May 5th, 2005
As much as I’d like to pretend there’s a loophole for the sake of all the busy ladies out there who just don’t want to bother with that one extra chore, I’m afraid that with all the fantastic styling products at our disposal, there just isn’t any excuse for bad hair.
In a similar fashion to my lip gloss exposé, I’ve done the legwork and recruited an all-star lineup. There’s no need to drop all kinds of cash on trial and error at the beauty supply store – I’ve already been there and back. Here’s your key to fabulous, sexy hair…
I’ll begin with a disclaimer: Curly, straight, long, short… We’ve all got different tastes and different strands of DNA to work with. Given that, I’ve tried to put together a list of high-performance items that should work well for most people. Enjoy!
All hail the Elchim, the cornerstone of gorgeous hair. I’ve burned out dozens of blowdryers, but this one (knock on wood) has put up with my incessant abuse for years now. It’s the same kind my stylist uses, and I can see why… It’s worth every penny. Feel the power!
That blowdryer does fine on its own, but it’s nearly unstoppable with the right round brush. Enter the Scunci CushonAir Thermal. Vented to dry quickly without damaging or over-flattening your hair, it gives you just enough grip to style smooth. I’ve tried more expensive boar and/or nylon brushes, but this one beats them all by saving time and money.
Start with the right foundation. Clean hair is good, but conditioned hair is better. My favorite for straight styles is Joico’s Silk Result line. Their shampoo and conditioner for fine/normal hair and the straight smoother are wonderfully nourishing, gentle, and effective… Lives up to their promise of making your hair feel like silk.
If you need a little extra help with volume at your roots, pick up a tall can of Redken Guts volume spray foam. If the name alone isn’t enough to lure you in, the fact that you simply aim the aerosol mousse wherever you like without getting your hands dirty should be the clincher. Lasts invisibly until your next shampoo.
They say shampoo burnout is a myth, but that hasn’t been my experience. I like to mix it up, especially when I’m planning to wear it wavy. That’s when I break out the Garnier Fructis Fortifying – It’s cheap and it works. I’m starting to believe their claims about reducing breakage by up to 70%.
Transform frizzy waves into gorgeous curls with John Frieda products: For that “I just got back from the beach” look, try Ocean Waves or… for soft, full, amazing hair without any added weight, pick up my secret weapon, Dream Curls. For heaven’s sake, you’ve got to take a break from heat styling sometimes!
Know of any other amazing hair products? Let me know!
Entry Filed under: Completely Girlie
11 Comments
1.
Silentz | May 5th, 2005 at 4:16 pm
Another reason why I love being a guy with short hair.
2.
Kangamini | May 5th, 2005 at 4:40 pm
You are so girly girl! Luvsit!! But yeah, glad im a guy with short hair
3.
Susie | May 5th, 2005 at 5:13 pm
Love this post! I want to try a few of these tips.
My favorite hair stuff is Citre Shine Miracle polishing serum. It is a great choice for us curly girls, especially during the humid summer months!
4.
Crystal | May 5th, 2005 at 6:09 pm
My personal faves – I like the cheap stuff:
1. I love Aussie Slip detangling conditioner. Back when my hair was ass-length, this was one of the few things that was good enough to detangle my very thick, very abundent hair.
2. For styling these days with my much shorter ‘do, if I’m just going for a bit of texture I’ll use L’Oreal’s Crystal Wax or Got2B’s shine pomade. Both are pretty easy to use, and don’t leave my head with that waxy feeling other stuff does. For my more extreme spikey days, I swear by Got2B’s Waterproof Styling Glue, which would stay in place for days if I let it.
5.
Lewis Moten | May 5th, 2005 at 9:58 pm
Man… you really are a woman. I mean, I don’t personally know any women in my life that put so much effort (and research) into all of this. Of course – I’m a guy. I also don’t know many women. I’m not very observant. I do know that we don’t have moose, a hair dryer, or five different types of hair products for specific tasks. Just the regular shampoo/conditioner. Me? Give me anything to lather in my hair and I’m ready to go to work in 5 minutes. It’s a guy thing I guess.
6.
Aurora | May 5th, 2005 at 10:01 pm
I’m fairly certain I feel a “Why I Hate Mother’s Day” post creeping its way up my esophagus… That will pretty much explain why I bust my ass to get all this girlie stuff done right.
7.
Christina | May 5th, 2005 at 10:13 pm
I swear by Paul Mitchell’s Skinny line on my wavy-curly hair. It makes it much more defined and manageable (good since it is long and I have tons of hair). If it weren’t for this shampoo I would have chopped it all off six inches ago.
8.
Jennifer | May 5th, 2005 at 10:28 pm
All hail John Freida’s Brilliant Brunette!
9.
Nanette | May 6th, 2005 at 7:30 am
What a fun post!
10.
B | May 7th, 2005 at 7:54 am
Vo5 is surprisingly good and cheap, but if you want amazing results try L’oreal Keratese. Its really pricey but worth it!
As far as styling stuff goes I try to avoid using too much. For my wavy hair I use Aussie Calm That Frizz! stlyling cream, (although its only avaliable in the US as yet) which is fabulous and does exactly what it says on the tube.
A tip is to always always use aheat protecting spray before blow-drying or straightening, it prevents split ends and stops your mane becoming completely frazzled.
11.
S. Faolan Wolf | May 7th, 2005 at 4:12 pm
As one who just recently started using Garnier, I have to agree with you. That is the absolute BEST shampoo and conditioner I have ever used. EVER! I’ve been using it for a little over a month and my hair IS stronger, healthier and shinier. I will never go back to any of the plethora of other brands (even the expensive ones) again because this one has me sold. At long last… My hair is GORGEOUS!