All about my hair – who, what, where, for this “icy blonde lob”. People approach me in Atlanta all. the. time. and ask me where I get my hair done, what color it is, etc… Well, here ya go.
Enter: Ivy from Lumière Salon de Beauté in Alpharetta, GA. I love this salon and the wonderful ladies that work there. Ivy is a “creative stylist” with 8 years industry experience specializing in blondes, extensions, and trendy textured cuts. Yes, Alpharetta is quite the drive up 400 but once you find someone that get’s you (your hair), it’s like a committed relationship.
Until last Summer, my hair was quite long with warm blonde highlights:
and then, the big cut.
Ivy gives me a long angled bob and icy blonde highlights (more on how I keep this color so cool below).
I have seven weeks between each appointment, so I have to keep up that cool blonde color, protect, and style my hair on my own (ugh.). Here are my favorite products:
For when I don’t have time (or just don’t want to) wash my hair, I’ve found these to be the best dry shampoos: Not Your Mother’s CLEAN FREAK refreshing dry shampoo (best drug store brand) and Oscar Blandi pronto dry shampoo (best luxury brand)
I wash my hair about 3 times per week. Prehaps that is because I work from home so I don’t always have to look “put together”. I will say that with shorter hair, I have to wash it so much more. It gets more oily and it’s quick to have an uncontrollable cowlick. Here is my favorite AFFORDABLE shampoo & conditioner. This So Silver Shampoo is usually $25 at Ultra but on sale right now for $15!! This is a purple shampoo. Meaning that the shampoo itself is a very vibrant opaque purple color. This fights the yellow tones that blondes tent to take on. If you’re going for a warmer blonde, do not use this product. I’m going for Daenerys Targaryen blonde, so I leave this stuff on for a minute.
As for conditioner, I have used Aussie 3 Minute Miracle for as long as I can remember, and my hair is very healthy. If it ain’t broke…
After washing, I use Matrix Brass Off Blonde Threesome. It’s a leave in (purple – for icy blondes) cream that softens your hair and protects it from heat damage. I use only a tiny dab as it will weigh down your hair. I am OBSESSED with my Elchim hair dryer and take it with me everywhere.
I then spray my hair BEFORE and after curling and/or flat ironing it. My favorite hairspray is Chi Magnified Volume Finishing Spray. I usually wouldn’t suggest buying makeup or hair products from a Marshalls or TJ Maxx (you just don’t know how old the products are, if they were properly stored), but I do buy this at TJ Maxx when I see it and it works wonderfully.
To achieve the tousled beachy waves (with added shine), I use Oribe Apres Beach spray. It’s not cheap, $42 for a can but it is worth it. Here is a small travel version (half the price) if you want to try it out first for less…
And lastly, Sun Bum 3 in 1 Leave in Formula. This is sunscreen for your hair. It shields it from sun damage as well as acts as a leave in conditioner. I use this product in the Summer when I go to the beach. Getting in and out of the ocean and/or pool can make my hair tangled, and dry. I spend too much to achieve this color, so it’s more than worth $15 to protect it from the sun’s rays.
That’s it. Ha! That was actually a lot.
