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I’d best describe my #selfcare tactics as L A Z Y. In my world, work is king. If I’m spending time during the day doing anything other than my job, it turns into an anxiety frenzy of “Oh no! Why did you waste all of that time?” This included spending too much time getting ready. So my long bob cut lends itself to my chaotic lifestyle of being over-caffeinated and overworked.
In 2015, my friend and then hairstylist Savannah - now TYME stylist - told me about this “mind-blowing” iron. While sitting in her chair she pulled out this curved iron and tried to explain how to use it. I wasn’t sold, yet.
Fast forward four years and a chance meeting, days after Savannah moved back to the area, and she was now working for this company: TYME. The company that sells the iron she showed me years ago. I started looking into their products and I completely drank the Kool-Aid. The iron looked like it could work wonders, but does that lend itself to my hair?
I ended up getting the TYME Iron and the BlowTYME dryer knowing that if I couldn’t figure it out, I had one of the company’s stylists just blocks away. Two weeks into owning the iron and I was o b s e s s e d. I figured out how to curl my hair - all by myself - and it only took me less than 15 minutes to get ready - makeup and all. So, we decided to take it a step further. I knew how incredible the iron and blow dryer were, but what about the rest of the products? If the TYME team spent their time making two products this time saving, why would they waste their time making other products that aren’t as effective?
I got the whole collection. Shampoo and conditioner, thermal protectant, hair spray, volumizing powder, shine spray, and four different hair brushes. I was going to embark on a six-week TYME trial.
My Previous Routine
My hair is thinner in texture and straight, so I could get away with washing my hair twice a week - with massive amounts of dry shampoo - and it still looking o.k. I used a tea tree-based shampoo and a basic “volumizing” conditioner. My hair might have been styled in between washes, but usually, it just laid straight or was tossed into a ponytail. Dry shampoo was almost always applied on day two to make the wash last longer.
Expectations
I knew I wanted to do this trial the right way. I wanted to see if the products truly worked and how it would affect my lifestyle. I asked Savannah what my hair should be like at the end of the six weeks and made sure to thoroughly read all of the directions on the bottles.
My hair should:
- Feel stronger
- Last longer between washes
- Hold styles longer
- Hold more volume
Process
In the shower
I thoroughly wash my hair with Pregame Shampoo and try to squeeze it as close to dry as possible after washing. Once I feel my hair isn’t totally sopping wet, I apply Showoff Conditioner from the tips to the roots of my hair. I let the conditioner moisturize my hair for close to five minutes while handling the rest of my shower duties.
Blow Drying
When I’m done with the shower I try to wring out the majority of water from my hair and put it in a towel. Once my hair is about 30% dry, I apply TYME’s Upstaged Thermal Protectant. I blow dry my hair, starting with my bangs, focusing on drying my roots first.
Styling
The Upstaged Thermal Protectant is already in my hair from blow drying, so I immediately get to curling with my TYME Iron set to 375 degrees. Once my full head of hair is curled I use the TYMELESS shine spray and brush through all the curls. Applying Selfie TYME hair spraying is my last step.
Weeks 1 + 2
Total washes: 6
Week one started off rough. Our midwestern weather was touchy - per usual - and the rain held me back from truly experiencing all the benefits or TYME products. I ended up washing my hair every other day the first week and was able to stretch it to every two days by the end of the cycle. I’ll admit, it was a challenge to not use dry shampoo, but I really wanted to go through this process and train my hair the correct way.
One thing, I immediately noticed how dreamy my hair smelled! All TYME products have the same scent, so it’s basically like a built-in perfume and because it’s in your hair, it lasts longer than normal perfume. By the end of week two, my hair felt fuller. My hair wasn’t holding a full style for more than a day, but I was able to salvage and touch up some curls to make styles last for day two. I spent more time with my hair down and styled than pulled back, so I truly was able to realize the change in texture.
Weeks 3 + 4
Total washes: 4
I got bold in week three. I tried stretching my hair out to three days way too soon and ended up having to cheat on the dry shampoo thing. I pulled and stuck to washing every two-days for the rest of this cycle. I was pretty experimental with the TYME brushes, and utilized them in my blow drying. Normally my hair lays flat and I can only get volume from teasing my hair, but combining a DIY blowout with BigTYME made a huge difference.
Weeks 5 + 6
Total washes: 3
The end of the cycle. In week 5, I stretched my first wash out to three days...CURLED. Don’t get me wrong the day three curls weren’t perfect, but they stayed! I waited to wash until day five and didn’t wash again until day nine. That final wash lastest through day 14. My styles were lasting longer and looked effortless.
The Results
Much like your body adjusting to the gym, it took time for my hair to adjust to TYME. I didn’t expect it to be perfect after the first try - although I totally wish the going to the gym worked like that. Consistently blow drying my hair has breathed new life into my hair, and my hair is staying styled longer and isn’t getting greasy as quickly as it used to.
Plain and simple TYME is true to their mission. I spent less time in the bathroom getting ready and even less time worrying about what I looked like.
The Significance
I was a cheerleader for most of my life and always felt like what I looked like mattered. Once I was done with the sport, I stopped spending time “getting ready.” It didn’t seem important anymore. However - spending these six weeks investing in myself, changed my perspective.
Aside from my hair feeling and looking healthier, there was one oddly life-changing realization…the phrase “look good, feel good” is true. Everything from my work to my workouts improved when I knew I looked good. It didn’t matter if anyone told me I looked good, I felt it. I felt cute, like really cute, and you look at the world a little differently when you feel that good about yourself.
