thrills and spills…the hair edition

I am constantly getting asked how I do my hair… and as much as I loathe the beauty-type blog posts because I sincerely don’t consider myself to be an expert in ANY of those areas, I am here today to do a little “tell all” on how I fix my hair, what products I use, and I’m answering some questions from some of you lovely ladies, too. Here goes nothing! 

What products do you use on your mane? 

As much as I am a product guinea pig and love to experiment with different serums, potions, sprays, and such, I have a few tried and true beauty buys that are a staple in my lineup and I can’t go without… here they are with a little detail about each: 

Kenra Platinum Blow Dry Spray || protects hair from heat [AKA irons, dryers, etc] and leaves it silky shiny, while still easy to manage and style. My hairdresser told me about this a few years back and it’s been in my bag ever since! It only takes 3-4 sprays so it lasts a LONG time, too. 

Clear Color and Heat Shampoo and Conditioner || Hands down, when you’re looking for a simple shampoo/conditioner duo that cleans your hair, leaves it shiny, and doesn’t leave any buildup, this is for you. I’ve used this for the past few years and it’s done wonders to my hair and it smells SO good, as in people are constantly asking me what kind of shampoo I use… it’s kinda funny. It’s budget friendly, too! 

Clairol Shimmer Lights Shampoo and Conditioner || Now, for you other blonde ladies out there like myself, you know in between colorings when you start to get that “brassy, gold” undertone to your hair?? Yeah, that’s where Shimmer Lights comes in to help save the day. I use this about once a week and it helps remove the gold from my hair and brings out the silver/purple undertones… sounds crazy I know, but it’s a game changer and I swear by it! 

Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Primer || On days where I’m not “fixing” my hair and I am letting my natural waves do their thing, I turn to my trusted friends at B&B to work their magic with this primer spray. It helps de-frizz my naturally thick, coarse hair and gives it a little more subtle wave, with a little bit of extra volume, too. 

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray || As a product with a larger pricetag, I use this VERY sparingly and only when I desperately need it.. case in point if I’m going to a more formal event where I need loads of volume/glamorous/big hair. It builds in a ton of volume and keeps my curls intact. This has helped a ton of my friends with thin/flat hair, so I would recommend it if you’re looking for a different hairstyle for a fun night out. 

Salon Graphix Extra Super Hold Hairspray || I swear by this drugstore hairspray and I have convinced a lot of my girls to change to this product, too. It’s not heavy, but let’s just say it holds your mane in place like some good old Aquanet! This is my daily hairspray and it’s amazing for the price at just under $6!

Verb Dy Shampoo || Nope, I definitely don’t have time to wash my hair each day and I know it’s good to let your hair go a few days in between shampoos, so for that I turn to the Verb Dry Shampoo. It’s a powder formula, great for us blondes, and it removes all the oilyness from my hair in a snap. The pricetag at $14 is easy on the wallet as well. 

The Wet Brush|| My hair tangles like a crazy person… like when I wake up in the morning, it’s a hot mess! A friend recently introduced me to the Wet brushes and I’ve bought them for not only me, but for the girls as well, as they detangle easily AND don’t hurt in the slightest. Great to use in the shower, too! P.S. i like the small version so I can throw it in my purse. 

Kevin Murphy Hair Resort Spray || Want beachy waves but don’t have time to visit the ocean? This one is my favorite texture spray that leaves my naturally wavy, coarse hair looking good, but still appear that it has been “styled”… this is my hop-out-of-the-shower spray when I don’t have time to dry my hair and fix it and it doesn’t look gunky! 

Hot Tools Black Pearl 1 1/4 Inch Curling Iron || This is by far the #1 question I get asked by blog friends: “what kind of tool do you use to curl your hair?”  Some assume a flat iron, some think it’s a wand, but I’m here to tell you it’s the traditional curling iron. I love this brand so much I am on my 3rd one because yes it works that well. It heats up quickly, is the right sized barrel for my longer-length hair, and the clamp clicks down tightly so I get the larger waves. 

Revlon Perfect Heat Fold and Go Hairdryer || I’ve used the expensive hairdryers in the past, but honestly, I didn’t see much difference in terms of their ability to dry quickly without damage, so I recently purchased this Revlon hairdryer and really like it so far… not to mention it folds easily so it’s a perfect travel companion and the price tag under $30 is a nice one, too! 

And finally, because I am constantly having friends ask how I curl my hair, I attempted to do a video showing how I style, but let’s face it, I need to leave that up to the professionals so I turned to YouTube to find a master of manes… check this video out, as she uses the exact same method as I do.