Fake It Til You Make It

     Yesterday I took a trip to Ulta (they have nail polish on sale for $2! I picked up a kelly green one & a lipstick for $4)...While I was there, I spotted this:

     Jessica Simpson clip-in bangs! WHAT. This is just too odd for me to really comprehend, so I'm just wondering what everyone else thinks?I can't really see it looking natural (especially from behind), but I could be mistaken. Don't get me wrong - I love fake hair, but only if it looks natural. Last summer I splurged a bit and dropped one hundred bucks on this hair piece (at the time my hair was a little past my shoulders) because I was regretting cutting all of my hair off and was obsessed with long hair. It's a bit of a pain to get in and can get pretty tangly, but I have to admit, I love it. I apologize for the awful Macbook pictures (I haven't worn it lately so I don't have any recent pictures, these are all from last year) but what do you think? It makes me feel pretty saucy, haha. I'm thinking I'll brush it out and wear it this weekend... 

Just pretend you can't see the mess in my closet!

Healthy Hair

     After doing some researching a few months back about how to keep my hair healthy while growing it long, I came across a horrifying fact (exaggerated, yes....but not to someone who loves their hair!): most shampoos available in stores contain ingredients that can be incredibly harmful to both your hair and your overall health. Check out this article about the specific ingredients and how they're harmful. 
     Regardless of whether you spend hours doing your hair every day (shout out to my mom! haha...just kidding), I don't know anyone who would want to put anything on their head that has the same main ingredient as antifreeze. I highlight my hair and since I've switched from Garnier Fructis to Tigi Catwalk Fashionista shampoo/conditioner my highlights don't fade as quickly and my hair just feels healthier overall. I can't speak for other hair colors, but a shampoo with a purple base (like the Fashionista shampoo) is best for blonde hair so that it doesn't turn brassy, especially if you have hard water. Even though switching shampoos and finding the right one is slightly annoying, you don't necessarily have to pay a lot more -- Burt's Bee's makes an all-natural Super Shiny Grapefruit and Sugar Beet shampoo  that sells for $7.97 at Walmart. 
     Also, don't ever brush wet hair with brush, make sure to use a wide-tooth comb! This has helped me a TON with breakage and don't forget to deep condition.

Deep Conditioning at Home

VO5 Hot Oil Treatment Two-Pack, approx. $4

     Hot oil is the most effective and cheapest hair conditioner - you can either buy it at the store or use oil from your kitchen. For a quick treatment, I use VO5 that comes in a two-pack for about $4 that you can find in the shampoo aisle. All you have to do is run it under the hot water in the shower for about a minute and then put all over your hair before you shampoo - but SKIP YOUR ROOTS. Otherwise, you'll end up super-greasy on top, so just to be sure I always try to avoid putting oil past the top of my ears. Wait a few minutes while you shower, then rinse and shampoo. 

     If you'd rather just use oil in your kitchen, or for a longer, deeper conditioning you can use extra virgin olive oil or canola oil. Some people like one better than the other, but it differs for everyone. For medium-length hair, try putting a little more than 2 tablespoons in a bowl and microwave for about 10 seconds, but just enough so that it's warm. Then put it in your hair (this part can be pretty messy) and make sure so focus on the ends. I like to leave it in for 1-2 hours so I wrap my hair in a hot towel or saran wrap. Saran wrap isn't too attractive and can be pretty tricky so I'd stick with the hot towel! 

     Personally, I think that extra virgin olive oil/canola oil conditions a lot better and you don't need to condition after shampooing it out. Just make sure to skip your roots!