beachy waves tutorial

Oh, how I love beachy waves! I can't get enough of this laid-back look. After trying various methods to achieve this effortless style, I finally found one that works on my straight hair that looks fairly natural in my opinion. The best part is that it requires no heat! I've gotten many compliments on my new go-to 'do and wanted to share with you guys. Let me know if it works for you! xo.

Method

You'll need: 
Sea salt texturizing spray [I am loving Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray]
Hair tie [I am obsessed with these from Sephora]
French braiding skills [see Lauren Conrad's video or ask a friend!]

Directions:

1. Start with damp hair [read: not soaking wet]. Spritz your hair liberally with the sea salt spray. Make sure to avoid the roots and stick to middle of the strands to the ends.

2. French braid your hair. Don't worry about being perfect--the messier the better, in my opinion. The smaller the sections you use, the more waves you'll get. Bigger sections=subtle, larger waves. Secure the end of the braid with a hair tie. If it's nighttime, go ahead and sleep on it. If you're getting ready before work or just going out during the day, leave the braid in until it is mostly or fully dry.

3. Remove the hair tie and use your fingers to gently loosen the waves. Feel free to spray more sea salt spray onto your hair and use a scrunching motion to add a little more texture to the waves. And voilà--you're ready to go!

leave-in conditioner review

Although I limit my heat styling, get frequent hair trims, and shampoo my hair every other day, it seems like my hair is perpetually on the dry side, especially the ends. I've tried many many hair treatments to correct this problem but to no avail.

Enter John Frieda Daily Nourishment Leave-In Conditioner.


via

I used this several months ago and remember having success, but after it was gone I never bought a replacement. I guess I wanted to try out other products to compare it to. Well, I recently bought another bottle at ULTA and after one use, my hair was noticeably softer. I can't stop touching it!

The scent is fabulous, too. Just spritz liberally on clean, damp hair and once your hair dries it will be good as new. I can't say enough good things about this product and wish I hadn't wasted the past few months exploring other products. This is definitely going to be a staple in my haircare routine.

Have you tried John Frieda Daily Nourishment Leave-In Conditioner? Do you have another favorite hair product that keeps your hair healthy and soft? Let me know! xo.

*This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

dirty hair bun

I wash my hair every other day, so on the "dirty hair" days, I try to come up with cute styles that keep my hair up and out of my face. Washing hair too frequently can strip off its natural oils and cause it to be dry and dull, so give your hair a break and try out this cute 'do. No one will be able to tell you didn't wash! xo.

You will need a hair tie and some bobby pins. If you need extra volume like I do, you can use a teaser comb or brush to tease your roots. I also tease the rest of my hair just a little for extra volume all around so my bun looks bigger.

Before styling, you can apply dry shampoo or baby powder in your roots to eliminate some of the oil in your hair and give it some extra texture.

To style:

1. Gather your hair loosely in a low ponytail at the nape of your neck. Lightly smooth out any weird bumps with your comb or fingers, then start twisting your ponytail around itself into a bun and secure with a hair tie.

2. Massage the roots at the crown of your head, pulling the hair up gently so you get some extra volume at the top. You can also massage your bun a little to loosen it up and make it look more messy.

3. Using your bobby pins, pin some of the hair on the part of the bun closest to your scalp to the rest of your hair to close the gap and hide the hair tie.

4. If you have bangs or shorter face-framing layers like I do, twist or braid them and pin them back behind your ear. Lightly brush out some "wispies" around your face to soften the look.

Done!