OUTFIT + A HAIR UPDATE

elizabeth mckay

henri bendel cross body bagdesign darling

three jane map necklaceelizabeth mckay striped shortsmackenzie horanKate Spade sunglasses ($145 c/o)  //  Old Navy wrap top ($17)  //  Elizoebeth Jensen monogrammed necklace ($285 c/o)  //  Three Jane map necklace ($175 c/o)  //  Elizabeth McKay striped shorts ($135 c/o)  //  Henri Bendel crossbody bag ($198 ℅)  //  Madewell d’Orsay flats ($108 $89, more options here)  //  Photos by Bekka Palmer

Big news, people. I treated myself to the Kerasilk smoothing treatment! First, a bit of history about my hair: it’s always kind of been the bane of my existence. In college, I started several years of Japanese straightening treatments that completely fried my hair and left me with curly roots and lots of split ends. I finally committed to stopping the treatments and letting my hair grow out in its curly, frizzy glory, all the while having to cut the dead ends shorter and shorter. It took about two years for my hair to “recover” and even then I’m not sure it will ever be the same. (If you’re considering a Japanese straightener, learn from my mistake: don’t do it!)

When I moved to New York and discovered Drybar, I was sold. I signed up for a monthly membership that gave me discounts on blowouts and left my hair feeling silky smooth after every visit. I’d get my hair trimmed at barber shops and schedule blowouts strategically around dates, meetings, events… I know how ridiculous this sounds to those of you with straight hair. 😉 Frequent blowouts were really a Bandaid solution, though, since getting my hair wet meant returning to its natural (though perhaps permanently altered) state of unruliness.

So a couple weeks ago I made an appointment for a Kerasilk treatment at Arrojo, recommended by several friends in the city. The treatment took about two hours and I waited 24 hours before getting my hair wet and seeing the results. Here’s the deal: it’s not perfect. I can’t air dry my hair and walk out of my apartment feeling like a million bucks… But I’m not sure I ever will. I definitely still have a little curl but it’s more smooth and it takes less time to zip through it with a curling iron. (I’ve been using this cheapie in the 1″ size and I love it — the curls look a little ridiculous at first but fall into perfect waves when I run my fingers through them.) Kerasilk is supposed to last five months so I’ll let you know if I decide to do it again come 2015!

 Since I just talked your ear off about mine, who else has a hair saga they care to share?