Okay, I am currently on a break from baby-wrangling so we can talk about a deeply important subject, people: HAIR. Specifically, how to make it look halfway decent when you don’t have the luxury of taking your sweet time with it. Like for instance when you’ve got a newborn making that constipated-sheep sound — beehhhh . . . beehhhhhhh — and a toddler saying, “Juice, Mommy? Juice? Milk? Juice? Milk?” over and over as though he were lost in the middle of the Sahara on the brink of dehydration rather than standing there with a cup full of water, which apparently is Unacceptable For Human Consumption.
I’ll tell you what works for my hair, which is an annoying combination of being curly underneath but straight on the outside. Unless it’s blow-dried and bitch-slapped into some semblance of smoothness I’ve got a head full of thick, yet limp frizziness. LAME. Here are my very favorite products for getting my hair as close to sleek and shiny as possible on a limited schedule:
Bumble and bumble Styling Lotion. This multipurpose stuff rocks the casbah. I spray it on my damp hair while I’m drying it, and again on the dry hair before I flatiron it. It works MIRACLES.
Boar Bristle Round Brush. Only recently did I learn that the right kind of brush will make all the difference in your styling routine. For my hair, which I am always trying to straighten, a brush with both coarse and plastic bristles will do a much better job than one that doesn’t have that combination. It grabs the hair really tightly, which allows you to pull each section out as you dry it. If you haven’t tried a brush like this, run don’t walk to the drugstore and buy a cheap Goody and try it out.
Frederic Fekkai Glossing Cream. I first read about this stuff over on Whoorl’s site, and you DO know that she knows her stuff when it comes to hair, right? I love this glossing cream, just a tiny amount goes a long long way to smoothing out frizzies and making your hair all shiny and happy-looking.
So tell me, what sorts of hair products do you rely on?
You sure drop a lot of cash on hair product!
angela | February 12th, 2008 at 9:01 am
Look at you, already up and around and writing!
I like the Sunsilk stuff. I have about four kinds: Defrizz, Anti-poof, and Straighten Up, plus a winter anti-static one that works well but is SO PERFUMEY I don’t use it much. All the other three work basically like a gel mixed with a leave-in conditioner, but with different proportions of gel to conditioner.
Swistle | February 12th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Angela, and soooo….what?!
Sysha | February 12th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
I am going to RUN not walk to grab these items…you have not lead me astray yet!!!
Sundry…I have to admit…I am a loyal reader..but I can’t do this one anymore…the commentors just get to me..you know with the whole thing with Dog etc…just a bit too judgemental for me…
Becky | February 12th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Agree with Becky. I have no clue how you do it. It would drive me mad, and I have children for that. I have been meaning to try the Fekkai stuff for ages, though.
I use Dove anti-frizz because it works without heat, because my children are unruly and like to TOUCH everything dangerous, so no flat iron for me when I don’t have a daycare/babysitter day. My hair is poofy and sad for the love of my children’s little unburnt fingers.
shal | February 12th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Caution: don’t comment and nurse–read my comment cut and paste style and it makes sense.
shal | February 12th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
My whole life changed when I bought a Chi flat iron a few years ago. Had I owned one in the 80’s, my high school years would’ve been completely different. It was expensive when I got mine ($120) but it’s lasted 4 years and counting. Now they’re going for around $60 on Ebay. If you get one, get the smaller one; it’s easier to maneuver. I also use the following Redken products religiously: Spray Starch (for use with hot irons and blow dryers), Concrete 22 Cement paste (sounds scary; isn’t) and Vinyl Glam 02 shine spray. I’m not against other brands at all; I get this stuff wholesale b/c my sister-in-law is a stylist!
Kim | February 12th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
I have naturally curly hair and I stopped trying to straighten it back when I was 16 years old. Now I embrace the curls and I use Ouidad shampoo and conditioner.
It’s kind of pricey (for me, anyway) so I first asked for it for Christmas, to see if it was worth the extra money. It really is! I love what this stuff does for my curls.
My second favorite is Big shampoo from Lush. It’s weird - like tapioca - and at first seems like it doesn’t lather well. But the trick is to put about a quarter-size dollop on your hair, then step under the shower for a second to get your hair extra wet. That just unlocks the lather and it’s AMAZING stuff. I use it once a week as a clarifying shampoo to get rid of product buildup.
Wendi | February 12th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
I have very thick curly hair, and I’ve been loving the Aveda for Men products. My stylist convinced me to try them, and they are awesome. I also like the smell - kind of like my husband’s aftershave, but in a good way.
foodmomiac | February 12th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Biosilk (the glossing serum)-works to detangle a bit but provides the best results on hair that is almost dry. Also, the Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Shampoo & Conditioner (when the budget allows) - cheaper substitutes are not the same.
GoingLoopy | February 12th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
hrm i have the opposite problem - i have straight lifeless flat hair i am constantly trying to make poofier (with out looking frizzy). my current is to dry it upsidedown and then in sections with a big ol’ round brush. i agree - brushes are VERY IMPORANT! the ones wiht the rubber handles for your ‘comfort’ are a not good for me because my hair gets caught on them and yanked out. that’ really not too fun. other than that just the john frieda blond hairspray. not sure what they do different but it actually holds, lightly and with movement. doesnt LOOK like (or feel like) i am wearing hairspray but when i dont use it - flat and lifeless. weird! (in a good way!)
kate | February 12th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Sysha - Um? Defensive?
angela | February 12th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
I have been looking all over for the anti-static stuff from Sunsilk that Swistle mentioned and can’t find it anywhere!
Eric's Mommy | February 12th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Kate– I thought I was the only one who had trouble with the rubber handles getting snagged in my hair!
I am so uncoordinated that I’m only recently getting the hang of using a round brush to lift at the roots. I use a good ol’ drugstore-purchased brush for that.
My hair is very apt to tangle so when I use my conditioner I use a wide-tooth plastic comb (mine has a hook so that it hangs on my shower caddy) and comb the conditioner through just the ends– then I let the water just rinse everything out.
Drying my hair on “medium” heat instead of ‘high” has helped to make it more manageable and does not really make much difference time-wise. My hair is straight (as in “I refuse to sumbit to hot rollers) and long.
Favorite products so far have been Pureology Shampoo and Conditioner–their Nanoworks ShineLuxe works wonders to keep hair shiny and frizzies tame here in the hot, humid South.
Meredith | February 12th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Confession: I have been using Aussie Sprunch Spray since I was in 7th grade. That was in the late 80s. Holy shit. Nearing 20 years and I have yet to find anything that does my hair better.
For the record, I have naturally curly med. length hair. My products of choice include: Goldwell shampoo & conditioner, Aveda Be Curly mixed with a gel I can’t remember. And 5-8 squirts of Aussie. Always and forever.
Haven’t found any straightening products that i adore (and am not 100% sure they even work) but live and die for Biosilk serum stuff for post-straightening.
Oh, and for straightening, I use the Maxi-Glide. Yup, that thing from TV. I’ve tried everything (even the beloved and adored Chi) and nothing does it better.
Kristen | February 13th, 2008 at 3:49 am
My hair is long, straight and fine. I like Biosilk to detangle and Biolage Shine Renewal spray after I blowdry. Nature’s Gate has an awesome line of shampoo and conditioner that I love as well.
I haven’t found any styling products (hairspray/mousse etc…) that truly hold curl when I use my rollers. Everything makes my hair tangley and yuck after about four hours. Any recommendations?
amber | February 13th, 2008 at 4:05 am
Kristen! What is this maxi glide you speak of! If there’s something out there BETTER than the chi, I want to know it!
Kim | February 13th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Umm…curly girls (and guys) out there, I cannot recommend Graham Webb’s Brit Style Whipped Wax enough. It is heaven to my head - I throw some through a wet head, walk out the door, and have glossy, lovely curls all day long. Seriously.
Jamie | February 14th, 2008 at 6:03 am
Sundry: If you HAD to choose just one product (for financial reasons) would you buy the Bumble and Bumble or the Fekkai glossing cream? (BTW, my hair sounds exactly like yours….I hate the curl underneath and the straight on the top / sides!!!!)
JMH | February 14th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
JMH: I would definitely try the B&B styling lotion, because it’s so versatile. You can spray it on during styling or right before flat ironing (or both), and it adds shine too.
milkandcookies | February 14th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
I love the Kerastase products for frizzy hair. I use only the SÉRUM OLÉO-RELAX. It makes my hair perfectly smooth and has saved me tons of time with the iron. Also, if you put it in your hair and let it air dry it dries beautifully. It’s a little expensive but well worth it!
Nicole | February 15th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
I’ve got B&B holding spray (fabulous stuff for setting hair), B&B styling wax (gives that afterglow without weighing hair down), and B&B Prep (a detangler for after shampooing). All three work very well.
I’ll have to give the styling lotion a try.
Lesley | February 18th, 2008 at 12:45 am
[...] Our Favorite Hair Products For Busy Moms You have two minutes to get ready in the morning but you want your hair to look good. Here are some suggestions for hair products that can help. [...]
Weekly Roundup: Top Links for Life and Style | GlamSpirit | February 20th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
bumble and bumble is hair treatments for goddesses. it’s the best and worth the price. using the right shampoo for your hair makes a huge difference on styling. i love the hair powder for days i don’t shampoo, too. aerosol so it’s easy to use, and it comes tinted so you can’t see it when you spray it in. their defrizz is also amazing. and can i make one other recommendation, even if it sounds crazy? i recently got a bespoke labs t3 hair dryer. and they are NOT CHEAP. but honestly that hair dryer has resurrected my frizz and tough hair (from coloring), it tames the waves, it dries my hair (which is a TON, past my shoulders, wavy, fine, but a ton of it) in TWO MINUTES. i kid you not. it’s a huge timesaver and often times i can skip styling because the hair dryer just does it all. promise.
willikat | March 1st, 2008 at 5:50 pm
I just bought the B&B Styling Lotion and the Frederic Fekkai Glossing Cream tonight and am wondering if you can use them both at the same time? I guess I’m afraid of product overload but they both sound like they’re exactly what I need.
Jules | November 22nd, 2008 at 3:11 am