Ombre' Hair... my new OBSESSION

If you have looked at any fashion magazine lately, chances are you are going to see some ombre hair.  It seems like every celeb and model whose hair isn't naturally blonde (read: almost all of them) have been wearing this type of color.  It looks as though your summery blonde has naturally grown out, but a lot healthier and glossier.  For someone who is naturally pretty dark at the roots, this is a great way to try out some lighter tones in your hair.  Rachel Bilson is one of my favorite "ombre" brondes.   The best part?  So low maintenance!

After I colored Sarah's hair on Tuesday, I couldn't stop looking at it!  I was obsessed!  She always lets me do whatever I want with her hair, and she didn't bat an eyelash as I piled on the foil.  Her hair turned out perfect, and it completely made my day to get to do something new and different.  It was inspiring!

  t.

Molly is my hair idol!

Right now, I am pretty obsessed with bangs. Or fringe, if you want to call it that.  My instructors at Toni and Guy would get so mad if we said it.  "Taylor, say FRINGE!! We don't BANG our clients!!"  ha, ha!  Well, whatever you wanna call it, this look is hot!  Molly always lets me do whatever I want... whether I am inspired by Gwyneth or Lady Gaga.  Just kidding!  I was inspired by Zooey Deschanel's perfect fringe, and pretty much everything Chloe, and this is what we came up with.  Love it!

more gorgeous girls!

Love it!!

Andrena has the most gorgeous hair, and we just added some thick fringe.  She looks amazing!

At Home in Arkansas guest blogger!

Check out my article for the At Home In Arkansas Holiday Guest Blogger Series!

How to fix easy and fun holiday hairstyles!  Hope you guys enjoy.  Thanks so much for supporting me, and thank you Paulette for giving me the opportunity!  Click on the link below or scroll down:


 Please Welcome Fayetteville Hairstylist Taylor Sutton!

Listen up ladies! Hairstylist Taylor Sutton of Dead Swanky in Fayetteville is so sought-after that her hair appointments have to be booked months in advance, but she took time out of her busy schedule to show us her very favorite holiday hairstyles, and explain how to get them too. They’re intended for women of every age and hair length, and are as easy as 1-2-3! So go ahead and try them for this weekend’s holiday bash. We may not have personal hairstylists for our big nights out, but these tricks will have you feeling red carpet ready in no time.

Thanks for stopping by, Taylor. The stage is yours!

There is little else that can put you in the holiday spirit like getting ready for a holiday party. Whether it’s slipping into that perfect cocktail dress or a new killer pair of heels, getting ready can set the tone for the evening. And having a hairstyle that is simple, chic and easy will only make the evening better! Here are a four of my favorite holiday hairstyles that work on short, medium, or long hair and that are guaranteed to turn heads at any holiday soiree. So grab a some hair tools and a glass of champagne… remember, getting ready is half the fun!

Loose Knot

The prettiest, easiest updo ever. This style looks great on hair that is a bit above the shoulders, but works for all lengths. First, let hair air dry a bit messy. Next, take a curling iron or flat iron and make some random curls throughout your hair, curling away from your face in the front. Tease roots and gather your hair at the nape. Shake your head a bit until some loose pieces fall down around the fringe area and top. Twist the remaining hair and loop around, randomly adding bobby pins. For a smoother knot, pull hair into a low ponytail first, then roll the end of your ponytail up and under the elastic, then secure bobby pins on each side. Use a smoothing pomade to tame any flyaways.

Vintage Waves

This look has been all over the red carpet lately. First, give hair a deep side part. Starting at the nape and working up in sections, curl hair with a 1-inch curling iron, wrapping all curls going the same direction around the head. Next, take a boar bristle paddle brush and brush the curls out, starting at the bottom of the hair and working up. It seems scary, but this gives the smooth, vintage look. Next, tuck hair behind one ear and secure with a bobby pin or sequin hair piece. Using hairspray, smooth down any flyaways and mist over entire style.

Glamorous Ponytail

This look is so easy and stunning. First, blow dry hair smooth with a paddle brush. With a fine-tooth tail comb, tease the crown of the hair. If your hair is especially fine, spray some dry shampoo at the roots for a little more lift and texture. For a sleeker look, comb hair straight back into a ponytail at ear level on the back of your head, being careful not to flatten too much on top. Secure with elastic, and wrap a small piece of hair from underneath the ponytail around the elastic with a bobby pin. If you have fringe, style as usual, then tease the crown and pull hair into a ponytail at the base of your neck. Secure with elastic and wrap hair around. Finish by using a flat iron to smooth the ends of the ponytail and spray with light hairspray.

Holiday Hair Accessories

The holidays are also a perfect time to experiment with hair accessories. A small jeweled clip or feather headband can transform your every day style into an elegant evening look. You can find clip-in hair pieces at your local beauty supply that can add length to a ponytail or a little more hair to your loose knot. The possibilities are endless… have fun trying them all! Happy Holidays!

Taylor Sutton is a hairstylist at Dead Swanky in Fayetteville.

Blondies and How To Tease!

Both of these gorgeous girls, Karrie and Kim, have really fabulous hair. When they come in, they are very laid back and let me do whatever I want. A hairstylist's dream!

I love doing blonde highlights. These girls both have cool blonde and pale golden highlights, and Kim has a few dark blonde lowlights as well. I like to keep their hair long, but with face framing layers so they can wear their hair wavy or naturally straight.

Also, both of these girls have very silky, fine hair, and I love to tease their hair to give it a little extra oomph!

How to tease your hair:

You need a fine tooth tail comb (see a few posts previous) and hairspray. Take a clip and section off your hair from the temples around. Spray the roots with hairspray. Take vertical sections and backcomb, starting close to the roots, and building up like a ladder. Continue all the way around, then let down the top section. Spray roots again and repeat the backcombing in vertical sections. This way, you get volume on the sides as well as the lift at your crown! Don't forget to check the back to make sure you don't have any wierd holes or backcombing showing... hey, us girls can't give away ALL our secrets, right?!

Easy Party Hair and a cute bob!

My friend Marcy had me fix her hair for her work Christmas party today. She wanted something a little more special than every day hair... so we did this messy side knot. To do yourself:

Tease hair all over, focusing on the crown. Curl all of your hair with a flat iron or 1" curling iron, taking horizontal sections and curling away from your face.

Grab hair on the side you want the messy knot to be. Shake loosely and let some pieces fall around the fringe area. (Careful... you don't want "tendrils"!) Twist hair into a half bun with the ends very loose. Start adding in bobby pins at the base of the knot. Once it is secure, pile up the rest of the curled ends and pin them in randomly. Voila! You can add a brooch or feather clip for an added touch!

The gorgeous bob haircut was done by my friend Sean at Dead Swanky. He is an amazing precision cutter and can cut in a neckline like no other! I had to post this fabulous do. She loved it, of course!

Fabulous Em...

My sweet friend Emily has the best hair. She has had it super long and super short... she can do any hairstyle! We just cut it into this sexy, messy shag on Wednesday. She likes to air dry and wanted something easy, with volume on the sides. If she wants, this hairstyle can be blow-dried into a smooth, sleek, layered look. It is really cute loosely pulled back as well. Thank you, Em, for letting me do whatever I want... a hairdresser's dream!

On another note, I am going to be a guest blogger on At Home In Arkansas' website the week of December 14th. My friend Paulette is a writer for the magazine and she chose me to do a blog about holiday hairstyles. I am so honored and excited! I think it is going to be great. So be looking for me on the At Home In Arkansas blog very soon!!

Hardcore Hair

Stumbled onto these funny pictures online and had to share. Can you imagine if your hairstylist pulled THIS gun on you? I think it may not go over so well... Serious business!

As far as that neon sign goes, I LOVE it! I wish I had one at my house, although it may actually be for something a little more complicated than hair. Taylor said there used to be a topless hair salon in Hot Springs. Now, this is so wrong for so many reasons... I mean, IMAGINE getting a shampoo. Apparently State Board didn't agree that men needed a salon like that and shut it down... that may be an urban legend, but i'll have to look into it!

my hair twin?

My client Erika is a lot of fun... she lets me do anything to her hair. A while back, we decided to grow it out from a bleach blonde pixie to long waves. She came in a few days ago and as she was leaving, everyone was commenting on how our hair looked so similar! I guess when I like a hairstyle or color, I want to share it. Long layers and caramel highlights are great for low-maintenance hair. Roots are in, but white hair and dark roots is a little tacky (Jessica Simpson roots, anyone?) So the shaggy layers and fine caramel pieces that get a little lighter towards the end keep your color bright without being "neon" blonde. (Shout out to you, M!)

The Essentials!

Chi Nano hairdryer. My favorite, but Boy Taylor (hubby) prefers a Solano. The Chi is a lot hotter and lighter weight, which is why I like it!

Volumactiv mousse gives a great blowout! It can be mixed with anything to control the volume level or hold.

My favorite product. It can even make course, dry hair feel silky soft and smooth

Ahh, the Chi Turbo. Much debated about, but for me, the only flat iron to use. It gets so hot, and the velvet on the outside allows me to curl with it (it smoothes the hair and you can touch the outside without giving yourself blisters!) I use this every day, all the time. Best thing ever!

1" and 1 1/4" curling irons are a must. I like to wrap the hair around the outside of the iron instead of clamping it in for a more natural curl.

This Shu Uemura brush is amazing. It is like a Mason Pearson brush, but with more surface space, and it is cheaper! It will still cost you around $75, but it is so worth it. They are limited edition, but we still have a few left at Dead Swanky, I believe.

Chi 2" round brush. Love it!

The best teasing comb, in my opinion!

Dry shampoo for prolonging your blowout a day or two (I am always doing this) and for times you need a little extra lift. I know that for you brunettes and redheads, this works but Bumble & Bumble makes dry shampoos in colors.

Hair elastics... love the clear elastics for braids across the front. For runway-smooth ponytails, bungee cords are the best!

Alicia's wedding in Eureka

A few weeks ago, one of my clients, Alicia, got married at Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs. The bridal party all got ready at the Crescent Hotel, where we had a suite in the spa to get ready in. I did all the bridesmaid's hair, and of course, the bride's lovely hair! She wanted something pretty and simple. She was a beautiful bride! I will try to get some of the professional pictures to post. I loved getting to drive to Eureka and spending the day with such a sweet group of girls! Congratulations to Dave and Alicia!

Some new styles...

From one length to layered with fringe... a dramatic change for Curry!

We cut nearly 10 inches off! So exciting!