hair highlights: @yhkayla
photo credit: Kiera Simpson for the Loxx
Micheala (@YHKAYLA) is someone who has mastered the classic blow out. It has become part of her look that her followers love just as much as we do at ‘the Loxx’. We talk to her about being an influencer, having curly hair & why cutting her hair off gave her a sense of freedom when she needed it…
“One of the reasons I got the pixie cut was because I wanted that power back; I cut it off to a short bob so that it couldn’t be worn curly. I was taking back control of my hair in a situation where it had taken control of me.”
On what her hair means to her…
I think my hair used to be more important to me than it is now. I used to be that ‘I can’t function if my hair doesn’t look perfect or feel right’ kind of girl, but then I cut it off into a pixie crop. When I took the plunge and chopped it off, I had to find my confidence without always relying on my hair, which made me more experimental. I took more of a mindset of ‘its just hair.’ That being said, I’m definitely becoming more attached to my hair again. I use it to express myself and my identity a lot more now, but going through my hair journey has made me think, ‘It will always grow back.’
On where she gets her hair done…
I get my hair done at Hershesons by Grace & John (@GRACEAMELIA___ & @JOHNALFREDHAIR). Grace does my cut and blow dry and John does my colour; they are the only people I would let loose on my hair these days. I’ve had a mullet by accident, and I’ve lost my hair to a bleach blonde situation, so I’m definitely cautious when it comes to finding the right stylist and now that I have, I wouldn’t go anywhere else. I also think being able to blow-dry curly hair and make it last is a talent in itself—if I’m getting my hair blowdried I want it to last for a week.
On her hair journey…
I didn’t realise how many people paid attention to my hair until I dyed it ginger. So many people were asking me, what’s my shade? Who’s my hairdresser? I thought, 'This hair has been on my head the whole time’. I also realised maybe it has more relevance than I realised with my followers, as I’m naturally curly and blow-dry my hair so often that everyone wants to know how I’ve still got hair on my head. That’s a whole journey that I’ve been on that I can now share with others.
I think I was traumatised by my curly hair because when I was modelling, I was modelling for my hair and not for me. It was always curly and had to be perfect. I got sick of my hair and because of that reason and started to blow dry it. I guess I feel like a child with my curly hair; it’s like I go from 26 to 12. When I was modelling, I felt like the curls had more of an identity than me and I was booked purely because of my curly hair. The curls went hand in hand with my race, and I’d never thought about that before modelling. One of the reasons I got the pixie cut was because I wanted that power back, I cut it off to a short bob so that it couldn’t be worn curly. I guess I was taking back control of my hair in a situation where it had taken control of me. I’ve been in both scenarios with a pixie cut—one is freeing and my choice and one was chemical and suddenly it wasn’t a choice and I realised then how important hair is to you.
On her hair icons…
Hailey Bieber has great hair and Jasmine Tookes has great hair. They have amazing hair consistently, and it always looks like the healthiest hair on the planet. Mastering that hair that looks low maintenance while still looking perfect is something I really admire. I think there are those girls like Hailey and Jasmine who have mastered lovely hairstyles but have also really focused on hair health—it never looks frazzled or dry.
On hair products…
My goal with hair products is hair health; I'm definitely health over styling, and I’ll try anything that could improve my hair health. I have never been a dry shampoo girl as I feel like dry shampoo works in the morning but then is greasy by the end of the day. It's a quick fix but sometimes it makes it worse for me, it feels claggy and then I end up having to wash it. Product wise Im obsessed with the JVN recovery serum, I have gone through tubs. The way my curls can stay is down to recovery serum. I got sent it once, and then I’ve rebought it 3 times since; that’s when I know something's amazing. When you do your skincare, you layer different things to get the best results and now I’m doing that with my hair. It's the treatment product locking everything in with hydration and recovery and has become my hair hero. Zara hairspray is really good; I usually hate hairspray as I don’t like to feel so locked in but it’s very flexible, light and moveable. I can change my style and it’s not too committed. If I’m doing a slicked-back bun, I’m a pomade girl. I've been through the eco-styler moment that everyone does, and one day I switched over to a pomade. With pomade and styling creams, they feel a little more flexible. I love the Le Labo concrete pomade; that is the best one!
If my hair is done, I feel 100% better. There is a fine line between a messy bun and ‘this looks terrible.’ My hair now makes me feel good. If my outfit and makeup aren’t working and my hair looks good, it changes everything. I need to let the slicked-back bun go, because my edges might let it go before I do. I'm trying to find hairstyles that make me feel cute but have the same bitchy energy as a slick bun.
MICHEALAS FEATURED PRODUCTS:
Zara hairspray
Lelabo concrete styling pomade
Dae styling cream
Chi silk infusion serum
@Hershesons
@Graceamelia___
@Johnalfredhair