Natural Bloom Edition #2 & The Summer Hat Hair Pictorial

I hope I didn't come off as too much of a tease but great news, you don't have to wait any longer for the next issue of Natural Bloom e-magazine to come out, here t'is!

Open publication - Free publishing - More etsy

Enjoy the tutorial and all the other goodies!

~The Retro Natural

Summer Hat Hair Tutorial

It's almost time for the next edition of Natural Bloom and I'll be featured with a summer hat tutorial. You'll have to wait 'til September 1st to read the e-mag so here's a teaser photo for now ;)

~The Retro Natural

Summer Looks: The More Polished Fishtail Braid

Here's my more polished looking fishtail, I think I did a pretty good job (could've done a better job at not snipping off my nose!), have you given it a try yet?  This is a perfect example of how simple rolls can be combined with another style to create something interesting!

I made this decorative hair comb the same morning and it came out pretty nicely. I literally glued fabric to a piece of stiff plastic from some accessory packaging and then glued little flowers, glass stones and fuzzy whatchamacallits to it lol.  Then I glued on a plastic comb. Super easy!

~The Retro Natural

Summer Weekend Looks: A Fishtail Braid!

Hello, Lovies!

I've been a busy, busy gal but I'm trying to be really good about my posting..I don't want ya to forget about me! I've been into slightly more interesting looks lately as it relates to my hair and one style I've been wanting to try out is the fishtail braid. It's similar to a french braid but more intricate looking. I did this style on hair that was braided in large plaits and the front section of hair was put into rollers. This is a messier version on me but I'll post a close up of a more polished braid in the next post.

Adding a few rolls instantly seems to make this look more rockabilly. I like it!

I'll have to take another photo of the t-shirt I'm wearing, it's vintage and from my beloved's grandma.

I was inspired so I gave it a try and rushed it a bit because I had to head out but I checked online for videos and there are tons of tutorials out there! Luxyhair has an amazingly gorgeous tutorial showing you the steps to creating this cute, beachy do - perfect for lounging poolside with a mimosa in one hand and your favorite book in the other...so check out her video below and givie it a whirl!

 

Alright, so now you've got the steps in order right? In the next post, I'll show an after hours, polished version of the fishtail braid.  Stay tuned!

~The Retro Natural

Hair Basics: Creating a Hair Rat

So what's a hair rat?

Well ..in a nutshell, it's a lump of shed hair (collected over the course of a few months or so) used inside of your roll or bang to give you additional volume. Since it is your own hair, it's the perfect color and texture making it hard to spot.  I normally see it used for faux bangs and side rolls. I've used it in both areas and it's enhanced the style a lot!

I know, you still feel weird about putting something referred to as a rat on your head. I know..don't worry, you'll let that go eventually ;)

Isn't the packaging retro? :D

You can easily go to a beauty supply store (or if they don't have them, Sally's does!) and purchase a hair roll (a new age hair rat) but women in the past were resourceful! I was intrigued about this hair secret but it's not really much different from a clip in hair extension, in my humble opinion.  It's pretty simple to make, so simple, a tutorial just wouldn't be necessary.  Take your shed hair, roll it up in a hair net and then sew it so that it doesn't unravel. It should sort of resemble a sausage! The best thing about creating your own is that it, again, blends in perfectly.

Alright, get started on your project! Up next, I'll be showing you how to create a faux bang with your  hair rat. I'll probably use the one I got from Sally's because unfortunately, my homemade one doesn't have the thickness nor length that it should have...ah..that sounds really dirty. Apologies! ;)

~The Retro Natural