It is with much excitement that I’m writing today’s post. February marks a special relationship for myself and my favorite salon, Illusions of Georgetown. After a year of working with Illusions on various hair and event collabs, I am now the official Brand Ambassador!!! If you remember from my Hair Journey post, Illusions was the salon who fixed my hair disaster last January when my old colorist inadvertently dyed my hair brown. It was a full on hot mess. It took my hair months to recover from that screw up, and I have Illusions to thank for getting my hair back to health. Illusions holds a special place in my heart for helping me through the process and I am SO excited to be the brand Ambassador for Illusions. As the Brand Ambassador, you can expect monthly blog and social media posts all about the salon and my obsession with all things hair!
Today’s post is a follow up to last weeks NYFW entry. When planning for NYFW, one thing I knew I needed was an Illusions blow out so I would save time getting ready in my tight NYFW schedule. When I get a blow out at Illusions, it can normally last a solid 3 days, with some minor touch-ups daily to refresh the style. Going into this NYFW, I needed it to last me 4 days, which I know seems like a stretch.
I had the blow out and style with Megan at Illusions the night before I left. Before styling, we strategized on the style- tons of body and fullness with lots of product, so that if the waves fell <which happens with my hair a lot since it is stick straight normally> then I would still at least have body and fullness to last. The full wash and blow out/styling took just under 1 hour. The style lasted almost perfect overnight and through my travel to NYC, which I was shocked about, and I didn't have to do anything to it on Day 1 of NYFW.
Day 1 Hair:
For Day 2, the waves had fallen a bit so I did a 15 minute touch up with my curler and Goldwell Dry Shampoo, available at Illusions. Megan had showed me how to tease my hair at the crown to help give it more body if it fell, and showed me how to go in and touch up my curls. I took Megan's advice and added some curls back into my hair and teased it. I set the style with hairspray and I was ready for NYFW Day 2!
Day 2 Hair:
For Day 3, it was supposed to rain, so I didn't want to spend much time touching up the curls since it would likely fall flat. Instead, I refreshed my hair with Goldwell Dry Shampoo and teased the roots again. I let the waves that were still in just be, and used hairspray to set the look. I actually really liked this easy, carefree style and I still had a lot of body! I spent about 10 minutes on my hair for day 3.
Day 3 Hair:
Photos by Maxey Greene
For Day 4, it was raining cats and dogs, so I didn't want to spend a lot of time on my hair. I decided to slick it all back in a low pony for a chic and minimalist look. I used dry shampoo to give some freshness to my hair, then pulled it all back in a low pony with a few pieces out to frame my face. This took me literally like 5 minutes and was so easy.
Day 4 Hair:
All-in-all, my Illusions blow out saved me so much time. Between the salon time and daily touch-ups, I spent around 1.5 hours on my hair for 4 days. If I had done my own wash/blow-out, it would have taken me about an hour each time, so this time savings was crucial for me and my packed schedule! I also love how personalized the blow out process is at Illusions. Its not like your typical blow out bar that has set styles to choose from, and they work with you for your style to last, based on your needs and hair type!
For the month of February, Illusions is offering 20% off any Gloss service with the registration of their newsletter. Stay informed on what is going on at the salon and exclusive specials, by signing up here!
XOXO
Blonde in the District