Hi blondies! Life is more fun, right?

So, a lot of you have been asking me how I get my hair so icy white blonde. I mean, I get it, it’s *coolest* color around (if u catch my drift). After responding to 834234 DMs, I decided it’s time to write a blog post. ;P

First, let’s get one thing straight (like GHD hair straightener straight.) That white blonde blogger hair you see all over the gram? IT’S CALLED PHOTO EDITING PPL. I mean, I’ve full on used the teeth whitening tool on my hair before. Realness.

So no, my hair isn’t white (omg I wish. THE DREAM.), but I try to get it as close as possible. I’ve come to the realization that I’m happiest when I have that FRIGID AS FUCK ICY BLONDE hair, ya know?

Here’s the formula: the right stylist + the right products.

How to find a badass blonde hairstylist

It’s so hard to find “the one.” Like, it’s worse than online dating… because a bad date won’t FRY YOUR HAIR like a bad stylist will.

When I moved to LA, I got my hair done via a Groupon deal. Please, I beg of you, learn from my mistake and do not do this. She was new. My hair broke off in massive chunks. It looked like ramen noodles. I’m still recovering.

If you’re serious about the icy blonde life, don’t go to a color generalist. Go to a blonde specialist who understands the complexities of blonding.

Live in LA? Lucky you. I know exactly where you need to go: BLONDE/BLOND. This salon ONLY does blonde color. It’s my second home. I call Caitlin Richardson, the owner, my fairy blondemother. She just gets it.

Ok, so, you live in Idaho? Never fear. Here’s what you need to do to: a) find a fab stylist and b) make sure s/he delivers your blonding vision to perfection:

1. Do your research. Fucking duh. I’m not just talking Yelp reviews. Look at PICTURES (especially before and after photos). Insta is great for this. Make sure the stylist is using her own images (not reposting other people’s) and isn’t using heavy filters to distort the color. Check out @blonde.blond on insta for reference – it’s like porn for blondes.
2. Come prepared. Before you even show up for your appointment, send photos of your current hair sitch, as well as pics of your desired end result. Caitlin from BLONDE/BLOND also stresses the importance of sharing every lil detail of your hair color and treatment history. Not only will this help your stylist prep, but it will also allow her to set your expectations. The color might not be right for your hair type or skin tone. OR it may take multiple treatments to get there (better to go slow and safe.) A good stylist will be honest and communicate thoroughly with you. A bad stylist will promise the world and underdeliver.
3. Go slow. Again, go slow. Icy blonde doesn’t happen in an hour. Blonde experts don’t rush your hair under the heat dryer so they can move onto the next client. They make you sit with your foils in for fucking ever. (It’s worth it.)
4. Repeat after me: NO. WARM. TONES. I recommend telling your stylist that you “only want cool tones and NO WARM TONES” at least 100 times. Bonus points for throwing in words like “icy,” “frigid,” and “glacial.”
5. Communicate. DON’T BE SHY. You know that feeling you get when you just kinda *know* your color isn’t going to turn our right? DON’T BE “POLITE” AND SIT THERE IN FUCKING SILENCE. NOT TO BE DRAMATIC BUT LIKE THIS COULD *TEMPORARILY* RUIN YOUR FUCKING LIFE. If you have a question or concern, say something early and often.

K, so, you want my EXACT color formula? Copy cat. Caitlin uses:

• Bleach: Matrix V Lights Bleach. Caitlin has tried literally every bleach you guys (ppl send her free shit every week). This is the best one bc it lifts white (not yellow – ew.)
• Tone & Base Break: Frampsi Color (she mixes 0P and 9NP) to tone my hair and break the base. It’s an Italian color line with smaller pigment molecules than others.
• Toner for ends: Redkin Shades (she mixes GI and GV together for a white ash grey tone… yum)

Btw… if you don’t know terms like “base break” and “toner,” check out the blonde glossary on Caitlin’s blog!

Ok, so, you achieved icy blonde perfection. The hard part is keeping it that way. Your hair will start to skew yellow if you don’t use the right products.

The products every icy blonde must have

When it comes to blonde haircare, I’ve just learned to do whatever Caitlin tells me to do (she’s the only one who can boss me around). Like literally if she told me to rub raw onions on my head every night I would do it, and there’s nothing I hate more than onions. She just knows what’s up and has NEVER led me astray. All of the below are recommended by my blondemother and tried and tested by me. They’re the ride or die products I can’t live without, and they’re honestly necessary for icy blonde maintenance. You need every. single. one. Trust me on this.

L’anza Purple Shampoo

This stuff is the most hydrating purple shampoo around. It also has the most pigment (you want your purple shampoo to be DARK purple). Purple cancels out the yellow tones. Wash your hair with regular shampoo first to get it super clean, and then leave the purple shampoo in for two minutes. If your shower looks like a purple murder scene… that means you’re doing it right. You shouldn’t need purple conditioner – just the shampoo will do the trick.

Malibu Packets

These puppies are made to take out well water deposits, but they also remove the build up that accumulates on your hair from purple shampoo (not cute). Just use it on your ends once a month and you’ll be good to go.

T3 Shower Filter

Shower filters are not optional. ESPECIALLY if you live in LA. Our water is filled with chlorine and other toxins that dry out your skin and hair (and leave your hair greasy even after shampooing). I’ve tried a billion different shower filters but avoided buying this one forever because of the price tag. However I can now assure you, it’s worth it. It is… dare I say… life-changing? Your hair will be cleaner, shinier, softer, and healthier than ever before. (Plus – you won’t have to wash it as often, and we all know how important that is.)

Unite 7 Second Leave-in Conditioner

After you towel-dry your hair (with an Aquis microfiber towel, of course), spray about 7 spritzes of this leave-in conditioner. Blonde hair is dry, and you don’t want to damage it with your brush. This stuff is gold – it will detangle and make your brush glide on through.

Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer

Look, the Dyson Supersonic is pricey. But it dries your hair super fast and smooth (and again, time is money.)

Swipe to the right to see Caitlin’s fave, the Elchim 2001. Apparently, every hair stylist has one of these and it’s a tried and true fave that just works.

Whichever you choose, make sure you use the thin nozzle to direct the airflow. Blow dry your hair in sections, pulling it away from your head and blowing the air DOWN with the hair shaft (so that the air is angled in the direction the cuticle lies.) If you blow the air in every direction all willy-nilly, the cuticle will dry whack and that’s what creates FRIZZ.

(Would you want a full post on blow drying technique? It took me forever to master the art… and it really is an art. Lmk in the comments below!)

B tee dubs, if you wanna see how I style my big loose waves, check out this video.

Ibiza Round Boar Brush

If you’re still blow drying your hair with a Conair from Walgreens, we need to talk. The plastic traps heat from your blow dryer and FRIES your hair.

The boar bristles let heat through. The round design allows you to pull sections of your hair super taught (so you can dry them smooth and sleek and/or curled on the ends). What’s that saying again? Once you go boar bristles, you never go back.

Olaplex

OMG I’M SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS ONE IT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND.

Olaplex is the only product that actually REBUILDS the bonds in your broken hair cuticles (rather than just filling them, which is what Keratin treatments do). It’s like, crazy science. But here’s my super hot tip: Most people only buy Step 3 for home use, and pay $60+ per treatment to get Step 1 and 2 done in the salon. L O L. You can just do it at home!

Here’s what you do: Just put 90ml of Step 1 on, leave it for 5 min. Then put on Step 2, leave it for 20 min (or overnight, if you wanna be an overachiever like me.) Rinse out and FEEL THE MAGIC THAT IS YOUR NEWLY REBONDED HAIR SHAFTS.

I do the treatment like once a week bc I’m crazy and want my hair to be as healthy and strong as a horse’s mane (don’t you?!)

(Do you want me to do a full blog post on Olaplex? I have so much more to say here. Let me know in the comments!)

Drybar Dry Shampoo

CAN WE ALL JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO HONOR THE AMAZINGNESS THAT IS DRY SHAMPOO. Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without it, like… wash my hair every day? L O L. That’s a scary thought.

I’ve tried literally every dry shampoo on the market and Drybar’s is the best because 1) it isn’t sticky 2) it smells amazing 3) it works better than all the others. Plus it makes your hair super voluminous, which we love. I don’t fuck with the lush scent or the whipped versions btw; they’re just not as good as the original Drybar Detox.

Hot tip: The white color of your dry shampoo can make your hair even icier and is great for hiding roots. If you’re not blonde, you’ll want to avoid the white color and use the brunette version.

Go Icy White Blonde, Or Go Home

If you’re gonna do this color, you have to do it right. Don’t skimp on the stylist or the products. Oh, and get haircuts early and often.

What other hair questions do you have for me? Wanna learn about styling and/or extensions? Leave your requests and fave products below!

Many of you have asked about my smile and if I use professional teeth whitening. I’M FLATTERED. But no. I do all of my dental and teeth whitening care myself at home, and I’m really consistent (read: psycho) about it. There are never any secrets with me, so today I’m going to share all of my at home tips and products to get your smile in tip top shape.

4 Steps for getting your teeth whiter than a Trump rally:

1. Whiten

A lot of people are surprised to learn that for teeth whitening, I just use good old fashioned Crest Whitestrips. Except I don’t use them as directed (classic me). Rather than using them once or twice a day for two weeks (which, if you have sensitive teeth like I do, is actually pretty painful), I only use them once a month. Yes, ONCE A MONTH(!) I’ve been doing this since high school, and I just think of it as maintenance (like getting your eyebrows waxed). I like the “professional effects” ones because they don’t slip around in your mouth and you can drink water while they’re on. I’m always pounding water. And btw, Crest uses the same enamel-safe ingredients dentists use for teeth whitening.

2. Brush

For toothpaste I use, you guessed it, Crest 3D White. Again, for maintenance. I haven’t hopped on this whole natural/organic train yet, but I’m interested, if anyone has any recommendations. I brush MINIMUM twice a day but sometimes it’s much, much more. I love it, what can I say. I’m obsessed with the Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean Toothbrush bc I’m a nut (and omg how chic is the black version?), but if you’re looking for a smaller investment, get a super cute rose gold one from Quip!  Just make sure to go electric for the best clean and gum health, and change your brush head every three months.

3. Floss

I BET YOU WANT TO SKIP THIS SECTION BUT YOU SHOULDN’T. I get it though. Dealing with a roll of floss is annoying af, and was always super difficult for me – my teeth are so close together I can barely fit the floss through. I realized I could get way more leverage with the twin layer floss picks. Push them through, scrape both sides of your teeth, and massage your gums. So much less drama to deal with than with regular floss. I keep a pack in my car and use them during red lights. I use the pick side to stimulate my gums on my lower teeth, since I have a permanent retainer and can’t floss there. I also leave them in the shower (and sometimes brush my teeth in the shower too, bc why not). I’m warning you – once you get used to these picks they start to feel REALLY GOOD and are super addictive. Plus, you won’t have to lie to your dentist about how often you floss anymore.

4. Photo Editing

Ok let’s just say HYPOTHETICALLY that your teeth didn’t look great in a photo and you wanted to whiten them for the gram. Facetune 2 is my fave app for that. Glide your finger over the areas you want whitened (your teeth, the whites of your eyes, the wall in the background, anything). Then use the slider to adjust the intensity of the whitening to your liking.

5. Smile 🙂

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP – don’t forget to smile! I love to smile, and always smile in my pics (even if most other bloggers are doing differently!) I’m not a Kardashian, and I see your smile as your business card. It’s your first impression – so make it a good one.

What are your smiling secrets? Share with us below!

 

Call it narcism, but I never buy subscription boxes because I don’t think anyone can curate a collection of (usually v random sample sized things) better than I can for myself. I like my own taste best. Duh.

There might be one person that can do it better though – and that’s Rachel Zoe. When The Rachel Zoe Project first aired on Bravo in 2008, I got a wee bit obsessed with her. I wanted to raid her closet, wear her hair as a wig, and I started using her favorite phrase – “that’s BANANAS” – every chance I got.

I love Rachel Zoe because she’s a living example of what it means to #flexyourfemale. She’s a celebrity stylist, designer of the The Rachel Zoe Collection, runs The Zoe Report, and is killing it with her latest venture, Box of Style. Oh, AND she has a hubby and two freakin adorable kiddos. Flex, girl.

So obvi when Rachel’s team offered to gift me the Box of Style, I decided to put my subscription box woes aside and give it a try. You don’t say no to Rachel Zoe.

Here’s my unfiltered (duh) review of the Winter Box of Style (not even kween Zoe gets special treatment!)

Box of Style Breakdown

• Pitch: quarterly subscription box containing over $400 of luxury fashion curated by Rachel Zoe herself
• Seasonal Cost of One Box: $99 $79 with code BOSWINTER20
• Annual Cost of Four Boxes: $399 $349 with code BOS20

A Sneak Peak Inside the Winter Box of Style

The Presentation

I know not everyone cares about this stuff, but I appreciate beautiful branding and packaging. The Box of Style comes in a sleek square black box, and each item is individually wrapped in glimmering gold tissue paper. Respect.

 

1. Rachel Zoe for Box of Style Clutch

Screw “saving the best for last,” this clutch (designed by Rachel Zoe herself) is my fave item in the box. I absolutely adore it. The quality is great and the materials are beautiful. It’s perfect for a night out or an evening bag. I opted for the white color because I love the marbled texture and prefer gold hardware over silver.

 

2. House of Harlow 1960 Mesa Earrings

Rachel designed these gorgeous statement earrings in collaboration with her good friend Nicole Richie (casual). I’m into the bold style. The best part is that they’re super lightweight for such a large size – so they won’t wear out your poor lil earlobes.

 

 

3. Unreal Fur Faux Black Stole

I love fur stoles. If I didn’t live in LA, I’d prob be wearing one rn. Stoles are perfect to pair with coats, sweaters, and evening dresses. I’m feelin the pure black color of this one.

 

 

4. Tarte Sex Kitten Liquid Liner

Meh, not too excited about this. I’m not a big cat eye fan, and I feel like Sephora is handing these eyeliners out like candy. Not sure how this fits with the “luxurious” branding.

5. Osea Essential Hydrating Oil

I’ve heard amazing things about this product for a while. I used it today on my face today and it’s definitely hydrating – but I don’t like the herbal smell – it’s way too intense.

 

 

6. Sugar Paper The Agenda

V V V into this. Yes, I know we have phones these days. But personally, I still like to write things down – it keeps me organized. And scratching things off my to-do list gets me high. P.S. This planner is filled with quotes from badass women – love that.

Final Review of Box of Style

If you know anything about Rachel Zoe, you know she has high standards – and that shows through in the Box of Style presentation and products.

That said, does the Box of Style really contain “over $400 of luxury items?” Unclear. Do I care? Not really. The box is absolutely worth $79. I don’t know of any other subscription box that offers such high quality, full-size items. I love four out of six of the products – and they’re worth more than $79 to me – so in that sense, it’s a steal. Finally… a subscription box I actually like.

It’s not too late to get your Winter Box of Style for $79 or annual subscription for $349! Don’t forget to use codes BOSWINTER20 and BOS20, respectively. (P.S. These also make FAB gifts. And if you get the annual subscription, they’ll think of you all year long!)

Which Box of Style product are you coveting most?

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOX OF STYLE RN!

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: The color burgundy is everything to me rn. I have a serious color crush… and not just bc it’s the color of wine. I pretty much treat burgundy as a neutral and wear it with everything.

If burgundy isn’t a MAJOR part of your Fall and Winter wardrobe, we need to change that. You can go burgundy head to toe, or use it as a single pop of color (so chic). Here are my fave burgundy picks – I promise they’ll spice up your life:

Burgundy Bodysuits

We all know how much I love bodysuits.

Burgundy Tops

If you’re just not the bodysuit type (weird)

Burgundy Sweaters

A literal must-have.

Burgundy Pants

I guarantee you’ll have a fun time in these.

Burgundy Skirts

You can even pull some of these off at the office.

Burgundy Jackets

Why do these make me so happy?

Burgundy Coats

It’s so freaking cold.

Burgundy Vests

If you live in LA.

Burgundy Midi Dresses, Maxi Dresses, and Jumpsuits

Perfect for the (work) holiday party

Burgundy Mini Dresses

Perfect for the (play) holiday party

Burgundy Handbag

They go with almost everything, I promise.

Burgundy Shoes & Boots

Omg, shoes.

Burgundy Jewelry

Bc life’s more fun with a tassel earring

Burgundy Winter Accessories

Always accessorize.

Burgundy Loungewear

Couch uniform.

Burgundy Activewear

Workout not required.

Burgundy Swimwear

Ya ok I know Summer’s over… but that’s what hot tubs are for.

Burgundy Makeup

Unexpected.

Ok, that may have been burgundy overload, but hey, I like to be thorough.

What’s your fave color of the season?