My hair is something i have struggled with over the years. I touched on it in my last vlog (here) as i have naturally very course, wavy, frizzy hair.
In other words, its bloody hardwork.
But when i get it right i feel like its my crowning glory. And after the best part of 17 years of doing my own hair i finally feel like i've got it down.
Now, my hair routine consists of 3 styles.
Straight
Curly
and Topknot.
Adventurous i am not.. which is something i definitely need to work on. But styles aside i thought i would share today what i use for both straight and curly hair as the products differ for both.
This has also been after years and years of research and trial and error.
The thing to note here is that everyones hair is different, just like our finger prints no two persons hair are the same. So this works for me and my crazy hair.
If you too have crazy frizzy course hair this may also work for you.
(note.. be prepared i say frizzy a lot in this post!)
Straight Haircare
My hair doesn't really like being straight. Its natural wavy frizzyness rebels and tends just go outwards instead of sleek and long.
But these products below are the best i have found for giving me a sleek straight look that lasts all day.
L'oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Shampoo & conditioner
This is one of the best shampoo's for sleeking my hairs frizz but without making it greasy. I have tried a lot of oil infused shampoos and they've honestly left my hair feeling greasy hours after being washed, which is kind of a bummer.
I originally picked the Elvive when i had bleached my hair to within an inch of its life this summer. It was left badly damaged, brittle and extra extra frizzy.
I was so impressed that after each wash the frizz was tamed and my hair was left feeling soft once again.
After washing, whilst still wet i use the L'oreal Elvive Oil on the ends of my hair only; when i apply it to the roots i look like an oil slick or like a lady from the Robert Palmer hit ;)
i leave my hair to dry naturally for about half an hour before finishing it off with my hairdryer.
Drying my hair with the hair-dryer generally creates more frizz for me, so the oil works well in keeping it from looking like a crazy lady who just stuck her fingers in a socket.
Once dry i add a tiny bit more of the oil (about the size of a 20 pence piece) in my hands, rub them together and then run it through the ends again. This acts as a barrier against the heat i'm about to put on it.
Straightners are imperative to my life.
I was talking to my bestie last week and we remember the grand day we bought our first hair straightners. We actually went half each on a pair as they were a professional hairdressers set that a friend that worked in a salon had gotten for us. They were huge. But the best thing to ever happen to two frizzy haired teenagers.
Thankfully the world of hair straighteners has moved on and we've now got some amazing products available like the Irresistibly Me hair straightner I use.
I've had these about 3 months and when i first used them, they blew me away. I was previously using a really awful pair of Revlon that seemed to drag through my hair and leave straight marks on my hair where the plates were sticking.
It was horrendous.
What i first noticed when using the IM Diamond hairstyler was how it glided over my course hair.
It was effortless.
It was easy.
For the first time in a long time i didn't have to actually battle my hair. It was amazing.
They heat up super quick (nice touch seeing as i'm always in a rush), you can set the heat to your preferred setting( i always have to whack mine up to 230 degrees due to the thickness/courseness) but even at the highest setting it doesn't make my hair feel frazzled at all. Just smooth and silky. Which is a rarity for my hair i can tell you.
There's lots of reviews and you tube videos for the straighteners and you can see how popular they are, because they're really, really great.
My step daughter loves them too and she curls her hair with them also, which looks pretty darn cool. (I must get her to teach me how to master that.. or better still get her to do my hair for me.. that would be awesome)
After straightening i finish with a touch of hairspray. I love this Toni & Guy one for the scent and the fact it doesn't make my hair crispy, but still has a nice hold.
The final spritz just keeps any fly-aways in tact and gives me the sleek look i had set out for.
Curly
Curly has been my hairway of choice for a couple of years now. When its long i tend to just scrunch it with some moose for an un-done, bed-head type look.
But now its shorter i am loving giving it some bouncy waves.
One of the things i am asked most through my time of blogging is
'How to you curl your hair??'
Because my hair is naturally wavy and frizzy it lends itself to a curl really well. Curly is how my hair should be, but somehow along the way i ended up with just a mass of frizz instead.
If my hair could feel happy i think it would be when it is curled.
Once again i have tried a lot of curl related products over the years. Some stick around for a while, others do absolutely nothing for me.
These are what i'm currently using.
Aussie Miracle Shampoo (the one pictured is actually the wrong one.. I like to use the frizz tamer linked) So i start with washing my hair as usual.
Then instead of using a condtioner if i want curly hair i will often just leave it at the shampoo stage in the shower and opting for a once a week deep contioner instead.
I find conditioner can weigh your hair down which when you want bouncy curls can make you feel like you're working against your hair.
So instead i will put on a light spritz of Aussie miracle hair insurance leave in conditioner. Its light, its lovely and smells amazing.
When wet i will also apply through the ends Aussie anti frizz milk
I then leave my hair to dry naturally.
An hour or so later i will be left with a big mass of frizz (i should have got before photos.. now that would have been entertaining!)
Then i section my hair off, taking chunks at a time and start with my amazing Babyliss curling wand, these have come down so much in price since i bought mine and honestly it is the best tool for that nice curl/wave. I'm not gonna lie, it does take a lot of getting used to and a few minor burn injuries along the way has taught me a few harsh lessons. But what's a few burns when it comes to pretty hair (lols).
I then finish with a spray of hairspray again which i leave to set for 15 minutes before i brush it through to a softer wave.
And that my friends is what i do with this mane.
If you'd like to see a tutorial or have any questions do leave them in the comments below!
Do you have any recommendations for haircare? I'd love to hear any that you think i should try!
