Over the years I've been incredibly low maintenance with my hair. I'm just not good at styling it at all, so I kind of just roll with my natural texture and pull it into a loose ponytail every day (I have to for work anyway or else I'd end up with grout and waterproofing membrane in my hair every day). But lately, because I'm trying to draw attention away from the fact that I really need a haircut, I've been putting in a little more effort. I think receiving the Irresistible Me Diamond Flat Iron* (review) really helped pull me out of that rut.
I shower at night, so I usually let my hair airdry overnight and then will style it in the morning. After getting out of the shower with freshly-washed hair, I always spray in the Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Primer after towel-drying. I've been using this for over a year now I think, and I don't think I could go without it. My hair definitely needs some kind of leave-in product like this or else I'll end up with a massive ball of frizz. I love all the different benefits of this product, from hydrating and smoothing the hair to protecting it from UV rays and heat styling.
Once I've got the Primer applied, I'll go through and spray the R+Co Dallas Thickening Spray all over. I've only been using it for a month or two, but it's definitely a welcome addition to my routine. I've noticed it really adds a good amount of body and volume to my hair (it helps keep my hair from flattening out on top), but it doesn't make my hair feel sticky, crispy, or weighed down. I've tried some thickening sprays that just make my hair greasy or frizzy, but this one doesn't do that.
I'll brush those out with a wide-tooth comb and scrunch it with the towel to dry it a little more. Then, I'll take a tiny (I'm talking pea-sized) amount of a styling cream and work it through my hair. I was using the Bumble & Bumble Brilliantine for the longest time (it was in my July Favorites last year if you want a throwback), but I recently picked up the R+Co Mannequin Styling Paste at the same time as the Thickening Spray (my hairdresser had used them both on me last time I got my hair cut and I loved how they worked). Both creams add a nice bit of texture to the hair so it doesn't get fluffy as it dries - I hate that about freshly-washed hair. They also help me wake up with a bit of that "model off-duty" hair - languid, slept-in, and effortless. I pretty much use them interchangeably. I prefer the smell of the Bumble & Bumble one, but neither scent lingers.
If I give myself enough time in the morning, I've been loving running a flat iron through it to make it more manageable. I love how quick it is to use the Irresistible Me Diamond Flat Iron - it really only takes me 15 minutes to do all of my hair. Every once in awhile when I have some extra time I'll use the flat iron to curl my hair, which I'm going to write a post about in the future. After I finish styling my hair, I sometimes take a tiny bit of either styling cream again and run it through the ends of my hair to keep everything looking piece-y and a little undone. I love that after straightening it's super easy to pull my hair back when I need to at work without having to worry about any cowlicks in my hair making me look crazy. My go-to hairstyle when I've straightened it is pulling just the front up into a little half-bun. If you want a tutorial of this too, let me know!
I was originally planning on putting photos of the end result of my hair, but I ended up getting a migraine during peak photo-taking hours this weekend so I couldn't take any. I'm really sorry about that! But if you look at the pictures in my review of the flat iron, I've used all these products!
What products do you use in your hair?