Hair Care Routine

Posted on by mckennahbybee

Hi friends! Today I’m deep diving into my hair routine to tell you exactly how I’ve been taking care of it. I won’t lie, I’ve never been the one who wants to spend money on hair products. I don’t know what it is but skincare has always been my jam and I love seeing my results. However, I’ve really been wanting to take care of my hair better to help it grow fuller and longer so I’ve been experimenting for awhile and found the things I love and what works great for my hair. Hopefully this will help you along on your hair journey.

Shampoo & Conditioner! I genuinely used to believe shampoo was shampoo until I changed up what I was doing for my hair. Before after I’d get out of the shower and my hair would be impossible to brush out and felt so dry EVEN WHEN IT WAS WET. It just felt rough – and it definitely was just that ROUGH. I shamelessly tried to convince my boyfriend to help me out on multiple occasions. THEN I found this shampoo & conditioner that I L-O-V-E. Amika products #1 smell amazing, I even went back and bought the hair fragrance so I can wear it as perfume. The entire line smells the same way – which I also love. This shampoo leaves my hair feeling fuller, hydrated and VERY SILKY & SHINY. I shampoo my hair 1-2 ish times a week depending on what’s going on & how hard I workout. If my hair is feeling super greasy I double shampoo.

Hair Treatment ! I’ve been obsessed with this olaplex duo treatment, you’ll do this right before washing your hair. 1st you take Olaplex NO. 0, it’ll be a watery consistency and you’ll coat your entire head, leave this to soak for 10 minutes. NEXT you’ll add Olaplex NO. 3 this is more of a creamy shampoo consistency (without the bubbles). You’ll apply this on top of the 1st treatment (root to tip again) this will help to keep your hair wet. Leave it on for at least 10 minutes or you can even sleep overnight with it in. Together these products work better, however I have used NO. 3 alone and it does work by itself. This treatment will help repair breakage & strengthen your hair to prevent further damage. I promise you will notice a difference after 1 treatment how much better your hair feels. I try to do this treatment once a week-every other.

Leave in Conditioner – this It’s A 10 MIRACLE Leave-in-product is a multi-tasker which means I get to skip a few products and swap it for just this ONE. It really is a miracle. It works as a detangler, thermal protectant, prevents frizz & damage/split ends, hydrates, & even adds shine!

DRY SHAMPOO – aka my best friend! I’m sorry to say but the living proof dry shampoo really lives up to the hype. With my hair being black this is one of the only products I’ve found that doesn’t leave my hair horribly grey looking. That being said I do have a few tips. 1- Use dry shampoo before your hair is too oily to be saved. 2- I prefer to use it at night and sleep in it whenever possible. 3- Before using make sure you SHAKE THE BOTTLE, spray directly onto the roots and wait a few seconds for it to absorb the oil. If you see a white cast forming don’t worry! The product binds together with the oil in your hair and you can gently rub your hair back and forth and the product along with the hair oil will flake off. This leaves your hair clean without a buildup of product that makes you hair feel gross. It’s expensive but it’s worth it!

Hair Oil – this bonding oil from olaplex is amazing especially for color treated hair. I use hair oil only in the ends of my hair because I have super fine/thin hair but I want to keep it hydrated between washes. It helps with frizz, shine, damaged ends, & is even a thermal heat protectant (up to 450 degrees)!

Hair Spray! I really love the RedKen hairspray because it comes in different hold levels. Every persons hair is so particular for example my hair does not want to hold a curl EVER. They have from 12 (low hold) to 32 (very high hold). I use the 28 hair spray and brush through with a comb so it’s not sticky and still has a light feeling to it. IF YOU HAVE FLYAWAYS – take an old tooth brush and spray the bristles then brush it though the hair & like magic the flyaways will be gone.

Hair Fragrance – look I know it’s extra but it’s so worth it. I LOVE the amika smell, nothing compares to it & I want me entire body to smell like it. ITS MONEY!!

Wet Brush – I started using this a few years back and another brush will never touch my head. It detangles hair without hurting your head.

Microfiber Hair Towel – these hair turbans reduce breakage you would get from a regular towel, reduce frizz, & help dry your hair quick!

Xx, Kennah

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Ride or Die Hair Tools You Need

Posted on by mckennahbybee

I just recently purchased a new hair drying tool that I’ve been loving so much it inspired me to share it along with my ride-or-die hair tools I’ve been using.

I’m sure you’ve seen posts floating around on this Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer and let me just tell you it as amazing as everyone says. I have very thin & extremely fine hair & I’ve tried everything to help volumize my hair. This hair drying tool does the trick! If you’ve ever wanted to blow out your hair on your own, now you can! I only use it on the low setting because it can get very hot. Every time I use this tool I get compliments on how shiny my hair is. I will note that the cord on this is quite short actually.

Next for curling I’ve been using this NuMe Magic Curling Wand for about 3 years & it is my ride or die. One of the features on this wand is that it turns itself off after its been sitting which I love, no worrying if you did or didn’t shut it off when you’re rushing out the door. It also allows you to control you heat which a lot of wands do not. There is no clamp & I just carefully wrap my hair around the titanium barrel. It does come with a heat-resistant glove, but personally I’ve never used it. My hair has a hard time holding a curl but this wand works every time for me.

Another great curling iron is the s1 beachwaver. You might think it’s strange that I have 2 curling irons on here, but they do very different things. This curling iron has a clamp & gives a more “beach wave” with its ceramic barrel. It does come with a learning curve because you don’t wrap the hair around the barrel yourself you clamp it and press the arrow for which direction you want your curls to go & this iron wraps it around for you. It has a nice little stand built in. With this curling iron you can also control the temperature & it has a self shut off after 30 minutes.

CHI & me are thick as thieves. We go wayyy back & I’ve always had really great luck with their straighteners. A straightener is kind of a straightener but I’ve never had any problems with mine & they’ve lasted for YEARS. It has a nice long cord, you can control the temperature & the newest version has the auto-shut off feature. (Mine doesn’t have this which tells you how long I’ve had it).

I also added my favorite hair products :

When you’re using heat on your hair always make sure to use a heat protector. My favorite is the 44 Iron Guard.

My favorite hair spray is the #28 Control Addict from REDKEN. They have different numbers for the level of hold. Higher the number higher the hold.

I spray my hair after the shower with this it’s a 10 miracle leave-in product it helps detangle your hair & gets rid of frizz better than ANYTHING! I have been using the it’s a 10 miracle leave-in product plus keratin.

I use Esquire’s Shaper to smooth fly aways & through my ends. It smells AMAZING. It’s actually meant for guys hair, but I swear by it. It’s a low shine.

My number 1 shampoo & conditioner duo is this one from ColorProof. Its mint & leaves a nice menthol cooling sensation & is super moisturizing.

One of my favorite shampoo & conditioner is Paul Mitchel’s Tea Tree its also great for moisturizing especially during the winter months.

Another favorite is Joico’s k-pak shampoo & conditioner. The K-pak is my favorite to use after dying my hair or when it’s feeling damaged.

Xx, Kennah

Catch up what’s in my make-up bag & favorites

Posted on by mckennahbybee

Finally feeling inspired again to get back to my writing and blogging. Thank you to everyone who has followed along it has meant so much to me the sweet messages that I receive. Blogging is a huge thing and something hard and scary to break into, but hey if nothing else it’s a personal journal for me!

My first favorite I have found is the L’Oreal Lash Paradise Mascara. I get the washable formula, but they do make a waterproof! I’ve used a few L’Oreal and other brands mascara and there is NONE that compare. The first time I used it I was hooked. The formula makes them dramatically long and dark (I use it only on my lower lashes because I have extensions). I have naturally long lashes plus with this mascara they look just like top lashes! It’s so cheap too which I love because there are tons of other expensive things and for this to only be $9.99 really makes it attainable for everyone.

Next isn’t make up but I still have been obsessed with it. The Batiste Dry Shampoo!! Holy grail of dry shampoo. Hallelujah and thank the Lord!! I don’t even know what it is that makes this stuff so great, but it brushes out very nicely and works like a wonder. Using it will make my hair last days longer than normal. They have different smells (thank you Batiste) I really love that because I was previously using the LUSH powder dry shampoo but it only comes in one scent which I don’t like. Batiste even comes in TINTED versions. I’m extremely happy the beauty industry is finally looking out for us brunettes! Only $7.99, we’re bargainers right now because I’m saving up for a new car.

Finally we have our cream shadow the Pro Longwear Paint Pots from MAC! I bought both the Painterly and Soft Ochre. I use them as a base shadow/primer. The Painterly color is a soft pink and soft ochre is a more yellow hued color. The yellow would also be great to outline and define the edges of your brows also (for medium skin tones)! They are both really pretty colors if you just use them with a crease color or even if you build on top of, they just make your colors brighter and better all around. I use my finger to apply and blend them out, you could also use a concealer brush. I promise they’re not scary or intimidating, I know the word cream makes you think it will be hard to blend out but these are easy. I’ve used these before but forgot they existed until recently and I’m glad I rediscovered them!

Let me know via DM or on my contact me page what you would like to see or things you have questions about.

Xx, Kennah

Muah or Blah? The Beachwaver S1

Posted on by mckennahbybee

I received the Beachwaver S1 as a gift and I have loved using it to get those perfect loose waves. Before the beach waver I tried every salt spray and wand technique, but nothing gave me what I was looking for! To be honest I was a bit afraid of the Beachwaver at first because I was scared I would somehow burn myself by pushing the arrow button that controls the rotation too far, but I actually get burned way less often using this than my others. It comes with a glove that I do not use, but if you’re accident prone it is a great idea. I have a few curling wands that I use daily and the Beachwaver is by far the quickest to get the job done. It takes me about 10-12 minutes to do my whole head and I have really long hair so that says a lot! It did have a learning curve with it because of the arrows and getting the direction right, but it didn’t take me long before I could turn the speed up! I section my hair off and curl in small sections clamping my hair 1-2 inches from the end to get the perfect beachy look. My hair doesn’t like to hold a curl so I have to hold it for about 8-10 seconds on a medium heat setting. After releasing the curl I lightly spray it with Control Addict 28 High-Hold Hairspray. Once the curls have cooled I brush through my hair and it gives you the most amazing surfer girl waves (if you don’t do this step you will end up looking like Shirley Temple.) This tool is a definite MUAH!

Here’s a link to a tutorial on the Beachwaver by the stylist who does the Victoria’s Secret Angels hair for the show! If you didn’t know the Beachwaver is what all the VS angels use backstage!

Xx, Kennah

Hair Training Crash Course

Posted on by mckennahbybee

Washing, drying, and styling your hair every single day is an unwanted hassle and is so time consuming! Did you know by washing your hair too much you could actually be damaging it? Shampooing too often can leave your hair feeling dry, making it prone to breakage. It could also have the opposite effect you’re going for and cause your scalp to over produce oil making it greasy faster. I train my hair so it lasts longer between washes and you can too! My hair grows very quickly and is always shiny and healthy looking. All this requires is a little patience because training your hair overnight doesn’t work. If you wash your hair everyday start by washing it every other day, you’ll notice the less you wash it the less you will need to wash it. Of course at first it will be super gross because it is used to being washed everyday so prepare for hat and ponytail days. Your hair will get used to your routine and will produce less oils. The thicker your hair is the longer you can go without washing. Everyone is different and not all of us are lucky enough to only have to wash our hair every four days. You can determine how long your hair can go without getting too gross. Things like working out and the weather can effect how long you can go. Here are a few tips I use to make my washes last longer.

  1. Dry Shampoo – chances are you’re probably using this product wrong (I was too!). Dry shampoo needs to be applied BEFORE your hair looks and feels greasy. Use it on day one hair and everyday after to help absorb as much oil as possible.
  2. Conditioner – while in the shower only apply a small amount of conditioner to your ends careful to avoid the scalp!
  3. Oils & Products – don’t put too much product in your hair even on just your ends! Decide what is absolutely a necessity for you and get rid of the other products. You may think by applying oils to the ends of your hair it’s not going to make your hair greasy – WRONG – it travels up your strand of hair and gets to your scalp.
  4. Boar Brush – using a boar brush will help you evenly distribute the oils from the top of your end through your ends so the build-up isn’t at your roots. (Most people say to brush out tangles with another brush and then use this one!)
  5. Pull it back – when working out, showering, AND when sleeping! Something I never thought about was when you go to sleep with hair or skin that needs to be washed the oil transfers onto your pillow case (make sure to wash them often). When you lay down again with clean hair it can make it dirty and oily!
  6. Don’t Touch it! – if you haven’t noticed the more you touch your hair the greasier it looks. That’s because the oils from your palms transfer to your hair! Try not to mess with your bangs or brushing it back in the same spot over and over.

Some people even take it a step further and use a clarifying shampoo every few weeks to get rid of all the build-up of oil they have. Another this I’ve seen a lot is an apple cider rinse, but that seems silly to me because for me its about avoiding having to wash, dry and style continuously.

Thanks for reading! Let me know how these tips work for you or if they’re something you already practice! Keep those locks luscious girl.

Xx, Kennah

 

Dying Hair at Home

Posted on by mckennahbybee

Being a girl can get pretty expensive with all the beauty treatments and services we pay for each month. I’ve found a way to check one of these off the list and save you some money! This is for girls who dye their hair all one color like me! (Something like balayage or highlights or a drastic color change I would suggest going to a professional for). I’ve divided it into sections to help you understand the whole process!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  1. Hair Dye
  2. Mixing Bowl
  3. Coloring Brush
  4. Gloves

Optional:

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DYE:

First you have to select your color. DO NOT BUY DRUGSTORE HAIR DYE! I buy professional grade hair products and use them at home. If you do not have a cosmetology license or a friend with one who is willing to help you out there are websites you can order it from (it is a few dollars more, but worth it for the quality!) Trust me I’ve tried every drugstore hair dye they make and all of them wash out and if you like your hair neutral or cool toned it always pulls red tones. If your hair is longer than your shoulders and pretty thick you’re going to need 2 boxes of hair dye. The dye I use is ISO icolor in the color 3N. This is super dark and most people say it looks like a 2, but it is actually a 3. icolor dye doesn’t pull red tones and it doesn’t look blue. It doesn’t damage my hair too much (obviously all dye does some damage) and makes it look so shiny and healthy.

DEVELOPER:

If you didn’t already know there are different volumes of developer. 10, 20, 30 (they make 40 level developer, but it is VERY damaging to your hair so only let a pro use this on your hair). The number or level on the bottle of developer represents the amount of hydrogen peroxide it contains. The more peroxide, the more your hair follicle will open during the coloring process. 10 volume developer is the one you would want use if you are going darker than your natural color and don’t need to lift the color at all (this is what I use). 20 developer is great for grey coverage and for coloring 1-2 shades from your current level. 30 volume is used for lightening your hair 3+ shades from your natural hair color.

PREP:

Make sure to move anything you don’t want getting dirty or stained (if you have one, use a cape to protect your clothes). Put vaseline on your skin near your hair line and on your ears so you don’t dye your skin. Once you’ve done it a few times you will get better and you won’t have to do this step. Have face wipes on hand in case you spill any. Start by mixing your color in the bowl using your brush. The hair dye box will give you the color to developer ratio that you should mix to create your color. The dye I use is 1 to 1 1/2 so for every 1 oz of color I use 1.5 oz of developer. Get your parting comb, clip, or a shower cap ready if you have one.

HOW TO:

Start from the roots at the top of your head brushing downwards and move in small sections down. I do one side of my head at a time and then finish with the back. This is where the parting comb comes in handy if you have one. I use mine to section off pieces about 1 inch apart. I brush both sides of each strand of hair (top and bottom) with a good glob of hair dye and massage it in a little with my gloves to make sure it’s evenly spread. Then I flip it over to the opposite side and clip it, then continue down. When doing the back of your head it can be tricky, but if you use 2 mirrors across from each other you can see the back of your head and it makes it a ton easier! Once you have it completely covered clip it up and put on the shower cap to make sure you don’t get it on anything while you wait for it to finish (usually 40 minutes ish).

CLEAN UP: 

I hand scrub the bowl and brush and then wash my hands with the gloves still on using regular hand soap. Then I lay them out to dry. Rise the dye out before you start shampooing, I like to lay in the tub with my head under the faucet for this step.

EXTRA TIPS AND INFO:

  • You cannot dye hair while it is wet, it must be dry but it is the best to dye 2nd day hair that has all your natural oils.
  • Use a color therapy shampoo and conditioner afterwards. I use joico brand k-pak color therapy.
  • Use a hair mask to repair the hair (about once a week). I use the joico k-pak one as well.

Xx, Kennah