New in the shop!

5.13.2014





Edit 5/15: I have enough fabric for one more made-to-order Bachelor's Button Dress. When the fabric is gone, I will not be able to get more! I also have one size small ready made! 

I updated my shop with the items I currently have in stock. If you would like something listed in a different size, please feel free to contact me! gracefullady@gmail.com



or



 www.annaallenclothing.com

Anna Allen Clothing: SS2014 Preview

5.12.2014


This season I don't have a big collection to show you because a lot is going on right now while being away from home. But I did want to make a few things for the SS2014 season! This dress is perfect for spring and summer. It's light weight and the fabric is to die for. I bought this fabric from England over a year ago and have been waiting to use it for the perfect garment ever since. This dress is based off of the sleeveless blouse I am also including in this season's collection. It's a staple that can be paired with a sweater or jacket, which is what I love most about this style. This dress is slightly more fitted, with darts in the front and back. I love how it reminds me of a vintage 1960's shirtdress. I hope to have it available this week and will update here when it is ready.

How to curl your hair in less than 20 minutes

5.05.2014


This post contains affiliate links. Scroll down for coupon codes, updated 5/30/16

I thought I would share with you a quick hairstyle I like to do often because it's SO easy and lasts several days. Recently I purchased the NuMe curling wand (I used a coupon which made it very affordable) because I had been reading a lot about how good it was and I was looking for an easier way to curl my hair that would last longer than a day. I love my vintage hot rollers set, but they take a bit more time and they're not always convenient for travel. 

I decided on the 19mm curling wand and I really like this size. I watched a few reviews of the NuMe curling wands and a lot of people were using the 25mm or 32mm, but I wanted a little more curl so I decided to try a size smaller. However, I would really love to try out the larger curling wands and see if I can get a 1970's wave. If I am able to acquire one of those I'll update with another tutorial! 
If you have never used a curling wand before, make sure you use the heat protecting glove (the NuMe wand came with a glove, but I don't really use it anymore). Also definitely put something on your hair to protect it from the heat. I have been using this heat protection spray by Tresemme.

Step 1:  Curl front hair/bangs away from your face. Continue curling the rest of your hair away from your face, grabbing sections and wrapping it around the curling wand until you have curled all of your hair. This does not have to be perfect! The larger the section of hair you grab, the longer you hold it on the curling wand. Every type of hair is different, but mine is pretty thick so I hold the curl anywhere from 20-30 seconds (about 1" or more sections) or more like 10-15 seconds if I grab a smaller (1/2" section). If you have finer hair, hold it on for less time! As you can see in the last picture here, my hair definitely is not perfectly curled! Let the curls cool completely before you move onto the next step.
Step 2: After you have curled the majority of your hair, tip your head back and using your fingers at the roots, "shake" the curls out. At this point, you can add more curls if you think you need more.
Step 3: Take a section at the top of your head, towards the back and tease it with a comb. I like to add a bit of hairspray at this point. I sometimes tease more than one section, depending on how high I want my hair to be.

Step 4: Then curl the teased section of hair, wrapping the hair down around the curling wand. I sometimes add a few more curls around this area. Separate these curls with your fingers.
Step 5: Once I'm all finished curling, I like to add a bit of hairspray (I use Elnett) to add volume so I grab some hair and pull it up while spraying a mist of hairspray underneath the top layer of hair. This adds lots of volume. And you're done! This style takes me less than 20 minutes to complete, and lasts for days! I've found these curls last up to 2-3 days on my hair. I even like how my hair looks on the second day better. If you feel the need to have more curl the second or third day, just heat up the wand and add a few extra curls, which only takes a few minutes. So fast and easy! 
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and do try it on yourself sometime! Let me know if you have any questions or if you would like other tutorials like this.

xoxo 
Anna

P.S. Here are some coupon codes if you are interested! 


(New discounts! Updated 5/30/16)

ANY wand $28! Use code: PICKONE (expires 5/31)

Buy any wand 50% off, get a FREE Style Setter Straightener and Free Shipping! Use code GETYOURS

Any set $88! Use code ANYSET88 (expires 5/31)

Silhouette Straightener + Argan oil $39. Use code QUICK39


(The codes below may or may not work. Some have expired.)

$110 OFF any set! Use code LOVETHIS

70% off all wands + Free US/Canada Shipping. Use code CURLS70

60% OFF all wands + Free US Shipping. Use code CURLS50

50% off Sitewide (excludes collections, haircare, access) + Free US Shipping! Use code SAVEBIG

Curl Jam + Dryer + WT Shampoo & Conditioner $179. Use code ITSALLGOOD

Megastar + Argan + FREE US Shipping $79. Use code MEGAGOOD

Power Couple Set + Free US Shipping $79. Use code POWERSET

Buy 2 CLASSIC WANDS + Free US Shipping $58. Use code 2FORME

Titan 3 + Free US Shipping $89. Use code 3WAYCURLS

Bold Dryer + Free US Shipping $59. Use code BOLD59

All Sets (including Octowands!) + Free US Shipping $99. Use code 99SETS

White Truffle Collection $49. Use code HAIRCARE






This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small percentage of sales if you make a purchase using these links. However, the item featured in this post was purchased by me and I was not paid to write this review/tutorial. All opinions are my own.