When things get hairy...

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair. I'll admit it, I'm a long hair lover, I envy Rapunzel and her animated, luscious locks. I've had long hair for most of my life, I typically keep my hair to about my mid-back with long layers, a few angles in the front and longer side bangs. When my hair is long, I find it to be really important to keep it healthy looking, otherwise it can start to look really stringy and dull.

 

Drugstore hair care can be really shotty. Many people only trust the products they find in the salon because most of the time, they comes at the recommendation of their stylist. A hair stylist must know what's best, right? I've tried and like many salon products, the bad news here is that these products tend to run at double the price of drugstore products and when you have hair as long as mine, they get used really quickly. The more hair you have, the more product you need. The good news, however, is that I have found some drugstore products over the years that really work for me and that are great deals and I'm here to share them with you.

Firstly, hair care products:

1. Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion
    I've been using this conditioner for a few months now and I really like the way that it makes my hair look smooth and feel moisturized. This doesn't leave a build-up or residue-y feeling in my hair and it smells nice. I also use the Heat Defense Leave in Conditioner from this line sometimes when I feel that my hair is extra dry, like during the change of the seasons. Lastly I use the Smooth & Shine Serum from this line on my dry hair (after a blow dry) to tame fly aways and make the appearance of split ends less obvious. All of these products have really worked for my hair and the best news is they each only cost between 3 and 4 dollars!

2. Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Moroccan Sleek Oil Treatment
    I bought this once when I couldn't find the Suave Smooth & Shine Serum at Rite Aid and desperately needed a serum. I usually like the smell of Garnier products and this is no different, it smells nice and has a hint of that specific "Moroccan oil" smell. It's not too greasy in the hair as long as you only use a small amount (as is standard with most serums). I believe it cost around 6 or 7 dollars, which is not bad for the amount of product you get, 3.75 fl oz, which is a little more than the Suave's 2 oz.

3. Tresemme Split Remedy Leave-In Split End Conditioning Treatment
    This product is meant to conceal the look of your split ends making them look smooth and fused together. The over all effect is smoother, less frizzy looking hair. It does not remedy your split ends, as only a trim can do that, but it certainly helps the frizzy ends of hair that may be over due for a cut look better. I use about 4 pumps of this from the middle of my hair to the ends. You get 6 oz of product in this for around 6 dollars which is a good deal. I have found that one bottle lasts a fairly long time, I do not use it every day but I've had the same bottle for a few months now and it is still quite full.

4. got2b Guardian Angel Flat Iron Balm
    This is a heat protectant that is supposed to protect your hair while heat styling with up to 425 degrees of heat. It says it's a flat iron balm but I also use it when curling. I like this one as opposed to other heat protection products because it smells really good. I don't use it if I blow dry but after I blow dry if I'm going to flat iron or curl my hair I spray it all throughout my hair, focusing on the ends where my hair is more likely to break or split, and comb it through. I let it dry a little so my hair doesn't sizzle on the flat iron and then I just style as usual. It doesn't leave my hair feeling brittle or dry or like it is weighed down by product.

5. Tresemme Tres Two Ultra Fine Mist Hair Spray
    Tresemme hairspray has always worked for me, though I'm not too picky when it comes to hairspray. I do use hairspray every day but as long as it's an aerosol, doesn't smell terrible, or leave my hair feeling stiff, I'll probably like it. I've used this particular one for a very long time because it doesn't have that terrible 80's Aquanet smell. I liek the "ultra fine mist" because it doesn't leave big drops of hairspray in my roots (where I usually spray) making my hair look clumpy. I get it in the number 3 rather than the number 4 because I don't care for a super strong hold. I find the 3 works just as well without being extra stiff whether I'm wearing my hair up or down. I can get the extra tall can of this hairspray at Wal-Mart for around 4 or 5 dollars and I think it's a lot of product for the money.

Secondly, hair styling tools:

1. Revlon Perfect Heat Mineral Conditioning Curling Iron
    I use this iron in 1" most of the time, although I also have it in 2". I love wearing my hair curly but I'm not picky when it comes to the iron I use. I have tried many irons and wands and I find this iron to be just as good as most for about $15. It heats up quickly, in about 30 seconds (but I typically give it a minute or two to heat up anyway), has a long cord that can spin at the base so it's less likely to get tangled while you style, has multiple heat settings and has automatic shutoff. This iron is tourmaline ceramic so it's supposed to be better for the health of your hair than the old metal irons. I use this iron to curl in two ways, traditionally with the clip, and as a wand by wrapping my hair over the clip. (Tutorials to come)

With hair curled traditionally with the clip:

With hair wrapped around the barrel over the clip (wand-style):

2. Revlon Smooth Stay 1.5-Inch Titanium Hair Straightener
    While I do like a more high end flat iron most of the time, I have found that this iron works well for around 20 bucks. I have actually found myself reaching for this iron over my other ones lately. I got it with the 1.5 inch plates instead of the 1 inch plates because all of my other irons are 1 inch. With really long hair I think the 1.5 inch plates help me get through my hair faster, perhaps this is why I've been using it more. This heats up quickly and has multiple heat settings. The downside to this size plate is it is difficult to do flat iron curls so I will not use this iron for that. All in all, a good product for the money.

3. Conair Styling Essentials Spiral Rollers Set
    This set comes with 18 spiral rollers, I got the set with half medium (pink) and half small (blue) rollers. These rollers create really tight curls, think Taylor Swift curls. They are foam so they are more comfortable to sleep in. If I don't want to style my hair with heat but don't want to just wear it up in a pony tail I will often just shower at night, let my hair air dry just about completely (my hair is super thick and won't dry otherwise), and put these in. They are easy to use, just grab a section of hair, hold the rod vertically, wrap the section of hair down around the rod from root to tip and fold the rod over on the top and the bottom. As I mentioned, I have really thick hair, so I do need to use all 18 rods. In the morning when I take them out my hair is SUPER curly so I let the curls fall and pull them out a little individually and just spray with hairspray. These cost around 12-15 dollars and can be used over and over again. The effect I get is pictured below.