MY HAIR IS EVERYWHERE: PART 1

    

Well, what's left of it anyway. Over the past few months I've been transitioning into someone I never thought I'd be - a girl with short(ish) hair. And it's AWESOME.

I started with long, blondish brunette locks that I kept pretty much the same way since high school (there was one lob in there, but it was a horrific experiment. Don't get your hair cut by a woman wearing a poorly made zombie wedding dress, even if it is close to Halloween). From there I decided to go dark, which I had wanted to try ever since watching all six seasons of Gossip Girl over one winter break and finding my inner Blair Waldorf. After not even a full season of my brunette 'do, I had a total eclipse of the scalp and I went short and sassy with way more blonde than before. Still a little ombré, but working my way back. After a couple more rounds of bleach, I'm all blonde and all happy - thanks to my genius stylist Jen.

A selfie tour of my various bathrooms & bedrooms

Throughout this process, I've learned to care a lot more about my hair and what I do to it. I used to be able to knot it on top of my head, no hair tie or bobby pin necessary. It was easy and convenient, but it was weakening my hair like nobody's business. With the short cut, I wear it down almost daily - and if it's going to be swinging around like that, it needs to look like I care.

First thing any blonde needs - blue shampoo. I'm not crazy, I'm anti-brass. Blue shampoo is the key to removing unwanted brassy or orange tones from blonde, silver, or grey hair. And for brunettes, it'll minimize the rusty look. Keep it on a few minutes longer than just a lather and rinse, and it works as a toner to blend your color and leave your highlights looking glorious. I've tried a few, but for me the best one has been Clairol Shimmer Lights. As always when you try a new product, if you're nervous or know you have high maintenance strands, ask your colorist or stylist first.

Now, I only blue myself about every other time I wash my hair. The rest of my washes are done with Adama Ancient Minerals shampoo - I'm in love. The coconut oil nourishes my cuticles, and all those minerals really do a number on my scalp pH. Can't say I notice a real difference with my pH levels as I am clearly not a scientist, but my hair has never felt cleaner or healthier. Plus the smell is heavenly. I used to think people that overloaded their hair with a million different scents were ridiculous, so I stuck to bottles with words like "clean" and "fresh," rather than "vanilla" or "coconut." I am a reformed woman - but I still stick to one scent family. I'm not an animal.

Which brings us to my favorite thing to use in the shower - Lush's American Cream. This was gifted to me by someone with incredible hair, so of course it's gotta be something good. I discovered the magic of Lush over a decade ago on a trip to Canada, and when it came to the States I was overjoyed. This conditioner has loads of fresh ingredients, including strawberries and - you guessed it - vanilla! My hair smells delicious and is super soft to boot.



Check back tomorrow for part two - because Friday is all about style, baby.