AF Blog — Lifestyle

I started coloring my hair back when I was about 13, and I dyed my hair black for the first time. I did have extremely colored hair when I was 14/15, but I used mainly manic panic and it didn't work out for me. I finally decided to dye my hair again When I was 18 and had graduated high school. It gave myself a sense of identity. I first went pink with Arctic Fox Virgin Pink, then Wrath, then played with the colors all throughout, and a year later and now I only use arctic fox with multiple shades. 

Find any soot sprites recently?!? 

2. Yes! I found plenty of soot sprites; always hiding in the corner of my eyes just peeking out and saying hello.

I hear you have a cat or more than one... do you have a cat? Deets please!

3. I had two cats, my first cat Hendrix now lives in San Fransisco with my eldest sister, and my current cat is one year old, and he's a orange tabby cat named Goku. He loves playing with feathers, jumping on peoples legs and he loves to talk. He's a chatter box. He also loves cuddling early in the morning and will crawl under the sheets with you to sleep. He also loves being taken on walks! Crazy, right? He loves going on cat walks! I don't like having him as an outdoor car because I want to ensure my cats safety so I put him on a harness and walk him from time to time. 

Who are your top fashion inspirations?

4. My top fashion inspirations would definitely have to be anyone that really stands out. Kristen Leanne, Luanna09, EllenVLora, Flamcis; and any tumblr inspiration that I can find. 

What are you doing during the Holidays?

5. I usually spend the holidays with my family and friends; I try to be there for my family most of the time when I'm not working. They're the only family I have! 

What would be the best gift you could ever get?

6. Honestly the best gift I can ever get, I know it's going to sound cheesy but is finding my true happiness. Not only is it a gift but it's an accomplishment to me as well. Being able to find pure happiness in doing things I love and being successful and happy with what I do, is the best thing I can ever receive. Work hard, play hard! 

What do you see yourself doing for the next 3 years? The rest of your life?

7. Within the next three years, I really do see myself going farther into fashion blogging, although my styles might change, I see myself doing more artsy blogs/ modeling along with playing with hair coloring and makeup as well. I do want to be be a positive social influencer for our younger generation. I want to set out a positive vibe for the kids without it having to be so raunchy and weird (Kardashians!) Haha!

WANT MORE MICHELLE?!

Instagram: @thewickedlady

Youtube: Michelle Dao

Site: thewickedlady.co

We chatted with the illustrious Heather Whitsett @howtobefancy and learned all about how she got her magnificent vintage vibe. Read on!

You have a wonderful, distinct vintage/retro fashion sense that you seem to love sharing with the world through your vlogs, blog, and Instagram account. But who did you get this on point fashion sense from?

        I've always been a collector of vintage fashion. I dug through thrift stores and my grandma's closet as a little girl, spending hours planning outfits for pretend parties. My influences come from all over the place - classic film, books, music icons all inspire me. I get crazy excited when I find a way to take all this inspiration and re-imagine it in a way that fits my style.

Your hubby is awesome! How do you and Brent work together to create such great content?

He IS awesome! He's also freakishly talented in his own work and always encourages my big weird random ideas. While I run most of How to be Fancy solo, he's always been my sounding board and is totally willing to step in when I need an extra hand or seven. He should basically win all the YouTube husband awards!

How would you describe your style in a sentence?

Well, a dummies.com quiz just said my style was "generic", but what do they know?? Today I'd say 1940's unicorn-chic but that changes as much as my hair color!

How many times have you changed your hair color?! When did you start coloring your hair?

I have no idea! I've been coloring my hair since I was 13, but about 6 years ago I decided to go pink on a bit of a dramatic whim. The first time I went out in public was interesting (the midwest is a fun place to try new things!!) but I've never felt more like myself.

Your Instagram account is consistently bright, colorful and super aesthetic! What advice would you give to others in beautifying their own accounts?

PLANNING! I'm a bit obsessive when it comes to my Instagram feed - I lay out a week or so of photos in separate app before I post anything to social media. It's still a work in progress but I'd say take notice of what you personally like - bright colors, dark neutrals, outdoors, shoes, whatever your thing is - and work that into your feed. As much as people want to see pretty photos they also want to know what matters to YOU. So take the opportunity to show it off! Oh! And don't facetune yourself into a little smudge! I LIKE seeing your face - imperfections and all.

How does one be "on-the-cheap" and still have as much style and class as you? What's your secret?!

 For me, it's been about learning what things make me happy. I try to never buy something based on what's trendy - I always have major regret when I do. Because I like to wear a lot of vintage, I'm not worried about things going out of style so I can take my time and find pieces that I love. I shop everywhere but my favorite style moments are often made in the aisles of my favorite thrift stores.

Do you have any pets and what's their names and what's cute about them?

Heck yes! We have three cats and are huge animal lovers. Our oldest is Spoon, she runs the place and judges us all from her favorite shoe box. Mr. Jones is my bestie. He's practically my shadow and always up for a good head boop. This summer, we adopted Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy from a Cat Video Festival (yeah, we're THOSE people). He likes to play fetch, wear bowties and spends most of the day sitting near or around my lap. He's also the only one of the cats who's interested in internet fame - he's working on his Instagram strategy as we speak.

What's your favorite find of 2016?

I just purchased on a hand painted 1950's cheongsam wiggle dress that is divine!!

What's next for How To Be Fancy?

I'm full-on into a few projects right now, but I'm most excited about working on some how-to videos for girls (and guys) who want to make a style change without killing their bank account or their self-esteem in the process.

You can find Heather at howtobefancy.com, @howtobefancy on Instagram, and be sure to watch her on Youtube for beauty and fashion reviews, looks, hauls and more!

Jordan Alexander @jordanstylist, Director of Special Projects for Olaplex, gives us the low down on what he does, what his future holds and how much of a 🤓 he really is. Read on!

What does a typical day look like for you?

As Director of Special Projects for Olaplex, I’m primarily involved in both domestic and international education. These days, I’m on the road a majority of the time.

At home, I handle the business end of Olaplex helping with furthering education, social media and outreach. I still do hair on a regular basis in-between travel as I am extremely passionate about what I do. I prefer to primarily work with direct dyes and pursue clients / models that give me creative freedom.

How did you get into the beauty industry?

My entire family consisted of hairdressers. I was originally political science / pre-law at University of Georgia. I realized I did not want to spend my entire life behind a desk and felt hair was the perfect opportunity to be both creative and set my own schedule. At the end of the day, it’s about making people feel good and bringing a smile to their face.

What do you derive inspiration from?

I draw inspiration from everything around me especially when traveling outside the U.S. Being given the opportunity to experience different cultures from India, Australia, U.K., Sweden and many other places, it changes your perspective. Hairdressing as an art form differs depending on where you are at and it’s nice to bring some of that back to my normal day to day life. My mentor, Tracey Cunningham, is also a huge inspiration. Working with her, I learned that you never give up and never say no. Always give 100% and work hard.

One random fact most people don't know about you:

I was really into Magic: The Gathering and Everquest as a kid. #nerdlife

What could we find you doing when you aren't working?

Hanging out with my girlfriend and cats. We have 4 Sphinx right now. Rick Ross, Mac Dre, Gucci Mane and Biggie Smalls. Beyond that, rock climbing! It’s a great way to relieve stress and it always feels great when you climb a route you couldn’t do the week before.

What's next for you?

Continuing to travel and working with Olaplex. We have some innovations coming out in the next few months including the re-invention of the texture industry. I will continue to work to change our industry and bring happiness to others in all aspects of life!