My Everyday Haircare Products

I feel like haircare is something that gets neglected on this blog. I talk an overwhelming amount about myself, then fashion, then makeup and skincare, and even music, leaving out what used to be the most important thing to me: hair. It's true. My hair was my security blanket back in high school and early college. I was terrified of it being short and cherished my long, thick locks and lived in constant fear of it ever being short. 

And then I cut it. And I cut it again. And I cut it a couple of more times, but now I'm trying to grow it all back again. That's the low down on my actual hair and now here's the low down on what I do to it on a daily basis. I have thick, naturally straight-ish hair (it has some texture, which is just miniature frizz) that has been color-treated for about ten years, with bleach instead of dye the past five years or so. I try to use heat on my hair as little as possible, but I also hate straight hair on me so I tend to curl it quite a bit. These are just what I use on a daily basis to keep my hair doing what it does best: being mediocre, but still kind of nice looking when I brush it and style it correctly.

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When it comes to shampooing and conditioning my hair, I've been using almost exclusively this L'Oreal Total Repair 5 duo since my freshmen year of college. I've used the hydrating one from the same range, especially right after I get my hair done because the bleach dries the crap out of it, but for the most part this is what I consistently use. This duo is meant to treat the five visible signs of damage to your hair: split ends, weak, rough, dull, and dehydrated. It claims to rebuild fibers, strengthen, and increase vitality, silkiness, and shine. It contains protein and ceramide to fortify your hair and seal in nourishment. If you're like me and some of that goes in through one ear and out the other, basically, it makes your hair strong again and keeps it from looking lifeless. 

I wash my hair every other night with this (sometimes nightly, it really depends) and I just love that it's affordable and basically does what it says. I didn't go to cosmetology school and don't pretend to know everything there is about beauty, but this keeps my hair from looking like absolute garbage when I don't have the time or money to consistently go to the hair salon.

I've been using the same heat protectant spray and hot tool brands since high school. The TRESemmé Heat Protectant Spray has delayed the heat damage on my hair when I actually remember to use it. I'm not perfect, sometimes I forget and I cringe the entire time my curling iron is in contact with my hair with no barrier between it. Another tried and true favorite is this Aussie Aussome Hairspray because it smells fantastic and actually keeps my hair in curls without making it heavy or crunchy. I've tried plenty of hairsprays, especially when my hair was longer and heavier, and this one never disappoints me.

As for hot tools, I essentially just use curling irons. I have a straightener that I keep around just in case, but I think I've used it five times, tops. I used to use the Conair 1" curling iron when my hair was longer, except I tend to use it like a curling wand instead of an actual curling iron. Francesca, why don't you just get a curling wand? Because this works the same way, it's just not tapered at the end. I switched to this Revlon 3/4" the first time I just my hair short because the Conair one was just too thick for my shorter hair. I've basically been using this Revlon one ever since–about three years–because my hair hasn't quite gotten long enough for the Conair one not to make super thick curls. I'm getting there though!

Dry shampoo is, arguably, the most important haircare item that I have in my arsenal. I am never without it. My all time favorite is the Batiste dry shampoos, specifically the one for blonde hair. However, I ran out and have been using these Hask dry shampoos, which I got for free from the brand over the summer just as a little disclaimer. I love these things to death though, especially the Chia Seed one. My mom steals it from me at least three times a week because it gives her thin hair (sorry mom, you know it's true!) some volume at the roots and mimics the look of a thicker head of hair. I just like it because it smells incredible, adds some volume to my roots, and most of all, makes my hair not look like grease central. The coconut one is also nice and smells like summer, but the Chia Seed one has a special place in my heart.

And last, but most certainly not least, my finishing sprays deserve a little bit of love. I tend to like a more deconstructed look and beachy wave as opposed to defined and perfect curls. My fist finishing spray was the Living Proof Instant Texture Mist. It kind of has a sticky consistency, so I spritzed this into my hands first and then scrunched it through my hair as opposed to spraying it directly onto my hair. It does add a little bit of weight to your hair, but I would also like to mention that this was the only product that kept my curls intact during humid summers. Even with my favorite hairspray, my curls would fall without this texturizing spray. So yes, it's a little sticky and heavy, but it really does live up to its promise of being longlasting.

The Kristin Ess Beach Wave Spray is a really soft spray that just tousles your hair and gives you beachy waves without the heaviness of a salt spray. This is a really fine mist that smells fantastic and tousles your hair just enough to give you natural looking waves without completely deconstructing them or adding any weight or texture. I just talked about the Oaui Wave Spray last week or the week before on the blog, so I'm not going to delve too deeply into it. I basically use it the same way as the Living Proof spray, as it tends to feel heavy and crunchy if I use too much or spray it directly onto my hair. However, it has a similar effect and keeps my hair looking good all day long.

What's a must-have in your daily haircare routine?