Latest Trends: Feathers!!!

Finally! A fresh trend in hairdressing! Feather extensions are going to be the biggest thing for 2011. Sleek and shocking, it's a new twist on highlights . They add a hint of trendiness and edge to any color or length and have been showing up on celebs everywhere! The ones seen above, you can wash, heat style, or curl with your normal hair. They last about 3 months. They come in all different colors, so they can be subtle or bold. They will be perfect this summer for outdoor concerts, road trips, all those things that leave your hair blowing in the wind. I am learning how to do them for my portfolio, so practical application will come soon. By summer, they will be relatively affordable, and a great option for someone who wants to add some temporary zing to their look.

Up until now, feathers have been popular amongst hipsters and rockers, in a trend that I also see going mainstream for 2011, the braided accessories. Much like this:

This is a look that's easily achievable at home and I predict will be overused by teenagers everywhere :)
To get this look:
You will need:

• Feather
• Duckbill clips
• Dry Pomade
• Small braiding rubber bands

1. Take a  clean parted 1" section from underneath the round of the head
2. Clip down all the other hair underneath with a duckbill clip
3. With a small bit of dry pomade, smooth down any flyways or frizzes within your section
3. Braid the section down to wherever you would like the feathers to land (Play with different lengths within your cut!)
4. Arrange the feathers in your hand so that the feather bellies will wrap around the outside of the braid well. This is an important step in the overall look of your accessory.
5. Secure them at the base with the clear rubber band, wrapping around as many times as you can. The rubber band will grab the baby fuzz at the base of the feather and will keep it from slipping.

Voila'! Sexy rocker hair! To get that tousled, bed-heady look to go along with it, wrap strands of hair loosely around your curling iron in a spiral pattern (switching directions on each row) and spray with Paul Mitchell Texturizing Spray .

And to wrap up this post on the feather hair trend, a tutorial on one of my favorite braids by Janine from Shear Genius!