Talking All Things Hair
One of the most common questions I get online is about my hair, and my hair is not something that I've always felt that confident about. Because it's so thin and fine I never thought anybody would admire it but like I said, it's always a question that I get asked. My hair has changed quite a lot over the past few years and it's been the quite the journey to get it to the point where it is today and this is most confident that I've felt with my hair in years. So here are all the details on my hair from how I get it cut to what brushes that I use to how I get those messy curls.
CUT & COLOUR
I wrote an entire post about why I decided to get all my hair chopped off and go over to the long blunt bob life. It was a long process for me starting at the end of 2016 when I'd finally had enough of my nearly belly button length hair and I gradually went shorter and shorter. And this January when I started my Matrix blogger collaboration I went to the shortest length I've been in years. Not being so swamped with hair was so refreshing not to mention that it takes so much less effort to wash and style it. I talk more about my decision to get my hair cut and where I get it done in this post;
During my last appointment at YK Hair Nottingham, I decided to take the plunge and put a little bit of colour through my ends with the help of Niall who is looking after my hair in 2018, having somebody understand your needs and wants is so important . I've had my natural colour for a good 4 or so years now and I love my natural colour during the cooler months but as soon as the sun comes out my hair starts to turn a really odd shade in places so I wanted to make things a little more uniform as well as add some depth with the use of balayage and I love the results. It's so subtle but it still makes such a difference to my overall appearance and the great thing about this type of colour is that it's so low maintenance. It's all too easy to get carried away looking at Pinterest at hair ideas and thinking they would look amazing but you have to be realistic with yourself and what you can achieve. For me, I know I'm lazy with my hair so something that needs touching up every few weeks isn't ever going to work well for me.
WASHING
Even though my hair is shorter something that I'm still doing is washing it every 4 days and I'm glad that I can still do that as I'm lazy with my tresses, we all know this. Something new I'm doing with my washing process is I'm not using a conditioner that much. I found with much shorter hair it was becoming weighed down so sometimes I'll skip it entirely and then when I do use it then I have to use the smallest amount. I've been using a few Matrix products and one of them is one of the first ever beauty products that featured on this blog 7 years ago. So here are all the details on my washing process right now;
Because I've added some colour to my hair to keep it looking fresh and light I make sure I use a silver shampoo so it stops it going brassy. During my time as a white blonde 8 years ago I went through all the purple shampoo's and the best one I ever found was from Matrix, who knew all these years later I'd be working with them? It kicks all brassiness to the curb but it doesn't turn your hair blue or dry it out, which is a common issue with shampoos like this. You only need a tiny amount for this product to work its magic so if you're a fellow balayage girl this will last months.
Of course, you know my sad lifeless locks need something that is volumising. I've been testing out this product from Matrix and it's a good one. There are so many products out there that say they can give volume and lift but it's rare that they actually do. This not only cleans the hair and leaves it feeling fresh, but it still hydrates and gives a good amount of lift at the root as well as making the ends feel a little denser too.
Davines The Spotlight Circle Hair Mask*
Like I said, I've not been using conditioner as I found it was weighing my hair down but using a tiny amount of this mask works so well. I've been a loyal Davines user for years now and I absolutely love their products, no matter what I've used they always work well and this mask is no exception. It leaves the ends of my hair feeling fresh, revived and hydrated which is so important now I use much more heat on it. So often hair masks can take ages to get to work on the hair but even within a couple of minutes, this makes a difference. And aside from the wonderful formulation of this conditioner the way it's packaged is so good for travel, it would be the perfect product for a summer holiday when your hair is out in the sun and in the sea.
styling
I've really honed in on the styling process of my hair and now I've got the entire thing down to a T. When I've washed my hair and it's damp I will spray in a leave-in conditioner or hydrating treatment to lock in the moisture and then I leave it to dry naturally overnight. Sometimes if I need to then I will roughly blow dry it but in general, I tend to leave it to dry naturally as if I don't need to use heat on it then I won't. To achieve my messy curls I have a very simple process, I use the Toni & Guy* travel curler. This works so well because it's a thick but short barrel so it's ideal for shorter hair but if you have longer than shoulder length hair you might struggle a little with this, I used to use the Enrapture Totem Styler which is a wonderful heat tool. The steps I take to style my hair are;
- Split the hair into two sections.
- Pick up the hair and curl whilst leaving an inch or so of hair out of the curler to create a more relaxed curl.
- Go through your entire head curling the hair in different directions.
- Finish with hair spray.
- Brush through the curls with a wide brush or a Tangle Teezer* and use the volumising spray of your choice.
STYLING PRODUCTS
I try not overload my hair with a lot of products as things to tend to build up quickly. So my general go-to routine is a leave conditioner like the Davines OI All In One Milk* or the Matrix Miracle Treat 12*. As well as a volumising spray when my hair is damp, I'm currently using the Phytovolume Actif*, such a good one for helping maintain volume for more than a few hours. Then when my hair is styled I use the following;
Davines Your Hair Assistant Polish and Separation Spray*
Because my hair so fine, even when I put it into curls it tends to want to all sit together in one clump which isn't a good look. So I want something that can help my hair achieve that piecy textured look and define my waves as well as add shine. Enter this product from Davines, I've used many sprays like this but this is definitely one of my favourites because it does it all and it doesn't leave the hair feeling sticky or stiff and it can still move around.
Davines Strong Hold Hair Spray*
For years, I stopped using hairspray as it made my hair look terrible but as I do curl it and want my curls to really stay in then I need a good hairspray and it's a product that I'm really fussy with. It has to be stronghold but it needs to be lightweight and something that I can brush out and of course not sticky at all. This hairspray from Davines* is absolutely wonderful and if you hate the typical hairspray feel this is something that you will more than likely enjoy. I've been using it for months and there is still so much left which is important when you're spending a little bit of money on a product.
What are your favourite hair products at the moment?
- my collaboration with Matrix is not paid nor is this post sponsored -
