My favorite hair products...2016


When out, I'm frequently asked about my hair - who does the cut/color, how do I style it, etc. - and I'm always happy to share. I did a blog post about my favorite hair products back in 2012, and someone commented on it the other day, which made me realize that I needed to do an updated version because I have some new favorites!

various hair products

(This post may contain affiliate links which were added to make it easier for you to find the items. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you). You are free to use the links or not - if you do, I thank you!)

This post is all about my current hair care favorites - the ones that I use on a regular basis to keep my hair in great condition and style it everyday - the ones I can't live without. An FYI about my cut and color - I do go to a salon for this, and I have used the same stylist/colorist for 23 years. I tried to color my own hair once. The key word in that sentence is once, and that is how I met my stylist. He corrected my color and has been responsible for coloring my hair ever since that day-that-shall-never-be-mentioned-again.

A little about my hair: My hair is thick with a medium texture that is naturally wavy. My natural color is dark blonde with a few random greys. I get both highlights and lowlights every 10 weeks. I straighten my hair with a flat iron. My hair has always been pretty healthy and tolerates whatever I do to it very well. 

So here are the products that I currently use:

Shampoo and Conditioner:
I have a couple of shampoos and conditioners that I use on a regular basis:

 Living Proof Restore shampoo and conditioner

One of my routines is to shampoo with Living Proof Restore Shampoo and follow by conditioning with a mixture of half Living Proof Restore Conditioner and half Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil Conditioner.

Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil Conditioner

If I use the Invisible Oil Conditioner on it's own, it makes my hair too soft to manage, and the Living Proof Restore Conditioner doesn't make my hair quite as smooth on it's own as it does when mixed with the Invisible Oil Conditioner, so I find that a mix of the two is perfect.

Kerastase Resistance shampoo and conditioner

My second routine is with Kérastase Résistance products. I received these from Influenster a few months ago, and while they do tend to make my hair almost too soft to manage on the first day after shampooing (I always shampoo in the evening), I like them a lot. With these products, the conditioner is applied first. So the Soin Premier Thérapiste Reverse Care Conditioner is applied first, then after a few minutes, I rinse that out, and then apply the Bain Thérapiste Renewal Shampoo. I think once they're gone, I would like to try the Kérastase Réflection line (Bain Chroma Captive Shampoo, Fondant Chroma Captive Conditioner) for colored-treated hair.

Styling Products:
I don't use a lot of styling products. Mostly because I wear my hair in a fairly simply style - straightened with a flat iron - and also because my hair is very thick and heavy, so any styling products I put in the roots to achieve height are just wasted because the weight of my hair just pulls everything down anyway.

Living Proof Prime Style Extender i

Living Proof Prime Style Extender Cream is one of my favorite products. For me, this really does extend my style by keeping the roots of my hair cleaner. I only apply about a pea-sized amount to the roots of my hair right around my face and down my part.

 Living Proof Nourishing Styling Cream.

Living Proof No Frizz Nourishing Styling Cream is the only actual "styling" product I own. I really only use it because I feel like it helps cut down on the frizz on humid days. I mix a pea-sized amount with a pea-sized amount of the Prime Style Extender and apply to the roots of my hair on the crown of my head when my hair is damp after shampooing.

Heat Protection:

Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil Heat Protective Primer

I guess maybe the Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil Heat/UV Protective Primer could be considered a styling product, because it is a multi-purpose product, but I use it mainly for heat protection and de-frizzing. I love this product! And it smells soooo good! I apply this after everything else, right before drying my hair. As I mentioned, my hair is very thick, and it's long (to the middle of my bra strap in the back), so I use a good bit of this on my hair. I spray it in my hand to apply - about 10 pumps for the top half of my hair and 10 pumps for the bottom half. That said, my bottle has lasted a pretty long time - but I only shampoo my hair every 3-5 days.

Before flat-ironing:

Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil

I don't apply another heat-protection product per se before flat ironing, but I do apply Bumble and Bumble's Invisible Hair Oil. This is another product that I absolutely love - and it smells so good! It's a little pricey, but you only need to use a little so it lasts a long time. As an example, for as long as my hair is, I only use 2 pumps. I've had my bottle since July 2015 and it's only about half empty - I use it 3-4 times/week. (Update: I finished the bottle in January 2017!)

Hairspray:
I've used the same two hairspray products for over 20 years. I've tried other ones, but I've never found any that work as well for me as these.

Shaper hairspray

The first one is Sebastian Shaper Hairspray. Not the Shaper Plus - the original Shaper. I remember reading an article somewhere that said Shaper was the number one selling hairspray (I didn't stop to validate that article), but I wouldn't be surprised. What is so fabulous about it is that there isn't any water in it. It's a dry spray, so it doesn't weigh down your style, and it's not wet and sticky. You can comb through it and restyle if you want. I use it to keep my style in place and to tame strays/flyaways.

Aveda Firmata

The second one is Aveda Firmata Firm Hold Hairspray. This is a wet pump spray with a firm hold. I use mainly on my bump. Once I tease/backcomb that baby into place, I don't want the wind whipping it apart! I love that it has a firm hold but you can still comb through it fairly easily when needed - and it smells good!

Dry shampoo:

Living Proof Dry Shampoo

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo - this stuff is da bomb!! Granted it's a little pricey. But it's hands down the best dry shampoo I've ever used. It doesn't leave any residue and your hair actually looks clean. I've used it a couple of days in a row on my roots and there was no buildup of any kind and I was able to style my hair as usual. It's great stuff! I'm currently out of it, so I need to pick up some more.

And there you have it - all of my must-have hair products! There are a lot of great  products out there, and I often try new ones, but for now, these are my loves. I doubt at this point if my obsession with Shaper hairspray will ever change so I hope they never stop making it!

What are your favorite hair products?

Kim
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