*Before we jump into today's review, I have to apologize about the lack of updates over the last week. As many of you know, fall trimester started last weekend making my weeks quite full again. But, I've lined up some great posts for this week. The review today is brought to you by the ever-fabulous Nicolle Westlund. So, read on and enjoy!* 

Last time we chatted, I told you that the Onesta Smooth & Shine Thermal Straightening Crème was literally the best hair product I’ve ever used. At the risk of establishing myself as prone to hyperbole, I’m going to add that the Onesta Create “Finish” Aerosol is the best hairspray I’ve ever used. 

I’ve used hairspray my entire life. As a former competitive gymnast and dancer, hairspray was my best friend. Needless to say, I probably abused it (and gave myself a DIY face lift with every tightly bound high ponytail).

But my dancing days made me a hairspray connoisseur. There wasn’t a drugstore or salon brand I hadn’t sampled, from aerosol to spray, from wet to dry, from “soft hold” to “extra firm.”

I couldn’t find one that worked when I wanted to wear my hair in loose curls AND when I wanted to pull it back for an updo. Most were too wet, turned crunchy or flaked off like dandruff (gross).

I wanted an aerosol can (which equals a more even application) and buildable hold without the stickiness and wetness of most hairsprays.

Then I stumbled across Onesta’s Create. It has a dry hold, so you don’t feel like you spent time blow-drying your hair for nothing, and it truly has buildable hold. A light spray gives perfect all-day hold to my loose, curling-iron waves. A heavier application keeps my updo in place for a night of wedding-reception dancing, sweaty forehead included.

But the picture-perfect results are just a bonus to the fact that it has natural ingredients, including 100 percent natural fragrance. Most hairsprays (and body washes, body lotions, face washes, shampoos, conditioners and styling products) have synthetic fragrance comprised of dangerous chemicals, including formaldehyde. With an aerosol can, the fear can be that you’re inhaling tiny particles of the product as you try to style your coif. Onesta’s Create eliminates that fear – and kills the competition when it comes to performance.

The green tea (protects against sun damage and UVA+UVB rays), milk thistle (protects against photo damage) and rhatany root (helps absorb moisture) in Create also make your hair healthier in the process. You can’t ask for much more than that.

Have you tried Create? What do you love about it?

Some people are yo-yo dieters, I have yo-yo hair. I grow my hair out and then I want short hair, I have short hair and I want long hair. Lately, I've been looking at photos and thinking of going short again. Simple, fresh, and a time saver there are several benefits to going short but I always get the question, “How can I style my [short] hair differently? I don't always want it to look the same.” Here are some ways I keep my hair looking fresh and style differently when it is short:

Slick it back! This is my personal favorite. It's polished, pretty, and draws focus to your eyes. Tip: Use Onesta's Play paste for a more textured appearance a la Carey Mulligan. You can even use a cute headband to keep everything secured. Or Use Onesta's Styling gel on wet hair to get a more of the wet look.

Pump it up! Style the longer bangs back in a pompadour while keeping the sides either straight down or swept away from the face. Depending on how long the top part of your hair is, you could even curl it back for a different feel.

Make it messy! Halle Berry always does messy right. The key to this look is to make sure you are getting regular trims. It is a messy look but it's a purposeful messy. Keep the sides and neckline well groomed and pull up pieces around the top of the head and in the back. (Tip: Literally, make pieces stick out.)

Accessorize it! Just because you have short hair doesn't mean you should shy away from hair accessories. Headbands, hippie bands (the ones that go across your forehead), barrettes, and bobby pins can all be used to clip bangs to the side or straight back. (DIY tip: Buy bobby pins and hot glue cute brooches to them.)

Here are some of my favorite short hairstyles and some different ways to style them. If you have a favorite way to style your short hair, leave it in the comments below. I love to hear new ideas!

Until next time...

Sleek, shiny, full hair with just the right amount of curl on the ends. We all know the hairstyle (thanks to the Duchess!) and we all want it. But, how does one achieve it? Well, with a salon blowdry! It's rumored that the Duchess, herself, gets blowdries as often as 3x per week so she's always looking fab.

Ok, we love the glamorous look. But really what is a blowdry? You know the part of a salon service after the haircut or color where your stylist magically transforms your wet hair into a beautiful style full of volume, shine, and bounce making you feel like a princess? That's a blowdry. It's quick (45 minutes), inexpensive ($35), and lasts for 3 or more days, and did I mention, you feel like a princess after it's done?

When is the perfect time for a blowdry? After a hard day at work. Before the big meeting. Before cocktails. After coffee. After Yoga. To start your week off right. As a treat for reaching a goal. With a girlfriend. When you don't want to do your hair. I could go on, but you get the point: there's really never a bad time to get your hair blown out. It's quick, simple, works for any occasion, and it always leaves you feeling extra pretty.

Ready for your next blowdry? Get glam by booking here!

Best,

I began my migration to clean beauty products (those that have no chemicals or detrimental ingredients) about two years ago after one too many allergic reactions to products chock-full of chemicals. Until then, I’d basically given up on ever uncovering all the things I’m allergic to – I’d resigned to purchasing really expensive face creams that promised “redness relief” only to wind up buying hydrocortisone cream to combat the inevitable red rash that appeared after my expensive products failed to deliver.

I started religiously scouring blogs, websites, magazines and friends’ medicine cabinets for “professional” recommendations. I researched natural solutions and spent too much money on “organic” remedies and “natural” products. It was so hard to find an authoritative source on what kinds of products I should actually be putting my hard-earned cash towards. Thankfully, the last two years have also been a period of advancement in the natural, clean and organic beauty industry, and with that has come more awareness about the kinds of beauty products we should avoid and more local choices to choose from.

Enter Onesta, a clean, natural and organic hair care line based in Edina, Minn. (actually just down the street from Ten.Ten!). With its irresistible scent and its incredible results, Onesta is a product line you have to try.

Onesta’s Hydrating Shampoo is quickly becoming my favorite clean, organic shampoo. Not only does it carry Onesta’s signature, natural (no chemicals there!) fragrance, the shampoo’s ingredients list also includes certified organic extracts of honey, sage and white willow bark.

Honey (one of the natural beauty industry’s best kept secrets) is extremely moisturizing and adds a natural sheen to the hair. It also thickens thin hair (definitely a concern of mine!).

Sage is naturally antibacterial, and naturally antioxidant, both of which make this shampoo ideal for those with sensitive scalps (ever had a dry, flaky, itchy or red scalp? It could actually be CAUSED by the chemicals in your shampoo!). I totally fall into this sensitive scalp category and Onesta’s shampoo has done nothing but soothe it my hair and hairline.

White willow bark has incredible volumizing properties. You know how most moisturizing shampoos can weigh down your hair, making it feel lifeless and heavy? Well, thanks to white willow bark, even my thin hair has bounce, fluff and volume.

Onesta’s products also have this unique strengthening Omega 3 & 6 Essential Fatty Acid Complex. You’ve likely heard that fish oils (like salmon) and some healthy fats (like avocado) contain Omegas, which have tons of benefits like conditioning, softening, strengthening and repairing.

Onesta’s complex, which contains sunflower, kukui and macadamia oils, does all these, while also helping to maintain your hair’s natural balance. And that means softer, stronger, shinier hair over time.  I can attest to that.

Before Onesta, my hair was kind of a mess. It was blow-dried, curled, highlighted and hair-sprayed to within an inch of its life – and I’m not exaggerating. Between the heat styling, the highlighting and the extra hard water my apartment complex has, I felt like I needed a trim every four weeks to keep my hair from looking like straw.

I tried five or six different clean shampoos and conditioners, but struggled to find one that protected my color (no brassy highlights here!), foamed nicely (a lot of clean shampoos don’t foam, which I had a hard time getting used to) and didn’t strip my hair of much-needed moisture (but also didn’t weigh it down).

Thankfully, Onesta’s Hydrating Shampoo did all three. Hallelujah! Have you tried the Hydrating Shampoo? What do you think of it? We’d love to hear your feedback!