New Hair: The Long Bob w/ Josephine’s Day Spa & Salon

“This post is sponsored by Josephine’s Day Spa & Salon. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.”

Good morning, loves! By a show of hands, who loves Mondays?  I use to dread it because hello – going back to work was no fun, but now that I have kids, it’s probably my 2nd favorite day of the week.  By default, Mondays are my GSD (get stuff done) days where I can run all my errands and get back into my work flow while the girls are in school.  This past Monday, however, I decided to take my own advice and do something a little different.

If you read my last post about self-care and tips for conquering the day like a boss babe, treating yourself was one of them!  With coming back from vacation, the time change, and no school for Spring Break, I was feeling so run down! Anyone else STILL struggling with the time change?  I’ve never had this issue before, but oh boy has it been hard in our house. Anyways, I knew a little ‘me’ time would for sure get me out of this funk and guess what. It paid off in big ways!

I visited Josephine’s Day Spa & Salon on Eldridge Pkwy for a massage, haircut, & style and the experience was phenomenal.  They have 2 other locations in Pearland and Rice Village, but the Eldridge location is officially re-opening their doors to the public after Hurricane Harvey damaged their space.  In fact, they’re hosting the Grand Re-opening Party tonight from 5-8pm where you can win an entire year of blowouts for free, enter for a $1500 skincare package prize, save over $200 on product + services, and purchase exclusive hair/beauty packages only available during the party.  More details HERE.

Massages are not something I do on the regular, but wish I did. In fact, this was only my 2nd time ever getting one so you better believe I was excited about it.  First off, the entire space is beautiful! It’s bright, clean, sleek, and really open. I was warmly greeted by the concierge as soon as I walked in (a HUGE plus for me!) along with the most amazing aromas!  Josephine’s is an Aveda Salon so it was no wonder every nook and cranny smelled like heavenly calming essential oils. It was glorious.

I picked the Aveda Customized Massage and it was 45 minutes of pure heaven.  I think I even fell asleep at one point.  This massage is based upon the Aveda Elemental Nature philosophy and it was so relaxing as she worked on my entire body.  Since I was able to pick my aromas, I went with the eucalyptus oil and a splash of lavender.  So good guys! After the treatment, I hang out in their lounge area for a bit before getting dressed to get my hair done.

So I’ve been debating on whether or not to chop of my locks because my ends were just dead.  I had lost all signs of life in finding the healthy voluminous bounce I once had and I wanted that back.  Since I couldn’t decide, I took to Instagram for a vote.  And guess what! A majority of you guys voted for Team Long Bob…so I did it!  I worked with Amy for my cut & style and she was awesome. She was so patient as I asked her a million questions about the best cut for my crazy thick hair and I appreciated how she really took the time to listen to what I wanted.  Her best advice was – work with what you got, babe!  So that’s what we did!

During my wash, I was greeted with even more aroma oils and a complimentary hand massage. Like what?  I politely declined the massage (only because I has just gotten a full body done), but how amazing is that!  Thoughtful little gestures like this really elevate a business and sets them apart from others so bravo to Josephine’s for this.  Also, the staff was so courteous and gracious throughout my visit making me feel really welcomed.

For those of you just tuning in about my hair crisis, my manes are unruly. I wasn’t blessed with the stereotypical straight asian hair.  As a matter of fact, my locks are thick, wavy, frizzy, and sometimes out of control (especially in the Spring + Summer time).  It takes a LOT, and I mean a lot, of work to tame my hair. After chatting with Amy about my hair type, I’ll be sharing some great tips for getting the best hairstyle for thick hair.  But first, I know wanna see the before & after photos of my hair transformation so here it is!  From long lifeless locks to a fresh, bouncy long bob for Spring!

* BEFORE PHOTO *

You can tell my ends on the longer sections of my hair looked so sad. That’s about to change though!

* POINT OF NO RETURN*

She cut off a good 3+ inches and my heart sunk a little as she snipped away, but I was excited to see the finished product. So worth it because my head already felt so much lighter! If you look closely, you can already see those curls trying to break loose.

* NOW FOR THE STYLING PART *

We decided to go big or go home today.  Lots of volume with this sleek and classic look.

Ok, not gonna lie. This new cut is making me feel all kinds of sassy.  I am in love with it!  It’s short, but long enough for me to style and put up.  And the best part – my hair is alive again!  It’s full of bounce and volume and it just looks healthy.  Here are some before and after photos and you’ll be able to tell how unhealthy my hair was getting.  Also, it’s crazy how my hair color can look so different depending on the lighting.

* BEFORE / AFTER PHOTOS *

Here are my best tips for getting the best hairstyle if you have thick hair like me. Work with what your momma gave you, love! I’m finally embracing that and can’t wait to try new ways to style it. Stay tuned for that – it’s gonna be fun.

Tips for The Best Hairstyle for Thick Hair

• You can’t go wrong with a long bob.  It’s universally flattering on anyone and frames the face well.
• Add choppy layers to break up the blocky look a long bob can give.  Plus, layers will add great texture to your hair, give it movement, and accentuate any highlights you may have.
• To add onto my point above, you can also request a medium shag cut for that edgier feel.  Your hair will have that “messy bed head sexy” vibe going on.
• Add swoopy face-framing layers for a sophisticated look.
• We did a very slight angled bob so I got the best of both worlds – a little longer in the front and shorter in the back.
• For an effortless undone look, style with loose beach waves.
• Got naturally wavy/curly hair?  Use this Aveda Curl Enhancer and go natural that day! It combats frizz while intensifying your curls/waves for that beautiful bouncy look.
• For voluminous look (as shown here), she blow-dried it straight then flipped the ends to soften the look while giving it plenty of movement. She used this Aveda Smooth Infusion on my hair and it has been amazing! I haven’t washed my hair yet (on Day 3) and my hair is still full of bounce without the frizz!
• Want bangs? If you’re anything like me, frizzy hair + humidity don’t mix so Amy recommended I wait until winter to try bangs because I won’t have to fight with the humidity.  Worst case, if I hate it, it’ll have time to grow before Spring arrives.  She recommended wispy bangs for me (where they gradually get longer as they fan out towards my temple)

Special thanks to Josephine’s Day Spa & Salon for giving me one of the best Mondays I’ve had in a long time.  Mommas, remember to set a little time aside for YOU each day.  You deserve it!  If you’re looking to get dolled up, get pampered, or refresh your look, book your appointment using VIP20 for $20 off a $40 or more service. Mother’s Day is just around the corner and would make for a great gift to give or have!  Tell them I sent you.

As always, thanks so much for reading, loves!  Have a great day!

Photography by Hayley Jackson Photography