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Haircare

Current Haircare Routine + Loves

March 10, 2020

I have an updated hair care post today! I’m sharing my current haircare routine and loves. I’m in the process of growing out my color treated hair and have been getting occasional toner + glaze treatments. As much as I loved having highlights – the processing was too much for my hair to handle and I started experiencing so much breakage! If you’re curious to see what I’ve tried, loved and used in the past you can always click on the posts by category. The Haircare Category Tag will bring up previous hair posts.

I rotate products frequently as I wash my hair every day. Some days are very minimal with styling but I use product in it, even when I air dry. I go through hair products really fast – they get used up easily which makes it easy for me to try new things. Here’s what I use on my hair for shampoo, conditioner and styling treatments.

I’ve split my favorites by category. I don’t use all the products at one time, but rotate depending on what I want to do with my hair or what the weather is like. Some days are humid and require extra work to keep the frizz to a minimum. Contrary to popular beliefs, Florida weather fluctuates a lot. It’s not always super hot or humid. It also really depends how far south you are. We’ve had a colder winter for Florida with temperatures in the 40’s and 50’s some days and then it will bounce back up to 80 and then back down. Right now it’s starting to warm back up to mid-70’s. I know it’s only a matter of weeks before we’re back up to the 80’s and 90’s!

Shampoo, Conditioners + Masks

My two go-to combos right now are the Oribe and Olaplex. I also really love Hair Rituel by Sisley but I go through them so quickly I can’t seem to keep them in stock in my home.

Oribe Gold Lust Repair and Restore Shampoo and Conditioner are my favorites out of all the formulas I’ve tried from the brand. After going through three bottles of the shampoo in a very short period of time I invested in the larger pump size and love it. It’s a better value and while still quite the splurge 100% worth it!
Hair Rituel by Sisley Smoothing Shampoo and Restructuring Conditioner if price is no object then these two are the best money can buy. I’ve repurchased many times and find them perfect for my hair type. I’ve tried every shampoo formula they have and the smoothing is my favorite.
Hair Rituel by Sisley Regenerating Hair Mask is what I have in my shower/bath right now. I’ve loved Briogeo, Christophe Robin and Moroccanoil – I go through these so fast as well, I haven’t had a chance to look through all the new launches to see if there is anything else new I should try.
Olaplex everything! I can’t even count the times I’ve repurchased the No. 3 Hair Perfector, No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo and No. 5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner. They are on the thicker side so if you have ultra fine hair they might be too heavy for your hair.
Dae Hair was founded by Amber Fillerup Clark who I think has the some of the prettiest hair styling out there! I was so excited to try her line. The Dae Shampoo and Conditioner are great everyday kinds of products. They smell like floral bubblegum to me and love that they wash and rinse without any buildup.
dp HUE Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse is something I’ve been trying out as a shampoo alternative since I wash my hair daily. I really like it although it smells pretty terrible to me. The good thing is once it’s rinsed out there’s no residual smell. Makes the hair feel clean and healthy!

Hair Tools

I blow dry my hair almost daily but try to minimize any heat exposure as I’ve been experiencing breakage. I did start working with a new stylist at my local salon and she’s been using a different combination of toner + glaze on my hair which seems to have helped the breakage tremendously!

Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer is what I’ve been loving right now. Original review HERE. I’ve been seriously tempted to buy the Air Wrap Styler and today they just launched the Corrale Straightener. If you’ve tried it did you think it was worth the splurge?
Wetbrush Detangler has been recommended by so many of you, since I experienced so much breakage I ordered one from Target and it truly does work better than anything else I’ve tried on wet hair!
Yves Durif Vent Brush has been my go-to brush in general, still love it!
Gisou Comb is my favorite comb, it’s currently not available but the most similar option I’ve found is the Mason Pearson Rake Comb
Sephora Collection Mini Gloss brush is a great hybrid brush to keep for on-the-go
HAI Ceramic Iron is the only flat iron I’ve used for years. It’s still a favorite and leaves hair smooth and shiny after use!
Curler – I stopped curling my hair with the T3 Whirl Trio because it fried my hair as in literally burnt off strands. I don’t know if it went bad or if my hair was just significantly damaged from the highlight processing.

Pre-Blowout, Detangler + Heat Protectants

This is the category where I try new things the most frequently. Some of these are multi-taskers and can be used as finishing products as well. You don’t have to use all of these or more than one. I’ve included different options I’ve tried as sometimes I want a spray, other times a cream is better for me.

Moroccanoil Perfect Defense is what I use when I flat iron my hair. It works really well to protect hair from heat and I highly recommend it!
Oribe Run-Through Detangling Primer is best on super tangly hair days. I alternate between this, the Oribe Blowout or Bumble sprays.
Oribe Royal Blowout Heat Styling Spray is one of my favorite heat protectant sprays for blow drying the hair. This also acts as a detangler for me.
Briogeo Farewell Frizz Blow Dry Perfection Heat Protectant Creme is one of my favorite smoothing products to apply to the hair, I use it as a finishing product as well.
Olaplex No 6. Bond Smoother is a great smoothing cream to use on the hair, especially if it’s weak or prone to breakage.
Bumble and Bumble Bb. Glow Blow Dry Accelerator is a lightweight mist that helps speed up the blow dry process. I rough dry with a blow dryer first for a minute or two though before spritzing into the hair.
Bumble and Bumble Bb. Glow Thermal Protection Mist is intended for use for hot tools, but I use it before I blow dry.
Moroccanoil Original Treatment is a classic that cannot be beat. It’s the best multi-tasker to prime and smooth hair for blow drying and can also be used as a finishing shine product. I love how it smells and feels, it adds shine without being heavy!

Finishers for Shine, Hold and Frizz-Issues

Some days there’s literally nothing I can do to combat frizz. I know so many of you feel the same if you live in humid weather! Also with extreme heat + sweat some times hair will go flat within minutes of being outside. Here’s what I have found works, but I’m always looking for something better!

Oribe Gold Lust Oil is a great hair oil to add shine to ends, it’s lightweight and smells amazing! It’s actually not my absolute favorite, but I’ve purchased several times and like it a lot.
Drybar The Chaser Shine Cream is something I’ve used for many years, it adds shine and smooths the hair beautifully. It is rich so I usually apply on the ends or in very small amounts. Quick note that it looks like they’ve changed the packaging to a pump style!
Hair Rituel by Sisley Precious Hair Care Oil is probably my favorite hair oil of all time. It’s 100% worth the splurge!
Living Proof No Frizz Instant De-Frizzer is the best anti-frizz spray I’ve used. I can spray it in a light layer all over the hair and brush it out, or sometimes I will spray directly onto a small comb/brush and brush it through my hair.
Living Proof Flex Hairspray is my favorite hair spray because it doesn’t leave the hair super crunchy feeling. There are other stronger hold sprays I’ve been wanting to try but haven’t had a chance yet. This one works for me and I love it.

Volumizers, Texture + Dry Shampoo

I don’t typically use thickening sprays. Sometimes I feel like I don’t need a texturizer because the salty air here already gives me enough natural texture. Here is what I love when I need texture or volume:

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray is the best hair texturizer I’ve tried, nothing else compares!
Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo is a classic go-to for dry shampoo, I love the way it smells and works.
IGK also makes really nice dry shampoos with different intensities, my top two favorites are the Jet Lag Invisible Dry Shampoo or the First Class Charcoal Detox Dry Shampoo (all three formulas are in minis in their Flight Club Set)
IGK 30,000 Feet Volume Powder is my favorite volumizing powder, it comes in a tiny bottle where you pump spray powder into the roots where you want more volume. It’s very similar to the Oribe Swept Up, but I like the IGK one better.
Oribe Thick Dry Finishing Spray is one of the few thickening sprays I find really works on my thicker hair. Sometimes my hair feels to thick/heavy to have thickening sprays work, but this one does!
Bumble and Bumble Pret-a-Powder Post Workout Dry Shampoo Mist is new and has a bi-phase formula with powder inside to absorb oil after a workout. We’ve started going to the gym since last fall and although we typically go home right after to shower, sometimes we run a few errands on the way home. This has been really nice to use on the hair post-workout!

Miscellaneous

I still really love the Aquis Hair Towels to dry my hair and the Slip Silk Scrunchies. I’m looking for some good hair clips to hold up my hair as I always lose mine. I’ve used the ones from Drybar and T3 before and loved them. Currently looking for something new to try!

For those who wanted to know what I’ve been loving for the hair I hope you found this post helpful! Also hoping the split by category helps you sort through the products to help you find what you’re looking for.

What is your hair type and what are some of your favorites? Any new recent discoveries or finds you want to share?

Shampoo + Conditioners

Styling Favs

Dae Hair products, Bumble Pret-A-Powder Spray, Moroccanoil Perfect Defense and Original Treatment provided for review.

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Haircare

Hair Care Hydration, Oils and Treatment Testing Roundup

November 6, 2018

My hair care routine has changed a little over the past few weeks as I colored my hair for the first time ever with highlights! Some of the hair care items I had been testing and wanted to review had to be re-tested with colored hair as I’ve found it a bit drier in texture and in need of more moisture. The good news is most of my styling staples fortunately have still worked for me! What has changed though is the need for different shampoo, conditioner and more hair masks.

I’ve really loved trying hair oils and my staples still continue to be the ones below:

Ouai Hair Oil is great for a nice lightweight shine, the floral scent might not be everyone’s cup of tea, it did grow on me the more I used it
Hair Rituel by Sisley Precious Hair Care Oil which is probably my favorite finishing oil for ends and to add shine that isn’t heavy or thick
Moroccanoil Treatment is the most versatile product for pre-heat styling to smooth hair and also works to finish the ends and remove flyaways
Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil is also a nice lightweight oil that I add on the ends as a finishing product

All of these worked for my normal thick hair, now that it’s colored I feel the Sisley and Moroccanoil work best to add shine. A couple that don’t work quite the same for me include the Shu Uemura Essence Absolue and the Living Proof No Frizz Nourishing Oil. They still add softness but now my hair just soaks it up and no shine is added. Brush I currently use is the T3 Dry Vent Brush. I like it enough to keep using it, but I’m still in search for my holy grail.

The Gisou Honey-Infused Hair Oil is one of the best smelling oils I’ve tried. It smells of honey, almond and a hint of coconut. It’s infused with honey from Negin Mirsalehi’s family bee garden. I was sent the Travel Size Oil (50 ml, exclusive to her website) and love it for it’s lightweight finish and soft shine. No greasy look or residue and it makes hair very soft. She just launched the Hair Perfume (100 ml) which has a more floral perfume like scent to it. It has a more powdery scent compared to the oil, I think it’s beautiful but prefer the oil if I had to pick one. I have ordered from her website before (they ship to the US), but you can also find her products at Urban Outfitters and Revolve.

The Rahua Legendary Amazon Oil is something I was really interested in trying out. It’s a plant-based silicone-free hair oil. It’s described as lightweight but I found it to be on the rich side and would recommend it for dry or damaged hair, and particularly if you have thicker strands. A little goes a very long way to coat the hair, I prefer using it on damp hair with just one pump. On my virgin hair pre-coloring it added incredible softness with a soft sheen. On my color-treated hair it adds softness but I find it challenging to find the right amount to use. Too little doesn’t add enough shine and one coat too much results in something that looks too heavy for my hair type. The oil has a very natural smell to it which fades after a few minutes. Based on the texture I tried I do think it would be too thick and heavy for fine hair, but if you’re looking for a silicone-free option this is a nice one to consider for very dry or coarse hair.

Shu Uemura Art of Hair Satin Design is something I discovered and reviewed years ago. It’s a blow dry lotion used to heat protect hair, remove frizz and add softness. I used up a bottle and repurchased but it sat in storage most of last year when we moved around a lot. I rediscovered it recently and my color treated hair LOVES this. It has the right texture, emollient and finish to make my hair soft and remove any signs of dryness. After using and blow drying my hair it is incredibly soft, tangle-free and without any greasy residue. Ends still need a little bit of finishing with a shine product or oil, but overall this is a solid win. It gives hair a soft satiny glow.

I love IGK for the packaging. Their products are also great too. I hauled two products from Sephora earlier this year. The Thirsty Girl Coconut Milk Leave-In Conditioner got me because of the name coconut. It’s a milk-infused leave-in conditioner that has a spray. The packaging and spray dispenser are excellent – these days I am always amazed when brands don’t package their products with well designed spritzers. I really appreciate that IGK packaging is all on point, not just in the fun design but function as well. As the product name implies it’s a leave-in conditioner. I found that it was very easy to overdo the first few uses. The spritzer is so even and dispenses a fine mist I wasn’t sure I applied enough. It does work like a traditional leave-in conditioner, I think I like it mainly for the scent and novelty of packaging. Performance is good and I have no regrets buying. I’m not sure I would repurchase. If you found it too rich or oily, I think simply sprayed too much on, although I can see how it could be too rich for fine hair.

The IGK Good Behavior Spirulina Protein Smoothing Spray also suckered me in with the name “smoothing.” I think their packaging and naming is genius. It gets me every time! This is a heat-protective blow out spray that is supposed to have similar effects of keratin treatments. I have not tried one so I cannot compare, but based on photos I’ve seen after the treatments I do think the IGK Good Behavior spray gives very similar looking results but in the shorter-term (as in it will last a day until you re-wash your hair). As a pre-heat treatment I see similar results with other types of products. I do like that the Good Behavior spray smooths hair, reduces frizz and does make my hair look smooth and fresh all day. As with the Thirsty Girl, I do think Good Behavior is easy to over apply. The IGK applicator spritzers are so good compared to other brands. They spray product very efficiently so you might be used to spraying more product. I’d recommend coating hair lightly and add one spritz at a time as you blow dry in sections if you feel you need more. It gets a thumbs up for me but I do think you can get similar frizz-free soft shine results with other products.

This Briogeo Hair-O-Scopes Brightest Stars Bestsellers Kit came at the perfect time for me. It has a full-size Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask which is now my holy grail hair mask. I had to wait 72 hours to wash my hair after color treatment. The first two days I found my hair just wasn’t the same, it needed a lot more moisture. This mask rescued it and I never want to be without it now. Prior to my highlights I had been experiencing a lot of breakage in the hair. I do think using this mask (along with the Aquis hair towels) has reduced breakage drastically. I’m still sampling the other items in the kit but the hair mask makes it 100% worth trying. I’ve already ordered another mask.

Last but not least are the Aquis Hair Towels. I’ve now tried multiple sizes and products in the line. I really liked the Prime Starter Kit before I had my hair colored to strengthen and reduce breakage. Post hair highlights, the leave-in conditioner just doesn’t really perform the same. It works to smooth and detangle, but I’m not seeing a lot of added moisture or shine. I’m going to put the entire kit to more testing before I give a comprehensive review.

For the hair towels I don’t think you can go wrong with any of them. With new hair coloring towels are prone to staining, but the dye washed out and didn’t leave any marks on the white ones. I just made sure I threw them in the washer right away.

I thought I’d always be a towel kind of person but their Rapid Dry Turban has a really clever design with a loop on one end and closure on the other. It’s super easy to use and holds hair in place better than wrapping a towel.

For the towels, I prefer the longer lengths for my hair. The first one I tried was the Lisse Luxe Long Hair Towel. I then ordered the regular sizes to try and found the longer ones easier to wrap around the head. Andrew has liked and borrowed all of mine and prefers the Waffle Luxe version. I think both textures work the same for me.

I’ve bought mine from Sephora, but I just noticed this Ouai Ouai x Aquis Set available at Bloomingdale’s at a really good price. With the holiday sets out definitely look around online for different options.

For those who didn’t see on Instagram stories, my before and after hair color:

After using the same stylist for nearly 10 years in San Diego, making a change was scary when I moved, but one of the best things about South Florida is that the people here are so nice. I found a salon on Yelp and decided to try based on the reviews. They made me feel completely at ease as a new client, I loved them and went back. I decided to have my hair colored for the first time there and loved the results. I was so nervous that I nearly cancelled but my husband and mother in-law came with me and assured me it would all be ok. The day of appointment the salon asked if they could film the process for their social media feed and I said sure. They put together a fun clip if you want to check them out I linked it below. Quick FYI this is all still my natural hair except for the coloring, no extensions. Just highlights – they also curled my hair for fun afterwards.

View this post on Instagram

@dillonkstylist Color Transformation!!! #HairExtensions #HairExtension #HumanHair #GreatLengths #VirginHairExtensions #BellamiHair #HairStyling #HairDressin #HairEnvy #TampaHair #GorgeousHair #BeautySalon #SouthTampa #sewins #loveyourhair #BeautyLaunchPad #hairweave #celebritystylist #paulmitchell #hairtrend #allaboutdahair #pmts #hairdressing #hairdesign #hairvideo #bighairdontcare #hairinspiration #hairpost

A post shared by Monaco Salon (@monacosalontampa) on Nov 5, 2018 at 3:42am PST

I was truly blown away by everyone’s kind words about the new hair. You made me feel so loved with the sweet comments and suggestions about hair care, shampoos and everything else in between. I’ve been testing different shampoos and conditioners which I’ll be reviewing soon, for now I wanted round up the oils and other products I have been testing for hydration and smoothness.

Overall, my favorites are still my favorites. I do love the Gisou Hair Oil for the soft finish, shine and scent. The Aquis Hair towels and Briogeo hair mask are life savers for me. I’m thrilled that I rediscovered the Shu Uemura Art of Hair Satin Design and am amazed it didn’t go bad (it was in storage for months, granted it was an climate controlled one).

What are your favorite hair products for hydration, added shine and smoothing? Let me know what hair type you have in the comments too!

Press samples featured include the Sisley Hair Oil, Aquis Hair Turban, Moroccanoil Hair Treatment, Briogeo Hair-O-Scopes Set, Rahua Oil.

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