Wavy beachy hair...what I use

Here's my newest arsenal plus Rogaine . 

ReadHere about my hair loss struggles and how I fixed it. 

After using Olaplex  read Here about my love of it. 

After towel drying my hair...I use my Rogaine on the front section of my hair. (Rogaine is a life time commitment 2x a day everyday....And yes it totally works!) 

Then I spray all over with the Marrakesh  ...for my very long hair I spray probably 8-10 sprays....not much at all on the roots. All of the   Marrakesh products are natural and amazing!! 

Then I spray the Mermaid spray from ear length down maybe 5 sprays. It smells amazing! Like coconut vanilla yummieness! And has all natural ingredients. Check out all of their products...Here.

Then the secret to beachy waves is this Bumble and Bumble Surf spray new version!  I spray it 

on the bottom 6-7 inches of my hair.....it is for fine hair types like mine....I use the Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray original on occasion... But just on the bottom 2-3 inches. I would recommend the original to those of you with thicker (jealous) hair! 

Both Bumble sprays work wonders to create beachy waves! Infused with sea salts...they help to create naturally soft wavy hair! Swoooon! 

Before I blow dry I use My Amazing Blow Dry Secret ...this helps to not only protect my hair when I blow dry but it speeds up the drying process...for me about 2-3 minutes....typically it takes me about 5 minutes total to dry so this is a huge help! Yay! I discovered this product just about a month ago and I am thrilled that I did! Totally works! I also have Leave in conditioner by the same company...I 

use it some in place of the Marrakesh. 

After blow drying I will curl my hair away from my face...only the bottom half...leaving the ends out of the curling iron...

Then as a hair spray to hold the curl but not make it 80s style crunchy and helmety I use the Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Argan Oil...I actually love this hair spray...not only is it Sulfate free (very hard to find in a hair spray)... But also makes my hair stay without being a hard and dry..

And lastly...if there is any humidity at all....I spray all over with the Anti humidity spray....holy grail. It is the absolute best product for those of us that live anywhere there is the horrible humidity! Until I found this spray...I would leave with decent hair...walk out the door and have the frizziest poufy mess ever! Ummm basically my whole life......so this is a heavenly product for me! 

Yes yes yes I know...it sounds like a lot....but honestly it's just a few spray with different products...but these are the absolute best of the best products to achieve natural looking beachy 

waves.

It only takes me from start to finish about 10-12 minutes total. 

This was a really good hair day because for some odd reason we had no humidity!

This was after using a curling iron.

(Mini in the back eating:)) 

Natural waves here no curling iron used. Air dry only.

(Crazy mini photo bomber)

Let's talk hair products...OLAPLEX!

I love products...I am NOT low maintenance when it comes to hair, skin, and makeup.

I love to try the latest products.

I love love love to research products and see what's the best for my specific hair...or skin.  I have always done this....it's the main reason I became an aesthetician...because I wanted to learn the best products to use for my skin.

Here's my favorite breakthrough product in the past year! 

Olaplex....have you heard of it? 

Buy Olaplex ..(thank you for supporting my blog! Love you readers) 

About a year or so ago Olaplex was invented....by scientists not hair stylists. PHDs nonetheless. 

Basically your stylist will mix Olaplex with your hair color/developer to completely protect your hair from any breakage during your coloring/chemical process. That's right no breakage! And for fine haired girls like myself this is huge! 

And I love being a lighter golden blonde with my naturally medium brown hair....and with Olaplex it can happen without me having to worry if I'm gonna have my hair fall out....(yes this has happend at a salon to me...several times...) 

Plus and this is a huge plus....you can take hair many levels lighter without the risk of damaging the hair or any breakage occurring!! So you can go super light without any concern! Or pink or whatever color you like! 

This is huge in the hair industry! HUGE!! 

I would imagine that this is how the Kardashians go from their naturally dark hair to very very pale blonde....without the damage. 

So ask your hair stylist to use it at all of your color appointments. All!! You will be amazed at how your hair looks and feels. 

Olaplex also has an at home version. Buy Olaplex (this is the at home version you need) ..

You use the at home version before you shampoo and condition and it makes your hair like total silk! 

You leave it in for 10 minutes on damp hair and then shampoo and condion like normal...use one time per week. And note to self you only need a quarter size amount...even with my long locks I only use a quarter and a half from roots to ends. 

Even in the dead of humidity hell in the south I had little to no frizz....

This pic was taken in super humid Floirda weather...and look no frizz! 

Again Florida vaca and no frizzy mess! Just soft healthy looking hair!

It seriously is the biggest breakthrough for anyone that colors their hair....be it balagye...highlights...all over color....Olaplex is it! 

And again thank you for supporting my blog....by clicking to purchase you are helping me to homeschool! 

Hair obsessed

I have been obsessed with my hair for as long as I can remember.

Wanting long blonde hair like Goldilocks when I was 8. 

Then it progressed to Christy Brinkley. 

Then I wanted BIG 80s hair.

Then über long hippie hair like Kate Moss. 

Then shorter very blonde....kept that for many years!

Discovering hi and low lights in the early 2000s. 

Then way over processing for over 10 years! Bring on the bleach....the blonder the better! I never wanted to see even the slightest brown in my hair! No natural color showing at all!  

Throughout my obsession I've tried just about every product...every conditioner...every anti frizz...everything to make my hair look better, feel better, and be "pretty". 

I have overdosed on it all....bleach, hilights, low lights, flat irons, hair drying...curling...hair spraying...

Yep even hair loss. Read about that Here. 

I have always been envious of women with long locks that are so freaking healthy. 

Silky...smooth...no frizzies.

My daily routine consisted of every morning washing, conditioning...then blow drying, and then curling. Every. single. day. For many many years!!!!

And even though my hair is so much healthy since discovering balagye...read about that Here again

I still felt like it could be much better.

Jump ahead to vaca week.

Every time i go on vaca I stop the hair insanity.

I don't dry or curl my hair at all for the whole time! 

This year was no different. 

And I even took it a step further....washing in the evening...and letting my hair dry completely naturally and not doing anything to it during the day. No curling. Nothing! Nada! 

Typically I come back from vaca and start the ridiculous hair routine back.

Wellllll not this year!

I am on week 4 of no blow drying, no curling iron....and only washing in the evening. 

Whoooooaaaaa! 

The difference in my hair in over 3 wks is amazing! 

Silky...yes!

Soft...yes!

Do I need to use any frizz products ....no!!

Does it look bad....no! Very wavy and beachy.

Time savings...20 minutes per day! 

I truly feel like I have healthy Gisele hair! All from not blow drying and using a curling iron.

Plusssss....it is Sooo liberating to feel like I am not a slave to my hair. To feel like really who's looking at my hair that closely. Does it really matter? No! Does it look that much different NO!!

Typical post daily washing...drying and curling iron. 

During vaca week ....5 days no blow drying or iron used. 

As you can see very wavy...naturally that is.

This was the end of vaca week...so one week with no hair dryer and no curling iron. 

Long live healthy hair!

What I use - my favs with fantastic ingredients - no sulfates!
Loo Poo shampoo or Marrakesh shampoo
Loo poo and conditioner or Marrakesh conditioner
Marrakash leave in treatment - the best detangler!!
Marrakesh Oil  - loving it!!

Yes Im 41 with long hair!

While long hair over 40 used to be a super faux pas ( according to some shi shi foo foo mags) i don't usually follow those rules.

I mean just look at Molly Sims....over 40 with amazing long blonde hair! 

(Photo courtesy of startraks.)

Look at Heather Thompson of Real Housewives of NYC. Amazing long hair...not sure of her age...but fabulous blonde hair! 

(Photo courtesy of her fb page.)

I have always coveted uber long gloriously long thick locks! 

And have never really had them.

So over the past three years I've thrown caution to the wind and tried my darndest to not go crazy with trims. While yes i know they make the ends look clean.. I think i was getting too much chopped off..(my fault not stylist). 

I have also worked super hard to get my hair to look beachy cool. 

Like this... (Photo courtesy of lovethispic.com)

Or this...(photo coutrtesy of Guy Tang.)

Post workout dirty sweaty hair but finally very long!!

Read Here about my hair difficulties...it's been a lonnnnngggg road pun intended! 

I have also stopped drying...curling...and fixing my hair!! Very liberating!! 

That's right!

I am no maintenance with hair...started while we were on vacation and I have just keep going now. Been about three weeks now! And i am a saving 20 minutes daily...yay

Plus my hair is so much shinier and healthy feeling! 

And it's truly doesn't look bad.

The above pic is without any blow drying or curling. 

Washed it at night. 

Put it in a braid for working out and then took the braid out voila....

Low poo... What?

Ok so if you have not heard about Low Poo...here's what it is. Basically, instead of never washing your hair...or skipping days with smelly hair..(ahem mine two days after working out with no shampooing)..then you use this..

It's a very low studsing shampoo that won't wrench havoc on your hair. It keeps mine soooo silky and it won't fade your color. I'm in love! 

DevaCurl Low-Poo Mild Lather Cleanser

Hair Arsenal

Being that I workout most days...my hair drives me nuts most of those days...

Should I wash?
Can I just wear it up today?
Do I have to fix it AGAIN?
Is it going to be frizzy today?
Where am I going?

AHHHHH!

The never ending stay at home mom, fitness fanatic, homeschoolin hair!!

But I still want to look fabulous and not LOOK like I am just at home and that the only place I have been is Publix or the gym.

My hair is fine...very fine...looks greasy at the roots...but my hair itself is on the dry side. I use Moroccanoil Treatment Light,  on the ends only...to help with the dryness.
I am sweaty most days from running or lifting. And I suffer from thinning hair. You can read more about that...Here...

So what I have found is that if I don't wash it on a day after I work out...it is very greasy and rogaine ish looking.

rogaine itself doesn't make it greasy. 

But  rogaine 2x a day plus sweat and no washing and it looks greasy. 

Sooo I use Cake beauty powder! And it is a complete life changer!  I sprinkle the yummy goodness on my roots and not only does it smell amazing...it makes my hair look clean! 

I also use Cake Beauty spray...I started with the whole kit but now I just buy the larger size because I spray it all over. It's not overwhelming like perfume at all! Because I am not a fan of perfume. This is like a vanilla softish scent. I use it on my hair and a few spritzes on my body. Pipiri loves it too! Oh and it's an all natural product! 

I am dying to try this one too by Cake Beauty....Cake Beauty Dry Shampoo Spray...! 

I also love beach sprays...to make my hair more wavy. I usually use Not Your Mother's Beach Babe ...but I found this Charlotte Ronson one and have been using it a bit on days I wash my hair. It's not as good as the Not Your Mothers Beach Babe. I think it feels a bit heavy and weighs it down some.

Hair....over processed...hair loss...rogaine....yay

My hair has always been a source of annoyance for me. My natural hair is wavy...brown....I think?? Being that it has not seen its true natural state since ummm 5th grade.

I have basically longer for the perfect blonde hair since 6th grade when I discovered the ole sun in. I would bleach my naturally brown hair white all summer long...then I would be so sad when summer was over and it would grow back brown. I tried several times to use the hair dryer like the sun in bottle so elegantly describes but I always send up a delightful shade of orange. This routine went on thru middle school. With my lovely fried white/orange/gross hair.

Then high school I discovered highlighting...but every single time I would get my hair done I would never be happy with the results. Too blonde, fried, too white, too much....

Then I discovered a hair stylist an hour away that could fix my hair....so my mom drove me there and he would "low light and high light" my hair. He got my hair very healthy over the course of a couple of years...I was happy for a bit.....

Then it just wasn't blonde enough for me...so I switched and went to someone new and agin the whole gross white blonde fried started again. 

When I got my asthetics license and started working for a hair salon I was thrilled. I thought yay I can get the hair I want and that I did. I found wonderful stylist that made me blonde I was able to have long blonde hair just like I wanted. I got it highlighted ALOT!  Every 4-5 weeks. As soon as I would see dark roots back I would go to have more highlights weaved in. 

And before I knew it I was super bright blonde....almost clear blonde....again I had taken it way to far....too much...too often...

It was not good! I had way over processed hair. 

Then I got pregnant...and omg how much hair I had! If you don't know...when you get pregnant the hair you normally shed doesn't fall out so you have a ton of hair! I had the thickest most awesome hair ever.....it was great! Long...thick...blonde...over processed yes...but I loved it!

Well then....the worst! The loss of hair post pardum.

About month 4 after having my daughter my hair started falling out. So all of the hair that I had gained during pregnancy was falling out and even more...it was terrible!  After one month of my hair falling out...on sides of my head my full scalp was showing...about 4 inches on each side. I describe it as similar to male pattern baldness. Like an M shape where my hair line is.

There are very few photos of this because I was soo mortified....these are the only ones I could
find...and they really don't show it well....

Hair really falling out here! Balding patches starting to show.

I had bangs cut to cover the balding areas...notice the very dark roots and overly processed rest:(

I had shorter pieces cut to help cover the areas...I also completely stopped highlighting a few months after it started to fall out.

I also bought a ton of hats..

At the 6 month mark I had tried a ton of different things

1. Saw my Derm for cortisone scalp injections, once a month.

2. Biotin.

3. Viviscal.

4. Nioxin.

5. Bangs/side pieces cut to cover areas.

6. Clip in hair extensions.

7. Stopping high lighting...embracing natural ombré.

Still nothing worked!

I had serious bald patches.

At the 2-2.5 year mark...after dyeing my ends to match my roots...completely stopping the bleach addiction aka highlighting....I still had bald spots!!!

Then when I was due for a hair cut with my stylist I noticed that his bald spot in his hair had vanished!! Did he have plugs put in? Omg I had to know the secret! 

He had been using a combination of rogaine, Rene Furterer , and Rene Furterer Complexe 5.

Just topical  products!! 

So when I left I immediately bought everything he was using and started the same regimen. 

I also had an awesome conversation within the next couple of days about the importance of fat in my diet with my fav nutritionist. He told me to add more fat in the am. So I starting eating this. And using this to sauté my dinner veggies at night. I also started eating more eggs thruout the week.

AND 

I started researching and had found out some great info about scalp massage and the importance of blood flow to your scalp. I started doing this every time I washed my hair. Basically with my finger tips I massaged my shampoo into my entire scalp for about 2 minutes before rinsing. Not rough...just nice and gentle.... like your giving yourself a scalp massage with shampoo. I focused on the bald sparse patches. 

So with a ton of patience.... after 3-4 mths after using my new routine.....I had sooooo much more hair! My patches were filling in with tiny baby hairs. My scalp started to not show as much. It was amazing!!

Within 6 months there was a huge difference! I would say 70% of my hair was back. I cut a few more side bangs just to help cover where the new growth was coming in...but I had hair!!

Then my stylist of over 12 years stopped doing hair! Ahhh! I loved him! He and I had been through so much together...I would so miss him! 

I had to find someone new...someone I trusted with my new baby hair...I wanted a new look for my new hair...something really gentle..someone that I could fully trust.

So I started researching what type of highlighting Gisele, Sarah Jessica Parker used...it was definitely not bleached...it was not foil highlights as you could not see a line of demarcation when they had their hair done...so what was it??

BALAYGE

With the balayge technique the stylist uses a sweeping motion on specific sections of hair and paints the color in a V shape down your hair shaft...thus no harsh line of demarcation. No out growth...no roots!!

So I found a new stylist that does this technique, I scheduled a consult with her, and loved her! 

I told her all of my hair woes...the hair loss...the gentleness I was needing...how I didn't want to use bleach...Or look stripey...how I wanted to have beautiful golden Gisele hair.

So now with a bit of tweaking she has taken my hair to places I never knew it could go! She rocks! I love her too! I never knew I could be so lucky to find two hairstylist that I adore! And that I have a friendship with...

I am soo greatfull!!

I actually LIKE my hair!! 

It is soft, healthy, blonde...but not overly...not stripey....just really pretty!!! 

Thank you thank you thank you to both of my hair gurus! 

This is my hair stylist info...she's the best!!

Element salon...Glenda Martin...elementsalonnashville.com

My routine is now the following...

1. wash and condition hair daily with this and I still massage every single time I wash...

2. this as my leave in detangler/leave in conditioner

3. this FOR LIFE as my hair regrower!!!! (I stopped the Rene Furterer products after one year and just continue with the rogaine only)

4.  this as my treatment to also add shine and protect during blow drying and curling iron use

5. this for days when i dont want to wash...or if I am just hanging out at home...plus it smells incredible!

6.  this for my post curling..to give it a slept in look... no perfect curls...I am more of a deshelved bohemian!