Hairsticks!

This is my first entry... so let's dive right in and make it interesting!

Today I want to talk about hairsticks. (Or hair sticks. Whatever you prefer.) I've recently "discovered" these fabulous accessories and I am in love. Not only are they a fashionable, eye-catchingly chic way to put up one's hair... they also have an amazing, unexpected benefit over elastic hair ties. To put it simply, when a hairstick is used it doesn't just hold hair back severe and straight against your head the way an elastic-wrapped ponytail does. Interestingly, the action of weaving the stick into your hair results in a slightly more relaxed and fuller look to the bound hair that is much more feminine and graceful. It also looks particularly fetching if you pull out a few tendrils to frame your face. Adding a pair of ornamental combs to the updo makes for a positively stunning presentation. For example:


























Please pardon the less-than-stellar picture quality... it's extremely difficult to take a picture of the back of one's own head. Anyway, perhaps you can get an idea of what I mean. The hair is somewhat relaxed and drapes gracefully around the head, quite unlike the elastic-held do's that pull it back into a severe-looking bundle. Take my word for it -- it gives the face a softer, more gentle look that gets noticed. I'm guaranteed to get at least one comment whenever I wear a hairstick out... from both men and women. That's right, ladies... the same guys who wouldn't notice if I got a haircut, perm, and dye job all at the same time actually notice my hair. As my space-nerd dream-boat Spock would say: Fascinating.

There are more ways to put your hair up using hairsticks than you can... well... shake a hairstick at. For some great examples, just go to www.youtube.com and type in "hairstick" or "hair stick." So many fabulous possibilities.

Most of the time, I just gather my hair up as if I were to make a regular old ponytail then I twist it all to the right, coiling it around itself as i do so, then weave a stick upside down (point up) from the bottom of my hair through to the top, flip it 180 degrees so that it's point-down, then shove it back through the coil to secure it. The trick is to make sure that you trap the ends of the hair between the stick and the hair itself. It may take a little bit of practice before you get it down, but it's really quite fast and simple once you wrap your brain around it. I'll be posting a video of myself doing the above style to give you a better idea of what I'm attempting to describe. I'm a visual learner myself, so I appreciate the value of pictures when it comes to teaching oneself a new technique.

Well, I'm gonna hit the hay. More techniques and ideas later. Oh, and don't forget to check out my shop's selection of hair sticks here. There's only a few up for sale right now, but I'm working on expanding it and hope to have several cool new designs ready to go in the next week or two. Laters!