I have a secret to share with you. Do you want to know what it is? Shh …

So here’s the tea. I’ve never had the best hair. I never had good hair when I was a kid. I never had good hair when I was a teenager (my mom made me cut it super short because she said I didn’t take care of it). I just had no interest in doing anything hair, skin or fashion wise while in college because my focus was on all the million other tasks I was juggling. I never had good hair in my early twenties because I began to lose volume and thickness most likely because of stress and terrible family genes. That all changed once I hit my mid-twenties. I suddenly had serious hair game. I discovered the power of highlights and routine blowouts. I would get a blowout and I would ride the wave of good hair for about 4 days before washing it again. I’m a natural brunette, so I became a blonde after numerous highlights and balayage. Towards the end, I was an icy blonde and I loved it.

My hair in all its blonde fabulousness – 2015

As much as I loved living out my blonde bombshell fantasy, I knew it wasn’t sustainable. My friend, let me tell you, getting highlights and blowouts is super expensive and a lot of upkeep. Fast-foward a few more years to buying a house, getting married, managing two departments at work, and sprouting several dozen gray hairs – I now get my hair cut and colored twice a year. Lazy, low-maintenance routines are my new jam. I may not have the best hair, but I’ve found what is comfortable and manageable. Do you want to know what my tried-and-true and current go-tos are? Keep on reading to find out!

SHAMPOOS & CONDITIONERS

Awapuhi Wild Ginger Moisturizing Lather Shampoo ($22.00) & Keratin Cream Rinse ($23.00)

Awapuhi Wild Ginger is one of the many lines under the Paul Mitchell umbrella. You know what’s super great about it? It’s easily accessible! You can find these products at all Paul Mitchell salons, Ulta, and a plethora of other salons. The price isn’t super-extravagant either. I love the way my hair feels after washing and conditioning with these two products. They were developed to hydrate, repair, and relish strands for healthy-looking hair. They’re super gentle, but have a lot of impact. My hair is always soft, silky, less-frizzy, and feels a little more strengthened after each use. Bonus? They have a signature scent of bergamot, lemon, green tea, lily, ginger, wood and spice. Ideal of color-treated and chemically processed hair.

Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo ($42.00) and Cooling Jelly Conditioner (36.00) used in conjunction with Charcoal + Tea Trea Scalp Treatment ($32.00)

I supplement with this hair system once a week to exfoliate and get rid of excess flakes and product buildup. Briogeo is a little on the pricy side, so I recommend buying the Scalp Revival Scalp Therapy Essentials ($85.00) to save a little. I can’t begin to explain the relief I feel when I massage the shampoo onto my head, and then following with the minty-cool conditioner. It is quite literally a relief. This line is great for detoxifying, soothing, and reducing flakes. I normally follow with the Charcoal + Tea Trea treatment by massaging it into the hairline with the Scalp Revival Stimulating Therapy Massager to encourage blood flow to the scalp. The whole line is also vegan and free of harsh ingredients.

TREATMENTS & MASKS

LUSH Roots Hair Treatment ($22.95)

Here’s a random fact: I worked at Lush for 3 years both in North America and Great Britain. Roots is still one of my favorite hair products from them. I like to take a sizable amount onto my hair and massage onto my scalp, leave in for 30 minutes, and then rinse it out with shampoo. It has peppermint oil which gives a cool and invigorating tingling to the scalp, as well as grapefruit oil which is refreshing and stimulating. I use this once every fortnight to keep my hair super soft and add a little extra oomph in volume and shine. This is perfect for super fine and lifeless hair.

IGK Trust Issues Instant Scalp Treatment ($29)

Sometimes my scalp gets a little itchy and red, particularly in the winter time. This product is a godsend for instant relief. Just shake and spray close to the affected area and feel an immediate cooling and calming sensation. This has two key ingredients of apple cider vinegar to clarify and yuzu lemon which is an anti-inflammatory. I can apply at anytime regardless if my hair is wet or dry. It can also be used as a a pre-styling treatment as a UV protectant. It’s vegan too!

STYLING PRODUCTS

IGK Beach Club Texture Spray ($29)

This is the kind of vegan texture spray I have always wanted. It helps achieve waves and volume without being sticky or weighing the the hair down. I personally like to apply upside down and then flip my hair up and scrunch, curl, scrunch, twist my hair with my fingers. A lot of “sea spray” products with salt can strip the hair, but this spray is safe for chemically-processed hair. It can be applied to wet or dry hair, and has UV protection. I also LOVE the way this smells. It has notes coconut, guava, vanilla, lotus, and violet. Yum!

IGK 30,000 Feet Volume Powder Spray ($32)

I promise you I’m not sponsored by IGK. I just REALLY like their products. IGK, if you’re reading this, feel free to send things my way. Wink. Wink. Nudge. Nudge. Seriously, this volumizing powder is expensive, but worth every penny. When I need a little lift at the root, I just apply this powder and BAM – instant volume and density. The secret ingredient is betonite clay. Like all IGK products, this one is also vegan.

IGK Speechless ($27)

This vegan dry oil finishing spray can be used on hair and body. Infused with avocado and alma oils, it’s perfect to get rid of fly-aways and frizz, while adding shine. It’s weightless, too. It’s my last step in my hair care styling routine.

Drybar Detox Dry Shampoo ($23)

The Drybar Detox Dry Shampoo is probably one of the best vegan dry shampoos on the market. It has micro-fine rice powder that is great at absorbing oil and leaves minimal residue in hair. I can normally get away with not washing my hair for 2-3 days with using this product. It’s also infused with golden root extract to increase moisture and prevent dryness and breakage.

TOOLS

T3 Featherweight Luxe 2i ($250)

This is the most expensive beauty item that I own and I do not regret buying it. I’ve had it for over a year and it still performs just as well as it did the first time I used it. The Featherweight Luxe is an ionic, tourmaline blow-dryer that is lightweight, cuts dry time in half, and makes hair shiny. I don’t always heat-style my hair, but when I do I use this. It also came with a large, round ceramic brush that I still use to reduce frizz and add bounce. I’m sad that this version is no longer available for sale, but I can attest to the fact that T3 has probably some of the best cruelty-free blow-dryers on the market.

Beachwaver Pro 1.25 ($199)

I don’t know how I lived before this product came into my life. All the years of curling with a traditional hair curler just seems silly after using this. It’s so, so, so easy. You just take a section of hair, secure it at the bottom, and hit the go button. You can choose from the L or R buttons to dictate which direction the barrel will swivel. I get perfect curls and waves each time. Again, this is an expensive item, but really worth the investment if you style your hair a lot.