Queen Bee

Queen Bee Baby!

I love a good bumble bee inspired ensemble, but what’s an awesome outfit without perfect hair? Today, I’m sharing my biggest hair struggle in this winter / spring transition & an easy solution you can pick up at the drug store. Plus I’m giving you a close-up look at a more editorial beauty look using yellow eyeshadow, peach lipstick & dirty hair!

Now that I wear my hair curly, I’m washing it more than ever before. When I straightened, I would go two, even three weeks without water. Now with curly hair, I find myself needing to give my girlly locks a drink almost daily to keep my curls hydrated and defined, but that can be drying.

#HAIRPROBZ – As we transition from Winter to Spring the constant weather change has my locks craving moisture. I already have natural dry hair, which can lead to breakage, damage and more not-so-cute things I don’t want to go on north of my eyebrows – yuck. That’s why straight hair Courtney could go weeks (or probably even months) without a wash, because those natural oils that build up in the average girls’ hair after just a day without washing, wouldn’t show up for weeks. In fact, I would often add oil to my hair on a daily basis because it is just that dry. Curly hair Courtney has the same hair prob – super dry locks, but she faces an added challenge. Now that I’m washing every 3 days, my hair is dryer and feels more damaged than when I was hitting it with heat, so I needed a natural & gentle wash routine that would break this cycle & quench my curls.

My Hair BFF – The solution to my dry dilemma? Bourbon Manuka Honey Shampoo and Conditioner.

Let’s talk science – Bourbon Manuka Honey Shampoo & Conditioner are part of the bio:renew line, which is a formula infused with antioxidants, aloe and sea kelp to fight free radicals. Without getting too science nerd on you, the bio:renew formula consists of hero Histidine, an essential amino acid and natural purifier which works to trap, neutralize and remove those bully free-radical pollutants that damage hair from every day factors such as pollution, sun exposure, coloring and even water. Cool, right?!

Honey Kissed – So there are a few different bio:renew products available through , but I’m clingy to the Bourbon Manuka Honey Shampoo and Conditioner specifically because of the added benefits I see for my locks. All the collections are Ph balanced & color safe, I didn’t realize how much until I used a different shampoo / conditioner combo when traveling and my highlights totally stripped! I have a new appointment later this week to get that fixed up, but am now doing so about a month earlier than I would normally all because I missed a use of Herbal Essences, so annoying! Most importantly the Bourbon Manuka Honey Collection is great for dry and damaged hair (hello!) helping to rejuvenate my curls and bring them back to life.

Fun fact – This might seem like a no brainer, but did you know that you should always use shampoo and conditioner together. As a curly girl, my shampoo to conditioner ration is about 1/4, meaning for every 1 bottle of shampoo I go through, I use four bottles of conditioner. Before using Bourbon Manuka Honey Shampoo and Conditioner, I would wash my hair twice a week, once with shampoo & conditioner and once with just conditioner – but this collection is so moisturizing I can shampoo both times. I also can sometimes extend my wash days by a day or two, washing every 4 or 5 days instead of every three. I’m not gonna lie, things get kind of gross by day 5 but signature fragrances live on even when my hair totally needs a wash. On day 5 I’ll usually opt for a messy bun, larger than life pony or something quirky and fun like this honey bun! That helps hide how dirty my hair really is without sacrificing style!

Today’s Look – For today’s look I took the queen bee theme to the extreme! I layered one of my favorite stripe bell sleeve tops up a strapless yellow dress. Because I’m so short and stout strapless dresses without sweetheart necklines aren’t my friend, they make me look shorter and wider than I am – but layering one over a short sleeve or long sleeve style can really elevate a look and flatter my body type. I kept the black & white pattern play going with printed heels & a wide stripe basket bag, that kind of resembles a honey pot. The final touches are a lot of bee broaches (three to be exact), two bug barrettes in my bun & one big flower to attack all the bees

Make Up – My favorite part (aside from the hair) has to be the bumble bee makeup. I did a yellow gold eye which is becoming less of a statement and more of a signature style for me, since this is the third or fourth time I wore it this month! I finished with a peachy orange lip inspired by the Bourbon Manuka Honey bottle and viola! A honey kissed look fit for a queen. What do you think?