03.20.2014
Real Talk: The Truth About Fine Hair

hair

I’m constantly preaching about how much I love my hair extensions, but back in January I decided to go au naturale and let my real hair grow out for a bit.  Why? Why would I ever give up long, thick hair?  Well, for starters, after about eight months straight of having the best extensions ever (keratin-tip, I’m telling you), I started to get nervous about how short/damaged my real hair was underneath everything.  Luckily, the keratin-tip hair extension process is pretty gentle (as long as you take care of your extensions) so I really only had about an inch of split ends once they were out…and that’s basically like just not getting a hair cut for that long- no biggie.

Over the years I’ve MASTERED the art of my fine hair and how to beat what I annoyingly ended up with but, hey, I’ve got PLENTY of other amazing qualities, thankyouverymuch.  Here are a few of my trade secrets for fine hair…

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02.05.2014
Hair Depression: It’s a Thing

Jamie Stone makeup

I was chatting with my friend Ashley the other night at an event and telling her about how, since moving to LOS ANGELES, I’ve had the best hair of my life.  It sound ridiculous, but my HAIR completely effects my mood- e.g. if it was raining and humid while I lived in NEW YORK CITY, I sometimes opted to not go out.  Believe me, I know how insane this sounds…”Is Jamie saying she actually wouldn’t leave her apartment when the weather was shitty?”  The answer is yes, yes I did that.  Let me step back a bit and explain…my hair, it’s naturally wavy and frizzy.  I don’t have a lot of hair, but the hair that I do have is very textured and gets huge at even the slightest sign of moisture in the air, which ultimately blows if you live on the east coast.  Los Angeles’ dry climate has been an absolute god-send for me and now that I’m taking a break from my hair extensions, I’ve recently been feeling a little bit drab in the hair department.  I’m thinking about spicing it up a bit but I’m not sure what yet…possibly cutting off some inches or maybe going a little lighter (again)?  We will see.  All I know is, I recently thought about a run-in I had with a guy I knew from high school while still living in New York:

Me: Hey “guy”

“Guy”: Hey Jamie…nice hair. Bahahaha.

I’ll admit it, the weather was AWFUL that day; my hair was super poufy and the pieces around my face were curling in every direction imaginable, as they do.  It was spring time, pouring rain, and like 65 degrees, which makes for the wettest weather possible.  I get it.  We always had the kind of relationship where we gave each other shit but apparently he never learned that there are two things you don’t use as ammo against a girl: her weight and HER HAIR.  Needless to say, my hair and I are MUCH HAPPIER now…the only time I get any kind of frizz is when I’m near the beach for too long.

So yeah…a change is coming but, in the mean time, my hair and I will be enjoying the desert climate here in California.  And to clarify, the photo in this post is WITH EXTENSIONS. Sad face. I miss them already.

Do you guys feel the same way? Does bad weather give you hair depression?

photo credit: Kristen Turner

01.09.2014
A Hair Update

I took my extensions out about a week ago and, being honest here, decided I needed a slight change. My hair had a ton of split ends from having the extensions in for so long so, after Mika Fowler cut about an inch off, I went over to see my fab colorist, Erick Orellana, over at Sally Hershberger Salon.  The inspiration? Lauren Conrad’s lighter ends and slightly darker roots.  The only thing is this: my hair is really fine with out my extensions in, so I tried a new volumizing product…Sally Hershberger Plump Up Collagen Thickening Mist, and I am obsessed.  Basically, this spray repairs the cuticle while locking out humidity and it also helps to protect hair from sun and color damage…it’s kind of a one stop shop, in my opinion.

What do you think of my lighter ends?!

01.06.2014
Reader Question: How Do I fix a bad hair cut?

julianne-hough-600x450

Hey Jamie!

So my regular hair stylist really f*cked up my hair and chopped off too much. I want a few extensions now to make up some of the length, and since you have them, what do you recommend? I want just few strands. He put too many layers in and  it looks so bad that it makes me sad to look in the mirror.  What’s your advice, pretty lady?

“K”

Hi K,

I’m so sorry! A bad hair cut can really mess up your self confidence, and that’s no good.  But you’re right- a few extension pieces should do the trick for you and will help you feel better while your hair grows out a bit.  Since there are so many different kinds of extensions, I’d recommend talking to an extensions expert at either a salon or hair store.  They’ll be able to look at your hair type and texture to figure out what kind of extensions would be best for your hair. For example, I have fine, dyed blonde hair and I prefer the semi-permanent individual keratin tip extensions.  I have friends who prefer the clip-in kind that you take out every night and put in every morning, but I’m too lazy for that.  If you’re in the Los Angeles area, I really love Just Extensions– they’re an extensions only hair salon and they have really affordable prices.  You can also use the salon locator for Great Lengths Hair, one of the most well-known hair extensions on the market, to find a salon near you that carries and applies their extensions.

Good luck and keep me posted on how it goes!

Jamie

Editor’s note: I actually really LOVE Julianne Hough’s short hair, but this before and after photo really shows what a few extensions can do!

03.28.2013
Loving My Hair Right Now

I think there’s something to be said when you’re actually at a point in your hair life where you can say “hey, my hair is looking pretty awesome this week” so, you know, I had to share.  As you guys know, I’m a big fan of Gavert Atelier in Beverly Hills and lately, I’ve been frequenting Just Extensions, which I can tell you, as a matter of fact, are the two reasons that I’m loving my hair right now. True story.

The awesome Toyomi highlighted my hair to the light (but not platinum) shade that I love, using a technique called Alchemy.  Toyomi developed the inspiration for her craft in Tokyo, where the world of beauty is exploding with color and creativity. With this vibrant vision, she took on Beverly Hills working with celebs such as Leven Rambin and AnnaLynne McCord.

As for the fullness and volume of my hair, this is where Just Extensions comes in.  You probably read my first post, but just in case you’re not familiar, Just Extensions is an affordable hair extensions bar that focuses on one thing: extensions.  And they have all different kinds, including micro-links, braided sew-in, beaded one-step weft and fusion techniques that range from $100 – $300.  If you know extensions, then you KNOW that’s a pretty amazing price.

11.28.2012
The Hair Files: Sherry Ratay at Gavert Atelier Salon

So lately I’ve been really missing my hair extensions and fact of the matter is, when I’m not feeling good about my HAIR, I’m not feeling good about myself. It’s sad but true.  So when my a PR friend reached out and let me know that the famed Sherry Ratay was in town from Florida (on behalf of Minardi) and, gasp, doing highlights at Gavert Atelier, I literally jumped up and an instant smile was on my face.  For anyone who doesn’t know, Sherry is an award-winning color expert, known for her gorgeous reds and balayage (my fave!) highlights.

It’s really embarassing that good hair- such a little (and somewhat shallow) thing- can make me happy but it DOES, so sorry for partying. And actually, this was the best timing ever because I had JUST booked an amazing video opportunity with PopSugar (more on that December 5th when it goes live!) and hi, I definitely can’t go on-camera with BROWN ROOTS.  So then there’s that.  If you’re in Florida or LA (when she’s in town), I highly suggest you book an appointment since I’m pretty much obsessed with my “baby blonde,” as Sherry called it, highlights.

Photo: behind-the-scenes shot from my PopSugar holiday beauty shoot.  Hiiiii green screen.


03.21.2012
Charlize Theron’s chic low pony (for fine hair!)

I get so jealous when I see pics like THIS…and oh sure, they obviously use extensions, but even with extensions, my hair will never look like that and it infuriates me.  I’ve pretty much got down the fine-hair girl hairstyle  down (e.g. loose waves or curls with lots of volume on top!) but when I saw this photo of Charlize Theron, I thought there might be some hope that I could pull off a chic low pony.

It’s pretty easy to do, just make sure you curl your hair BEFORE you pull it back, unless you want to look like you’re about to enter a pagaent.

My favorite go-to curling products for fine hair:

Frederic Fekkai Coiff Defense Pre-Style Thermal/UV Protectant: It’s important to prep and protect your hair from all of the heat tools that we (I, mainly) use on my hair.  I put a little of this in my damp hair and comb it through before blowdrying.

Aveda Pure Abundance Hair Potion: I’ve been using this stuff for years. YEARS, guys.  You just need a tiny amount of the powder (about a quarter size), rub between the palms of your hands, flip your head over and kind of shake it into your scalp. It’s sticky so it won’t fall out (being that your head is flipped over) and it gives a-mazing volume that actually stays.

Hot Tools 1 Inch Curling Iron: It’s funny cause I distinctly remember my first flat iron being Hot Tools brand…and it kinda sucked.  But any stylist will tell you that this is the BEST curling iron and, as a bonus, it’s pretty inexpensive.

Goody Ouchless Mini Elastics in Clear: These won’t work for someone who has thick hair so, lucky for us, they’re perfect for this fine hair pony exclusive.  They’re great cause they’re clear and can easily be hidden with a single strand of hair wrapped around it.