Hair Favorites

My hair has always and continues to be a source of stress for me. Every girl I know struggles with their hair at least a little bit and the consensus seems to be that the grass is always greener. I only know one girl, she’s my sister’s friend, who has beautiful hair without touching it. Frizz-free, gorgeous waves. I’m so jealous!

But that’s not what I have to work with. My hair is super curly in spots, wavy everywhere else, and generally frizzy. I will say, although my hair is a pain to work with, I have finally figured it out. There are various milestones throughout the years of me grasping how to work with my hair. My friend showed me how to use her Chi flatiron in eighth grade. In college, I discovered the power of a professional blow dryer. Going to Drybar for the first time in 2012 opened my eyes to what a good blowout was. I splurged on a curling iron for my 24th birthday.

I still have bad hair days, but when I want my hair to look good, I can do it. At home. By myself. In under 45 minutes. Now that my hair has grown out from my haircut a little bit, it’s long enough to curl again so I promise I’m going to do a video on how I do it soon. But in the meantime, here are the tools and products I like to use:

Hair Mask: Once a week, I use this hair mask in the shower. Sometimes I’ll let it sit in my hair while I shave my legs or, if I have the time, while I sit in the tub and read. My hair is so incredibly soft after I use this and just feels overall healthier. When I use the mask, my curls are so much bouncier, too.

Tresemme Heat Protectant: I’m not super picky about heat protectors, but this is one that I have bought multiple times. It’s lightweight and, once my hair is dry, I don’t feel it in my hair at all!

T3 Hair Dryer: My old dryer bit the dust over the summer, and I upgraded to this one. I like it because it’s easy to hold and not very heavy (key when you’re blow drying your own hair). It also does a great job creating frizz-free smooth hair, even without straightening.

When blow drying, I use a plain round brush and a regular hair clip.

Chi: When I’m doing a full straightening of my hair, I can’t go wrong with my Chi! There aren’t a lot of bells, and whistles and the plates heat evenly without snagging hair along the way.

BaByliss Mini: For traveling and for little touch ups, I use this mini straightener! I bought this before Ireland because it was dual voltage; I didn’t expect too much from it at all, but it’s amazing. So tiny yet it gets the job done, even my unruly hair! (It’s really great for getting close to my hairline too, especially those wispy hairs around my face.)

Drybar Curling Iron: It takes a few tries to get used to, but this is my favorite curling iron. The barrel twists making it easy to twirl your hair without burning your fingers. I love the perfect curls it produces!

Curling Wands: I use a curling wand when I want to have a little more control over my curls. You can play around with the hair, so it doesn’t look so uniform. For me, the waves I get with the wand are unparalleled. The wand also took some getting used to, and I definitely had a couple of burned fingers along the way, but I’d still say it’s worth it!

Dry Shampoo: I try not to use the dry shampoo too much, but in a pinch I love it. If I don’t have time to wash and style my hair, I’ll use a few sprints and run the dryer over my hair to fluff it up again.

Texturizer: A newer product in my “arsenal,” but man does it pack a punch. It makes my curls a little bit crunchier (not soft) and adds a lot of volume!!!