Top Hair Products & Tips from an Expert

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I have a real treat for all of you. My dear friend Kim Cornwell has decided to share her top hair products and tips with all of you today.

I have collaborated with Kim on two other shoots (Marie Antoinette and Epiphanie), and I'll be working with her again in the very near future. Kim also happens to be my my hair stylist, and I DEFINITELY recommend her to anyone that is looking for a hairstylist in the Chandler, Arizona area. She's uber talented! You can check her out at Triple Threat Studios (480-225-4282).

Now onto the hair goodies and tips...

FOR PREP...When you start ANY hairstyle, your hair needs to be appropriately prepped. TIGI S Factor Silky Smooth and  Morrocanoil are amazing, lightweight products that actually improve the health of your hair while adding moisture, shine and heat protection. I  recommend using a prep product even on air dry days, but make it mandatory before ANY heat on your hair!  For those of us looking to multiply the look of our locks try a volumizer before blowdrying. I love TIGI Catwalk Your Highness Thickening Creme Gel, or for more oomph TIGI Beadhead Cocky.

FOR VOLUME...One of my personal all time favorite is TIGI Catwalk Root Boost. This product delivers awesome volume without stickiness or stiffness. Because it also has slight hold, it helps keep unruly bangs and cowlicks in line. Use cool air at the end of your blow-dry time to really lock volume in place.
FOR FINE HAIR...Fine hair that is lacking a life and movement needs product that brings texture, volume and a good " build up" feel. TIGI Bedhead Superstar Queen for a Day Thickening Spray and KMS Hairplay Sea Salt Spray do just that! Remember, my fine haired friends, keep conditioner off your roots! It will only weigh hair down making it more flat and limp.
FOR CURLY HAIR...For the curly head crew, check out TIGI Curl Amplifier or Kevin Murphy Motion Lotion. Both products hydrate, smooth and define curl without unwanted crunchies that gels and mousses are classic for. Steer clear of products loaded with alcohol because it will dry your hair out leading to frizz. Remember to rinse hair in cool water to help smooth down frizzies and lock in moisture.
DIRTY HAIR SECRET...Need to spruce up second, third or even fourth day hair( you know who you are! ), or just ran a marathon and don't have time to wash your hair? Dry shampoos are a dirty heads best friend. They soak up unwanted oil, excess product and funky smells...leaving hair refreshed, volumized and ready to rock till wash day. I love TIGI Rockaholic Dirty Secret or for a great buy under $8, Pssssst! works wonders and can be found local drug stores.
HAIR CONTROL....Need to tame down flyaways or piece out your texture and layers? Try TIGI Bedhead Hard to Get Paste. It has a light natural hold and smells completely edible! If you need a bit more separation and hold I recommend a new find of mine...Kevin Murphy Knight Rider or Gritty Business. Love the super smart, sleek packaging and earthy fragrances.
KEEPING YOUR HAIR IN PLACE...Now that your hair looks amazing, don't lose your style! TIGI Bedhead Masterpiece Massive Shine Flexible Hairspray or Sebastian Shaper Fierce offer flexible, firm hold that's not reminiscent of my childhood favorite...AquaNet ( can you believe they still make that stuff?!).  Both smell awesome, having lasting hold and brush out nicely.
WEATHER PROTECTION...Watch out for cold weather in the coming winter months! Treat your dryed out hair to a re-hyrdating mask that smells like an after dinner mint. TIGI Bedhead  Peppermint Hair Mask is super moisturizing, dry hair drinks it up! Over-processed summer hair could use a lil strengthening from TIGI S Factor Serious Conditioner - a splurge your hair will thank you for. A little on the ends twice a month is a great way to keep hair strong especially while trying to grow it out.

Good luck with the hair experiments, and stay tuned for more hair tips!

-Kim Cornwelll

Menswear Wednesday: The Bag Your Pants Shouldn't Be Like

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Hello, gentlemen.  Look at your pants.  Now back to me.  Now back at your pants.  Look in your pockets.  How much crap do you actually have in there?  Let me guess: phone, keys, and wallet, at least.   What else is in there?  Gum?  Cash?  iPod?  Dang, your pants probably look like hell with all that stuff in there.

At one point in time, the solution was to grab a pair of cargo pants, cram them full of all your extra gear, and roll out the door with pockets bulging like Santa’s bag.  Now that styles are running slimmer, favoring a cleaner silhouette, how do you carry your stuff without screwing up your profile?

  1. The man bag.  You knew this was coming, right?  Look, “murse” jokes aside, it makes sense.  Carry ALL your stuff: the book you’re reading,  a pen or two, a netbook or iPad, plus anything beyond the three essentials (keys, phone, wallet) that should stay in your pants.  Find something canvas, not leather, to emphasize that this isn’t some Coach-encrusted status symbol.  Hit a military store, or find something like this one from British bargaineers Topman.  Treat it like a briefcase, not a purse, and people will see it that way.
  2. The reasonable wallet.  This is the one that hits me the hardest.  I have a chronic case of Costanza wallet.  Credit card, debit card, medical insurance card, membership cards for half a dozen restaurants and stores, plus cash and a random assortment of paper scraps.  Is all this stuff necessary?  Possibly.  But when it makes it look like I’m carrying a small boulder in my back pocket, something’s got to give.  Instead of a regular wallet that affords enough room for this kind of over-stuffing, get something slim, with a limited number of card slots.  It might require some advance planning, but the extra stuff can go in…the bag above.  Check out this one from Property Of...

And seriously, get rid of the cargo pants.  No one looks good in them.

Images via Selectism.com

Marie Antoinette Sneak Peek

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So, there are a couple of shoots that I've had under by belt that I have been DYING to share with all of you. One of them is a Marie Antoinette inspired shoot in collaboration with SO MANY talented individuals, but most importantly Jeanette LeBlanc Photography and Beautiful Day Films. My role with this project was stylist AND producer. Yes - my first shoot that I took creative control over. EEK! haha.

I still can't release the photos because we have high hopes for getting published (photos shown are a couple behind the scenes pics by Jennifer Boonlorn), but I'm SOOOO happy to be able to share with you a little fashion video that Beautiful Day Films put together to showcase our hard work.

Another post will be coming soon about how this all came together, who contributed and the inspiration behind the vision. It's a BIG & LONG story, but it's soooo good that Beautiful Day Films created a documentary. =) Coming soon...

Marie Antoinette::Orpheum::Fashion Edit from Beautiful Day Films on Vimeo.