FASHION: Amai Furiku? 7

Amai Furiku?

-The sweet freak's guide to VK fashion

New Year, New you!

This month, we welcome the new year. I don't know how many of you will make and keep new year's resolutions, but for me, a new year is about a new me. Whether it be in buying some new clothes, new makeup, or getting myself some new hair, it's a case of re-invention.

For this issue, I'm going to be looking at hair.

I am constantly thinking of new things to do with my hair; different cuts, dyes, styles and accessories.

Those of you who are heavily inspired by your favourite VK artists for hair, will know how hard it is to get a perfect haircut. Does this scenario seem familiar?;

You: Well, it's sort of short at the front, quite choppy and layered, and then long at the back in a sort of V shape. The sides are sort of shorter too, almost shaved.

Hairdresser: Yeah, I can do that, easy!

Haircut you imagined:


























Haircut you came out with:



















It's something that has happened to many western J rock fans and I deeply sympathise with them.
So, I cut my own hair and have done for nearly 6 years now.
If you are going to consider cutting your own hair, you need a few basic essentials.
-A mirror
-Somewhere comfy and easy to clean to sit while you cut your hair
-A good brush and comb
-Big sectioning clips
-Sharp scissors (you can buy hairdressing scissors from most drugstores)
If you want to layer your own hair, you will need the above things as well as
-Thinning scissors (also available in drugstores)
-Smaller sectioning clips
Optionally, you could use a sharp razor instead of thinning scissors although this needs more practise.
For beginners, I would recommend trying only to trim your hair or slightly layer it. It is more difficult to cut the back (obviously) so it may help to have a friend on hand to help.
Be sure to have something very definite in your mind that you would like, so lets say you want a block fringe, shaved sides and layered back. I would start with the fringe as this is easiest and can be easily put right if it goes wrong. Brush your hair forward over your face and using a comb, mark out a shape of where your fringe will go (usually a rounded triangle shape). Clip the rest of your hair back and out of the way. Carefully, holding the hair between two fingers as you go, trim the hair. At first, start long, maybe follow your eyebrows as a guide. Brush it out and keep trimming until you are happy. Fringes grow very fast so this length is good for those who maybe aren't used to having a fringe as you can sweep it to one side.
Now I would go for the sides. If you want shaved sides, you can either opt to have a friend help, or carefully do this yourself. Section off the hair you want shaved and again, clip any other hair back. Start by cutting this hair short (about an inch or so long) and we are now ready to attack it with an electric razor! Please be sure to use a proper hair shaver, not any old electric razor. Proper ones for your head will have different settings for length on them. Holding the razor to your head, slowly shave the section. Once you are happy with the basic length and outline, you can neaten the edges up with a small razor (we use a facial hair trimmer!) Shaving the sides is a big commitment, but it can be covered up if you don't like it by the rest of your hair on the top.

Finally, the back of the hair, the main length of it. I would generally part my hair in to two and bring them to the left and right sides respectively. Using quick, upward snips, I'd work my way down the hair, front to back. Cutting upward creates a choppier effect and also looks more natural than a blunt edge. Keep brushing out and checking in the mirror. Once happy with the length, you can add layers if you wish. I usually add mine at random, grabbing a chunk of hair from the top of my head and following the hair down with the thinning scissors. There is a good tutorial for this here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwUsicOnQI4

Above is a photo of me showing my newly cut and dyed hair. I used Directions Atlantic Blue and Turquoise for the top of my hair and Violet for most of the underneath sections. This shows off the layering well and gives different dimensions to my hair.

Following cutting your hair, comes dying your hair. Always cut BEFORE you dye it as you are wasting extra dye if you dye then cut. Apart from this, the hair always seems to absorb the dye better when freshly cut.

Basics;

-People with darker hair will need to bleach it prior to dying. Try Stargazer or Manic Panic's bleach kits.

-Bleaching dries out the hair, remember to condition regularly and not use harsh shampoos or products.

-Before dying your hair, make sure it is shampooed, but not conditioned. If you can help it, dry out your hair as much as possible for a few days before dying it so that the hair will soak up the moisture in the dye and your colour will last much longer.

-Use semi permanent, conditioning dyes. I really recommend La Riche Directions.

I can't really advise on how to best dye hair as everyone's hair reacts differently, but to keep the colour brighter for longer, wash your hair less often and use dry shampoo, keep hair conditioned and don't use harsh products too often.

Things that will make your hair fade quicker;

-Direct sunlight

-Heat

-Chemicals in products (such as hairsprays etc)

-Strong shampoos (tea tree based products, Head and Shoulders etc)

Plus points of cutting and dying your own hair;

-It's cheaper than going to a salon

-You know what you want

-If it goes wrong, you only have yourself to blame!

-It's more interesting as well as fun

-It's more unusual and you're unlikely to see someone walking down the street with the exact same haircut as you.

For those who maybe don't want to keep up with dying their hair, or those who maybe don't quite trust themselves to cut their own hair, there are a couple of other options.

For one, go to your hairdressers and take several good photos to show the style you want. Try to find photos from as many different angles as possible and if this fails, get to work being creative and draw what you want. Remember that hairdressers are not mind readers!

Know your rights. If you receive a bad haircut, or just not what you wanted, you are well within your rights to say so and ask them to sort it out at no extra cost. You don't need to be mean about it, after all, the customer is always right and you went to them for a haircut, trusting them with one of your best assets. If you see it going wrong during the haircut, speak up!

So, maybe you don't want to cut your own hair, but you don't trust hairdressers either? Go for a wig.

These days, you can get great wigs and extensions at great prices. There is certainly something for everyone. In the photo above, you can see me wearing a natural coloured wig made from Kanekalon fibre.

I found this shop on ebay called South Panda.

They have a HUGE range of wigs from the more natural looking ones to the pretty, over the top lolita and cosplay wigs. They're reasonable priced, come packaged very well and ship quickly too! With every wig you get a net for the wig, a wig cap, a wig bag as well as care instructions on how to wash and look after your wig. Some of the natural wigs are a little on the thinner side, but this makes them comfier to wear for long periods of time as they are not as heavy, and this also means they are easy to style. I had to buy one to wear to work as I can't have blue hair at work. It turns out it works great as a lolita wig when you clip on some long curly extensions (which I bought for £2.50 each in a cheap clothing store) the wig and extensions together cost me about £17/$26, cheaper than a haircut at a salon and only a little more than it costs me to dye my own hair.

There are many other wig stores both on Ebay and the rest of the internet. If you have more ethnic areas around your town or city, try afro hair shops, they often sell wigs of a high quality for a good price. Failing this, try fancy dress stores and edit them to suit your tastes!

I hope this has been helpful to you all! If anyone has recommendations for other good wig shops or hair dyes, please post them in the comments below!

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