagami upwards.

Gently slide the hair around the Hairagami so that it is completely hidden inside the bun.  

You can loosen some pieces of the bun so that it doesn't look too perfect.

Ta da!  A beautiful ballerina bun.

Create a top knot by beginning with a ponytail on the top of your head.

The Hairagami is the solution to my ballerina bun-craving.  The bun feels secure against my head, and all of my layers are hidden within the bun.  And don't worry - if you threw your Hairagami out in 2002, you can still buy them online and in stores.  

Now if you see me out on the street rocking a top knot, do me a favor and pretend you don't know that there's a crazy snap-bracelet contraption hidden inside.  Mmkay?