“There’s more to life than hair, but it’s a good place to start…” It doesn’t matter what I’m wearing, if my hair isn’t right, nothing is. I went through my fair share of DIY-projects when it comes to hair care – there was the time I poured a six pack beer onto my head, massaged my scalp with mayonnaise or ironed my hair with an actual iron. The past twenty years saw an evolution from bright and curly redhead over obsessive hair-product hoarder to natural waves with a minimum of effort. For me, good hair starts with happy healthy locks, and this is how I do it.
1. Daily essentials / Clean hair is key, and although I often rely on the magic powers of dry shampoo I prefer the feeling of clean washed hair over anything. The shampoos and conditioners I use on a semi-daily basis constantly change, but right now I’m using the Sheer Blonde line by John Frieda and am pretty pleased about it. It’s for natural or colour-treated blondes and although I do not classify myself as ‘a blonde’, I do have a few blondish highlights in my hair that look fresher after using the Everlasting Blonde products.
Try to avoid piling on the shampoo and just focus on washing the roots of your hair, as the lengths can’t really get greasy anyway. I rinse with warm water and dry off my hair a bit before applying the conditioner. Stay away from the roots and massage the conditioner onto the lengths and ends of your hair – the spots that need conditioning. I conclude my washing ritual with cold water to rinse out the last bits of product, and to increase blood flow which will help against hair loss.
2. Special treatment / At least once a week I try to treat my locks with an extra dose of care – I love the Aussie hair product line and have been an avid fan of their 3 Minute Miracle hair masks ever since I first discovered them during a trip to London. I’m currently using the Luscious Long deep treatment which is basically a love potion for long locks. The combination of eucalyptus extract and avocado oil smells divine and leaves my hair as smooth as can be. Whenever I don’t have three minutes to spare I spray some of the Miracle Recharge conditioning spray. It’s a lightweight leave-in conditioner that adds volume (and a great scent) to your hair. I use it by spraying a few puffs right onto my roots, which I then massage with my fingertips. Va-va-volume!
3. Tangle teezer / Meet my holy grail: the Tangle Teezer! Advertised as the professional detangling hairbrush, this pretty pink pal does exactly what it claims. It untangles your hair fast and pain-free, without the risk of breaking off hair. I bought my first Tangle Teezer over a year ago at Boots in London, and even bought a second one a month ago – I truly recommend this brush over other ones if you have long hair or hair that easily entangles. Find them at certain hairdressers or order them cheaper
online here.
4. Tools / My army of hair tools, aka the holy trinity. Whenever I feel like straight hair I turn to my Remington flat iron. Its Keratin therapy infused blades leave my hair super shiny and straight, without making it look dried out. I might use it to straighten only a few strands of hair and leaving the rest of it in their natural wave to create a messy look. Most of the time I go for the 15-minute routine of curling my hair. I wait until my hair is completely dry, either by letting it dry naturally or using the powerful Philips SalonDry blow-dryer. I then divide my hair into separate strands and start curling my hair from the neck and up. I’ll take a strand from approx. 5 centimeters, wrap it around the wand of my Braun curling iron and leave it for 3-4 seconds. If you want your curls more defined, try clipping the curl onto your head after removing the wand and waiting for it to cool off – it’ll make sure the curl stays in shape longer! I usually go through my hair with my hands, combing out the defined curls for a more nonchalant look. I never use any styling products on myself, but I can imagine the benefits of a mousse to keep your curls defined.
5. Love what you’re working with / If there’s any advice I can give about styling and caring for your locks, it’s getting to know your natural hair and try working with it from there on. Don’t try to change your locks into something that’s unreachable for your type of hair – it will only give you a headache, like literally. I loved the heavy ombre trend, but that’s just something that works best on dark hair and not so much on golden-toned locks. Instead I went for some warm highlights to add a bit of depth to my hair colour. I would love to learn about your own styling tips – we can always learn from each other, so please do share your favourite products, styling tools and hairdressers!
Oh and don’t forget: REDHEADS RULE 😉
More posts on my hair experiments:
– Huge Hair | Rag Curls
– Feathers in my Hair
