Current Hair Favorites

Hello lovelies!

I hope you all had an amazing week! As you know my last post was all about my May Favorites, but I left out hair products because I have quite a few that I’ve been putting to the test. I wanted to dedicate a post to those products that I’ve been loving, how I use them, and other tips for healthier hair. So let’s get straight to it.

Shampoo and Conditioner:

I’ve put my curly hair through the ringer along the years and I’m doing all I can to bring it back to life. To be honest I alternate shampoos constantly, whether they be drugstore or high end, but as of late I’ve been using the L'Oreal Total Repair Restoring Shampoo. I like using shampoos that lather really well and get very foamy just because my hair feels so much cleaner and lighter afterwards. This one does just that, plus I’ve noticed my hair has less breakage, or maybe that’s do to other products I’m using, but even so it is still a very good, affordable hair product (and it smells great!).

*Tips

-If you have dry, thin hair like me, start lathering from the neck and work your way upwards; this helps to create more volume for when you blow dry.

-Don’t lather the ends because this tends to dry them out. When you rinse, the shampoo will naturally go through them.

-Don’t shampoo so often because, again, it is very drying for your hair: you are stripping it of its natural oils. I shampoo my hair every 5 days, but my hair can actually go for a week without washing (sounds gross I know, but it doesn’t look or feel gross). Since I know this doesn’t apply to everyone, my recommendation is to shampoo every 3 days.

-If you have color treated hair, I 100% advise to use a sulfate-free shampoo.

I don’t tend to splurge too much of my hard earned pennies on shampoos, but it’s a whole other story when it comes to conditioner. My favorites for the past month have been the Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque as an overnight treatment, and the L'Oreal Nature's Therapy Intense Moisture (packaging has changed, but still the same formula)  for after shampooing. I have no words to explain how uhhh-ma-zing the Macadamia Hair Mask smells! It kind of reminds me of the original Herbal Essences scent, so you guys more or less know.

*Tip: Even though it doesn’t say it in the instructions, I use this mask overnight before I wash my hair the next morning. I dampen it (just a little bit) with water, run it through the lengths of my hair, detangle, and finally I tie my hair in two braids.

The next morning I shampoo my hair as normal, and follow up with the L’Oreal Nature’s Therapy Hair Mask. I leave it on for a few minutes, while I shave, meditate, maybe do some squats (no, really I do, why not?!) then rinse it off, and my hair feels so incredibly soft! 

Blow-Dry Prep

I blow-dry my hair every week, just because it makes it easier for me to manage during the week, which means I need to use a few products pre-blow dry. 

Starting off with the It's a 10 Miracle Leave In, which is actually an all in one product. It’s a detangler, a heat protectant, it helps remedy split ends, and has seven other functions (hence the name).  I follow up with a nickel-sized amount of the Paul Mitchell Straight Works, which looks and feels like gel, mixed with a pump of the Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum. I run them through the lengths/ends of my hair and it just makes blow drying it a lot easier, plus they leave my hair looking sleek, shiny, and soft. I’ve been using these two for years, and no matter what other products I try for blow drying I always end up going back to them.

*Tip: if you have very flat hair, try blow drying your hair upside down at the end for extra/instant volume.

After I finish blow drying I apply some of the Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Perfect Blowout Creme. You can actually use this product before you blow dry, but I personally prefer the Paul Mitchell products. Even so, I use it to smooth out any fly-aways, and get my hair looking even shinier and healthier, plus it smells so good (very luxurious type of smell if that makes sense), which it should because it is very pricy.

Extras

Now I said earlier that I can go a week without washing my hair (again sounds gross, but please don’t judge), even so I use a few products during the week to keep it looking fresh and healthy.

Oscar Blandi Dry Heat Protectant Spray: Curly Hair + Humidity = Totally Unsexy Combo, therefore I sometimes need to quickly run my brush and blow dryer through my hair while getting ready for my day, but I still want to protect it; which is when this product comes in handy. Most heat protectants are wet, which is fine if your hair is still damp, but this is perfect for when my hair is already dry because it comes out as a dry spray. It is pricy, but I haven’t seen anything like it a the drugstore, so if you guys know of a similar/cheaper alternative please let me know in the comments.

Herbal Essences Naked Dry Shampoo: This is a fairly new product, but I really enjoy using it when my roots are looking a tad bit oily. Just spray a little at the roots, massage in quickly, and you’re good to go. To be honest I am still a Batiste kind of gal at heart (I just love the scents), but I find this one leaves a lot less white residue, which is perfect for my dark brown hair.

*Tip: Dry Shampoo can also be used to give your hair texture and that “messy” look.

Josie Maran Argan Oil Hair Serum: If I feel my hair (especially my ends) is getting a bit dry in between washes, I break this baby out. I run it through the lengths and ends (not the roots) and my hair just soaks this up like water for instant shine.

*Tip: It can also be used before blow drying.

Living Proof Flex Shaping Spray: When my hair is getting to that ‘this is as far as I can go” stage but I feel too lazy to wash and blow dry again, I tie it up in two buns (hanging below my ears) and leave them overnight. In the morning I wake up with really natural-no-heat waves, and spray a little bit of this product on to make sure they stay all day. I’ve enjoyed it because it feels very light, non-sticky, and doesn’t leave my hair feeling like a stack of hay. Since it is rather expensive, another good option is the TRESemmé Two Extra Hold Hairspray.

Well lovelies that is the end of today’s post, as always I hope it was helpful in some way (or many ways, you never know), and if that’s the case please feel free to leave a comment down below or ask any questions if you’re curious for more. I also wanted to let you guys know that I’ll be in the Big Apple for a few days, so feel free to follow me on Instagram (links down below) to see all my New York shenanigans. Have an amazing weekend!

Thanks for reading!