Supernatural Botanicals

We’ve all been there before, standing in front of the bathroom mirror when we decide to chop off our lovely locks of hair and create bangs.  That’s sometimes followed by tears, sometimes a whole new outlook on life.  You have to find what truly looks good on you, and go with it…without exception.  Don’t cut bangs on a whim if you know that every other time, it looked bad.

The hard and fast rule on bangs is if you have a short forehead, bangs aren’t for you.  If you have a large forehead, bangs are your friend.  There are shortcuts around the rules…if you have a short forehead and still want bangs, opt for a very long, side swept bang.  These examples are bangs done right.

Check out this great hair tip from Red Haute Mama on how to have younger, hipper hair.  You can do it the old fashioned way (like me), or hit the salon and go high tech, but either way, this is absolutely, 100%, completely true.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=313zvyH9hAg

“While my hair is still wet, I tend to keep it wound tightly in a knot until it dries naturally.  This gives it a light wave.”  Padma Lakshmi on her favorite beauty trick.

A new trend in haircare currently is dry shampoo.  It’s particularly good for hair that tends to go oily.

If you want to see if dry shampoo will work for you, you can easily achieve similar results with cornstarch at home. 

That’s right, simple cornstarch from your kitchen pantry works exactly like the main ingredient in dry shampoos, and it’s a fraction of the cost.

Simply shake a small amount of cornstarch on your hair, starting at the scalp, and working your way down the hair to the ends.  The cornstarch absorbs excess oils.  In total, you’ll use approximately 1/2 cup of cornstarch for medium to long length hair, somewhat less for shorter hair.

The tousled look of “beach hair” is super-easy to accomplish, and you can make your own “beach hair” in a bottle product at home.  Combine 4 ounces of hot distilled water, a teaspoon of Kosher sea salt, and a few drops of organic lavender essential oil together in a spray bottle.  The hot distilled water will help melt the salt.  Shake well.  Spray on your hair as you are scrunching it in your hands, then set with a low setting on the hair dryer.  Sexy beachy hair in seconds.  It’s a great look for summer. 

John Masters Salon in New York is the first Clean Air Salon in the United States, and perhaps the world.  John, being truly passionate about the environment, created a Clean Air Salon to be more environmentally friendly.  The salon does not use products with toxic fumes.  They also don’t do nails, hair straightening, permenents, or even use hair spray.  That’s a bold move for any salon owner!  John’s hair colorants are herbal based and pneumonia-free, and are absolutely odor-free.  Amazingly, his salon is powered 100% by wind power.   The concept of running an entire business on wind power alone is phenomenal. 

We need more big-thinkers like John.  Kudos to John Masters for thinking outside the box and being cognizant about the environment and our health! 

Always playing with your hair?  Me too!  But we shouldn’t be.  Did you know that your fingers deposit debris and oil onto your hair?  One of the quickest ways to dull it down and make it literally dirty is to mindlessley play with or twirl your hair. 

Gorgeous Fall/Winter style by my ultimate style icon, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.  Look and learn …her style is classic.  (Still.)   For a more indepth look at Carolyn, see this post. 

Rosemary is traditionally known as the herb associated with hair.  It has been said that it strengthens the hair and stimulates the scalp, and Rosemary essential oil is also thought to stimulate the mind and lift fatigue. And it makes your hair smell good, too!

Put a few sprigs of fresh rosemary in a heatproof bowl and pour on boiling water.  Allow them to steep and, when cool, take out the Rosemary.  Use as a final rinse to keep hair glossy and sleek .  Rosemary also helps discourage dandruff.  You can put the rest of the infusion into a pretty glass bottle and keep in the fridge, or somewhere out of direct light, for later use. 

Rosemary is easy to grow, and spreads fairly quickly in either container gardening, or in-ground gardening.