Halloween Hair: "Pumpkin Hair Mask"

After all of the Halloween fun has been had, you'll be left with hair that is in serious need of some TLC. Being the hair junkies that we are, it's not the candy that we look forward to on Halloween. We prefer sweet treats of the all-natural hair conditioning persuasion, none being easier to find after Halloween than the pumpkin. Instead of throwing out your left over jack-o-lanterns or baking them into pies (you'll have plenty opportunity for that come Thanksgiving), revitalize your hair with this DIY Homemade Pumpkin Hair Mask recipe.

Pumpkin pros:  

• Vitamin-A an antioxidant that promotes scalp health.
• Vitamin-C which helps promote hair health and growth.
• Potassium which helps promote hair re-growth.
• Great for all hair types, especially dry/damaged hair.

Step 1 - Cook your pumpkin.

• Cut your pumpkin into small chunks and combine in a microwaves safe bowl with your preferred cooking oil. (Olive oil and vegetable oil are good choices). 
• Heat until pumpkin is cooked through evenly, and then mash into a paste.

Step 2 - Add plain yogurt. 

• The hair scientists at naturallycurly.com recommend yogurt because it's high in lactic acid and has natural antibacterial properties that cleanse hair, stimulating hair growth and preventing dandruff.
• The proteins in yogurt work to strengthen hair and smooth hair strands to reduce frizz. 

Step 3 - Add your favorite hair oil.

• amika Obliphica Oil Treatment contains oil from the sea buckthorn berry, a few added drops will work to enhance any deep-conditioning treatment.  

Step 4 - Add honey.

• A few teaspoons of honey will work as a natural humectant. It acts to bind water to the hair strands to retain moisture. 

*TIP* The positive ion setting on the amika Power Cloud Repair+Smooth Dryer will open up the hair cuticles, making it easier for the treatment to penetrate the hair strands.

Step 5 -  Apply the treatment, and cover with a plastic cap for 15min. Rinse thoroughly. 

Halloween Hair: "Wigging Out"

The reasons why wigs are such a Halloween hair staple is because you can find them in all lengths textures/colors, and if you can't find what you're looking for you can style a wig into whatever you want it to be! Yes, wigs can be somewhat intimidating if Halloween is the only time during the year when you actually wear one. As long as you know a few simply tricks for wearing it correctly, a wig can be the easiest way to completely change your hair without actually changing your hair.

1. Before you even put on your wig, prep your hair, so it's as flat to your actual head as possible. The best method is to wrap your hair, but braids or a pony (all depending on how much hair you have) can also work.

2. The most important thing about wearing a wig has to be, do NOT skip the stocking cap! It might not be the most glamorous looking thing before you actually put your wig on, but it does wonders for ensuring no rogue hairs escape form under your wig.

3. Lastly, those little combs and elastic bands hidden on the inside of the wig are there for a reason. Use them to keep your wig secured and in place. Loosing your wig, is NEVER a cute look.

Overall your goal is to not let your wig end up looking like Lindsey Wixson's does here. Having two hairlines tends to ruin the illusion :) 

Halloween Hair: "Getting Colorific"

Don’t you hate it when you rack your brain thinking of the perfect Halloween costume, only to realize that it requires you to have blue hair/green tips/rainbow highlights/or any other crazy hair color combo! Luckily there are many temporary hair color techniques.

Spray on Color

You waited until the last minute (as many do) and you now need to go from blonde to blue in the next 10min or else your Halloween costume will be a total bust. The solution for this scenario can only be found in a can. This quick-fix technique is pitted with pros and cons. 

Cons: 

• Don't expect the color on the can to look the same once it's in your hair. 
• Chances are your color won't only end up in your hair. If you plan on dancing the night away, you'll have to do so without sweating in order to keep the color from running everywhere.
• Accuracy can be tricky with a spray nozzle. 

Pros: 

• With a steady hand you can actually achieve quite a cool effect with the spray can. 
• Great if overall hair coverage is what you're looking for.  
• As you can see, Nicki Minaj took this technique from pre-school to super-cool, so it's totally Halloween acceptable. 

Hair Chalking

You have a bit more time on your hands, and you're looking to add some pops of color to your hair, that won't melt away before the night is through. We recommend hair chalking. Kelly Osbourne committed to a full-on dye job for her infamous lavender locks, but if you're looking to emulate her look for Halloween this is the perfect technique for getting the pastel shades that are super trendy right now! The process is quite simple (but one of the messier ones, so grab a towel and an old t-shirt before you begin): 

• Pick your favorite chalk colors and apply to damp hair (the chalk allows for a much more accurate application). 
• The beauty of this method is that you can seal in the color. Spritz with a bit of hair spray, something like the Amika Obliphica Blow-Up Spray works well because it also acts as a heat protectant for the next step. Apply heat with a flat iron or blow-dryer. Once the color is locked in it's a lot less likely to rub off on your adorable costume, or run down and ruin your makeup.
• And if you're a bit weary of putting chalk in your hair, makeup is another alternative. A high pigmented eyeshadow is a quick way to add some strategically placed color to your hair, especially faux-highlights. You many not get as vibrant of colors, but the technique is pretty much the same as with using the chalk. 

Kool-Aid Coloring

BE WARNED: This is a semi-permanent hair coloring technique. It will fade, but expect it to take more than a single wash. For all of you lucky ladies who's natural color is dark, don't think you have to reach for the bleach in order to add some color to your hair, like Vanessa Hudgens' purple tips. What's so amazing about the Kool-Aid coloring technique is that you can get a really pigmented color that will show up on dark hair by simply...

• Playing around with the Kool-Aid to water ratios. The Kool-Aid isn't a harsh chemical so feel free to add as much as you like to get a more pigmented dye. (But make sure the mix is able to fully dissolve in the water.) 
• Double dipping, it's ok for once! Dip your hair, then let it dry for a few minutes before dipping it again. 
• Like with any semi-permanent color, try not to shampoo directly after coloring. 

This technique has been around for quite a while, most likely because it is the thing that people are most likely to already have around the house if you need it. The good thing about this technique is that it works well for achieving the dip-dyed look that is o so hot right now. This DIY video from makeupkatie95 shows just how easy this technique is to achieve:

Now you're well on your way to achieving the perfect hair Halloween hair color. Keep an eye out for our next Halloween Hair post coming next Friday :)

xo
Quedah

The Halloween Hair Series

Remember Halloween of 2009, all the droves of Lady Gaga's "just dancing" in their unitards, disco bras, and over-sized hair bows? Now recall Halloween of 2010, when nearly everyone dawned a pink or blue wig, and had to clarify whether or not they were Nicki Minaj or Katy Perry. One thing is for sure, if you're going to impersonate any of these ladies, you better go all out, especially when it comes to the one feature that they're all infamous for, their hair. You don't have to be a hair-genius to pull off a good Halloween hair-do. Every Friday we're bringing you Halloween Hair inspired post on how to get the perfect hair for any Halloween costume!


xo
Quedah