#Blow-dry Tutorials

[herespaaa]

Transform Your Hair From Drab to Fab : HereSpa At-Home Blowouts and Heat Styling.

Ever wished to turn your everyday hair into a stunning masterpiece that exudes glamour and sophistication? Look no further! HereSpa At-Home Blowouts and Heat Styling services are here to elevate your hair game, giving you the fabulous locks you've always dreamed of within your reach. From voluminous blowouts to sleek silk presses and trendy beach waves, our skilled professionals cater to your hair's unique needs, bringing a touch of luxury to the comfort of your own home. 

In this blog post, we'll explore the at-home blowout and styling services offered by HereSpa, as we guide you on a journey from drab to fab, where your hair transforms into a masterpiece of beauty and elegance.

Here are Blowout Options that HereSpa offers:

Standard Blowout: Our classic blowout technique leaves your hair looking sleek, smooth, and full of volume. Say goodbye to frizz and hello to effortlessly chic hair with our standard blowout option.

Blowout for Extra Long or Thick Hair: If you have long locks or thick hair, fear not, as our skilled professionals are well-equipped to handle it. Our blowout for extra long or thick hair ensures your tresses receive the care and attention they need, resulting in a flawless and lasting blowout.

Blowout with Extensions: For those looking to add length or volume to their hair, our blowout with extensions option is the perfect choice. Our experts seamlessly blend and style your natural hair with extensions, creating a look that appears natural and effortlessly glamorous.

Silk Press Blowout: Achieve silky smooth, straight hair with our silk press blowout. Using specialized tools and techniques, we ensure your hair is left looking sleek, shiny, and utterly luxurious.

Classic Round Brush Blowout: The timeless classic round brush blowout adds volume and bounce to your hair, creating a look that is both sophisticated and stylish.

Here are the Styling options that HereSpa offers:

Beach Waves: Embrace the carefree, beachy vibe with our beach waves styling option. Effortlessly tousled and textured, beach waves add a touch of effortless glamour to your everyday look.

Loose Curls: For a softer, more romantic look, opt for our loose curls styling option. These cascading curls add a touch of elegance to any occasion.

Straight and Smooth: If sleek and polished is your go-to style, our straight and smooth option will not disappoint. Achieve a glossy, straight finish that exudes sophistication.

Simple Updo: For special occasions or days when you want your hair off your shoulders, our simple updo styling option offers a chic and elegant solution. Whether it's a classic bun or a trendy top knot, our experts ensure your updo is picture-perfect.

At HereSpa, we believe that fabulous hair should be accessible and achievable for everyone. With our At-Home Blowouts and Heat Styling services, we transform your hair from drab to fab, leaving you feeling confident, glamorous, and beautiful. Whether you're looking for a classic blowout or a trendy beach waves look. 

Let HereSpa be your go-to destination for all your hair transformation needs, bringing the salon experience right to your doorstep, and turning every day into a celebration of style and elegance. Book an at-home appointment today through our website at www.herespa.com or call and text us at +1-234-437-3772

[euphoricfilter]

☆

[emiliaoleary]

Hooking rugs that look like dogs

Here's how I do it:

The process I use is called rug hooking (not latch hook or punch needle or tufting, though it is the forerunner of the latter two techniques). Rugs are hooked by pulling loops of fabric strips or yarn through the holes of a base fabric with a coarse open weave, like burlap, or linen, or rug warp. The loops are pulled through the fabric with a squat-handled hook whose business end is shaped like a crochet hook.  There are no knots and the loops aren't sewed down in any way.  The whole thing stays put just by the tension of all those loops packed together in the weave of the foundation fabric.

This isn't a true detailed tutorial but a walk-through of my particular process. The same information is on my web page, emilyoleary.com .

I hook with yarn, rather than with cut strips of wool fabric, which is what many rug hookers use.  I can get a looser, more organic distribution of loops with yarn than I could with wool strips, which are hooked in neat lines. 

Mostly I use wool yarn. In terms of yarn weight, I can use DK, worsted, or Aran.  If I'm using thicker yarn, I leave more holes un-hooked; if I'm using finer yarn, I hook more densely or double up lengths of it.  I particularly like using single ply yarns (like Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride or Malabrigo Worsted).  I don't keep count, but I think I usually use around two dozen types and colors of yarn per dog.  

This is my yarn wall in my apartment. Mostly brown and gray yarn!

I start from a small drawing in my sketchbook, then I head to FedEx office to use a copy machine, blowing up the drawing repeatedly and experimenting with how big the dog rug should be. 

After transferring the image onto my linen, I immediately go over it with Sharpie, because the Saral is really difficult to see and really easy to rub off.

The rug is held taut by a PVC quilting frame that I set on my lap.

I push my hook down through the fabric with my right hand and my left hand stays below the fabric and guides the yarn while I pull it up and through with the hook. Not every hole in the fabric is hooked. Hooking every hole would make the rug too dense. I do hook pretty densely, though-- If you pick up one of my rugs you’ll see they have a slight curl to them, which is because they’re hooked pretty tight. I'm using all different weights and types of yarn, so it's a challenge to keep the overall tension even.

I hook my loops at varying heights to create a very low relief. Sometimes I trim the loops to make them fluffier or wispier or to shape a particular part. I look at a reference photo while I work and pull out and redo sections a lot.

My q-snap frame can accommodate the growing dog rug. I have extenders to make it bigger and I can clamp around my hooking.

The back of a rug looks like lines of little stitches. The lines are little worm trails snaking around because lines of hooking are not supposed to cross over each other. It's important to start a new length of yarn rather than cross over a stitch you already made! I read this when I first started and took it to heart. It makes it much easier to undo and redo hooking if you have to (and I redo sections A Lot). It also keeps the back from getting too bulky and resulting in uneven wear on the back of a functional rug that gets floor use.

When I’m done hooking everything I turn the rug over and brush watered-down Sobo glue on the edges of the dog, making sure to get one or two of the outermost lines of hooking. I do a couple coats of this thinned out glue. I'm careful not to use so much that it seeps to the front of the rug. When the glue is dry I cut the rug out, but I don't cut so close that the loops don't have any linen to keep them in.

​ It generally takes me at least several months to finish one dog rug. My hooking frame and yarn bag are very portable (though bulky) so I can hook out and about at coffee shops or the library or a brewery if there's enough space and light.

Hooking in the wild makes me an ambassador for making things in general and rug hooking in particular. I answer people's questions and always emphasize how relatively easy it is to get started hooking. Sometimes I get anxious that other people will hook rugs that look like mine but better, but I think that working in a traditional medium means you should share your knowledge for the good of the craft.

[blackynsupremacy]

CLARK KENT HELPING

YOU TAKE OUT YOUR

BRAIDS HEADCANONS

pairing: henry cavill!clark x blackfem!reader

fandom: DC

this was brewing in my head while actually taking out my braids today. plus, i wanted to give my baby henry a shot at this.

summary: it’s that time again! time to take down those 1-2 month old braids to prepare for your next fresh set. the only problem is, it’s raining, you’re tired, and you know it’s gonna take forever. yeah even getting your hair taken down, washed, detangled, and dried can be a hassle. fortunately, your fiancé, clark kent, is always happy to help with the process.

contains: lots of words, some things are based on true events, self insert, fluff, romance, established relationship, you and clark are simps, you and clark being fine, nudity but no smut, clark being a green flag, cuddling, kissing.

taglist: @rosiestalez @afrowrites @afrogirl3005 @simply-the-best23 @jkr820 @zombiehe4rt @elitesanjisimp @sabrinasopposite @gxuxhdjdu @tryingtograspctrl @ellethespaceunicorn

(i know i didn’t ask if ya’ll wanted to be tagged, but y’all are mutuals that consistently interact with my posts, so this is how i’m showing my appreciation! thank you! let me know if any of yall want to be tagged in my next blurb. again thank yall and i love my mutes)

• work was work today.

• it’s raining like hell.

• but good news, you’re getting your hair done this weekend! ain’t nothing like a fresh set of braids.

• the bad news, you gotta take out the old braids, wash/condition/detangle, and blow dry your hair all before your appointment. (yk how these new hair stylists be)

• girl, you’re dead tired, but you know you need to start asap!

• good news again though! your man clark kent is already home and you know he’s always down to help with your hair.

• ya’ll have been dating for 4 years before he popped the question a month ago on your anniversary.

• one thing about clark kent, he’s gonna hype up your hair no matter what style.

• he believes you’re stunning whether you have braids, twists, a lace front, locs, a slick back ponytail, a silk press or, your natural. he loves it!!

• he loves to watch you style it on your own or if you’re following along to a youtube tutorial.

• you’ve taught him a thing or two like taking down braids, detangling, applying edge control, and even helping you to wash and condition it!

• he catches on pretty fast and follows your instructions to a tee.

• his love language is acts of service and when it comes to your hair, he wants to make sure he does it properly.

• he told you he wants to continue learning because he can see himself helping out with your future daughter’s hair, so why not start with his future wife?

• this man is going to be the death of you.

• you see clark sitting on the couch with his laptop. as soon as he hears the door shut followed by your sigh of exhaustion, he’s already putting that to the side and zooming in your direction to take your bag, umbrella, and jacket off your hands.

• this man is teeth rotting sweet. how’d you get so blessed?

• he greets you with a warm embrace and plants a kiss atop of your head. he peeps that new growth, but he won’t mention it until you do.

• you both take a seat on the couch and have a brief conversation about each other’s day. you sigh again and run a hand through your hair one last time.

• “it’s about that time, clark. i’m getting my hair done soon and i need to start taking my braids down, but i’m so tired!”

• you whine and lean your head on his broad shoulder before you peer your “please help me” doe eyes into his blue ones that were hiding behind his glasses. he doesn’t hesitate to keep that eye contact either. it’s so intense yet intimate. you almost look away because even after 4 years, clark can still get you a bit flustered from time to time.

• “baby, would you like to help me out again? i promise you’re not gonna have to do all the work. i just need some assistance to get this done faster.”

• you playfully pout and bat your lashes. you already know the answer, but this brought you joy. you knew he was waiting for an opportunity to help with your hair again.

• he shows off those pearly whites before he enthusiastically responds, “i’d never thought you’d ask. you go change into something more comfortable, i’ll handle the rest, and we can get started.”

• he lays a chaste kiss to your lips and pats your behind to signal for you to handle your business and you don’t hesitate to do so.

• by “handling the rest”, clark gathers the necessities: 2 pairs of scissors, a detangling comb, 4 hair ties for sectioning, a plastic bag from that one drawer in the kitchen, your satin bonnet, and an order of chinese takeout placed on doordash.

• clark was waiting on the couch and he gleamed when he saw you come back clad in a white tank, no bra, grey cotton shorts, and one of his oversized, plaid flannels.

• as soon as you found yourself comfortable on the couch, clark handed you a pair of scissors and ya’ll got to work at cutting the braids shorter before you both section off your hair into 4 parts and start unbraiding from the front.

• you started on the right side, while clark took over for the left.

• you obviously know of clark’s abilities, his extraterrestrial heritage, and his intense duties as superman. he makes sure his powers can be of help in the most important areas of his life, one of them being your relationship.

• he’s had some practice with unbraiding and his fingers moves like clockwork. he moves at a delicate, quick pace and uses his keen eye to make sure your hair doesn’t get tangled or pulled, so there’s no unnecessary breakage. braid by braid, each one is removed out of your head and into the empty, plastic grocery bag that’s placed between you two.

• he’s seen you sometimes get it tangled and you would be quick to just cut it off, but with his aid, you’ve been doing that less frequently.

• after about 30 minutes, clark can already hear the doorbell ring and footsteps walking away. the food’s here.

• he opted for contactless delivery this time because he knew he just had one more braid….and done!

• he urges you to give your hands a break from unbraiding your side and to wash them because your dinner has arrived. he chuckled as you perked up hearing that because you were hon-grey!!

• he also takes it upon himself to gently place your satin, royal blue bonnet on your head.

• it’s his absolute favorite because it’s patterned with his iconic red and gold family crest!

• you have a friend who owns a small business of designing bonnets, durags, and head scarves with the cutest patterns imaginable for black nerds like you.

• they got some with superheroes, anime characters, hogwart house symbols, disney, you name it!!

• 2 years ago, you asked them to commission a bonnet to match his heroic attire.

• this was to show him that you’re proud of his kryptonian roots and that you 100% support him being one of the world’s most selfless heroes along with the other members of the justice league.

• you sometimes worry for his life, but he always tries his best to make it back to you in one piece.

• but girl, that bonnet had him geeking when you showed it to him!! his face heated with a bright hue of pink before he plants a billion kisses all over your face. his voice never ceasing his appreciation and eternal love for you.

• you both chill for a few minutes to eat and watch some tv.

• you stretch your hands, placed your bonnet on the coffee table and resumed to unbraiding the last strand on the front before sectioning it off with a hair tie and starting on the back of the right side. it seems that time moves slower (or faster) as your fingers meticulously unravel each braided strand.

• clark is half way done with his entire side. his brows raise at the sound of your soft groan of what seemed to be pain and exhaustion.

• “babe, my fingers are starting to cramp and so are my arms.” you gripe and pause your movements to massage out the stiffness in your fingers.

• clark also pauses what he’s doing. he delicately grasps your hands into his, sprinkling tiny pecks on each aching knuckle. his pink lips lingers on the rock that adorns the fourth knuckle of your left hand before those baby blues gaze into your own eyes.

• you could clearly see your worn reflection in his pupils, but you lovingly smile as you know what he’s about to say.

• “c’mere, beautiful. let me take care of the rest while you sit and relax. it’s just a few more and it’s nothing i can’t handle, so it’ll be my pleasure.”

• that’s true. clark’s an invincible kryptonian. unless your hair was laced with some green k, a cramp within the joints of his digits wouldn’t be possible. if you ask, he would one day take out your braids all by himself without you having to lift a finger and he’d be in pure bliss of taking that burden off your plate.

• he spreads his thighs apart. the large palms of his hands encircle around your waist to shift your body in between his legs before his fingers get back to tenderly remove the last remaining braids.

• as he does so, you simply enjoy each other’s presence. ya’ll would be cracking jokes, planning suggestions for the wedding, your jobs, and a myriad of other topics to kill time.

• about 30 more minutes pass by and your braids are finally out! he leans back feeling accomplished and marvels at how much your hair has grown over the month.

• “may i?” he politely asks. his expectant eyes glancing into yours for approval.

• “of course, kal.” you grin. it’s like seeing a child light up in a candy store, he’s so elated.

• you feel more at ease and lean into his touch as his fingers lovingly caress through your natural hair and scalp.

• you know that he just wants to feel your hair in it’s natural state. it’s not out of a fetish, but out of pure fascination, so you let him!

• you love that even though you’ve been together for 4 years and he’s helped you with your hair on multiple occasions, the curious kryptonian wonders why he always has to ask you before touching your hair.

• as a journalist, he’s gonna conduct his own research.

• he educates himself and he understands the history of that one boundary in your community, so he always asks you before touching your hair or he waits for you to offer.

• he’s not even human and he understands the basic human decency of not to reach out and touch someone’s hair out of nowhere.

• you sigh in relief and thank clark with a kiss before you go to dispose the plastic bag of worn out braids to the kitchen and into the large garbage can. you turn around and lean up against the sink.

• now it’s time to wash, condition, detangle, and dry.

• clark already knows the next step. he stands from his position on the couch and stretches his back muscles. he moderately saunters to the arched threshold that separates the kitchen and living room. his tall stature works in his favor as he casually raises his arms with his hands gripping the arch that’s a few inches above his head.

• you know exactly what pose i’m trying to poorly describe to the best of my ability. it happens to be one of those non-sexual turn ons that men do without them realizing.

• you go into a bit of a hypnotic state as you stare at his bulging biceps. you also take notice of how his white t-shirt raises up to expose a small section of his sculpted abdomen. the raven tresses on his skin that perfectly matches the messy curls on his head form a trail straight down to his—

• the trance is broken by the baritone voice of your fiancé.

• “my eyes are up here, angel. were you even listening to me?” he flirtatiously quips and tilts his head with a playful smirk curving on his lips, lowering his arms to cross them over his chest.

• like some suave lady killer, he approaches you and places his index under your chin to shift your gaze to his.

• girl, not you getting caught in 4K! you know that man is fine, but you got to finish off your hair. there’s no time to waste when it comes to that, so you must stay focused.

• you can’t help, but feel the heat of embarrassment rush on your melanated cheeks and giggle nervously before you confess.

• “i’m sorry, clark! after all of these years, you still get me sprung. now, what were you saying, boo? ”

• “it’s no worries, (n/n). don’t doubt that you’ve got the same effect on me too.” he blushes himself, beaming at the compliment and pecks your forehead, nose, and lips before he resumes his question.

• “would you like to wash in the sink or shower?”

• he bursts into a joyous laugh as you don’t hesitate to choose the shower.

• of course he was hoping you’d say that, but you shut down the idea because you just want to kill two birds with one stone, wrap this up, and cuddle in bed.

• he understands where you’re coming from and it’s no pressure at all. you both love when you two get down in the bedroom, but you share a common belief that spending quality time is the key to true intimacy.

• he takes your hand and leads you both to your shared bathroom.

• he puts his glasses on the sink, switches on the shower and checks for the perfect temperature that’s not too hot for your scalp, but not too cool for your body.

• you go to obtain large drying towels, african net wash cloths, and disposable shower caps. you then seek out the shampoo, conditioner, and detangling cream to nourish and clean your hair.

• you return to the bathroom with the items and clark gets your second opinion on the water temperature. you get a feel and let him know that it’s just right before you both strip of your clothes until you’re both completely naked. you make sure your engagement ring is placed in the velvet box it came in and set it on your drawer before you both step under the running water.

• clark reaches up to detach the shower head. before making a move, he asks if you need any further assistance in this step and you gladly accept, closing your eyes as he handles the shower head to pre-rinse both of your heads for a well deserved cleaning.

• as he puts the shower head back where it belongs, you let him know that you want to do the shampooing for both you and him.

• yep, clark uses your products on his hair!

• one time after your fifth date, he hugged you and his sensitive nose stealthily picked up on the natural, sweet, and intoxicating scent of the hair lotion that seeped into your scalp. he thought at first it was your perfume, which he loves too, but he was mistaken!

• “my god, you smell amazing.”

• clark takes you out to dinner and feeds your ego! okay, kal-el!

• he couldn’t get enough of it!

• this aroma— it was like something fresh and made from natural ingredients without any harsh chemicals.

• it reminds him of the homegrown warmth and love that his parents, jonathan and martha raised him up in back in smallville.

• if it wasn’t so soon (or the fact that he hasn’t told you his secret then), he would literally fly you out there in 10 minutes.

• when you moved in together, he would sometimes sneak a bit of your shampoo and conditioner in his hair routine once or twice a week until you finally caught up to him!

• you scolded clark a bit for using your products without permission because you would’ve let him use a little if he’d ask and plus, that stuff was expensive!

• he looked genuinely remorseful and apologized. “i’m sorry, (f/n). it was wrong of me to sneak like that, but i just wanted to use it because it’s like i’m taking a part of you with me everywhere i go. that way even though we’re apart, i don’t feel so alone in this universe anymore.”

• that almost had you crying and throwing up. he’s as big a simp for you as you are for him, so you couldn’t stay mad at him!

• you had an agreement to share or double up as long as you both are putting in for it.

• it was definitely no problem for clark because besides it’s sentimental value, it does wonders for his hair! it looks healthier, shinier and it feels softer compared to those 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner concoctions that he’s been using since high school.

• he loves your weekly beauty supply store excursions. he doesn’t care if the 6 items in your cart is $35, he’s paying for it all!

• clark’s aqua pupils observes from behind as you pour a generous amount of shampoo into your palm, rubbing the other against it, and massaging the bubbly, white substance through your scalp. your fingers work to make sure every single hair on your head is lathered in the coconut scented liquid and he notices that you’re careful not to tangle it.

• his own trance is broken by a “your turn! now lean down a bit, my love.” you’re now waiting for him to follow through, leaning his head down and forward to make his now drenched, dark hair right in your view and in your reach.

• he exhales at the contact of the cold shampoo descending on his scalp. as your fingers massage through his hair, his eyes close and a smile of ecstasy plays on his lips.

• your touch, the scent of the product, and the fact that if he opened his eyes again at this very moment, your breasts would be right in his face is clark’s idea of his personal heaven.

• you both take turns to rinse your own hair and each others to double check that all of the suds of the shampoo are gone.

• you repeat the process again, but this time it’s with conditioner. once that’s applied, you both put on the shower caps to let it rest and do its thing.

• you both use that time to talk some more and thoroughly clean your bodies of the filth of the work day using the african net wash clothes and aromatherapy body wash.

• after one last rinse of ya’lls hair, you cut the water off and grab the towels set out to wrap around your soaked bodies and dripping hair before walking to your shared bedroom.

• fortunately, you and clark have your own respective hair dryers, so that step doesn’t take too long before you take on the final boss: detangling.

• still clad in your towels, you and clark apply the detangling cream through your scalps. as he uses his comb to effortlessly rake through his noir mop, you just kind of stand and stare at the detangling brush in your hand.

• if you’re tender headed, you’ve probably lived the nightmare over and over with your heavy handed mother tugging the comb through the knotted ends, jolting your head and neck forward as you whined in pain. of course she got mad at you for that and said that it didn’t even hurt.

• you’re grown now! with your own bills, home, car, job, and man. there’s way more stressful things in the world than getting some knots out.

• you start the teeth of the comb from the root of your hair and hear the wet stickiness of the detangling cream as it glides to the end.

• okay, we’re getting somewhere! no pain or the pulling of knots for the next few strands near the front. now let’s start on the back. comb one, comb two, comb three—

• “ow, ugh!” you yelp. cringing as you hit a knot at the end.

“ woah! sweetheart, are you alright?”

• clark immediately halts his actions and puts his comb down. he takes one step behind you to examine the situation.

“please, lord, don’t tell me it’s tangled that bad.”

• you attempt to comb without breaking your hair out and the more you try, the more painful it gets. your arms and hands started to stiffen again.

• you lowkey wanted to cry because you just want this to be done and sleep peacefully in clark’s arms for the rest of the night.

• you immediately ask clark for help and he once again, comes to the rescue. he was gentle and comforting, but straightforward when it came to getting those knots.

• he talks you through it to make this a little easier.

• “i’m so sorry, honey. this is gonna hurt a bit, but we’re gonna knock these out and go straight to bed in no time, okay? i love you.” he kisses your temple before he proceeds with the task.

• several minutes of detangling are over! clark gets a second shower of kisses all over his face as you thank him again.

• you discard your towels and replace them with your nightclothes. clark’s shirtless with his sweats and you’re comfortable in another one of clark’s shirts with a fresh pair of cotton shorts.

• you put your hair in an afro puff ponytail and as always, you let your fiancé do the honors of placing your superman patterned bonnet on over your hair like a king crowning his queen.

• he looks at you with such pride and joy. seeing you happy feels so good it hurts. it makes him feel as weak as when he’s around green k. maybe even more.

• clark wouldn’t feel too comfortable to wrap his hair up just yet, so you suggested he uses a satin pillowcase instead.

• speaking of pillows, you look at the clock and realize it’s gotten late. you and clark shut off the lights and retire your exhausted bodies into your bed.

• you lay in a fetal position and turn to face him. kryptonians don’t usually need that much sleep as humans do, so you weren’t surprised that he was still awake.

• you both gaze and admire each other in comfortable silence. your hand reaching to his jaw. your brown toned fingertips caress the pale yet angelic face of the man you love. he closes his eyelids and leans into your warm touch.

• like a magnet, you drew closer to his face until your, full yearning lips rested on his. it doesn’t take him a second to melt into it, his hands clinging to your waist to rest your figure on top of his. your palms find themselves to rest on each side of his jawline.

• between each kiss, the moonlight illuminates the wide smiles you exchange to each other.

• after you two get your fill of each other’s affection, you lay your head on clark’s chest with his arms still acting as a shield around your back. he pecks your temple and is pulled in by the music of your steady heartbeat. he looks down to see your eyes pointed toward his and your hands folded flat on his chest.

• “thank you, clark. thank you so much for your help, your patience, your kindness, your love, and your compassion. not to mention that you are so fine, you still get me giggling like a schoolgirl at my big age! whether you’re superman, clark kent, or kal-el, i just thank you for being you. i love you, clark kent and that’ll never change.” your lips curve with a beaming smile.

• “(f/n), you need to know that everything i do, i do it for you and i’d do it again. you’re the most beautiful person and i’m not just talking about your stunning beauty. your heart is golden. despite everything that we’ve been through, it’s always been you. you understand me, you give me grace and hold me accountable, you still believe in me when i don’t even believe in myself. that’s how i knew i had to ask you to marry me, so i love you more, (f/n) kent and that’ll never change.”

• “look at us! we’ve only been engaged for a month and it sounds like we’re exchanging vows already.”

• “that sounds like a great start to me.”

• you both laugh and he gives you one last lingering kiss on your lips. your heads drop and your eyelids close before you take your peaceful slumber in each other’s presence.

[corroded-hellfire]

Hail to the Princess - Eddie Munson x Reader

An As You Wish story

Summary: Halloween is here and all of the Munson children are excited. Putting a little makeup on your husband gets you excited as well.

Note: Happy Halloween!

Warnings: pregnant!reader

Words: 3.8k

[As You Wish masterlist]

Autumn was always the best season in Indiana. There’s a chill in the air, but there’s no bitter cold. The leaves turn beautiful colors and float down gently to meet the earth. All the spiced scents and soft clothes make it such a cozy time. Not to mention…Halloween.

The spooky holiday was always a favorite in the Munson household. You can still remember the very first Halloween after you met Eddie and the boys. You dressed up as a fairy, Ryan as Scooby Doo, Luke as a pirate, and Eddie decided to be boring and not don a costume. He also wasn’t planning on wearing one tonight when he takes Luke and Eliza out. 

Usually, both of you liked to go out with the kids—it was always fun to see them so excited and to check out the costumes of other trick-or-treaters darting from house to house. But this year, the end of your first trimester has you exhausted. This pregnancy seems to be making you even more tired than the first one did. Some days you barely have the energy to keep up with your rambunctious four-year-old when she gets home from school. 

This year, Ryan is going to a Halloween party at one of his friend’s houses. Eddie was a little nervous when he first heard the news, but you calmed him down by reminding him that Ryan is a good kid. It’s not that Eddie doesn’t trust Ryan, though–it’s that he doesn’t trust the other kids. But he has to let his son be a teenager.

Luke’s best friend has the flu, so instead of Sean joining your kids to go around your neighborhood, it’s just going to be the brother and sister duo. Plus Eddie, of course. 

Since you don’t get to go out and see Eliza and Luke in action (or Ryan, for that matter) this time around, you all decided that you will help them with any hair or makeup that needs to be done as part of their costumes. 

The moment she steps foot in the house after school, Eliza wants to start getting ready. After a quick shared snack of cut up grapes and pretzels, the transformation begins.

The first step for Eliza is to take a bath and wash her hair. Your headstrong daughter told you that she wanted straight hair because she doesn’t want her crown to snag in her curls. You can’t blame her honestly—you remember the tiara debacle from her second birthday. 

But to achieve your little girl’s request, you have to use a blow dryer to give her a proper blow out. You had no clue how to do this, so thank God for YouTube. You must’ve watched every tutorial you could find—which was not a lot, honestly—on blow drying a child’s spiral curls. 

Surprisingly, Eliza is calm and patient while you do your best to remember advice from the videos. The four-year-old sits in a chair parked in front of your vanity as you buzz around behind her. The plethora of clips you have prepared to section off the hair lay in front of Eliza, practically begging for her to pick them up and play with them. And being four, that’s exactly what she does.

“Okay, here we go,” you say once you have every section of hair parted like you want. “Ready?”

Eliza gives you a thumbs up in the mirror, a neon green hair clip on the tip of her finger. 

Drying the first few chunks of hair makes you feel a bit uncoordinated and wish you had a few more hands to help out, but once you get into the groove, you find the blowing out pretty easy. It also makes Eliza’s hair soft and silky, the strands running through your fingers like a cool breeze. 

“It feels so pretty!” Eliza exclaims once you’ve finished her entire head. She laughs as she runs her fingers through her straightened hair. Neither of you have seen it this way before. Of course she looks absolutely beautiful, but you do miss her curls. 

Eliza hops down from the chair and looks up at you, batting her unfairly long eyelashes. 

“Now makeup?” she asks, voice syrupy sweet.

You let out a bark of laughter as you put your hair dryer away.

“Do you want your father to divorce me?” you joke. 

“It’s Halloween!” Eliza argues.

“I know, I know,” you say. You’re too tired to argue with her and if Eddie wants to argue later, he can say whatever he wants to your sleeping body. 

“Just a little?” Eliza holds her thumb and forefinger half an inch away from one another. 

“Just a little,” you acquiesce. 

You pat the seat in front of your vanity and Eliza climbs back up. She continues to admire her straight locks as you dig out your makeup bag. 

“Okay,” you say as you rifle through it. A pale blush catches your eye and you scoop that out along with a coral lipstick. You’re not going to put any eye makeup on her though—you need to save your eyeliner for Luke, anyway. You hold up the two items you plucked out and show them to Eliza. “Good?”

She stretches her neck to give them the best inspection she possibly can. What she’s trying to determine, you have no idea. Eventually though, she must find it.

“Good,” she affirms with a nod of her head. 

Dusting the blush on the tops of her round cheeks makes you smile. You’re having fun with this. Sure, you and girlfriends would have fun getting all dolled up when you were younger, but that doesn’t hold a candle to being able to do that with your daughter now. 

“My goodness,” you say, mostly to yourself, as you finish applying the blush. “Next thing I know you’ll be going to prom.”

Eliza giggles at this.

“Mooooom! That’s Ryan!”

You smile and nod your head in concession. Ryan will be going to his junior prom this year. 

“Alright,” you say to Eliza. “Put your lips like this.” You open your mouth, showing your daughter how to position herself best for you to apply lipstick. “This will probably come off when we have dinner, but we can reapply.”

Once you’re finished and capping the small golden tube of lipstick, Eliza examines herself in the mirror. Not just her straightened hair now, but her doe brown eyes study her face as well. An adorable, dimpled grin grows on her face, and it makes your heart swell. 

“Do you know how beautiful you are, Eliza Marie Munson?” 

You pick her up from the chair and hold her on your hip. She’s getting too old for this—plus, you probably shouldn’t be doing this since you’re pregnant—but you want to hold your baby girl. 

“I don’t mean just right now. Always so beautiful,” you say. “Your smile, your eyes, your hair. Your adorable little nose that I just wanna bite.” You teasingly scrape your front teeth over the tip of her nose. She giggles and pulls her face away. 

“I’m pretty like Mama,” Eliza says. 

Even if you didn’t have pregnancy hormones coursing through your body, her words would have caused the same effect. Warm tears flood your eyes, and it takes maximum effort to keep them from spilling. 

“Maybe I’m pretty like Eliza,” you say once you’re able to speak.

The little girl shakes her head, straight hair swaying like a sleek silk sheet in the wind.

“You were first!” she says.  

“You’re such a smarty.”

“I know!”

Eliza is practically vibrating in excitement when you pull her Halloween costume out of the closet. She gasps with joy when her eyes land on the pink Sleeping Beauty dress. You slip the polyester over her head and she’s quick to pull her soft, straight hair out of the way. As soon as you have the back zipped up, the little girl starts galloping around her room.

“I’m a princess, I’m a princess!”

“We’ll save the crown for later, okay, Your Majesty?” you say as you close her closet.

“Kay!”

Eliza’s galloping turns to skipping as she goes through her bedroom door and down the hallway. There’s a smile on your face as you follow her out���walking slowly in your case, though. 

“Mama? Can we watch Sleeping Beauty?” she asks once you’re in the living room with her.

“Sure thing, sweet pea.”

You pop in the DVD, then plop down on the couch, your body thankful for the rest after you’ve been so active the last hour or so with Eliza. 

You’re expecting your daughter to climb up on the couch with you, but instead, she starts marching in circles between the coffee table and the television. Her costume goes schwick, schwick, schwick with every step she takes; the polyester rubbing up against itself and her short legs. 

The movie opens upon the kingdom celebrating the birth of the new princess, and Eliza begins to sing along, her step never faltering. 

Hail to the Princess Aurora

All of her subjects adore her

Hail to the King, hail to the Queen

Hail to the Princess Aurora

Health to the Princess

Wealth to the Princess

Long live the Princess Aurora

As the narrator comes back to speak, Eliza comes over and settles herself next to you on the worn couch. She sits on her knees, facing you. It’s silent for a minute—unusual for this household. Then, the small girl leans forward and rests one hand on your swollen belly.

“Mommy?” she asks.

“Yes, my love?” You tuck a dark strand of hair behind her ear.

“Ryan named me, right?”

“Well, he was the first one who suggested the name. Daddy and I are the ones who decided on it,” you explain.

She nods her head in understanding, the piece of hair you put behind her ear falling forward again with the motion. 

“Can I sugges…uh, uhjest, zuh…”

“Suggest?” you offer kindly.

“Yeah, that. Can I suh-gest a name?” she asks.

“Go ahead, sweet pea.”

Eliza leans in closer to your belly. She rubs her small hand from side to side; it almost looks like she’s a waitress trying to wipe down a table. 

“If the baby’s a girl, I think you should name her Aurora,” she declares. 

You watch as Eliza stares at your bump, like if she looks hard enough, she’ll see the baby growing beneath your layers of skin and muscles. It brings a smile to your face, how much she already cares about her little sibling. 

“I think that’s a beautiful name.” And you do, you’re not just patronizing her.

“Yeah?” Eliza’s head tilts up and she looks at you with wide eyes. Eyes so much like her father’s that it sometimes takes your breath away. 

“Yeah,” you reply with a nod. “I’ll bring it up to Daddy.” 

A proud smile grows on your daughter’s coral-painted lips. She gives one last loving pat to your belly before situating herself so she’s sitting next to you, hip to hip.

“We’re not going to know if the baby is a boy or girl until they’re born, though,” you explain before the four-year-old gets caught up in the movie again. “I have the doctors soon and they’re going to let us see a picture of the baby. But Daddy and I decided we want to be surprised.” 

“Did you know me?” Eliza asks, her head tilting to the side like an inquisitive puppy. 

“Yep! They told us you’re a girl and Daddy and I were so happy.”

A thoughtful hum emanates from the small girl as she turns her attention back to the movie. A minute later, she lifts your arm so she can snuggle into your side. You happily wrap your arm around her and enjoy the cuddles. 

When it’s time for dinner, Eliza does not want to change out of her princess costume. So, in order to keep it stain-free through the meal, you wrap her up in her fluffy pink bathrobe. She finds this hilarious and waddles to the dinner table like a pink Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. 

The moment her bottom lands in her chair, Eddie is looking at the little girl with a raised eyebrow. His gaze then shifts to you. When he pointedly looks back at Eliza, then you, you realize it’s about the makeup. But you’re going to make him say it out loud.

“What?” you ask, spearing a green bean with your fork.

“I didn’t know we had Tammy Faye coming to dinner tonight,” he says. 

You roll your eyes as all three of your kids chime in with, “Who?”

“Eliza is a princess, Eddie. She deserves the royal treatment,” you say. 

“Uh huh,” he hums before taking a sip of his water.

“What time is Chase’s mom picking you up tonight, Ryan?” you ask.

Your eldest wipes his mouth off with an already messy napkin before responding.

“Like, eight, I think.”

“Make sure his mom takes pictures of you all!” you add.

“Whatchu gonna be?” Eliza asks, twirling a green bean around on her fork.

“Me and my friends are going as The Beatles,” he tells her.

“You’re gonna be bugs?” Eliza’s eyes practically pop out of her tiny skull. 

“No,” Ryan says with a chuckle. “The Beatles are a band.”

“Yeah, you like that one song they sing,” Luke chimes in. “Desmond takes a trolley to the jeweller's store. Buys a twenty-carat golden ring. Takes it back to Molly waiting at the door and as he gives it to her, she begins to sing!”

Eliza’s eyes light up.

“Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, brah! La-la, how their life goes on. Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, brah. La-la, how their life goes on!”

She wiggles in her seat as she sings, using her fork as an impromptu microphone. 

“Which Beatle are you?” Luke asks.

“George,” Ryan replies.

“Aw, is that because everyone always forgets about you, too?” Luke jokes, a smirk on his face.

Ryan shoves Luke, which only makes the younger brother laugh harder.

After dinner and once you’ve reapplied Eliza’s lipstick, the little girl sits on the edge of the bathtub and watches you do Luke’s makeup. You’re no makeup artist, but you know more than the teenage boy does, so he puts his trust in you to make him look like an authentic zombie.

It mostly consists of making his face look as sickly pale as possible and contrasting that with dark eyes. You’re pretty sure you’ve put so much eyeliner on your son that it will take him all night to scrub off. Or, knowing Luke, he’ll just leave it and try to sneak out of the house like that in the morning. Somehow, you don’t think his school would appreciate that. 

“Do you have any green stuff?” Luke asks as you cap the eyeliner.

“Green stuff? What do you mean? Like, eyeshadow?”

“Yeah! I wanna look kind of moldy.” His eager grin makes you chuckle as you rifle through your makeup bag.  

“Eww!” Eliza wrinkles up her nose.

“Well, sorry, Your Highness.” Luke says as you pull out a palette of eyeshadow containing a forest green shade. “We zombies can’t be as clean and fancy as you princesses!”

Your four-year-old stands up and smooths out the ruffles of her skirt with an air of someone five times her age. 

“Try,” is all the little girl says before walking out of the bathroom. 

You and Luke look at one another before bursting into laughter.

“How do I look?” Luke slides into the room on his socked feet with his arms held out at his sides. He’s changed into a pair of jeans that incidentally are ripped almost all the way down the left side after he tore them trying to hop over a fence. Luckily, it was only a few weeks ago, so Luke knew he could keep them for this very night. On top he’s wearing an old grease and oil-stained white t-shirt that Eddie will throw on under his coveralls for work, and an old blue and green flannel of Wayne’s that he took a pair of scissors to, so it looks ripped and ragged. 

“Wait, where’s your costume?” Ryan asks sarcastically, adjusting the black skinny tie he’s wearing. “I thought you were going to put on makeup?”

“Ha ha,” Luke deadpans while Eliza’s brow furrows.

“He does got makeup on,” she says.

“Ryan was just trying to be mean and say Luke looks like this all the time,” Eddie leans down to her on the couch to explain.

“Oh. Mean, Ryan!”

“Well, you look lovely, Your Majesty,” Ryan replies, bowing down before her.

The flattery clearly works with his little sister as she smiles proudly and kicks her feet excitedly. 

You stroll into the room just as there’s a knock on the front door.

“That’s probably Chase,” Ryan says before heading in that direction.

“Looks good, Luke,” Eddie tells his younger son. 

“I have a good makeup artist,” he replies. 

“What about Daddy?” Eliza pipes up.

“What do you mean, sweet pea?” he asks her. 

“You don’t got a costume or makeup.”

“I don’t need any,” Eddie tells her with a shake of his head.

“I don’t know,” you say with a shrug. “I kinda agree with her.”

Your husband cocks an eyebrow at you. “Oh?”

“Mhmm,” you hum. “Luke, can you go grab the eyeliner from my makeup bag?”

The zombie salutes you before heading back down the hall.

As you start to slowly walk towards the couch, Eddie looks at you with an unamused expression. 

“Do I really need makeup, babe?” His voice is as flat as his interest.

“I guess you don’t need it,” you say, shrugging one shoulder. When you come to stand in front of him, you place one knee on each side of Eddie’s hips, straddling his lap. “I think you’d look really good in some eyeliner, though.” Your hands slip up into his hair, where you give a gentle tug. “Since I don’t get to go trick-or-treating, maybe that could be my treat tonight?”

Eddie’s look of disinterest quickly morphs into excitement. 

“Whatever my princess wants,” Eddie croons.

“Uh, Daddy!” Eliza complains from the cushion next to you. “I am the princess!”

“Right,” Eddie says, turning his head to look at her. “Silly me. I forgot I have two princesses tonight.”

Ryan pops back into the room, his friend Chase right on his heels, when he sees you sitting in his dad’s lap with your hands in his hair. He automatically skids to a stop and begins to turn around.

“Nope,” he says, pushing his friend back towards the front door. “Don’t wanna be here for whatever this is. I’ll be back later!”

“Be careful,” you shout after him, while Eddie calls out, “Have fun!”

Luke returns with your eyeliner, and you happily accept it from him. Eliza stands up on the couch cushion and leans against your shoulder as you take the cap off the black pencil.

“I wanna watch,” the little princess says. 

“You can be my supervisor,” you say as you adjust yourself in Eddie’s lap. “Look up,” you tell him.

Eddie lifts his chin to look at the ceiling, but you guide his head back down where it was. 

“With just your eyeballs, please,” you clarify.

Following your instructions, Eddie’s eyes look skyward as you gently pull down on the lower lid of his left eye. Your hand is steady as you run the pencil back and forth against his waterline. 

It’s a good thing two of your kids are in the room because, just having a little bit of eyeliner on, you’re already eager to jump your husband’s bones. 

“It’s a crime you don’t wear this more,” you murmur as you move your concentration to his upper eyelid.

“Well, maybe after tonight I will,” Eddie answers in a velvety tone.

“Dad, why would you—ugh, gross.” 

Eddie smirks as Luke catches on to what the two of you are alluding to. You let out a soft chuckle as you move to his other eye.

“Why don’t you have Luke put your crown on you?” You suggest to Eliza.

“Yes!” 

She quickly hops off the couch and runs over to Luke, grabs his hand, and attempts to drag him down the hallway with her. 

Eddie rests his hands on your hips as you finish up, rubbing his thumbs against the material of your sweatpants. 

“Want me to be your rockstar tonight?” Eddie asks.

“And I will be your groupie,” you say as you pop the cap back on the pencil. Arousal kicks up in you as you take in the sight of your already-sexy husband in eyeliner. “Your groupie who will let you do whatever you want to her,” you purr.

“Happy Halloween, indeed,” Eddie says, waggling his eyebrows at you. 

“You done?” Eliza asks as she bursts back into the room, her plastic golden crown perched on top of her head. “Good! Let’s go, Daddy!”

“But Mommy’s on my lap,” Eddie says.

“Mamaaaaa,” Eliza whines. “Get up!”

“Excuse me?” you ask, raising an eyebrow at her.

“Please,” she adds softly.

“Yeah. Please,” Luke adds as he follows his little sister back in the room.

Both you and Eddie chuckle as you slide off his lap. You press a kiss to his lips.

“Alright, you guys,” you say to all three of them, “be safe and have a good time.”

“We will!” Eliza assures you.

She picks up her pink pumpkin bucket from the coffee table and hands her older brother his blue one.

“Let’s go!”

You, Eddie, and Luke watch as the little girl marches towards the front door in her pink princess dress.

“I guess we’re going,” Luke says as he follows after her. 

Eddie presses one last kiss to your lips.

“Maybe I’ll be wearing something different when you get home,” you tease. “Something…lacier, perhaps.”

Eddie groans and drops his head back.

“I’m about to make these kids get their candy in record time,” he says.

You giggle and shove him towards the front door.

“Alright, Mr. Rockstar. Go have fun.”

“Love you, baby.”

“Love you, too.”

Once the door closes behind the three of them, you let out a deep sigh and grab a handful of candy from the bowl that’s prepared for the trick-or-treaters. 

“How about it?” you ask your baby, looking down at your stomach. “We deserve some candy too, right? Right.”

The small batch of fun-sized candy bars fall into your lap as you plop down on the couch and grab the remote.

“Ooh, Beetlejuice,” you say as you come upon a channel playing the movie. “You’re in for a treat, kiddo. This is a good one.”

[yyawnjun]

Wonwoo blow drying your hair 😌

Taking extra care to be gentle. Using it as an excuse to pet you. Blow drying your face just to tease the same way he shakes the camera 👋

AWWHH YES

you would go to him once to ask him to help you dry your hair because you were too exhausted, and he would simply get up and come to help. his new FAV activity ever. how much he would love this sweet physical contact with you. caressing your hair and your head, like a cute cat to pet (ʃᵕ̩̩ ᵕ̩̩). at first, he just wanted to be sure that your hair was dry, but after getting used to it, he realized how fun the teasing was. And now you would constantly feel the air in your face when you less expected it and you would find your hair messier than before. but other than that i feel he would enjoy using all of the products or specific combs that you give him !!! and with that, there would be no joke around, wonwoo would take care of it so seriously and try his best. his hands moving now fast but attentive while he applies the products to your hair. i also feel he would secretly practice or watch YouTube tutorials on how to use the hair iron on your hair (can u imagine him mimicking the gestures on nothing just to be ready to style ur hair dkjsjjndakdj)

prompts ; event m.list

[andreilscat]

‘Come here,’ Andrew said, gesturing to the empty space next to him.

Neil tilted his head in question, but was more than happy to comply. The soft cushion dipped under his weight as he settled next to Andrew. Their thighs were pressed together, and he leaned closer to nudge Andrew’s shoulder with his own. ‘What’s up?��

‘Nothing.’

Andrew wrapped an arm around Neil’s shoulders, letting him lean on his chest, and nuzzle his face in the crook of his neck. Andrew’s hand rested on top of Neil’s head for a second, not quite petting him, before he started working his fingers through his hair.

Neil has been growing it out for some time now, and even though Andrew has never made a comment out loud, his actions made it obvious how much he liked it. It was already down to his shoulders and Neil noticed that Andrew was always looking for an excuse to get his hands in his hair, not that he needed one though. It seemed to help him calm down as well. He often played with his hair late at night when he was having trouble sleeping.

Now, he took a small strand and started twirling it around his fingers, enjoying the softness of it.

Neil hummed softly as he pressed closer to Andrew, circling his waist with his arms.

‘I want to try braiding it,’ Andrew said at last.

A small sound escaped Neil’s lips when Andrew started tugging at his hair, before tangling his fingers into it.

‘Right now?’ Neil questioned, bringing one hand to rest on Andrew’s stomach before trailing down to play with the hem of his shirt, his eyes never leaving Andrew’s.

‘Later,’ Andrew whispered, grabbing a hold of Neil’s hand and sliding it under his shirt.

Neil smiled and let his hand roam all over Andrew’s stomach. He felt him shudder whenever he grazed the soft skin with his nails or pinched his sides. He dragged a finger over his abdomen, and hooked it under the waistband of his sweats, for only a moment before abandoning it completely for the sake of Andrew’s upper body.

Neil started kneading the soft skin of his belly and then moved on to his chest. He kept squeezing and scratching until he felt Andrew’s grip on his hair tighten, and his breath came out in a shaky exhale.

‘Are you a cat?’ Andrew said, pulling him back by the hair.

‘Maybe,’ Neil smirked, leaning in to bite Andrew’s cheek and leave a trial of kisses all over his jaw and neck.  

**************************************************

Andrew was sitting behind Neil, running a brush through his hair after blow-drying it. When he was done detangling it he put the brush aside and instead buried his fingers in Neil’s hair. Neil leaned into the touch as Andrew ran his fingers over his scalp and through his hair. It was still warm from the blow drier, and Andrew enjoyed how it felt under his fingers.

He swiftly separated the hair into three sections and started crossing one over the other. He thought about the tutorial he had watched earlier and started repeating the steps he had already memorized. He only hoped Neil’s hair was finally long enough for this.

When he was done with the braid, he skillfully tied it and started examining it. It was almost perfect, if not for the few hairs sticking out, presumably because they were shorter than the rest.

‘’All done,’ he exclaimed, placing his hands on Neil’s shoulders and squeezing once.

‘Already?’ Neil murmured, practically asleep. Having Andrew take care of his hair in such a gentle manner was unimaginably relaxing.

He reached back to touch the braid, before turning around to look at Andrew, but barely managing to keep his eyes open.

‘Thanks, Drew.’

‘Yeah, let’s sleep,’ Andrew whispered, getting up to put aside the hairbrush and the blow drier.

When they were finally under the covers Andrew opened his arms in invitation and Neil climbed practically on top of him. He held Andrew’s waist tightly and tangled their legs together.

‘I’m glad I decided to grow out my hair,’ Neil mumbled, and Andrew wasn’t sure if he was awake or just talking in his sleep.

[sprytesukii]

18+ | aki wants to take care of you | cw. sfw but MDNI, older!bf!aki (he’s in his 50s), implied f!reader, hurt/comfort, reader has daddy issues lol, gratuitous use of parenthetical asides, loverboy aki pov, potential (smutty) part two on da horizon | ~1.2k words | an. big thanks to silas for reminding me of 50 y/o aki and how much i luvvvv him <3

“I - Aki, you don’t need to do that.”

Aki waves off your fifth or sixth comment from where he’s flat on his back beneath your sink, ignoring the twinge in his lower hip from being in a slightly uncomfortable position for too long. 

He doesn’t care about the pain when it comes to fixing your leaky faucet — apparently, it’s been fucked for months, but the only reason he even knows about it is because he caught you trying to DIY it yourself, sat on your kitchen tile, tears in your eyes and surrounded by tools you didn’t even need while a YouTube tutorial played in slow motion on your phone. 

It was a bit of a blow to his ego at first, when he found out you’d been suffering and you didn’t even think to ask for his help. Sure, he’s in his fifties and the two of you haven’t been dating all that long (9 months, 3 weeks, 4 days, and 16 hours, but who’s counting?), but it still poked at something tender when you didn’t treat him like someone you could rely on. Someone you could trust.

After further inspection, though, he realized this wasn’t exactly the case. You’ve showed him your trust hundreds of times. 

(Aki has a drawer at your place, toiletries in your bathroom, his favorite brand of cigs on your windowsill, despite you having shyly confessed no one before him has ever gotten the opportunity. 

You text him selfies and genuinely listen every time he tells you that in all his years, he's never seen anyone as stunning as you. 

He feels your trust in the quiet hours of the morning, whispered revelations and souls laid bare over a shared cigarette.

You sleep belly up beside him, all vulnerabilities laid bare, but you’ve never been afraid of him. Ever. It means more to him than you could ever know.)

No, it’s not trust that’s the issue. You’re just protecting yourself. Not from him specifically, no, but you’re protecting your heart. 

Aki knows you. You’re intelligent, independent, modern. You know what you want and you’re not shy about taking it. 

(He’s still in shock that you - in all your young, effervescent beauty - approached him at a bar, a little tipsy, but determined. 

From that moment on, he knew. This wouldn’t be his first relationship, far from it, but it would be his last.)

(Nothing about Aki is easy, but his love for you.)

But, there’s still a stubbornness to you. Not born out of any preconceived notions or a desire to make any kind of stand, but because of you’ve been disappointed over and over by the men in your life. Let down, left out to dry. 

You haven’t said anything to him explicitly, but he’s caught enough bits and pieces to boil his blood over the way your past lovers and boyfriends have treated you like an afterthought, or worse, like nothing at all. 

(Aki legitimately cannot understand how anyone could look at you, be around you, be faced with your hard-earned love, trust, and affection, only to discard it at a moment’s notice. 

If he was a lesser man, he’d hunt down every last one of them and torture it out of them. Force them to admit what they've done to you, to speak the words aloud. Make them feel a fraction of all they’ve made you feel, before wiping them off the face of the earth. 

But then, you smile at him, and the rage flickers out in an instant. The unnamed folder on his laptop remains untouched.)

There is a specific part of him, however, that’s reserved for an active, burning anger for the worst offender of all — your father. 

Much like your exes, you haven’t spoken about your relationship with dear old dad directly, but unlike your exes, this seems like a much more deliberate choice.

Aki sees you anyway. 

He sees the way you glow, genuinely surprised and deeply touched, when he shows up for you like he said he would. He sees how your smile goes watery around the edges when he tells you he’s proud of you, like you’re unused to hearing it. He sees how you try your best to grin and bear the challenges of living, alone, because that’s how it’s always been for you. 

Until him.

That’s why Aki brushes off your pleas of concern for his back and knees and any other old injuries you can come up with to make himself available. Reliable. Trustworthy. 

(He will be better than any ex-boyfriend or lover. He will be better than your father. He will be the man who stepped up, who treats you better than any of those men could ever dream of, until he’s erased them and their fingerprints from your memory.)

Aki fights a groan as he frees himself from staring at the underside of your sink for 45 minutes, all thoughts of the increasingly prevalent pain in his hip ceasing when he sees you. 

Your lower lip is bitten to hell, and concern radiates from you where your arms are wrapped beneath your chest. He watches you with unabashed adoration as your gaze flits all over his body, zeroing in on where he shifts his weight away from the pulsing in his side, your eyebrows furrowing. 

“Aki, your hip,” you make a valiant attempt to sound stern, but you just sound worried, stepping closer to him with outstretched palms hovering over the area. Aki fights a grin. 

He doesn’t succeed, if your annoyed expression is anything to go by. “Don’t laugh, old man. It’ll be you groaning about how my mattress is ‘too soft' for your 'aged body' tonight. You did this to yourself.” 

You deepen your voice in an artificial impression of his own, a smile ticking up the corners of your lips, wiping away your faux displeasure. It makes him laugh out loud, the sound soft and smokey, and he revels in the way your face softens. 

He grabs you around the hips and pulls you closer to him, a quiet noise of surprise eeking out of you, though you settle against him easily. Like you belong. His heart is fit to burst. 

Quiet settles over the two of you like a well-loved blanket. You rest your forehead against Aki’s sternum and he hopes you can hear how hard his heart is beating, like it did the first time you met and how it will until he takes his last breath. 

He breathes in deep, surrounding himself in your scent, memorizing the way you feel in his arms. He’s so caught up in you that when you speak, he has to strain a little to hear you, your voice a quiet vibration against his chest. 

“No one has ever taken care of me before. They all thought I was too much trouble, even my dad. Especially my dad.” 

Aki’s heart breaks just as that smoldering fire of fury is stoked, but he doesn’t let it fester, allows it be soothed and stamped out by your next words. 

“I - thank you. For taking care of me.” You finally look up at him, water rimming your eyes and Aki is absolutely and utterly overcome.

He leans down and draws you into a kiss, slow but deep, as he pours every last ounce of his love, his heart, his very soul into the embrace. 

You pull away with a soft, wet noise, and a tear slips free. Aki nudges it away with a calloused thumb, a soft smile crossing his lips that matches yours. 

“Thank you for letting me."

[holistic-girlhood]

GROWING LONG HAIR TUTORIAL

If you’re aiming to grow your hair long, specifically to achieve beach-wave, women’s-length hair, the best starting haircut should focus on the following principles:

1. Medium-Length Layered Cut ✨

• Why? Layers will help add shape and prevent your hair from looking too bulky as it grows. This cut also allows for a natural wave pattern to form.

• What to Ask For: A medium-length cut with subtle layers that frame the face and taper naturally toward the ends.

2. Tapered or Shaggy Cut ✨

• Why? Tapered ends or a shaggy look will allow your hair to grow without looking too heavy or awkward during the transition phase.

• What to Ask For: A scissor cut with soft, natural texture and no harsh lines to maintain a relaxed look.

3. Surfer Cut (Messy and Textured)

• Why? This look already mimics the beach wave style you’re aiming for, making the grow-out process seamless.

• What to Ask For: Longer layers on top with a natural, tousled finish to encourage movement.

Tips for Growing Out Your Hair:

1. Regular Maintenance Trims: Get a trim every 8-12 weeks to remove split ends and shape the growth.

2. Hydration and Moisture: Use a hydrating shampoo and conditioner to encourage healthy hair growth and prevent frizz.

3. Avoid Excessive Heat Styling: Minimize blow-drying and straightening to maintain natural waves. Stop rocking a pony tail all day.

4. Use a Sea Salt Spray: This helps to enhance those natural waves and achieve that beachy texture as your hair grows.

[ch3rrybabyd0ll]

living porcelain doll guide

a doll’s skin is flawless, use a gentle cleanser twice daily and drink LOTS of water to keep your skin hydrated. dont use a lot of skincare products.

stick to a color pallette. dont buy any clothes that arent that colour, its going to ruin your style.

always wear accesories, no matter what. outfit without accesories is so plain and boring. it can be necklaces, earrings, leg warmers etc..

master the doll blink. you can search up tutorials on tiktok on how to doll blink. if theres any creep staring at you and you feel uncomfortable just blink at him with a straight face.

use white eyeliner for bigger eyes. dolls features are also big eyes, you can make them look bigger by adding white eyeliner to your makeup routine.

dont do any sudden movements. what i mean is that be gentle with your moves, dont just suddenly start moving around aggressively (when youre in public)

perfect hair. sleep in braids to avoid split ends, use hair masks and dont use heat on your hair. not even when blow drying them. if you HAVE to, use a veru strong heat protection.

wear feminine clothing. whether youre dark coquette or dollette or whatever, dont dress in baggy clothes. thats like for a teenage boy.

always use perfume or body mists. and shower also please. you will look amazing but smell like shit? i dont think so.

when you compliment someone, do it uniquely. not just „you look nice”. think of something deeper, or that just sounds better.

be dreamy. dw, you dont always have to be here on the earth when you can just live in your mind. go to a forest and think your little scenarios.

be rememberable. be someone that other people just cant forget no matter how much they try.

stay quiet in chaos. in busy or noisy environments remain serene and quiet.

speak through your eyes. you dont always have to use your mouth, you can speak through eyes.

[stroopwaifey]

Grooming Master List 💅🧖‍♀️

Long post ahead 🙌

Hair Care💇‍♀️

Find out your hair needs from a professional. Get your hair done and ASK QUESTIONS. Some questions are, “what my hairs porosity?” “Is my hair fine, medium, or coarse in texture?” “Does my hair lack protein?” Learn about your hair and then buy the appropriate products.

Leave in and then oil your ends. Leave in conditioner is so important. Your hair loses moisture through out the day and a leave in helps prevent that. Sealing the ends with oil prevents the newly added moisture from evaporating. This will help a lot with hair length retention. So basically your hair not breaking at the end or turning to dust (this literally happens.)

Heat-less curls! See below. These curlers are AMAZING! They give you a blow out look without the heat. I always use them now every time I shower. Basically you use them when your hair is damp, sleep on it, and take out in the morning.

Speaking of sleeping, silk bonnets. Covering your hair with a bonnet is so important even if you don’t have curls like I do. It reduces frizz and friction and keeps your hair from breaking and becoming dry. Hot girls never sleep without one!

Hair masks - once a week

Hair oiling. Use an oil that works with your hair type (fine, medium, coarse.) apply to scalp before you shower and wait 30 mins or longer if your hair can handle it. Make sure to massage 💆‍♀️

Clarify your scalp when needed

Hair powder. Buy or make a hair powder to use as a dry shampoo. They absorb oil and add thickness to the hair shaft. Win, win! Etsy is the place to shop.

You cannot train your hair. That’s not how the body works, sorry. If you need to wash your hair, wash it.

Skin Care🧴

See a dermatologist! If you are struggling with consistent acne or the aftermath or scars and inflammation. See a Dermatologist

Figure out what kind of acne scars you have. There’s P.I.E (Post inflammatory erythema) which is the red mark left over, P.I.H (Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation) the brown spots left over, atrophic scars, boxcar scars, ice pick scars, or hypertrophic scars. Each scars nerds something different. I get P.I.E which likes retinol, niacinamide, and dermabrasion.

Wear Sunscreen EVERYDAY. I don’t care if it’s raining or you aren’t going anywhere, windows exist. Anything over 50 SPF doesn’t get stronger BUT it does last longer. You can also use your sunscreen as a moisturizer if you are not super dry.

Anti-aging. You should only be using anti-aging at 25 years old and up. 25 is when you start to age so doing it before is detrimental to skin health.

Double cleanse EVERYDAY even if you wore no makeup. Your sunscreen should be waterproof so it needs an oil to break it down. So wash your face with an oil cleanser than a water based cleanser.

Hand/Nail Care 🤚

Buy a good hand moisturizer not those fragrance ones. Cerave and la roche posay have good ones. Apply at night and then apply a cuticle oil then wear a moisturizer glove. They have ones with tech fingertips so you can still use your phone before bed.

Gel nails at home. Get the equipment to do your gels at home. It’s not expensive anymore and it’s super easy. You will have to watch a tutorial because it’s a very different process than regular nail polish. You NEED a base coat and top coat for it to work btw. Also please scrape your nails before applying. There’s an invisible layer of skin on your nails I promise you. I’ll talk more about this in foot care. I recommend doing nude colors because they look better as they grow out.

UV gloves. If you are doing Gel nails you need UV blocking gloves. They have kinds that leave the finger tips out so you can do your nails. You really don’t want to be blasting your hands with UV. It’s like a tanning bed for your hands. I also suggest driving UV blocking gloves. They have grippies for driving. When you drive your hands are blasted with the sun. The back of your hand are super delicate and prone to sun damage and aging. There’s also hand sunscreen which I recommend.

Foot care 👠

You NEED a pedicure kit. I recommend this

Watch the meticulous manicurist on YouTube she is a wealth of knowledge!

You want to get ride of the junk in your side walls and on top of your nail!

Use a glass foot file to get rid of dry skin and calluses. Speaking of calluses there are things you can buy that reduce them if you get them in the same spot every time. I get one under my big toes so there’s silicone cushions that wrap around my big toe and help with the extra pressure I’m putting on them. They have heel ones too!

Kerasol foot cream is the best foot cream it’s what dems suggest. You can buy moisturizer socks and put them in after applying and sleep on it or wrap your feet in Saran Wrap then a sock if you can’t spend the money.

Hair removal 🪒

Eye brows - it’s super cheap to just get them professionally threaded honestly. A professional can do a better job than you. Simply set a recurring day on your calendar. Go once or twice a month depending on your brows.

Do not shave your face at home! It’s a form of dermabrasion and if everything isn’t 100% sterile than you can get infected and lots of acne.

Kitty 🐱 I honestly prefer an electric shaver and using the razor only for the bikini line. Less irritation and it still looks neat.

Armpits - waxing or laser is the best but regular shaving is fine.

Legs - you can use hair conditioner as shaving cream!

Other tips on how to look good daily, wear jewelry everyday that fits your skin tone, learn your colors (summer, winters, fall, spring, and more. I’m a soft summer.) Learn your Kibbe type. I am a soft dramatic!

And of course eat healthy and exercise! 🏋️‍♀️🏃‍♀️

[veestar4911]

how I get my bangs to get flat n blunt!!

so basically what I do is; if I haven't washed my hair that day I wash my bangs in the sink with just shampoo so its wet n I give it a lil towel dry with a microfiber towel! and then what you do is use like a normal blow-dryer (use!! heat!! protecant!!) and blow it side to side and from the top making sure your bangs are put together so they don't split.

once your bangs are basically dry, you immediately put in a big roller and don't roll it all the way to the root just like the mid and end part.

once fully dry take it out!! and that's my method to getting flat blunt bangs!! I hope it helps :p

(note!! its important to cut your bangs in a way that it is blunt and how you want it to sit so ask ur hairdresser specifically for the type of bangs you want!! this tutorial is for more dolly type bangs ) (i'll put in an example picture later once I dry my hair hehe) @strawbiecore this is 4 u <333

[gwenthebard]

Random Basic Hair Care Advice

I realized recently that a lot of people, especially trans women, arent actually taught basic hair care and it made me want to write some stuff ive learned

If you're someone that uses a dandruff shampoo consistently because of itching havw someone check that it isnt product buildup. If you use too much product/dont wash it out all the way it can get stuck and cause itch and stuff that looks like dandruff

For most people you dont need to use shampoo everytime. If you have medium hair or longer? Shoot for no more than three times a week. If youre trying to help curl health shampoo even less

For curly hair if youre trying to get healthy curls only use shampoo when your roots start to feel a little oily. Bristle brushes can draw this out, but thats more advanced hair care and more maitenance

You should use conditioner more often than you use shampoo, but not every day. If you use shampoo three times a week, condition five. If you use shampoo twice a month, use it three or four times a week.

If you have medium hair or longer DONT apply Conditioner like shampoo. Get a small amount of conditioner, only apply it to the hair below your nose working it in deeply, and let it sit for a few minutes before washing it out

DONT dry your hair in the stereotypical "rub a towel on your hair" way if your hairs medium length or longer. You can squeeze it damp with a towel, and air dry or blow dry, but you dont want to create a lot of friction or itll cause frizz

If you can braid your hair and have long hair do it before bed. If you cant, putting it in a ponytail before bed still helps. Itll make it less frizzy and less knotted in the morning

Hairbrushes can be really bad for your hair, not counting bristle brushes which are more advance haircare. If your hairs straight theyre fine, but if its wavy or curly you want to use them rarely. I usually only use a hairbrush once a week and before a shower because I have lightly curled hair

Using a wide toothed comb or your fingers is pretty much fine for working out knots and styling your hair, and actually healthier for it than a plastic brush most of the time. The problem is its not as effective at catching knotting, youll need to do it like two or three times a day, and youll want to be vigilant to catch knotting turning to matting. Youll alsp want to still occassionally use a hair brush just to make sure none are forming

If your brushing your hair, with a hairbrush or otherwise, DONT start at the scalp. Start a few inches from the bottom of your hair and work up to your ears. Brush your hair in sections up to your ears each time. Finish off doing your scalp and take it slow. DONT try brushing a knot all the way out in one go. Brush until you feel resistance, go a little back up, brush it back down. A knot at the back of your hair will take a while to brush out without breaking stuff, because youll want to slowly work it down and out

Once or twice a year while growing out your hair youll want to get someone to cut off dead and split ends. Itll make your hair look less frizzy and make it grow out better

If your hairs matted because you were depressed or sick its not the end of the world. You can get the matts out, and probably save most of your hair. Smaller matts, at the back of your head or otherwise, you can get a friend to help you work out with some tutorials and basic supplies and time. More matted hair you can call salons or hairdressers and ask if they will help with that sort of thing

I'm definitely missing some things, and I'm still on the journey of learning these things myself so someone might have better advice than what I wrote above, but this helped me a lot and is the sort of thing I think a lot of people trying to care for longer hair should know

[lixenn]

For Yves 👀✨️💚

2. What is their grooming routine? (how do they treat themselves in private)

Fae!! Lovely to have you! Thank you for indulging me once again 💜💜

2. What is their grooming routine? (how do they treat themselves in private)

Yves self care routine is so long that if they listed it in front of Chief he'd get hives from all the time they waste on primping. The amount of money they throw away for hair care and skin products could probably sustain a small family for months. There's a reason why Yves is always late to appointments and part of that is because their skin routine has 15 steps and takes up to two hours.

For general overview here a brief summary of their morning routine:

Gets up at around 8 am

Shower (about half an hour or more if they want to really pamper themselves)

Picking their outift (Yves has a gigantic walk in closet so this can also take ages)

Skin routine and make up (again lots of steps here, I won't list them all cause then I would actually need to look up make up tutorials and I'm lazy lol).

Hair care (aka blow drying, maybe straightening, maybe curling it, depends on what kind of look they want for the day)

Putting on the outfit (I'm putting this as extra step because some of Yves gowns have several layers which makes putting it on an adventure)

Breakfast (something light for example oatmeal or some fruit, also coffee)

As you can see Yves ain't fucking around when it comes to grooming and that's just an ordinary day not touching what they are doing if they need to go undercover.

oc asks

[fragileizy]

decided to try something new today and tried blowdrying my hair because i never use heat products (all i do is beach my hair blonde every six months) and since i've literally never gotten this to work this didn't go all that great. to be fair, i followed a tutorial. also to be fair, i think i've tried this like three other times in my life.

discaimer: i've gotten my hair professionally blowdryed before, and one ~special occasions~ i'll have my mom blowdry my hair for me (she has all the heat tools you can imagine, she's always doing this to her own hair) but i've probably done this to myself on my own about like three times. four. i'll save five, though i think that's too much. i think it's time consuming, it doesn't look good, and i'm happy with the amount of effort that i put into my hair already (which is just brushing it with leave in conditioner and letting the god's decide my curl pattern).

it didn't turn out great. it's fine.

though i do feel a little bit like a 12 year old trying to flat iron for the first time.

i did make sure to check behind me and make sure that there wasn't anything wavy or curling. instead, everything looks puffed out. straight, yes, much straighter than what my hair typically is, but... puffy. i don't know how to describe it. i literally just went onto reddit with the same question and i found a post. some people talked to op and said that they weren't using enough tension to blow dry, kept their dryer in one spot for too long, and didn't use heat products to make it silky and smooth.

hm. okay. cool... let's see if i can fix it up with whatever miracle product my mom's got in her cabinet

[0hbunny]

🫧Washing Plush Dolls🫧

NOTE:

I am VERY new to collecting these kinds of dolls. The doll shown above is literally the only one I have (as of right now…). That said please take everything I say with a grain of salt! This blog post is more of a log of my experience with washing my doll for the first time than a tutorial :)

Material List:

wash cloth (2x)

toothbrush (not used duh)

dawn dish soap

micellar water

tide to go stick/non bleach stain remover

blow dryer/fan

Prepping:

Before bath time there are some things I did to prep.

I started by taking off any stains on my doll. In this case mine had one on their embroidered paw on their foot. I used a “TideToGo” stick to get rid of it and it work wonders. I also heard great things about “Grandma’s Secret Spot Remover” too! Though as long as your stain remover doesn’t have bleach in it I THINK it will be fine, though I’m no expert.

After that I removed my doll’s blush. I did this by putting a little bit of micellar water onto a wash cloth and gently rubbing away where the blush was on my doll. When it comes to this please keep in mind a little goes a long way! Though I will say, I did asked some experienced plush doll collectors if I needed to remove the blush before a bath because I was scared of the blush getting moved around and staining the doll or embroidering. They told me it probably didn’t matter but it wouldn’t hurt. Do with that information what you will.

Bath Time:

Now for the actual bath I started by filling up a container with cold water and about 3 drops of dawn dish soap. (Please make sure it’s cold water because warm water makes things bleed!) Once everything was mixed together I took my toothbrush and dipped it into the mixture.

With the soapy mix I started scrubbing away at my doll. I was sure to be gentle over the embroidery in fear of loosening/damaging it if I was to rough with it. I made sure really get into all of the cracks and crevices too.

Once washed with soap I replaced the soapy water with just plain cold water. Then I scrubbed my doll again but this time with just the water. I made sure to dip my brush back into the water very frequently during this process. On my last scrub I brushed everything up in the same direction with my bruh.

Aftermath:

I placed my wet doll on a dry wash cloth and started to pat them dry with it. I was able to get the longer pieces of fabric (like the hair) pretty much dry with just the cloth but I can’t say that about the other parts.

For the other parts I used a mini fan to help the process go a little faster. (⤵️)

A blow dryer on the cold setting should also work for this if you’re impatient like me lolol. Good old fashion air drying should also work fine too but make sure it’s in a well lit room just to be careful of mold! I have also heard of people putting their dolls in pillowcases and throwing them into the drying machine along with a towel to cushion them more on a low setting. I have never tried this though personally so I’m not sure how well that would work and I’m to nervous to find out.

Also not going to lie I did not enjoy the smell of the “TideToGo” stick very much and I couldn’t get the smell to go away with just the soap and water so I did spray my doll with a bit of perfume. I’m not sure how safe/good this is for dolls but personally for me my doll turned out fine and now smells really good!

Conclusion:

This method worked very well for me I think! My doll is all clean and their hair feels so soft just like when I first got them which is very exciting. If anyone has any tips or thinks I should have done anything differently let me know! Also I’m here to answer questions too🫡 This is my first time making a blog post like this so I hope it was helpful and easy to understand!🙂