5 Tips to Make Your Hair Look Amazing (Without Killing Yourself to Make it Happen)

Poplin client, Ann, with the best hair ever. Hair and makeup by Jessica Rockwell and photo by Chamonix Browne.

Happy New Year, Dear Reader!

As a personal stylist for women based in Seattle, I spend a whole lot of time chatting about which socks work with these shoes and what undergarments make this dress flattering and how do I simplify my morning routine without sacrificing my style. Yes, this is how I spend my days.

But it doesn’t stop with clothing. I get lots and lots of questions about laser hair removal, microblading, skincare, body positivity and of course, hair. So, let’s kick off the New Year with some hot tips on making your hair make your day.

5 Easy Ways to Make Your Hair Look Amazing

Go see Lindsay

Before Lindsay, I saw one person for my color and another for my cut. No longer. Lindsay has been making my hair look amazing for at least two years and I’ve never been happier. She makes dreams come true at Hazel Salon and Organics in Greenwood. An accessible location with effortless free parking and online booking. It’s also a woman owned salon AND all the products used are organic. Hazel has all sorts of thoughtful touches including.. wait for it… the ability to get a facial or other skincare service while your color is setting! Genius!

Expect a zen experience as there are no kids under 12 in the salon.

Man, I love my kid. But I’m also loving my hair in this photo. I had it curled at Ulta. All photos by Chamonix Browne.

Lindsay is the genius behind my organic color.

Hanna Mazur made this magic happen for my Money + Style Session at the Koa Club.

Schedule a regular blow out.

Whether it’s once a week, once a month or just before special events, it’s time to get a blow out. (Really, you are just making an appointment to have your hair curled, straightened or styled with a hair dryer, but a blow out sounds fancy. And, you are fancy.) I like to get my hair styled with Lindsay, but I also am a fan of hitting Ulta or another Dry Bar in town. You can usually get your hair styled for $20-$40 and it can last for a couple of days. Every time I get a blowout, strangers comment on my hair. That’s all it takes, ladies.

I have this set and love it.

Give your hair some love while you sleep.

What is more gratifying than waking up with your hair already looking good? Set yourself up for success with a silk pillowcase. Fun Fact: This also prevents fine lines on your face. I sleep with my hair in a bun on top of my head to keep it from tangling during the night or my husband sleeping on it. If you like to pull your hair up, opt for a silk scrunchie. It will prevent breakage and bring the 90’s back full force.

This is my favorite dry shampoo. It cleans hair, which isn’t always the case for dry shampoo. It is silicone-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free and cruelty-free. It’s also safe for chemically treated hair. See more of my favorite things on the Style Essentials page.

Embrace Dry Shampoo

There’s really no reason to be washing your hair everyday. Really, you can often stretch it to twice a week once your scalp had adjusted. The more frequently you wash your hair, the sooner your scalp will get oily and the sooner you’ll need to wash your hair again. It’s a vicious cycle. Instead, wash your hair less frequently and use dry shampoo at your scalp to both soak up the oil and to clean. Often, squeaky clean hair can be trickier to style, so you’ll find prep time in the morning decreases when you have used dry shampoo.

Poplin client Ashley showing how it’s done.

Keep Your Bangs Trimmed

If you have bangs, it’s easy to let them go. But simply keeping them trimmed the way you like them will make your hairstyle look more polished. Feel free to experiment with longer or shorter options or change the shape for some variety. If you spend a great deal of your time on your brows, consider longer bangs that cut that entire process out of your life. Or, try microblading.

The Hair Shop at UDYC is a rare program that teaches homeless young people how to care for and style their hair so they can look and feel their best. Help stock up the shop!

Bonus tip: Help Other People Have Beautiful Hair, too

If you’ve been a part of the Poplin community for some time now, you certainly know about my long time commitment to YouthCare, a Seattle based nonprofit helping to end youth homelessness. YouthCare has housing, educational and training locations throughout the city and offers other vital services. One of my favs is the University District Food Bank. It’s a small, nondescript house in the U District that offers food, comfort, services and community to 300 young people a month ages 12-24 who do not have stable or permanent housing. UDYC also offers classes to young people about hair care. If you’ve got questions about how to care for your hair, you can imagine how many questions a young person who has not had a supportive adult in his/her/their life has. The UDYC hair classes teach folks how to care for their hair, especially with limited resources.

Right now, we’ve posted an Amazon Wishlist for products for the Hair Shop in hopes that people will help us stock the area with much needed supplies to do this meaningful work. If you are interested, please check it out here.

Now, off to simplify your life, elevate your hair and make the world a better place. Thanks for being here.