I want Purple Hair...

I was browsing IG when I came across the slayage that is blogger Gabi Fresh and her dope lavender hair! I was instantly swooning over her beautiful purple hue... and now I'm sitting here pondering how I can pull this off! I love my balayage, but for some reason I have a tendency to go light in the winter and darker in the summer. Blame my cancerian mood shifts. #KanyeShrug

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I've been extremely bored with my hair and am ready for a change. I don't know for sure if additional color is the best route to go, but the lack of talented braiders in Seattle is a buzzkill. That's something I miss about living in Chicago -- access to talented folks in a variety of price ranges who knew how to do my hair. Life in Seattle is not a total hair struggle (I have a colorist and insane weaver on deck), but for fairly standard protective styles I'm SOL. On top of that, I just can't seem to learn how to do it myself. Yes, these are very much so first world problems, but ... #KanyeShrug.

Where to Color your Natural Hair in Chicago

It'd been nearly a year since I last got my hair professionally colored, well... roughly 10 months to be exact, but I was itching to get some color again. The only stylist in Chicago that I trust to color my natural hair is Cori @ Justin's Salon Studio. Last Fall Cori took my hair from it's natural brown color to an awesome lighter brown with highlights (see below) and it changed my world. My curls had so much added dimension and truly popped.

 

After almost a year of living my life (i.e. not using a color shampoo/conditioner lol) my hair started looking brassy, so I ended up throwing a level 2 color in it to get it back dark ( my blog avi pic), but the dark hair was starting to bore me and I wanted a change. I was excited to book an appointment with Cori and get some more color in my life. I went in there not sure of what I wanted, but knowing that I needed something to excite me about my curls again. I told Cori that I wanted something to brighten me up, but lower maintenance than what I had previously had. Her suggestion? Heavy highlights sans the overall base color. I was game! Once again she used 2 different Wella colors for highlights, but I did opt for bleach this go-round. So far I'm loving my hair and it was just what the doctor ordered.

New Highlights

I've come to realize that I prefer color in my natural hair. It's a fun way to make my curls pop and a reflection of my bubbly personality. I also had a pow-wow with myself and said that I'm going to take better care of my color this time. I'll be alternating between color conditioner and hydrating conditioner... maybe even pre-pooing from time to time. I want to retain more length and minimize the chops I've been getting... so, reducing the amount of blow drying I'm doing and using a scarf at night. I'm secretly happy that the temps are cooling off in Chicago because that means less shrinkage! Score.


If you're in the Chicago area and looking for a stylist you can trust to color your natural hair, you must see Cori.


Who: Cori @ 773-609-4884
What: Color, Cuts, & anything else for your natural/relaxed hair
Where: Justin's Salon Studio (1919 S. Michigan Ave - South Loop)
Cost: Varies. You can get a free consultation.
Connect: Twitter - @J_SalonStudio