This post was inspired by my beautifully creative and ever fashionable friend, Mei Chen, who made a super cool charm necklace that I’ve been coveting for months.

Steve Damstra, Charm Necklace Super Model

CHARM SCHOOL 101

I bet we can all conjure up some memory of charm jewelry.  As a child, my grandmother gave me a bracelet that I would diligently add charms to like it was my job.  Of course, there’s the infamous “Best Friend” charm that was worn by BFFs during junior high.  We all secretly wanted to be the lucky one to score the “Be Fri” side rather than the sort of pathetic “st end” side.  Dog tags even decorate the necks of both our military and our four-legged friends.  In some form, these kitschy trinkets can be worn by everyone.

Designers and jewelers are fully on board with the charm trend which means that today, you can buy charm jewelry in nearly every boutique and specialty store, but for those of us looking to save a buck and make a profoundly personal statement, fashioning your own is surely the way to go.  Not to mention, in this economy, jewelry made of eclectic and inexpensive pieces that actually hold some meaning to you are a welcomed alternative to the traditional and fancy jewels of old.

Please know that I wouldn’t suggest that you even entertain the thought of designing your own charm jewelry unless I knew it was a fairly simple thing to do and expect that you will get proud satisfaction out of creating something beautiful yourself.  So, in the interest of inspiring your creative juices, here are some tips and tricks to help make you into a bonafide jewelry designer.

Classic Vintage Bracelets

Tools Needed to Tinker
chain or chain(s)
pliers
jump rings
clasps
bobbles and charms

Design Tips

• Choose the “look”.  As you can see by the bracelets I made a while back, I opted for a more classic vintage statement, choosing ornate charms that have mass appeal.  Inspired by this article, I’m now planning to get whimsical and edgy by choosing charms and trinkets that really express my individuality.  I’ll personally be looking to pull together an eclectic mix of random goodies including dance shoes, horses, skeletons, pearls, the “welcome to Las Vegas” sign, and a pocket watch from my grandmother.

• That brings me to this point – to keep things edgy and contemporary it’s best to mix and not match.  We all know that Hi-Low dressing is “in”, do the same when choosing your chains and charms.  Try real gold, silver and even diamonds with plastic.  Or combine a variety of chains as one necklace.

• To balance your design and give your piece a polished look choose one centerpiece or statement charm that has some weight to it and garners a little attention.

• If you’re in need of a little inspiration, shop online and in stores for designer jewelry you like and reproduce it with your own flair.  But, keep it simple.  The more complicated teh design, the easier to make mistakes that call attention to your amateur jeweler status.

• Whether you go for a traditional look or something that’s totally free-spirited, choose charms that make you happy, make you laugh, and remind you of something, or someone, or some place that’s special you.

Treasure Chests
Keep in mind that charms can be made out of nearly anything.  Mei used a tiny harmonica in her necklace, and I’ll be using part of an old key chain and my husband’s, itty-bitty (and too cute for words) baby ring.  eBay and flea markets are great sources for odd and interesting items.

A simple google search for “jewelry findings” will bring up loads of online sources.  Here are just a couple I’ve personally used Jewelry Supply, Fire Mountain Gems

Of course, if you happen to live in NYC or LA, there are countless wholesale stores in the Bead District and Jewelry District respectively that are sure to serve as a great resource.  Just be sure to confirm with them in advance that they will sell retail to you before spending time picking out fabulous things that you won’t be able to buy.
For my collection designs I mainly shop from my trusty NYC purveyors Margola, M&J, Beads World, and Botani.

The Marvelous Mei Chen

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Charms even look good on clothing.  I’ve been decorating tees and leggings for a while with great success.  I find it turns a comfy and otherwise basic garment into something special and interesting.  Isn’t it always good to add a little dahlightful flair to your day?

Expensive Butter by Enormous Wings Ridiculous Greeting Cards

My friend, Heather Mordecai, has always had a strange and twisted talent for collage.  She has a curious ability to effortlessly bring random images together in the most bizarre compositions – marrying them happily for time and eternity.  In doing so her work invokes a sense of confusion, beauty and humor.

My overt obsession with her collages prompted me to request that she detail the method behind her genius for Dahlight in hopes that it might inspire us to try our hands at this quirky art.  She kindly obliged.

in case you’d rather skip the gluey fingers and trouble of collecting the perfect images, you can have Heather’s fantastical cards sent straight to you.  As of today, we’re selling them in the Laura Dahl E-Shop.

I hope you love this crazy collage stuff as much as I do!
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HOW I MAKE MY COLLAGES
By Heather Mordecai

There are a million ways to make a collage, and a lot of different types of collages which is why it’s such a great medium. You can make one with practically anything you can find, and do it anyway you want.  Truly, the sky’s the limit.

Ferocious Knuckles by Enormous Wings Ridiculous Greeting Cards

The Images

I generally use printed matter; magazines, catalogs, books and assorted ephemera.   I try to snag free magazines anytime I see them.   Sometimes antique stores will sell old magazines, photos, letters etc. that are great.  I also try to pick up flyers and brochures that look interesting. The publishing company Dover makes these fantastic books of vintage images that I love to use as well.
Old-Time Halloween Illustrations CD-ROM and Book (Dover Electronic Clip Art)
Old-Time Anatomical Illustrations CD-ROM and Book (Dover Electronic Clip Art)
Baroque Ornament CD-ROM and Book (Dover Electronic Clip Art)
Classic Children’s Book Illustrations CD-ROM and Book (Dover Electronic Clip Art)
Full-Color Vintage Advertising Illustrations CD-ROM and Book (Full-Color Electronic Design Series)
Decorative Silhouettes CD-ROM and Book (Dover Electronic Clip Art)

If you want to take a short cut, some craft stores and sites like Etsy sell “ephemera bags/packs” that will have a random collection of items already gathered for you, usually of a vintage nature.

Hyena Dip by Enormous Wings Ridiculous Greeting Cards

The Process
I will go through and cut out any images that look interesting to me and I sort and store them by size. I try to keep a large stockpile on hand.  For me, the key to a good image is anything you can see most of, without any text on it, and that is relatively easy to cut out.   Of course sometimes there are images that I really want but are complex to cut out without ruining it. I keep little nail scissors on hand or sometimes use a small exacto knife to make those cuts.   It just takes practice.  Sometimes I do have to cut through the image to get it, but I know I’ll be gluing it back together so it works out.   If you are going to manipulate the image – stick another image through it etc… – you will have to cut through it anyway.

When I am ready to make the collage I make piles of all the images I have found according to the size. I use 4 different sizes. My collages tend to be small, usually greeting card size, so 4 is usually exactly what will fit and be interesting.

I will close my eyes and choose one image form each pile.  Then I am forced to make a collage from the 4 random images I have chosen.  I absolutely love trying to put the pieces together, to make them fit. I feel like I am writing a story, creating relationships between the random objects. I will often have some sort of running narrative in my mind of how these things

Karate Face by Enormous Wings Ridiculous Greeting Cards

got together they way they did and what is going on. Everyone really seems to want to make sense of what they see and they will try to come up with a story themselves. I think that’s just a very human thing to do.

If I have chosen 2 things that are from the same source, I will switch them out.  I really want the variety of the look of the images since there are only 4.

Sometimes of course the random images are not working, the colors won’t be right or I just can’t make a relationship work and I allow myself to switch one out.  Sometimes I will also add in one more small image if I feel like I need it to balance a scene out.  I feel like my background in set design and theatre really influence how I “set the stage” of the collage.

It takes me quite a while to complete one. I will try a million combinations of the images before I am happy. Sometimes I will glue and unglue. Sometimes they will tear and I will have to repair them.  It can be frustrating but it is always worthwhile when I have it exactly how I want it.

Once I have the images how I think I want them, I use a glue stick to put them together. I will glue the images together before I glue the finished piece down to anything.  Glue sticks are great because they will stick enough to hold the pieces together, but if you want to change them, which usually happens, it will come apart easily. I like Uhu brand as well as good ol’ Elmers.  The kind that is one color when you put it on and then dries clear is fantastic.

Puppet Feets by Enormous Wings Ridiculous Greeting Cards

After the images are finally how I know I want them, I then glue them to whatever they are going on. Usually cards, but more recently, canvas, wooden boxes, cake boxes, lampshades and walls.  Mostly it’s going to be paper or wood.  I like to use Mod Podge Paper glue and sealer. I paint the back of the collage with the glue using a paint brush, and then I paint over the whole thing with the Mod Podge as well to seal everything.

And that’s it!

The Inspiration
I don’t really have a specific place where I find inspiration. Once I see my random images I get a natural inspiration for the challenge ahead and I get excited to see what is going to happen.   But to get in the creative mode, I like to see other artists’ work.  Any kind of artist, not just collage.   I just like to see as much art as possible, because you never know how you may react to something. I also like to listen to music.  I always make up a little story about what’s happening in the song and that’s good mental exercise for creative thinking with the images.    History is really inspiring to me. Particularly, American history.  If I find a image of an old soldier or any vintage image it really helps to be familiar with the period and definitely influences my little narrative for the images.

Books on Collage
Collage Techniques: A Guide for Artists and Illustrators
Urgent 2nd Class: Creating Curious Collage, Dubious Documents, and Other Art from Ephemera

The incomparable Heather Mordecai enjoying Laura Dahl's b-day (a little too much)

Artists I Currently Like
Brett Whiteley
Joseph Cornell
Rene Magritte
Max Ernst
Hannah Hoch
Edward Gorey
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Amada Blake

I can hardly believe it but autumn has officially arrived.  All the usual yet ever amazing seasonal changes will occur.  The leaves will fade and fall.  The air will become crisp and waft a new fragrance combining ground roots, cinnamon and tobacco.  The sun will ease off and allow the moon to work longer hours.  Our farmer’s markets will boast root vegetables and rich, warming spices.  We will be reacquainted with our loyal wardrobe that has been patiently waiting to come out and play, and we will begin to spend more time at home cozying up next to the fireplace.

It seems you can find tips everywhere on how to transition your wardrobe, make-up and diet to welcome this special season but I fear our homes might be feeling a little neglected.  Being that our surroundings have the power to influence and inspire your mood, I’ve laid out a few ways that, with just a few tweeks and only a few dollars, you can make your home more Fall friendly.  Here’s to a creative, charming and cozy autumn!

ACCESSORY ALTERATIONS
Sometime just re-styling your existing décor is all you need to autumn-ize your home.  Start by bringing in fall flowers, leaves and twigs.  Textured fabrics scream autumn, so switch out the light and airy for rich and substantial.  Drape metal and plastic furniture with fabrics to warm them up, and think about adding a hat rack, umbrella stand and boot bin to your entryway.

For an autumn transition with more impact, below are some design ideas that pack a powerful punch.

Throw Pillows are an inexpensive way to bring autumn to your couch and bed.  Swap out bright colors and smooth, silky pillows with new covers made of velvet, wool, felt, shearling, mohair, leather and bulky knits.  By simply buying new covers and using the same pillows, inter-seasonal storage is a breeze and the expense is minimal.

Rugs – If you have the budget and storage space, consider going all the way by completely changing out your area rugs with plush pile weaves designed with warm colors.  Even if you don’t have the extra cash, you can get the same updated feeling by simply swapping rugs from one room to another as the seasons change.  Another way to go is to layer several small rugs of different patterns and piles in opportune spots.

Window Treatments – By swapping out your light colored and shear summer drapes with warm tones and textured fabrics you can turn any room into a place worthy of lounging.

Blankets – We all snuggle up in them during the fall and they are a permanent fixture on the couch, so choose your colors and fabrics according to the season.  For fall, opt for rich shades and a luxurious hand.  This is a great place to bring in cable knits, faux fur and even animal prints if you dare.

Bathing Room – Give your bathroom a total makeover by simply swapping your towels and bath mats for darker shades.  Changing a linen shower curtain to a heavier canvass or waffle knit in a richer tone will warm up the space with impact.  Odds are you’ll be spending more time soaking in the tub on those chilly autumn nights, so add plenty of textured and colored votives to add life and warmth to an otherwise cold room made of porcelain and tile.

Sleeping Room – Bring out your flannel sheets and replace your crisp white duvet cover with something that invites you to snuggle up for a long winter’s nap.  Maybe add a knobby throw at the foot of the bed for that extra layer of texture.

LIGHT IT UP
Lighting is perhaps the most important element to a home and it has an amazing power to influence and create moody ambiance.  To add designer worthy depth, accent each room with a variety of light sources with different qualities.

Think up-lighting in corners, sconces on the walls, interesting lamps on tables combined with floor lights that throw a blanket of light.

Dimming bulbs are an absolute must as they enable you to control the room’s atmosphere, and therefore the mood, throughout the day.

And of course, fall requires the romantic flickering of candles.

PLAY WITH COLOR
Though it requires a bit of work, paint can make a light and summery room instantly warm and cozy.  If the thought of taping and painting a full wall is daunting, opt instead to paint large canvasses, available at any art store, and hang them wherever a touch of color is needed.  You can always paint over them when spring comes or simply replace them altogether.

When we returned from our recent Hawaiian vacation we were greeted by dozens of fruit flies who had been breeding and making themselves at home in our kitchen.  While they are tiny and fairly harmless they are utterly annoying and must be destroyed.

There are several traps you can concoct, but we opted for the funnel trap.  It has been 10 hours and while the fly population seems to be dieing down, there are only a few carcases to be found in the trap – sort of mysterious.

In addition to making the trap, we thoroughly cleaned all the kitchen surfaces, refrigerated all fruit that normally lives in a bowl on the counter, and changed all our towels and rags.  Perhaps it was the powerful combination of Windex and the make-shift trap that ultimately delivered the message that they weren’t welcome at the Dahl House and sent them flying away.

While I can see how getting to the bottom this would make for a good science fair project, in my adult life I really don’t care how or why the flies are no longer swarming, I’m just glad they’re off to a new adventure somewhere far away from my home.

A natural and effective hair treatment

After spending two sun drenched weeks in Hawaii playing in the salty Pacific Ocean and taking advantage of the natural hair dryer created by a topless rental Jeep, my red tresses needed a major moisture makeover.

My treatment of choice?  Olive oil.  Organic, pure, natural, chemical and chemist free.

The result?  A smooth, shiny, frizz-free, bouncy and healthy head of hair that I would be proud to don on the runway.

It’s a pretty darn easy treatment to figure out, but here are some of my tips in case they can help you avoid any blunders.

Dress for success – Wear an old top that you can live without.  A large neck opening or button-down placket is best.  Why?  You know how impossible it is to get oil stains out of clothing, so don’t risk it.  I suggest identifying one rag-top that you stash in your closet for all messy projects.  It will surely come in handy when painting, dyeing hair, spring cleaning, gardening, etc.

Healthy portions – As you do when dyeing your hair, portion it out in smaller sections using clips.  This step is not absolutely necessary for the oil treatment but I think you’ll find that it makes things less messy.

Saturate your strands - I opted to use my olive oil pour spout and drizzle directly onto my hair as though it were a delicious caprese salad, though you can also pour the oil into a dish and use your fingers or a hair dye brush to apply the oil with some control.  Regardless of the technique you choose, focus on the ends – obviously – which are always the most damaged.  If you have a naturally oily scalp, avoid adding more oil to that area and start applying an inch from the scalp (you will definitely want to portion out your hair of you are going this route).

Lightly place a couple paper towels over your head to catch any drips and cover your head with a plastic disposable cap.

Simmer – You can leave the oil on you hair for as long as you want, but I would suggest no less than 10 minutes.  Since I had some housekeeping to do upon my return from my vacation, I left the oil on my hair for 5 hours as I unpacked, did laundry, washed the dog, watered the plants and fashioned a homemade trap for all the obnoxious fruit flies that were breeding aggressively in my kitchen while I was relaxing on the beach.

Wash up - As you learned in grade school, water and oil don’t mix, so you have to use plenty of shampoo to remove the oil.  But, be careful not to undo the treatment’s hard work by over cleaning your hair (which is probably why it’s damaged in the first place).  Use a mild shampoo and lather once.  Resist the urge to scrub until you’re locks are squeaky clean.  Apply conditioner as usual and rinse.

Serve – Expect your tresses to be oilier than usual – dah.  It may be a good time to finally try out all those up-dos you’ve been planning, but without a doubt you will be left with a rejuvenated coif that is as dahlicious as it is Dahlightful

Enjoy!  laura

Shout out to you Dahlight-ers.  Please send your homemade beauty treatments my way.  I’d love to test them out and then share the best of the best!

I like to think that I had something to do with the proliferation of the decorated tee trend.  Early in 2003 I was working with a couture evening wear designer, Anne Bowen, when I thought – why not add the same semi-precious stones from a $20,000 dress to a simple tank?  After all, everyone I knew lived in tanks and jeans, so wouldn’t it be fab to make that simple casual uniform a little more chic and snazzy?  Certainly, special elements shouldn’t only be reserved for formal couture pieces.

I went home and hand-beaded small stones on my husbands wife-beater tank.  I wanted it to be pretty but still funky so I would add an occasional safety pin or random top stitch.  I knew I had come up with something different, but wondered if it was too edgy and “out there” to work within a sea of graphic tee regurgitation.

I wore the tank proudly all over NYC’s fashion district.  To designer showrooms and studios, fabric stores, bead stores, sample makers, you name it.  And, without fail, I would get loads of compliments.  It was the perfect trend research.  I encountered professional designers and technicians as well as PR mavens, sales reps, and interning fashionistas.  I figured if all these people could appreciate the idea I may be onto something.  So I beaded five more tanks, and my first brand, Wifebeader, was born.

It turns out, the fashion world was ready for a change, and retail giants Anthropologie and Bloomingdales both picked up my freshman line.  Back then, Wifebeader was one of a handful of brands that offered decoration, but we were the only brand that used semi-precious stones and delicately hand-stitched every bead.

Today, you can find decorated tanks and tees everywhere from H&M and Target to Barney’s and Saks, so cutting edge designers must amp up their gimmicks to get attention.  One designer, LnA, is generating buzz with their Music Tee, a collaboration with the Invisible DJ.  Here’s the low-down, it’s simply another traditional graphic tee printed with the album’s cover on the front and the playlist on the back (I have concert t-shirts from the 80’s in that style).  Their concept does get more interesting though.  Each tee is imprinted with a code that allows you to download the tracks online for free, or rather, after you’ve shelled out the $60 for the tee.

To sum it all up – if you’re in the market for another graphic t-shirt and you happen to love the Invisible DJ’s skills for curating up and coming artists, this is a fun way to spend some cash.  If you’re drawers are stuffed with silk-screened tees and your iPod is flowing with enough techno tunes to keep your heart beating all day, treat yourself to a yummy sushi dinner instead.  Regardless of the fact that I’m personally opting for hamachi sashimi and nigori sake, the marketing person in me gives the team kick-butt kudos for beautifully executing a fun project that has gotten attention and landed them plenty of good press.

To all my creative Dahlight-ers.  If you have any sweet ideas for t-shirt collaborations and/or unique ways to make a basic wardrobe staple interesting and new please send them my way.  With your blessing, we’ll produce the winning designs/concepts and offer them for sale through our retailers.  Who knows?  Maybe you too will land some fashionable press.

For a breezy summer statement – take the styling into your own hands

When the summer comes, I’m often conflicted as to my style.  The trend-setting designer in me wants to maintain a big city look but the carefree wave-lover in me wants to go totally Wahine (Polynesian Goddess).

So, what’s a girl to do? This summer I’ll be expressing my own personality, conflicted as it may be, by wrapping my favorite fabrics around myself for an updated take on the sarong/pareo.

Sarongs are perhaps the best multi-tasking piece of clothing ever conceived of, and those of you who know me know how much I value multi-function fashion.  Very simply, a sarong is a piece of fabric typically measuring 2 yards by 1 yard that is historically decorated with ornate and colorful motifs.

Because of the simplicity of the pattern, a sarong literally begins as a blank slate which leaves the artistry to the fabric printer.  By using dyes and paints in batik or tie-dye style and employing the colorful weaving technique as seen in Ikat, the plain piece of fabric becomes wearable art.  Then through extravagant wrapping and tying, the fabric becomes clothing.

As interesting as the history may be, I want to concentrate on how to urbanize this basic traditional item by making it modern and new.  If you already have a sarong that you love and you can to this post for wrapping and tying techniques fit for any urban fashionista, go straight to the last paragraph, and enjoy!

Let’s start with the fabric itself.  I’m all for the oceanic tie-dye prints and the floral Polynesian prints if you’re looking for an island  look, and for those fabrics patterns you can shop online for a finished product.  Simply Google “sarong”. But, if you’re looking to mix things up and show your trend-setting taste, opt for a more contemporary fabric.  An inspired trip to the fabric store will most certainly reveal your inner designer and turn out something uniquely fabulous.

I personally will be working with some scrap fabrics I have on-hand in the studio to create my urbanized sarong.  That means I will be using anything from Scottish plaid prints to delicate ombre, laser burnouts, and cartoon skeletons.  I’m not kidding when I say let your inspiration lead you.  After all, the very definition of avant garde is ‘the advanced group whose works are characterized chiefly by unorthodox and experimental methods.”  Let’s goal ourselves at creating a statement piece.

A few things to consider when choosing your fabrics

• Lightweight woven fabrics with a soft hand and superior drape are ideal but a light jersey fabric will work if you’re wanting a stretchy drape in your fabric.

• Opt for double sided fabrics, those that are dyed so the color is on both faces of the fabric rather than those that are printed leaving you with one face side and one blank/white side.

• Choose a pattern that works in all directions so that you can use the fabric both vertically and horizontally.

• Choose silks for a city look and choose cotton for travel and beaching.

• Ensure your fabric bolt is wide enough to give you all the endless styling options you’ll want (1 yard wide is ideal).  If the width of the raw fabric is the proper width, you can always cut it to the length you need (2 yards for dress sizes 2 to 8.  Buy a longer piece if you wear a larger dress size).

• Go as bright and bold or as subtle and subdued as you want.  You’re the designer, go with your instincts.

Finishing your fabric

The best way to finish the edges of your fabrics, assuming they are delicate and drape well, is by serging a rolled hem edge.  If this is too much work and you don’t have a serging machine lying around, you can add a trim around the circumference of the fabric (ribbon etc) and use a zigzag stitch to attach it ensuring the main fabrics edge is folded back 1/4″ and the trim is placed on top of the fold covering its raw edge.  You may choose to add a trim totally for design purposes too!

If all this is too much hassle, simply allow your woven cotton fabric to fray evenly and you have no sewing to do at all.  For my upcoming Hawaii trip I’m taking that route myself.

For those of you who are really inspired – channel the traditional artists and hand paint or tie-dye a plain piece of fabric yourself!  Just think what a fun gift this could be too.

Turning your fabric into a garment

There are nearly infinite ways to tie your sarong, and you’ll want to defer to your creativity and take your personal body shape into account to wrap and drape in the most flattering way.

To get your juices flowing, check out Black Pearl Design’s video or photo instruction.  You’ll surely find at least a few styles you’ll want to start with and you can take it from there.

Remember, don’t be embarrassed to brag.  Send me photos of your inspired designs and styling techniques!

Dyeing for a new color?

On the Today Show this morning, a professional hair stylist offered some, sort of helpful, tips on how to dye your hair at home.  Though I’m certainly not a professional stylist, I’ve logged hundreds of hours in my make-shift bathroom salon playing with every color from platinum blond to midnight blue. My current color of choice is vibrant red.  I’m having a lot of fun with this look and find that the shade makes me feel bright, fun, strong, sexy and a little bit like a rock star.

Red being the most notoriously difficult color to maintain without hideous fading, I’m an absolute advocate for getting your own hands dirty with goopy chemicals in the name of affordable vanity.  After calculating my savings, I’m dahlighted to report that I save on average $650 a year by playing beauty school student at home.

Below are some dye-it-yourself tips and tricks that I’ve learned, sometimes the hard way, over the years.  Please note that these tips are specifically for use with professional dyes found in beauty supply stores, and not for those dyes found in grocery and convenient stores.  Why?  Because the product is superior and the cost and difficulty level are about the same.  Most importantly, professional brands offer the most unique colors with countless shade options, so you can have more fun with it.  So without further delay, let’s get this party started!

Choose the right color

It’s probably the most obvious and seemingly most difficult step of the whole process.  And, it’s the most important thing to get right.  Identifying the best single shade to suit you when choosing between thousands of colors made by dozens of companies is a dramatic and daunting task.  But don’t let that intimidate you.

Knowing that it’s hard to envision how a color will work against my skin tone, I’ve been known to try on wigs to get an overall idea when making a dramatic or non-natural color change. To get my current color, which is a revved up take on a potentially natural color, I spent some valuable time in my stylist’s chair and let her find the perfect shade for me.

This is my most favorite tip that I learned a few colors ago.  By allowing a professional to be the original chemist, you will forgo self doubt, achieve a dynamic and modern color, and avoid a tearful reveal.  Once you have the right color, it is much easier to match your hair to the dyes available at the beauty supply store.

My new favorite brand of dye is Schwarzkopf’s Igora Royal.  Offering seasonal colors, their chemists are always researching and forecasting trends to ensure their colors are fashion-forward.  They offer the most vibrant colors I’ve found (not including Manic Panic and other punk dye brands).  I also find my hair is softer after coloring with Igora and somehow their product doesn’t satin my skin!

P.S.  once you’ve settled on the perfect color be sure to keep the box or color tube after using so you don’t risk buying the wrong color next time.  A hard lesson learned.

Invest in professional tools

Likely, you’ll only have to buy tools once and you will get a lifetime of use out of them, so definitely invest in the proper tools for the job.  Folica is a great source for beauty supplies and they have even packaged all the perfect coloring tools for easy and convenient purchase.

Dress for success

If you’re ever a bit spacey like me, you will find this tip to be a humongous help.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this mistake (I did it 2 weeks ago), and every time I want to kick my own ass.

WEAR A BUTTON DOWN SHIRT or, as my husband prefers, wear no shirt at all.  You don’t want to find yourself all amped up to rinse and reveal your new color only to find you can’t get your top off to shower.  I only hope that I’ll remember to take my own advice next time, and the next…

Follow the instructions on the box

Each brand will have their own recommendations, so this is one time in life that you’ll want to read the fine print.  Generically though, it’s safe to say that you should mix equal parts 20% peroxide with equal parts dye and leave it on virgin hair for 30 minutes.  I always opt for the non-drip peroxides as they create a thicker consistency that’s easier for me to work with.

You can always consult the sales person at your beauty supply shop if you have any doubt about the lift (peroxide volume) your natural hair will need in order to achieve the color you want.

P.S.  Don’t be afraid to open up the color box in the store after you’ve purchased it to confirm that you bought all the correct things you’ll need.  Its not fun getting preparing everything only to find out you have to make a trip back to the store for missing items.

Avoid stains…on your skin, floors, hands, walls, pets, bathtub…

Outline your hairline and ears with Vaseline to minimize skin stains but be careful not to get it on hairs you want to dye as it will impede the process.  I personally prefer being left with a slightly red halo outlining my hairline for the following day than be left with uncolored baby hairs.  There’s just something strange about a redhead pulling her hair up to expose blond temple and neck hair.

Have plenty of rags on hand, remove all good towels and fabrics from your salon space, and drape porous furniture with more rags.

Ensure your pets are safely in another room so as not to inadvertently dye their coat if begged for a belly scratch.  Or, for some of you out there, to avoid the urge to consciously dye their coat a fresh new shade.

Clean up all skin stains immediately using diluted nail polish remover.  I also find that Lava Soap works well, but that’s mainly due to its exfoliating properties.  Your floors, basins and walls may take a bleaching product to remove all traced of darker colors.

P.S.  tile grout is especially porous and if you’re like me, you’ll prefer taking a little time in preparation to cover it up than a lot of time, and sweat, scrubbing it later.

Section your hair evenly

This is really just to give you an organized map of your head.  When you have smaller areas to work with you can focus on one specific section without loose hair interrupting your work.

Apply the dye

You can choose to begin applying color to any section you want first, but I find that by working from back to front I minimize my messiness.  Evenly coat your brush by dipping it into the bowl and apply color from scalp to the end of virgin hair (you will only color the roots if you are dyeing your hair the same color as before).

Use the pointy end of the brush to neatly grab a paper thin amount of hair to paint.  Paint it, then fold it over the other painted mini sections.  Repeat dozens of times through each section until every single hair is covered.

Begin timing – see details below.

P.S.  It helps me to get a detailed look at my head under different lighting, so go outside with a mirror to get a second look.

P.P.S.  Once each section is thoroughly covered, you can use any remaining dye to arbitrarily paint vertical low/high-lights on your head.  No fear, the color will not set dramatically but will rather result in a more natural, highlighted look.

Time it

I try to work quickly, but thoroughly, and begin timing my color with the final stroke of the brush.  While some sections will obviously be sitting with color longer, good professional dyes ensure that the color processes evenly.

Rinse thoroughly

Rinse your head with cool water.  Apply a little water at first and work the dye into a lather to loosen it up after being caked onto your scalp for 30 minutes.  Be patient and rinse until the water runs clear.

Condition, condition, condition

Refer to your product’s specific instructions as some brands will advise against shampooing immediately after color application.  I can’t come up with much of a reason for this, but I am one who washes my hair only when absolutely necessary in order to preserve moisture and vibrant color.  Regardless of your shampooing preference, use a color heavy duty, super charged conditioner after coloring for sure.

Maintain your color

I mentioned above that I rarely use shampoo.  It may sound weird and gross, but I have very fine hair, that’s obviously color treated, and I’m always working against my hair’s natural inclination to frizz (and fritz) out.  Nothing looks worse to me than parched unhealthy locks regardless of the color, which is why I quickly ended my fascination for platinum hair.

This means that I wash my hair every 3 or 5 days, depending on my activity level, and I alternate between a gentle shampoo and a color enhancing shampoo.  Currently in my shower are Bumble and Bumble’s Gentle Shampoo and Davines Alchemic Shampoo in red.  For those in between days when I need a little refreshing but don’t want to shampoo, I will thoroughly rinse my hair with cool water and apply a light conditioner.

By washing with cool water, reducing your use of shampoos and detergents, conditioning with color depositing products, and avoiding too much time in harsh sun, you will succeed in maintaining that freshly dyed.  Just be sure to keep those roots up, and always be open to shade changes (even if they’re slight) to keep things fun and new.

I hope you’ve found some of my tips helpful, and please comment with anything you’d like to add.  I’m always looking to improve on my techniques.

Wishing you a luxuriantly colorful adventure that delivers an inspired and glowing new look.

xx  laura

Final P.S.  If you want to get a better understanding of the whole coloring process and all its geeky chemistry, check out the links available at Style Hair Magazine

When will we outgrow the legging trend?

I designed my first pair of leggings over three years ago when the trend was on the cusp of exploding – for the first time – again.  At that time my collection mainly focused on embellished tops, but as a self-professed entrepreneur, I wanted to capitalize on the moment and thus added the stretchy lycra infused staple to my mix.  They flew out of the warehouse as soon as we received them.

And, the enthusiasm has barely cooled today.  I have to admit that I only expected to get two or three seasons out of the trend.  For that matter, from a styling perspective, I hoped that was as long as they would last.  I never expected to be delivering leggings to stores with the same fervor today.

This morning Woman’s Wear Daily reported that it is “the trend that keeps on giving”.  I suppose that women have become comfortable with the layered look, appreciate the comfort of dressing their trunks in a “second-skin”, and are thrilled to find a replacement for their proverbial denim-dependence.  So, go ahead ladies, keep reaching for those stretchy saviors.  But, be careful of getting caught in a boring rut.

It was my own fear of “boring” that prevented me from designing a basic ballet class costume.  I’ll leave that to others.  I personally like to take trend to a more interesting and unique place.  By adding Swarovski crystals, interesting buttons, metal charms, eyelets, and silkscreens to a basic legging, I’ve been able to keep things fresh during the design process.  After all, a legging is the simplest of patterns so to keep things fun, you have to express your vision through some other addition.

Drum roll…designer secret coming your way.  You can add similar design touches yourself!  Just pull a pair of basic leggings from your drawer, let your creative juices flow, and voila.  You have a one-of-a-kind creation that’s perfectly on trend.  And, more importantly, expresses your own individual style.

For those of you who don’t find that tip alluring enough and for those of you looking for an admittedly fashion-forward take on the legging trend, check out my Longfellows (silk/cotton 54″ inseam stirrup pants).  I humbly offer that the Today Show, Ugly Betty, and Glamour are fans, but I also admit without selfishness that these long fellows are not for every fashionista.