Charlie Brackney, founder of Blowdry! Blowdry Bar visited Cities 97 today to talk holiday hair. Here’s some of what he covered…
You’re hosting a holiday party tonight. You’ve been at work all day, you’ve been e-mailing your husband to ensure his mother won’t be too offended by any of your hors d’oeuvre choices. You’ve got the perfect dress and hottest shoes but no time to make it to the blowdry bar for a fresh blowout and the one you’re currently sporting is 2 days old. What’s a girl to do? Time for an at home DIY updo.
Here’s what you need:
A little courage and creativity (egg nog, anyone?)
A single pony tail holder
A few bobby pins that match your hair color
If you’re feeling fancy, a Whirl-A-Style or old clean sock
Top Knot
A flirty, youthful option that works well with most hair textures
If you’ve got an old (and please, clean) sock laying around you could shoot for the ole Sock Bun!
A Top-Knot is NOT just tossing your hair up on your head. Unless you want to look like you’re on your way to yoga. Classic and Timeless Low Bun
This look is elegant and timeless on a woman of any age and takes practically no time at all to do. Notice how I sectioned the front out from the back first, secured the bun, then wrapped the sides in separately. To keep it looking soft and effortless allow a few natural pieces around the face to hang loose.
Braiding
Braiding continues to be one of the hottest trends in hairdressing. A simple braid can be pulled apart, roughed up or “ruched” for a modern texture and pinned anywhere on the head. Aided by her Great Lengths hair extensions, our lovely model Keri is sporting variations on the modern braided updo.
One Pin Side Sweep for Short and Long hair
Part hair with a deep side part on the side that is most natural for you. Set hair using a medium size curling iron, all curls flowing in the same direction, brush out and pin one side behind your ear with a bobby pin or a vintage brooch. Voila! (Perfect with a red lip.)
Where did you go for last year’s office holiday party? A restaurant? Or did you host it in your office? We have an idea that will blow away last year’s office holiday party…host it at Blowdry! If your office (or even just your department) is full of fabulous women, host your office party at Blowdry! We offer a fun environment with blowouts at a savings for groups of 3 or more between 8 am and 5 pm, Tuesday thru Friday. Yes, leave the office and have some fun team-building together. Take a moment to relax, celebrate your successful year, and show your team how much you appreciate them. (plus we have wi-fi, so you can keep tabs on any office emergencies while you’re here) Blowouts for groups of 3 or more are just $30 on weekdays thru 12/31. Schedule online at blowdryblowdry.com. Cheers!
xoxo, Blowdry!
With 10 chairs, the “bar” is ready to make your whole team gorgeous!
It’s a sale! It’s a sale! Black Friday is cah-razy, we know. So take a break from the big box and do some holiday shopping with us instead. Adorable gifts, local business and all the products you love. We have 20% off the best beauty products in town on Friday 11/23/12 (in honor of “Black Friday”) and on Saturday 11/24/12 (for Small Business Saturday). Have your eye on a hair dryer? This is your sale! We also have 20% off the most amazing products like our brand new Lipstick Queen lipsticks, Butter London nail polishes (!!!), our favorite Number 4 hair care products, Lulu Organics, Damone Roberts brow products, Illume candles (perfect gift!), not to mention the blowout necessities like shower caps, satin pillowcases and more! Shop for holiday gifts or stock up for yourself – no judging here.
Won’t you take a break from big box mayhem and join us instead? We’ll be here 8 to 8. And we have candy.
Wow – next week is Thanksgiving already! Time to break out the mistletoe and get to work! Who is on your holiday list this year? Good news is that this year there is a H-O-T new gift idea. Can you guess? The Blowout! It’s the perfect size and color always, the perfect price at just $35, and pretty much a guaranteed squeal as she opens her gift. What woman in her right mind wouldn’t LOVE a blowout? It’s fun, confidence-boosting, and truly makes her feel gorgeous, inside and out. Think about your list this year. Who would love a blowout from Blowdry?
What is it about Friday that lifts a mood? Even those of us who love our jobs get a sense of jubilation when Friday rolls around. The vibe at Blowdry! Blowdry Bar on a Friday is high energy, incredibly cheerful, and just plain fun. Probably because we are a haven for hooky players, and with wi-fi, the boss is none-the-wiser. Join us some Friday for a weekend-starting blowout and see what we mean. Cheers to the weekend, all! xoxo
Okay, so maybe you want to dress up with some besties for your Halloween party. Here are some ideas from Blowdry! to get you started…
COUPLES: BONNIE AND CLYDE
Looking for that perfect ‘his and hers’ Halloween costume? Take a little inspiration from Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty from Bonnie and Clyde. These days, the cinematic couples’ fashion is as iconic as the pair were notorious. For Bonnie, keep the makeup natural and the hair blown out and tucked under. A neutral-colored sweater and beret and a silk scarf around the neck complete the look. For Clyde, it’s all about the snappy suit and fedora. Stop by Blowdry! before you hit the town and we’ll help you with the final hair and makeup details!
GROUP: BRIDESMAIDS
Is there anything more hilarious than a truly hideous bridesmaid dress? Head out to the thrift stores with your girlfriends and scour the racks for some tacky taffeta, and throw in bouquets made of fake flowers for good measure. Then come into Blowdry! for an updo and over-the-top makeup. We’ll do our very best to make your group look truly terrible. Well, we’ll try. No guarantees.
GROUP: THE FAB FIVE
Fab Five Fever is still going strong this Halloween season. Team up with four of your besties and show off your national pride in bedazzled leotards or coordinating warm-up suits. Remember that ponytails should be as tight as possible and accessorized with a scrunchy and a billion barrettes. Don’t be afraid to go heavy on the eye makeup, and top the look off with gold medals and bouquets of flowers.
GROUP: THE SUPERMODELS
Go glam this Halloween with your bestest girls and a tribute to the supermodels of the 90s. Think big hair (or a a close crop if you’re going for Linda or Naomi), strong eyebrows, brown-red lipstick, and either a body-conscious dress or a cropped top and high-waisted jeans. The lucky gal that gets to play Cindy should be sure to remember her beauty mark!
BESTIES: KATY PERRY AND RIHANNA
Want to celebrate Halloween with your special someone? No, we’re not talking significant others. We’re talking besties. And what better celebrity BFFs to emulate than Katy Perry and Rihanna? Best of all, both of them have plenty of looks that are equally distinctive. Rihanna’s gone bleach blonde, fire engine red, and now she’s owning a short black pixie cut. Katy Perry is the queen of the black Boudoir Blowout, but wigs in blue, hot pink, teal, or purple would work as well. Finish it up with your most outrageous outfits and impeccable makeup and prepare to be inseparable. Just like in real life!
CHINA DOLL: Looking for a costume that’s fun, feminine, and a little creepy? A china doll is all of the above. A ruffly dress and girly accessories will take the costume almost all the way there, but it’s the hair and makeup that seal the deal on this look. Think a halo of ringlets or bouffant pigtails. Then layer on the foundation, twirl on rosy cheeks and lips, and add over-the-top faux eyelashes on the upper and lower lash line. Faux lashes sound a little tricky? Stop by Blowdry! and we’ll do all the heavy lifting!
SUGAR SKULL: Though the holidays have different origins and meanings, the close proximity of Halloween and The Day of the Dead and the abundance of skull painting in both have always kept these holidays closely connected. So why not double up and celebrate both at once? Painting your face as a sugar skull is a cheery, but still spooky, alternative to the usual ghouls and ghosts. Colorful and intricate, sugar skulls allow for plenty of creativity and artistic license, so have fun with it. Feeling a little overwhelmed by the undertaking? Book a makeup application for $35 at Blowdry! and one of our amazing makeup artists will transform you into something otherworldly.
FROZEN ZOMBIE: Last weekend, Heath, one of our fantastic makeup artists, painted the faces of three of our stylists for the Twin Cities Zombie Pub Crawl. Do you recognize any of these ladies? In addition to corpsifying them with gray, black and white makeup, he frosted their eyebrows with a light dusting of icy flakes. Brrrrr. Book an appointment with Heath and let him transform you this Halloween. Just because you’re undead doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look your best!
PEACOCK: It’s not every day that you have a good excuse to layer on the blue and green eyeshadow, but Halloween isn’t anything if not an excuse to wear some extraordinary makeup. Improvise a peacock costume with feathers from a craft store and a cocktail dress. (It doesn’t even need to be blue or green! Black will be just as appropriate!) Then paint your eyes in an array of blues and greens, adding feathery faux lashes as the final touch. Feeling ambitious? Mimic the pattern of peacock feathers on your eyes with brown and gold shadow. Book an appointment at Blowdry! for Just the Eyes for $18, then add a set of lashes for just an additional $10!
Omigosh…you guys! There is a new category in the Minnesota Monthly magazine “Best of the Twin Cities” issue…Best Blowdry Bar! And in their “Best Of” November issue MNMO recognized Blowdry as among the very best. It’s such a huge honor to be hanging out with this distinguished group of the Twin Cities’ finest. Check out the issue and then visit all of the amazing places recognized by our friends at Minnesota Monthly.
And then they had this really great party to celebrate with all of the 137 winners at Aria in Minneapolis (now that is one beautiful space for a party!). There was a wall of dangling vinyl records with the winners’ names on them, which was uber cool, along with great food and drink from winning restaurants. Did we mention the table full of award-winning donuts? Yes. Best darn donuts in Minnesota. Love Minnesota!
Boo! Wow, do we love Halloween. Especially when it comes to the fun transformation of hair and makeup. It’s the season with a reason to become something completely different than you are day-to-day and just for fun. We had a creative class at Blowdry this week to experiment with fun Halloween makeup and hairstyles to prepare for the next couple of weeks of Halloween fun with our clients. Check out some of the fun looks above. So far we have seen a forest fairy, an ensemble of Mad Men fashionistas, and a little I Love Lucy coming thru the blowdry bar. What will you be this year and how can we help you be the stunner at your Halloween party?
At Blowdry! we style hair and makeup for any occasion…as in ANY occasion. One of our very favorite occasions happens to be Halloween. We love it so much that we are even giving a spooky styling class for our blowdry artists with fresh fun ideas to style up our guests with some amazing Halloween hairstyles. We have some fun costume ideas to get you started…
MARGOT TENENBAUM: Looking for a Halloween costume that’s a little bit glamorous and a little bit grunge? For anyone with shoulder -length hair, Margot Tenenbaum is the answer. The Royal Tenenbaum wears polo dresses, fur coats, and baby barrettes. But the details that really sell the look are the poker straight hair, the raccoon eyeliner, the permanent pout, and the wooden cover for her missing finger. Come by Blowdry! for a Brilliant Blowout and Fancy Face and we’ll help you become perfectly angsty!
1920s FLAPPER: Flappers of the 1920s have not only inspired a classic Halloween costume, this style still feels surprisingly modern. To achieve the perfect speakeasy style, wear a sleeveless dress with a dropped waistline, pile on the rhinestones and pearls, paint on a dark bee-stung pout, and make an appointment at Blowdry! for a crown of Marcel Waves, like these seen on Diane Kruger.
CHER HOROWITZ from CLUELESS: Duh. This costume is way cute. Seriously. Go ’90s and channel Cher Horowitz from Clueless! Yellow plaid, white thigh highs and a giant retro cell phone will go a long way to getting you recognized, but don’t forget to top it off with a center-parted Brilliant Blowout with the ends curled under. Stop by Blowdry! and we’ll take care of your hair and help you practice your vocabulary. “He is such a Baldwin.”
HOLLY GOLIGHTLY from BREAKFAST AT TIFFANYS: Classic, iconic beauty. This Halloween, why not opt for a chicer costume than the standard dress-up fare? Holly Golightly is one of the most stylish and recognizable characters of all time. All you need is a little black dress, cat eye sunglasses, costume jewelry, black gloves, and an updo from Blowdry! (Bonus points if you eat a pastry while window shopping.)
With Halloween on a Wednesday this year, we figure there are two big Halloween party weekends – yay! Be sure to book your blowout or updo and makeup now before we’re filled up. Don’t forget the faux lashes, darling!
