Let me start right out by conceding that this very well may be the most self-indulgent and downright silly thing I have ever blogged about. But I just had to share this with you all because it was so much fun. Having now gotten this admission that writing about my best hair day ever is absurdly fluffy and pointless, I will proceed with telling you (and showing you) ….MY BEST HAIR DAY. EVER.
Weekend before last, I was in Atlanta for Blogalicious, an awesome annual conference for women bloggers. This was my first time at this event, and I was blown away by what an amazing job that the incredibly talented Stacey Ferguson and her team do putting the whole thing together. I was a panelist for one of the sessions, and that was a great experience, and I also genuinely learned a whole bunch as an attendee at many of the other panels and presentations that were part of the conference. Plus, I just had a great time in general. The vibe was terrific, and I got to hang out with all kinds of interesting women.
Blogging events like this generally have sponsors, and those sponsors often throw little (or not so little) parties and mini-events for conference-goers to introduce them to their brand or product. And this was how I ended up with my great hair moment; I was walking past one of the sponsor suites on my way back to my own hotel down the street when I peeked in the door and saw this super charismatic guy interviewing a stunningly gorgeous woman. They and the crowd assembled listening to them looked like they were having a great time, and I could see a DJ, plus tasty food and drink set out, so obviously, I decided to pop in and see what was up.
It turns out that the sponsor hosting this particular suite for the conference was a company called Ors Hair Care, and in addition to all the other stuff they had going on in their party suite, they had a stage set up where a stylist was actually working on a woman’s hair, and explaining what he was doing to an audience that had gathered around the stage. And once again, this woman was absolutely stunning, with unbelievably gorgeous, curly hair. After he finished this woman’s coiffure, he asked if anyone else would like him to work on their hair. My hand shot up, and he pulled me up onto his stage, put me in his barber chair and quickly settled a drape around my shoulders.
“All my life I’ve wished I had curls,” I told him. “D’you think you could make me have great curls like that last woman you just worked on?”
The flamboyant stylist didn’t even really answer. He just got to work. And once again, he explained what he was doing to the folks who had gathered to watch. I am not entirely sure which specific Ors products he used on my hair, although I am pretty sure he sprayed a very light olive oil leave-in conditioner on my hair before he took his brushes and curling irons to my head. I think he also used two kinds of hairspray as he created each curl. Of course, I didn’t have my glasses on, so I couldn’t see past the end of my nose, meaning that – as usual when I get anything done to my hair – I could not see much of what was going on. When he was done, he gave my hair one more mist with something that smelled wonderful. He said it would help hold the curls. And then he twirled the chair around to the mirror behind me so that I could see what he’d done.
I had to grab my glasses from my lap and get them on before I could see my reflection, but when I did, I think I let out an actual squeal of delight. I had these fabulous, big, happy curls all over my head! And my hair looked and felt SO shiny and soft and downwright bouncy. The little crowd that had stood and watched the stylist work clapped and cheered because they could tell I was so thrilled with my hair.
Afterward, I talked for the stylist, Zachary Britt for a few minutes about how I could make my hair do this all by myself. He told me that I should be using a sulfate-free shampoo to hold my color, which does tend to fade, and he also recommended a particular conditioner that he said helps with shaping and holding a curl. He also recommended that I use hot rollers rather than a curling iron to get the same effect he’d just given me.
For the rest of that afternoon and evening, wherever I went, people told me they loved my hair. I am not exaggerating; I would estimate that at least one random stranger per hour stopped me or came over to me until I went to bed late that night just to tell me they loved my hair. I couldn’t believe it.
As for whether I’ve been able to replicate the stylist’s bouncy, shiny, curls at home, the answer is yes. It’s time consuming (at least for me, someone who rarely even blosw out her wet hair after washing it), so I have only done it a time or two since returning from Atlanta, but just as the stylist told me, it’s totally do-able. I pulled my ancient hot rollers (hello high school!) out of storage, and as directed, I am using an Ors sulfate free shampoo called “Curls Unleashed” whenever I want to try my Best Hair Day Ever do-over, and I also use a teensy, minuscule amount of Ors curl defining cream. Last, I mist a little hairspray on each curl as I unroll it, and then give my entire head a light misting after I’ve unrolled all of the curls. And I don’t use a brush or comb at all once I’ve taken the hot rollers out; I only use my fingers to tousle. These are all products and tricks that the stylist who did my hair in Atlanta recommended, and I am now a believer.
