Braid Series 4: How to do a fishtail braid

The finished product

This is probably my favourite braid overall; it takes some time to make but is rather fun (if that makes sense) and the finished product is beautiful. You can wear just one at the back of your head or make two adorable pigtails over your shoulders. This is only the most basic way to make one; experiment as you please.

1. Brush your hair and split it in half, pulling a part over each shoulder.
2. Take a tiny piece from the outside of the right strand and cross it over, adding it to the inside-bottom of the left section.
3. Holding the left section together, new strand included, take a new small piece from the outside and add it to the inside of the right piece.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to the end and tie off.

WARNING! Do not bring the braid over your shoulder to finish too early, and be extremely careful when you do. If you ignore this, the braid will become warped on the opposite side.

Other than that, enjoy!
-Scorpio

Braid Series 3: How to do a dutch braid

The finished product

My third braid is extremely similar to the French braid; one could even say it's just an upside down version (it is). This is just a quick know-how on how to do this beautiful 3D braid.

1. Gather three small sections of hair at the top of your hairline and get in position to do a normal braid.
2. Instead of your usual right-over-middle, left-over-middle routine, cross the right strand under the center and cross the left strand under the new center.
3. Add a small piece of hair to the new right strand before crossing it under this time, and do the same for the left.
4. Repeat step 3 until you have no more hair to add, then finish the upside-down braid, pulling it over your shoulder to make it easier when it gets long enough. Remember: you're crossing the strands under, not over.
5. When you're done, secure with an elastic and wrap a small piece of hair around to hide it.

Enjoy!

-Scorpio

Braid Series 2: How to do a french braid

The finished product

Braid 2 in my series is the classic French braid. It can look a bit daunting but is extremely easy to do if you practice the technique enough.

1. Gather three small sections of hair at the top of your hairline and start braiding it back with only a couple crossovers, then stop there.
2. Before crossing the next strand over the middle, add a small section of hair to it and smooth it out, then cross it over the center.
3. Add another small section of hair to the next strand and cross it over the new middle, keeping the previously crossed strand tight.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3, adding another small strand every time you add another section to your braid until you run out of hair.
5. Once all of your hair has been added to the braid, simply continue braiding down and tie it off at the end.

Enjoy!

-Scorpio

Do girls dress certain ways because of love interests?

Well, I can’t answer that only because not all girls are the same. Everyone dresses differently to their unique style. Although most girls do not dress certain ways to impress people. Boys, especially, don’t know what’s going on in our heads (good job girls). It’s because we are all different.

  Some girls dress certain ways to make someone like them or the opposite. Some girls dress noticeably on purpose so they'll be noticed and lots of girls just don’t care.

   You will hear lots of people say stuff like “dress in what makes you feel good” or “appearance isn’t important”. When you read this you are probably thinking “why do people say that?”

  “Dressing in what makes you feel good!” It’s good to choose your own clothes but what does this saying really mean? Well, it means that you need to choose clothing that makes you feel comfortable. For all those girls who are crazy about impressing boys or other girls: give it a rest for a second and think about the clothes you like, not the clothes anyone else likes. For some of you, your answers will be the same for others you may come up with something different or even not be able to come up with something at all.

 “Appearance isn’t important!” Personally I completely OBJECT! I think appearance is incredibly important. You need to look presentable. Appearance may not matter as much as what is in the inside but it matters. Some people may go too far with their appearance but caring about how you look isn’t harmful. Think of how you look in a positive way and you will have a good feeling about yourself.

  Ok, girls, now what do you think about the boys? Do you care what they wear? Do you think they care about what you wear? I hate to say this but some boys (but fewer girls) do care what you wear and how you present yourself. Now when I say this don’t go overboard. You need to present yourself beautifully wherever you go. Take it with the basics, stay clean and healthy, dress nicely in what makes you feel good, and take a bit of extra time to do hair. This will make you look good wherever you go.

                                                                                                                                           -Virgo

Braid series 1: How to do a normal braid

The finished product

All right, I know how easy it is to do and how you probably know how to already, but seeing as it's the base for our future braids I'll just go over the steps.

1. Gather all of your hair into one area at the nape of your neck, or however high you want it to be. You can secure it with a hairtie, but I prefer not to. It's mainly recommended for anyone with lots of layers.
2. Separate the hair into three sections. I recommend keeping one section between the thumb and index fingers of each hand, and the other lying between the hands.
3. Cross the rightmost strand over the center one and pull tight, rearranging the three strands back into the original position. The former right strand is now the center strand.
4. Do the same with the left strand and rearrange the strands again.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to the end of your hair, and tie the braid off with a hairtie. If you have enough you can pull a small strand of hair out of the tie and wrap it around the elastic, pinning in place.

Enjoy!

-Scorpio

Approaching the Colourful Side of Fall (with Nina Dobrev)

We are welcoming in the fall (and season 5 of the Vampire Diaries). I've always been on more of the darker side during the fall with the colours I choose to incorporate into my outfits. Nina's beautiful style has put a colourful edge into my fall. The 3 key pieces of Nina's outfit that I'm incorporating into my fall wardrobe really stand out in a slightly more colourful way.
Lets start with the most eye-catching piece, the scarf. Colourful scarves give a nice pop and are perfect for fall. If you guys are looking to add in a colourful scarf to your fall wardrobe then I, as usual, recommend checking out American Eagle. They have recently been stocking up on these gorgeous colourful scarves. (I'll link their website below).
Next key piece is Nina's adorable light wash jean jacket. I actually have a jean jacket that I love to wear in the spring but am bringing it into the fall this year. Jean jackets bring some texture into the outfit which is always great to have.
Lastly, Nina's nude flats keep the outfit light and breezy and very much complement the jacket and scarf. Ballet flats are not the best for a lot of walking though which is a downside but if your planning to run a lot of errands, throwing on some sneakers never hurt.

-Virgo


Links:
American Eagle: http://www.ae.com/web/search/index.jsp?Ntt=scarves

Braid series

Over the next while I plan on posting a series about different kinds of braids and how to make them, and, more importantly, different hairstyles that can be made out of them. This will be in part to aid in the making of my soon-to-be-made Game of Thrones hair tutorials, and will start with the easiest and go to the hardest. I'll start the moment I can find the time to do so.

-Scorpio

Bumble and bumble (Surf Foam Wash Shampoo Review)

I recently tried Bumble and bumble's surf foam wash shampoo and it's amazing. I have curly/wavy hair and it worked perfectly on my texture. Literally, just after I washed and dried it I looked like I had just come from the beach. While amazing, this shampoo is rather expensive . It costs between $25 and $30 with tax which is a lot considering the size of the bottle. The shampoo also smells amazing. I actually went to the mall a while ago and found a perfume that smells a lot like this shampoo. It smells like a beach and has a fresh touch to it. It's very hard to explain but I do really like the smell and 2 days later I can still smell it in my hair. Overall I really liked this product because it makes my hair bouncy and very soft. I would definitely suggest this to anyone with curly hair.

-Virgo

Links:

Bumble and bumble website: http://www.bumbleandbumble.com/product/9192/26676/Products/SurfCampaign/surf-foam-wash-shampoo/index.tmpl

Fitness Tips from Nina Dobrev

Looking on Youtube I found another awesome video. Nina Dobrev gives some amazing tips on being active. Yoga is totally awesome.

Enjoy!

 

                                          Great Tips from Nina on her Seventeen Magazine

photo shoot.

 

Copying Sarah Hyland's Casual Beach Outfit

I really like Sarah Hyland's beach look, especially the burnout top that she's wearing. Burnout tops are really light weight and the fabric tends to be really thin. If you've never owned a burn out top they are a little see through so it's a good idea to have a bandeau or tank top under but what I really LOVE about these tops is that they are not really hot because the wind passes through the material so they're fine to wear during the summer.

Of course Sarah Hyland has beautiful beach waves. I really love beach waves and how easy they are to make, except it's not good for your hair to get sea salt spray because it dries up your hair. What I recently learned was you can get the same kind of effect if after you take a shower you apply some leave in conditioner and then braid or bun your hair and if you want it to stay longer hairspray the braids. In the morning you take out the braid and voila: non dehydrated beach waves.

I love the light wash denim shorts (they're essential for the summer). The shorts are plain which is great because you can wear a lot with them. You can also add some edge by wearing distressed or studded shorts.

Lastly the crossbody purse is great if you're just carrying the essentials (e.g.. lip balm,phone,wallet,) but you don't want to hold a clutch all day. It's always good to have one handy, and if you have more stuff a beach bag or tote is perfect. If you're thinking of buying a bag like these I suggest getting a neutral colour so you can throw it on with almost whatever you're wearing. 

-Virgo

Mindless Ramblings of Scorpio

So my sister has a hockey game, my brother has a gig and my parents are out with them, meaning I'm home alone and free to watch one of my new favourite shows: HBO's hit series Game of Thrones, based on George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels. If you've ever watched it you've probably noticed how absolutely amazing all of the ladies' hair styles are, and if you haven't I'll add some pictures.

I've decided that, over the next few weeks, I just might grab Virgo and Taurus as models/cameragirls and recreate some of my favourite styles from the series,

from Arya Stark's braided half-bun

to Daenerys Targaryen's gorgeous Khaleesi braids

to Margaery Tyerll's ponytail-type-thing

to Cersei Lannister's twisted-half-updo (that bitch)

to Sansa Stark's tournament 'do

to the braided bun made popular by Melisandre (that witch)

...and some other hairstyles such as Catelyn, Ygritte and maybe even a couple of Dothraki men's styles. Are there any others you wish to see from this or anything else? Let me know with a comment.

-Scorpio

Bringing in the Fall Trends (with Lily Collins's Amazing Fashion Sense)

Fall is here and, as usual, it's bringing along some cold weather, but with fall also come Thanksgiving, Halloween, and this year's awesome fall trends. Everyone is starting to break out their fall jackets, sweaters, and jeans, and of course some girls are quite reluctant to trade their shorts in for jeans. Black is definitely a colour that seems to be appearing a lot as usual as the lighter, summery colours and fabrics make way for the neutral and autumnal tones of fall. In the picture below, Lily Collins has managed to combine 5 of my favorite fall trends into one flawless outfit.
I'll start with Lily's hair. It looks as if she's created a doughnut/sock bun. If you not familiar with a hair doughnut, it is a mesh hair accessory resembling a doughnut. You make a high ponytail and stick it through the hole in the donut, wrap it down and towards your head to secure it, creating a perfect bun every time. This buns look so sophisticated for the fall and make your outfit look very put together. Hair donuts keep the form extremely well, but if you don't want to waste your money on one you can just snip the foot off a long sock and bunch it up to create the same effect.
Moving on to the sweater. Loose turtleneck sweaters keep your neck cozy during the fall but are not so constricting that it makes you itchy. A good turtleneck can be a hard find: you want to go with something relatively thick but soft and not very woolly (because that might make you itchy over a long period of time, depending on the sensitivity of your skin). When looking for fall turtleneck sweaters I suggest going for dark and warm colours like earth tones and black (like Lily's).
Lily's coat puts together the whole outfit. Long coats are beautiful for the fall but it's the touch of leather on Lily's coat that really catches my eye. It doesn't make the outfit punkish but if anything brings a slight edge that makes the entire outfit seem more sophisticated. It definitely brings the whole outfit together. It looks great to have small hints of leather in your outfit without overdoing it.
Going on to the tall boots which unfortunately didn't really get into the picture I found. If you have been reading the blog than you know I (Virgo) love the look of tall boots over skinny jeans. This trend looks especially pretty in the fall just before the snow shows up, and you can splurge some extra cash on tall waterproof or snow boots.
Lastly, dark nail polishes like Lily's black or magenta are very beautiful in the fall. This is my opinion and I'm sure some people will disagree but I just adore dark nail polishes in the fall. Side note: I'm not sure if you guys like bright red nail polish but it looks amazing in the winter against the snow❄.

-Virgo

Lily Collins