Blow Dry Bootcamp

When it comes to my hair, competence, talent, and skill are the furthest words I would use to describe my styling skills.  Instead I would throw out fear, annoyance and a couple four-letter words.  Which was why (in my mind) I was the perfect candidate for boot camp...blow dry boot camp.  An hour (drinking wine and eating yummy snacks) (okay, my fabulous instructor Zeb spent 2 with me) to teach me how to correctly blow dry and style my hair so I can have that "just walked out of the salon look" on a daily basis.

I was immediately impressed with the ambiance Bungalow/8 presented: inviting, upscale, and timeless. I'm so often turned off by salons who are trying so hard to be "so cool," that this was immediately refreshing...and got me super excited about the evening.

I was paired with Zeb: a recent transplant from Houston, Paul Mitchell Educator (even though he now works at a Bumble and Bumble Salon), and Hair Stylist Extraordinaire. Zeb also, after baby-sitting me for 2 hours, should be nominated for sainthood due to his patience. The fact that he is an educator along with a stylist really impressed me in that he was able to explain everything in layman's terms, and then made me try the various techniques to make sure I was comprehending his advice.

Zeb washed and conditioned my hair (see picture--you know I love my blog readers when you see me with soaking wet hair and NO makeup)...and then explained to me that there is a huge difference between various sizes and types of brushes and combs. He then showed me which ones to use with wet hair...and how to use them to comb out my wet hair to achieve my styling goals (smooth, silky hair with lots of volume)!

Zeb then explained to me which Bumble and Bumble products I should apply prior to studying, and if I chose to apply such products...how little I would need to use (!).  Since volume was a goal of mine he sprayed a thickening spray, while my hair was wet, on my roots all around the crown of my head, and then texturized the roots with his fingers...he also put a smoothing cream on my hair so my hair wouldn't frizz (think of The Princess Diaries BEFORE the makeover) like it normally does.

We then went into a upper arm workout. Not even kidding. I mean the portion of the night where I learned how to blow dry my hair using a round boar hair brush, and discovered that I might just be ambidextrous.
Zeb explained to me that I should start at the top of my head focusing on the roots, pulling a small 2-inch section of my hair up with my fingers, blow drying the roots and then laying  the hair in the opposite direction instead of letting it fall naturally...which helps to create the much desired volume. 

Zeb then had me use the round brush to create a smooth, silky, polished look that I can wear every day... One tip Zeb gave me was to start drying below the root because that area is already dry and further drying would cause it to frizz and dry out the hair cuticle and then work down my hair in sections. He also explained the benefit of a nozzle or diffuser on the hair dryer, again fighting frizz, and focusing on one section at a time instead of all over your hair--the already dried sections, and the wet--unbrushed--sections.

All in All, Blow Dry Boot Camp Was a Resounding Success :)

oh, and my hair today...MUCH better than normal, thanks to Zeb's advice!

oh and PS--Remember (if you don't) to follow my Blog so I can do a giveaway when I hit 75 people!!!