Bumble and Bumble Favorites

Bumble and Bumble Favorite by elbonner featuring bumble and bumble

Damnit, Bumble and Bumble,  why do you make so many products I love? I mean, if it was socially acceptable, I would take my Bumble and Bumble hair products down to the town chapel and make an honest woman out of it. What's so great about B&B products is that they are made to be layered,  meaning you can use a bunch without ruining your do, but at the same time you don't really need to use a lot because B&B products do exactly what they're supposed to do. I love this company because of its dedication to one of my favorite things of all time: beach hair. If you tell me on the street that my hair looks like I've just come back from the beach, I will be your best friend forever, so seeing a company take such an interest in one of my lifelong loves makes me all warm & fuzzy inside. Above are my absolute favorites that I am sharing with you people!

 (L-R-C)

Surf Foam Wash Shampoo and Creme Rinse Conditioner: I don't know how they did it, but it gives you texture without using product. If you want big, bouncy, beachy waves then this stuff is for you. It smells fresh, clean, and even looks like a tropical lagoon!

Bb. Texture Hair (Un)Dressing Creme: Get hot, bedhead without the hangover and possible sleep-barf you may accumulate after a night of "you're-really-too-old-for-this" partying with this FRIGGIN' AWESOME hair creme. Just slap some on damp hair and let air-dry or diffuse to look like a hot mess (the good kind)!

Bb. Grooming Creme: When you want smooth hair that looks glossy, shiny, and well-coifed this is the stuff for you. When my hair is feeling way dry, I use this to restore my lustrous golden locks (ok, I'll shut up now).

Bb. Surf Spray: Sent down from Mount Olympus by the hair gods themselves, this is the best hair texturizer outside of dipping your head in the ocean. I tell everyone who wants beach hair to suck it up, pay the $25, and thank me forever for their beautiful beach hair. This can dry hair out so I use it on special occasions where I need to look awesome. It's nothing a good deep conditioning can't fix!

Bb. Thickening Hair Spray: Is your hair as limp as a sink drain full of wet spaghetti that you were too lazy to clean out a week ago? If so, get some of this spray on your roots! This won't make your hair sticky, but will make you look like you have extensions and Bump-its galore!

Hope this shed some light on a great company that gets hair right. Happy good-hair-days everyone! 

Instagram @e_bythesea

Da Bombre

I am just to go ahead and immediately apologize for the corny-ass title I gave this post, but it really just jumps right to my point: ombre hair is cool. One of my friend made a comment after visiting some bar in New York and describing its coolness with "it's an okay place. Girls still ombre their hair and stuff, but it's okay". It took me aback because I still think ombre is cool, doesn't everyone else? Who doesn't want to look like they spend their lives on vacation procuring free beachy highlights? Now the ombre I'm talking about and what my friend was referring are two different things; beachy hair or "I dipped my hair in bleach" hair. I prefer the former, like so:

Now, being a naturally light blonde I thought I either already had this type of hair, or my hair was too light do anything like this without dyeing my roots darker. I'm a haircolor baby and I refuse to pay salon pricesfor hair color. I also do not trust myself to color my roots well enough and I don't have the patience for the upkeep. I decided to the alternative route and lighten my ends. I went to the drugstore and bought the second lightest shade available and went to town. I foiled my hair, leaving some bits uncolored and the outcome, though not drastic, definitely lightened things up!

Please excuse the Apple Photobooth quality, makeup free, rosacea afflicted picture, but I wanted to show my finished product. I'm not sure anyone will really notice, but I think it looks natural and less dingy. My hair is dark on the bottom and light on the top and the ombre helps the two blend together a bit easier and isn't so harsh when I do half-up half-down hairdos. The color I chose was Extra Light Natural Blonde from L'Oreal Superior Preference and the conditioner that came with it was so awesome! I would buy hair color just to keep the conditioners. If you want beachy hair or just a lighten up, try the whole ombre deal. If you're afraid you'll screw up, try a YouTube tutorial or go to a stylist. Because if the stylist screws up you might get free product! Later dudes!

Live The Dream: Beach Hair Sprays

Beach Hair Spray by elbonner featuring oribe hair care

My number two goal in life, after not becoming a failure, is to have perfect, beachy hair every day unless the opportunity calls for another hairstyle (never!). In order for me to do that, I have to use surf and salt sprays. My thin, slick hair just doesn't like to hold any sort of volumes and these sprays are the only thing that give me any umph and hold. Even regular hairspray doesn't do the trick; only the surf sprays meet my needs. Here are my absolute favorites:

Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray- This is the ultimate in beachy hair. I really like this stuff and looks great on day two of a big wavy hairstyle. Use with caution; it can get pretty texturized and hard to comb so it you're an obsessive hair brusher be prepared to yank out  few strands. This is a spray for an unpolished look.

John Masters Organics Sea Mist- Salt, water, lavender oil; that's all that's in there. If you want to keep it simple, go with this stuff. I spray this into hair I have rinsed, but not shampooed for a bit of texture when it air dries. It's not as much of an intense beach spray like bumble and bumble's, but it does the trick when I don't want any stickiness.

Shea Moisture Organic Coconut Hibiscus Curl & Style Conditioning Milk-sweet Jesus that's a long name! The name may be ridiculously long, but the idea is simple: if you have course or frizzy hair and need a little relaxation and moisture to achieve beachy hair, then this is your go-to. It smells awesome, leaves hair soft with a bit of shine, but still holds waves nicely. It's marketed towards African American hair, but I think anyone with dry hair can benefit from a little extra moisture. I actually put this in my hair at the beach before going for a swim and it creates soft waves that don't feel dry.

Oribe Apres Surf Spray- This is the Aston Martin of surf sprays. Sophisticated, in a posh bottle, and smells like a $400 haircut. Not surprisingly the most expensive beach spray I've ever bought ($39), but I got it for Christmas and it will last me a long time. It's in a giant aerosol can which kind of sucks because I'm always convinced I'm going to puncture it and hurt myself, but it give you beach texture with a bit more shine and hold. This is a good going out or formal event spray when you want a more natural look that is polished, grown and sexy.

I hope this helped you in your journey for fabulous beach hair. These sprays give even the poorest of landlocked souls the chance to look like they just rolled off of Waikiki beach!