"Chop and Change" A new Beachy A Line Bob

One of my favorite Black Keys songs and super appropriate here!

I chopped all of my hair off and I am so glad I did. I don't understand why I grow so attached to my long hair, I always end up loving the feeling when I go shorter. I think I just identify as a "long hair" girl and I'm sure I'll grow it back out but for now, this feels so nice!

I've been coveting this oh-so-pinned image off Pinterest for months.

pinterest.com

I finally just decided to go for it but I asked her to go a little shorter to give me a little more time between trims. Love it. I can still get a teeny nubbin of a pony tail if I just need the hair off my face, I can wear it straight or I can do beach waves with a flat iron. Most versatile short hair I've ever had.

It's A-Line and thinned at the back but not stacked. My hair just won't do that style, curses of the cowlicks. The length pretty much goes collar to collarbone.

The balayage had basically all been cut off and/or faded out so it needed to be touched up. I went a shade darker this time, mixed a 7NN with a 7A Smoky Ash, both from Wella and with a 20vol developer. I let my roots process about 30 minutes and then combed through the length of my hair for the last 10 minutes. I did a protein filler before to avoid it pulling in the more porous spots. After it was washed out and rinsed I did balayage on a few face framing pieces and the bottom is still a tinge lighter than the roots so it has a nice ombre/balayage result. I wasn't really going for subtle. Excuse my hair bleaching shirt (don't we all have those??)

 

 

And this is the end result. The first one is just blow dried with a paddle brush and some argan oil on the ends. It's nice and polished and definitely easy if I don't have time to curl it. It also air dries pretty nicely but I get more frizz that way.

 

 Here I beach waved it with a flat iron. I really only focused on the top layer and front peices, the back is so short it just needs a slight bend of the iron to blend in. I finger combed the waves out, added a little texturizing spray to the roots and some beachy sea salt spray to the ends for more of a lived in look. This lasts all day and takes about 10 minutes.

From Platinum Blonde to Dark Blonde Balayage-DIY

I KNOW.

Trust me. I know I do awful things to my hair ALL THE TIME. I just can't help it. I get bored. It's why I do it myself, ok??!!

On to the project. I loved the platinum. It was fun. I got it out of my system and wanted to try something else. To refresh...it was this blonde:

 

I've been coveting Jessie James Decker's hair for a loooooong time. She recently posted a video on her YouTube channel showing how she does it herself. She even uses Frost N Glow!!!! Girl after my own heart.

She calls her hair "honey dipped" which is adorable. It's her version of the balayage she used to get in salons and which can cost a fortune. Balayage is basically hand painting your highlights on for a more natural look as opposed to weaving and foiling uniform highlights.

So I decided to give it a try. I used a 7n and a 7g mixed together with 20 vol so it would deposit more than lift. I wouldn't normally use a gold but I needed something other than neutral to avoid it going blah. My natural base isn't as dark as hers either so that's something to consider. She's probably a 5 or 6, I'm naturally more of a level 7.

Left it on about 35 minutes, rinsed and blow dried and was basically left with my natural color. BORING.



 (Bathroom lighting makes it look pinkish, it wasn't. Just a blah mousy dark blonde)

Then I mixed up some bleach powder with some 20vol because I knew the ends would lift fast and were already kind of "thirsty". I tried to do what she did, picking up the pieces that the sun would naturally hit and putting more bleach on the ends and fading it up. I left the interior pretty much alone and focused on the peices around my face and the ends. I tried to go up different lengths on each section so it wouldn't leave a hard line. I wanted sun kissed, not ombre or dip died.

Left the bleach on about 20 minutes, washed and blow dried and got this...TA-DA. My hair is always so poofy after I blow dry.

 

I kind of love it...a lot. It's a lot less maintenance and feels a lot more fresh and modern. Honestly, balayage is a LOT easier than foil weaving your own hair, if you are brave and used to doing your own hair, I highly recommend giving it a try!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Color Melt/Balayage

I am so stircrazy about my hair right now. It's been probably 2 good years, if not more, since I got it done in a salon. I have been getting my hair professionally done every 6-8 weeks since I was 16 and just got sick of the maintenance. I decided to do it myself and it's worked great for me, especially since I like to change it so often.

However, lately...I am just ready for a gorgeous change. Something I can't do in my own bathroom and something grown up and pretty. I am wavering between going a cool toned blonde or more my natural color with beachy balayage/color melt look (not ombre). HELP!!!!!

 

all photos via Pinterest