“that’s why her hair is so big, it’s full of secrets.”

my hair may be big, but i assure you, it houses no secrets. and to prove it, i wanted to pull back the curtain on what it takes to get and keep these locks looking long and mermaidy. here’s a hint: it involves very little shampoo!

let me first start off by saying that i was essentially bald until the age of two. so the way my hair grows now, i really just feel like i’m making up for lost time. the best part was, when my hair finally did eventually sprout, it was mostly just out the back and very curly so basically i had a mullet a la billy ray cyrus circa 1994. ANYWAY, let’s just say my hair and i have had a long journey and well, i’m just happy we both survived.

 

 

nowadays i try my best to be kind to my locks. and it all starts in the salon chair. after years of rocking a britney (the i’m a slave for you album years) shade of blonde, with the help of my amazing stylist, tovi (of bombshell salon), i’ve slowly ventured back to my natural color (a dark auburn) brightened by balayage highlights. not only has this technique been kinder to my hair, it has also been kinder to my bank account as i can usually space my appointments out every 10 weeks. depending on how bad my split ends are faring, tovi will also give my locks a quick “dusting” since after a decade of growing it out, my hair is finally to the coveted hip-length. though i often cower at the sight of sheers, i know how important it is to get regular trims.

speaking of things that are important -maintenance between salon visits is just as, if not more, important than the actual appointment itself. to maintain my color and keep my hair as healthy as possible in between salon visits, i use the following davines products at home. davines is a sustainable beauty company focused on providing their customers the best in all-natural products. after years of using harsh drug-store brands that stripped my hair of all of its natural oils and texture, tovi suggested their collection and i’ve been hooked ever since:

 

 

 

to clean: love shampoo & love conditioner + solu clarifying shampoo (every other wash)

to protect & enhance my hair’s natural wave: curl building serum & oi all in one milk

to style:  melu hair shield & kevin murphy “doo over” dry shampoo

 

it’s also important to note that i wash my hair once a week. yep, only ONCE. god bless the shower cap, y’all. when things are looking a little greasy, i spray a healthy amount of kevin murphy’s “doo over” at my roots and near the nape of my neck to soak up any excess moisture and then give it a good healthy brush-through with a standard paddle brush. by about day five or six, i’ll switch things up with a half up/half down style, a twisted side braid, or my personal favorite –a high pony.

 

 

loft tank (similar) || natalie borton “johanna” necklace (sold out)

stowaway creme lipstick in “peony”

 

now that we’ve established what it takes to maintain these locks, a tutorial on how to get my signature mermaid waves will be up soon, i promise!

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