I Have Bangs Now, & That Requires Some Lifestyle Changes

Bangs.  They can be mysterious.  They can be fun-loving.  They can also be... a friggin nightmare.  I've had bangs at various stages throughout my life, but only now as a grown woman do I know what they really mean.  They are a commitment, no matter what type of hair you have.  If you have naturally straight hair, you have to worry about them being flat and limp.  If you have naturally curly hair, you probably have to heat style them daily.  Every morning that you wake up you could be dealing with a There's-Something-About-Mary-situation, but it's a small price to pay if you like the eyebrow-grazing fringe rocked by style icons like Jane Birkin, Alexa Chung, Emma Stone, and Françoise Hardy (to name only a few).  My newest fringe has required me to get up a little earlier each morning for styling purposes, and some new products have been incorporated into my routine:

T3 Featherweight Compact Dryer 
I have 2 confessions to make.  First, T3 hot tools are basically the only thing I will use to style my hair these days.  So I'm totally biased when I say I think they're simply the best in the market.  Second, I'm terrible with a blowdryer, so I avoid them like the plague.  Curling wands?  I got this.  Straighteners?  Beautiful, sleek hair right this way.  But blowouts are not and have never been something I'm good at.  My arms get tired, I get all sweaty, it's just a disaster.  All that being said, now I HAVE to use one on my bangs at least a few times a week.  I was already a fan of the T3 Featherweight Luxe dryer because it's easy to use, even for someone as blowdryer-inept as myself, fast, and causes less damage than traditional dryers.  So naturally, especially for someone who has to travel for work as much as I do, I was thrilled that they came out with a compact, foldable version.  But just because it's compact, don't be fooled.  T3 spends a lot of time on their technology, so you're not getting a less quality version of the Featherweight Luxe just because it's smaller.  It's JUST as effective as the big size, giving you the same salon-quality blowout status even when you're on the road.  Beautiful bangs in minutes, no matter what hotel I'm staying in.    

Shu Uemura Instant Replenisher Rapid Repair Serum 
Because my bangs are more susceptible to damage now that I have to style them regularly, I figured I'd incorporate some reparation into my routine a few times a week.  Shu Uemura is always looking to give their clients a little luxury, so they've come up with this take-home-salon-treatment to give people a deep-conditioning option eve if they didn't have time to make a salon appointment (which I basically NEVER have time for... in retrospect this bangs idea is risky...).  This is a 5-10 minute treatment that you just spray in your damp hair, and then rinse out for shiny, strong, soft, and delicious-smelling hair.  It's infused with Magnolia Extract because the tree is known to be incredibly resilient in nature, even in some pretty hostile conditions.  Maybe I should get one for my apartment, but I digress.  It also helps to restore hair's ceramide levels, which I'm a totally believer in for my skin, so why not for my hair?  On top of all the benefits to your hair's health, it is almost like a hair perfume with top notes of mint, orange, primrose, and watermelon.  It has middle notes of water lily, clove, jasmine, and Lily of the Valley, and then is grounded back to base notes of amber, sage, and cedarwood.  
 

Bumble and Bumble Surf Infusion 
Ok just because I'm getting up earlier to blow out my bangs doesn't mean everything in my life should get harder.  In fact, I think the rest of my hair has gotten easier, as I've been embracing an undone vibe at the back of my head.  I am fully embraceful of a good salt spray to ramp up my beachy vibe, but most times my desire for a matte, beachy finish, and my desire to keep my look frizz-free are directly at odds with each other.  Enter Bumble and Bumble's new Surf Infusion spray.  It's all the things you love about a sea salt mist but with a blend of oils, botanicals, and a sea mineral complex so that it's conditioning your hair at the same time as it's giving it some texture.  AND, as if that wasn't enough, it has UV filters to protect your hair from the sun's harmful rays.  It's pretty much everything I've always wanted in a hair product.