HAIR-Part One

Yesterday I got my hair done.....aaaahhhhhhh, I wish they offered a service where you could just come in and have them wash and play with your hair.  That is the most relaxing part of the visit and I could just fall asleep in the sink bowl :)

I recently started my Allure Sample Society monthly beauty subscription (see unboxing here) and am also on their panel of beauty reviewers and get their magazine.  So today I wanted to talk about some hair basics on hair products that I learned from Allure and from other reputable places.  Maybe somethings you already knew or have been dying to know, so I want to sum them up here for you!

First, let's talk about brushes.

Here are 6 of the most common brushes and what they should and should not be used for.

Oval Cushion Brush

This brush is best for detangling dry hair, teasing and adding shine.  It is not for wet hair.  GET IT HERE.

Wooden Round Brush

This brush is best for smoothing and adding body (blow-out).  It is not for styling blunt bangs.  GET IT HERE.

Ceramic Round

This brush is best for straightening hair, especially bangs and cowlicks.  This is not for fine or fragile hair.  GET IT HERE.

Paddle Brush

This brush is best for detangling wet hair.  It is not a brush that will last forever though as the round tips so tend to fall off after awhile.  GET IT HERE.

Now let's talk about flat irons.  I used to use my flat iron every day.  Now that I learned how to properly blow dry my hair, I hardly ever pick it up and if I do it is just for my bangs on maybe 2nd day hair. We will talk about how to do a proper blow out in another post :) I know it looks like I have straight hair, and I do, but not at my hair line.  If I were to let my hair air dry (oh, the horror!), only the hair on my hair line would get super kinky and curly.  The rest I can get some wave in but not all around my head so I have had to use flat irons before :)

1. The most common mistake people make when using flat irons is turning the temperature up as high as it will go.  Maybe you think it will make it straighter? Or make it straighten quicker?? No!  All you are doing is burning your hair and that is a horrible smell that will stay with you all day, even if you don't smell it anymore. Even if you have coarse curly hair, you should not be exceeding 400 degrees.  350 is enough.

2. Next would be not using protection.  You should always be applying some time of heat protector in your hair from the roots to the tips.

3. Don't go over the same section of hair over and over.  You only need to go over a section of hair one time. Make sure you are using small sections and not large ones so that you are getting even coverage.  Especially if you have the heat up too high, you will get lines on your hair from the flat iron.

4. Don't flat iron wet hair.  Just like burning it with too high of a temp, you can burn your hair just as bad, if not worse, when it is wet.  Besides, it doesn't look good :)

5. Don't make your hair "flat as a board",  when you get down towards the end of your hair, make sure you are turning your wrist to get some curl and added body to your hair.

Click HERE for a listing of the 7 best flat irons.

Next up are the 5 best hair products for curly and straight hair.

For Curly Hair:

1. Ouidad Playcurl Volumizing Foam-Builds body and boosts curls to make your locks more luxurious looking

2. DevaCurl No-Poo Zero Lather Cleanser-Sulfate free Shampoo!! Reveals healthier curls

3. L'O'real EverCurl HydraCharge Condtioner-Sulfate free Conditioner! Reduces frizz and adds shine

4. John Freida Ease Unwind Curls Calming Creme-Frizz fighter and can also be used to air dry hair

5. Redken Curvaceous Full Swirl Serum-Seals in moisture and adds shine

For Fine Hair:

1. Living Proof Full Volume Shampoo & Conditioner-Sulfate Free Shampoo & Conditioner and starts preparing your hair for volume in the shower

2. Living Proof Full Thickening Cream-This adds volume and makes hair thicker, only need a little

3. Bumble and Bumble Thickening Hair Spray-lifts hair and protects from heat and adds volume

4. Rusk Texture Dry Finishing Spray-Injects fullness yet keeps hair moveable and full (My personal #1 favorite!!!)

5. It's a 10 Miracle Shine Serum-adds shine but is not heavy on already fine hair



As the title says, this is only part one.  There are plenty more topics to talk about.

What is your favorite hair product?

Anything specific that you would like to know or another product recommendation?

Let me know in the comments below!

Have a great day!!