I've been seeing variations of this updo a lot lately.  What I love about this style is that you can dress it up or dress it down.  Depending on the hair texture, on how tightly you twist it, and on what you wear it can be really urban, sophisticated or retro.   Who knew one twist could create so many different looks?  Definitely on my list of styles to try! 

 Image source:  Hair Romance

Thank you to everyone who entered!  And congrats to our winner

Ciara is a dream boat.  A dream boat with amazing photography skills.  She has photographed two of my favorite shoots, the Southern Belle shoot and the Be Mine Valentine's day shoot.  Thanks for letting me play with your masses of hair and do your makeup, Ciara!

We all know that celebrities are constantly getting their hair and makeup done.  They always look perfect when they're in front of the camera.  The only downside to that is that anytime time a celebrity gets married (or remarried), they look exactly the same as they always do!  Shouldn't we all look our absolute best on our wedding day?  Better than anyone has ever seen us look?  Well if you have your hair and makeup done every day, you're going to look exactly the same on your wedding day.  Poor celebs.  

Anyway, random rant.  Here are some of my favorite celebrity wedding styles:

Molly Sims and Hilary Duff - high bun.  Seriously love this look! 

Reese Witherspoon and Vanessa Minnillo - down and soft.  So different from the high bun, but still so pretty.

 Molly Malany and Carrie Underwood - soft updos.  Very classic and flattering.

Kim Kardashian and America Ferrera - sleek chignons.  Also very classic and elegant.  

LeAnn Rimes and Kate Moss - soft beach waves.  

And of course Kate Middleton.  Doesn't get more classic than a half updo with soft curls.  

Kristina was a lot of fun to work with.  She did her own makeup for her bridals, and I did her hair.  Lindsey Shaun did an awesome job with the photography, of course.  Oh, and in case you're wondering why her fiance looks familiar, like I was, maybe this will help you out.  

We all have those days when our bangs drive us crazy!  Sometimes we blow dry them wrong, sometimes we don't have time to wash and style them, and sometimes they are even cut a little too short.  Here are fifteen different ways to pin back your bangs for those days when they aren't cooperating.    

If you need extra help with braiding, check out my post on braids.

It's time for my first giveaway of the year!  Unlike past giveaways, this giveaway is nationwide so everyone can enter! 

($50.00 value)

Here are a few benefits of this mask.  You can read more about it here. 

You will love this product!  It is one of my favorites.  

1- "Like" Hair and Makeup by Steph on Facebook

2- Follow this blog by:

     clicking "join this site" or "follow by email" in the side bar

     or by clicking "follow" on the top left of this page

3- Leave a comment on this post with your first and last name. 

Contest ends on Friday March 9th.

Good luck!  

Recently I posted styling tips for thick hair, and today my post is just the opposite - styling tips for fine hair.  There are a lot of people out there who would love to have long, bouncy, voluminous hair, but no matter how much they let it grow and grow, it's just wispy and thin.  But there are a few things you can do to get the most out of your fine hair.  If styled right, fine hair can be really cute and stylish!

Tips:

1-Never put conditioner on your roots.  Putting conditioner on your roots will weigh your hair down and make it look oily faster.  Same goes for leave in conditioners, serums or any other smoothing lotion.  Avoid the roots!

2-Try to use a light weight conditioner like Biolage.  Fine hair can be weighed down by heavy or thick conditioners.   

3-Using the right product is KEY.  A lot of my fine hair clients leave my chair saying "how do you make my hair look so full and bouncy?!"  It's the product!  Look for any type of volumizing product.  Root pump, mousse and thickening spray are all good choices.  My favorite products for fine hair are Boosta Spray by Unite, Texture Line Hot Style Hot Volume Foam by Artec, and Alterna LIFE Volume Mousse. 

4-On fine hair, shorter styles will look thicker and fuller than longer styles.  If you've been trying to grow your hair for years and it's only grown 1/2 inch, you are probably very attached to your length.  Taking off an inch or two will make your hair look so much thicker and healthier. 

5-When putting your hair up, keep everything loose and soft.  Fine hair tends to be very fragile, so pulling it up tightly will increase the chance of breakage.   

6-Learn how to round brush.  It's not an easy thing to do on yourself, but it helps a ton with body.  To make it easier,  wait until your hair is around 70% dry to start round brushing.  You can also just round brush the crown area and sides, where you need extra body the most. 

7-Wear it wavy.  Wavy hair looks fuller than straight hair.