My hair is something I'm always struggling to tame and maintain, so it's important for me to have a solid lineup of products to do so. I have experimented with my hair in every way possible - dyed it black, brown, blonde, even a purplish-red color when I was having a rebellious teenage phase, grown it out super long, cut it into a bob, gotten extensions...you name it, I've pretty much tried it all when it comes to hair.
Currently, I'm loving having it cut all the same length with just the tiniest bit of face framing layers. I like to keep my hair long but always ask for a trim every two to three months of about an inch or so to keep dead ends away. I used to be so bad about getting my ends trimmed cause I so desperately wanted to keep my hair as long as possible, but I've realized over time that a good trim not only keeps your hair looking WAY better and healthier; it actually supports steadier hair growth. So word to the wise -- if you want to grow out your hair, keep having those dead ends trimmed every couple of months!
As far as color goes, I get a balayage with lots of random pieces of blonde. I want the color to be as natural looking as possible, so I ask to keep my base color my real hair color (dark brown), and then have blonde naturally blended in my hair beginning at various starting points on my head. I also extremely stress getting ashy tones in my hair. I hate having that fake yellow or brassy looking color so the more silver-y, ashy tones are my preference.
I get my cut/color done every three months and then once a month go in for just a toner to keep the blonde looking ashy, as it's just inevitable it will start to go that brassy tone tone after washing it so many times.
Unfortunately I can't have my hair stylist with me 24/7 (I wish), so below I've rounded up my top hair care essentials to keep my hair looking mostly presentable. Scroll down to see the product list.
1. Ouai Rose Hair and Body Oil: I love this oil to maintain any frizz after I shower. I run a couple of drops through damp hair and let it air dry. Plus it smells heavenly.
2. Sedu Revolution 1½" Styling Iron: I use this iron to not only straighten but curl my hair as well. I hold down the clamp halfway through a piece of hair and then twist away from my face, pulling the iron down as I do so. I do this with random thickness of sections of hair to get a more beachy, boho look so it doesn't look like "prom hair". I also keep the very bottom layer of my hair straightened and just curl the top layers so my hair doesn't look too overdone.
3. Shu Umera Art of Hair Straightforward Time-Saving Blow Dry Oil Spray: I actually hate blow-drying my hair and will always have it air dry, but for those rare occasions where I need to have it blow-dried, this spray is actually a life saver. It really cuts my styling time in half as I have really long and thick hair that takes forever to dry. You just spray a little in the palm of your hands, rub your hands together and run it through damp hair prior to blow-drying. Also it's one of my favorite smells.
4. L'Oreal Professional Serie Expert Liss Unlimited Keratinoil Complex Serum: I use this smoothing serum as a heat protectant on the ends of my hair when my hair is dry and I am styling it with my straightening or curling iron. I'm so adamant about using a heat protectant as I try to avoid getting any kind of split or damaged ends on my hair.
5. Oribe Bright Blonde Shampoo: I use this purple shampoo once a week as a substitute for regular shampoo to keep the blonde in my hair from going brassy which often happens when you wash blonde color-treated hair. I rub the colored parts of my hair with this shampoo and let it sit for a minute or two before washing out.
6. Redken Blonde Idol Custom-Tone Adjustable Color-Depositing Daily Treatment: This is a cool treatment I use in my hair post shampoo in addition to the purple shampoo because you can adjust a dial on it based on the number of weeks since you've been to the salon (so it knows how much of a purple treatment to give you along with a conditioning treatment). It's like two products in one!
7. Living Proof No Frizz Nourishing Styling Cream: I use this styling cream when my hair is damp or dry, before I'm about to blow dry or style my hair. I always get frizzy hair and have tried so many products where I can honestly say this one actually works and keeps my hair looking smooth.
8. Batiste Dry Shampoo: This is honestly my favorite dry shampoo there is, and I've tried all the salon/luxury and drug store versions. I wash my hair every two-three days depending on the day and if I worked out that day or what not as I try to keep my washes as limited as possible. This dry shampoo is a life-saver in between washes and comes in so many great scents. The trick I learned is to hold the can as far from your head as the can is long when you spray, and then rub in completely before your brush it out and style it.
I'm constantly switching up my arsenal of hair care products but these are my definite must haves I use all the time. Let me know if there's any other products out there you guys swear by!
XO,
Jasmin