Everyday Heat-Free Waves + Current Hair Routine

Hello & happy Monday! I am excited to announce I will now be having a blog schedule (yay for organization). I will be posting every single Monday and occasionally on Fridays too! So check back every Monday for a new post.

So today’s post is definitely long overdue. Throughout my years blogging/on social media, this is been my #1 most requested post: a heat free hair tutorial + my daily hair routine. I have always enjoyed making the previous hair posts (like this one about growing long, healthy hair), so I decided it was finally time to share my little secret to heat-free waves. So without further ado, here is my hair routine + my heat-free method for loose waves.


T H E   P R O D U C T S

sponge rollers

These are my little secret weapons. I sleep with sponge rollers in my hair pretty much every single night. I’ve been sleeping with sponge rollers in my hair since I was about 2 or 3 years old. I personally do not find them uncomfortable, but that is most likely because I have been using them for about nineteen years now (except for those two years in middle school where I was addicted to the flat iron).

I naturally have course, wavy hair. However, my natural waves are messy, unpolished, and unruly (inserts the Miley Cyrus song ‘Can’t Be Tamed’). In middle school, I would spend an hour every single morning trying to straighten my hair, in failed attempts to tame it. When I decided to start the journey to healthy hair, I decided to use my sponge rollers again as a heat-free method to polished, effortless hair.

I love sponge rollers because they give the effect that I used a curling iron. I also love that they save me so much time in the morning. I can just take them out, and go (instead of spending an hour straightening/curling my hair). Sponge rollers take me under a minute to put in, and in the morning, I can just take them out in seconds. Most importantly, I love that they do not damage my hair. I have been bleaching my hair for years, which is incredibly damaging. Using sponge rollers keeps me from using excessive heat on my hair! Almost forgot to mention this final pro of sponge rollers- but they are also very affordable. The set I linked above are under $2.00. Sponge rollers are very budget friendly!

To some, sponge rollers may seem ridiculous or strange. My roomies over the years have probably been so perplexed at first by my strange sponge roller addiction, but to me, saving time in the mornings & preventing damaged hair makes them SO worth it. I love being able to wake up in the morning and get ready quickly- especially if I have work or class.

I hope that you can find my hair tutorial below informative & helpful!

Loreal everpure condition | Batsiste dry shampoo | OGX coconut milk serum | Moroccanoil Loreal shine spray

Here are a few of my favorite hair products. I have repurchased ALL of these products multiple times, and they are products that I plan to continue repurchasing for years to come. I am constantly testing out new products, but these are my top five that I always, always come back to. I find that they work very well for my hair type, and most of them are ultra affordable.


T H E    R O U T I N E

I wash my hair about 2-3 times a week. This is something that I think surprises some people, but my hair really doesn’t get greasy (neither does my mom’s hair). It’s important to try to avoid washing your hair every single day, as it does strip your hair of essential oils.

After washing my hair, I usually dry it gently with an old t-shirt (which is better on your hair than using a towel). I then brush through it, apply a heat protectant, and blow dry it using my favorite blowdryer. My blowdryer is pretty much the only heating tool I use, but to me, it’s an essential. I personally use a blowdryer because my hair takes HOURS to dry naturally + using a blowdryer really tames my hair and makes it straighter/sleeker.

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Agave

New year, new me new accessory. And by accessory, I mean my glamorous new boot. I wish I had some wild story about how I ended up with a boot on my foot, but sadly, I don’t. I tripped on the sidewalk in Deep Ellum about a week ago – crazy, I know. If that doesn’t describe how graceful I am, then I am not quite sure what does! I spent New Years Eve at Urgent Care getting x-rays, but luckily it was not a fracture (it’s just a sprained ankle + foot/toe contusion). I am so excited to get this boot off ASAP.

I am obsessed with agave plants. I think they look so cool, and there is no denying that they make a pretty unique backdrop. When I saw these gems on a recent drive with my sister, I couldn’t help but pull over to take a few photos in front of them. With everything in the winter time being so brown and dead here in Texas, it’s always refreshing to find something with a little bit of color!

striped jumpsuit | crop fur jacket (linked similar) | black western boot 

When I found this striped jumpsuit, I knew I needed it in my life (best part? it’s on sale right now!). I absolutely love jumpsuits because they are so easy, but they feel so put-together. I really loved the rich burgundy color of this specific jumpsuit, and the fact that it had vertical stripes. As a short gal, it can be hard to find pieces that makes you look taller & leaner. Narrow, vertical stripes are super flattering and definitely help elongate you (fun fact)! I was so excited to discover my new jumpsuit matched perfectly with my latest find- a cropped burgundy fur jacket. Fur jackets are having their moment right now, and I am loving it. I purchased the burgundy fur jacket on Free People a few weeks ago because it was under $100! Sadly, it is sold out right now, but hopefully it will be back in stock soon!

For a night out, I would totally pair this jumpsuit with a black leather jacket and black velvet heels. For an extra bit of edge, add a dark burgundy lip. I also think it would look killer in the spring time with some neutral wedges and a clutch. I love that the jumpsuit can be worn year round.

I hope that you are having a wonderful Monday!

xoxo,

Mackenzie

December Favorites

Happy New Year! Can you believe it’s 2017?! Thank you so much for all the support and love this past year. This past year definitely went by very quickly, and I could not be more optimistic or excited for these next twelve months.

Now that it’s officially January, I wanted to share a few of my favorite beauty products & favorite new purchases from December. I’ve been receiving a ton of positive feedback on my monthly favorite posts, so I thought I would continue with the series!

Velvet heels

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Taj Mahal / Final Wonder of the World

On Alexandra: white maxi dress | On me: printed purple maxi dress

Twelve years and 85,000 miles later, we finally made it our final Wonder of the World, the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. My family and I have officially traveled to all 7 new Wonders of the World + 1 Ancient Wonder (see our photo collage here on my Tumblr). I am so incredibly thankful to have had the opportunity to travel the world with my family. I can not even come close to fully expressing my gratitude in words. But I will forever cherish the memories I have made with my family over the years.

Seeing the Taj Mahal was such an incredible experience. The Taj Mahal is absolutely breathtaking in person and was much larger than I originally imagined in my head. We arrived just before sunset and got to enjoy a gorgeous evening (though I’ve heard sunrise at the Taj Mahal is equally beautiful)!

On Alexandra: white maxi dress | horn necklace (linked similar)

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xoxo,

Mackenzie

p.s. I shared a short video of our trip on my Tumblr if you wanna check it out 🙂

Agra Fort

On Alexandra: white midi dress (on sale!) | brown sandals (linked similar)

Happy Monday! I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas. It’s been so nice to be home with my family (and to have some warm weather here in Texas).

After three nights in Delhi, we headed to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. Though the Taj Mahal is definitely the most noted destination in Agra, the Agra Fort is definitely something not to be missed! We enjoyed walking around the grounds of the gorgeous fort. I was really glad that we had a guide for this little day trip as there were a ton of things to learn about the Agra Fort (also known as the Agra Red Fort). If you are in Agra and want to visit something cool along with the Taj Mahal, the Agra Fort is a must-see.

canon camera | lens

white crop top | floral skirt (linked in another pattern + on sale!!) | coin necklace | lace up sandal

Thank you so much for checking out my blog!

xoxo,

Mackenzie

Henna

For our first day exploring New Delhi, we started by enjoying lunch with one of my college professors (that teaches at Ole Miss, but is originally from India). He took us to one of his favorite local restaurants, and we really enjoyed trying a variety of Indian dishes. It was awesome to get to spend time in India with one of my college professors!

After our eventful lunch, we headed to the India Gate. The India Gate, a gorgeous monument located in New Delhi, was such a wonderful late afternoon visit. There was tons of street food and good people watching. Allie and I couldn’t resist getting street henna done, which was a really unique experience. We also found it really amusing that locals wanted to take pictures with us during our time at the India Gate. This was something we also experienced during our time traveling in China back when I was in middle school! Pretty funny!

white midi skirt (linked similar) | chambray button down (linked similar) | lace up sandals

For our day exploring New Delhi, I wore a white midi skirt paired with a denim top and lace up sandals. In India, they are quite conservative with their attire, so I felt very comfortable with my knees and shoulders covered. Allie wore a long skirt and sleeved top as well!

Stay tuned for more pics from our most recent adventure 🙂

xoxo,

Mackenzie

Dubai

Dubai has been my dream destination for as long as I can remember. My family has traveled to Dubai a few times before me, so I was beyond excited to finally get to visit for my very first time this past week. We only spent ten hours in Dubai, so unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to do all the things on our Dubai bucket lists (like sky diving and indoor skiing). With the few hours we had to spare, we decided to venture to the gorgeous Dubai Miracle Garden, the ‘World’s Largest Vertical Garden’.

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After visiting the Miracle Garden, we went to the Dubai Butterfly Garden. It was so cool to see so many butterflies and snap some awesome photos. The Dubai Butterfly Garden is right next to the Miracle Garden, so it was a very convenient, spur-of-the-moment adventure.

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Dubai was everything I imagined it would be! Though we didn’t get to spend a whole lot of time in Dubai, it was still an amazing day trip. I hope that I will get to go back in the future! We are currently in Delhi, but next stop- Agra!

xoxo,

Mackenzie