Friday Five

1. I'm currently dancing at the state dance team competition! Prelims are today and if we rank in the top ten by the end of the night, we'll be dancing at finals tomorrow!

2. Dry shampoo is my new lifesaver. I've been using a volumizing kind from TRESemmé and it has changed my life.

3. I've found a dress for the Turnabout dance in March! I'm borrowing it from a friend and I don't want to say too much about it...but it's pink!

It's also super body-con, which brings me to my next item...

4. I've decided that after Nationals, I'll be going on a cleanse. I wanted to do one as a New Year's Resolution, but January is such a stressful time for me already with finals and being in the full swing of competition season that it just wouldn't be healthy or safe. The last half of February is pretty mellow though, and it's right before Turnabout, the Poms Fashion Show, Spring Break....basically perfect timing. I'm definitely planning on posting extensively about my experience on the cleanse.

5. Less than a week (six days!!!!) until Nationals. The next Friday Five will be posted from DisneyWorld! WHEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

Have a fabulous weekend, y'all!

XO

My Hair Routine: Part Two

Here's part two of my two-part post on my hair routine. You can read part one here.

My hair routine for when I wear my hair curly is a lot less intense than my routine for straight hair. I use a lot less product, a lot less time, but I still like my hair more when it's straight. That means I wear it straight way more often than I wear it curly, even in the summer. But when I want to change it up and go natural, here's what I do to style it.

I wash it the same as I do when I wear it straight, so I'm not going to go in-depth on that. Shampoo, condition, deep-condition once or twice a week. Nothing fancy, really.

Once I get out of the shower, I run three big dollops of TRESemmé Flawless Curls Mousse all through my hair with my fingers, concentrating on the ends and the middle of the shaft.

After that, I mix together a little each of MoroccanOil and the Neutrogena Split End Mender mentioned in Part One.


Air dry.


That's it. Call me crazy, I don't know why I don't just go curly more often. Sometimes I even confuse myself.


XO

My Hair Routine: Part One

This is going to be a two part post, with one part covering my hair when it's straight, and the second covering my hair when it's curly.

I have a lot of long, thick, curly hair. However, eighty percent of the time, I wear it straight. I like it better straight, and it's really just easier to deal with throughout the day. Everyone always asks me how don't go insane straightening my hair all the time, but I've just gotten used to it. I know that every other night, I'll be spending up to an hour and a half straightening my hair. I've gotten pretty good at it, and pretty fast too, but I have lots of practice!

It all starts with washing my hair. I use Neutrogena's Triple Moisture line, starting with the shampoo and then working in the conditioner. When I condition, I leave it in for at least three minutes and make sure to comb through my hair while the conditioner is in to get out all the tangles.

Once or twice a week I use the Deep Recovery Hair Mask to keep my hair soft and healthy.

When I get out of the shower, I give myself a few minutes to let my hair air dry a little so that it isn't sopping wet. Once it's just damp, I put in most of my products.

I start with TRESemmé Thermal Creations Volumizing Mousse. I use about a tangerine-sized amount, and run it through my hair with my fingers, concentrating on the upper back of my head where I like the most volume.

After I put in my mousse, I spray my whole head with this oil sheen spray. Holding the can about ten inches away from my head, I pick up all my hair and let it fall through the spray so that it's evenly coated without being too saturated, since the oil is super concentrated. I've been using some sort of oil sheen spray since the first time I ever blew out my hair, which was when I was 6 (Mama was doing most of it for a while), and it works like a dream to get my hair super straight.

The last thing I put in my hair is the Triple Moisture Split End Mender. I just put in a little from mid-shaft to the ends to seal up and prevent split ends.

And now, the main event. I pin up most of my hair on top of my head, and work in layers from the bottom in the back up and over to the front. I use a Chi blowdryer and flatiron, and I flatiron each layer right after I blow it out. I also use a large round brush to blowdry and a fine tooth comb for when I flatiron it. To keep my volume, I spritz the roots of each layer with a little hairspray before I blowdry. I like TRESemmé's Extra Hold Non-Aerosol Hairspray.

Once all my hair is straight, I tease the back a little bit and lock it in place with more hairspray and TRESemmé's 24 Hour Body Finishing Spray.

I don't spray my hair straight from the can or the bottle, instead I spray a fine tooth comb and run it through the top layer of my hair to avoid stiffness and crunchiness.

My last step is a few drops of Morrocanoil on the ends for extra shine and softness. It also helps to keep my hair frizz-free, which is a huge help!

What's your straightening routine?

XO

North Shore Prep