Custom Clip in Hair Extensions

Client Review: Custom Clip-in Hair Extensions

For an on-line hair extensions consultation visit:

Hair Extensions with Brenda

How to Apply Custom Clip-in Hair Extensions

This video tutorial will show you how to apply Custom clip in hair extensions on short, fine, thin hair. Custom clip-in hair extensions are completely different from the clip-in extensions that can be purchased from a beauty supply store such as Sally's or Ulta. Custom hair extensions are extensions that are designed for particular individual and usually purchased from a hair extensions specialist. I describe it as creating a custom dress for your body type that only you can wear.  

I recommend clients come in for an initial consultation in which we discuss hair type, texture, length and thickness. Afterwards, I perform a hair analysis and take head measurements. These specific measurements taken from different areas of the head is what is used to create the extensions. Lastly, a precise color match is performed to help blend the client's natural hair with the extensions. In some cases the hair extensions have to be highlighted or low lighted to achieve the desired color.

Custom clip-in hair extensions are extremely comfortable, simple and easy to apply. The extensions are made from 100% Indian Remy hair and can be curled, flat ironed or styled just like your own hair. They are also perfect for brides-to-be and special events such as holiday parties or prom. I provide a hands-on tutorial for each client teaching them how to apply the extensions at home. Once most clients get the hang of applying custom clip in hair extensions they can apply them in 5 mins. or less!

To schedule a hair extensions consultation please visit http://www.mzh2o.com/

Fantasy Avant Guarde Lion Hair Piece at v-103's For Sisters Only

Fantasy hair is one of my hobbies. I am a artist first and then a hairstylist. I just use hair as my medium. Avant-Guarde and fantasy hair is an art form that many people may not understand. For me it's a form of self expression. Fantasy hair is like hair architecture. It's big, over the top and extravagant. Stylist use various geometric shapes made of hair to create a hair style usually worn at fashion or hair shows and these days on the red carpet. You probably have seen avant guarde fantasy hair on celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Nicki Manaj, and Patti Labelle.

Patti Labelle rocking avant-guarde hair in the '80's

*Courtesy of Getty Images

Nicki Manaj's leopard inspired fantasy hair

*Courtesy of Getty Images

I wanted to create a fantasy hair piece that exemplified all the confident, courageous, strong, amazing women in the world. The women who play the role of mom, wife, sister, doctor, life coach, problem solver, entrepreneur, and CEO. These women manage to find the courage to keep moving even when faced with major obstacles in their lives. Especially those women who have overcome diseases like breast cancer. Many of which are clients of mine. These women are such an inspiration to me. I also allow nature to inspire me. What better creature reflects these characteristics other than the King of the Jungle.


My lion "Queen in the Jungle" (named by one of my fans) took approximately 10 hours to create. It actually didn't feel like 10 hours because I get so caught up in my work that I loose track of time. I used synthetic hair, chicken wire, masking tape, and magazines to create this piece.


This Lion fantasy hair piece was a show stopper in Atlanta, GA at the 20th Anniversary of v103's For Sister's Only.

Watch the video of my "Queen of the Jungle" Tour at For Sisters Only

If you can not view the video above click here: 

 Brenda "Mz. H2O" Lion Fantasy Hair at For Sisters Only

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrUn2KQhL64

If you are a hairstylist and want to learn more about avant-guarde and fantasy hair visit my website Mz. H2O. If you have questions submit them in the comment section below.

Atlanta Hairstylist Joins Season 2 Cast of Hair Battle Spectacular on Oxygen

Brenda Waters, stylist at the popular Midtown hair haunt, Paragon your Salon, will be one of eleven contestants competing for a $100,000 grand prize on Oxygen Network’s Hair Battle Spectacular. In its second season, the celebrated show airs Monday, August 15 at 10:00pm ET/PT and features returning judge Derek J, along with celebrity stylist Taylor Jacobson (“The Rachel Zoe Project”) and host Eva Marcille (“America’s Next Top Model”). The competition series showcases the vast talents of the eclectic cast of contestants as they create “the biggest and best in fantasy hair.” Tune in each week to see Brenda (aka Mz. H2O) and company creating outrageous coifs as the cast are presented with increasingly more difficult challenges and are eliminated one by one.

“This was a phenomenal experience for me,” explains Waters. “I love to push the boundaries when it comes to creating my hair pieces and the show was a perfect outlet for me to express my creativity without any restraints.” There will be style, there will be drama, and – most of all – there will be lots of hair!

Dubbed “The Hair Whisperer,” by her colleagues, Brenda’s journey into hair notoriety is a personal one. Losing most of her  hair  at  age  six   from  a   botched chemical service, Brenda had an intimate experience with the role that hair plays in one’s self-esteem. That experience ultimately ignited Brenda’s passion for hair. By age 12 she was taking clients in her mother’s kitchen. Having received a business degree from Georgia State University, she melded her business acumen and her passion for hair into the perfect career.

Brenda has more than 15 years of experience transforming ordinary hair into extraordinary masterpieces. As CEO of Gorgeous Strandz Inc., co-founded with Quawanza Cotton, she offers innovative hair extensions and accessories for women and kids. Brenda has competed in and won several local and national hair competitions, including the coveted Golden Scissors award. Her competitive strategy is to constantly push the envelope, and -- just when she thinks it may be too much -- push it some more. Throughout the Southeast, Brenda’s incredible reputation precedes her. Her work has been showcased on network television and in numerous publications, including Jezebel, Atlanta Social Season's, Sophisticate's Hair, Hype Hair, and Essence magazine. With an enviable career under her belt, Brenda feels that she is just getting started.

Twitter: @MZ_H2O

Facebook: Mz. H2O Facebook Fan Page

How Often Should You Shampoo Your Hair?

"Don't shampoo every day? ARE YOU CRAZY?" This is the response I get from most of my first time clients. Along with a look as if I have two heads.  "Yes that is correct," I respond. "If you want you're hair to produce less oils it is best to not shampoo your hair everyday." Sounds a little backwards I know, but let's explore the origin of shampooing and oily scalps.

In 1908, The New York Times published an article recommending women shampoo their hair every two weeks. At that time once a month was normal.  In the 1970's an ad campaign by Faberge for Farrah Fawcett Shampoo encouraged individuals to shampoo more often. There slogan "something beautiful happens to your hair" gave the impression that if you wanted voluminous, flowing, bouncy locks this was the product to use.

Shampoo ad campaigns continued to convince customers that shampooing every day was good. According to Procter & Gamble Americans wash their hair more than four times a week compared to people in Spain and Italy who shampoo on average twice a week.

My Hair is So Oily I Have to Shampoo Everyday

The easiest way to stop your hair from becoming oily is to stop touching it. Think of it like your skin. If you continuously touch your face it starts to get more oily. Our sebaceous gland produce sebum on our scalp. Sebaceous glands are what keeps the hair and skin moisturized. The sebum created in the sebaceous glands moves up the skin through the hair follicle. When the oil combines with external pollutants it creates a build up on the hair and scalp. This is what creates an oily slick appearance on the hair.

There is a popular belief that the best way to rid your hair of oil is to shampoo it. This is a Myth. Shampooing your hair actually encourages oil production. The sebaceous glands produce a sufficient amount of oil needed to moisturize the scalp. Once the hair is shampooed the sebaceous glands immediately produces more. This happens time after time again until the sebaceous glands are now working overtime to keep an accurate amount of oil on the hair and scalp. This is when most individuals feel they have to shampoo or else they'll look like an oily grease pit.

How Do I Stop My Hair From Producing So Much Oil?
The answer is simple. Shampoo less. I know, it's not what most people want to hear. However, shampooing less is the easiest  way to rid your hair of overactive sebaceous glands. The less you shampoo the less oils are produced. If you are one that shampoos everyday it is not recommended to stop cold turkey. The best approach is to slowly wean yourself off your shampooing addition.

Steps to wean yourself from daily shampooing:
First 2 weeks

• Shampoo your hair every other day.
• The days that you are not shampooing you can rinse your hair for 3-5 mins. (if it makes you feel better you can pretend you are working up a lather just don't pick up the shampoo bottle.)
• After rinsing Condition the midshaft to ends. Do not apply conditioner to the scalp as this will weight the hair down.

Second 2 weeks

• Shampoo your hair every other day.
• On the day after you shampoo do not rinse or shampoo at all.
• If you find that your hair gets oily on your non-shampoo day you may use dry shampoo or baby powder on your scalp only. This helps soak up any excess oil.

After a period of four weeks you should notice a significant decrease in oil production. Your hair will be healthier, more moisturized, have more shine and less oil.

Summer Hair Styling Tips

Ahh, the heat of summer is upon us. If you live in the south you not only deal with heat you deal with humidity as well. Humidity causes fine hair to go limp and textured hair to swell. So the question is how do we combat this major hair issue?




My recommendation to clients who live in humid climates is don't fight it!!! If you can't beat it join it. Below are three easy humidity-proof hairstyles.

• Braids
• Ponytails/Buns
• Waves

Braids
Braids are a quick and easy way to tame unruly hair during the summer. Start by misting your hair with a light hold styling spray. This will help keep your braid nice and tight. You may choose to braid one single braid or use your braid as a headband (one of my favorite summer looks). Once you have completed your braid, bind with a covered elastic band.

Ponytails
Sleek ponytails are perfect summer hairstyles. Start by misting your hair with a light holding spray. Use a boar's bristle brush and brush all strands into the desired location. Secure the ponytail with a covered elastic band. Then take a small section of hair from under the ponytail and wrap around the elastic band and secure with a bobby pin.

Bun
Transform this beautiful ponytail into and evening look by creating a classic bun. Apply a light pomade to the strands of the ponytail and brush to distribute throughout the strands. Wrap the entire ponytail around the base (where the elastic band is located). Continue wrapping until you reach the ends of the ponytail. Secure with 3-4 bobby pins.

Beachy Waves
Those of you with curly hair are in the perfect position to rock this look. Beachy waves can easily be achieved on anyone with textured hair. Start with wet hair. Apply a curl enhancing cream and/or anti-fizz gel. I have gotten the best results by cocktailing two products together and apply it to damp hair. Comb with a large tooth comb and let air dry. The most important part of this look is NOT to touch it once it is dry. You can shake your hair to loosen the curls. Constantly touching curly hair causes it to grow and frizz something you want to avoid during summer. Beachy waves are not perfectly curled hair. It implies a tousled look that is not so fixed. Curly hair girls don't be afraid to try any or all of the styles mentioned above because they work great on all hair types.

Beautiful Beachy Waves

*Images courtesy of getty images

My Favorite Styling Tools

First let's start with tools. You can never get the results that you want with your hair without the proper styling tools. I will be sharing a lot of hair styling tips throughout the course of this blog so I want all of us to be on the same page. Below is a list of my absolute all time favorite styling tools. These are the tools I use in the salon and generally take with me to every editorial, product or video shoot. These are generally the same tools I use on my celebrity clients as well.

·       1” Pure Ceramic Flat iron

·       Professional Blow dryer with nozzle

·       Paddle Brush

·       Ceramic Round Brush

·       Flexible holding spray

·       Light weight shine serum

·       Rat tail Comb

·       Claw clips

Obviously it's not just about the tools it's also about the skill level of the person using them. Over the years clients would buy every product and tool I would recommend. After their salon visit they would try to recreate the look they received in the salon. They would return disappointed and say "there must be something wrong with my flat iron because it doesn't curl my hair curl like yours". I would advise the client to bring their styling tools with them on their next hair appointment.  After their cut, I would style their hair with their tools and teach them how to properly use them. To their surprise they would proclaim "it works just fine for you, it must be something I'm doing". It baffles them the same flat iron could do wonders if used correctly.

Having the appropriate styling tool is only half of the formula for a achieving a fabulous hairstyle. Styling knowledge is the other half.  In my next blog entry we'll discuss how to properly use these styling tools.

Hair's My Spill

Welcome to my Blog! I am excited to share with you all things HAIR! I have been a professional hairstylist for 15+ years and would love to share my journey in the beauty/hair industry as well as my favorite tips and secret beauty tricks.

Over the years I have helped many of my clients fix their worst at home hair disasters. Some of them were extremely hideous and some were very simple mistakes. I will share some of the most hilarious stories from clients I've met over the years (their names will be change to protect the innocent of course). I will also share some of my personal hair stories. And yes I am a celebrity stylist however I will not be name dropping here because we are all "STARS"!

This will be an exciting journey as we learn and discover new ways of styling hair along with exciting new trends. So sit back relax and enjoy this beautiful and exhilarating ride.