// CHANEL hair accessory, WOS brand blazer, CHANEL lipstick // 

It’s a new year, and so I’m trying a few new things like the half up, half down hair and a bright fuchsia lip. All of which are CHANEL. So I think I’m starting off the new year right. 

The post THE HALF UP, HALF DOWN. first appeared on NATALIE OFF DUTY.

// Turqouise Lane slip dress. & other stories sweater. Live the Process leg warmers // 

I’ve traveled to quite a few beaches this summer, laid out in the sun, and haven’t managed to touch my hair in months. It was definitely time for a hair refresh. I just got a much sexier cut by Julien Farel. Layers and a lot more volume. Yes, he gives the best cuts in NYC. And an amazing color by my girl Gynna. A little lighter, brighter, and a whole lot bouncier. I’ve never truly appreciated a good head of hair until now and will be taking much better care of these locks from this day forward. 

The post CUT AND COLOR FROM JULIEN FAREL first appeared on NATALIE OFF DUTY.

I’ve partnered with Nexxus to take part in the #Lockin24 challenge with Nexxus Therappe and Humectress!

My hair has never really felt better. I went a few shades darker with my color. I had an amazing cut…my bangs feel a lot more light, framing my face. The ends of my strands feel super smooth. But it definitely took time for me to achieve extra healthy, strong hair. After my Nexxus salon experience, I decided it was time to dedicate a little bit more time each day to treating my hair. I began the #Lockin24 challenge with the Nexxus Therappe shampoo and Nexxus Humectress conditioner. For a little extra power, I have been using the Nexxus Encapsulate serum on the ends of my damp strands right after I shower, or first thing in the morning. The results are magical. Here is my hair, with 24 hours of moisture protection.

My #Lockin24 challenge starts with 3 steps:

Step 1:

Nexxus Therappe shampoo: Therappe is a rebalancing shampoo. It features caviar and a protein-rich complex giving my hair extra softness and nourishment. It also smells delicious.

Step 2:

Nexxus Humectress conditioner: Humectress is all about restoring. For me, I have extra fine hair…and this conditioner has incredible detangling benefits.

Step 3:

Nexxus Encapsulate serum: The Encapsulate serum is basically a concentrated oil with caviar-shaped beads that contain loads of proteins, nutrients, and a touch of coconut oil. I use this right after I shower on my damp hair and even on my dry ends throughout the day.

I have always been a girl who likes to take the salon experience home with me. These 3 steps help me achieve just that. This summer I have already had weeks spent swimming in the ocean, countless hours on an airplane, and numerous weekdays bouncing around the humid city. I felt that even with my busy schedule, it’s so important to stop, look in the mirror, and have a few moments of me time. That means always keeping the Encapulate serum in my carry-on bag for a little touch-up after lunch…or packing my own shampoo and conditioner when I’m traveling around the world. I like the comfort of having my own products with me wherever I go.

After using my 3 steps to create 24 hours of moisture, my hair feels a lot lighter. I love knowing it’s protected after a little twirl in my flat iron, or tug with my hair tie. I can tell my hair has seen change, for its dramatic shine and softness. I can’t help but feel the difference and spread the word.

Nexxus Therappe shampoo

Nexxus Humectress conditioner

Nexxus Encapsulate serum

The post THE LOCK IN 24 CHALLENGE WITH NEXXUS first appeared on NATALIE OFF DUTY.

The brand new Nexxus salon here in Tribeca, New York City is absolutely stunning. I’m so excited to give you the inside scoop on my salon experience, and darker, more mysterious hair! Nexxus is known for their Nature Science Salon products. Nexxus completely understands hair fiber and how it reacts to natural proteins. It wasn’t until my prep for the Tribeca Film Festival that I got my first incredible Nexxus protein treatment and I became hooked. Nexxus has been able to combine powerful ingredients from nature, it’s science to unlock it’s power, and heritage in the salon to make a statement with every single product. It’s amazing that their home base salon, once a place for private appointments and celebrity clientele, is now open to the public for bookings and appointments. Take a peek inside this stunning space.

The moment I walked into the Nexxus salon, I was blown away by it’s beauty. It’s super airy, high-tech, and beautiful. I loved it’s openness and organic flow within the space. It’s calming and relaxing, exactly how a salon experience should be. But there was also something so comforting about the salon…maybe it was because the Nexxus team was so warm and welcoming from the very start. I couldn’t wait for my hair transformation. Yes, I wanted a richer tone to my hair color, but also, I was craving strength and softness to my hair. That’s when I heard about their Signature Protein Treatment that I experienced during the Tribeca Film Festival before the salon doors opened the public. It felt a lot like a really deeply moisturizing special hair mask. The moment we rinsed it out, my hair looked so vibrant and felt extremely soft and healthy. It’s the type of treatment you get monthly to keep your hair in the best shape possible. This time around at the Nexxus salon, I went for a single process color, Color Vibrancy Treatment, and blowout. I was so ready to bring out the warmer tones of my hair: a more richer dark brown that’s a lot closer to my natural hair color. It’s funny how two shades darker can be such a dramatic difference. I am slowly getting more used to looking at myself in the mirror and of course, I am loving the richness of my hair. It is a lot more even with a luxurious tone and texture. Nexxus products completely made my hair look rich, feel super healthy, and extra soft to the touch.

My stylist Patrick Kyle was incredible. He knew that I definitely needed to tone up my color, and give it a more vibrant look. He decided to leave in my natural roots, which actually turned out for the best. It totally let me give my hair take a breather after all of it’s color and styling throughout my career, which believe me, was always a bit rough of my hair. Now, I know the importance of maintaining a healthy head of hair…and it starts with using more natural products in my color and my styling. We started off with an all over toner, before rinsing and massaging it out with the Nexxus Color Assure Shampoo and Conditioner. When I looked in the mirror after my color process I was relieved to see that my reddish hair, faded from the sun, was now a rich and super luscious shade of dark brown. Patrick gave my new hair some added volume with Nexxus Volumizing Foam Mousse, followed by the Henectruss Luxe Lightweight Conditioning Mist. A little teasing at my root and a flip on my ends, and it was perfect. Sleek and super sophisticated. Nexxus salon has mastered the nature science salon experience and remains a brand of firsts: from introducing keratin, antioxidants, vitamins, protein, and botanicals into their products, forever evolving it through science and changing the salon experience forever.

Take a peek into the world of Nexxus at 39 N. Moore Street, New York, NY!

Nexxus New York Salon

39 North Moore Street, New York, NY 10013

(212) 219-8635

email to book an appointment with my stylist Patrick Kyle at: bookings@nexxus.com

The post INSIDE THE BRAND NEW NEXXUS SALON first appeared on NATALIE OFF DUTY.

My sister is the one who really instilled this on me: “Always travel with your own hair products.” We’ve had our hair dyed in rainbow colors for campaigns, we’re always on set at different photoshoots and events and there’s always some hot iron running through our ends, or someone tugging at our scalps. I’ve been looking for any reason to give my hair a break. Our Tulum girl’s trip was the perfect place to start taking really good care of our hair and giving it what it needs, which is natural products. We promised ourselves that with our time frolicking on the beach and under the sun, we won’t use a hair dryer. No heat styling. Just amazing, natural products to refresh and hydrate our hair after every dive into the ocean. 

 Tulum is all about being eco-friendly and eco-chic. It inspired us to do the same, but not just on vacation, but every single day, by incorporating luxurious, natural products into our routine. That’s when Kérastase’s Aura Botanica collection comes into play. These new products are made of handpicked Samoan coconut & Moroccan Argan oils. I love that the products are responsibly sourced to help these exotic communities make most of their natural resources and thrive from them. Coconut Palms are the “tree of life” in Samoa. Kerastase has worked with the NGO Women in Business Development in working with over 200 farmers to supply local women with equipment and knowledge to produce high-grade coconut oil. Bringing this fair trade revenue to the Samoans helps preserve their unique culture and natural resources. I love that everything is done by hand to preserve it’s purity. The Moroccan Argan Oil comes from the foothills of the Little Atlas Mountains. Targarine is a project helping Berber women provide for their families by embracing their traditions and preserving the village’s natural ecosystem. The oil has high concentrations of Omega 6 and 9, giving my hair softness and shine. Now that you’ve got the inside scoop, let’s go over the products I used:

Aura Botanica Essence d’Éclat: an oil spray I used on both my wet hair and dry hair to refresh and restore it throughout the day. It has  jojoba, coconut, and organ oils with a touch of orange. It also has a subtle scant of rose water. It’s super light, without any oily residue. Just 3 sprints on both sides of my hair, and I let it air dry. My hair never felt so soft.

Aura Botanica Concentré Essentiel: It’s essential to my ends, which after a day in the ocean can feel a bit dull. I use it just before bed after taking a shower for some intense conditioning overnight. I sometimes use this on my body as well for added moisture. It’s that versatile.

Aura Botanica Bain Micellaire: This shampoo is light and airy. It leaves my hair squeaky clean with a shiny touch. 

Aura Botanica Soin Fondamental: This conditioner is super lightweight, but most importantly, is amazing with frizz-control…which makes it fantastic for air drying. 

The story behind these products is inspiring and really gave me a big picture into how we can make most of our world’s natural resources. It’s time we dedicate ourselves to the sustainable use of materials. Kerastase’s pursuit is to obtain the highest possible biodegradability for each formula, and I’m with them.

The post A WEEK WITHOUT A HAIR DRYER | KERASTASE PARIS first appeared on NATALIE OFF DUTY.

This season was a bit different for me. There’s always that heavy show schedule, endless drama in the front row, and countless outfit changes. But this time, I had a lot more time backstage shooting. And sometimes being behind the lens, and behind the scenes feels so good. I love to switch up, and give you some unexpected surprises. I partnered up with the incredible Wella hair team, who flew in from London, to work on these two out-of-this-world shows with their brand new EIMI products. Jeremy Scott and DKNY. Both incredibly unique, yet still stunning. I loved watching the Wella team at work. They’re all about experimenting, and playing with standout style.

Can we talk about those hand painted bobs?! Who knew these shaggy wigs could look dreamy on just about any face. And with that heavy, bold lid. SWOON. I love color. This show was incredible to shoot. Quirky and just downright fun. Silver streaks here…a splash of neon green over there. It’s theatrical and over the top. Just what I like.

// Jeremy Scott Fall ’14 backstage //

DKNY is classic. Always. And that’s what I love about the designer. Against the beautiful silhouettes, they went with something a little less perfect. A wispy, effortless look with a twist. A flattened top, with perfectly placed “fly-aways.” If only flyaways always looked this good.

// DKNY Fall ’15 backstage //

*all photos by me*

The post Seconds to Showtime first appeared on NATALIE OFF DUTY.