About 6 weeks ago I was standing in line at Urban Outfitters and a rolled-up piece of sponge caught my attention. It was a bun maker - nothing I hadn't seen before. But this one was light colored intended for use with blonde hair. For $6 I added it to my pile to try out at home.
And then I forgot about it.
And then I cut bangs.
One afternoon I spent a 2 hours playing with my "new" hairstyle. Seeing if I liked it curly, straight, up or down, braided or.. in a bun. After watching a few video tutorials on YouTube, I mastered just how easy it is to do a "sock bun" or "top knot." Since then, it's been my go-to style.
It's simple and easy and looks nice for work or running around in Lulu's. Its perfect when you need to wash your hair, or if you are headed to the gym. But since I'm always getting asked about it, I thought I would show you how I've been doing it.
What you need: A bun maker, 2 elastics, a few bobby pins.
Steps 1-3 - Put your hair in a pony tail, then pull the pony through the middle of the bun maker
Steps 4-5 - Fan your hair out over the bun maker, smoothing it down and covering the bun maker.
Step 6 - Slip the 2nd elastic band over the bun, securing the hair down over the bun maker.
Steps 7-8 - Take your ends that are sticking out and slowing start rolling them together around the base of the bun. As you go around the base of the bun, keep grabbing all those ends and adding them to the roll. When you get to the end, tuck the under the elastic under the bun. Now secure with a bobby pin. Then use the additional bobby pins to secure the bun to the head in a few different areas. If you have long / thick hair, now is where you can pull pieces out to make it look messy. If you have thin hair (like mine) just make sure you bun maker is covered!
Step 9 -Give it a little spray and VOILA. You are now #BUNTASTIC
Photo from Petula Pea PhotographySo, just in case you didn't know this about me, I obsess. Yes, yes, I know it's a surprise for all of you, but when I get something in my head, I obsess about it non-stop. A few months ago my hairstylist at Detour Salon in Encinitas showed me the hair extensions that she was getting put in later that week. I was intrigued. I thought extensions were only for Paris Hilton and the Real Housewives. But then she started pointing out all the other girls in the salon that had them in...and I began to obsess. See, I love trying out new beauty trends. I've done spray tans, sugaring, waxing, eyelash extensions, Latisse, Shellac nails and a crackle pedicure...anything that can make something longer, fuller, shiny/bright and/or 10 lbs skinner I have tried.
Yes, I am a product/service whore like that.
So extensions?! I NEEDED them.
As luck would have it, a few weeks later a woman who had seen me speak at the San Diego Social Media Symposium came to me asking if we would be interested in doing a SDMOMfia Blow Out Bootcamp event at Detour Salon. Little did she know that I had been a client (and huge fan) of the salon for the past 4 years - and I jumped on it! I mean who DOESN'T want to learn how to get those Victoria's Secret Supermodel curls? After chatting back and forth, they asked if I would be interested in modeling and trying out hair extensions - they would put them in for me that night and I could model the new procedure during the event. I was thrilled...I may finally have the long, thick hair that I've spent years, and possibly thousands of dollars in products, trying to achieve.
I've had them in for 1 1/2 weeks now and I can tell you that I love them. I'm thrilled with not only the length but the thickness of "my hair." But I have gotten a few questions that I thought I would answer:
- How did they put them in?
Unlike the individual extensions that you always see half grown out on Brittany Spears, these ones are a band of hair that is sewn into my hair about 1/2 way down the back of my head. They use my real hair to sew the band on, and then a tiny metal clap is used to secure the hair.
Did it hurt?
No - but I will let you know that I have an abnormally high tolerance to head/hair pain. I always joke that my head was desensitized after years of having to have massive tangles combed out of the back of my head.
Is it human hair? Yes - from Europe. But it has gone through a huge process to clean it and sanitize it. Here is more information on the actual extensions: www.nxshair.com
Can you wash it and brush it as normal?
Yes. I wash it in the shower with my normal shampoo. I'm just careful when washing it. When I brush it, I have to use a boar's hair brush.
Does it itch? A little. Not enough that I would get them removed. And let's be honest, I'm not sure if it's the extensions that itch or the constant talk of head lice being found at Lucas' school that's causing my head to tingle.
How long does it last? According to the information on the hair, the piece will last 4-6 months. I do have to go in every 4-6 weeks to get it tightened.
Will it ruin my hair? I really hope not. :) I've been told no. The clamps are not permanent and can be removed without damaging the hair. Which is why they can remove the piece and tighten it.
Final Thoughts:
I will admit that that I was worried about it. For about a week, NOT ONE PERSON mentioned it. While on one hand I thought it meant it looked totally natural, the paranoia in me took over and I kept thinking that it looked really bad/fake and no one wanted to tell me that it looked like I had plastic Barbie hair. Not to mention that Zoe kept stroking it while singing songs from Tangled...I was getting a little nervous. Then it happened - someone commented on how long my hair had gotten, then a few more people noted about how beautiful and thick my hair is. And now? I'm hooked. And tossing my head around a lot.
*If you would like to see what all the other SDMOMfia Mama's said about Blow Dry Boot Camp at Detour Salon, please check out the post here. If you want to join the MOMfia at one of our fun events, "like" us on Facebook and keep an eye out for our next great event!
Monday, January 21, 2013 at 11:24AM 
What you need: A bun maker, 2 elastics, a few bobby pins.
