Blonde to Brunette Transformation with Meg Ann Lee
Going blonde gets ALL the attention. The process posts, the price breakdowns, the “platinum journey” content. But you know what nobody talks about? Going back. I am Meg Ann Lee and this week I took a client from blonde to a rich, dimensional brown and it was one of those transformations that just made SENSE. She sat down and said she was tired of the upkeep, tired of the full foil appointments, and tired of feeling like her hair was never growing.
Here’s what people don’t realize about going darker — it’s not just slapping a one color box dye on and calling it a day. When you’ve been lightened, your hair is missing the underlying pigments it needs to hold a brunette shade. We have to rebuild those levels back in or that beautiful brown you’re picturing? It’s washing out by week two. It’s called filling, and it’s the step that separates a salon brunette from a DIY muddy, ashy mess.
Her hair journey was multiple appointments because sometimes jumping to a level 4 from a level 9 is a jumpscare. Her final result was this deep, glossy, lived-in brown with enough dimension that it doesn’t look flat or hollow. The best part? Her maintenance schedule went from every 6-8 weeks to every 10-12. She literally got time back.
Going darker isn’t giving up. It’s not “letting yourself go.” It’s choosing what fits your life RIGHT NOW and that’s allowed to change. The girl who wanted to be blonde three years ago doesn’t have to stay blonde just because she committed to it once. You’re allowed to evolve. That’s not quitting — that’s self-trust. 3
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The Bixie: What It Is, Who It’s For, and Why It’s Everywhere Right Now
Hey, I am Meg Ann Lee and this week we are talking about the “Bixie”. The Bixie is having a MOMENT. It’s the most-requested cut of 2026 so far, and I get why — it’s the lovechild of a bob and a pixie, soft enough to feel feminine, short enough to feel like a BOSS. A haircut you can get so that you leave the salon feeling like you actually did something. Think Zendaya, Jessie Buckley, Gracie Abrams for hair inspo. Tucked-behind-the-ear energy with a little edge.
What is a Bixie?
Here’s the deal though. The bixie isn’t just “a short bob.” It’s built on internal layering — usually nape-length to chin-length — with shorter pieces around the crown that give it that lived-in, slightly undone shape. That layering is what makes it move. It’s also what makes it tricky. A bixie cut wrong just looks like you grew out a pixie and gave up.
Is it for you?
So who’s it actually for? If you have fine to medium hair that falls flat by 2pm, the layering gives you instant volume without product gymnastics. If your hair is thick, we’re cutting INTO the weight to keep it from turning into a triangle. Wavy and curly textures? Some of the best bixies I’ve seen — your natural pattern does half the styling for you. The only people I’d pump the brakes on are clients with super dense, coarse hair who don’t want to commit to regular trims, because this cut grows out fast and it shows.
Reality check
Maintenance reality check: every 6-8 weeks if you want it to keep that shape. That’s just the truth of short hair.
Am I saying go chop it all off? No. I’m saying if you’ve been scrolling past bixie after bixie and feeling something — that’s worth paying attention to. Save the photos, sit with it, and if the feeling sticks around, have a real consultation with whoever cuts your hair. You can find me at Moss if you want to talk hair in general. I even made a pinterest board with some of my favorite Bixie inspo for you to scroll 3
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Be Your Own Stylist: A Coachella Lookbook with Meg Ann Lee
Hey, I am Meg Ann Lee and I STILL have never been to Coachella (crying in the club rn). So, I threw myself a little styling challenge instead. 6 festival-ready outfits, pulled straight from my closet, zero overthinking. Honestly? Some of my favorite looks I've ever put together. There's something about giving yourself a theme and a time limit that unlocks a different kind of creativity — you stop shopping for the vision and start actually SEEING what you already own. That silk slip you forgot about. The vintage belt buried in a drawer. The boots you've worn a hundred times but never with THAT top. I live streamed the festival all weekend while I styled (highlights: Dabeull, Newdad, Teddy Swims, Rezz, Sabrina Carpenter, and Justin Bieber), and somewhere between sets it hit me — being your own stylist and playing dress up is what makes these event so fun. I challenge you to go into your closet and create new outfit combinations you've never worn before! You already have the pieces. You just have to look at them differently 3
P.S. reel's up — tell me which fit you're recreating!
Things I Don’t Do to My Hair Anymore as a Hairstylist and What I Do Instead
Hey — I'm Meg Ann Lee, hairstylist and makeup artist in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. I've been behind the chair for almost a decade and I help you create your dream hair. I care way too much about color science and keeping it real with my clients and their hair goals. Here's the thing about being a hairstylist — you learn the science behind everything you've been doing wrong, and then you have a choice. Keep doing it because it's comfortable, or actually change. I chose change, and my hair has never been better for it.
So let me walk you through the habits I've dropped and what replaced them.
I stopped overwashing.
I wash my hair like twice a week now. Sometimes three if I worked out and I'm feeling gross about it. But daily? That version of me is gone. Every time you shampoo, you're stripping your scalp's natural oils. Your scalp gets dry, overproduces oil to compensate, and now you feel like you NEED to wash every day. It's a cycle you created. I broke it by pushing my wash days further apart, using dry shampoo at the root on day two and letting my scalp figure itself out. It took about two-three weeks to regulate. It wasn't cute. But it worked. Now 2-3 washes a week is perfect for my scalp health without overusing dry shampoo!
I stopped using hot tools without heat protectant.
I used to be lazy about this. Like, criminally lazy. Now I won't even look at a flat iron without spraying something on first. Heat protectant works by creating a barrier between the tool and your hair strand — it doesn't make the heat disappear, but it absorbs and distributes it so the damage isn't as concentrated. Skipping it is basically choosing split ends. I don't make that choice anymore.
I stopped using permanent color on my own hair.
I switched to demi-permanent color, and the difference in the condition of my hair is honestly wild. An alkaline permanent hair color opens the cuticle, deposits color inside the strand, and changes the internal structure. It works, but it's a lot of stress on your hair over time — especially if you're coloring frequently.
Demi-permanent color deposits without fully opening the cuticle, and acidic demi formulas work at an even lower pH, which means less swelling, less damage, and insane shine. The trade-off is that it fades more gradually and won't lighten your natural hair. But for adding richness, toning, blending grays, or refreshing color between lightening services? It's the smarter choice for most people, most of the time.
I stopped chasing styles that weren't made for my hair.
This one's bigger than it sounds. I have medium to fine hair with medium density. That big, voluminous blowout that looks effortless on someone else? That's not my natural hair. If I want that look, I need to utilize extensions and a lot of product to create it — and I CAN create it. That's the whole point.
But I had to stop pretending my natural texture was going to get me there with just 1-2 products. I can either choose extensions and get the volume I want, or I can be happy with my natural hair as it is. Both are good options. The difference is I'm choosing now instead of feeling like something's wrong with me. And here's the thing nobody tells you — most of the people you see online with that thick, bouncy, big hair? They're wearing extensions and have a big styling routine too. You're comparing your natural hair to someone else's enhanced hair and feeling bad about it. Once you know that, the comparison loses its power. Now you're making decisions from real information instead of wondering why your hair doesn't look like hers.
I stopped brushing my hair from the top down.
You start at the ends and work up. That's it. That's the habit change. It sounds so small but if you're ripping through tangles from your root, you're creating breakage every single time. Get a wet brush or a wide-tooth comb, start at the bottom, work in sections if you need to. Your ends will thank you in about a month.
None of this is revolutionary. That's kind of the point. The stuff that actually makes your hair better long-term is boring. It's not a viral product or a salon hack. It's just doing the small things right, consistently, because you decided your hair was worth the effort. And it is 3
Minneapolis Weekend Recap: GRiZ at the Armory, Hyatt Stay, Pizza Luce & a Snowstorm Exit
Hey I’m Meg Ann Lee and I’m a Pisces. I swear that’s not how I normally introduce myself but it seemed fitting because we are talking about my birthday!! This year’s birthday weekend turned into the kind of weekend trip that reminds you to actually do something to celebrate your life! We headed to Minneapolis and saw GRiZ (my favorite dj forever IYKYK) at the Minneapolis Armory and it was everything I wanted it to be. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis for the easy walk, grabbed Pizza Lucé, had some drinks, and fully leaned into the weekend out.
Outfit-wise, I went in with a Zingara bandana tied into a top, thrifted tear-away pants layered over shorts, Moon Boots (because the snow was definitely coming), and obviously covered in Fenty body glitter. It felt like the perfect mix of comfy, extra, and still practical.
We were supposed to stay another night, but ended up making the call to head out early before the snowstorm hit — which, honestly, felt like the responsible move after we saw the forecast. We wrapped it up with Starbucks on the drive home and called it a win. If there’s anything I’m taking from this birthday, it’s this: people don’t always make the most of their birthdays, but we really should. Every year we are still here should be celebrated! Buy the outfit, wear the makeup, get the tickets or take the trip, SAY YES to the plans. Life feels a lot better when you show up for it 3
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Hard Water Hair Problems in Wisconsin: What It’s Doing to Your Hair Color and How to Fix It
If your hair feels dry no matter what products you use, won’t lather properly in the shower, or your blonde keeps turning brassy faster than it should… it might not be your hair. It might be your water.
Hey, I’m Meg Ann Lee, a hairstylist and makeup artist in Eau Claire, WI — and hard water is one of the most common (and overlooked) reasons I see clients struggle with their hair.
What Is Hard Water & Why It Matters for Your Hair
Hard water contains high levels of calcium and magnesium minerals that your water picks up from the ground before it even reaches your home.
These minerals don’t just rinse away — they stick to the hair and scalp, creating buildup over time. According to water quality data, anything over 120 ppm is considered hard water, and many areas in Wisconsin fall well above that.
Eau Claire commonly measures around 8–14 grains per gallon, which falls into the slightly hard water category.
The Science Behind Malibu Treatments
This is where Malibu C comes in — and why you’ll hear stylists recommend it specifically for hard water. Malibu treatments use chelating ingredients (like vitamin C-based compounds) that bind to minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron, and copper and remove them from the hair safely.
This is different from a regular clarifying shampoo.
- Clarifying = removes product buildup (oils, silicones)
- Chelating = removes mineral buildup from water
That’s why Malibu treatments are one of the most effective ways to reset your hair if you’re dealing with hard water.
What to Do at Your Next Salon Appointment
If you live in an area like Eau Claire and struggle with dryness, dullness, or brassiness, this matters more than you think.
Book a Malibu treatment BEFORE your color service.
Why? It removes mineral buildup so your color applies evenly, processes correctly and last longer. Applying color on clean hair prevents uneven or muddy results. If mineral buildup is sitting on the hair, color can’t fully penetrate — which leads to inconsistent results. If you are a DIY girly you can get your own at home routine HERE.
Check out the rest of my haircare routine recommendations below!
If your hair isn’t responding to good products, your routine might not be the problem. Hard water can block moisture, affect color results, and leave buildup on the hair — no matter how “good” your shampoo is. Once you remove that buildup, most clients notice their hair feels softer, looks shinier, and their color lasts longer.
If you’re in the Eau Claire area and feel like your hair just isn’t acting right, this is something I always recommend looking at first. Because sometimes it’s not your hair… it’s your water.
Extension Haircare Routines: What to Buy, What to Skip, and How to Protect Your Investment
Hair extensions can completely transform your hair — more length, more fullness, and styling options that many people simply can’t achieve with their natural hair alone. But extensions are also a higher priced service, and how you care for them at home plays a huge role in how long they last and how healthy your natural hair stays underneath.
Hey, I’m Meg Ann Lee, a hairstylist and makeup artist in Eau Claire, WI. A big part of my work behind the chair involves extension installs and maintenance. One of the most common questions I get from clients is: “What products should I actually be using at home?” Well I have great news for you! when you book a new extension install with me you get a FULL haircare routine included in your install.
The good news is extension haircare doesn’t need to be complicated. But it does need to be consistent, and the products you choose matter.
Why Extension Hair Needs Different Care
Unlike your natural hair, extensions are no longer connected to a scalp. That means they don’t receive natural oils that help keep the hair soft and hydrated. Because of this, extension hair tends to dry out faster and needs more moisture support — but without adding buildup near the attachment points. The goal of extension care is simple. You want to keep the scalp clean, the hair hydrated and detangled while protecting the attachment points.
Haircare Routine for Extensions
Whether you wear sew-in wefts, hand-tied extensions, or keratin bonds, the routine is very similar. Focus on hydration, detangling, and protecting the hair.
Step 1: Gentle, Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner
Extensions need a clean scalp without stripping moisture from the hair. Focus shampoo on the scalp and allow the suds to rinse through the lengths. These formulas cleanse effectively while helping maintain softness. Conditioner helps keep extension hair smooth and manageable, but it should stay away from the attachment points. Apply from mid-length to ends only. Let conditioner sit for a minute or two before rinsing to allow the hair to absorb moisture. Options:
Step 2: Leave-In Detangler and Heat Protection
Extensions tangle more easily than natural hair, which is why leave-in products are essential. They help create slip for brushing and protect the hair during styling. These products help smooth the hair and reduce mechanical damage when brushing or styling. Options:
Step 3: Lightweight Oil or Treatment for Softness and Shine
Because extensions don’t receive natural scalp oils, adding a small amount of oil to the mid-lengths and ends helps maintain softness. Focus oil on the ends of the hair where dryness typically appears first. Options:
Ingredients to Avoid With Hair Extensions
Extension hair behaves differently than natural hair, which means some ingredients can cause problems over time.
Products with high levels of drying alcohols can quickly dehydrate the hair fiber, making extensions brittle and more prone to tangling. Very heavy waxes or butters can build up around beads, sew points, or bonds and make the hair harder to brush while sometimes affecting the attachment points.
Another ingredient category to watch is heavy silicones, such as dimethicone or amodimethicone. While they can create temporary shine, they can also build up on extension hair over time, making it feel heavy and preventing moisture from properly absorbing into the hair.
Overusing protein treatments like hydrolyzed keratin or silk protein can also cause problems. Protein is helpful in moderation, but too much can make extension hair stiff and more prone to breakage.
Finally, be careful with chemical sunscreen ingredients, particularly avobenzone (often listed as butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane). These are commonly found in spray sunscreens and can sometimes react with blonde extensions, causing unwanted orange or pink discoloration.
The safest approach is using balanced, moisturizing products and keeping routines simple and consistent.
The Real Goal of Extension Haircare
Extensions aren’t meant to be maintenance-free, but they shouldn’t feel overwhelming either. With the right shampoo, conditioner, leave-in protection, and daily brushing habits, most clients can keep their extensions looking soft, shiny, and healthy for months. Great extension hair is less about finding one miracle product and more about creating a routine that protects both the extensions and your natural hair.
This post officially wraps up my 2026 haircare routine series, where we covered routines for:
- Fine textured hair
- Medium and combo hair
- Curly and coily hair
- Color-treated and damaged hair
- Hair extensions
If you missed any of those guides, they’re all available now on i94radio.com, with product recommendations and routines based on real salon experience. Because great hair usually isn’t about new trendy products — it’s about the basics, understanding your hair type and building a routine that works for your real life 3
Damaged & Color-Treated Hair Haircare Routines: What to Buy, What to Skip, and How to Manage Damage Without Overloading
Hey! I am Meg Ann Lee, full-time hairstylist, part-time blogger and co-owner of moss salon in Eau Claire, WI. If you color your hair, highlight it, lighten it, or heat style it regularly — this post is for you.
Hair “health” is a topic of conversation I have a lot with clients in the salon when we are discussing their hair color goals. Sometimes your hair color goals can cause hair to feel dry, rough, tangled, or more fragile than it used to and we do not want that! Most people respond by buying heavier and heavier products, hoping something will “heal” the damage.
But here’s the important part — damaged hair cannot heal itself. Hair is not living tissue once it leaves the scalp. When it’s compromised by bleach, color, heat, or mechanical stress, we can’t reverse it. What we can do is reinforce it, protect it, and make it more manageable and beautiful moving forward.
A Quick Science Moment for the Chat
When you lighten or permanently color your hair, the cuticle (the outer layer) is lifted or it swells open so color molecules can enter or natural pigment can be broken down. That process changes the structure of the hair. The more frequently that process happens — especially with lightener — the more porous and fragile it can become.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t color your hair. It just means your routine needs to support you are choosing to do to the structure of your hair. Let’s break this into two common categories I see.
Routine 1: Lightly Color-Treated or Mildly Dry Hair
This is hair that’s highlighted, glossed, or colored but still feels relatively healthy — just drier than natural hair. The goal here is moisture + protection.
Step 1 — Color-Safe Shampoo & Moisturizing Conditioner
You want something that supports the cuticle without stripping the color or drying it out. Options:
Step 2 — Moisturizing Hair Mask
Add into your routine 1-2 times a week.
Step 3— Leave-In + Heat Protection
This is non-negotiable with color-treated hair. If you don’t have an after shower hair routine the first product to add is a leave in conditioner! A heat protection product prevents further stress on your strands. Options:
Routine 2: Overprocessed, Bleached, or Fragile Hair
This is hair that feels stretchy when wet, tangles easily, or breaks when brushing. The goal here is bond support + moisture balance. The mistake I see most often? Layering too many heavy masks and protein treatments at once. More protein products does not equal faster repair.
Step 1 — Bond-Building Shampoo & Conditioner
These focus on strengthening weakened areas of your hair structure to prevent breakage. Options:
Step 2 — Repair-Focused Conditioner or Mask
Use a mask 1–2 times per week — not every wash. Alternate masks with regular conditioner to avoid overload. Options:
Step 3 — Leave-In Repair + Light Oil
Focus on ends only. I am OBSESSED with the redken acidic products lately!! Options:
What to Skip
Damaged hair doesn’t need ten repair products layered at once. It doesn’t need protein every single wash day and it definitely doesn’t need extremely high heat while already compromised. Overloading the hair with heavy creams can make it feel coated but not actually stronger. Instead of trying everything at once, stick to trying 1 new product at a time and be consistent. Practice a balanced routine that includes cleansing, bond support, moisture, and protection. Notice I didn’t say dry shampoo? You NEED to keep your hair moisturized to prevent it from breaking. Overly dry hair snaps, moisturized hair bends. Think of a noodle! Use dry shampoo at your roots as needed in between washes but remember it isn’t actually cleansing or adding moisture so don’t REPLACE your haircare routine with dry shampoo, as tempting as it may be.
The Realistic Goals
Repair products don’t “heal” hair — but they reinforce weak bonds, smooth the cuticle, and improve elasticity so your hair feels softer and looks healthier. Consistency matters more than intensity in these situations. That’s why you should buy that take home product your hairstylist recommends. If you color your hair, maintaining it at home is what protects your investment. Healthy-looking hair is rarely about one miracle product. It’s about the correct routine 3
The post Damaged & Color-Treated Hair Haircare Routines: What to Buy, What to Skip, and How to Manage Damage Without Overloading appeared first on I-94 Radio.
Medium Textured Hair Haircare Routines: What to Buy, What to Skip, and How to Work With Your Natural Texture
Hey, I am Meg Ann Lee, a hairstylist and makeup artist at Moss hair salon in Eau Claire, WI. I am back this week with the second installment of my 2026 haircare routine series based on your hair texture. I honestly feel like most people, even professional hairstylists, sometimes forget that your hair TEXTURE (fine, medium, or coarse) determines so much in the process of cutting, coloring and product selection.
Medium-texture hair gets talked about as “easy hair”. But, that doesn’t describe EVERYONE in this category, we are all unique! Most people with this texture always feel like they need to style their hair. This hair category can be confusing and tricky. It can hold a style but still gets dry, frizzy, or has inconsistent waves. This post breaks down two real routines you can use for :
- Medium, mostly straight hair
- Medium combo hair (some straight, some wavy)
Since I asked on Instagram what you wanted this year — haircare recommendations won — I’m including specific products you can shop!
What Medium Textured Hair Really Needs
Medium textured hair usually needs a product routine that focuses on balanced hydration, frizz control without heaviness, heat protection & strength support if you hair coloring it. It can handle more hydrating products like creams and oils than fine textured hair can but it definitely can still get weighed down, so balance is key.
Routine 1: Medium Textured & Mostly Straight Hair
This hair type usually air dries smooth but can feel dry at the ends or frizzy in humidity. The goal is hydration without weight.
Step 1 — Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner
You'll notice a common theme in all of these routines...MOISTURE. Use a Shampoo & Conditioner that adds hydration without heaviness. These products should soften and detangle without flattening. Options:
Step 2 — Leave-In or Lightweight Cream
These help control frizz and give light shine during styling. Options:
Step 3 — Heat Protection
Always protect before styling or you're ASKING for damage. Remember, if your product comes out WET, you have to blow dry it in first before styling with a hot tool. Options:
Routine 2: Medium “Combo” Hair (Straight + Wavy Mix)
This texture is extremely common — straight at the top with a bit of wave lower down. It’s all about balance and placement. This is one combo where you just have to be okay with imperfections or do the extra work/styling.
Step 1 — Balanced Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner
Avoid super-rich shampoos that weigh hair down. Go mid-weight. Options:
Step 2 — Wave Support + Lightweight Styling
Because combo hair doesn’t want heavy gels or creams, go light and build up product only where needed. Target these products only where your waves are — straighter sections don’t need as much styling product. This might mean you will be curling some of your straight pieces once your hair is dry if you're leaning into your curly pieces. Options:
Step 4 — Anti-Breakage &/or Shine
Finish with a tiny mist or drops for shine and slip. Options:
Acceptance & Working With Your Texture
What I tell clients all the time is this: Medium textured hair isn’t “bad” because it’s not pin-straight or it’s not fully wavy everywhere. It just needs a routine that respects its balance — not one that tries to force it into a different category. EMBRACE YOUR TEXTURE.
Loving your texture doesn’t mean doing no styling — it means choosing products and routines that enhance what you already have, not fighting it. 3
Festival of Toys
The annual Festival of Toys gives Chippewa Valley children in need a happy holiday, with help from the community through donations of new, unwrapped toys, as well as monetary donations!
You can donate new, unwrapped toys at these locations:
- Festival Foods Stores in Eau Claire/Chippewa Falls
- LE Phillips Senior Center – 1616 Bellinger St – Eau Claire
All donations collected will be distributed to Families in need by Family Promise of the Chippewa Valley with some additional help from Boys and Girls Club, Salvation Army, Spirit of Christmas, and Jason’s Presents.
Want to make a donation? Click Below! No amount is too small, even $1 helps provide area families with a happier holiday. ANY donation is appreciated.