Upgrade your Hair!

You guys, I FINALLY caved and purchased a hair wand!  I know, I know, hair wands are probably old news to you all but I had a couple curling irons and just couldn't justify spending $ on a good wand when I didn't "need" it.  Lately I've been so frustrated with my hair.  Every time I curled it I would lose the curls within a few hours it and then I was stuck doing it again which meant double exposure on my blonde hair.  I thought it was the Oregon climate. Humidity does not bode well with achieving bombshell curls.

Then I got the Curling Wand.  

Life Changed.

With this wand, I can curl my hair (including extensions) in less than half the time it took me before with my irons AND my curls will stay for days through practically anything!  Wind, sleeping on it, workouts all have nothing on these curls.  I don't know why I waited so long to get it!  Obviously my irons were definitely going downhill and not doing their job.  That or this wand is just way better.

Another great thing about the wand? You can easily achieve all different kinds of curls very easily just by changing the angle slightly. It is seriously amazing. Lately I have been enjoying more the loose, longer waves and they look so good thanks to my wand! 

I also wanted to show you all this side by side comparison of my hair to show you the difference in the tone (a belated example for my last post.). 

This tone was the difference in one day.  I went back to my stylist after it turned out too yellow for me (pic on the right), put on a toner and voila, you have the picture on the left!  

So back to the wand, if you love to curl your hair but don't have one, I highly recommend it!  It is a great investment and totally worth the $.  It will save you time and give you curls that last through a LOT more than if you use an iron.  

I have heard great things about the Cortex wand because of the negative ions (better on your hair) so I posted a link to one below.

Have a fabulous day!

XOXO

Joy

Is the Tone of your Hair the Problem?

We are going to talk hair tone today. This is something that I have been focused on lately as I try to get a more ashy blonde. Fortunately, I have a sister who is an amazing stylist and she will patiently explain things to me that sometimes my stylist doesn't take the time to.  I thought I would share with you all as it is an important concept to grasp in the hair world.

The tone of your hair, especially if you color it, can make a big difference in the overall color/look you are going for.  You can tone your hair to be more cool or warm and your color will look immensely different!  As a blonde, I have to specifically ask my stylist to tone the highlights that she gives me to achieve the right color of blonde that I want.  Just getting bleach put on is not enough!  I have some examples to show you because I think this is an important concept to understand if you are not happy with the way your hair is turning out.

I am going to use pictures of blonde hair to make this point today but the idea still applies to other hair colors as well.

WARM Blonde Hair:

If you want a more "yellow", "buttery" blonde look then ask for a warm toner.


COOL Blonde Hair:

To get a more "white", "ashy" blonde, you want a cool toner (it should be purple in color) AND you will want to purchase purple shampoo and use it with your regular shampoo.

BRASSY Blonde Hair:

Brassy hair is what happens when your blonde color gets old and starts to turn "orange" because of sun exposure and time being un-treated.  If your hair is looking brassy, putting on a toner and letting it sit for a couple minutes will lift it right out and give you back your beautiful color.


I hope this clears up any confusion.  As you can see, putting a toner on your color can make a big difference!  If you are unhappy with the way your hair is turning out, ask your stylist to use a toner to change it up for either a warmer or cooler look.  Your stylist probably is doing a fine job with your color, you  just need the correct toner.

XOXO

Joy

Double Date Night

Peter and I had the pleasure of going out last Saturday with a couple we met when we first joined Mars Hill.  Dan and Krista Briley were our Community Group leaders at a time when we were fragile and going through a lot in our marriage.  They were instrumental in shepherding us, coming alongside us and guiding us through some growing pains.  We spent a lot of Saturday nights at their house, having a meal and digging into issues/discussions that we needed help with having.  As a result, we have grown to love and appreciate them in a deep way and feel indebted to them for all the help they provided us.  We truly would not be where we are today without their presence in our lives/marriage.

  Last Saturday we all got babysitters and went out for a nice meal and then some pool afterwards.  It was so fun to be with them and celebrate how much Jesus has done in our lives over the past few years.  

I got this dress online and it was the perfect chance to wear it so I decided to snap some pics and give their website a shout out.

Of course I had to get a close up of the shoes!  I love these shoes and wear them with a lot of different things from shorts to dresses and everything in between. 

Dress:  The Nest On Main Boutique

          

Shoes:  ShoeDazzle.com

XOXO

Joy

Labor Day Weekend

We spent last weekend camping with friends up in Washington. The setting could not have been more perfect with a site right on the water and a boat to enjoy all weekend.

 Unfortunately the weather was not the greatest and camping in the rain with a toddler is NOT ideal. :) However, we did have some good times and I got some cute pictures that I thought I would share.

A boy, water and sand

Dinner over the fire

Waking up to RAIN

Mr. Ken watching boats with Simon

Throwing rocks

Pulling his wagon

So proud of himself

Well that was our Labor Day weekend.  Needless to say, even thought it was fun, I was pretty ready to get home.  I hope you all had a wonderful, relaxing time with your family!

XOXO

Joy