During my undergrad at Florida State, I was able to work in a hair salon as a receptionist.  This job allowed me to learn so much about different brands and what exactly my hair needed as I was surrounded by talented stylists all day long!  In general, I have curly hair with oily roots.  I used to have very dry hair (probably due to having access to free hair color all of the time!), but I have a few products that truly saved my hair and brought it back to life again.  These products are my must-haves in order to keep my hair soft, healthy, and clean!

Oils

It might seem pretty counterintuitive to put oils on oily hair, but just like oils for the face, these work magic.  My two favorite oils are the Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil and the Verb Ghost Oil.  I love to do one pump of each, mix them together, and apply the oils to my wet hair from the middle of my head by my ears down to my ends.  To me, these oils are similar but different enough that I like to have both.  The Invisible Oil is a thinner, more liquid consistency than the Ghost Oil.  There is a pretty big price difference between these two ($40 for Bumble and Bumble VS $16 for Verb), so if you are just picking one I would go with the Ghost Oil.  I never dry my hair without one of these!  They leave your hair silky soft, and protect your hair from heat!  When my hair was at its driest point, I think that these oils were the key ingredient to restoring shine and softness.

Styling Products for Damp Hair

After I use my oils, I always spray the Living Proof Restore Perfecting Spray all over my damp hair.  I have always had really tangled hair–no matter what I do, brushing it is just a struggle sometimes!  This spray is the best detangler I have used.  Not only does it get rid of any and all knots with a few sprays, it gives strength to damaged hair, provides shine, and it is a heat protectant up to 400 degrees!  I first received this in a sample size, and after I used up the entire little bottle, I knew it was a new holy grail product for me!

Next, I decide whether I am planning to wear my hair curly or straight.  If I want curls, I use a dime sized amount of my Aveda Be Curly Curl Enhancer and scrunch my hair all over.  I love this stuff!  All of Aveda’s products smell amazing, and this one really gives my curls definition without making them crunchy or letting them be frizzy.  If I’m wanting straight hair, I apply Aveda Smooth Infusion Style Prep Smoother.  The main reason I use this product is because it provides 12 hours of defense against humidity–I live in Florida, so this is very essential!

Styling Product for Dry Hair

Whether I am wearing my hair curly or straight, I use this bad boy every day.  If the smell of this product doesn’t sell you right away, then the results will!  This gives you amazing volume with just one spray.  It is an aerosol spray that leaves no cast or residue.  If you want an instant lift at the roots, the Living Proof Dry Volume Blast is the product for you.

Dry Shampoos

If I had to pick my “desert island” hair product, without a doubt it would be dry shampoo.  I depend on this stuff and use it every single day.  I personally use dry shampoo to get rid of oil at my roots, not really to add any texture.  I want dry shampoo to clean my hair and keep it that way throughout my day.  Are these three options pricey?  Yes.  Are they worth it?  Absolutely.  The first one I started using was the Bumble and Bumble Pret a Powder in the small bottle.  The salon I worked at was a Bumble and Bumble salon, so I was able to test out almost all of their products over my time there.  This was the one product I was obsessed with!  It is an actual powder form, and you just sprinkle it in the roots and rub in.  Watch your oil disappear and the volume begin!  Once I started using the newer aerosol dry shampoos, I transitioned this one into my kit that I use on clients and on film sets.  This is still a must-have for me because it works on every hair type and everyone loves it!

Next up is the sister to my beloved Pret a Powder–the Pret a Powder Tres Invisible Dry Shampoo.  This is a fairly new product, but my love for the original brought me to immediately buy this new one.  I love this so much!  What makes this product different is that it is a completely clear dry shampoo.  A lot of people are put off by the white cast that most dry shampoos leave, so this product eliminates that problem.  It really takes away oil and also lifts the roots–a win for me!

The Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo is one of the top rated dry shampoo products for a reason.  Once again, this Living Proof product smells amazing!  I get compliments when I use this!  This does come out as white, but it is easily worked into the hair and the white cast fades away.  What I love about this product is that it actually cleans my hair.  It literally feels like I just washed it!  You wouldn’t even know I had used dry shampoo!  So many of these products can leave your hair feeling very gritty and you can no longer run your fingers through your hair–but not this one.  This dry shampoo takes away oil and leaves no trace!

Styling Tool

My favorite way to style my hair is to do the “beachy waves” look with my short hair.  I have tried many different curling irons, and this Bed Head Curlipops 1 1/4 inch Styling Iron is by far the absolute best if you are wanting that messy curly look!  A wand takes getting used to, but I prefer it over a curling iron.  I even used this to do big loose curls on a bride recently!

My hair styled with the curling wand!

These are my favorite hair products that I can’t be without!  Let me know if you’ve tried any of these or what some of your must-haves are!