I’ve been trying to go blonde for a good decade now. I have pictures from my engagement party in 2008 where I had gone blonde a bit, but not blonde enough. I gave up in the middle for a period cause it was just too much to upkeep, and i just didn’t have the funds for the constant maintenance. I went from stylist to stylist, and had started accepting my blondorexia, and then i found my blonde angel. Van, at Studio Aura, gave me my dream hair. DREAM. HAIR. you know, the one i referred to a few blogs ago? Ya. hers.
I was in hair heaven! I loved everything about having so much long blonde hair, and it suited me! The tone was perfect with my complexion, and the curls were just so…pretty! Van suggested i use Olaplex with my hair, so I bought some Olaplex. I also made sure to use heat protector spray every time i took a hot tool to redo my curls, and I thought i was set. One day i realized my top layer of curls was looking a bit short, and it just looked funny. I asked my stylist about it, and she asked me what i was using on my hair… Apparently, not enough!
Blonde hair is high maintenance (like me). And the beautiful hair you see on insta, and magazine ads, has been highly maintained! I basically had to start thinking of haircare as an extension of skincare — daily haircare products to maintain the health of my long locks: mask treatments, serums, oils, heat protectors… they all play a role. Up until recently, my blonde hair was the right colour, but the texture was dry and brittle, like hay. It didn’t really inspire you to run your fingers through it (and if you see me now, please don’t touch my hair. that’s weird). So here’s a list of the products i use on a regular basis that i attribute my hair health to:
• Olaplex #2: This is a professional treatment that typically you can’t get to use at home. I have a trade account, so i have a massive jug of this stuff that i mask my hair with before I wash it. You can also get Olaplex #3, which is essentially a milder version of #2. You apply it to towel dried, wet hair, leave it on for 10 minutes, and shampoo/condition.
• Salon grade shampoo and conditioner: Since all hair salons are closed, i can’t get to my hair salon for my blowouts. I’ve invested in some Kevin Murphy shampoo/conditioner to make sure the products i’m using to wash my hair are still up to snuff. No Pantene here.
• Olaplex #6 and #7: Olaplex #6 is a leave-in cream that smooths, strengthens, rehydrates your hair, but a little bit goes a long long way. Don’t make the mistake to over-use this product, it’ll weigh it down. I like to mix it with #7, the bonding oil. Olaplex #7 is a styling oil that helps restore shine, reduce frizz, and has heat protection up to 450º. I put a bit more than a pea-sized amount in my palm, drop 5 drops of the oil, rub my palms together and run it mids to ends mainly, and whatever residue i have left in my hands i use it on the top of my head. I like to do this when my hair is dry too, on a daily basis.
• Moroccan Oil Perfect Defense: I know the Olaplex #7 is supposed to be a heat protectant, but because i’m not necessarily applying it everywhere, i like to be extra sure that I’m protecting my hair from heat. So I apply this to my dry hair when i’m flat-ironing, or curling with my wand.
• Silke Hair Bonnet: This — this i won’t leave home without. I think i was watching something on IGTV where this little girl with braids kept her braids smooth and tame with a silk cap, and then i went down a rabbit hole on silk cap posts which led me to learn that sleeping with a silk cap does wonders for hair health! I had spent so much on products to keep my hair healthy, but i was still finding i had to re-curl my hair in the morning, which meant more heat in my hair, more damage. A 100% silk cap will help distribute natural oils from roots to ends, and because your hair isn’t rubbing against your pillowcase all night, less breakage, less tangles, etc. I apply my olaplex #6/7 combo, wrap my hair into a bun, and without securing it with an elastic, i put the silk cap on. Peter laughed at me the first night i did this. I didn’t care. The next morning i woke up, slipped my silk cap off, and my hair looked the way it did the night before… i swear i heard cherubs.
Full disclosure, I am not a hair stylist. I am not trained on hair, hair products, etc — these are just products that i’ve been introduced to that i personally use, and love. I started really focusing on haircare products in december or so, and since then i’ve noticed significant growth, and a decrease in breakage. My hair texture has transformed, and i’m really happy with how far i’ve come!
And since you’ve read up to this point in my blog post, here’s a special treat for you. A pic of Peter and I at our engagement… Look how happy we are! And young! And Pete doesn’t have a beard!
