I was just following my usual hair care routine when I realised I used so many different products so thought I would give you a run down of some of my favourites and some that I kind of regret buying. I just love big hair, the more volume the better. I love the saying "the higher your hair, the closer you are to Heaven".
I normally back comb my hair like crazy, which I know is bad as it can snap my hair, but once I spend time looking after it and getting it trimmed every so often I think I am alright - if your a hairdresser your probably saying otherwise!
I think the basis to good hair is a good shampoo and conditioner, I sometimes find it hard to find a brand that suits my hair type as I tend to have hair that gets greasy pretty quickly but I also get a bit of dandruff from time to time - I guess it would be a miracle shampoo that would combat both at once! I used to just go for the shampoos which had a nice smell but now I try to pick one that actually has some benefit for my hair. I tried the Aussie brand a while back, I know it can be pricey but I shop around so often or not it will be on special in Boots or Tesco. I like the Mega Shampoo and Conditioner, it leaves my hair pretty glossy and has a nice smell. It is supposed to eliminate build up on your scalp so I like it for that quality aswell.
I also use the Pantene Volume & Body. It is says it is for fine hair, which I don't have, but I wanted to see if it actually was any good for giving body. It works well when I have the time to blow dry my hair, but sometimes I just run the straighteners through my hair if I am in a hurry, so then I just like it for the fresh smell.
As I said I sometimes suffer from dry scalp, I think this could be due to an over use of hairspray or something, but it was starting to bother me so I tried using Head & Shoulders for a while but if I am honest I didn't see much of a difference so I decided to try Neutrogena T/Gel. this has worked wonders and I now only have to use it maybe once a week in between my regular shampoo and conditioner. The liquid is clear so it was a bit tricky to photograph, hope you can see it.
My new FAVOURITE hair product is John Frieda Sheer Blonde Go Blonder spray...bit of a mouth full there. I have naturally fair hair but I get highlights aswell. I had heard this was good for lightening the roots in between salon visits, and OMG does it work well!! I just wash my hair like normal then spray this through the roots when wet, I'm not particular where I spray it so it is literally fool proof. I haven't had my highlights done since November so I had roots, but since using this I can honestly say I probably won't need to get them done now for a while. It took about 3 to 4 uses before I noticed a real difference, so if you try it once and don't see much of difference, have patience. I tend to wash my hair every second day or there abouts so I don't use it after every wash, maybe just once or twice a week is more than enough. I'm not sure how this works if you have naturally dark hair which is coloured blonde, let me know if your using it on dark roots.
When I am not using my Go Blonder spray I use Charles Worthington Front Row blow dry spray. I don't really like to use moose as it leaves my hair a bit crispy so instead I just spray a bit of this in the roots when my hair is wet and blow dry like normal. It works well when you turn your head upside down when drying.
My Mam got me a really nice hamper from the hair salon for Christmas and in it was the Uniq One spray. I had seen this in salon windows and there was a bit of hype about it. It can only be bought in salons so it is probably expensive but I think it could be worth it. I honestly wasn't sure what it was, but it is actually an all in one hair care treatment. Again it is just spray which goes on to wet hair before blow drying. I really love the smell of this spray and the great thing it actually stays on your hair even after straightening and putting on hairspray. It has left my hair super soft and I actually feel like my hair is much healthier since using it. I would definitely recommend this if you hair is in need of some instant TLC as it works straight away. The bottle I got is pretty big and I spray it all over my hair but I only seem to have used a small amount so far so it will last a good while.
Another product which I had heard a lot of people talking about was Moroccan Oil so like most people I jumped on the band waggon and headed for the shops to get some, turns out it is pretty expensive so I was less eager to try it. Instead I looked for other brands doing their own version of it and I found Lee Staffords Arganoil from Morocco - which I guess is pretty much the same thing. I literally used one drop and rubbed it between my hands and just combed my fingers through the ends of my wet hair. It too works really well leaving a nice glossy finish and my hair feeling soft. I'm lucky that my hair is in generally good condition so I only use this every so often but if your hair is broken I think this could really help. It can be used on dry hair also but I haven't actually tried it like that yet.
After I have used all my lotions and potions and created a big hair look to rival Bridget Bardot I always use my fail safe hairspray L'Oreal Elnett. I don't have a favourite hold, at the moment I am using Supreme Hold. I normally go for the stronger hold rather than natural hold as I feel it keeps my hair in place much better but also lets it move freely without looking frozen. I normally keep a small can in my handbag on nights out as well just in case I need a touch up. I have tried plenty of other hairsprays after seeing adverts and reading other reviews but I really just love this brand, it doesn't leave your hair looking wet and is easily just brushed out.
Sometimes I just like to use a hair serum instead of hairspray if I am leaving my hair straight or have dried it naturally and wanted to just define the wave. I have been using the John Frieda Frizz-Ease Flawless Finishing Creme. I just need a tiny pea sized amount in my hand which I just run through the ends of my hair. It takes away that frizzy static look and still allows my hair to move without leaving it like straw. Another product which was in my hamper from my Mam was the Semi Di Lino Cristalli Liquidi. This again is a salon brand. It is a really luxurious product, it is more of an oil than a cream but again it really finishes the look if your wearing your hair straight, it stops any fly away hairs and really leaves the hair glossy and shiny. This glass bottle will literally last forever as again you only need the tiniest amount in your hair.
I know many of you will disagree with my next product when I say the name, it's Batiste Dry Shampoo. I know its main purpose is to give a clean look to the hair if your between washes, but I don't really use it for that. I normally use it on my roots when backcombing as it helps give volume to the hair, it dries the root which gives it a real lift. I don't use it all the time, just when I want some extra added volume but I think it is a good product for this purpose, I have recently purchased the Big and Bouncy XXL Volume but if I am honest the original type is just as good.
I just have a few different types of brushes and combs which I use, firstly I have a paddle brush which is good for just day to day brushing, I am currently just using one which I got in Primark, it is the exact same as the pricier brands and doesn't break my hair like you would think it would seeing as it is so cheap. I also have a large round bristle brush, this is good for blow drying my hair, it gives a good lift from the root as it is big, I think I just got this in a chemist. I then have my most favourite brush, my Denman backcombing brush. I searched high and low for one of these but eventually found one in Tesco believe it or not. It was a little pricey but if I lost this brush I think it would be like loosing my left arm. Obviously this is an excellent brush for back combing but also for smoothing out the top when finished. It's also pink which makes it even nicer. My favourite comb is my pin tail comb from Boots, this is really good at getting super straight splits as well as getting into the root when backcombing. Lastly I have my little pink heart detangler, again this brush is from Primark, I bought this solely on the grounds of it being pink and in the shape of a heart. I have really knotty hair so I thought I would try it out on wet hair and it worked so well, I couldn't believe it. Definitely worth buying.
I have a few products which I have tried and tested and honestly feel like they were a bit of a waste so thought I would share them with you also, in case you were going to get them too. Firstly I got the Lee Stafford My Big Fat Textured Super Hair. It's a thick formula at the bottom and more watery on top so you need to shake the bottle to mix the product up. I found this left my hair a bit sticky and clumpy. I guess if I used maybe a little less it could work but I don't think it was worth buying. I also have Schwarzkopf Got2B Powder'ful. This is a powder which you sprinkle onto the roots to give extra body and volume and supposed to give you big hair. Instead it left a really horrible texture on my hair, didn't give any extra volume and left me feeling like I needed to wash my hair all over again. I wouldn't buy this again. Finally I got the Umberto Giannini Backcomb In A Bottle. I thought this was going to be my wonder product and save me from hours of endless backcombing but instead it's just a dry shampoo. I think the makers also liked the volume a dry shampoo gave but knew most people would stay clear of it so instead put a different name on it. I only got the travel size so I didn't waste loads. I guess this isn't bad but I won't rush back for more.
There's so many different brands and eve hair types out there that I know not everyone is going to love some of these products but hopefully I have given you some ideas on how to treat your hair. Let me know what products you like or special techniques in getting super big hair!
Sinead x
