June 21, 2017
After tons of requests, I am finally sharing my holy grail hair care products today and why I love each of them. I can’t tell you how many purchases (and returns!) I have made to Target and Sephora searching for the best products that work for my hair, and really just work at all. There are so many hair products out there that claim to do something and don’t, so I hope today’s post helps you find something that works well for your hair and saves you from wasting money in the process! I’ve broken it down into three parts and included what I use for each: Cleansing, Wet Hair, and Dry Hair.
Let me just start this off by saying that absolutely none of this post is sponsored, and it’s all just based on what I use on an everyday basis. But after trying more dry shampoos than I can count, and almost equal amounts of shampoo and conditioner combos, Living Proof is hands down the king of clean when it comes to hair! There is none that compares.
My obsession started with their Perfect Hair Day ‘Dry Shampoo’ about a year ago. I had been using Suave dry shampoo from Target (still the best drug store option in my opinion) for the longest time and because Daniel couldn’t stand the smell any longer, I decided to give this a try based on the girl at Sephora’s recommendation. Needless to say, I have never gone back. I think the price tag is well worth it, and there is a HUGE difference. After this dry shampoo rocked my world, I thought that maybe the reason I thought it was so great was because I had only been using drugstore options up until this point. So I ventured out and tried others from Sephora, like Moroccan Oil, Dry Bar, and Ouai. In my opinion, none come close to the clean feeling that Living Proof leaves you with. And if you have fine hair, it won’t leave you with that thick residue that makes your hair feel instantly dirty! It really just feels clean!
Just a tip about dry shampoo: I always put mine in my hair at night before I go to sleep. This allows it to absorb the oils that are created while you sleep and leaves you with clean feeling hair in the morning without the powdery residue.
After seriously falling in love with their dry shampoo (haha!), I decided to give their Perfect Hair Day Shampoo and Conditioner a try. If you have thin or fine hair, or just hair that gets oily or greasy quickly, this will be a lifesaver for you. I have to use dry shampoo every day after the day I actually wash my hair because of how oily it gets, but since I switched to this shampoo I can now go three days in between washes (well, four if I wear my hair up on the last day). That’s saying a lot coming from a girl who used to wash her hair every single day! If you have dry hair, I probably wouldn’t recommend it, just because of how clean it gets your hair. It may strip oils you need!
Before I brush out my hair after a shower, I spray this 12 Benefits spray all over it. Not only is it a heat protectant, but it helps to repair damage and detangle like a leave in conditioner. This is a fairly new product to me, but so far I am loving it. My mom recommended it to me after I told her I wasn’t loving the one I had been using. It’s available with Prime shipping on Amazon here, which makes it super convenient, and the reviews are amazing! A lot of people say it works wonders for frizz as well.
I seriously don’t know how people live without a Wet Brush. If your hair tangles easily, or you have a hard time brushing it out when you get out of the shower, this will be a game changer for you! It cuts the amount of time it takes to brush my hair out in half and does so much less damage. And they’re available at Target for like $10. I also use their clips to hold up sections of my hair while I dry.
Because my hair is super fine, it doesn’t have much natural volume, so I always add something to thicken it up before I blowdry. This thickening mousse by Bumble + Bumble is my favorite! I squirt a handful into the palm of my hand and then rub it into the roots at the top of my head where I want more volume. It makes a night and day difference.
This is a product I’ve been using since I was a teenager and one I never go without. It eliminates all the frizz I have and leaves my hair feeling so silky and smooth without weighing it down. I use Moroccan Oil both before I dry my hair, as well as once it’s dry and curled.
After blow drying my hair (you can see more about how I do it in this post), I use a curling wand to give it some loose waves. Most days I am looking for a relaxed look, so I use the 1.5” barrel on my t3 Mirco wand. I love this t3 wand because it is a 3-in-1 and comes with three different barrels you can switch out depending on the look you are going for. My favorite for loose waves is the 1.5” (probably would only work for longer hair) and my favorite for more structured curls is the 1.25” tapered barrel. It does come with a 1” barrel as well, which would work great for shorter hair! It is a bit pricey, but the fact that you get three different options makes it completely worth it if you are looking to invest in a quality curling iron.
I can’t limit it to just one of these, because I have so many good ones I love! My number one favorite, and the one I tend to reach for daily is the Oribe ‘Dry Texturizing Spray’. I spray it all over my curls after I’m done and then run my fingers through it. This is a really lightweight spray that doesn’t leave my hair feeling like it has a ton of product in it. It has a light hold, but not too strong.
If I’m going for a heavier hold, I reach for Dry Bar’s ‘Triple Sec’. I have quite a few friends that use this as a dry shampoo as well, so it works as a two-in-one for them, but because my hair is on the more oily side it’s not enough. I use it to give texture and body! I have a lighter hand with this one because it can leave my hair feeling full of product if I use too much, but it does have a bigger and fuller effect than the Oribe spray.
Lastly, this Living Proof ‘Dry Volume Blast’ is a godsend for fine haired girls! My hair falls flat easily and quickly, but a quick spritz of this to the crown of my head and my roots gives it so much life. I like to lift my hair up in sections and spray it into the root area at the crown of my head.
What hair products do you swear by for full, shiny, and healthy hair? I would love to hear!
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I enjoyed this post so much!! I really loved hearing about products that you actually use, and not just products you are gifted to blog about. So thank you for that!!
I use a T3 dryer and I would never use any other one. I think they are the best when it comes to hair care, I haven’t bit the bullet yet to get a curling iron, but maybe in the next few months! I use One Love Organics dry shampoo which I swear by, but I have heard so many good thing about Living Proof, I might just need to try it now!
Hi Nicole! I am so glad you loved it! I completely agree that the T3 dryer is the best I’ve ever used and I will never go back either. I think you’ll feel the same about the curling iron too ;). Hope you have a great rest of your week! xoxo, Daryl-Ann
Hi ) Do you think I can use dry shampoo and straighten hair after? or I need additional protection? Thank you!
Hi Olivia! I definitely think so! It is a pretty dry formula, so it won’t dampen your hair at all 🙂