Hey friends! I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July! I spent the day at the lake, enjoying the water and sunshine!
Every year I have a few dresses that are on constant rotation through the summer. I love easy to wear pieces that are comfortable and can be thrown on to run errands or for dinner after a day spent at the lake. This gingham dress has quickly become one of my go to's. It's under $30 and when I received it, I was blown away by the quality! I highly recommend this piece if you are looking for a summer steal!
Did you know that the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is next Thursday?! Stay tuned for a run down about the sale coming later this week!!
Is there anything better than a weekend that just keeps on going?! With the 4th of July falling on a Tuesday this year, the festivities have stretched into a long 4 day weekend and I don't mind! I've spent the past two days at the lake and came home today while the husband works, but we are headed back tomorrow. I love living just 30 minutes from summer paradise!
When I spotted this romper, I put it in my cart immediately! It's been perfect for 4th of July fun and I know I will be wearing it all summer long! It's a pretty fun little piece to add to your closet this season, especially with it's under $25 price tag!
Today I am excited to share a post that is a long time coming! In all of my years of blogging, I have always gotten questions about my hair, and although I have shared some of my favorite hair care products, I have never really shared what tools I use and how. I am so excited to FINALLY be sharing, especially now that I have been trying out some new tools that I absolutely love!!
The Tools Featherweight Luxe 2i Hair Dryer: Despite having thinner hair, it still takes me a generous amount of time to dry my hair because of the length. The Featherweight Luxe 2i has cut that time in half, and I am now loving how simple and easy it is for me to dry my hair! Since using this product, I feel that my hair is soft and shiny like never before! It has 3 heat settings and 2 speed settings, so you can easily adjust based on your hair! It comes with a round brush that I LOVE that makes the process even easier!
Whirl Trio: If there was a superstar of hair tools, the Whirl Trio would be it! This beauty comes with three interchangeable barrels that makes changing up your curls a possibility! It comes with a 1.5" straight barrel, a 1" straight barrel and a 0.75" tapered barrel. These ceramic barrels give a smooth shiny finish to your hair and I LOVE how quickly they heat up, because who has time to wait? I used to spend a good chunk of time curling my hair, but the Whirl Trio allows me to get the look I love in under 10 minutes, which is amazing when I am in a hurry! If you aren't a fan of the wand, you can also get the interchangeable polished curls clip barrel or the defined curls clip barrel.
The Process
I have very straight hair and wash it every 2-3 days (the beauty of dry shampoo). Today I had just washed it, so it was extra shiny and smooth. My favorite Whirl Trio barrel is the 1" because it gives me loose, beachy waves, which is perfect for summer! I have had to play around with each barrel, and have found that if you leave the iron in for a few more seconds, my curls are more defined, but for a beachy, undone summer look 2-3 seconds is the perfect wait time!
I start by pulling up sections of my hair. For my thinner hair, I love these clips for quickly sectioning off pieces. My husband hates these though, because they tend to be all over the bathroom floor and are not foot friendly (anybody ever step on a lego before...it's very similar!). I always curl the bottom of my hair (closest to ears) and work my way up to the top.
My hair has never held curl easily, and what I have found what actually makes a difference (weirdly enough), is holding the barrel upside down, wrapping my hair from root to tip. For this loose, undone look, I held it for 2-3 seconds.
If you have hair that doesn't curl easily, one of my favorite tips is holding the curl in your hand as soon as it comes off the barrel. This gives it time to cool, preserving the curl!
Once finished, I love using a texturizing spray to give my hair a little lift and make sure the curls fall nicely and don't chunk together (when big pieces of curls stick together). I then brush it out or comb it out with my fingers for a soft, beachy look!
The Products
This is definitely not all of the products I use, but I wanted to share my favorites! I am also currently looking for a new heat protectant spray to protect my hair before I curl, so if you have any that you love, I could use some recommendations!!
It's a 10 Haircare Miracle Leave-in Product (not pictured): This stuff is AMAZING! As soon as I get out of the shower, I spray some of this in my hair before drying. It eliminates frizz, leaving me with smooth, shiny hair (that is also easy to brush). This is one of my holy grail products that I never leave home without!!
Bumble and Bumble Thickening Full Form Mousse: Like I mentioned above, my hair is moderately thin and I don't have a lot of volume. After my hair has semi-dried, I work a bit of this into my roots and then finish drying. This gives me volume and makes my hair easier to style!
Batiste Dry Shampoo(not pictured): Hands down my favorite dry shampoo! I love the smell and love that it allows me to go 2-3 days (and even sometimes 4) without my hair looking greasy or dirty. I usually spray this on before bed and then put my hair in a bun, allowing it to absorb the oils and makes it even easier to massage in (no white hair for me) in the AM.
Triple Sec 3 in 1 Texturizer by Dry Bar: When I am looking for a dry shampoo that does a little more than refresh my hair, I always reach for this product. Not only does it work as a dry shampoo, it also texturizes! For my fine haired friends, this also helps those curls stay all day!
Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray: As mentioned above, I use this after curling to add body and fullness and help my curls stay put. While on the pricier side, this product is worth it for me because it keeps my hair from falling flat and smells amazing!
Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray (not pictured): One of my favorite summer products, this spray gives your hair that "I just left the beach" look. I didn't use it on my hair today, but it is often one of my favorite products for giving my hair that undone look. It can be used on wet or dry hair and doesn't leave your hair feeling crunchy!
I tried to keep today's post as short and sweet as possible, but writing about how I curl my hair isn't the easiest, nor is this the most comprehensible guide, so if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out!! I've also been trying out lots of new hair products, so look for a hair product post in the near future!!
Sharing another 4th of July look today! This look is a little more low-key, but still festive! It's hard to tell in these photos, but this top has the smallest red stripes, making it a fun red, white and blue option for the 4th! You could easily dress it up with white denim and a pair of wedges. This outfit would be ideal for a holiday BBQ and fun in the sun.
