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Joshua Tree National Park, California

''I love bad hair days… said no one ever!'' - HSI Professional

When HSI Professional approached me about doing a blog post, a vision popped into my head immediately. HSI is known for making some of the most coveted hair appliances on the market, from straighteners and curling wands to the finest blow dryers. They also make an amazing product called Argan Oil. I used their Argan Oil Spray but you can also use the Argan Oil treatment to give your hair even more strength and protection. It’s a brilliant company on a mission to help women look and feel beautiful. Their reputation is one of designing ultra high quality salon products to enhance the look and feel of your hair.

Back to that vision. My photog and I decided we would put HSI to the test. What better way to test out their products than setting out for a shoot in the middle of the Mojave Desert? If my self-styled hair could withstand the elements in the midst of some of the most difficult conditions on the planet and still look beautiful, HSI would have my ringing endorsement. Joshua Tree is a very special National Park and is located a few hours away from Los Angeles, near Palm Springs. It is the only place on Earth where the Joshua Tree, the Tree of Life, grows. It’s stark beauty is captivating and mind blowing. It’s also one of the dryest and hottest places in the US and encompasses the transition between the High Mojave Desert and the Low Colorado Desert. It would be the perfect testing grounds for HSI. But could they actually pass this test?!

We loaded up the Jeep and headed off to the Desert. Driving through Joshua Tree is quite an experience. It’s about 70 miles from one end to the next. The vistas are truly magnificent with the landscape changing from one side of the park to the other. It looks a bit like Sedona on the Moon. When you drive up to the gate, there’s a lovely sign to greet you. It says “Be on the lookout for tarantulas on the walkways.”  Alright then! In true Boho style, wearing the most casual flip-flops that had no business being around these furry critters, we were off!

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It was the perfect day to put the products to the test. Weather Report: Hot, and blasting with bright sunlight all day! After a 5 AM wake-up and a quick shower and wet head, we drove the Jeep in before sunrise and parked it in the perfect location. We brought along an adaptor purchased from Amazon that would allow me to plug in a straightener and a blow dryer. Beginning with HSI Argan oil spray to protect the hair, I grabbed their Dryonizer 5500 Turbo Blow Dryer, plugged it in and began to blow dry my locks in the midst of the desert heat. I was grateful to have the Argan Oil as it’s known for it’s incredible qualities in hydrating and protecting the hair from the effects of UV sunlight. And, in these elements, I needed the most protection I could find. I like to finish off my blowouts with a touch of a hair straightener and HSI has some of the best straighteners on the market today. Not only are they aesthetically beautiful, they deliver rapid results. With multiple settings on the Glider Elite Professional, you can choose the amount of heat to straighten the hair. My hair has truly never looked better! I couldn’t believe the shine and radiance. But we had the major test for HSI awaiting … could my hair actually hold up?

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I brought along a simple black mini from H and M and paired it with a fun tee by Sundry. This distinctive black leather jacket was found at Bloomingdales from Linea Pelle. I have quite a collection of bags and belts from this designer. I was thrilled to see this brand has moved into designing clothing! The jacket is so fun and can truly make the simplest outfit into a killer look. The floral cut out booties were an affordable find on Asos, my go to site for amazing finds at incredible prices. I couldn’t head into the desert without some protection for my eyes and these Raybans, found at a great discount on Amazon, had me hiking in style.

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The Lost Horse Mine is an abandoned gold mine in the middle of Joshua Tree and we were determined to reach it and walk back to where we started. We started out at noon with no cell reception and one large bottle of water that my photog handed to me as he was lugging all the equipment. He was not pleased with me when I drank half of it 3oo yards into a 5 mile hike. Oh well! And, yes, we came face to face with a couple of furry arthropods along the way! My photog wasn’t the least bit put off by a tarantula that was stalking us and promptly stuck his lens right on top of the astonished spider. Good thing I don’t have a fear of spiders as this guy was quite large. We headed on our way and slowly made it to the Gold Mine. As Yukon Cornelius said, “Slurp, Slurp, Slurp … nuttin’!” We took some shots and turned around to head back to base camp! It was time to see if my hair could truly hold up under these conditions.

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Back at the Jeep, I couldn’t wait to take a look at the results. We had been hiking for about 3 hours in the heat of the day and truth be told, we were toast. We are both in our mid 50’s and, although breathtakingly beautiful, the desert usually gets the best of you. That was no exception in this case. While my photog was pulling thorns from various body parts, I peeked in the mirror. I was shocked (and pleased!) that my hair looked as good as it did when I left for the hike! The Desert definitely took a massive toll on our bodies yet my hair looked like I was ready for an event! I have no idea how HSI Professional does it, but I know for a fact that they do. Put to the ultimate test, they delivered on every count. In fact, my hair looked so good, we continued shooting as we were blessed with a spectacular desert sunset! If you want gorgeously styled locks, head on over to HSI’s website and remember to use the coupon code  VIPCAMC to get 40% off your order. That’s right … 40% off of salon quality products! With the holidays around the corner, who doesn’t want to look their best? Not to mention, they are the perfect gifts for under the tree.

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One comment

Reply

such a cool and fun post. I absolutely adore the last 2 pics on your blog!! 2 years ago I went out to Joshua Tree as well and loved it so much! It’s a truly magical place.

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