Guest Post for #LiketoKnowaCure: Ashley Houston of Nashville Wifestyles

The next Guest Post for #LiketoKnowaCure is one of those women that makes me stop and think to myself,

“Damn, how does she do it all?!”

Ashley Houston is a mother, wife, and the superwoman behind the successful lifestyle and beauty blog, Nashville Wifestyles.

Ashley’s blog and Instagram are a resource for fashion finds, beauty tips and tutorials, and show the real side of motherhood. Her posts leave me feeling inspired, and her Insta-stories leave me in stitches (seriously, she’s as funny as she is beautiful)! To me, she’s the perfect example of why blogging exists : she consistently shares useful information, while making it feel like you’re just talking to a girlfriend.

I’m SO honored to have her on board with this campaign, and I’m grateful for the support from such an impressive woman.

Not to mention, this post is JUST what I needed in my life!! Ashley is sharing her favorite products for achieving those perfect beachy waves that we all want during the summer.

Remember: A percentage of anything you purchase through this post will be donated to the Sarcoma Foundation of American as a part of my #LiketoKnowaCure campaign. To learn more about this fundraiser, check out this blog post.

I’ll let Ashley take it over from here:

“It’s funny that the first two years of my life I was as bald as a newborn baby. No joke, ask my grandmother. I still get made fun of for it. But boy did I make up for it. My hair situation is out of control. So much hair. And I dig it. My hair is one of my favorite parts on me and I really love to play around with all of the different hairstyles. It has kind of a beachy wave texture to it, it’s really thick and it’s clearly colored so I have pretty much mastered what products I love to use on this mane.”

So what products do I use? Well for starters since its summer time and I’m out in the sun, this new Klorane Sun Radiance shampoo and conditioner helps remove salt, sand, chlorine, and sunscreen buildup and give your hair life again.
Speaking of shampoo…since I do color my hair blonde, the Amika purple shampoo helps keep my hair a cool tone. I’m not a fan of yellow tones or brassy looks so this is great for toning, bringing out the color and my color shine.
Since I color my hair, to counteract damage and help revitalize it, I’ve been using Olaplex for years. Olaplex restores, repairs, and hydrates your hair. Helps eliminate damage and frizz to keep hair strong and healthy. My hairdresser used it on me for years and when it became available to purchase, I jumped on it. My hair has been so much stronger since using it.
After I wash and condition my hair, I ALWAYS use a leave in treatment. My favorite for years has been It’s a Ten Leave in Treatment. I also use it on Keatyn. It not only conditions my hair but “repairs dry damaged hair, adds shine, smoothes & controls frizz, seals & protects hair color, detangles, prevents split ends, stops hair breakage, creates silkiness, enhances natural body, flat iron & thermal protector.” (Hence the ten) It has nourished my hair to leave it soft and healthier.
Next if I’m going for a voluminous look while my hair is still damp, I apply It’s a Ten Blow-dry Volumizer to the root to give it more bounce. If you’re trying to go days between washes I wouldn’t recommend it because where it does lift the root, it will leave a gritty texture on your scalp or hair follicles.
Ok Then comes drying these locks which used to take FOREVER but I’ve recently switched over all of my tools to T3 and I’m in love. To dry my hair, I’m using the T3 Cura dryer because well first all look at it, it’s gorgeous. But it helps soothe my coarse, curly hair so easy and fast! The heat settings are amazing on it and I love the diffuser for wavy haired girls. T3 products alone are simply amazing, they last for years. If you’re looking to invest in high quality hair products then this definitely my suggestion. It has cut my drying time in half.
After drying layers and layers of hair comes the decision to style it. I pretty much always opt for beach waves. I get them by using none other than my trusted T3 whirl multi wand. I love this wand because it can give your hair smooch dimension all with one product. There are 3 different wands (1, 1.25 and 1.5 and my favorite is the tapered one) and you can read about the different types in my beauty post from March 2018.
After I curl the strands I ALWAYS use Fave 4 texture takeover. Just flip your head over and spray away. I also get the mini can to cart around with me to freshen up my mane. It is the best for volume plus it smells good. Another plus is the can is huge so it lasts a long time…unless you’re me because I use it seriously nonstop. THE BEST.
If I’m trying to give my hair some grit at the root and really get volume, I use Not your mother’s hair texture powder. I used to use the Big Sexy hair products and their hair powder was life. I found this dupe that’s way cheaper but works just as well. You just shake it on your root and the powder attaches to the hair follicles to give it oomph. Warning: a little goes a long way. You can either tease your hair or honestly I just fluff it with my hands. It will work so well even on he thinnest hair.
Ok ending this hair segment is my holy grail. Dry shampoo. Not Your Mother’s Texture Dry Shampoo. This is my savior and I use it every day. I have searched high and low for the best dry shampoo because I’m picky AF. i am obsessed with this one. Genuinely obsessed. It’s also very reasonably priced so I stock up. I use it to keep from washing my hair but sometimes I use it on the day I wash it also to give it more volume.