Undressed Tresses? BB Texture hair (un)dressing creme Review

Like most – if not all – women, I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with my hair at the best of times. I often lament that it needs to be longer or shorter, occasionally asking the universe why it couldn’t be a slightly different variation of blonde or curly or straight or just something other than you know, what it is. For this reason (and because I am a beauty product junkie and possibly a shopaholic) I own a shit ton of hair stuff – though admittedly less than I once did, as I have learned through trial and error what works with the mop on my top.

2-oz size. (photo: Sephora.com)

Because my hair has a natural wave and I have a natural tendency to want to sleep (read: I am lazy), I decided to stop fighting the wave in my hair a while ago and invested in a few products to make it work. While I will probably never give up my coconut oil post=shower routine to de-tangle and protect it, I’ve gotta say I’ve found a new favourite product by Bumble and Bumble: BB Texture hair (un)dressing crème.

Seriously, friends, I am obsessed.

I bought a sample-sized bottle because I end up getting bored by even my favourite products and jumping ship, and there is nothing that drives anyone crazier than sifting through 200 half-empty bottles of hair product under the sink to find a box of tampons. It’s a fact. I got it home and placed it next to my makeup bag on the sink last week in anticipation of using it when I washed my hair the next morning.

From Sephora.com - screen shot description of BB Texture hair (un)dressing creme. 

What I learned very quickly is this is a product where a little truly goes a long way. 

Learn from my mistake, and use sparingly. If you think you need more, you’re wrong. Trust me. Because I have a lot of hair, I used a generous amount of the crème and suddenly I couldn’t get my fingers through my hair and I had a bird's nest that could house a family of ospreys. Not cute.

Too much of the product leaves your hair heavy, sticky and unmanageable and nobody needs to start from scratch. My tip? Start small and add more if you feel it's necessary – you’ll be surprised to learn how little you do need.

To use the BB Texture hair (un)dressing creme, wash and condition your hair as you would and towel dry. Use a small amount (less than the size of a dime) and add more if you need it. Fine straight hair may require a little more than my naturally wavy-ish hair – you’ll know what you need. 

Work through your hair, beginning at the length (not the ends) and work up to the roots for volume at the crown. I keep it out of my ends as much as possible to keep them frizz-free and reduce tangles. 

Scrunch hair and dry with a diffuser for undone waves and curls, let dry naturally if you have time, or blow dry on low-heat, medium blast to avoid tangles and give your hair some extra oomph without adding curls/waves.

Once your hair is dry, brush it out and add shine serum or coconut oil if you want. Your hair will feel a bit thicker and hold texture well all day. Since it actually makes your hair grittier, you might find you can skip a wash (or two if you’re me!) before your hair begins to turn a bit oily. Yay!

My only issue with this particular product is that it dulls the shine of your hair – making it look, well, gritty or dirty – so I tend to spritz a shine serum or scrunch a teensy bit of coconut oil into the ends of my hair. The best part of using that little bit of coconut oil on the ends (and occasionally on the length) of my hair is that it keeps it manageable and I can easy switch styles from wavy to braided and keep it looking a little sleeker for my Monday-Friday hairdos. I also dislike the stickiness on my hands, but a little soap and water takes care of this. These issues are totally erased by the fact that I effing love this product but I know it might not work for everyone!

The scent isn’t offensive, but rather a bit forgettable. I used the product this morning, and followed with a bit of coconut oil and after taking a quick break to sniff my hair I can confirm that I smell coconut oil and a hint of my shampoo.

Because I don’t wash my hair daily, I usually have to restyle my hair the next day if I use the crème or wear it up because it doesn’t *quite* stay pretty after sleeping on it. There have been mornings I couldn’t get my brush through my hair at all, and I had to condition, shampoo, condition to loosen the tangles. Not pretty. If you want to sleep on your hair after using the crème, it’s not a bad idea to braid it before bed. This was especially an issue when I used waaaaay too much.

A full-size bottle (5 oz) retails at Sephora for $28, which is a little steep for my budget. A 2 oz bottle rings in for half that at $14, and used sparingly I’d say the sample-size will keep you going for months of beautiful, texturized hair.  

I'd recommend this product if you have soft or fine hair that is super straight or has a bit of a wave, just to give it some extra oomph. If you have really thick, coarse hair this product is absolutely not for you. 

Now, get out and enjoy your long weekend!

Beach-y Waves Tutorial

OK, so it's not Friday.. but every day should be beautiful!

I've been growing my hair out for quite some time and it's FINALLY past that super-annoying, in-between stage of being mid-length and long. A few months ago, I stopped cutting my layers and bangs so that my hair is now, according to several of my colleagues and pals, the quintessential summer hair. It's also glaringly blonde.

In spite of having a boatload of blonde highlights put in my hair, my hair has stayed pretty soft and healthy. My not-so-secret weapon for maintaining healthy hair: coconut oil and a shampooing schedule.

Yes, you read that correctly. Shampooing schedule. But that's a post for another day.

When I had "day three" hair on Monday, I needed to do something about it. So I did this:

After getting a ton of compliments on it, I was feeling pretty pleased with my dirty, beach-y hair. So I'm sharing the how-to with you all, my lovely peeps!

You need slept-on hair (second day is best - natural grit is best) with a little bit of texture, a trusty hairspray like L'Oreal Elnett, a comb, a flat iron or hair dryer, and about five minutes.

I like this method because you can modify it for great volume or more wave depending on your mood! Share your photos with me on my Facebook Page!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And be sleepy.

 
1. Start with tangle-free hair. This is usually the most time-consuming thing for me, personally. Once your hair is brushed through, it's time to separate it.

 
 You can see here that my hair has some natural wave. I washed it before bed and blow-dried on medium heat about 3/4 of the way to dry. There's no product in there! (Don't mind the leftover mascara under my eyes!)

Twists

Depending on the length, thickness and desired curl you're looking for, you may want to make more or fewer twists. I usually separate my hair into 4 or 6 pieces and twist away from my face.

Today, I made 4 twists - two on each side. I left my hair totally dry, and twisted the hair for the full length semi tightly. Secure with an elastic while you're doing the other side.

Yay, mornings!

 Once your hair is twisted, you have two choices: Blast it with the hair dryer on high heat, or run your flat iron down the length of the twist a few times. Sometimes, I dampen my hair a bit and use the hair dryer. Do this with EVERY TWIST.
 

The beautiful buns

Roll your twists together while the hair is still warm into two-four buns and secure with an elastic. Let cool - this is SO important.

 If you don't let your hair cool before unraveling the twists, you've totally shot yourself in the foot. Heat-styling works because your hair is more pliable when subject to the high temperatures. By allowing your hair to cool completely, you set your style whether it be straight or curly. You can also blast with cool air from your hair dryer, but I like waiting it out a few minutes!

It really is GOLDEN.

Remove elastic and spray twists with hairspray, then go about your routine and let the twists undo themselves - or, if you're in a hurry, flip your head upside down and shake it out.

I like Elnett because it brushes out, giving you fantastic hold with a natural look. The smell reminds me of my Nanny's hairspray - it doesn't have a fruity or sweet smell like some of the trendy new sprays - but I love it all the same. Go easy on it though - you want natural looking waves and great volume, not spikes.

Today, I wanted my hair to be just a *little* less curly, so I didn't twist tightly and only ran the flat iron down twice per twist.

The end result - beachy!

If you want to skip the heat altogether and start with waves post-shower, simply work some texturizing cream (I love Bumble & Bumble (un)dressing creme) through towel-dried hair and let air dry about half way. Separate hair into desired number of sections and twist. Let your hair continue to dry.

Easy peasy!

--- Necklace, Le Chateau
--- Blouse, Old Navy