Mastering The Beachy Wave
Typically the topic of beauty is reserved for the week over on this part of the internet but after getting a flurry of questions in my DM’s about my hair. I thought I’d do a little bit of an update as my hair has certainly changed a lot over the past few months. Going gradually lighter and lighter has meant that I’ve needed up my haircare game as well as continue to work on mastering the beachy wave and I think I’m finally there, well for now anyway…
WASHING
When my hair was shorter I struggled to stick to my 4-day wash schedule as I found it was getting greasier and greasier but now it’s back to shoulder length I’m good to go for a 4-day rotation. I’m not all too fussy when it comes to my shampoo and I’m currently using up the Matrix Colour Obsessed Shampoo*, I try not to use anything too clarifying at the moment as my hair is coloured so this shampoo is ideal for me. It cleanses the hair just enough to remove any dirt or grime without stripping away any moisture as well as adding shine. Something that is really important for me come A/W is making sure my hair has enough moisture otherwise it’s static city and this has definitely been helping in the transitional period. To keep my blonde looking fresh and kick out of any brassy tones I’m still using this product from Infuse My Colour*. I tend to coat my ends in this rather than massaging it in as it doesn’t lather and I tend to get more of an ashy outcome when using this method. Typically toning products can be a little drying but this isn't at all which is what you want when you’ve put any bleach near your tresses.
For conditioner and treatments I’ve been switching between the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer* and the Garnier Ultimate Blends Mask*. If my hair is feeling really rough then I’ll slather the PK on my hair dry and leave it to sit for a few hours, I know this isn’t technically how you’re meant to use it but it’s the way I find it’s best on my hair. For me now the PK is my go to when my hair is in dire need of a bit of everything, it makes my tresses feel like they’ve spent the day being pampered in the salon when they haven’t. And although nothing will ever repair damaged hair this does a great job at keeping things looking smooth and nourished. Then for in the shower for a quick boost of moisture this mask from Garnier is brilliant, it’s silicone free so it doesn’t weigh your hair down or give you the illusion of moisture and the smell of almonds is absolutely heavenly. I use this in place of a regular conditioner in my routine as even though it’s a mask it’s not too heavy that you can’t use it when you’re an infrequent washer.
After I’ve washed my hair I try and keep my products to a minimum as otherwise, I find this tends to make my hair a little greasy if I’m not careful. The Phyto Volume Spray* and their Split End Cream* are my go-to duo right now as they work wonderfully together. The spray gives my hair a good amount of lift and texture at the root so it’s not as flat as a pancake which is its usual state. It’s not the most amazing volumising spray out there but it’s also not the worst so it’s not one I think I’d ever go back to it when I run out of current volumsing spray stash. But the split end cream is wonderful, it’s quite a liquidy cream that you only need a small amount to reap the benefits of. Obviously, it cannot repair anything as that’s not possible but it smoothes down the ends and I almost feel like it protects my ends as even when my hair is air dried the ends never look ratty. Generally, I prefer an oil to smooth out the ends but this is a lovely product and one I highly recommend.
STYLING
I’m a loyal Tangle Teezer* user and have been for around 6 years now so I was overjoyed when they released brushes with a handle. As we all know what it’s like when the brush flies out of your hand so that isn’t an issue anymore. I’ve waxed lyrical about why I love them so much but basically, they get all the knots out of my hair with minimal pulling and make brushing a joy rather than a dreaded event. I almost always air dry my hair so then I’m straight onto styling in the AM, if I’m not doing anything then I may run my GHD styler* through to get rid of any kinks but otherwise, I always curl my hair. I’m still using the Toni & Guy Travel Curler*, this is the absolute best for short hair and my curling method is simple. A good size chunk of hair and never clamp the hair at the end, you need to move the tool up a little to leave the end out otherwise the hair is too curly then bypassing the beachy wave. I always curl in alternating directions as that way your hair doesn’t clump together as one curl as that is often the case when I do that. Once you’ve done that and the hair has cooled then all you need to do is brush through and you’re done. Although it’s not a necessary step I love to go in with a texture spray and I’m currently using this from Colour Wow*. It’s a great 2 in 1 as I find it not only adds texture and definition but it also gives hold too but doesn’t leave the hair sticky at all. Then for the days where my hair is nearing the end of its wash cycle then I will use the Bed Head Oh Bee Hive* which is not only incredible for freshening the hair up but adding texture too, and it smells absolutely incredible which is perfect if your hair isn’t smelling too wonderful anymore. In general, I don’t wear my hair up but if I do then I’ve been using the Slip Scrunchie*. Obviously, this is only at home but it’s nice to know that when I do tie my hair back that it’s using something that isn’t going to cause any damage.
