Hair secrets and tips, Olaplex and Pravana.

Hello and for a while now everyone has been asking me about my hair. I am always bleaching it to add a new fun color and a lot of people ask me how I manage to keep it so long, hence the question is my hair real or fake? My hair is real I don't have any extensions. I have used extensions in the passed. I had the hot heads which attach using a medical grade tape and can be reused they don't have the same bulky heavy feel that clip in or the old style braided and threaded in extensions have. I can't do the threaded in ones they are so heavy on my head and I suffer from migraines so not good for me. 

I also have had the glue in kind but never really liked any of them longer then a few weeks. Its fun to add length when you have shorter hair and want to have it long quick. I use clip in pieces for special events or if I have a style I want to wear that I need added length but not often. My hair is all mine. I recently committed to not cutting it off for four years about two years ago. I had cut it short and regretted it so I decided I would let it grow out. I still get tempted to cut side bangs or layer it but my hair lady knows not to listen to me for another couple years lol. 

My hair colors are all done in the salon, I use to color my own hair for many years before Pravana became really popular in the salons because it was hard to find salons that carried the colors I wanted. Now you can find them in almost every salon. I use Pravana dye and then I touch up my roots once every 3-4 months. I use a technique they call Balyage, where the stylist paints the highlights on with a brush versus using foils so you don't have the bad re growth and it doesn't need to be touched up every few weeks. I like a natural look on my blonde because I was born blonde. I change my blonde often lighter in the summer, more golden or honey in the fall and more of a strawberry blonde in the spring. I love ombré I don't have it in me to dye my entire head one color. I get bored with hair color very quick and it is a lot easier to only have to strip the ends and underneath versus my entire head. I also like my natural color to frame my face because I think it looks best with my complexion, there is a reason we are born with it. I always like my lighter blonde shades right around the front framing my face.

Okay so the next question I always get is how do you keep your hair looking so healthy when you strip it and bleach it so often. Before a year and a half ago, it was always using a clear coat and developer to strip my hair instead of bleach. I still don't use bleach to strip my hair but when using the pravana colors usually the stylist is well trained in what procedures work best to remove the bright colors without damaging the hair.

Also I have never been one for shampooing my hair a lot. I don't use shampoo first off I use a cream cleanser with no sulfate or harsh soaps. I only wash it once a week, between washing I use dry shampoo, or baby powder lightly to absorb any grease or oils. For a year I used the Wen products but got costly and wasn't loving them. Matrix makes a similar product that smells amazing but u actually use my own concoction that I created. It has aloe, olive oil, keratin, and coconut oil in it and then I use a cream cleanser that conditions and cleanses at the same time. 

       //My Best Hair Secret: Olaplex//

Olaplex three step system for protecting hair. 

I don't use any styling products in my hair. No gel, hair spray, mousse nothing. I use the Wet Brush to de tangle and then every other week I do a deep condition treatment in my hair. My true secret for the last year and a half is Olaplex. I have mentioned it in previous posts and on my social media. It is an amazing product that came out around the time I started using it and they mix it with the products when stripping your color or lifting (bleaching) and then my stylist also uses after she dyes my hair, then I have step 3 for at home use. I don't over use it cause to much of a good thing can always be bad eventually, but if used just right it is amazing. I don't have to cut inches off my hair every time I change my color because the Olaplex saves it every time. My hair usually looks healthier after my color is done then it did before. 

I am so addicted to Olaplex that I don't use anything else and refuse to color my hair without. It's my secret weapon. Yes, I trim my hair every 2-3 months when I touch up my color to remove split ends. I only wash once a week, try not to use hot tools like flat iron, curling iron or blow dryer. When I do use hot tools I have a spray in protector for my hair, I also use Miracle 10 leave in spray in my hair after every wash. Also when using hot tools I let my hair air dry then right before it is fully dry I use cool air from my hair dryer to fully dry it and then hot air to smooth it. I don't use styling products because they usually make my hair greasy or cause build up which would make me have to wash it more often. 

When I shower I wear a towel wrapped around my hair or a shower cap, my shower cap is scented so it makes my hair smell yummy after I get out of the shower. I have a silk pillow case so my hair doesn't crease when sleeping or get messed up. I could go on for hours with hair tips. I always have loved to style hair and color hair, all my friends come to my house for blow dry or to have their hair curled. 

//Google before and after photos of hair that Olaplex has been used on for some amazing results you can see for yourself. I have been using it for awhile so I don't have before and after shots of my own, then before Olaplex I have used Keratin and usually get my hair blown out after my color so it almost always looks healthy and amazing when I leave the salon, but Olaplex has changed my hair for the better for sure, and made my crazy coloring even more possible because now I have Olaplex to protect my hair from future damage. //

When I use the flat iron I only go over the top by my roots or crown of my head because that is the only area that looks wavy usually. Then when using a curling iron I start with the hair closest to my scalp and curl then gradually pull down to bring in the ends and hold that area the least amount of time so it doesn't get damaged. We all know that the ends of our hair are the most damaged so as long as you keep long exposure to heat off the ends it is all good. 

//Biolage Matrix makes this amazing cream cleanser for the hair that doesn't strip natural oils from your hair and it smells amazing. //

When I have fly aways or need something to smooth my hair I will use Bio Silk oil or Redken frizz dismiss but only a tiny amount and try to stay away from your roots and only use on your ends to avoid greasy or oily hair. Another great tip is using clips instead of hair bands when wearing your hair up, that way you don't get a line or crease in your hair. If you do get a crease you can use the flat iron quick to smooth it out. 

               Redken Frizz Dismiss

Hope this helped with some of the questions I always get asked about my hair. My ombré is done similar to my roots with the balyage style application of color. I color the underneath of my hair using the lighter shade closest to my roots since that lifts the lightest then going darker as it gets to the ends. Then on the middle and top layer I have blonde roots with the color going from lighter to darker, darkest part being on the ends. Also remember that the color will bleed when washing so you have to use dark towels, and be prepared for some bleeding on your linens, bedding and clothes. I use shout to remove from my clothing and hot water removes any dye from my pillow cases. If the hair is wet and it bleeds that color will not come out that is why I recommend gray or black towels for your hair when using Pravana colors. My orange and coral has not bled at all but when I had my purple and magenta colors those bled big time. I had purple on everything and I have white bedding lol. 

//My personal collection of favorites for leave in, frizz smoother and brushes.//

So be sure if you are bleaching, stripping and dying your hair to ask your stylist about Olaplex. In use the 3 step treatment that you can at any salon supply store but have to have your license or your stylist purchase. Step 1 is used when lifting or bleaching, step 2 is used after rinsing color before drying, then step 3 you take home a small bottle to use after washing. It is amazing and my favorite hair product ever. 

//Hope the photos of my hair curly and straight then below some other colors help show the health, length and then how vibrant the Pravana colors are. Above photo was taken today and my color was done the first week of July. It's still as vibrant as the day I got it done just need to do my roots soon. Love the Balyage style high lighting because it doesn't go all the way to the root on each section so it doesn't show regrowth right away like regular highlights tend to.//

Then if you are washing your hair daily or multiple times a week try cutting back to 2-3 days a week, or as little as you can. Also try using a cream cleanser, sulphate free shampoo and products. Then remember the less styling products you use the less oil and grease or build up from styling products you will have in your hair so you won't need to wash as often. Grab a bottle of dry shampoo, even suave makes an inexpensive dry shampoo that works amazing. It's basically powder in a can. I used baby powder for years before the dry shampoo came out. I admit I am lucky I don't have thin hair I have thick curly hair so my hair doesn't get greasy quick. I can a week or longer without washing it but I don't like how it feels. Sometimes I will just rinse it and use conditioner to scrub my scalp then rinse to make it feel clean, specially when I am going to the gym or over the summer when I sweat more. 

If you have hair that tangles or is hard to comb after washing you need a Wet brush I have three in my house and we all love them. I also use a wide tooth comb, if I don't have time to dry my hair before bed, I towel dry, spray in my miracle ten and brush out with a wide tooth comb then braid it loosely. The next morning I take out the braid and sometimes wear it wavy using a salt water spray for that beach wave or I just lightly dry using cool air then hot to smooth it down. 

Above are some photos of my favorite products and I have also posted about Olaplex, Pravana and other faves for my hair in the passed so check back some previous posts for more details. 

     

  

A few photos of my old hair colors top one is the most recent with the coral and orange ombré. All colors are Pravana. 

Any questions you have feel free to leave a comment below and I will do my best to answer for you. Also if I left anything out feel free to let me know. Xoxo❤️✌️

End of the week styles.

Quick post before bed to end the week with my outfits for Wednesday through today, Friday the 13th. Got my hair colored today and willl post a quick preview of how it came out at the end. I will have much better photos this weekend. These photos were taken at night with poor lighting. It always looks better in sunlight. I love it, the colors are so bright and vibrant. I stayed with the purple and blue tones but added more of the neon and pastel blue so that it doesn't look so dark. I also colored higher up on my top layer so now the underneath is three shades of blue and then the purple pravana from the vivids line. The blues I have are pastel, neon and vivid shades. The top layer had some purple and orchid that had faded to a light almost pastel pink. Now I have the neon and pastel blue also for a more ombré look, which looks teal and royal blue. Really happy with how it looks. My hair feels soft and looks shiny which is honestly amazing with all the coloring I have done the passed six years or longer. If you like cool and fun hair colors check out some of my older posts with hair photos. I am always changing my color, I have been in love with hair dye since I was 15. Being blonde makes it easy to be any color you want, also been using the new Olaplex system in my hair my passed few visits and won't color or bleach my hair without it. What an amazing product. Moving along,,,

Here are my outfits from Instagram posts for the rest of the week. Monday and Tuesday are in the previous post. 

Wednesday 

All ❤️ NOH8 from the NOH8 campaign. Love this tee. Paired it with a cute pair of LA Idol black capri length jeans. 

The Wander Full Great Smoky Mountains were calling me on Thursday and we are going to be heading there next week. Super excited. This cute tank is from Old Navy along with the gold long pineapple necklace.

Button down long sleeve tee with pineapples is from Target I got it on clearance last year, and the shorts are yellow JCrew chino shorts. Super soft and my favorite chino style shorts. I also have this same pattern tank top from Target and a cute cream with gold foil pineapples from Old Navy to match the necklace perfect. 

Today before my hair appointment I threw my hair in braids since it was raining and I was about to get it colored, I didn't sleep good last night due to my hubby working the midnight shift and being sick with a really bad head cold I suddenly came down with on Monday. No matter what I was not missing my appointment today. Always so excited to get my color done. Really didn't want to wear anything that could end up ruined from bleach or hair dye so figured I would wear some older clothes. 

I picked an old tee from Marshall's by Lucky Brand, this cute worn looking black tee says "Don't feed the hipsters" with a bear. Since the salon is always cold and it was raining decided to wear my leopard print cardigan from Kohl's by A Byer. Jeans are by American Eagle and are the super skinny stretch in dark wash. I rolled them up for a cropped look so the bottoms didn't get wet in the rain and threw on some cute leopard print reef sandals from Macy's. 

Hope you enjoyed my end of the week outfits, most of the items are older pieces I have had except for the NOH8 vneck tee which I purchased back in January online. Hope everyone had a great week and has a fabulous weekend. Xoxo ✌️❤️

I didn't forget here are a couple peeks at my hair, and promise to post better photos over the weekend when I have time to curl it and take some good shots. 

A little collage of some quick shots I snapped. Hard to see all the pretty colors and contrast. 

Here it is all pulled forward so you have some pieces peeking through that are from the back. Underneath is purple, dark blue and neon blue, then the top layer in the back is neon blue and pastel blue which gives a teal color when blended. Then you will also see some purple and pink left over from my ombré over the summer with the shades of purple and pink. 

My hair stylist uses Pravana color for my hair. Today I had some color applied to my roots to lighten and then she added these three colors. The middle bowl is a blend of pastel blue a neon blue, then you have the vivids purple and neon blue.

Can't wait to post more photos with better lighting so you can really see how pretty the colors are and the contrast. 

Enjoy and thank you for passing by. Remember life is too short for boring hair if you have been considering adding some fun color to your hair go for it. We only live once and it's just hair, it will grow out or you can always dye it back. Start small with some highlights or the underneath, maybe a thin layer and if you like it you can gradually do more. I highly recommend going to a salon because I have colored my hair at home, the color they sell at Sally's and other stores doesn't last long. Usually washes out or fades right away. Also I do not recommend bleaching your hair at home unless you have experience and help. I have colored hair for many years and still wouldn't do my own hair alone without someone to help with hard to reach areas. It's worth the extra money to get good quality hair dye that will last and someone with experience so you don't fry or ruin your hair. You can also by hot heads brand extensions in fun colors that are easily applied with a thin medical grade tap, no glue and they don't ruin your hair. They are also washable, reusable and you can style with flat iron or curling iron. They have small ones my salon sells for $5-7 each and I have a few wider ones I got for $10 each. You can google hot head extensions to read more about them. I have blonde ones in my closet I wore when my hair was short for a wedding, saving in case I ever want to add some length. Luckily my hair is really long, I cut off two to three inches today which was hard because I loved the length but needed it. Again can't rave enough about the Olaplex, balyage system. They have three steps one for adding to the bleach or color to lift your hair without burning or damaging which means you can now achieve the lightest shades possible. Second step is added to your hair after coloring to condition and seal the hair leaving it healthy and shiney. Then they have a third step to use at home. It works wonders and has improved my hair so much. I noticed a difference the first use, and keeps getting better. Trust me I strip and bleach often to achieve these bright vibrant colors because you have to have a white base. Google it for sure and ask your stylist it can be pricey but depends on the salon. I am lucky to have several friends with their beauty license and get it at retail. Paid $85 from the salon for a small amount and $30 for the third step but now pay way less at the beautician's cost. Having pretty cool hair isn't cheap or easy but thanks to pravana and my Olaplex I can have it. Okay I am off to bed, good night all... Sorry if any typos late and didn't sleep good last night. Bless you all ✌️❤️

My many shades of hair color

For those who read my blog regularly you know that since I started this blog back  3-4 years ago, I have always had fun colored hair. The artist in me loves to express my personality through my hair. I don't wear make up and I am not much of girly girl, more of a tomboy type, but I love hair color. For me I express my love for art and music through my hair, clothes and jewelry. 

I love heavy metal, rock and absolutely love going to concerts. The louder and crazier the better. I have always dressed in ripped jeans, lots of black, studs, leather and skulls. I was wearing skulls and ripped jeans as a teen. I also was dying my hair lol. I am blonde so it is easier to change the color often. 

I have tried every color and many different dyes, I have done it myself and now have a professional do it because it lasts longer. I use pravana hair dye now and the pigment is so much brighter and holds longer. Two summers ago I went from just dying the underneath layers to doing the ombré all over. I loved it and have been playing with different color combos ever since. I have dyed my entire head and I had the black underneath with black lowlights and white blonde highlights for a couple years in my mid twenties, it got very popular so decided to go to a red and blonde then got pregnant so just went natural. 

After I had my daughter I wanted to go super blonde so I started bleaching my hair myself which lead to boredom with it all being one color, that's when I started dying the fun colors myself again. The store bought dyes don't last and usually wash out a lot the first rinse. I started looking for a colorist and eventually my business baking led me to a party one night that I had a table set up at and I met a lady that was doing the hair for the fashion show for the event, she gave me her card and I eventually went to see her. I had not let anyone color my hair since before I was pregnant and the lady who did color my hair for ten years had moved to Texas. 

I started out just adding lowlights to add some pigment back to my hair along with contrast because It was super white blonde. After a few months I asked her about adding some pink and the rest is history lol. Like I mentioned above I started with just the underneath layer, then led to two layers one pink and one purple. Two summers ago as soon as the school year ended and I knew I didn't have to worry about people thinking, wow look at her, lol I went ahead and did the ombré. I had her dye the underneath purple and then the ends of all my hair a ombré purple. It came out amazing, I had the perfect blend of lilac, purple and then a bright darker purple on the ends. 

I kept that for almost two years adding some orchid, which is a pinkish purple. I loved it and then after this passed summer I decided I wanted to try the blue shades. In the passed I have posted many photos of my hair but got some recent shots of it that look pretty good. With the blue it is harder to see in photos the true colors. The purple was a lot easier some shots it would look more pastel but then some shots it would look really vibrant. 

If you are curious how I continue to lift my hair with out losing it or ruining it, my hair dresser introduced me to Olaplex, they have three products, one you add to the bleach when stripping or lifting the base, to help protect the hair and make the process be able to stay on longer without burning the hair, step 2 goes on after color to seal, protect and make it look amazingly healthy, and step 3 is a take home product you can use to continue to help reverse any prior damage. I highly recommend this product, it can be pricey but worth every cent 

Here are some shots from previous posts:  

 

Those are the pravana vivids purple ombré. I got this color done in March and it lasted till October. I got more compliments on my hair over the two years I wore the purple and pink then any other color I have done. Will probably go back after this summer. I stopped worrying about what parents at the school or anyone would think, I love it and enjoy it, so I am going to rock it. 

Below are some photos of the blue shades and you will see it either looks super bright or dark. 

This shot above you see more of the purple but this is the blue not the purple, I do have purple in it and even some pink still that didn't come out, plus she blended the underneath with purple, a royal blue and neon blue, then have some pastel and neon on the ends. 

Here you can see more of the blues and some of the purple. I use to wear my hair straight always but the coloring made me start to curl it, braid it and wear it wavy. 

Here it looks more of a dark almost navy blue. 

Funny I posted this photo on my IG and heard rumors I was being accused of touching up my photos. I don't have airbrushing or any editing software on my iPhone lol, barely have room for my photos always deleting photos and apps. I have pic tap go and vsco which you can add a filter or adjust colors etc but I don't touch up my photos and all of them are taken on my phone. This is the lighting, this shot was taken in front of white doors, with one over head light, it appears to be very bright and washed out my face. I laugh when people accuse you of retouching your photos because they don't have photos recent of themself and use old photos always. I promise I am not airbrushing or touching up my photos it lighting. I hardly ever wear makeup either, only for special occasions or if my face is breaking out which happens once every couple months. Also I have been accused of getting Botox lol, yes I have a post on here about my migraines and that I now use prescription Botox for the control of my migraines. It has been a life changer but it does not change my look at all. It is applied to the hairline, two shots between my eyebrows and the rest of the 34 shots all together are in my head, neck and shoulders, not my face. I have joked with the doctor about giving me some extra shots but he does not administer Botox for cosmetic reasons only for medical reasons. I am only 37 and I have always had a younger face, I take care of my skin and only issue I have since having kids is sunspots I get if I don't wear sunscreen daily. I always laugh when people have to act like high school even as grown thirty something women with kids lol. I don't have time, back to my hair, just wanted to clear that up really quick. I am horrible at taking selfies and practice more now that I post more shots of myself on here and my IG. I wish I could touch up or retouch some of my photos lol. 

Here you can see in the above photo some of the color but on the black cardigan it looks almost navy blue. My hair is super long, I am growing it as long as I can, hard because my hair is a lot of work but I am trying not to flat iron it or blow dry it like I use to, and let it just be so it can heal from all the heat styling snd color damage.  I have super strong hair trust me, it has been though a lot lol. 

The above photos are hard to tell the color due to the bright light, light hides a lot of things and can mask a lot of things but it can also change the appearance of colors. 

I took this shot outside on my patio when the sun was going to down some and not as bright, I am in the shade under a covered patio but this is the closest photos since I had it colored months ago in October, of the actual colors. 

As you can see it is fading on the ends but the middle section is still super bright and vivid. I love the neon blue, and pastel blue, of course the purple also. The purple is my favorite of all the shades I have used. 

 

Some of the blonde hair around my face has had some slight bleeding of the blue, which I worried about because if you are or have ever been a blonde green is not a color we want lol. I don't think anyone wants green hair, lucky for me mine is more of a turquoise or teal shade. 

I will be getting my color done in the weeks to come and decided one more go with the blue, I want to try just the pastel and neon blue. Ty for reading and if you are wanting to do this to your hair I recommend going to the salon. 

Wore my hair curly today have had it in a braid for a week or so probably since I have been cleaning or working around my home. Got lucky and captures some almost true to life color to show you. Finally lol