amanda juliane

Back when I was growing up, I started getting highlights in the sixth grade. Well let’s take it even a few years back, my mom would basically dump bottles of “Sun-In” on me and my brother’s heads, in hopes to turn us into little blonde babes. In actuality, it gave us more of that brassy orange, mixed with a tinge of chlorine green look that no one is here for. This look was most definitely on trend, think circa 1999 Slim Shady glory days. We’ve all been there and today I want to take a moment of silence as we reminisce on those days and now we can move forward to the details of the hair glow up.

As I mentioned above, I started getting my hair highlighted at a very young age. I loved dipping my toe(guess we should say hair) into the beauty world at the ripe age of 12 and I think it was the catalyst of my development into the boujee babe that I am today. If it makes you feel beautiful, then yes freakin’ queen do the damn thing! As I got older and less clueless in putting myself together, coloring, styling tools, and lack of proper hair care began taking a toll on the quality & length of my hair. My hair was never “bad” per-say, but I absolutely did not make the proper investments in my hair to warrant the beautiful locks I possess today.

I want to share some of my tips and tricks in how I basically looked like Rapunzel on my wedding day and only required clip in extensions for volume in my braid style (to be clear, the extensions were not for length!).

#1 – Use a heat protectant! The moment I started using it, I could see an instance difference in the strength of my hair. Why use a heat protectant? This is a simple spray that provides a shield of protection when you are styling your hair through a blow dryer, curling iron, flat iron, wand, you name it! Think about it- these tools get to 300-400 degrees Fahrenheit. I legit just burned the shit out of my finger from my wand, imagine what that heat is doing to your hair?! Are you convinced now? My hands down favorite heat protectant is by Kerastase Fluidissime Anti Frizz Spray. Retails at $37 and lasts me about 4 months. On towel dried hair, liberally spray all over your hair, paying more attention to the ends. I use about 6-8 pumps on my hair. Totally worth the investment to strengthen those locks!

#2 – Use a serum! Look at the ends of your hair right now? Are they split? Are they frayed? Don’t worry- we’re going to fix that! I used to be you, too. This serum is a close second to my #1 recommendation. The Kerastase Sérum Thérapiste Hair Serum has been an absolute game changer and finally was able to get my hair to grow strong and healthy past my shoulders. This serum is super hydrating and repairs damaged ends as a result of color, heat, and over-processed hair. Apply this serum on only the ends of your hair. Pay special attention to the ends on front sections of your hair, as this tends to be the area that gets the most damage!

#3 – Use quality styling tools!

#4 – Be a grease monkey for a few days. Okay don’t let it get that bad, but basically what I am saying is- do not wash your hair every single day. LET ME SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK! I use to be a victim to this cleanliness craziness and I swear it dries out your hair even more! Try to go atleast 1-2 days without washing your hair and you will begin to notice a new softness and strength in your hair quality. To close the gap of needing a wash, I use Drybar Dry Shampoo.

#5 – Take a collagen supplement. I began incorporating a collagen powder into my everyday diet because I could not find a protein powder that would agree with my lactose intolerance. By mistake, this powder started making my nails and hair grow like crazy, while giving my skin a glow and new benefits. Here I present to you, Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides.

Well here we are! And how did we get here? “Are we going to a wedding?!” – queue Lilly from “The Princess Diaries” quote here. But really, this is my blog and you’ve found yourself upon it.

Why am I doing this?

• I loved writing when I was younger. I even had a super funny diary (that I may throw back to from time to time).
• I am obsessed with the idea of what “leaving behind my legacy” will look like. So what better way then to create a blog sharing the things I love most?

In my writing, my purpose is to share my personal experiences with my passions, such as travel, food, fashion, beauty, girl power, and lifestyle. My goal is for my readers to feel entertained, relatable, and inspired within their own everyday lives and goals.

I am clearly not an expert in blogging, or any of the topics I choose to write about. For now, this will begin as a personal outlet for myself and journey that will evolve with my audience. Thank you for stopping by!

#travel #food #fashion #beauty #girlpower #lifestyle #zerotohero