I’m doing something right!

I used to get my hair cut every 8-10 weeks, as I thought that’s what you were supposed to do, when you’re growing your hair out. Late September was my last scheduled hair appointment, and the day before I ended up canceling and re-scheduling because I thought my hair looked rather good and didn’t need the scissors put to it. I hadn’t straightened it since August, I didn’t have any split ends, so I said frig it and I ended up booking for the next appointment within two weeks. Except, I didn’t realize my hair stylist was so popular and couldn’t get in until October 22. No big deal. So 12 weeks passed since I received my last hair cut and when I went in, I told the stylist my hair grew a tremendous amount. I mean check it out.

Here’s a photo of me a few days after I got it cut, and then here’s a photo 12 weeks later. Look at the growth! I should’ve washed my hair in the yellow-cardigan photo, but I was getting it washed and styled that very same day at the salon. So I didn’t. But you can totally tell that its grew an inch or more in 12 weeks, right?

When I went in to get my hair trimmed, my hair stylist told me to keep doing what I’m doing. I told him I’ve been using hair serums while my hair is damp, and after I blow dried it. I also use my boar bristle brush to blow dry it straight instead of using the hair straightener. That’s all I’ve been doing! I even break a lot of “rules” and shampoo, condition and blow dry every day. I can’t stand not washing my hair. I’ve tried it a handful of times to train my hair to not separate in the back when I sleep. Because when I wake up I look like I’m balding. Nothing fixes it. My issue isn’t grease, it’s separation! Try and fix that, dry shampoos. Nuh uh, not happening.

Frontal: Hair before // Hair after

Backside: Hair before // Hair after

He put velcro rollers on my crown to give it volume. I say it was a waste of time, since my hair kinda looks fuller in the before photo. He also straightened my ends, which was nice for a change, to have it all sleek looking.

Alright, so the before and after photos of my hair cut aren’t that drastic, but I like making a blog post about hair cuts, because — getting a hair cut can be traumatic to me. I’ve had many many issues with bad hair cuts, dyes and whatever else comes with it. So far so good with this stylist. I’ve been to him 3 times now. No screw ups yet! He’s just incredibly expensive.

I also wanted to tell you that all of my layers are gone. My hair is fine, but I have a lot of it. I want it to look as thick as possible at the ends, rather than have them all straggly looking. Until my hair is longer, I won’t have layers. But when it grows to about my mid-upper arm, I’ll think of putting back long hardly noticeable layers lol..

Yay for good hair cuts!

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Getting nutty with my hair

Today’s blog post? A rave about Macadamia natural oil line I’ve discovered. Conveniently enough, Flat Iron Experts sent me some of the products to try out! Bonus, saving my own money and trying out a product I’ve always wanted to purchase is a way better dealio! Right?

They sent me 3 Macadamia Hair Care products and I went to town on my hair immediately. My hand was a little shaky. Guess you could say I was more than a little excited to start using the products.

Macadamia Natural Oil Rejuvenating Shampoo. I found that the shampoo was more liquidity than my Aveda shampoo that I use on a regular basis. Of course, as everyone always says the Macadamia natural oil shampoo smells amazing and does wonders for my limp hair. I’d describe the scent as an Aveda hair salon. Hey, other hair salons smell different. Macadamia nut oil products smell earthy just like Aveda does, and I love that sort of smell.

The Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque is basically a conditioning mask which is quite an intense conditioner, you want to use this at most 2x a week. Using this alone changes my hair texture, I usually blow dry my hair straight with a brush. But with this conditioner I feel like I can blow dry my hair upside down and it doesn’t get frizzy.  I simply followed the directions on the jar and left it in my hair for 5-7 minutes while I was showering, and washed it out. You can use your regular conditioner on your ends, before using the mask (again, only on your ends). But I felt daring and just shampooed and put the mask in my hair directly after.

The Macadamia Natural Oil Healing Oil Treatment is comparable to argan and even Moroccan oil. However, you’ll have to be careful with the oil itself as it can get heavy if you use too much. Only use a tiny tiny amount and apply it only on your ends.

This is how much I use, and I use it when my hair is damp and towel dried, and then again after I’ve blow dried my hair to give it a bit more shine. If I was going to only choose one product to get, I’d suggest the oil since I like how sleek it makes your hair feeling, without making it look oily. Make sure that you apply it to the ends first, then working your way up to the roots. I’d even suggest not putting it on your roots at all, as it may get oily. But I’ve tried and tested and I can do so, to get the little fly-aways to tame down.

These products are perfect for me at this point right now as my hair is currently dyed. Think candy-corn (yes, three colors) but on a much more muted scale. I went on a hair dying spree from March to May, and my hair has been damaged from it a bit. My ends are dry and I’ve been trying my best to not use my hair straightener and I haven’t used it AT ALL in September or October. Are you proud of me? You’d think with the fine, flat hair that I have that this product would’ve been too intense, or heavy, or oily/greasy on my hair. But it isn’t. Everything in  moderation. I don’t pile anything on my hair, especially these products. The only thing that touches the roots of my hair is my shampoo. Everything else I apply on my hair whether it be in the shower, or any heat styling products always and only always goes at the ends of my hair – below my ears.

Macadamia nut oil products conditions my hair, makes it shinier, softer and more manageable. I’ll definitely keep this product in mind when I need to go out and purchase it after I’ve used it all up. I’ve even seen their products at Winners.

Do you use anything in your hair for styling or conditioning? What do you use?

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Let’s talk about hair brushes

I probably shouldn’t even be writing a hair care post. Because as soon as I started caring about my hair, that’s when it all went down hill. Funny how it worked out that way. All throughout High School I had shiny, very healthy hair and I never got hair cuts, I also wore it up in a pony tail almost every day of those 4 years. I didn’t go to hair salons. My Mom often told me when to cut my hair and she did it herself! Savin’ the dolla bills.

Now I blow dry my hair, I straighten it and use Aveda shampoo. I’ve been getting regular trims every 10 weeks (but now I’m going to push it back to every 12 weeks or so because I would like it if my hair were a bit longer). It needs a break from all the damage of the blow dryer and straightener. Every single day.

But get this. I’ve decided to give my hair a break. I haven’t used my hair straightener for the month of September, or October. After my last hair cut I decided to see what the turn-out would be if I took a break from it. So far so good! The reason why I used to straighten my hair so much is when I used my Body Shop (see below) hair brush, my hair wouldn’t go straight. I decided to pick up a boar bristle hair brush and when I blow dry it with that, it stays straight! I have flat hair, dry with a round brush occasionally and it still goes flat at the end of the day.

I’ve had that hair brush on my wishlist for a while, so when I was in San Diego I popped into Sephora to buy it since I wouldn’t have to rack up a $120 Sephora online order to get free shipping. Oh, and my local Sephora doesn’t carry hair brushes, I asked that the day the place opened. Shame. OK! So! I picked up the Boar Bristle Hair Brush. It has received 187 reviews with 4.5 stars so it must be doing something good, for people.

Of course there are cheaper alternatives found at Shoppers Drug Mart, or Walmart for that matter — but hello you earn points when you shop at Sephora!

For the past number of years, and I know it has been more than 6 years because I’ve had this brush before I met Scott (how I remember odd things like when I purchase hair brushes, and not remember movies I went ot last week, I do not know why)  — and before that I had the exact same one I left in a hotel once, so I had to re-purchase it. It’s a Body Shop cushiony pin brush that seems to work well. Or so I thought, until I bought my Boar bristle. Rawr!!

I tried to find the exact dupe of the hair brush I own, on The Body Shop’s site — but I can only find these. Lameo. Anyway, this is my very own hair brush I’ve been using for many years:

Also, I do use this $7  wooden wide tooth comb to detangle my hair when I get out of the shower. Detangle is a word Mister Firefox, stop making it a squiggly red line underneath.Getting back on topic as to why I’m not needing to straighten my hair every day. Blow drying my hair with The Body Shop cushiony one was fine if I wanted to look like a 5th grader. It left my ends wonky, au-naturale looking and just all over the place. I had to straighten my ends basically, to get a sleek look even after I’ve gotten fresh trims. When I use my Sephora boar bristle brush it basically straightens my ends for me, brushing my hair the exact same way when blow drying. I do not understand why, but I’ll take it!

I’ve been recommending this (or any boar bristle) brush to everyone lately! Have you ever used one? I think I had a travel sized one back in high school and I remember it used to give me a sleek pony tail with no bumps. Are you picky with your hair brushes? What sort of one do you use on your hair?

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