If I could give you one piece of hair advice, that would be, “Don’t f%$@ with it too much.” However, having the same hair all the time can feel boring, and when you see your favorite celeb with a new cut or color; you just want it. I have had disastrous haircuts and awful color jobs, and the worst of it all was alopecia (thankfully, my hair grew back). That really taught me not to mess with my hair too much because, honestly, I don’t have a lot of it, and I can’t afford to play with it too much.
If you’re like me with fine, thin, or straight hair and your dream is to have hair reasonably voluminous enough to look good- you’ve probably tried tons of products because I have. As a beauty writer, I’m constantly testing products, but I don’t experiment too much with hot tools because they’re not doing my hair any favors. But sometimes, you just can’t avoid them. All I’ll say is proceed with caution.
Over the years, some hair products have stood out for me, and now, I can’t imagine my life (or my hair) without them, and they work for (almost) everyone.
My natural hair color is dark brown, but I have colored it every natural color in the world, from jet black to blonde (that was a huge mistake) and red, which took a toll on my hair. As much as I love being a hair chameleon, I also want it to stay healthy. A beauty editor recommended Celeb Luxury Shampoo & Conditioner in Gem Lites, and I am obsessed.
The Gem Lites collection is available in ten natural shades. This duo is perfect for all hair types. Every time you wash and condition your hair, they deposit color to brighten your hair while also deeply moisturizing it and building the bonds that break when you color, chemically treat, or heat style your hair. I only shampoo my hair once a week and condition it like three times a week. My hair feels happier, and the color looks richer every time.
When I say the K18 hair Mask is magic, I’m not lying because it's so worth the hype. It claims to “clinically reverse damage in four minutes,” and I noticed a major change in my hair after ONE use. It has K18Peptide that can fix your hair oopsie due to coloring (even bleaching), chemically treating, or heat styling your hair. I use it once a week on days when I don’t use the conditioner and chill for four minutes, and style it as usual.
It’s not cheap but totally worth the price for the results. If you aren’t ready to invest, try the mini size to discover its potential. Again, this little miracle worker works on all types and textures. And it acts as a heat protectant, so it's great to use before my next two favorites.
I “try” to blow-dry my hair once a week because I have another hot tool (keep reading) that I also can’t live without. I love this CHI hair dryer because it's light (super easy to travel with), locks in moisture, and gives me mad volume with zero frizz. It has three heat settings at two speeds, and I always use the lowest for the least damage. Hair dryers can get dirty and gross, but this has Rapid Clean Technology®, where the blue LED light has properties to reduce bacterial buildup in the dryer.
Plus, I love the sleek design and the bright red color, but most of all, I love how my hair looks after because it's nothing less than a professional blowout, and I must admit my hair-drying skills are pretty amateur.
This was an impulse purchase but one of my best decisions. As I mentioned, I only shampoo my hair once a week- this brush is fantastic because you can use it to give your second, third, or fourth-day hair life with tons of volume. Revlon Hair Straightening and Styling Brush should only be used on dry hair, and it's so easy to style your hair and regain the shine and body without any frizz.
People have asked me if I washed my hair on the days, I use this. Plus, it’s a super easy tool to add a little oomph to the roots as mine get a little meh, the further I go from my hair-washing day.
This is a selfish pick, but when you have bangs, you don’t want them flying all over the place, and this Verb Hairspray keeps my bangs perfectly where I want them to stay. Plus, it’s a great hold spray to keep your hair in place without it getting too crazy, and it doesn’t make your hair crunchy AT ALL.
It's great for all hair types and textures, and I even trust it when I pull all my hair back into a sleek bun, so there are no surprises. Bonus, it has a pleasant smell, and I don’t have to worry about what's going on with my hair during pictures after trusting my hair with this divine spray.