ALL SANDBOX NEW

I've been wanting to change my hair for some time now. It's not that there was anything wrong with my hair. Some days (like this one) I really loved having long hair, but most days, it was just too much work to keep untangled. I'm fickle. I needed a change - a BIG change - but I wasn't really sure what to do. I started showing everyone this picture of Korean model Soo Joo with platinum blonde hair (OB-sessed!) but knew this kind of hair would never make sense for me. It'd be way too high maintenance to keep it looking this way. As I've mentioned before, I'm not great with hair and need hair that is simple.

Just as I started to feel like what I wanted was impossible to achieve (hair that is colored, on-trend, and low maintenance), I was contacted by Salon Nordine & Day Spa to see if I would be interested in getting a hair makeover on live TV for a DC area show called Let's Talk Live! Two of their stylists, Diana Rivera and Rachel Wetsel, had just returned from a hair show in New Orleans full of ideas and techniques that they wanted to share - they just needed a willing model. At first I was nervous, not about changing my hair but about being on TV. Any time I hear the word TV or video my knees start to shake, but I knew this was too perfect of an opportunity to let slip away. So we met for a consultation to talk about what ideas they had, what ideas I had, and with the aid of Pinterest pictures, we made sure we were all on the same page.

The first step was the cut. My hair grows rather quickly, and so I wasn't nervous about cutting a big chunk off. Here's what I looked like right after the first big chop. I loved it too and felt like Mulan.



Next was color. Since my hair was dark, the process took some time. We decided on a mix of balayage and ombre. Balayage, I learned, is when the colorist "sweeps" vertically with a paint brush creating natural, sun kissed highlights. While ombre is gradual lightening of hair usually fading from a darker color near the roots to a lighter one at the ends. With ombre coloring, my roots are actually my natural hair color, allowing me to go at least 3 months before I need a touch up! After the first round of color, I felt like I wanted parts of my hair to be even lighter so I came back in for a quick touch-up, and we re-talked about the cut for Let's Talk Live.

While getting your hair colored at the salon in Fairfax, you can expect to feel very comfortable. They have plenty of wall outlets to charge your phone or laptop, and they even provide iPads to borrow if you forget to bring something.

On the day of the live segment, I was pretty nervous, but once we got on camera, I was less nervous than I thought I would be. In the first part of the segment I had to keep my head down and be careful not to move it as Diana was cutting my hair. In the second part of the segment, I wasn't really sure what camera I should be looking at, so I kept looking at the one that was straight in front of me. It was easy to keep looking at myself in that camera because I LOVED my hair so much! Ha!

Are you ready to see the before and after?! Drum roll please...



What do you think?!!!! My sweet friend Natalie says I look like Chrissy Teigen! I'll take a comparison to a Sports Illustrated model any day!

If you missed watching the Let's Talk Live segment, no worries because I have it right here:



Thank you SO MUCH to Heather Menis of Fifth & Main PR for connecting me up with Salon Nordine, to Rachel and Diana for being my dream glam squad for a few days, and to Salon Nordine & Day Spa for providing this video and treating me to an incredible hair experience. My expectations were exceeded every step of the way!

Are you looking to update your hair for Fall but not sure what to do? Call Salon Nordine & Day Spa for a consultation. You can also find them on Twitter and Facebook.



Want to know more about what I wore on live TV? Sign up for liketoknow.it, like my Instagram image, and details will be sent directly to your inbox. Also, please bear with me as I wrap up some post that I took prior to getting my hair makeover.

P.S. I consulted my Dr. prior to getting my hair colored. If you are also pregnant and considering hair color, I would recommend that you talk to your Dr. first.

Back in May, my friend Natalie swept me away for fun trip to Brooklyn, NY. You may remember this picture of me getting my make-up done and thought, what's she up to? I'm giddy to finally share that Natalie invited me to be in a hair tutorial video with Garnier!! If you know me at all, you know hair styling is not something I'm great at. My hair is either semi-wet, straight & flat, or blown out by someone else. So I was really excited for this opportunity to learn a new look.


The roughed-up \ messy ponytail is such an easy hairstyle and looks good with everything in my closet. It's a great way to look and keep cool on a hot summer day, but I also see myself wearing this style into fall and winter when my hair becomes a static mess underneath. At least the mess would make more sense this way.

It's no secret that I can be \ feel shy at times so to have a director, a sound guy, camera guy, reps from Garnier, and 5+ other people watching my every move was incredibly nerve racking for me. I was so nervous that the make-up team had to put make-up on my chest because it was turning bright red. HA! Natalie, on the other hand, was such a natural in front of the camera. She's amazing. As uncomfortable as I was, I love pushing and challenging myself to do things a little over my comfort edge. The outcome was definitely worth it. Thanks so much for asking me to be a part of it, Natalie! xo

PS - This is the 2nd time Natalie and I have starred in a video together. Check out our first video here. Details on my look in the video here.