This weather ain't the best thing for my long luscious locks...

For the past 3 days the weather has been unbearable. It was 98 degrees yesterday, and today's temperature didn't fall too far behind! I don't do so well in the heat, and needless to say, neither does my hair. HOWEVER, I've found a few amazing products that really help to tame my thick, wavy hair in this heat and humidity. My hair is also colored and dry from swimming. If you have hair like mine, you should consider trying the following products:

This Bumble and Bumble Quenching Shampoo is exactly what it sounds like... I especially love the little blurb "for the (terribly) thirsty." I'm always in the pool for exercise, but I figured you guys might be interested in trying out this product because a lot of us spend even more time in the pool in the summer time!









I have not tried the quenching conditioner, but I have tried the quenching complex.

I really, really, really like this product. I usually put a bit in my hair when it's wet after I shower even if I'm not going to blow dry it. It helps with hydration and keeping the frizzies down. If I do blow dry my hair, however, I always use this product with it and am so happy with the results. My hair feels smooth and shiny and all of the wonderful adjectives you associate with purdy hair.











I've also been throwing my hair up on top of my head a lot because I feel like there's nothing else to do with it, so it's been getting really knotty! (I also forgot to bring home my straightening iron because, once again, I saved packing for last minute). My mom got me this awesome leave in conditioner:

It's like detangler for big kids... Seriously. I have even tested this stuff out by shampooing my hair, not using conditioner and seeing if this suffices. And, yes. It does! Do yourself a favor and go out and get some, gals. Because not only does this miracle leave-in conditioner work, but it has keratin in it, which is a protein that aids in smoothing and straightening. 

Last, but not least: Philosophy body wash, bath gel, and/or shampoo! My favorite seasonal flavor for this summer is papaya passion punch. I love philosophy products and always have because they're just so much fun! I could spend hours (literally. and have before.) in Sephora smelling all the different scents trying to make a decision. (Even though I don't recommend using this as shampoo over the aforementioned Bumble and Bumble products, you can, which is why I am including it in this post. Use it as a body wash and come out of the shower smelling delish!)

Let me know what you think of these products! 

<3 Madison

A different kind of HAIR "PLUG"

It's April 28th and was a whopping 39 degrees here in Madison, Wisconsin today.... went to class (can I get a "hell yes!?"), ran some other errands, attempted to prepare my apartment for my friend who's visiting this weekend (he's quite the handful), blah blah etc etc. I was bored, and this is where my mind went: I wish my hair was long enough to donate again!

I have been blessed with an extremely thick head of luscious locks... I love my hair. And I'm allowed to say that because I can also admit there are other parts of my body that I hate! However, I can change someone's life by giving them my hair instead of my minorly college-esque beer belly.

Can you imagine, especially as a female, losing your hair? It sounds very superficial at first (hey! don't judge! I'm the one who donated my hair, here!), but when you think about it, your hair is such a defining feature. People see it. People notice it. You can change it to match your mood by the way you style it. There are aisles in the grocery store solely dedicated to hair! You can be a hair model... catch my drift?

Something else to consider is that hair can be really hard to grow long/strong/healthy for anyone, let alone someone who is battling an illness... I can attest to this, as I planned to grow my hair out to donate (and give to Pantene Beautiful Lengths) from the beginning. I knew I wanted to take perfect care of my hair, so that I could make someone very, very happy with it!

For almost 2 years (literally) I cut my hair 1/2 of an inch every month. I used good products. I didn't straighten or blow dry it often. I didn't wash it more than once in a day. Baaaaasically, my hair (well, this other person that'd be receiving my hair somewhere that I didn't know) came first, and I was a slave to it. Now that's maintenance! I'm a swimmer. Despite the chlorine, I still kept it looking like this:

Your hair doesn't have to be this long... I guess I got a little carried away, as I do with everything. Mine was nearly touching my belly button when I cut it - not ok. Only in this case, it was, because it was for a reason and so healthy! For Pantene Beautiful Lengths, you only need to give 8 inches, vs. other programs that require 10. I'd also heard a little bit ago that there was a place to which you could donate your hair that didn't have a length or no color requirement, but I'll have to get back to you on that...

Apparently, it takes a couple of pony tales to make a wig... they told me that with my hair, alone, they were able to make multiple wigs!

If you were to get your hair cut short for the season what style would you get?

Do you need to hear more about this experience to help you decide whether or not to "make the cut?" If you have any questions about products that help prevent breakage and damage, please feel free to ask!