14 Hair Products I Use Frequently

Every time I travel, I do an Ask Me Anything on Instagram Stories because I typically have a ton of down time. This past weekend, I was traveling and a number of the questions revolved around my hair, which is kinda funny to me because I have always envied women who knew how to style their hair. I try, but I feel like I fall short, so I was kind of blown away by the kind words about my hair and requests for products used. Truth be told, I’m still trying to understand what works with my hair and what doesn’t, so I am by no means an expert…but here goes.

For cut and color, I go to Leo in New York City. He is the absolute best. I don’t really ask for anything, I just let him work his magic and tell him to do whatever he wants. Great stylists know hair and I just trust them. For as high maintenance as you’re about to see I am, I typically take the approach of “whatever, it’s just hair, it’ll grow back” - but thankfully I’ve never actually had a bad cut or color from him. Throughout the year, I will beg him for thick bangs, but he typically will refuse, reminding me I have a cow-lick on one side where the bangs would sit, and between the humidity here in Connecticut and that cow-lick, he’s just like, “I promise, you’re not gonna like it,” so I never get my way. Once, I went to another stylist who cut me the bangs I wanted. I loved them for like five minutes, but between the humidity, cow-lick and the fact that my hair grows SO fast (I was truly having to trim it every week to keep it outta my line of vision), it just wasn’t worth it. So Leo was righty and never again will I go to someone else for the bang cut I want haha.

Leo typically will brighten during the spring and summer, and go a little cooler and smokier for fall and winter. I think he must work in like color theory or something because he will comment when I’ve got a tan or when I’m a little more pale and will make sure the color of the hair goes with the tone of my skin. We typically do a full balayage once a year, and partial highlights once or twice, and other than that it’s toner and trims. He’s always recommended that I use Olaplex Shampoo, Conditioner and No3, so I do. I typically will wash my hair every two days or so, and use this clarifying shampoo once every 10-12 days or so to get styling products all the way out. I also will use a hair mask once a week from like mid-shaft down.

In terms of styling, sometimes I’ll air dry and sometimes I’ll blow dry. The above is day two of a blow-dry where I tried to get some volume. I use this hair styler - I’ve had it for years and love it. The look above was created with the round brush tool for the styler. I prep a volume blow-dry with this heat protectant smoothing spray and I spritz this at the roots where I want the volume. The volume spritz WORKS, so be forewarned bc you can kind of look like that character on There’s Something About Mary if you’re not careful haha.

When I’m in between washes, and my hair is feeling kind of oily at the roots, I’ll use a dry shampoo there and a texturizing spray mid-shaft down, to sort of bring it back to life.

For a look like this, I’ll use the flat brush attachment that comes with the Dyson Air Wrap. Once dried, I’ll use a hair oil to lock in the moisture.

Usually on day 2 hair - like the day I’m about to wash my hair, it’s getting kind of frizzy and gross, so to get it out of my face and feel a little more put together, I use this gel for a ponytail or half-up look like this. I love this stuff so much because it’s inexpensive, doesn’t get flakey when it dries, and doesn’t feel oily or leave visible residue. However, this is the reason I use that clarifying shampoo I linked at the top because while you can’t see the residue it leaves, you’ll feel it if you use it like two days in a row. But it’s perfect if you just want to feel a little more put together on a day where your hair just won’t cooperate.

The above look is air dried hair after putting it up in a messy bun. For air dried hair, I’ll use this air dry foam, and this hair serum. I put both products on my hands and finger comb my hair to lightly coat the hair. Then I’ll sort of scrunch the hair with my palms from the ends up. Once it’s like 90% dry, I throw it up in a messy bun for like five or ten minutes, take it down to let it dry some more, and throw it back up in a messy bun, and continue until it’s dry. I don’t sit around checking my watch or anything, I’m typically washing dishes, doing the laundry, etc., and it’s a subconscious thing I do until the hair is fully dry.

I don’t think of myself as particularly high maintenance, but reading this through and counting I think fourteen hair care products, I suppose I’m not as low maintenance as I thought, lolllll. Hey, I am who I am, what can I say?!