New 'Do

Day 13 of NaBloPoMo. The writing prompt is about blood being thicker than water. I decided not to write it. Sorry.

Lorraine Massey is a curly hair genius. She is this British Hair Goddess, in my opinion. She wrote the Curly Hair Bible, aka Curly Girl : The Handbook. She opened one of the best curly-haired salons in the world, Devachan. I have followed her technique off-and-on since 2002 where you only use certain hair products a certain way.

So, fast forward to last Monday when my fellow-curly friend, Michele, told me that a local salon has some of Massey's Devacurl products on sale 20% this month (I have purchased them from Ulta or even her salon back in the day). Thanks Michele! When I checked out their site, I decided why not get a Devacurl haircut?

A Devacurl haircut is a cut done when the hair is dry, because we don't wear our hair wet. In cutting the curly hair dry, the stylist cuts it curl by curl, letting them "sculpt" the client's hair according to individual curls.

So, I called Trashy Roots Salon nearby and found out that they have THREE Devacurl-trained stylists. I met with Rebecca and she did an awesome job on my hair. I LOVE it. It's a bit short, which I had asked her for.

I showed up with dry, curly hair, like they asked. I had put some product on and let it airdry like I normally do 1/2 of the time. She threw on a cape and started snipping, pulling each curl and cutting. Once she was finished, she washed it with No-Poo Cleanser, a zero lather conditioning cleaner. Then, she followed that with One Condition then rinsed that. I need to point out that Trashy Roots had THE BEST shampoo chairs. I always have a hard time getting in-and-out of shampoo chairs, and then I'm too short to reach the bowl. Trashy Roots chairs were higher and I didn't get soaking wet because I could reach the bowl easily!!

Once back at Rebecca's station, she had me flip my hair over and distributed two palmfuls of Arc AnGEL, a gel that I always love using. I flipped my hair back and she began to dry it using THE BEST DIFFUSER EVER. The Devacurl diffuser (er... DevaFuser, rather) is basically a plastic "hand" that you can use to lift and weave your curls through to help them dry in a more curly way. I WILL be buying this diffuser ASAP!!!!

Right now, Trashy Roots has a sale going on for all Devacare products as well as their Devacurl cuts for the month of February. This cut is usually $70 there, but I got it for $50. I am glad I got to try it at a discounted price, but I WILL be back and I will pay $70 for it. It is an awesome haircut and well worth the money. If anything, it's worth it just to go back to finally have a salon that I can get in-and-out of their shampoo chairs!!!

So, want to see some pictures of my newly cut awesome curls?

Side view.

View from the other side.

Back view.

Another Back View.

Here is a video on the haircut I got:

Sunday's Slight Obsession

I am slightly obsessed with curly hair products. Ok. That is an out-right lie. I am, what some might call, a "product junkie." If I read an even slightly positive review on a hair product, I will try it. I have found tons that I hated, a lot that I liked, but only a few that I have loved. Today, I want to share four with you.

First of all, I need to share the website where I find tons of fabulous curly info, reviews, styling advice, even salon recommendations (and bonus? It's based in Austin! While I have never been to one of their events, I'm hoping to soon!): http://www.naturallycurly.com Now, I know what some of you are thinking, "It's just... HAIR!" No. No it's not. Curly hair has a mind of it's own. You need to know how to properly take care of it in order for it to behave properly -- just as you would a three year old child.

My friend, Dana, has beautiful red, curly hair that is never frizzy, always shiny and bouncy. What can I say? I covet my friend's hair. hehe. Anyway, one day, I finally asked her what she used to get such pretty tresses. She shared her secret with me -- one that I think she said she used since high school (I could ask her, but someone is skiing in Colorado over our school's winter break and too busy right now) and now, I'm going to share it with you. Biolage Gelee by Matrix. It is silicon and glycerin-free -- two very bad things for curls. This works best in my hair when I dry it with a diffuser. Sometimes, if I let it air-dry, this will give my hair product-flakes (not dandruff, but a white film on your hair -- especially noticeable with dark brown hair like mine!) and definitely crunchy -- but if I scrunch the crunchies away slightly, the crunches go away!

Mason's sixth grade Language Arts/Quest teacher also has amazing, curly hair that looks effortless. I finally asked her what she uses (I have no shame asking this question!) and she told me she goes to Sally's and buys Beyond the Zone Noodle Head Kick Up Your Curls Curling Creme. This works best when I let my hair air-dry (See? Told you my hair has a mind of it's own!) and leaves no crunches, just nice, soft curls. However, sometimes it leaves my curls too soft, which can sometimes lead to frizzies. That's why I switch back and forth between this and Biolage. This product is sulfate, glycerin, and paraben-free (again, nasty stuff for curls!) and, more importantly, very inexpensive!!!

Most hairdryers come with this odd, spiky nozzle attachment that they claim to be diffusers. A diffuser "diffuses" the air, which can make curls curlier and less frizzy. However, most of these generic ones that come with hair dryers just stink. The best one? The Hot Sock! I used to have to bring one with me when I got my hair cut because my stylist (who I love and adore) didn't have a decent diffuser. It is just this foam sock that slides on the end of a hair dryer. Where you position it helps with the flow of the air (the looser it sits on the dryer, the less air flows through). And for about $7? Totally cheapy curly necessity!!!

Finally, this is a product that even my non-curly friends will like -- I promise! This summer, when we thought we were still moving to Florida, my dear friend Cory was helping me pack up the house. When we tackled the master bathroom, she squealed, "Oh My Gosh -- YOU HAVE WEN!" Have you seen the Wen Haircare infomercials at all? Been sucked in to how luxurious their hair looks? Yeah... me, too. Only I actually bought the darn thing (Told you I was a product junkie!). However, it is VERY expensive. And hard to use. And, you use A LOT of it. So, every time I washed my hair, I felt like I was washing $10 down the drain (yuk yuk). I googled Wen reviews and found a different, CHEAPER product that I actually love more -- and I think it works better!!! Hair One Cleanser and Conditioner by Fiske sold at Sally's. For just $10.50 (buy the Sally's $5 Beauty Club Card each year -- it's worth it!), it is over half of the price of the Wen bottle. Sure, the Wen bottle has a nicer pump. Um... big deal - my hair looks the same -- dare I say even BETTER -- I can deal with a cheaper pump. They have different kinds for different hair: dry, normal, curly, color-treated, and dry scalp. And -- they even sell it in small trial sizes to see if you can use the system. Like Wen, it's very similar in application -- it's a little time consuming (it takes about 10 minutes of scrubbing, rinsing, scrubbing, and waiting -- read the package!), but well worth it. Hair One (and Wen) are so much better for your hair because they don't have the harsh chemicals that normal shampoos have. Try it -- I'm pretty sure you'll love it, too!!!

What's your favorite hair product?

*I am not being compensated by reviewing these products. All opinions are 100% and I am not paid for them! :)