Black Braided Hairstyles and Hair Weave Styles

Styling for long black hair can never be too difficult, as it seems. Natural black hair can look sizzling and ravishing when styled appropriately. Long black hair can be dressed up with twists and turns or structured in layers for curls. Straight, long black hair can cause many heads to turn even if it is tied into a simple ponytail and adorned with a rhinestone pin.

Besides the traditional styles, long black hair can also be styled into hair braids. Black braided hairstyles and black hair weave styles are very suitable for long black hair and can be worn by schoolgirls to even the teenagers who are out for a rocking night at the disc. Black hair braids and black hair weave styles are especially popular in areas that have a warmer climate as these are used to keep the wearer cool during the warm summers.

Here’s a look at Black Braided Hairstyles - Black Hair Weave Styles:

Women with natural black hair have spent time and money to style their locks in the best possible way. Black braided hairstyles and weave styles not only help the wearer make a cool fashion statement but are also low on maintenance. The only hitch that may occur while braiding your hair is the time factor. Black hair braids may generally take a few minutes or even hours, which largely depends on the complexity of the hair braids.

Normal Black Hair Braiding:

When you want to go in for hair braids, ensure you have thoroughly washed and cleaned your hair. This is primarily done to get a smooth surface before braiding your hair. The braiding is done once the hair is divided into three sections. This process is continued till the preferred length of the hair. When you are dividing the hair into three sections, also make a mental note to ensure that the hairdresser maintains an equal amount to tightness for the three sections. This is of prime importance as an improper balance in the tightness of the sections can lead to a wrong appearance of the hair braids. There is a lot of twisting of the hair involved; therefore it may be a bit difficult to keep the hair flat.

The black hair braids can also be dressed up into chignons, buns, twists or can be simply let loose. Black braided hairstyles and hair weave styles can also look fabulous with the addition of trinkets, flowers, beads, pearls, colorful bands or even multicolored string. You can even experiment with more than 3 sections of your hair. This can be done after a consultation with your hairstylist.

Micro Black Hair Braiding:

This style is predominant amongst the African American women and has now found a universal acceptance worldwide. Micro braiding your hair is also one of the modern trends in hair braiding styles. To micro braid your hair; you may need to firstly check the strength of the hair. If your hair is on the weaker side and tends to break easily, then this black hair braiding style is definitely not recommended for you. Before you rush off to the hair salon for trying out black braided hairstyles and hair weave styles, you need to oil your hair overnight and then wash, condition and moisturize your hair the next day.

Micro black hair braiding is done with the help of attaching fibers or even hair weaving. Micro black hair braiding is the modern trend amongst braiding hairstyles. If you check out with your closest beauty salon, you are bound to uncover over 1000 eye-catching and gorgeous micro black hair braid and weave styles that will send your mind in a tizzy. Ensure you get a professional to help you with micro braids so that it can be as painless as possible.

Micro hair braids involves weaving your hair into thin braids. These thin strands of hair need special attention and care. Most women choose to opt for micro hair braids as it is very easy to maintain and also helps in the faster re-growth of hair. Very tight micro braids can cause excess breakage of hair.

One of the safest forms and the most popular form of micro hair braiding is the cornrow. Black braided hairstyles and black hair weave styles can never be complete without the mention of cornrows. Cornrows are very beautiful and are sported by celebs all over the world. These are popular with men as well as women. For African American hair, the length required for a trendy cornrow would be around 5 cms approximately. To care for your cornrows, use a silk pillowcase. You can even wrap your head in a scarf before going to bed at night. Long black hair tend to get frizzy when styled into a cornrow, therefore ensure when you need to wash your cornrow, you can use a shower massager that is set to a light mode, so as to gently clean the hair without damaging the cornrows.

Black braided hairstyles can be enhanced with the help of hair extensions or hair weaving. Hair weaving is the method of adding hair to the scalp with the help of human hair or even synthetic hair. The process involves weaving the hair as close to the root of the hair. Hair extensions are used to give your hair added volume and length. Available in many colors and textures, these are attached to the hair in various ways. You can weave, sew, glue or even braid the synthetic hair with your natural black hair. Black braided hairstyles also incorporate this method and this process is mainly followed by leading celebrities who need to carry off different looks in a short span of time.

For black hair weave styles, the natural hair is braided along the scalp. This is done in a horizontal line. The hair extensions are sewed onto to the braids with the help of a heavy weaving thread. The hairstylist has to comb the natural hair into the extensions for both to blend. This form of weave style needs to be planned in advance to determine the amount of the hair to be weaved. Hair weaving needs to be done with utmost care and an important tip would be to apply oil around the braids to prevent the breakage of hair.

When you are exploring the black braided hairstyles and black hair weave styles, always ensure you go to a professional to achieve the best results.

By Kashmira Lad

Modern Black Hair Styles - How To Choose The Right One For You

Black hair style fundamentals

When choosing the right black hair style for you, it is important to pay special attention to your facial features and bone structure. The right black hair style can take the most beautiful facial features you have and make them absolutely stunning. The wrong black hair style, on the other hand, can completely mask those features and may even highlight features you would rather hide.

When choosing the perfect black hair style for your unique look, stylists should take into account your build. For example, close cropped black hair styles would not suit a person with a large frame, nor would a full-bodied black hair style compliment a person with a small frame. Making sure that your style and frame balance is the key here.

Stylists also should look at your face shape when choosing the best black hair style for you. There are five basic face shapes: oval, heart, round, square and triangular. All of these shapes can be beautiful, but one is ideal: oval. No matter what shaped face you have, achieving the perfect look involves picking the right black hair style that will make your face appear more oval.

Oval face shapes are identified by the perfect symmetry of certain facial features, such as the distance from the hairline to the bridge of the nose (between the eyes), from the bridge of the nose to the lips, and from the lips to the bottom of the chin. If your face is oval shaped, you will have a host of options when it comes to choosing your black hair style. This shape is the only one that is complimented by almost every black hair style imaginable. The oval shape is perfect for corn rows, braids and all other popular black hair styles.

Heart shaped faces are usually broader through the forehead and taper to a point at the chin. You can make this shaped face appear more oval by positioning the weight of the black hair style at chin level, or by wearing bangs in shorter black hair styles. Keep in mind that the goal is to minimize the forehead and to bring prominence to the chin.

Round faces are just that: round. They have wide cheekbones and are usually smaller through the forehead and chin. The goal here is to minimize the cheekbones. Black hair styles with height in the bang and sides cut toward the face usually work best.

Square faces have a bold forehead and an angular jaw line. Black hair styles with soft edges, and a great deal of texture directed toward the face really suit this shape. The length should be kept longer than jaw length to draw attention away from the jaw, but, at the same time, that length should be layered. A straight, sleek black hair style would only serve to accent the angular lines of the face.

Triangular shaped faces are angular at the jaw line, but narrow through the forehead. They can be treated much the same way that square faces are treated, with one exception; more height and fullness is needed throughout the crown and bang areas of the black hair style to make this section of the face appear larger.

Now that you know what types of black hair styles to choose to make you look your best, the only limits are your imagination and your stylist's creativity.

Michael Barrows is a writer, consultant and businessman with many passions, including helping people to achieve a healthy mind, body and soul. To pick up your free copy of his ebook, jam packed with great hair style and hair care tips and advice, visit http://www.great-hairstyles.com
Great-Hairstyles.com
Great hair style advice and hair care tips

By Michael Barrows

Mario Bros. Comes Alive as Graffiti on a Sidewalk (and how it was done).




This video was part of Andreas Heikaus' Bachelor thesis at the University of Applied science and art in Hannover, Germany. In his project, the Super Mario Bros. game, released on the Nintendo Entertainment System, is no longer bound to the television screen and becomes interactive in a new environment. The emphasis of Andreas' thesis was on the process of matching CG elements into live-action footage.



How he did it:


Andreas Heikhaus:


The talented young compositor is looking for a job. Interested? Contact him here.

Christophe Pillet's NEAT Table for Kristalia





Neat Table by designer Christophe Pillet for Kristalia Residential, 2011

This new collection of tables is ideal for any space and use: from the office to home areas. It has an aluminum structure, an integrated cable holder, and a marine plywood top faced with epoxy-lacquered sheet metal.

The thin silhouette and trestle legs give it a lightweight appearance that won't overwhelm the space, accompanying chairs or art.


Leg finish:
Aluminium with white lacquer

Finish of top:
White painted metal sheet

Checking out the NEAT table at Salone del Mobile, Milano 2011:

Designer Christophe Pillet:


Kristalia

Segways Are For Sissies. Check Out The DTV Shredder.




My Segway can beat up your Segway. Especially the Military edition which includes grenade launchers.




BPG Werks, the company started by the talented Ben Gulak, about whose zero-emissions Uno I blogged long ago, has designed a radical all terrain vehicle which combines skateboard decks, a powerful engine and tank-like treads... the DTV Shredder.



The Segway-pummeling vehicle is a combination of a skateboard deck with traditional skateboard trucks, a powerful engine and two tank-threads capable of tearing up any terrain at high speeds; snow, sand, trails, and mountains. Acceleration and braking are controlled by a small handheld remote control and a 4-stroke racing engine powers two tank-style tracks up to a wicked 30 mph.




The consumer-friendly Sport version (which is available for $2500) has a brawnier brother in the works. BPG Werks is currently developing a militarized version of the DTV Shredder with the United States Air Force Academy.



Single soldiers operating the DTV Shredder can cover more ground at an unprecedented efficiency. The DTV Shredder, which can handle any terrain at high speeds, was built as a first response, modular platform to better equip the soldier – especially in crisis situations. It’s low center of gravity and rugged design make it ideal for a wide variety of applications including: reconnaissance, rescue and recovery, mobile surveillance, offensive platform, medical evacuation and rapid response.

Check out the Military version in action:


Buy the Consumer DTV Shredder here

And for those stylish sissies who prefer a segway, there's always the Chanel Segway:

Jewelry The Cat Coughed Up. Feline Furball Necklaces, Earrings and Rings.





Okay, so it hasn't actually been digested by a cat, but the custom jewelry by Moderncat blogger and jewelry designer Heidi Abrahamson, is actually made from the fur of a feline.




The one-of-a-kind pieces where made when Kate Benjamin (shown modeling the jewelry above) gave several cats a good grooming (she recommends the Furminator) and then hand-rolled each ball of cat fur into a tight bead. By rolling the loose fur between her palms, the strands become felted together, forming a solid little bead. Her friend Heidi then added her silversmithing skills by attaching jewelry findings to the furballs and then mounting them on earrings, ring shanks and chains.



Yes, Heidi said she would be happy to create custom hairball jewelry for you, too! Feel free to contact her for pricing and details.

all photos by Kate Benjamin. Info and images courtesy of Modern Cat



If you think this is bizarre, check out the people who make sweaters from their dog's fur here

Fontable Letter & Number Tables Spell Out C-O-O-L.




Designers Alessandro Canepa & Andrea Paulicelli of Italy's Mamadesignlab have created Fontable, a collection of alphanumeric metal tables.



The new concept in modular elements brings a revolution to the world of furnishing accessories, building upon a graphic matrix to turn it into an item for interior design.





FONTABLE are alphanumeric elements reproducing letters from A to Z in lower and upper case and numbers from 0 to 9 which become modular tables. Each element acquires three dimensions and personality and can be played around with, to customize ever changing and dynamic shapes.





Tables are made in steel sheet with lacquered varnishing in white, black and red, with legs in anodized aluminum of adjustable height allowing to overlap table surfaces. Special finishing and further color variations are available on demand.

Produced in a small atelier outside of Milan under the supervision of Alessandro & Andrea the tables are made from steel sheet with lacquered varnishing in white, black and red. Legs are in anodized aluminum and are height adjustable, allowing overlap of table surfaces.

You can purchase the tables from Outdoorz Gallery.

The Nautilus Peepbox Aquarium Melds Steampunk Design With Modern Materials.




Designed by George Maridakis for Spell, the Nautilus peepbox aquarium is constructed of Perspex and aluminum. The illuminated cylindrical fish tank has a Jules Verne-meets-the-new-millenium look and style.






The tabletop aquarium or fishtank measures 400mm tall, 270mm wide and 390mm deep and weighs 15kg and is available for order from Spell.

United Nude Adds The Stealth Bag To Their Line of Architecturally-Inspired Fashions.



Since I first introduced you to United Nude's architecturally inspired shoes back in March of 2009, then more of their shoes and their collaboration with fashion designer Iris van Herpen, the company continues to expand their product line.


above: Iris van Herpen X United Nude Crystallization limited edition shoe for S/S 2011.

They have added more unique shoes for women to their collection, recently introduced a men's collection, a unisex hat, wallets and now, the Stealth Bag.


above: United Nude Launches Men’s Capsule Collection for Spring / Summer 2011

above: the Hollow men's shoe has a peek-a-boo carbon fiber heel with traditional leather upper


above: the Stealth hat for men and women was introduced in AW 2010

The United Nude Stealth Bag, like the wedge shoe in the same family is inspired by the straight lines of the Stealth F-117 fighter plane.







The Stealth leather bag is available in four different colors and costs $295
Purchase it here.