The Snooze Button Look

I have a hair confession.  Some mornings (okay, most mornings) I ride the snooze button until the very last second and I have less than ten minutes to get my locks in reasonable order before work. Luckily, my hair is long so I can just comb it and tie it in a knot and go. I know it looks better when it’s blown out or curled up or even just braided. I know. But a girl needs her beauty sleep right?

On more than one occasion I have had to resist the urge to get bangs, add layers or even crop it down Miley Cyrus style.  Instead of cutting it, I usually go for a trim or change up the colour. Why not go for a new look? I keep my hair at waist length for a couple of unreasonable reasons.

I’m afraid of the hair stylist.

I’ve had many unpleasant experiences at a variety of salons. There was the poodle perm when I was a pre-teen. Then there was the “mullet incident” if 1989. Then there were years of attempts to describe one inch to a stylist. For the record, one inch of dry hair is at least three inches of wet hair in hairdresser-lingo.  And finally, a few years ago I spent upwards of $300 at a high-end salon in trendy Yorkville in Toronto. I had just started dating my now fiancé and wanted to impress him with a sexy new do. I told the stylist to do something wild, that I was open to change. I ended up with a dark brown swath (bangs? not exactly) in the front and then an orangey-blonde chunk of long hair in the back. It was the mullet incident all over again!

Still in Mullet Recovery

I have post-traumatic hair disorder.

When I was twelve, I begged my mum to let me cut my nearly knee-length, beautiful, shiny, dark blonde hair into the same trim bob that she was sporting. I went to school the next day and the supply teacher mistook me for a boy (it didn’t help that I was skinny, nearly six feet tall and flat as a board). I’ve been trying to re-grow my long lost locks ever since.

My fiancé likes the long blonde look

My fiancé likes it.

We first met when I was seventeen and my hair was very long. We started dating sixteen years later, and he tells me he loves my long hair because it reminds him of the huge crush he had on me when we were young. How could I resist such a sweet compliment?

I am beauty-lazy.

If there’s a short-cut to pretty, I take it. If there’s a homemade solution to an expensive salon-worthy problem, I will be in my kitchen making it. I would rather slather my head in mayonnaise than buy expensive leave-in treatments. I don’t know if this trait proves that I’m a savvy consumer or a crazy control freak or both, but I can say that I’ve found some great do-it-yourself hair treatments that are worth trying.

Here are some quick hair tips for all of you out there who share my struggle with the snooze button:

1. Add some shine. Drizzle a little olive oil in your palm, rub your hands together to warm it and run your fingers through your hair. Amounts depend on the dryness of your hair, so experiment when you aren’t rushing to go out.
2. Grow it long. Drink lots of water and make sure you have a good balance of protein and vitamins in your diet. No matter what you put on your scalp, the true health of your hair, nails and skin depends heavily on your internal health. Get enough sleep, exercise, protect your hair from the sun, reduce stress and eat your veggies.
3. Deep Condition. Coconut oil is a fabulous deep conditioner, but you can use Avocado, Eggs, Yoghurt and even mashed up bananas to get softer hair. Mix any of them together with a small squeeze of honey and a few drops of olive oil until you get the consistency of a thick conditioner.  Experiment until you find the combination that works best for your hair. Then make a smoothie with the leftovers.
4. Degrease. Oatmeal and water will degrease oily hair without stripping the natural oils from your scalp. Another easy one is one part lemon juice to two parts olive oil. I’ve even heard of rinsing your hair in beer, although I haven’t tried it as I don’t fancy smelling like a brewery.
5. Style.  Style starts with a good cut that suits your face and lifestyle. Talk to your stylist about an easy-to-recreate hairdo that you like. Avoid trends for the sake of trends. It’s okay if it takes you some extra time to make it fabulous on special days, but if you’re anything like me, you need a quick and simple hairstyle for regular busy mornings. Ask your stylist to show you how to make your hair look good in less than ten minutes, with as few styling products as possible.  Or if it’s really long, just tie it in a knot and go!