HAIR: How I Wash My Hair Only Once A Week

It started with scissors. And bleach. Bent over the kitchen sink at a boy's house, I watched the slightly soapy water circle the drain as he rinsed the Manic Panic bleach kit from my hair, freshly shorn by my own two hands into a short, choppy Courtney Love-inspired mess (here's your proof). After years of experimenting with over-dyes and coloring random chunks of my hair, I'd finally taken the plunge and bleached the whole thing after hacking it all off. It was exhilarating, ridding myself of all that hair and transforming the color into something completely different, but I never expected that kitchen sink metamorphosis to lay the foundation for one of the main beauty secrets that I still swear by more than a decade later...

I only wash my hair once a week...every five to seven days or so.

Back then the short length, dye job, and fact that I preferred the Buzzcocks and Bikini Kill over boy bands and Coldplay was excuse enough to forego regular shampooing. I quickly learned that "dirty" hair equaled perfectly messy hair. Hair that didn't require much attention beyond the occasional root touch-up and baby bang trim. And when it came to caring for my dry, bleached ends, allowing my hair to relax a little between shampoos made it softer and less prone to breakage. Time passed, and I eventually grew my hair out, changed it from blonde to jet black to half & half to brown and back to blonde again, let it grow some more, chopped it off again...and throughout these subsequent transformations and lengths, it never occurred to me to change up my shampoo routine. Why mess with imperfection? All these years later, I still only wash it about once per week, sometimes more, sometimes less. This is a fact that, when divulged, is often met with shock, questions and, admittedly, sometimes disgust (turns out, people really like to wash their hair). Now, in the interest of self-preservation and lest you think my habits are truly horrific, I assure you I do shower daily. But I've found that with less frequent washing my hair is healthier, grows faster, has fewer split ends, and is more resilient to chemical processes (though I haven't colored it in quite awhile). Oh, and I don't use dry shampoo and I hit the gym 3 to 4 times per week. I know... how?

Here's how:

Sunday night, shampoo night: Before washing my hair, I brush through it thoroughly starting at the ends and working my way up using a natural bristle brush. Once in the shower, I wash my hair with a sulphate-free shampoo (my favorite is Living Proof PHD), concentrating only on my scalp and roots (the suds will run down and clean the remainder of my hair without causing extra drying and damage). I lather-rinse-repeat twice to clear away any buildup, giving my scalp a good massage at the same time. After rinsing, I apply conditioner to the mid-length of my hair to the ends and leave in for a few minutes before rinsing. Opposite of my only-wash-the-roots rule, I only condition the ends because they don't receive as many natural oils and moisture as the uppermost part of my hair. After patting dry with an Aquis hair towel, which helps absorb more water and dry my hair faster, I work a little oil into the ends -- either jojoba, sweet almond, or some balancing hair oil -- and allow my hair to air dry overnight.

 

Monday: My hair is usually still a little damp in the morning so, after brushing it back out I'll apply a little more oil to the ends (and maybe some styling cream) before drying it the rest of the way with a blow drier. If I have time, I'll use a curling wand and some dry texture spray to add a little texture to my otherwise pin-straight hair. If not, it's a messy bun day (truth: it's almost always messy bun day).

Tuesday: Since no blow drying is needed, after brushing out any major snags I add some loose waves in the front, spritz on some hairspray for hold and I'm out the door. If I can get away with it, this is my daily style. After work, I throw it in a ponytail for my workout. I don't mind a little sweat, and my head doesn't sweat that much anyway. When it comes to showering, I just put it in a bun and don't allow my hair to touch the stream of water.

Wednesday: I'm in a rush, so I play around with my part, parting it on the side and pulling it into a low ponytail. No brushing today, I like the mess.

Thursday: My hair is finally (finally!!!) long enough to pull into milkmaid braids. It's grown about seven inches since my last major (awful) haircut in October 2014. Short hair was fun but a surprising amount of work without the help of bleach this time around, so I'm excited to see it getting long again. After brushing it out, I braid both sides and criss-cross it over my head, securing with some bobby pins. Out of my face and easy.

Friday: Hat day. Brush it out, braid it up, slap a hat on top of it all. Hats fix many transgressions and today a large-brim western is hiding my roots. Pro tip: placement is everything when it comes to braided pigtails. Braid them close to the back of your head, instead of next to your ears, to avoid looking like a child. After my HIIT workout tonight, I brush it out and toss it up in a messy bun. If I'm going out, I'll probably wear a different hat or braid it again.

Saturday: I'm feeling lazy and I like how my hair looks after my weekend workout, so I decide to keep it in a high ponytail.

Sunday bun-day: The final countdown. Bun day. I usually just hang at home on Sundays, so I'm not worried if my hair doesn't look its greatest. Tonight, I'll repeat the process of washing it and, if my ends feel dry, I'll use a hair mask to deep condition and add in some much-needed moisture.

While this schedule doesn't necessarily ring true for every week, and there are definitely circumstances that warrant more frequent shampooing, this is the routine I generally find myself falling into and will probably stick to. Faster growth, no split ends, quick and easy...my hair has never felt better or looked healthier and I'm not gonna argue with that! At this point, the thought of washing and drying my hair daily, even every other day, is enough to make me cringe. As I've evolved over the years -- from the lowest of low-maintenance to loving hair and beauty -- I'm still not willing to spend more than a few minutes on it daily, which is something I believe my current and former selves would agree on.

I'm curious, what routine do you swear by? Are there habits you made when you were younger that you just never strayed from? Please share!

This post originally appeared here as part of my work with Free People. Images by Jana Kirn

My Hair Story + How to Style Hair Extensions Two Ways

I think it's fairly obvious with a sub header like 'Big Hair, Small Wallet', but my hair has long been intrinsically tied to my identity. When I was a child, it was long, blonde, with blunt bangs until I got a pixie cut in 3rd grade. It was cute! There's a photo of me dressed as a pilgrim, wearing a coffee filter as a bonnet where it looks quite nice... Then it was long again, for a long time. Until I got what was arguably the worst haircut of my life in high school. I remember sitting in the stylists chair, a copy of InStyle magazine with Clare Danes on the cover -- my inspiration (here it is!) -- clutched in my fists -as the stylist roughly and ineptly yanked pieces of my hair through a highlighting cap (PSA: if your stylist ever comes at you with a highlighting cap, RUN. Run fast, run hard, and don't look back). Three hours later and 10 inches of hair lighter, I came out of that garage salon (another red flag), looking like... well... definitely not like Claire Danes. I cried for the first time ever over my hair, something so insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but so tied to my identity that it felt like I'd suddenly become someone else.

Between then and now, other looks included a bleach blonde puffball that straddled somewhere between 'anime heroine' and 'Sid Vicious', a jet black chelsea with jet black baby bangs, Bride of Frankenstein white streaks at my temples, and another set of bangs, this time with a center point so sharp, it rivaled that of Elvira. I've always had a flare for the dramatic, even when my hair was just long. When it was long, it was really fucking long. So, you could say my last cut, a lob, has been the most tame look to date despite it being quite a dramatic change from the waist-length hair I'd become known for -- both to myself and by others.

Despite it being so tied to who I am, I've always sort of hated being known for a feature that's so fleeting and innocuous. I mean, it's just hair, right? At least that's what everyone says. Which is why in the spring of 2014 I decided it was time for a chop. Change was on the horizon, I'd been interviewing for my current job for a few months and a new city loomed large in our future. It was time, I thought. I, or rather my very skilled stylist friend in Pittsburgh, cut about 5 inches off, then a few more, then before I knew it, it was above my shoulders. How did I get here? I was expecting to feel emotion, yes, but what I wasn't expecting was the roller coaster of EMOTIONS I ended up on. I mean, in college I used to just cut it, dye it, shave it when I wanted a change, but somehow between then and now I'd settled into myself. I stopped searching for the person I was going to be, instead I became her. And in that, while I gained a newfound sense of self, I believe I lost a bit of... well, ballsyness, for lack of a better term. I loved the cut I got in Pittsburgh until our lives were thrown into that expected upheaval of new job, new city, new friends, new everything and everything else changed, along with my head of hair. It was like my equilibrium was thrown off, my center knocked out of bounds. Without a curtain of hair to hide behind, I was forced to confront my own insecurities with being unable to hide in this new place I found myself in.

Despite the discomfort, I was unsure until recently whether or not I wanted to grow it back out. But I've decided to, for the ease of styling it and for knowing how I truly feel comfortable. As you can imagine, it's been a slow process, one made slower by my own impatience staring at it in the mirror and fretting over the sheer bluntness of my current cut (I like it, but sometimes it just feels so... solid? My hair is extremely thick, so even though it's not that short, it can be hard to work with), so when Irresistible Me reached out offering to send some extensions my way, I jumped on it. I've seen them all over Pinterest (I'm guessing you have too), and I figured at the very least they'd be fun to play around with, maybe make some braided hairstyles a little more do-able in my current state. I went on the website and after a great deal of deliberation, chose a color (Royal Ash Blonde) that looked close enough to the color on my ends (I honestly have no idea what actual color my hair is). While it was tempting to go the full 24 inches -- the length my hair used to be -- I kept it conservative at 22 (ha). After receiving them, I realized I likely could have gone a shade darker, but knowing I'm more comfortable with lighter hair and usually have it highlighted (I've been holding off on processing while it grows) I think this shade works.

A few weeks later, a big box of hair showed up at my doorstep. And it was a lot of hair... definitely no skimping here. If you've had experience with extensions in the past, these will be fairly simple to use, but if not, I recommend employing a friend or watching the videos available on the IM website to help you get the hang of it. I knew going into it that my thick, blunt cut was never going to blend with these hair extensions, but I was excited to test out a couple of braided styles, as I've really missed being able to braid my hair, especially on lazy days when I don't want to battle my styling wand.

This is what my hair looks like on a regular day. Generally undone, maybe a couple of curls in the front to keep it out of my face and not looking too much like 'The Rachel':

I recommend styling clip-in hair extensions on a day when your hair is a little dirty. This will help give the clips hold and keep them from slipping out. You can also use a teasing comb or brush to tease a section of hair before clipping them in, definitely recommended if your hair is fine or thin.

After clipping them in, my hair looked... well, like I'd clipped in a bunch of extensions, which was expected. It was only after I started braiding that the magic happened:

First up, fishtail braids. I don't know why I never did this on my real long hair, but the fishtail is something I didn't actually learn until my hair was shorter. I loved how the ash blonde blended with my hair for this style, giving a subtle ombre look without the chemical process.

Then, with a simple flip and a few bobby pins (ok, a lot of bobby pins) my two fishtail braids transformed into my all time favorite style: Milkmaid braids. I can't get enough of these huge braids flipped up onto my head. Like a giant, majestic hair halo.

The extra hair was definitely heavy, but since it comes in sections, you can choose how much to clip in. A few days after these photos were taken, I used a couple of smaller sections to quickly braid up may hair for Thanksgiving, and it wasn't nearly as heavy. When the day was done, removing them was far easier than expected, though it did take some careful brushing to remove a few snags. 

I think one of the most obnoxious parts of having shorter hair has been not being able to turn towards my tried and true styles for when I don't want to bother wearing my hair down, and those styles were always braids. While there's a part of me that looks back on those days of constant reinvention with a bit of envy towards my younger self, I'm thankful to know now what makes me truly comfortable . Until my hair grows a bit longer, I'm an extension convert when it comes to trying out different styles -- hey, maybe this is my 2016 version of impulsively shaving a chelsea and dying it jet black.

Photos by Jana Kirn

My Hair Routine + How To Make Your Hair Grow Faster

A couple months after moving to Philadelphia, I got a really bad haircut. Like, watching the stylist try to make it better kind of bad. Pay for it anyway kind of bad. Cry in the car kind of bad. I took a photo to send to Chris, but it has since been deleted. That kind of bad. At the time, I was in a low place already, for one reason or another feeling self-conscious about the way that I looked, thinking that a fresh haircut would put me right and bring back some confidence. Well, joke's on you, Julie. There's a lesson to be learned in there somewhere. After years of hiding behind my hair, there were now significant chunks of it missing.

Normally, when a bad cut happens I would take my own advice and call the salon to have them fix it, but in my case, the only fix was to get bangs, and I really didn't want to go down that road again. So, after my tears dried, I attempted to grin (by laughing at myself in the mirror) and bear it, and started the slow and (sometimes) painful journey of growing out my hair. There were at least a couple of bright sides: It was hat season. And... well, it was hat season, that's pretty much it. After toying with my hair, I found that I could twist the front section back in a sort of boho-half-up situation... and then cover it with a hat. You get the picture. Now, I'm not necessarily trying to grow my hair to the mermaid lengths it was before, though who knows, but my goal is to get it to a place where I can eventually have my friend in Pittsburgh or New Hampshire shape it up. And as much as I loved having shorter hair, I realized something surprising: Shorter hair is way more high-maintenance than long. Who knew? Probably everyone else. But I've managed to streamline my routine to a bi-weekly wash with an easy refresh each morning and in the process I've gained a few inches of length. Today I'm sharing my hair routine, read on to learn my tips and tricks for low key style and how to grow out a bad haircut:

Shampoo & Condition: I wash my hair twice a week and air dry it overnight. There's no set day, just when it starts to feel greasy and the hat comes back out. I've been washing my hair infrequently for years, a habit I picked up when it was short-short in college. I've had a few people ask what I do when I work out, and well, I just tie it back. My scalp doesn't really sweat all that much and it doesn't bother me. 

One of the biggest challenges when it came with dealing with my shorter, in-between length hair was figuring out which products to use. After using salon products for years, I had reverted back to some organic shampoo from the drug store that I had picked up when we moved. I realize now that it was pretty terrible stuff... I didn't realize just how unmanageable it made my hair until I started using the potions above. Yes, potions. As in, Living Proof PHD is pure magic. I have very thick, very fine hair, which can get bushy when the right products aren't applied. The PHD line from Living Proof cleans my hair, but doesn't make it feel parched. But the biggest difference has been in the texture, I almost (almost) don't have to do anything with it when I wake up, it's not puffy, not frizzy, it's made an enormous difference, and it even dries faster.

Style: Save for the mousse, which I don't use as frequently, the products above are what I use from day to day to give my hair texture and hold.

Carol's Daughter Monoi Oil: I've used a few different oils on my hair, and I love that this one comes as a spray. I spray this on my air-dried hair from mid-shaft to end, and brush through before applying the PHD styling treatment.

TIGI Catwalk Session Series Hairspray: Ever since I worked in a salon years and years ago, I've had a love of TIGI products. This hairspray is weightless and leave may hair touchable and soft, while still providing plenty of hold.

After washing and air drying my hair, in the morning I spray on some Monoi oil before working a dime-sized dollop of PHD styling treatment through the ends. 

I apply the product mostly to my ends, and then when there is just a little left on my hands I brush them over the top of my head to tame fly-aways.

Now that my hair is a bit longer, I don't use the mousse as much, but if I'm using mousse for texture, I'll work some through the ends after the styling cream.

Once I've applied product, I break out the blow drier -- a CHI low EMF professional drier -- and dry it the rest of the way through by twisting back sections away from my face and briefly holding the drier against them.

I allow my hair to cool like this while I do my makeup.

For the final touch, and to ensure the choppy front section of my hair doesn't get too Friends-era Jennifer Aniston, I heat up my curling wand and, using a light touch, curl back the front section and add texture to the rest by wrapping sections of hair once or twice around the barrel. I then set everything with hairspray and comb through lightly with my fingers.

For the few days following, all I need to do in the morning is refresh the curls which takes about five minutes.

If you're thinking about growing out your hair, or are in the process, I commiserate. It sucks, but I've learned a few tips and tricks that can make the journey a little less bumpy:

- Resist the urge for major change. If you're someone who likes to change up your style, this can be difficult, especially if you're dealing with a cut you don't like. It's tempting to try and "fix" it or make things different, but if your goal is longer hair, or to grow out a bad cut... resist... resist! Getting bangs or bleaching it all just adds extra trouble... something I have to constantly remind myself.

- Step away from the heat. I still heat style my hair, but it's at a minimum. Exposing your hair to high heat can cause damage, like split ends and brittleness. Try air-drying it instead.

- Supplement. If you're vitamin B deficient, your hair and nails won't grow as fast. Supplement with a hair, skin, & nails vitamin that contains vitamin.

- Hydrate & eat healthy. Protein and iron play a key role in generating healthy hair and promoting growth. Eat whole foods, cut out as much sugar and processed foods as you can, and drink plenty of water.

- Style and reshape if you can. One of the worst parts of growing out your hair is the inevitable "awkward phase" that you will hit. Schedule a trim every few months to have your style reshaped. Trimming your hair won't actually make it grow faster, but trimming off the split ends will keep it looking healthy and lessent the amount you'd have to trim if you waited.

+ Do you have any tips for making your hair grow faster? Please share!

Thank you to Living Proof for kindly providing their products... I am now addicted. Opinions are my own.

Hair-Do How-To #7: The Faux Under-cut

1. As always, dirty hair works best for this. Decide of the placement of your part- a deep side part works best.
2. Using a fine-tooth rat-tail comb, make your part and comb the lower "shaved" section straight back against your scalp.
3. Smooth the combed section beneath the crown of your head, allowing some loose strands to fall over it.
4. Using bobby-pins, secure the combed section of hair so it lies tightly against your head.
5. Spray with hairspray (I spray my hand, then run it over my hair so it doesn't look shellacked).
6. Using a curling wand or curling iron, add curls to the loose section of hair, break apart and set with hairspray.

Optional: If you'd like a little more texture, rub some pomade or styling cream between your hands and sprunch through your hair, being sure not to run your fingers through (this will just weigh it down).

After this post, I received a number of requests for tips on creating a faux-half shave (or undercut). I've been wearing my hair like this a lot lately and, yes, this hairstyle is basically early-90s mall hair. No, I do not in the least feel self-conscious about this. I remember standing in front of my bathroom mirror as a kid, holding one half of my hair back and thinking it would just look so cool if it were shaved. I have no idea where on earth I could have seen this hairstyle back then, since I had very little access to any media or pop culture, but something, somewhere made an impression. So yeah, I'm all about the resurgence of undercuts and shaves. And, by the looks of the Tracy Reese SS13 runway show and the Rachel Antonoff SS13 presentation, the look will stick around a while (not that it matters, do what you want with your hair! Be free!). A faux-undercut is the perfect way to change up your hairstyle without the commitment of breaking out the razor.

Want more? Go here for more tutorials and tips and tricks for long hair. Have a how-to request? Let me know in the comments section!

Product details:
Hairspray: Tresemme
Curling wand c/o Missako

How To: Grow Out Your Bangs and Not Go Bananas

Once upon many times, I've had bangs...baby bangs, Betty Page bangs, Vampira bangs (ouch), and most recently, just long bangs...

...and just as many times as I've had them, I have grown sick and tired of them.

In February, I reached my "bangs breaking point" for this round, and decided to grow them out. In the past this process has been far from easy, but this time for some reason, it's pretty much been a breeze. I think it was just time to get rid of them, I was sick of styling them, sick of cutting them, and I was only pleased with their appearance once or twice a week. It's funny, because as soon as I pinned them back, I felt more awake and alert, it was like pulling back the curtains. While I can still look at old pictures like the one above and reminisce, I really don't miss them. If you're currently facing the arduous process of growing out your own fringe, here are a few things I've found that make the long process a little less painful...

First thing's first, when I wash my hair, I immediately pin my bangs off to the side and allow them to dry that way (I air dry my hair overnight). 85% of the time there is a bobby pin holding them down, and I always sleep with a bobby pin in so they don't get in my face and remind me of their existence.

Rule number one: pretend they don't exist, bobby pins help with this charade.

Try experimenting with different ways of pinning your fringe back, this will add variety to your routine and lessen the urge to just trim them already and be done with it. Try a center part with a messy ponytail a la Pamela Love's Fall 2012 Presentation:

Try pinning them straight back and pulling your hair into a high ponytail or bun, enjoy the sun on your forehead and the feeling of alertness that comes over you:

You can also try to work with styling your growing fringe along the way. For me, this usually results in more frustration, so I suggest you do this sparingly, as you may be tempted to snip if you get irritated. If you have the patience of a saint however, try curling them off to the side and setting with a healthy dose of hairspray:

Once they start to grow, it'll be easier to hide your bobby pins, and styling your hair as if your bangs already don't exist will become second nature (or, at least, a little easier):

On the weekends (and who am I kidding, most days), I typically wear them styled in a little twist off to the side. This is an easy style that isn't ruined if I get annoyed and throw my hair up in a bun halfway through the day (this usually happens):

Play around with how you part your hair. Sweeping some length over your fringe easily conceals the shorter pieces (and makes you feel- secretly- like Jessica Rabbit):

I also recommend playing around with different braiding techniques. I'm actually not doing this too much myself this go-round, but braids came in super handy when I was growing out a set of fringe a couple of years ago.

If you get tempted to grab the scissors- and you will, I can almost guarantee it- don't do it. Look at pictures of fringe-less ladies on Pinterest, think of how greasy bangs get so easily. 

Essentially: remind yourself constantly of why you're growing them out. 

The process is a slow one, for everyone, but if you learn how to wrangle them early on, it's easy enough to forget they even existed.

Feel free to share tips of your own for growing out your bangs in the comments section!

Hair Do How-To #6: Beachy Waves 2.0

I might own the oldest curling iron known to man, I have no idea where it came from, but it's served me well over the many years I've had it. This is a great technique for those of you looking to achieve beachy, undone waves, but want to avoid the "Shirley Temple" effect that traditional curling irons are known to cause. Unlike most of my tutorials, I recommend starting with clean hair, simply because it's easier to break apart the curls once they're set. This is my go-to hairstyle lately, if I'm running low on time in the morning- which, let's face it, is always- I can throw in a few curls in the top layer and curl the ends and I'm done. Happy styling!

How To: Care For Long Hair

Pictured: Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger Shampoo & Conditioner, Paul Mitchell Brush 413, Moroccan Oil Treatment, CHI Nano Hair Drier, GHD Ceramic Flat Iron. Not pictured: Fish Oil vitamins.

As the owner of a large amount of hair, I get my fare share of hair-care and hair maintenance questions, so I thought I would share my routine with you today! I've been growing my hair out from a rather artistic (read: mullet) hairstyle since 2007, but have always treated it like my best accessory. To be honest, while insecurities about one thing or another will arise from time to time, I don't often feel bad about my hair, and it certainly comes in handy when my skin acts up: instant curtain. Just kidding. Kind of (not at all). Anyways, all true life confessions aside, here's the deal:

I wash my hair two or three times a week. I know this can be difficult for some, it's a habit that I got used to when I had super short hair in college, and it just stuck with me. The more you wash it, the more it dries out. I strongly believe in using high-quality products, lately I've been using Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger shampoo and conditioner and love it (the normal sized bottles have lasted since early October). EDIT: Sometimes I'll wash my bangs alone if I need to freshen up my hair but don't have time or energy to wash the whole thing.

When shampooing long hair, only shampoo your roots, the suds will run down and give the remaining length a good once over, but shampooing the ends will dry them out and cause splits.

Do the exact opposite with conditioner: focus on mid-hair-shaft to ends. Leave on as long as you can, and rinse. Conditioning your roots will just weigh them down and make them greasy.

Post shower, apply a quarter size amount of Moroccan Oil to hair from mid-hair-shaft to ends. My bottle of Moroccan Oil has lasted for about a year and is still going strong.

Air dry your hair as often as you can. I will typically wash mine at night, blow-drying my bangs so they don't get crazy, then allowing it to dry overnight. Heat styling dries out your hair and breaks it down, so it's best to invest in high quality hot tools- I like CHI and GHD, I usually flat iron at least my bangs and roots almost daily.

I like to use Paul Mitchell brushes as well, they're great quality (the one pictured above has lasted me since 2004) and glide through hair easily.

Coloring: I do get my hair colored, about twice a year. I know a lot of people can't wait that long, and I should probably go more often, but as I'm sure most ladies with long hair can attest to: it takes too freaking long!

A word on vitamins: I take fish oil vitamins and strongly believe in them. I can't say for sure whether they have a positive affect on my hair, but I feel like they do. However, I'm no expert, so consult your doctor before starting any new kind of vitamin regimen.

Getting your hair trimmed every six weeks will not make it grow faster, it just makes it so that there is less to cut off when you do go for a trim.

So there is my routine. Once again, I'm no expert and I'm not pretending to be. But I did work in a salon for my Mother in Law, and the above is a brief synopsis of what I learned there. Enjoy!

October 12, 2011: Orange, Pink, Leopard Print, Gold, Black

Dress: Thrifted

Belt: J.Crew

Boots c/o Lulu's

Tights: AA

Necklace: Swapped

Bag: Coach/ Thrifted

This is one of my all time favorite outfits, as someone who usually gravitates towards more neutral tones, I love how bright it is and I love the pop of leopard print these amazing boots from Lulu's provide. This is what I wore a couple of weeks ago to the Boston Fashion Week Sip & Swap with The Swapaholics, but completely neglected to get a shot of. I'm glad I waited though, I was so sick during that event, and my hair was a disaster. For the past year or so, I've been pretty ambivalent about my hair, since leaving my old job at The College I just didn't have the money to put into it anymore and allowed it to grow. It wasn't until about a month ago that I finally got fed up: my "ombre" (ha) style was starting to look like a weird hat and the ends were destroyed beyond belief from a year and a half of straightening, curling, etc. Things had gotten out of hand, and the only style I could wear it in was a (admittedly bodacious) topknot on top of my head. This past weekend, I spent four hours in the salon chair of my friend Kristin, and am happily back to a warm reddish brown, with lighter highlights, and clipped ends. Certainly not an enormous change for some, but I feel so much better! I have a lot of plans for this blog over the next few months, one of which is getting back to my hair tutorials! Are there any styles you want to learn how to do?