Happy Wednesday! If you’re looking for some gifts for the hair care lover here are some things I’ve used and love. There are tons of sets at the $25 and under price point so if you’re looking for something more budget-friendly I’ve linked a bunch below. IGK, Living Proof and Briogeo have tons of minis and sets to pick from.
For hair accessories I’ve been loving the hair clips from J.Crew – I find they are pretty good quality and hold up well for my hair. I like that they have different sizes available and the tortoise print ones are pretty! I’m a huge fan of Slip Scrunchies because they won’t tug or pull my hair. They will stretch out with use, but still retain their elasticity for me.
For a round blow dry brush I can’t use one that is too wide because it’s just hard for me to do on my own. I really like the T3 Volume Round Brush and the Sisley Blow Dry Brush No 2. For a regular vent brush the Yves Durif Brush has been my go-to for a while now.
For a luxurious treat, my favorite lines are Oribe and Sisley. I don’t think you can go wrong with either brand. I love the Oribe Gold Lust line and their Styling Set. For oils I think the Sisley Hair Oil is the best one I’ve tried out of any brand. I can’t recommend it enough (review here in case you missed it a few years ago).
In terms of hair styling tools, I’m on the hunt for some new ones. For hair dryers I’ve still been using the Harry Josh and Dyson but I’m looking for something new. I haven’t quite decided what to buy next but if you have any you really love let me know in the comments! I stopped using a curling iron as I found my hair became a lot more fragile after color treating it. For straighteners I like the HAI Convertible Iron and the Dyson Corrale Straightener but am super interested in the new L’Oreal Steampod. If I end up getting anything new I will be sure to review it!
If you’re looking for more in depth hair care reviews, I have some linked below:
Maintaining healthy and strong hair as I age has been a priority for me and I’m so excited to partner with HUM Nutrition to share a look at one of my favorite hair supplements. After experiencing some hair loss with stress and breakage with color treatments I started trying out some biotin supplements to help with hair growth. I’ve tried several over the years and the one I keep going back to is the HUM Hair Sweet Hair so this collaboration couldn’t be a better match for me!
The HUM Hair Sweet Hair gummies come in two sizes, a 60 count bottle and mini 14 count bottle. As someone with a sensitive stomach I like that these are easy to eat any time of day with or without food. Your mileage may vary depending on what ingredients mesh well with your body.
These contain:
Biotin, Folic Acid, B-12 all help with new hair growth by promoting healthy cell growth
PABA Para-aminobenzoic Acid helps maintain natural healthy hair color to increase hair pigment production (supposed to help prevent gray)
Zinc helps reduce hair loss by repairing the growth tissue, it’s also great to boost immunity
Fo-Ti Extract is for scalp health
According to HUM you can expect to see results in 4-8 weeks. I notice stronger healthier hair around week 4 of daily use (take 2 per day). After using these I find I experience less hair loss in the shower or bath, hair grows faster and healthier, my natural shine has returned. I highly recommend giving these a try!
Have you tried any of the HUM Supplements before? If so which ones? What did you think? Several of you have recommended I try the Glow Sweet Glow (just bought the mini of this one) or Daily Cleanse. I have the Beauty zzZz on my list to try to help with sleep. Would love to hear more about what you have in your daily routine!
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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
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!
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:
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.
I’ve been trying some new things in haircare the past few months and have a roundup of my top picks right now. I really love trying new things and am always in the market for good hair masks or anti-frizz products to restore moisture and add shine. It’s been nearly a year since I’ve had color-treated hair and I’m currently in the process of trying to grow out my natural color. My haircare routine has changed since getting highlights and I’ve partnered with Nordstrom to share some of my top go-to picks right now. They carry most of the brands and products I use on a regular basis.
I also love shopping there because they have good Beauty Gift With Purchases year round. In my most recent haul I restocked on some of my favorite hair care items for the Nordstrom x SPACE.NK.apothecary gift (available while supplies last) which includes:
A cosmetics bag and deluxe samples of PHILIP B® Weightless Conditioning Water (2.5 oz.), R+Co Balloon Dry Volume Spray (1 oz.), Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo (0.9 oz.), Verso Hydration Serum (0.35 oz.), 111SKIN Space Defence Bright Eye Lift Gel (0.25 oz.), By Terry Blackstar Eyeshadow in Purpulyn Gem (0.04 oz.), Sunday Riley Good Genes Treatment (0.17 oz.), REN Clean Screen Mineral SPF 30 Sunscreen (0.34 oz.), Kevyn Aucoin Beauty The Etherealist Skin Illuminating Foundation in Medium (0.18 oz.), Kat Burki Vitamin C Intensive Face Cream (0.23 oz.), Clark’s Botanicals Deep Moisture Mask (0.03 oz.), ILIA Soft Focus Finishing Powder (0.05 oz.), Rodial Pink Diamond Magic Gel Day Cream (0.3 oz.) and Derm Institute Antioxidant Hydration Gel Masque (2 sachets, 0.1 oz. each) with your $175 SPACE.NK.apothecary purchase. A $278 value. Online and in selected U.S. stores.*
There are a lot more Beauty Gifts going on right now online. There’s a cute one from Lancome right now, also some good options for minis from Dior, Hourglass, Diptyque, Fresh and more. I always love the Fresh skincare minis.
My Go-To Shampoo and Conditioner
I’ve been on the hunt for a good shampoo and conditioner combination for what seems like AGES now. My hair is more prone to breakage with each highlight treatment and Florida water isn’t the best for all formulas. Many formulas are hard to rinse out so finding something that is hydrating but doesn’t weigh the hair down has been tricky. I’ve really loved Olaplex for some time but wanted to try something new. Some Oribe formulas have been hit or miss but I decided to re-try the Oribe Gold Lust Repair and Restore Shampoo and Conditioner and my hair loves them! I’m on my third bottle of both and think I need to buy the supersized versions. They both hydrate, add shine and make the hair soft. The formula rinses out nicely and doesn’t weigh my hair down.
Heat Protectant and Texturizer
I blow dry my hair on a regular basis to smooth it and prevent frizz. Most of the time air drying isn’t the best for me. I’ve tried dozens of heat styling sprays and creams. There are a lot of great options out there but the one I keep going back to is the Oribe Royal Blowout Heat Styling Spray. It doubles as a detangler for me and smooths out the hair. This is also lightweight and helps minimize frizz. I spray it on towel dried hair.
Even though I want to smooth out the hair, I also sometimes want more volume at the roots. The Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray is my favorite and a nice alternative to dry shampoo because it’s not white or powdery like dry shampoo formulas are.
Olaplex Styling Products
I’ve been so eager to try everything that Olaplex launches. I bought the No. 6 Bond Smoother and No. 7 Bonding Oil the second they both launched. A little goes a long way for both.
The Bond Smoother is a white cream that is a leave-in styling cream that strengthens and moisturizes the hair to prepare for blow drying. I found it lightweight and it did work to fight frizz. It’s nice on my brittle hair and does protect from heat. For me I like this on damp hair.
The Bonding Oil is an even more lightweight product that’s ultra concentrated. It offers heat protection up to 450 degrees. Since I have thicker hair I found my damp hair soaked it up super fast. I prefer applying this on my blow-dried hair to add shine and add more protection if I’m straightening it with a flat iron. It’s super tiny but a little drop goes a long way. The dispenser is designed so that only a tiny bit of product comes out with each drop.
Hydrating and Frizz Treatments
Last, my two latest discoveries from Christophe Robin are his new Anti-Frizz Rescue Milk with Shea Butter and the Hydrating Melting Mask with Aloe Vera. Both are 100% worth the splurge. For a no-frizz product his Anti-Frizz Rescue Milk is a nice effective product that glides through damp hair easily for a nice blow out. I’m normally not a fan of milky hair products because they can feel too thick or sticky. This one absorbs into the hair nicely without any sticky feel and for me it’s like the cream/milk version of the Oribe spray. I also love that it’s fragrance free.
The Hydrating Melting Mask is also quite phenomenal to add moisture to my ends in a lightweight way. I’m a fan of all of his aloe vera products – they have a really nice lightweight scent that’s calming and soothing. Color treatments for my hair have made it more tangle-prone after it’s wet. This one makes the tangles go away and allows a comb or brush to glide through more easily after I rinse it out.
I’m really happy to have rediscovered the Oribe Gold Lust Shampoo and Conditioner. My next purchase will be the large pump sizes of both. For a good hair mask I’ve been so pleased with the Christophe Robin Hydrating Melting Mask. I think the Oribe Royal Blowout Spray will forever be a go-to for me, but I almost like the Christophe Anti-Frizz Rescue Milk a little better right now.
If you’ve been in the market for some new hair care I hope this roundup helped you! I’d love to hear about your hair care loves right now. Does your routine stay the same year round or now that we’ve transitioned to fall do you switch things up?
You can find all my haul picks at Nordstrom. If you’re shopping online don’t forget to check out the Beauty Gift With Purchase page, it’s updated on a regular basis!
Many thanks to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post. As always all opinions are my own.
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
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.
A post shared by Monaco Salon (@monacosalontampa) on
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.
I recently discovered a new product called Davines OI/OIL Absolute Beautifying Potion at my local salon. Normally Phyto products are used by my stylist for shampoo, conditioning, treating and styling, but this time several different items were used. The product that caught my attention was the Davines OI/Oil mainly because of the scent (mixture of soft vanilla, freshness and powder) in which two pumps were used to coat my damp just-cut hair before blow drying. The OI/Oil is a multi-purpose styling treatment that can be used on both damp and dry hair. It comes in a small pump bottle (135 ml/4.56 fl oz). I can’t recall the retail price, but I believe it was around $36-39 US.
Davines is a new brand to me. In researching a bit about the company, I found out they were founded in 1983 in Italy and began as a research lab for high-end hair and skin care products. You can find more information about their philosophy on Davines.com.
A bit of background on my haircare: When it comes to haircare, I’m
low-to-medium maintenance. I have thick hair that has a slight natural
wave that frizzes without blow-drying or straightening (which I usually
do both almost every day). I don’t color treat my hair and usually get
it cut 3 times a year. My staple products include: my Super Solano
hairdryer, HAI ceramic flat iron, Phyto’s Phytojoba Shampoo, Phyto 7
Cream, Neutrogena Body Wash (yes, as shampoo), and occasionally various
Pantene shampoos. I’ve used a number of Frederic Fekkai and Kiehl’s hair
products in past years, but prefer Phyto. There is one photo I’ve
posted of my hair from a Dry Bar visit (here) but this might help give you an idea of my hair type.
This is my first experience with a styling oil. I’ve use other styling sprays and conditioners before but never an oil. I was really surprised that this was able to deliver a sleek soft shine. I personally have used this for a few weeks on damp hair before blow drying. One pump is sufficient to cover most of my shoulder-length hair. A little goes a long way and I use this at most every other day (usually every other other day). It leaves the hair feeling soft and smooth and also works wonders to detangle hair after it is washed. I find it keeps the hair looking nice all day without getting a greasy or heavy look/feel. I do find that you definitely need to wash your hair at the end of the day though when using this (especially in the summer months). The ingredients:
Since purchasing this, I’ve stopped using all other styling creams (even my Phyto 7). I do think everyday use will be a bit too heavy for me but it works wonders when used sparingly. Given my love for this new discovery, I’m anxious to try more products from Davines. Since I’m new to the brand I’m not sure where this item is carried online. I noticed Barneys.com carries a few select Davines products. You can try using the Davines US Salon Locator to find a salon near you that carries this too.
Have you tried anything from Davines? Any recommendations or thoughts?
My friend from Jonesy Loves and I have been planning our one-day LA extravaganza for weeks. She has a knack for discovering the most interesting things in fashion and hair styling and on the list of must-do’s was to try out the DryBar – a blow dry bar concept salon. Before going, we did our research. I found these resources helpful:
The experience at the Drybar in Hollywood was amazing for me. The atmosphere was so inviting and the results were great. We went on a Saturday morning and it was packed when we got there. Luckily we had appointments early in the day and did not have to wait at all.
What is the Drybar? Their tagline is “No cuts. No color. Just blowouts. Only $35.” I can’t find a better way to describe it.
What happens at the Drybar? The staff does everything to make you feel welcome and at ease. When you walk in you are greeted and offered a drink (water, tea, coffee, mimosas or plain juice). There is a cute waiting area in the front and once your stylist is ready, they sit you down in a bar area and show you a menu and lookbook with style options to choose from. They have options ranging from straight and sleek to messy beachy to lots of loose curls. Each style has a fun bar-themed name like Mai Tai or Cosmo. There are step up options such as an extra 10 minute head massage that they call the Floater. After you pick what style you want, they shampoo and wash your hair
What I loved: The decor is bright and beautiful. The stylists make your hair look amazing. Every girl that came into the salon left with gorgeous hair that just shined and looked so flowy. The price is right. You can’t beat $35 even if you just try it once. They pamper you with magazines, a beverage of your choice and a movie while styling your hair – I could not have asked for a better experience.
Entrance area for check-in:
The menu:
The waiting area:
The dry bar area, complete with flat screen (they were playing Pretty Woman) & hooks underneath for your purses!
I asked for a combination of the Manhattan (sleek and smooth) with a little bit of Mai Tai (messy beachy) at the ends. The result was a lot more volumized and curly than I’m used to so I asked my stylist to smooth it out for a more straightened look. I’m super low maintenance and super chicken when it comes to hair experimentation and have my hair cut 2 times (maybe 3 times) per year. At the Drybar I probably could have done something more curly or wavy – maybe next time.
The left is photo is right after our appointment. The right side is late evening.
Another close up from late evening:
Bottom line: I’m now a fan! I would definitely go again for a special occasion or with girlfriends just for fun. Check out their website TheDryBar.com for more photos, info and locations. All photos taken by me.
Have you been to a Dry Bar yet? If so what were your thoughts?
