Terminology

By Shannon

THIS IS A STUB ARTICLE. MORE WILL BE ADDED SOON

Ever see us mention something in our hair or makeup guides and wonder what the heck we're talking about? Or maybe you understand what we mean, but you want some more detail or ideas of how to use it? Read on...

UK/US English

Fringe/Bangs - in the UK, it's fringe, and in the US, it's bangs - the little bit of hair you may or not have covering your forehead. Simple.

Plait/Braid - again, in the Uk it's plait/s, in the US it's braid/s. You might otherwise know them as pigtails.

Makeup

Toner this is a skin product that is designed to shrink pores. The reason we don't always encourage you wearing it is because there is an ongoing debate as to whether toner is actually nessecary; you can, in fact, just rely on good old tap water to do the job instead.

"Pat Dry!" the reason we encourage visitors to pat their skin dry after washing is because it's a lot more gentle on your skin. The skin on your face is sensitive, and scrubbing at it will cause redness, itchiness (rashes), etc.... so, stick to patting dry. It's as simple as it's name suggests - just pat at your wet skin with a dry cloth.

Natural Look probably one that you all know already, but I'll explain anyway - you know how guys say they like girls that look natural? Usually they have no idea how much effort a girl puts in to being natural! The natural look is where you apply your makeup in a way that you look clean cut, but like your not actually wearing any. It's all about earthy tones and minimal amounts of product.

Hair

Diffuser this is an attachment for a hairdryer. When your hair is damp or wet, you can clip the diffuser onto your hairdryer whilst you dry. It's purpose is to make your hair curl easily. It works by evenly spreading heat across the surface of your hair; you hold the hairdryer close to your scalp and gather thick sections of hair within the diffuser, working quickly around the head. I find that a diffuser works best when your hair is upside down, so try flipping your hair over by bending or lay down on your back on a bed, and tilt your neck off the side of the bed. It might be easier if you get someone else to dry the hair for you if your lying on a bed, or your arms tend to tire easily. I'd suggest applying a curl enhancing or holding mousse or spray beforehand. It really does help.

Day-old hair basically, this is hair that was washed the day before you style it. The reason we encourage you to do this is because your hair is less static and more like to respond well to styling. This isn't always true, however, if you want to straighten your hair - for this, your hair should be day-old and blowdried straight so that it's easier for you to straighten.

Straighteners sorry to be patronising - I know a lot of you know this. However, a couple of people who only know them as 'straight irons' have asked me about it... so, there you go. There straight irons. :)

Curling Wand this is a relatively new product on the hair care market. Basically, it's a curling iron without a clip. They make absolutely fantastic curls, but if you're going to get one, you may have to splurge a little money for the good quality you want.