Hat Head

One of the only downsides to city living is the inevitably bad hair days that accompany the conditions.

You may know this, but I grew up in the Midwest. Though Ohio’s no stranger to rain, I was spoiled growing up with the luxury of fresh air and foregoing the blow dryer.

Ever since I moved to New York — and despite the number of salons per capita — the metropolitan surroundings have wreaked havoc on my hair. This is due to a number of frustrating factors, but mainly — air pollutants and sticky subway commutes. In other words, gone are the days of air-drying.

During periods of warmer weather especially, New York gets grossly humid, which is utter destruction on hair. Case-in-point: the #TBT moment below.

Yikes. At any rate, I was ambitious last week. Like, really ambitious.

I woke up (no snoozing!), showered and took the time to style my hair using TRESemmé’s Keratin Smooth collection. I’ve been test-driving it lately, as it claims to reduce frizz for both sleek-and-straight and wavy hairstyles. Coincidentally, the moment I stepped outside to meet my friend and photog, Lydia, the sky opened up and it started raining — as you can see from the umbrellas in a photo below.

A mere few steps into my mile-long morning commute, I was ready to forfeit my hat hair and indulge my sorrows in a freshly-baked salt bagel, but I decided to weather the storm (ahem) and photograph my ensemble anyway to see if the Keratin Smooth line would do what it’s supposed to.

Turns out, it did.

Despite the drizzle, my hair remained super-shiny, frizz-free (it was windy) and strangely salon-smooth, which I attribute mainly to the Keratin infusing serum. During my AM routine, I ran a quarter-size amount through damp hair and a pinch after heat styling to seal the ends – a surprisingly lightweight finish.

… And thankfully so, because guess who rode by in a blue jacket on his bike and snapped a photo of me during our session?

Oh, you know, just BILL CUNNINGHAM.

If you’re unfamiliar, he’s the 83-year-old originator of street style photography who has photographed Manhattan’s elite in the streets (and at galas, events, etc) for five decades. (I repeat: 50 years.) The people of New York revere him in return. It’s incredibly inspiring how religiously devoted to his craft he is, so this was an ultimate celebrity sighting for me.

What happened next was (1) very fast and is (2) a metaphor for my life: Despite my borderline inappropriate obsession, I kept it cool and went with a nonchalant, “Hey, Bill.” Pure magic, you guys.

And then I staggered backwards in shock and stepped in a heaping pile of dog shit.

*Wearing: Bailey44 lace-and-leather sweatshirt (also here), Alexis hat c/o Otte, J. Crew signature leggings, Ann Taylor dalmatian clutch (old; similar here and here) | * Beauty: Benefit Hello Flawless foundation, Stila all-day liquid lipgloss in ‘Fiery,’ NARS blush in Lovejoy, gifted TRESemme Keratin smooth serum and heat protecting spray

*Click below to shop this post:

Photography by Lydia Hudgens

In the spirit of TBT, check out That Time I Rode the Elevator with Tory Burch for an added dose of nostalgia.

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Brought to you by TRESemmé, a product by Unilever that I use frequently in my day-to-day. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that make my blog possible! For hairstyle tutorials and more on how to fight frizzy locks, check out TRESemmé’s YouTube channel.