Category

Hair

Category

Happy Valentine’s Day Fam! Whether you’re planning a date night out with your bae or having a little quiet evening with a home-cooked meal, treat yourself and get dressed up. Grab that dress that you’ve been wanting to wear and throw it on, do your makeup, and spritz on your favorite perfume. But, don’t forget about your hair. Whether you’re planning for a Valentine’s Day date or just want to do your hair up for a special night out, check out some of these expert tips. These key steps may seem like a lot, but you can ensure that your hair looks and feels its best when that time comes. Keep in mind you may need to invest in a few things, but they go a long way and can be used over and over again.

CC0 Licensed Image Courtesy of Pexels

Decide What Style You Want

Deciding on the style you want is an essential step in hair care for a special night out. It’s important to consider the occasion, your outfit, and your hair type when choosing a style. You can look for inspiration from magazines or social media. Also, consider what you need to achieve it, like hot and velcro rollers, a good blow dryer, or even minor items like clips. Once you have decided on the style, you can start preparing your hair a few days before you go out.

Get this smoky eye look to match your makeup style.

Get Your Hair Ready with Pre-Treatments

Some of us have weird relationships without hair. And 1 in 6 women doesn’t like theirs. But you can easily help yourself out by starting with clean hair. This means washing and conditioning your hair prior to styling it. This helps to remove any dirt, oil, or product buildup, which can make it easier to style your hair and achieve the desired look. It’s essential to use a shampoo and conditioner that are appropriate for your hair type to keep it healthy and nourished. 

hair, hairdresser, barber-5473077.jpg

Use Heat Protection Products

Using a heat protectant is an essential step in hair care when using hot styling tools such as curling irons, straighteners, and blow dryers. A heat protectant helps to create a barrier between the heat and your hair. This reduces the risk of heat damage and keeps your hair healthy. To use, spray or apply the heat protectant product to your hair before using any heat styling tools. Some of the best available include BBLUNT Hot Shot and TONI&GUY Heat Protection Mist.

Get the Right Tools for the Job

Depending on the style you want to achieve, choose the right tools for the job. For example, use a curling iron for curls. Of course, everyone’s hair is different, but some essential tools include:

  • A paddle brush is a necessary tool for all hair types. 
  • You will also need the right types of combs for finer touches.
  • Sectioning clips are vital for keeping hair out of the way.
  • Invest in a lightweight but powerful blow dryer to save your arms.
  • A curling iron is essential for adding elegant touches to your hair.

Choosing the right styling tools is important for achieving the desired hair look. Different hair styling tools create different results, so consider what you want to achieve and practice.

Buy the Best Haircare Products You Can Afford

Using the right products is important for achieving the desired hairstyle and keeping your hair healthy. Different hair products serve other purposes, so it’s important to choose the right products for your hair type and the style you want to achieve. For example, a volumizing mousse can help add body and hold to fine hair, while a smoothing serum can help control frizz. Always follow the instructions on the product and use the appropriate amount for your hair.

Don’t Overuse Products when You Get Your Hair Ready

When it comes to hair styling, it’s important not to overdo it with products or heat styling tools. Overusing products can lead to buildup, making your hair feel heavy or greasy, and overuse of heat styling tools can lead to damage, dryness, and split ends. Use only the amount of product necessary to achieve your desired style. And avoid using heat styling tools at their highest setting, as this can damage your hair. Try to find a balance between styling and hair health.

Consider a Blowout if All Else Fails

There’s a reason why we pay stylists good money. They are excellent at what they do. And if you are having trouble with your hair, simply book a blowout. A blowout involves washing and drying your hair, then using a round brush and blow dryer to add volume and smoothness. A professional stylist can give you a blowout that will last for several days and help you achieve the desired look. It’s more expensive than styling your hair, but it always looks great for days.

Summary

If you want to get your hair ready for a special night out, you need to plan it, buy some new products, and learn how to use them. It can be a lot of work, but it ensures you look great. Decide on the style you want. Then buy the tools you need. Or get a blowout if all else fails.

Whether your special night out is for Valentine’s Day, prom, or just a nice evening out it your bae, take the time to pamper yourself. While doing your hair may take some practice or a little investment – it’s a great way to add a little self-care to your day. Happy Valentine’s Day loves.

xo Honey


Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post. All opinions are my own, 100% honest & unbiased. Affiliate links are posted throughout. Feel free to read my Disclaimer Page for details and information on sponsored posts, affiliate links, and more.

Happy Tuesday friends! We are officially on Summer break and excited about it! While most of Hawaii is starting to slowly reopen again, the family and I are still heeding precautions and social distancing as much as possible. But, there have been a lot of changes in our immediate circle and I’m gonna share them with you today. A few weeks ago I posted an image on Instagram with “new hair”. I stated that I would update as to the reason for it and this is that long-awaited post. I have decided that I’m going to be transitioning to grey hair and let my natural hair grow out. Today, I share that with all of you.

Transitioning to Grey Hair - Letting My Gray Hair Grow Out and the Bleaching Process to Get Me There

Grey or Bust?

If you’ve been a long time follower of my Blog or YouTube channel, you may have noticed that my gray roots (or even the lengths of my hair) show often. Sometimes I cover them up, sometimes I let them go – but after months of thinking this over, I’ve decided I would give gray a try. Let me start by saying that having darker hair and trying to go grey is not easy. Did you know that you need to lighten your hair to go grey? Well, I certainly didn’t know that before I jumped to the thought that I could go all grey first and let the natural stuff grow out.

Watch the video where I explain it all

I filmed a video for my YouTube channel explaining the process which you can watch here, or embedded below.

Fall and winter of 2019 up until March, I had bright red hair, which you can see from the images below. I love red hair and anyone who has been following me a while knows that it’s my go-to Fall/Winter color and has been for years. But red doesn’t easily leave my hair or wash out as simply as it does for others. I can keep the red in my hair for over 6 months without it fading or washing out, even with semi-permanent dyes.

Transitioning to Grey Hair - Letting My Gray Hair Grow Out and the Bleaching Process to Get Me There
After removing the red, I was left with a warm brown shade (still a little red hue) and as you can see, my roots have greys.

I removed the red from my hair (or at least I thought I did, more about that in my video), and thought I was left with my brunette hair after removing the color. Well, turns out that the red did not remove from my roots and I was left with a pinkish/red hue to my hair. I digress and made it work.

Transitioning to Grey Hair - Letting My Gray Hair Grow Out and the Bleaching Process to Get Me There
In this photo, you can see what my hair looks like with the grey peeking through. While being on quarantine, I did not color over my grey at all. While I did remove the red with Color Oops, I technically hadn’t added color to my roots since January. So my roots have grown out during the last four months.
Transitioning to Grey Hair - Letting My Gray Hair Grow Out and the Bleaching Process to Get Me There
Taken after the second stage of bleaching and toning.

With change came damage

I used a number of different products to achieve the lighter-toned bleached hair. Quick Blue and Ion Sensitive Scalp developer in 40 volume seemed to do the trick and get it pretty light, but I did have to do this three times. Of course, you can see how much it damaged my hair in the process.

Transitioning to Grey Hair - Letting My Gray Hair Grow Out and the Bleaching Process to Get Me There
This image was taken about 2 days after lightening my hair to the lightest I could get it. As you can see, I still have length, but my hair is dry, frizzy and my curls are stretched out and dead.

Of course, after trying to lighten my hair dramatically (probably about 8-9 shades), I had a lot of damage. Even if I used Olaplex (thankfully I had #1 and #2), I still had damage and dry areas. But, I’m also thankful my hair didn’t just fall out. I did go in and cut off about 11 inches of hair to revive not only my curl but hopefully breathe life back into my hair after basically killing it.

Some of the products I used to achieve my current hair color

Some of the products used to achieve my current hair shade include:

  • Ion Color Brilliance Sensitive Skin 40vol developer
  • Ion Color Brilliance Bright White Cream Lightener
  • Quick Blue Hair Bleach
  • Wella T14 and T18 Toner
  • Ion Violet Gray Semi Permanent Hair Color
  • Ion Titanium Permanent Hair Color
  • Clairol Silver Lights Shampoo & Conditioner
  • ColorLux Silver Color Changing Shampoo
  • Color Oops (to remove the red)
Transitioning to Grey Hair - Letting My Gray Hair Grow Out and the Bleaching Process to Get Me There
while I do have a hat on in this image, you can get a good idea as to the color of my hair after the bleaching and toning process and before I cut it.

After wearing my hair long for about 2 days (maybe 3), I struggled to work with it. The dead ends and lengths of my hair were so damaged that it tangled consistently over those few days and I just couldn’t get my curls revived to a healthy look. I loved the color, but struggled with the damage. After trying to make it work a few days, I decided I needed to cut it. I took off a total of 11 inches from the length of my hair and then went in and did a light dusting of the ends. (see below)

Since cutting my hair, I have been wearing it down much more often and satin scrunchies have been the only hair tie to pull it all back. While you can still see some brownish-red near the roots of my head, I’m really liking the color so far. As you can see in my video – there are areas that really took on the gray (near my neck and ends of hair), but I’m liking it this light.

Wearing my hair down more!

I have been embracing wearing it down as much as possible because I don’t have to worry too much about demarcation right now. I took the photo below, today so that you could see how my hair looks after a few weeks.

Transitioning to Grey Hair - Letting My Gray Hair Grow Out and the Bleaching Process to Get Me There
Taken today 06/09/20

Overall, I’m excited for this journey. I know that it won’t be an easy one, especially since I was called out on having gray hair before in the past. But, I’m going to embrace this change and transition to the best of my ability. It may not be easy, but such is life. I’ll be updating along the way and sharing my progress here as well as on my YouTube channel. If you’re a fellow grey hair/silver sister, I’d love to hear from you. Let me know in the comments or feel free to reach out via email.

Wishing you all a wonderful week! xo

PRESS SAMPLE / AFFILIATE LINKS

 

If there is one thing I absolutely love when it comes to brands and products, it’s when a brand I have used for years bring something new to the table.  BioSilk is a brand I’ve used for over 20 years, first being introduced to them in 1996.  The original Silk Therapy was recommended to me when I was in high school and needed to tame and moisturize my crazy curly hair.  Now, years later, I was given the opportunity to try out the BioSilk Silk Therapy with Organic Coconut Oil.   And, today – I am sharing all of my thoughts on these products with all of you.

hair, hair and skin, hair treatment, biosilk, biosilk silk therapy with organic coconut oil, biosilk, silk therapy, hair treatment, frizzy hair, hair products, product reviews, product review, beauty, hair and beauty,

BioSilk Silk Therapy with Organic Coconut Oil:  Just like the BioSilk Silk Therapy, the Silk Therapy with Organic Coconut Oil is a Leave-In treatment that can be used for both hair and skin.  BioSilk says that this light-weight leave-in treatment offers superior moisture replenishment while fortifying weak strands.  It helps to control frizz and flyaways while preventing split ends for smooth results with incredible  shine.  For the skin, it can be used as a light moisturizing oil to relieve dry skin leaving it soft and smooth with a subtle glow.

After using this product for several weeks, I have absolutely been loving it as much as I love the original.  If you have ever tried the BioSilk Silk Therapy products, you will know exactly how they feel.  They have slip like regular oils but they leave your hair feeling moisturized without the heavy oily feel.  The Silk Therapy with organic coconut oil soaks into the skin and leaves it soft and definitely moisturized.  My hair just drinks it up and I love it.

Retail:  $26.80 (5.64 oz)

hair, hair and skin, hair treatment, biosilk, biosilk silk therapy with organic coconut oil, biosilk, silk therapy, hair treatment, frizzy hair, hair products, product reviews, product review, beauty, hair and beauty,

Silk Therapy with Organic Coconut Oil 3-in-1:  I am not one to gravitate to a 3-in-1 (shampoo, conditioner and bodywash), but I think they are definitely something perfect for travel or for those that don’t want all the product clutter.  This versatile and gentle cleanser not only removes the impurities from the body and hair, but it adds essential moisture to the hair and skin.  This 3-in-1 conditions while providing balanced care for the hair and skin and I love that it also helps to maintain and preserve your hair color.  Hair and skin is left soft, smooth and nourished.

A 3-in-1 is definitely a time saver and so far I’ve been enjoying this product.  It leaves my hair feeling soft and my body too.

Retail:  $10.40 (5.64 oz)

As I mentioned before, I love when a brand re-invents or does something different to their products and it works.  Adding organic coconut oil definitely added great benefits to their original products and I’ve been absolutely loving them.  Honestly, these products can be a bit costly, but I think they offer such a great range of solutions for all hair types and it’s worth checking it out soon.

Have you had the chance to try out this new Organic Coconut Oil line from BioSilk?  If not, have you tried the original Silk Therapy line and if you have, what do you think?

You can purchase these products at:  https://biosilk.com

 

 

 

 


Disclaimer:  The product(s) featured in this post were sent for review consideration.  All opinions are my own, 100% honest & unbiased.  Affiliate links may be listed through out.

PRESS SAMPLE / AFFILIATE LINKS

 

Happy Aloha Friday.  I figured that I would stop in today and share with you some info on a product I’ve been using over the last month.  I don’t use heat on my hair often, well – honestly, it’s a rare occasion.  But, I have been showering late at night lately since my schedule has me out later in the day and to keep from going to bed with wet hair, I have been using a dryer to help a sistah out a bit.  Today, I’m going to be sharing with you the Conair Infiniti Pro 584NP-6 Hair Dryer, so let’s get started, shall we?

Infiniti Pro by Conair, Conair Infiniti Pro, hair, beauty, product review, hair dryer, dryer, conair, conair infiniti, hair dryer review, Conair Infiniti Pro 584NP-6 Hair Dryer, hair tools, beauty tools, beauty products, beauty product review,

The Infinity PRO by Conair comes with Conair’s lightest weight professional AC motor.  Retailing for just $59.99, it is a 1875 Watt hair dryer that offers you 3 heat settings and 2 speed settings for the perfect control over styling  your hair.  Ceramic technology provides infrared heat to protect your hair from heat damage and a true cold shot button to provide you with a burst of cold when you  need it.  With concentrator and diffuser attachments and a removable filter so you have all the tools on hand for your favorite hair styles and to dry your hair.

Infiniti Pro by Conair, Conair Infiniti Pro, hair, beauty, product review, hair dryer, dryer, conair, conair infiniti, hair dryer review, Conair Infiniti Pro 584NP-6 Hair Dryer, hair tools, beauty tools, beauty products, beauty product review,

The hair dryer is quite lightweight and has been comfortable for me to hold in my hands, even with my carpal tunnel syndrome.  I also have very long hair and love that my hands, arms and wrists don’t feel like they just had a workout after using the dryer.  With it’s Ionic Technology – you will get up to 75% less frizz (compared to hair dryers with  natural ion generation) and I love that it dryers my hair quickly, without causing my hair to feel dry or brittle.

Infiniti Pro by Conair, Conair Infiniti Pro, hair, beauty, product review, hair dryer, dryer, conair, conair infiniti, hair dryer review, Conair Infiniti Pro 584NP-6 Hair Dryer, hair tools, beauty tools, beauty products, beauty product review,

The Infinity PRO by Conair is definitely powerful considering the weight of the dryer.  My hair is long (as I mentioned previously), but below my waist, so drying my curly hair can be a pain in my behind.  With this dryer I find that I am able to dry my hair quickly which is wonderful.  Besides the Ionic Technology, the Infinity PRO also has Ceramic Technology to provide infrared heat to help protect your hair from heat damage.  Since I have curls, I want to be able to dry my hair without the added frizz and without the damage, especially since my hair is so long.  This dryer has definitely been a great addition to my hair game.

Infiniti Pro by Conair, Conair Infiniti Pro, hair, beauty, product review, hair dryer, dryer, conair, conair infiniti, hair dryer review, Conair Infiniti Pro 584NP-6 Hair Dryer, hair tools, beauty tools, beauty products, beauty product review,

So – now that I gave you a bunch of the details on what it does to my hair and how it works, let’s talk about the gorgeous look of this hair dryer.  The beautiful champagne color with rose gold accents makes a great addition to any beauty lovers vanity.  I am loving how this looks and I was beyond impressed with the packaging overall.  It’s also very durable considering how lightweight the dryer is.  I have dropped this on my tile flooring at least 5 different times and it’s held up extremely well without breaking.  Of course, I don’t suggest you doing that.

“Lightweight yet powerful, perfect for precision styling.”

While I’m not big on using heat on my hair often, when I do, I always want to make sure I’m using something that will not add any additional stress to my hair.  Living in Hawaii in general already takes a toll on my hair because of the humidity and warmth, not to mention the fact that my hair is curly and long – all things that contribute to my hair being so finicky.  A good styling tool is always a great thing to have in my beauty arsenal.  Considering the cost of this dryer and how it easy it is to use and how it works, I definitely would recommend it to anyone.   This dryer is definitely a spring and summer beauty hack – leaving you with dry and styled hair in shorter drying time.  I definitely suggest anyone checking it out.

You can purchase this product and learn more about here.

So what about you?  Can you see adding this hair dryer to your hair routine?

Signature Honey


Disclaimer:  The product featured in this post was sent for review consideration.  All opinions are my own, 100% honest & unbiased – as with anything you read about here on this site.  Affiliate links are posted through out.

 

PRESS SAMPLE / AFFILIATE LINKS

 

When it comes to wearing my curly hair down, I tend to go the easy route, easy peesy and as little work and effort as possible.  Let’s face it, I have really long hair so my arms enjoy the freedom of allowing my hair to air dry if at all possible.  The problem with air drying (especially during the Fall and Winter months) is that it can take literally ALL DAY LONG if my hair is left to dry naturally.  I’m not about that life, seriously – who’s got time to wait around for your hair to dry.  Since I don’t use heat on my hair most of the year – I try to keep it to a minimum during the colder months – but I also rely on products that work and that I can trust.  The Dura CHI Hand Shot Hair Dryer has been my new best friend, or shall I say my Curly Hair’s new companion lately.  It allows me to dry or style my hair easily without the fuss and today I’m going to share this interesting and fun product with you.

Dura CHI Hand Shot Hair Dryer, hair dryer, blow dryer, diffuser, Dura CHI, CHI, hair tools, hair styling, hair, curly hair,

The Dura CHI Hand Shot Hair Dryer was launched this year (2016) in August.  I have had this product in my possession now for a few months and have been giving it a good run for trial and error.  This tool helps and aids in  time constraints of hair styling by providing efficiency and comfort through its cutting-edge design, even allowing for hand-free use.  Since there is no conventional dryer handle, the hand shot dryer allows for consistent control over the dryer to produce a multitude of styling techniques with ease.

Dura CHI Hand Shot Hair Dryer, hair dryer, blow dryer, diffuser, Dura CHI, CHI, hair tools, hair styling, hair, curly hair,

The Dura CHI Hand Shot Dryer helps to cater to all hair types since the dryer also features a state of the art, touch sensitive control screen that offer numerous head and speed setting combinations to deliver optimal results.

Dura CHI Hand Shot Hair Dryer, hair dryer, blow dryer, diffuser, Dura CHI, CHI, hair tools, hair styling, hair, curly hair,

Key Features of this unit include:

  • Hands-free drying stand enables the dryer to stand alone on a flat surface.
  • Handle free design for a more balanced and efficient drying angle that allows for the wrist to sit in a more comfortable place.
  • Touch-Sensitive Screen that regulates temperature and speed levels.
  • 1875 Watts of power that allows for consistent heat from ceramic heat technology.
  • Non-slip, soft touch grip that provides optimal control and molded finger groves for added comfort and support.

Retail:  $144.99

Unit includes:  The Hair Dryer, Blow Drying Attachment and Diffusing Attachment.

Dura CHI Hand Shot Hair Dryer, hair dryer, blow dryer, diffuser, Dura CHI, CHI, hair tools, hair styling, hair, curly hair,

So – with a hefty price tag, you must be wondering what my thoughts are overall on the product.  There’s the thing – I really like it.  I have several diffusers and a blow dryer that literally just died on me and since my hair is soooo long, my arms and wrists get tired quickly with a traditional hair dryer or diffuser.  I’m not saying that my arms didn’t get tired while using Dura CHI, let’s be real here… if you had to dry my hair (which is past my buttocks), your arms would be tired too.  But as someone who suffers from Carpal Tunnel syndrome, I found that I was able to adjust how I hold the unit to accommodate for the achy pain in my wrist.  You can’t do that easily with other dryers because holding anywhere other than the traditional handle will literally burn your hands.

Dura CHI Hand Shot Hair Dryer, hair dryer, blow dryer, diffuser, Dura CHI, CHI, hair tools, hair styling, hair, curly hair,

I absolutely love the fact that this dryer has a hands-free drying stand which helps with the drying process of my hair as well.  I can literally sit the dryer up on a flat surface and just let it dry on it’s own without using it.  It dries my  hair quickly, consistently all around and I LOVE how it feels in my hands when I’m diffusing my hair.  It may not seem traditional to many – but having long hair and being able to grab the length of the blow dryer to diffuse the lengths of my hair, is much easier with this unit.

Dura CHI Hand Shot Hair Dryer, hair dryer, blow dryer, diffuser, Dura CHI, CHI, hair tools, hair styling, hair, curly hair,

The unit itself is heavy – so if you are accustomed to a light weight blow dryer, you may not like this particular one.  I find that it is not heavy for me because it allows me to control how I use the product fairly easily.  It offers balance when diffusing the lengths of my hair and again – holding this while catching my entire hair hasn’t been a struggle.  If you are a hair dresser and  do blow outs, the ease of use of this unit may be something you’d like – because blow drying someone else’s hair for me was really comfortable and easy to control.

With a touch sensitive control dial and LED lights display to help provide you with an easily adjustable temperature and speed levels with a single touch – the Dura CHI offers you great ease of use.  You can adjust the temperature settings using the right control panel and change the temperature range from Cool to Hot.  There is also a screen locking feature.  Lock the screen during use to prevent accidental temperature or speed changes by pressing the Lock button on the unit.

Dura CHI Hand Shot Hair Dryer, hair dryer, blow dryer, diffuser, Dura CHI, CHI, hair tools, hair styling, hair, curly hair,

The price of this unit is a bit on the high side, but you are paying for a brand name that offers quality products, while getting all the cool features that this dryer provides – soft touch grip handle for non-slip control, ceramic heater 1875 watts of power and a touch sensitive screen.  With my curly hair – I am very particular with the tools I use on my hair – mainly because it has taken me years to get my hair to the state it is and it’s a work in process consistently.  So, I really wanted a product that offers awesome technology, ease of use and that would still work for my hair.  the Dura CHI has offered all of those things and I’ve been enjoying it.

Dura CHI Hand Shot Hair Dryer, hair dryer, blow dryer, diffuser, Dura CHI, CHI, hair tools, hair styling, hair, curly hair,

I’ve used my fair share of hair tools on my hair over the years and I have to say – I’m totally crushin on this one.  Yes, again – it’s costly, but after years of throwing my hair around like it was some unused toy – I realized that I really needed to invest in some good things to keep it looking great.  If are looking for a little help in blow drying or styling your hair and find the traditional blow dryers a little uncomfortable to hold as I did, you may really like this one from CHI – I do!

You can purchase this unit at: https://www.loxabeauty.com/chi-dura-chi-handshot-dryer or http://www.farouk.com/

What about you, do you think this hand shot dryer is worth checking out?  Have you tried anything like this before and if so, what are your thoughts?

Signature Honey

Disclaimer:  The product featured in this post was sent for review consideration.  All opinions are my own, 100% honest & unbiased.  Affiliate links are posted through out.