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!

My Hair Idol: Brigitte Bardot

For the past decade I have been calling the woman above my ultimate hair idol. Brigitte Bardot's hair is everything I want mine to be: big, super blonde, messy, long, and super voluminous. I've got the blonde part down, but having thin hair makes achieving her signature look difficult without the help of many hairsprays and root lifters. Luckily, I have found something that really gets my hair close to Bardot status and that's Bumble and Bumbles Surf Spray. I know I've talked about it before in my hair care post,but for real this stuff is awesome. It's gotten to the point where I would spend my money on this instead or eat or get my oil changed. You're more likely to get help at the side of the road when you car breaks down when you have amazing hair. I've spent years trying to perfect her look and have come close on occasions, but I have discovered that the less I try to make it look like hers, the closer I get. I usually have hair like when waking up after a long night of dancing where I'm slightly nauseous and face down in my own drool. It's mornings like these where I don't want to see a soul where I have the greatest hair of all time. One day I'll venture forth after a wild night all big, messy-haired and fabulous, just don't expect me to take off my sunglasses all day.

My Hair Idol: Brigitte Bardot by elbonner on Polyvore