Extend And Pump Up The Pageant Hair

Unwinding at the end of a long day, you pick up your favorite magazine and notice that the model on the cover has a thick gorgeous head of hair that seems suspended in mid air. You happen to turn on the TV and an awards show is on. Actress after actress grace the stage perfectly manicured and when the TV zooms in for its close up, one can't help but notice the beautiful locks that frame their faces. After watching for awhile, you decide to turn in for the evening. You walk into the bathroom and that's when it happens….you see your own hair in the mirror. *Sigh* Can I share something with you? 80% of the population has normal to fine hair. Only about 20% are blessed with naturally thick hair that is full of body. So what can the other 80% do to "pump up the volume"? Three words…color, product and extensions. This week I interviewed Monae Everett to get her expert advice on hair. Monae is a licensed Cosmetologist with nine years of experience. She owns Monae Artistry, LLC where she is an editorial and commercial hair and makeup artist specializing in photo shoots, videos, and movies. Ms. Everett has contributed to hair care and makeup articles in Upscale and Omo Naija magazines. Her work has been published in magazines including Celebrity Short Cuts, Sophisticates Black Hair, Sports and Entertainment Today, Today's Black Woman, etc. She now writes for Hair's How magazine. Having competed in the Miss Teen Virginia USA pageant herself, she knows firsthand the expectations and demands put on hair. Color – When adding both highlights and lowlights to your hair, you create dimension and movement. Your hair will instantly look thicker and fuller. Product- Next to a great haircut, the quality of the styling products you use is critical for creating hair that will look great for hours on and off stage. Healthy hair has body, shine and MOVES! The goal is to create the stiff lift at the roots and have the ends moving as you walk on stage. Monae made this suggestion to get the most body from your hair:

• When hair is wet, apply a golf ball size amount of root thickening product to your roots.
• Using a round natural bristled brush, blow dry your hair lifting up at the roots. Lightly spray with a reshaping spray.
• Next, set hair on hot rollers and allow the rollers to completely cool before removing them.
• Style hair into the desired shape and spray with hairspray.
• Two of Monae's favorite products are Professional Sebastian Thickefy Foam and Sebastian Reshaper.

Monae also said not to be afraid to wear the super sleek look if you can pull off. Your hair should beg people to reach out and touch it. Extensions- If there's a Hollywood secret to fabulous hair; here it is ladies---Extensions. Sometimes product isn't enough to get the full bodied effect people want from their hair so they turn to extensions. However, not all extensions are created equally. Lower quality extensions (ranging in price from $30-$60) can't be reused and are made synthetically, which means they cannot be styled with heat. Higher end extensions are made of real human hair are reusable. They can cost up to $150 per ounce and you'll need between 4-8 ounces of hair. There are many factors to determine whether you're a good candidate for hair extensions starting with your natural hair texture, the bonding method you choose, and how long you want them to stay in your hair. Here are a few of your choices:

• A few hours - taped in extensions.
• A day - clip in extensions but don't sleep in them.
• A week - glued in extensions.
• 1-3 months - sewn in extensions.
• 3-4 months - strand by strand Microfusion

When done by a highly skilled professional, hair extensions won't hurt your natural hair, will look natural and can be easily maintained. If you're considering extensions, consult with an experienced stylist so you can get the product and end results you're dreaming of. One size does not fit all and you'll need professional help to evaluate and select the right extensions for you. To see Monae's new video on how to get Big Sexy Voluminous Hair, click on this link to see step by step instructions. www.HairandMakeupBlog.com.  

About Monaé Everett

Monaé Everett was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in the Washington D.C. area. She earned her cosmetology license while in high school. To quench her thirst for education, she attended college at George Mason University where she majored in Communications and Sociology. It was there that she was introduced to the fashion and commercial industries, and her passion was ignited. She became excited about hair and makeup artistry. While continuing her education at GMU, she began to establish herself as the hair and makeup artist to see for clean beauty. While managing a salon, she continued to work behind the scenes at fashion shows and photo shoots. This helped her to hone her skills as a hair stylist. She developed a love for hair color and became an American Board Certified Haircolorist. Monaé used her knowledge and industry insight to form her business, Monaé Artistry, LLC. Monaé has earned a strong reputation for being professional, discreet, and passionately professional. She displays her talent in print, film and theater. Monaé has had work featured in "Essence" magazine, the "Georgetowner" newspaper, "Sports and Entertainment Today" magazine, "Celebrity Short Cuts" magazine, etc. She has also had the privilege to work on "We Are the World" 25 year anniversary music video as well as the "Eclipsed" theater production. These experiences opened the door for her to become an educator for a major hair care line. Monaé loves to make people look good which in turn, makes them feel good. She looks forward to opportunities to color and style hair for fashion, catalog, and print advertisements. She loves the makeup artistry of Pat MacGrath and Jay Manuel and notes Hadiiya Barbel and Josh Wood among her hair inspirations. The words of Josh Wood best summarize her goal "To drive style trends in the media". For more on Monae, check out her website and blog. http://monaeartistry.wordpress.com/ http://www.monaeartistry.com/