Thanks so much to Dawn Bacchi for sending me her Expansion System to try out and review. All Thoughts and Opinions expressed are my own.

I can be a very impulsive person from time to time, which sometimes works out in my favor, but other times it's a top flop! One thing that I tend to be the most impulsive with is my hair. I fall into this impulsivity cycle of growing it out as long as possible and then chopping it all off. What makes this so impulsive is that I chop it off, only to hate it, grow it out for years, love it, then hate it and impulsively cut it off. It's a vicious cycle that leaves me feeling helpless and more often than not I end up putting in a ponytail because I just don't know what to do with it.

My hair tends to be a bit of a security blanket, so when I cut it off I feel so naked and I realize how much work goes into styling it. I have naturally wavy hair. but when I cut it too short, my waves disappear and it then I end up straightening it, which causes so much damage. Damage tends to be one of the main reasons that I cut my hair, and I know that if I would get regular cuts that would help to maintain the health of my hair, but I didn't grow up with it being an important thing. See I had long hair as a child and my Mom never wanted to cut it, which is probably why it's like a security blanket for me. I do try to take care of my hair and use only natural products but living in a small town can really put a damper on the products that are available.

Recently I was introduced to a hair care line by Dawn Bacchi called, Hair Goddess, and it has completely helped me to change how I treat my hair. Here's what Dawn has to say about why she created her brand: (credited to Dawn, from her website)

BEHIND THE BRAND

Dawn Bacchi

"A lot of hair care lines start out great, but then they are sold to huge corporations and the ingredients are changed for cost savings. Unfortunately, that means the products aren’t as effective as they use to be. With Hair Goddess, I control what's in it and where it's manufactured. There isn’t a middle man — it goes from the lab to the manufacturer to me.” ...
~ Founder, Master Stylist, Color Educator

As a Master Stylist and Color Educator, Dawn listened to her client's needs and concerns in regards to the hair, this is how she came up with her products. They are safe to use on sensitive skin, which is a huge plus for me! They're also free from Sulfates, Parabens, Phthalates, PEG, DEA/MEA, Harmful Chemicals, and Fragrances. They are safe to use on chemically and color-treated hair or extensions, cruelty-free and made in the USA. Dawn was kind enough to send me her Expansion to try out, here's what was included:

Hair Goddess Expansion System:

Expansion System Shampoo: $28.00/8oz

Expansion System Conditioner: $29.00/8oz

Expansion System Primer: $29.00/8oz

Expansion System Design Cream: $24.00/8oz

Expansion System Ultra Gel: $22.00/8oz

Freshly Fondled Look: $24.00/5.5oz

After pulling each product out of the box, I immediately went in for the smell test. I'm a sucker for a great smelling hair product and let me tell you, these do not disappoint! They smell amazing and I couldn't wait to hop in the shower and start washing my hair! The first thing that I noticed when using the Expansion System Shampoo, is a little goes a very long way when washing your hair. Typically I would use a half dollar size or more of shampoo, especially when my hair is long, but with Dawn's Expansion System, I only needed a little more than a dime-sized amount.

The shampoo lathers really well and rinses out easily. I'm not a fan of shampoo's that are really hard to wash out and leave a lot of film behind. Since this shampoo is free of parabens, phthalates, and other bad things, there's no yucky stuff left behind, just fresh, clean hair. With the Expansion System Conditioner, I did need a little bit more of it than I did the shampoo, but that is pretty typical for me. The conditioner is a medium-thick consistency, that clings to the hair and helps to quench and create volume. And, volume and thickness are what I'm trying to achieve after all!

Now, before I chopped all of my hair off, it was pretty long and I had the chance to use all of the products on my long hair. Since my natural is hair is wavy, when it's longer, I tend to let it be as natural as possible, with the help of styling products. It took me a long time to find products that worked with my hair type, but as we all know, after a while, sometimes the company changes formulas and they become less effective. That's what happened with my old products, so Dawn's Hair Goddess, Extension System came at a great time. After washing my long hair, I sprayed it with the Primer to my damp hair, which adds volume and protects against free radical and thermal damage. After wrapping my hair for 30 minutes, I took it down, scrunched it with a small amount of Design Cream, and the Ultra Leight Weight Gel, and let it air dry.

My hair dried much fast that it normally would using my other hair products. Not only was my hair more manageable, but it also was less frizzy and so much softer. I had a crazy amount of volume, and my hair actually felt thicker. I got several compliments from my co-workers, asking what was different about me, or saying that my hair, which I had been putting in a ponytail, looked great! I felt like a million bucks! It's crazy how switching products can make all the difference not only in your hair but also your self-confidence!

Since cutting my hair, I haven't been scrunching it too much, and have been straightening it every two-three days. I love that the Expansion System actually gives me full, and clean looking second and third-day hair! This is something that I've never experienced before. I grab a shower cap, shower, take my hair down, run my straightener through it and that's it! I even woke up a few mornings ago to my hubby saying my bed-head looked really good, lol! These products make my hair so manageable and easy to style! I did decide to scrunch my short hair a few days ago, and defuse it, which I have to say went amazingly well! I was so surprised by the results, and I had a girl at the store ask what products I'm using for shorter hair. I excitedly told her about Dawn's different products and explained how I was using them, and all the different ways you can use them.

Like using the Primer to heat protect my hair before I blow dry it, or the design cream after I straighten my hair to help keep it in place. I also spray the Primer on the ends of my hair before leaving the house, to help prevent split ends and damage. It also helps one of my terrible anxiety habits of picking my hair. I don't want to mess up my ends after spraying them, so I leave my hair alone! And, If I don't feel like fixing my hair, my go-to style is a wet bun. Now, I know that putting your hair up while it's wet can be very damaging, however, I feel much better about it since I've started to use the Expansion System Line. My hair has become much stronger and healthier and I have a lot less breakage after taking my hair down.

When putting my hair in a wet bun, I spray it with the Primer and brush it completely through my hair, then I add a small amount of Design Cream mixed with the Ultra Light Gel, to get a smooth bun, and then I finish it off with the Freshly Fondled Hair Spray! It keeps my hair in place without making it crunchy and adds shine and if I need to fix it at any point, it's extremely pliable. I don't typically use hairspray on a daily basis, but I have been using my straightener to curl my hair more often, and the Freshly Fondled Look Spray is great for this style. I'm able to brush out my curls, but keep them defined, or put my hair half up/half down and not rip out a huge chunk of my hair while doing it!

I'm so impressed with Dawn's Expansion System Line, and I'm so grateful that I was able to try it all out. Now, what worked for my hair, may not work for your hair, which is why I love that Dawn sells a smaller size of her products that range in price between $9.00-$10.00 for 1.9oz. You're able to try them without making a commitment to something that may not work for your hair type. Or, maybe you want to try out multiple products from some of her other hair-care lines before you decide which one is best for you. Either way, Dawn has made making the switch to her products easy and affordable! And Guys, Dawn didn't forget about you, she created her STA Men's Hair Caire line just for you! What are you waiting for? Go check it out!

Want Them? Get Them!

If you're interested in trying out Dawn Bacchi's Hair Goddess for yourself, head over here to check it all out. While you're at it, give her a like and follow on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.