Sorry y'all. had to take a bit of a personal day yesterday. I hope you understand... on to the rest of the blog!
If I'm being honest, I get a lot of compliments on my hair. Maybe it's because it's red, it stands out more? Half the time, I think people are crazy for saying it looks good because I've got flyaways and frizz and there are pieces that are straight when it's supposed to be curly... and, oh man, some days I have a hot mess of what was wet hair in the morning but is just a tangled mass of now dried hair twisted into some semblance of a bun. But some days, I am rather impressed with its ability to do what I ask and hold a style. Here's how I get my hair to look good...
Wen Cleansing Conditioner and Straightening Balm
I'm not going to lie, when I first heard about this product it sounded real weird. I mean, you don't WASH your hair... But now, I'm darn near addicted. The whole point of it is to stop the stripping process induced by most marketed shampoos. The ingredients in shampoo that create the lather strip your hair of its natural oils causing frizz, breakage, dullness and general unhealthiness. Your scalp is dried past the point of being cleaned to actually being damaged by the lack of nourishing oils keeping the delicate skin and hair follicles hydrated. I got my first bottle of Wen for Christmas from my sister who knows much more about hair and beauty products. I'm now on to my second and I've started using the Wen straightening balm. (It's amazing!) It's a bit of an expensive venture ($29 for the bottle shown in the pic, which is 12 oz.) but I must say it's totally worth it. I can go longer between haircuts because I get very few split ends, and I spend less on hair dye (yes, I dye from the box to help my hair stay red, #goinggreyat23isnotcool) because Wen doesn't strip the color as fast, so maybe it all evens out in the end. You can buy Wen here or here. I use the Almond Mint variety, but it comes in some AMAZING scents. I've used the Pomegranate and the Lavendar and both smelled wonderful.
Loreal Ever Pure Shampoo and Conditioner
Well now that I've explained to you why I love Wen, let me also explain why I have a bottle of this phenomenal shampoo and conditioner in my shower. Sometimes my hair gets REAL dirty. I am a dance teacher AND a dancer, and I take a weekly cycling class, and sometimes I take a shower where I only wash my face and body (Sue me, hair gods, I have to get to work on time!) Needless to say, when my hair is soaked with sweat or has become a relative oil-slick due to my lifestyle, I like to wash it and start over with an, ahem, clean slate. That said, if I was my hair with Shampoo and condition regularly, I use Wen, too! I always make a point to at least work some Wen through my ends. I use Wen more often than not, but if I HAVE to wash my hair so I can maintain my sanity peace of mind, I use these sulfate-free products... which are still less damaging than the typical shampoos on the market.
1 in. Barrel Curling Iron:
This thing is my BEST friend. And it's a cheap Conair from Target! I've invested in some really nice curling irons in my life, but I always come back to this one. It's ceramic so it smoothes my hair nicely, and the clamp on the barrel doesn't pinch my hair very tight, so it doesn't pull or break the strands of my hair.
For curls (use only a small amount in the ends or NO product when you blowdry): Holding the curling iron perpindicular to the floor, curl from the root of the hair down to the ends in small increments, each time pulling a bit farther down the strand and curling all the way back up to the root. Always curl away from your face. Be sure to divide your hair in layers and spray each layer with hairspray before moving on to the next layer.
I love this "How to Curl Your Hair" video tutorial from Kate at The Small Things Blog.
For volume (use root lifter or volumizing mousse to blow dry): Holding the curling iron parallel to the floor, clamp the section of hair near the root, pull up toward the ceiling til the clamp is around the ends of the hair, roll all the way back to the root and hold for several seconds. Try to keep the curling iron parallel to the floor at all times, this maintains volume instead of getting haphazard ringlets. Be sure to divide your hair in layers and spray each layer with hairspray before moving on to the next layer.
Tresemme Tres Two Ultra Fine Mist Hairspray:
This is the best hairspray OF. ALL. TIME. period. The fine mist disperses into your hair to hold your style without creating helmet hair. I love it. It's only $3.98 at the drug store and it's the best 4 dollars I spend every month. Moving on.
Bobby Pins:
There's an old adage that if you can't fix something with duct tape, it can't be fixed. Well that's how I feel about bobby pins and hair. If you can't do it with bobby pins, it can't be done. Whether it's securing a ballet bun, tossing an updo, pinning back my bangs or securing my stretchy headband for cycling class, I use bobby pins almost every day. This is one of my go-to hairstyles -- a lovely half-up-half-down style with curled (or straight) ends. It makes getting your hair out of your face classy and cute without having to wear a ponytail. And it can quickly be converted into a full updo (see below for similar) for nighttime or a special event. (Both images are from Pinterest, here and here.)
Flyties:
I don't know how many of you are fans of the new feather hair extensions trend, but I am a big fan. I have 3 "bundles" of Fine Featherheads feathers in my hair, which is about 21 separate feathers. I have natural, turquoise, white and lime green pops of color that stand out from behind my right ear. I love them. They're pretty easy to maintain, and virtually impossible to damage, but one thing that can damage them is too-tight hair ties. Fine Featherheads has just released new hairties called "Fly-Ties" (I've seen similar products on the market.) I just bought them a week ago, and I already LOVE them. Plus, they come in tons of fun colors!
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| Image via Fine Featherheads |
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