Hair
I have been on a real mission with my hair. For years I have kept it in a mid length bob, mainly because my hair is fine. When it is kept a bit shorter it looks thicker. I find because my hair is fine, when I do let it grow a bit longer, it can look a little thinner, especially at the ends. My hair is also a bit frizzy, so the humidity can play havoc with it. On holiday I just tie it up in a top knot, and go for the slicked back look. The heat and humidity can make my hair look at bit like John Bon Jovi from the 80’s. At 50 the main thing I am trying to tackle is keep my hair hydrated and in good condition, especially after years of bleaching and highlighting.
I am a sucker for trying out new hair tools and the latest products to help my hair look its best and generally work with what I’ve got. Lately, my hair is looking the best it has in a long time. It is growing well, and the front of my hair is finally starting to come down to reach the same length as the back. This has been down to less heat styling and using bond rebuilders. I am by no means a hair expert, but I listen to my hairdresser and I am a slut for hair products, simple really.
So, with that said here are the things I love to use on my hair to keep it looking its best.
Styling Tools
Let’s start with styling tools and begin with hair dryers. Nothing beats the Dyson hair dryer. I know it’s super expensive, but I have used a lot of hair dryers in my time and it’s simple the best. It is super light, fast and has great heat to make my hair look sleek. It comes with loads of different attachments. I just stick to the standard one. I do love how the attachments magnetically clip on and off, Genius!
If the Dyson is a bit too pricy, I did use and still have the Parlux. I think a lot of professional hair dressers use them too. They last for years and give you a lovely blow dry.
When it comes to hair straighteners, in my humble opinion you just can’t beat GHD. I use mine for straightening and also when I want a wave. I have had mine for years and they still work beautifully well. The O.G of straighteners for sure. If I want a more loser wave I have the GHD Curve. The barrel is an oval shape which gives a lovely wave like effect to your hair. I also have the classic wand with the arm that catches the hair. This is bit more tricky to use, but once you get the hang of it, the curls are super wavy, and they do stay in, well for me anyway.
Finally, this might seem a bit granny like, but I have the Babyliss big hair brush. When my hair was a little shorter in a true bob, I used it for a nice bouncy blow dry effect. It is super easy to use, you just press a button and the brush rotates. You use it on nearly dry hair, the brush is purely for finishing it off. It gives you the blow-dry effect without being skilled in blow drying, winner in my eyes.
Hair Products
Can you ever have enough hair products? The answer is never, of course not. Here is a list of all the best ones I use.
Starting with the Redkin amino-mint shampoo. This shampoo is just amazing, it properly cleans your scalp which in turn makes your hair look lovely and healthy. I have both my teenagers using it. They were complaining of itchy scalp and greasy hair. This shampoo has sorted them both out. My main shampoo after my lovely hairdresser recommendation is, O&M Hydrate & Conquer shampoo & conditioner. It leaves my hair so soft & hydrated, I really love it. I do also use Redken Acidic bonding Concentrate shampoo, this is a slightly cheaper version of Olaplex, but still not cheap. It basically does a similar job with building damaged hair. I only use Olaplex every three months these days. I use No 0 & No 3. I get great results by only using it, when I feel I really need it.
Next up is K18 anyone who knows anything about hair is using this. I am 100% convinced this product has helped the front of my hair to grow. I use it once a week it’s very pricy but brilliant. If you have damaged hair, this is the No 1 product to invest in. You use it like a leave in conditioner so no fuss. For a mask I use the Garner Hair Food Banana & Shea, super affordable and I love it. I wear it when I am going for a run, I wear it when I go to bed. The days I don’t wash my hair and I want a sleek back look, I put loads of this in my hair and let it sit all day. It’s such a lovely hair mask, all natural, vegan, no silicones, tick from me. For styling I also use Project Sukuroi from O&M, this product is unreal, it makes my hair super smooth & shiny, and helps with my fizzy & flyaway hair, you just add it to damn hair and style. I use Color Wow Dreamcoat once a week, this makes my hair look and feel incredible, we all love Chris Appleton (hairdresser to Kim K & J. Lo) if his products are good enough for them, then they are good enough for me. Moving on to Frizz and flyaways, I have always used Living proof frizz vanishing oil, sorts the frizz and smells lovely. I just add a little to dry hair at the end of styling to finish off.
Dry shampoo’s these days are brilliant. Stay away from Batiste (awful), go for COLAB for budget. For the top two, I use Living Proof and O&M. I know they are super expensive, but they are the best. O&M Dry Queenie is my go to, smells incredible, no white cast, gives you lovely volume and doesn’t feel like you have tons of product in your hair.
Finally hair spray, I have always defaulted to Bed Head, Hard Head. The thing is, it holds your hair through a hurricane, which means it is a little crunchy and hard, but your hair will not move and will look great all day, especially if you have fine hair and you need it to hold. The one I have started to use is O&M Queenie. This gives great hold without the crunch, early signs show this might be my new fav.
That’s it for this week, have a great one. Enjoy x