It’s been awhile since I went over the products that I use on my hair. I skipped an October Favorites last month, so I’m delivering this instead! Anyway, here’s what I’m using in the haircare department.
I’m going through a phase with it right now where I’m looking for more natural products for washing to minimize my color from fading. I haven’t had the energy to redye the lengths of my hair bright red again. I keep up on my roots every six weeks or so because it’s easy for me to do, but I have so much hair that redoing all the red throughout would take a very long time and a lot of product. I’m also liking some of the lighter strands that I have throughout and don’t want to lose them by doing an all over color again, even though I miss the vibrance that I used to have. I’m thinking about doing lowlights all over to get some depth back, while keeping the lighter strands that I like.
Washing / Acure Pumpkin Argan Oil is my favorite. I shampoo 1-2x per week and this gets it clean, soft, and voluminous. The matching conditioner makes my hair feel strong, healthy, and easy to brush through. My I also like the Carol’s Daughter brand for shampooing as well, but it’s pumpkin season so I had to go for the Acure. I love that it’s sulfate free and drugstore!
Mask / I can’t get over this mask. It’s $23 for about a gallon of product and if you struggle with dry dull hair you’ll be obsessed. It makes my hair soft and shiny and I’m still working on the tub that I bought in August 2017.
Leave In / Sally Beauty Supply is my ride or die for all their generic brand versions of expensive hair products. They have a dupe for just about anything- I especially love the It’s a 10 Keratin dupe.
Oil / I believe in oiling up the ends of my hair to protect them from heat and brushing. I go in between the Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser oil, and an Argan oil from Sally’s. The Bumble & Bumble is lighter and my bottle has lasted forever, but it’s expensive. When I’m out I’ll probably try the Verb brand from Sephora since I’ve heard good things. I love a lighter oil when it’s dry, and a heavier one when my hair is wet. I used to also love the Paul Mitchell Skinny Serum, but I need to go restock that now that I’m remembering how much I love it.
Heat protection / I always spray on a heat protectant before blow drying, straightening, or curling my hair. Tresemme’s black and red bottle is my go to. DON’T travel with it though, it always leaks and gets all over everything whenever I do!
Hairspray / Sally’s generic brand again- Sebastian shaper spray is the best hairspray EVER. So many people like L’oreal Elnett but I despise it and have been trying to get through a bottle that I bought forever ago. It makes my hair so dandruffy! The Sebastian dupe isn’t sticky, holds my style, and I can brush through it without getting flakes.
Volume / Kenra Texture spray in the Sally’s dupe version is amazing for making my hair bigger with some grip to work with. I like the Ouai texture spray as well, but not as much as the Kenra. I use it as a finishing spray as well.
Dry Shampoo / Bumble & Bumble Pret- A- Powder, period. I’ve had the same bottle for over a year, and that’s coming from someone who doesn’t wash their hair that often!
Comb / If I could only use one brush or comb for the rest of my life, it would be this one. I use it for raking conditioner through my hair in the shower, untangling, picking up sections when I straighten or curl, smoothing my hair, and anything else. When I can’t find that one, I use the Wet brush. It truly has a magical way of gliding through tangles. I freak out when I lose my big orange wide tooth comb though. Occasionally I use a skinny comb to tease my crown a little when my hair is looking flat.
Straightener / Babyliss Ultra- Thin Iron is bar none the best out there. Being around a sorority of girls constantly straightening their hair, we all borrowed our friend’s until we had to buy our own. This is the best and makes my hair shiny and stick straight.
Curler / I have the Nume Titan 3 wand that comes with three different sized barrels, but I only use the 1 ¼ size, so if it ever breaks *knock on wood*, I’d just repurchase that one. It heats up super fast and my curls hold well. Occasionally when I want more of a soft blow out curl, I use my Conair curler that has the clamp.
Writing about styling makes me want to put more effort into my hair on a regular basis! My usual routine is washing at night, letting it air dry, adding a few curls in with a wand on like day three if I feel like making it look nicer, and wearing a low ponytail the majority of the time. Definitely check out the generics brand at Sally Beauty if you haven’t yet, they’re literally my holy grail! If I forgot any category, feel free to ask questions in the comments.
-Kim