Hair play

I colored my hair the other day, it's a bit more dark brown now and more closer to my natural hair color. The hair dye should fade in about 24 washes but let's see how long it will last. I've been asked about how I do my hair a couple of times now, so I thought I'd let you in on my secrets.

Top: MTWTFSS
Specs: Monki

My hair is naturally wavy, so basically the waves you see in my hair are all au naturel. However, to get them even more curly, after a wash I usually squeeze the wet hair with a towel here and there to create curly locks. I like to towel dry my hair and never really use a blow dryer, unless I'm in a hurry. This way my hair dries wavy, yet manageable.

As you probably have noticed, sometimes I like to wear my hair shorter in a 1920's style soft bun (with a messy rock twist of course), and to achieve this look I simply gather some hair in a bun on the back, add some bobby pins to hold the bun, loose some strands of hair from the back and sides by pulling and lifting them with my fingers. Then I add either some spray-in moisturizer or curling balm to achieve the curly volume and voila, the hairdo is done. Very rarely do I use a straightining iron to get my bangs a bit like the 70's style.

My haircare products usually consist of any shampoo and conditioner you can get from your local super market (such as L'oreal El Vital or Pantene) but since I've been handed a few free products, I've moved towards professional salon products. Lately my hair has been washed and conditioned with John Frieda's "Brilliant Brunette Shine Release" which I've grown to like quite a bit, due to the fact that my extremely dry hair feels so soft and manageable after the wash. Afterwards I have added either Kadus' "Slalom Curl Balm" or 4R's "Moisture Mist"; a moisturizing conditioner spray which my hairdresser recommended and usually travels with me everywhere I go. For shine I add "Shine Drops" by Generic Value Products which you can find at Sally's in the States. They are actually a less expensive version of Paul Mitchell's Gloss Drops, if anyone is wondering what the heck am I talking about. Recently I have discovered a very similar product from L'oreal called "Lumino Contrast Nutriceride" which works just as good. The orange bottle in the picture is the latest addition to my collection and it's actually very handy when you want to create natural looking waves and more volume in your hair. The product is called "Salt Spray" by Fudge. I think you can get most of these products from your local hair salon.

Some of you readers have encouraged me to try a more radical haircut but believe me: been there, done that. I've grown to like this more natural look that creates a softer tone for me and brings contrast to my otherwise so harsh style. Bangs are also a must for me, basically can't live without them, so they will stick and stay no matter what. However, I think I am in a need of a trim, so maybe something other than this very minor coloring operation might be happening on the hair front. We'll see...