Hair Routine & Products

My previous haircare routine post was from 2020, so I’m very overdue for an updated post.

Cut & Color

I mostly have my natural brown color all over, with some highlights for definition. I lightened my hair to get back to the color that matches my roots because I was putting black/ dark brown color depositing conditioner on it for a few years. I loved the dark color and my hair had never been healthier, but I felt like it wasn’t all that flattering on my skin tone compared to lighter brown shades.

It took three rounds of partial highlights to get the dark color to be less prevalent. I’m at a point now where I don’t need any more highlights, just occasional gloss/ toner appointments to keep the highlights brown when they get too light. The goal is natural light warm brown with dimension and caramel tones.

At the end of August 2022, I went in for a trim haircut and she cut off like five inches. I was mentally scarred and wore my hair up all fall. Long hair is my security blanket, and now that it has grown back I am very protective over it and scared of trims. It sucks because I love thick freshly cut ends. Once I get over the fear, I will be going in every three months for a trim. I recently was brave enough again to get curtain bangs and some layers around my face. I have been doing my own trims on the ends, just dusting them. My ideal haircut goal is my current length, but with lots of layers for movement, really blunt ends, with thick curtain bangs- “Disney princess hair” basically lol.

If you can avoid getting highlights, do it. Bleach is damaging, and your natural color will always look good on you. …I type that as I try to not go to Sally’s and buy copper hair color. My Pinterest is full of red hair pics. I’m SO tempted to go back to it, but don’t want the upkeep. When I’m at my gloss/ tone appointment I’ve been asking for a splash of copper thrown in for a ~cinnamon brunette~ look. She tones me at a level 6 & 7.

Routine

– I wash my hair once per week.

– I apply leave in treatments and oil after the shower. 99% of the time I’m air drying.

-My hair dries big and wavy. I try to embrace the Rubeus Hagrid vibes & tell myself it’s giving ~Olsen twin waves~. My sleepy tie smooths out the natural wave really well.

– If blow drying, I add a heat protection spray and styling product. I’ll detail those below.

– Usually I sleep with my hair in a Sleepy Tie to get the blowout look, or a low loose bun. I have a tutorial on my Tiktok on how I do it. (I have the Amazon dupe version.) I also like to sleep with two loose braids.

– Day to day I have my hair in a low loose ponytail with a satin scrunchie.

– Over the duration of the week I add oil and some leave-ins so my ends aren’t looking dry.

– I use hot tools 1- 3x per month on average to avoid heat damage. Big fan of overnight curls.

Pre-Wash

Amika Reset Cleansing Oil – I will forever repurchase this. I put it on my scalp for an hour before it’s time to wash my hair, and massage it in. It’s so soothing and refreshing for my dry scalp. It has a minty tingle that feels so good when your hair hasn’t been washed in a week.
Mielle / I use this the same way as I do the previous scalp treatment. Massage it in, let it sit for an hour or so, then rinse out in the shower.

Wash

Shampoo / Currently using It’s a 10 Keratin and it does the job. I always shampoo twice, and really work it into my scalp.

Conditioner / After lots of trial and error, my official favorite conditioner is Redken All Soft. Finally graduated from my Costco Kirkland conditioner that I loved for years if you remember me ever mentioning that one. Redken doesn’t weigh my hair down, keeps it shiny, voluminous, and the “soft” claim is accurate.

Mask / I promise this isn’t an Amika sponsored post, I just love everything I’ve tried. Around every third hair wash I’ll use a mask instead of conditioner for a deep treatment. It’s a repurchase.

Leave in- Post shower

Amika Detangler / My waves are a bit of a nightmare to brush out when it’s wet. I’m never going to aggressively tug through the tangles, and this along with my trusty wide tooth comb makes it super slippy to brush through. Always start from the bottom and gently detangle your way up. I cry seeing people rip a brush through tangles.

Pureology Strength Spray / I have tried a ton of leave-in sprays and I’m picky. I need something that feels lightweight and gives my hair shine. I hate when they make my hair feel dirty when I’ve just washed it. This one actually works without making it feel heavy or gooey.

Others I have tried that I also like (just not as much as Pureology) are IGK Good Behavior, It’s a 10, and Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser Primer.

Olaplex 6 / This makes my hair soft and I’ve repurchased it a few times.

Oil / After I use one of the two previous leave-ins, I apply oil on the ends. This is my all time favorite oil to use on wet hair to make it look sleek. I swear it’s magical and always makes my hair less frizzy.

Styling Products

Dream Coat / Worth all the hype it gets. If I need my hair to look extra smooth and stunning for an occasion, I’ll use this before blow drying. This gets rid of frizz and puffiness, and makes my hair have that “professionally done” look.
Kenra Platinum / For some reason I actually trust that this protects my hair from the blow dryer heat, which gives me peace of mind. It’s moisturizing and smells amazing.
Amika Brooklyn Bombshell / If you want volume, spray this and blow dry upside down. It has light hold, and acts like a liquid mousse.
Heat Protection Spray / When my hair is dry and I’m using a hot tool, I use Amika Shield or Chi Iron Guard.

Leave In Products – Dry hair throughout the week

Amika Dream Routine / This is like a moisturizing lotion that works on dry hair. It’s great to use before doing overnight curls.
Oil / Oribe is holy grail, but I also love good ol’ OGX Morrocan oil. Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser Oil is another favorite
Serum / Such a nice finishing product to avoid dry ends
Black Vanilla Leave In Spray / This affordable spray hydrates and smells like vanilla. I usually use this after combing my hair.
Dry Shampoo / When it’s an absolute necessity, IGK, Amika, and Sol De Janeiro are my favorites. I don’t use it all that often because I feel like it can’t be good for my scalp.

Hot Tools

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you try out some of these products and love them as much as I do.

-Kim

@kimandmakeup

Previous hair post from 2020: http://kimandmakeup.com/2020/11/25/updated-hair-routine/