Beauty

Hair Care Routine

I have very coarse islander hair. My hair is very thick, curly and there is a LOT of it. & by a lot I mean that I even have it thinned out and layered and it still doesn’t help. In general, as y’all know, I’m very brand loyal. If I like a brand, you definitely know. With hair care, it’s also been an everlasting struggle to find products that actually work in my hair.  I never found anything I LOVED until I started using Drybar products last year. I had an appointment at Drybar for my birthday a few years ago and I loved everything that they used and put in my hair. In the past, I’ve done that and I NEVER saw the same results at home with anything from Redken, Paul Mitchell, Bed Head, CHI, you name it. But I read SO many reviews online and most of them were from people like me who have that thick, curly hair and they really raved about how these products actually work. So I tried them out and I went all in. I went to Ulta and picked up everything I use/needed most: shampoo, conditioner, treatment, leave in conditioner, and heat protectant (you can read initial reactions here) and I don’t think I could ever switch brands again.

Recently, I added to my current line up of products so I finally wanted to do a Hair Care Routine post with everything I use, have, and what I do. A few things that I always want to point out when it comes to hair and make up is that I’m not expert and definitely NOT a beauty blogger. I use what works and everything I share about hair and make up will always be based on experience. Another thing to note is that my hair is a pain in the ass to manage and take care of which is why when I find products that work, I obsess over them. I only wash my hair once a week when Dry Shampoo just can’t do it’s thing any more and I’m a “good enough” person when it comes to styling my hair meaning I do it in the morning and call it good. I also don’t like having my hair in my face especially when I’m working on something so by the end of the day my hair is somehow in a ponytail with leave in conditioner on the ends because I apply heat on my hair everyday (for the most part when I’m not working form home). Also, I do not have an elaborate routine.. so I’m sorry if that’s what your looking for. When it comes to hair and make up, I don’t want to spend more time than I have to on it because I just let to get ready and go (especially in the mornings).

SO here is everything I use and my hair care routine:

 

What I Use

Tools

Styling
  • I JUST started using the The Tress Press Straightening Iron (1.25” ) & instantly fell in love with it. Its the the best straightener that I have ever had. Again, I have extremely thick & curling hair and it is SO hard to find a good straightener that actually works. I’ve only heard great things about this straightener and at previous Drybar appointments I’ve loved the way they’ve this to curl my hair. BUT it wasn’t until recently when I got my haircut and my hairstylist used this straightener to straighten my hair that made me really want it.
  • Like everyone else last year, I purchased the Revlon Blow-Dryer Brush & mine went out on me not even a year later so I wanted to try something different. I have never used or owned an actual blow dryer, I don’t have the patience to blow dry and brush my hair so I love this invention, lol. I use a Blow-Dryer Brush more so to really “calm” my hair before I straighten it and it really helps to reduce the frizz and it makes it SO MUCH easier on me to straighten. While the Revlon Blow-Dryer Brush worked really well, The Double Shot Blow-Dryer Brush is INCREDIBLE. With my hair, the Revlon Blow-Dryer Brush sort of straightened my hair out (again just really reduced the time and energy needed to straighten my hair), the Drybar Double Shot ACTUALLY straightened my hair so all I have to do is briefly go over it and it leaves it so smooth.
  • As much as I love Drybar and have raved about them in this entire post, I still swear by my T3 Curling Iron & HIGHLY recommend this Curling Iron to anyone. I use the 1.25” Clip Barrel and its perfect for curls for waves. BUT for my Birthday (that’s coming up in November) or Christmas, I REALLY want the The Mixologist Interchangeable Styling Iron! It’s the same concept as T3, it comes with a 1 in. Wand for waves, 1.25 in. curling iron for curls, and a waver for loose waves. I haven’t found a Waver that I’ve loved just yet and I really want a want a Wand for waves so since I love everything that I try from Drybar I’m sure I’ll love this set.
Brushes & Accessories

 

Products

Shampoo & Conditioner
  • I wanted to switch up my Shampoo & Conditioner, I still love the Sake Bomb Shampoo & Conditioner but since I cut off my hair my hair isn’t really damaged any more so I feel like I’ve been “over conditioning” it (if that’s a thing). So I decided to switch to the Liquid Glass Shampoo & Conditioner because they have been using these at my last few Drybar appointments and they’ve worked great.  All Drybar shampoos and conditioners are paraben, sulfate, and phthalate free. Both are also good to use on colour treated hair. The Sake Bomb really hydrates dry hair and strengthens damaged hair. The Liquid Glass has Vegan Keratin, Neroli Oil, and Murumuru Butter. All of which smoothes, prevent frizz, provides a shine, and helps soften your hair. I love the smell and the healthy shine!
  • Once a month, I use the On The Rocks Charcoal Scalp Scrub to remove product buildup. Every hairstylist I have ever seen has always recommended using a Charcoal Scrub once a month to remove everything that use you in your hair on the daily basis: dry shampoo, treatment, hair spray, etc. I really started noticing a different once I incorporated using this into my routine. There were days where I felt like I couldn’t straighten or curl my hair especially at the roots and it was because of leftover product and because I only use this once a month. I only buy one about once a year (so far I’m still on my second).
Treatment
  • One of THE best products Drybar has is the Bay Breeze Hydrating Shot. I use this either once every two weeks or once a month based on how dry I feel my hair is but at least once a month and never back to back. This is what really got me hooked on Drybar last year because I could actually feel the difference and it really contributed to my hair growing tremendously last year after I started using this.
  • The Mr. Incredible The Ultimate Leave-In Conditioner has acai, vitamins, biotin, and coconut milk to help replenish damaged strands, protect against dryness, increases strength to prevent breakage, hydrates and nourishes. I use this on days where I stay home and don’t apply heat to my hair or over night after I wash it so I really only use it when it really stay in my hair and condition.
Styling Products
  • The Liquid Glass Miracle Smoothing Sealant is currently the newest product from Drybar and I started using it before I initially blow dry my hair. So far this has done everything it says on the label it REALLY helps with frizz and really leave your hair so smooth.
  • I use the Hot Toddy Heat Protectant primarily when I curl my hair and its the best heat protectant that I have ever owned. One thing to note is that it also has UV Protectors to shield your hair from UVA and UVB rays as well as excessive heat that cause dryness and colour fading which is a huge benefit living in Texas.
  • The first time a Drybar stylist ever did my hair and used the Money Maker Flexible Hold Hairspray, I instantly purchased it because it smelled so good and like it says in the name: its flexible. It’s not sticky and you can’t even tell that there’s hairspray in your hair but it also holds curls SO well. This is my all time favourite hairspray.
  • Prior to using the new Liquid Glass Miracle Smoothing Sealant, I used the Prep Rally Prime & Prep Detangler before blow drying. It works great and isn’t too thick so your hair doesn’t look greasy after your done blow drying. I just wanted to try the new Liquid Glass and use it with the Shampoo & Conditioner so I am probably going to alternative between them both.
  • My all time favourite dry shampoo is the Moroccan Oil Dry Shampoo for Brunettes. It smells SO good and it soaks up EVERYTHING. Your hair doesn’t feel gritty and it’s actually touchable. I’ve tried the Kenra Dry Shampoo, the Drybar Detox and so many others but nothing compares.

 

Haircare Routine

1. Washing

I wash my hair about once a week. Sometimes in the summer, it maybe twice. I pretty much just watch it whenever Dry Shampoo won’t work anymore. I use shampoo and conditioner every time I wash my hair and switch to cold water when I rinse. Every two weeks I use a Bay Breeze Hydrating Shot and I use the On The Rocks Charcoal Scalp Scrub once a month to remove excess build up.

2. Drying

I generally shower at night when I wash my hair so it can air dry over night. If I wash my hair in the morning its because I can I still let it air dry and blow dry it when it’s dry either that night or the next day (based on what’s going on that day). Once my hair is primarily or fully dry, I use the Liquid Glass Miracle Smoothing Sealant (or previously the Prep Rally Prime & Prep Detangler) before blowdrying my hair with the Double Shot Blow-Dryer Brush. This helps easily straighten out my curls to make it easier to straighten my hair. I like that I can do larger sections with this brush so that it also goes faster.

3. Styling

After I use the Double Shot Blow-Dryer Brush for a blowout, I go over it with The Tress Press Straightening Iron.  I always straighten my hair after I wash it and then curl it with my T3 mid week until I wash it. I use the Hot Toddy Heat Protectant whenever I use my straightener or curling iron throughout the week. If I want my curls to hold (as opposed to waves) then I use the Money Maker Flexible Hold Hairspray and then I’ll use the Moroccan Oil Dry Shampoo as needed throughout the week to prolong the blowout.

& that’s it! It used to take me at least an hour to do my hair. After I incorporated the Blow Dryer Brush, it takes about 15-20 minutes to style my hair. I highly recommend all of these products because they’re perfect on all types of hair and actually work.

Shop the Post