Hi guys! I have had so many different hair requests lately, so I figured it’d be helpful to put together a post answering all the details. I cover everything from my hair type, my hair cut, products, hot tools and more so keep readin’!
HAIR TYPE
With any blog you read of YouTube video you watch, understanding the girl’s hair type is so important.
This way, you can set realistic expectations for your own hair and also have a better understanding is the products would work for you.
My hair type is very textured. So it can hold a curl for over a week, but also gets really frizzy if I don’t maintain it correctly. Pro and con! If you need help taming your wavy, curly, beast of textured hair, I’m ya girl.
My natural hair is a high maintenance beast, but I use the right products and tricks to make it as less maintenance as possible.
My hair is super thick. I’ve heard that you get your hair type from your grandfather on your mother’s side and maybe that’s true, but my dad has super thick hair and I think I got it from him which I’m really thankful for! And I definitely got his forehead as well lol.
Anyways, I get asked if I have extensions for thickness which is a no! I have never had them because I’m battling down the thickness of my hair with angles and layers.
I wash my hair every 6-10 days. So you could guess that my hair is not oily, which is true. I do work out a lot during the week with sweaty intense runs and spin classes so I have to clean up my hair in between classes with key products which I share below.
HAIR STYLE
I prefer my hair long. Right now it’s about six inches longer than in these photos which I think is my ideal length. I love a long slicked back pony, big ol’ messy bun, double French braids.. all the options to play with!
I color treat my hair with highlights about four times a year. I rotate between a partial and a mini highlight. For my mini highlights, we just place color on the areas any growth is noticeable – my part and around my hairline. Also every time we highlight, we add in some low lights in certain areas so that the blonde doesn’t take over.
I ask for a super thin highlight, not large or chunky. I wear my hair half up a lot for work, so I ask for them to be placed there in addition to all the normal areas. Think though your hair styles and chat with your hair dresser so she is on the same page for highlight placement. She also applies a toner every time I color.
I cut my hair maybe twice a year. When I do, I get lots of layers and a face angle.
PRODUCTS
Shampoo + Conditioner: I love Living Proof, Oribe and Moroccan Oil products. Rotating between shampoo brands is important because if not, you get product build up which weighs your hair down.
In the summer, I prioritize using a shampoo and conditioner that reduces the effects of humidity and frizz. I love Oribe’s Moisture Control shampoo and conditioner.
During winter and Spring I rotate between Living Proof’s Restore line, to reduce the effects of hot tools and hair coloring, and Moroccanoil Color Continue shampoo and conditioner, to lengthen the life of my highlight color.
Detangler/Heat Protectant: The Bumble & Bumble Invisible Oil Primer is 100%. I’ve chatted about this on the blog for over four years and many of you have purcahsed! It’s always a repeat buy for me and I hardly stray for a couple reasons. First, it is a two-in-one. You spray it on your damp hair after showering as a detangler, but now your hair is all prepped for hot tools because it’s also a heat protectant! Secondly, since it blocks UV rays, I also spritz it on my hair before a pool or beach day to protect my strands. I also love that it’s very light product that doesn’t weight down your hair! Sephora often has the mini travel size as an option to redeem with points so keep your eyes out if you want to test it without spending money 🙂
Blow Dry Cream: To reduce frizz around my hairline, I use this Oribe Straing Away Smoothing Cream. If you develop frizzies or curls on your hairline from sleeping or humidity, this is a great product to try. To activate it, you need to blow dry so I apply a dime size amount on the hair around my hairline and blow dry with a round brush. I see a huge reduction in hairline frizzies when I use it.
Volumizing Mousse: Game changer! I’ve used this DryBar volumizing mousse for three years now and it’s a staple in my book. It’s a super light product that will provide a nice bounce and volume without any stiffness.
Dry Shampoo: Of course in between my Peloton classes and outdoor summer runs, I need to maintain my hair since I don’t wash it every day. I’ve received so many questions from you guys on how I keep my hair looking great in between washes!
My trick? Spray your hair with dry shampoo before you work out. While you work out, some of your sweat will be absorbed!
I have tried SO MANY dry shampoos and most don’t do anything. Out of the countless bottles and brands I’ve tried, I have two favorites.
I use Living Proof dry shampoo for maintenance every morning in between washing my hair because it’s the only dry shampoo that actually cleans your hair. You won’t receive any product built up or white residue. Any oil or sweat will be ZAPPED and gone.
I also love Batiste dry shampoo. This is the product I suggest using as a pre-work out dry shampoo because the powder can sit on your roots and then sucks up oil and sweat as you work out.
It’s truly the best drugstore dry shampoo and, in my opinion, beats out 99% of the dry shampoos on Sephora’s shelves. Just spray, then work out! Unlike Living Proof, it does spray white [which goes away after you work it in] and you can get some product build up after 4ish days, but honestly I like that at times for more volume!
Anti-Humidity Spray: Another layer of protection against the summer humidity is by using Oribe’s Anti-Humidity spray. All Oribe’s scents were made by Tom Ford so naturally this spray smells superb, but more importantly acts as a shield against wet air to protect your styled hair. While pricey, it actually works and the bottle lasts a really long time, especially if you’re a New Englander only need to use it two months of the year like me! Southerners may go through it faster 😛
TOOLS
Curling Wand: T3 Whirl Trio
Straightener: Chi Ceramic (on sale!)
Blow Dryer: DryBar Buttercup
Round Brush: DryBar Full Pint
Teasing Comb: DryBar Texas Tease
Hair Brush: Tangle Teezer
Ponytail Holder: Goody Sport (why I love them here)
Sleeping Ponytail Holder: Invisibobble
Curling Iron/Wand: I swear by T3. You guys know I am skeptical on clothing or beauty products that are super hyped up. T3 is most certainly a brand that everyone talks about, but for a reason. Once I purchased this curling wand, I was sold! My curls last SO MUCH LONGER! I don’t know how they do it. I was never a ‘wand’ user before buying this because my curls would fall after a day. I have the trio set and use the tapered wand barrel basically anytime you’ve seen me wear curls in the last two years.
If you want to buy any T3 products, I suggest waiting for a Sephora Beauty Insider Sale so you can get the tapered wand or the trio set for 15-20% off.
Blow Dryer: If you also have unruly, curly, wavy, thick hair.. I swear by DryBar’s Buttercup Blow Dryer. It saves me SO MUCH time by cutting my dry time in 1/3 and I don’t have frizz that something like a Conair will cause on textured hair! So many of you and my girlfriends have received this blow dryer as a gift or purchased for yourself.
After rough drying, I round brush and give myself a blow out. I do this once a week. It’s such a great item to put on your Christmas or birthday wish list!
I love it so much, I finally go the Baby Buttercup travel sized version one for my work trips. I couldn’t fathom washing my hair without it and was constantly taking up 1/4 of my carry on luggage with it, so this one has been clutch. The travel one has a little less UMPH than the full size power, but still is drastically better than any blow dryer I’ve used.
Straightener: Honestly, I’m still using my Chi that I got for Christmas my freshman year of high school ha! So since it’s over 10 years old, I highly suggest it! It’s on sale for under $70 here.
I hope this blog post was helpful! I hve gotten so many requests for it. If you have additional questions, leave them in the comment box below and I will get back to you. Xo Mindy
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