When I lived in Utah in the from September of 2015 to April of 2016, I had black hair. That was the only time in my whole life when I distinctly remember choosing to have and maintain black hair. I have never felt at one with my black hair, though that is my natural hair color.

In a lot of ways when I think back on my time in Utah, having black hair very much represented who I was at that point. I was unsure of myself and the direction my life was going, I felt friendless and alone because Mikhail and I were doing long distance, and most importantly, I wasn’t confident.

When I moved to NYC with Mikhail, it took about half a year of me being unsure of myself in a big city like New York before I decided to change up my hair and go back to blonde. I had blonde hair in college, and college was where I met Mikhail and where I met my lifelong friends.

Hair doesn’t make a personality, nor does it define you in the way that your behavior and actions do. It can, however, change confidences and raise self-esteem. I associated blonde hair with my raised self-esteem, and even if blonde hair had nothing to do with me loving myself, I can tell you that I have never felt more like me than with blonde hair. Blondes don’t necessarily have more fun, but I certainly have more fun as a blonde.

I have been getting my hair done at Mure Salon in the Upper East Side ever since December of 2016, and it has been a journey. I’ve changed my mind every quarter about whether I wanted to cut my hair short or grow it out, and my hair stylist (Jessica) and I have tweaked the shade of my hair color several times. Nonetheless, I have loved every step of this journey towards blonde hair.

The Progression of My Hair

I wanted to show you all the progression of my hair. Jessica, my hair stylist at Mure Salon here in Manhattan, has really helped me develop this color over time. Even though the color hasn’t strayed much, it has been a journey to get it to where I want it to be.

The first time I went to see Jessica I booked a color correction in order to drastically change the color of my hair. The method we used was to give it very thin highlights with a few balayage pieces. This method works perfectly for those of us with darker hair wishing to go light because when the dark hair grows out at the roots, the entire head looks more natural and there isn’t that stark difference of black against blonde. In each of the subsequent trips to touch up the roots, I booked either Highlights for a full head or Highlights for half a head.

To give you all a sense of how my hair progressed, here is a picture of how it looked when it was black, after the first trip to the salon with Jessica, and where it is now (a year after that first trip).

In-Shower Hair Products

Below are the products I use in the shower that I have tried and loved. The first row showcases all of the shampoos, the second row highlights the conditioners, and masks make up the third and fourth row below. What I love about these products is that each one of them has helped my hair out in some way.

I haven’t found that one combination or that one product that blows everything out of the water, but everything here come pretty dang close to that!

The one item that is not included is the Olaplex Number 3. I love this product because it is an at-home treatment that helps strengthen your hair. It is a compliment to the Olaplex Number 1 and Number 2 that my hair stylist uses in my hair as we are touching up each time I visit her.