My favorite hair products

My favorite hair products

Straight, fine hair can tough! It’s great that it’s easy to manage because it rarely gets out of control or wild. However, it’s really tough to keep smooth, give volume, create texture, and worst, hold your style! I am sharing my favorite hair products. These products help take care of the locks you have and create the look of thicker, more voluminous tresses.

I use these types of products on a regular basis. I go through phases where I will spend different amounts of money on hair products. I also simply like to switch products up sometimes! Some brands of products I alternate between while other brands I use pretty exclusively. If you want to try them out, you can see which you like better or choose the kind that works for your budget. I love everything I am sharing!

Here are my 10 favorite hair products, they’re great for hair like mine!

1. Hair ties: I am obsessed with these L. Erickson Ponytail Holders they don’t slide out of your hair and they keep hold your hair put too. Plus, they’re soft and don’t have any metal that can damage your hair. They come in all different colors. I buy the beige color ones and have found they blend in really well with a variety of blonde hair shades.

2. Dry Texturizing Spray: When I started using a texture spray in my hair, my world of hair completely changed! I have tried a few different kinds and have two absolute favorites! My number one choice is ORIBE Dry Texturizing Spray. This stuff smells amazing, I always get compliments on my overall smell when I use this in my hair. I cannot emphasize how heavenly this stuff smells! A full-size bottle of the ORIBE Dry Texturizing Spray is about $46. My second choice is Garnier Fructis Style Texture Tease Dry Touch Finishing Spray it is still works and smells great but is going to cost you less than $5, which is a pretty great price.

3. Tangle Teezer: I’m not sure if you have heard of the Tangle Teezer. They are gaining popularity with girls who have hair like mine and for good reason! The Tangle Teezer has two uses. The first, it gets knots out of your (wet or dry) hair painlessly. If you have fine hair, you know how easily it gets knotted together. It can be painful and can take awhile to get all your knots out. The second, it works great to tease the top of your hair. This is a great way to add volume to your hair whether you’re putting it up or leaving it down. I’ve been using it before I curl my hair or before I throw it up into a top-knot or pony and it makes my hair so much fuller! It comes in a variety of color options, I pretty much always choose to buy things in black or white. It was also designed ergonomically, which makes it really comfortable to grip!

4. Curling Wand: I recently learned how to curl my hair with a wand, thanks to a very patient roommate and friend! For the first few months she let me borrow her wand but I usually had to have her curl it for me. After deciding I may not have the skills to use a wand and a little bit of research I came across the The Beachwaver Co. Beachwaver Pro Curling Iron. This made curling my hair with a wand so much easier! It’s so fast, has a consistent outcome, and makes it a one handed job!

5. Heat Protection: When you already don’t have a lot of hair you have to protect what you’ve got! Before I use any heat on my hair I make sure to use something to help protect my locks! I have two favorite heat protectors. The first is Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle. This hair product has an amazing smell and comes in a bottle is easy to pump and sprays a good amount at a time. A full size is about $24. My second choice is TRESemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer. A bottle of this will cost you less than $5. I think the TRESemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer is really effective and still has a nice smell.

6. Dry Shampoo: That whole “second day” look doesn’t come easy for me! My fine hair gets really oily, really fast! Dry shampoo can always extend my style for a second though. There are two types of dry shampoo that I love. The first is Bumble and Bumble Pret-A-Powder Shampoo. This is a little different formula than the normal dry shampoo, it comes in a bottle that is similar to a baby powder. You just dump a little on the top of your head and throughout your hair then rub it in like you would any other dry shampoo. I love this for a few reasons! The bottle is a little smaller, which makes it great to travel with! It isn’t an aerosol so you can carry it on to a flight. You have a little more control over how much you use. This one is a little more expensive at $30 a bottle so you want to know that a little is going to take you a long way! I also always keep Herbal Essences Dry Shampoo on hand. I love the way this dry shampoo smells. In the aerosol bottle it is a bit faster to apply but you use a lot at once so it doesn’t last me as long. A bottle of this is under $9.

7. Shampoo and Conditioner: I like to alternate my shampoo and conditioner pretty often. Sometimes I think that getting different nutrients into your hair helps keep it healthy (a completely personal opinion). Currently, I am using OGX Hydrate & Color Reviving + Lavender Luminescent Platinum Shampoo and OGX Hydrate & Tone Reviving & Lavender Luminescent Platinum Conditioner. I feel like they are helping extend my color by removing brassiness and boosting blonde tones. Plus this shampoo and conditioner contains uva/uvb sun-filters (which will help extend color). The OGX products are also sulfate-free, paraben-free, and dye-free.

8. Darby Clips: I purchased these The Beachwaver Co. Darby Clips when I first began curling my hair. They really helped me section my hair which sped up my entire process. I bought mine at the same time I got my The Beachwaver Co. Beachwaver Pro Curling Iron. I didn’t realize there were so many types and brands out there. To be honest, if I were to do it again I wouldn’t feel so committed to the Beachwaver Co. brand because they sell them everywhere, and a lot of stores and brands have them at a great price!

I also linked these well-priced Darby Clips from Amazon 10 Piece Professional Hair Styling and Sectioning Clips and would recommend checking out a store like Marshalls or TJ Maxx for some deals on your Darby Clips.

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9. In-Shower Styler: I starting using this, Living Proof Perfect Hair Day In Shower Styler, in-shower styler after receiving a sample. I could feel so much more texture in my hair after just letting it air-dry that I decided to purchase it to use all the time!

10. Hairspray: The last step to (some) hair styles is some hair spray! I actually try to avoid hair spray as much as possible because I don’t love the stiffness it adds to my hair and my texturizing sprays normally do the trick. If I know I am going to be having a later night, or a big-day where I need my hair to really stay put I will use John Frieda Luxurious Volume Forever Full Hairspray for Fine Hair. This hairspray is less than $10 and helps to build volume. I like that it has a continuous aerosol spray instead of a pump. Ultimately I choose this hairspray because it leaves my hair more flexibility than other hairsprays.

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Do you have any hair products that you love for fine or limp hair? Share them with me, I love to try new products!

Summer Weekend Packing List

Summer Weekend Packing List

Summer is my time to explore the world around me and make a little extra money! I am so excited for all of the adventures I have coming up this summer! I’ve been several places outside the US for incredible trips but I have not had the opportunity to see a lot of places in my own country. I made some major summer travel plans this year and I am excited to say that’s about to change! I’ll have the chance to visit: Richmond, New Orleans, Norwalk, Epping, Denver, Sonoma, Seattle, and a few other stops along the way!

My first stop is Richmond, VA. I’ve never been there before but I am really excited to check-out the town. A lot of these trips I have planned are long weekends. I used to have a really hard time packing for a long weekend. I’ve started to master the art packing for weekend getaways by always having a few “go-to” outfits for whatever season we’re in. These are outfits I know I can throw in my bag and will be excited to put on. I am sharing a few great outfits you can wear during summer weekends or throw in your bag for a weekend trip to know you’re covered. I’ll be there for three days, here’s what I am packing.

Outfits

Day 1

//Top Naked Zebra //Shorts Lilly Pulitzer Buttercup shorts//Shoes Jack Rogers//

Day 2

//Top CLT Find//Shorts Banana Republic//Bra lululemon energy bra//Shoes Converse//Bracelet CLT Find//

Day 3

//Top Banana Republic//Shorts Anthropologie //ShoesTory Burch//Earrings Nickel and Suede//Bracelet CLT Find//

Pro Packing Tip: Lay out your outfits like I did. Include all the shoes, jewelry, undergarments, that will go with each outfit. Then when you put them in your bag you know that you didn’t forget anything. I used to overthink, ‘Wait, did I pack socks for each day?’ or think that I could mix-match on the fly. Knowing what goes with what leaves you with more confidence in your outfits so you don’t try to sneak extras in your bag last minute!

Chia Seed Pudding

Chia Seed Pudding

This past January I started making some serious changes in my diet. I guess at some point you have to accept you aren’t 17 and can’t eat whatever you want, whenever you want. Not only do I want to make sure that I look and feel good but we only have one body so I want to take care of mine! The goal of this new “diet” wasn’t to join a fad or label a diet but make sure everything I put in my body gives it the nourishment it needs to perform its best. To do this I needed to start cooking more so I could avoid the extra flour and sugar that they sneak into everything! I learned a lot of awesome new recipes along the way. I’m sharing one of my favorite healthy-option desserts, chia pudding. I know some people use this as a breakfast and snack too. Chia pudding has been popular for the past several years but I didn’t try it until recently. It’s turned into one of my favorite special treats!

I’m sharing my recipe here. There are so many different versions but I’ve been sticking to this because it’s simple to make and is a lower- calorie option! Give mine a try or look up some other recipes that seem like your taste!

Here’s how to make it!

Ingredients:1 cup coconut milk
2 cups coconut milk
1/2 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup blueberries

Ingredients and supplies

Steps:

1. Put the chia seeds, coconut milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and maple syrup together in a bowl.

2. Whisk, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

3. Serve in a bowl and top with blueberries. Enjoy a cool, healthy treat!

I hope you think it’s as yummy as I do! I’d love for you to share your version or favorite fixings to top your chia pudding!

Summertime and Caprese Salad

Summertime and Caprese Salad

I am so excited that it is finally time to (unofficially) welcome summer! I get super excited when this time of year finally rolls around… I love the Charlotte weather, being outside, and my time to travel. It means it’s also time for lots of fresh fruits, veggies, and herbs.

Tonight, I am celebrating the launch of my new blog and reminiscing on my time in Italy last year. In both summer, and Italian, style I made a delicious caprese salad and paired it with a Chianti. This Caprese Salad includes some locally grown tomatoes, just-picked basil that I grow on my front porch (I also grow Cilantro and Meyer Lemons), olive oil and Chianti that I brought back from Italy. If you want real Italian olive oil or Chianti, you can buy it online here.

Last June I headed to Europe with one of my best friends from Charlotte. We visited Italy and Croatia for two weeks. We truly had the most amazing time exploring new cities, waters, and countrysides! I brought back some goodies that I am still taking advantage of today. While in Florence we visited a beautiful winery that was an old castle Conte Gucciardini. They grows a variety of grapes and make several types of wine and olive oil. To this day, I include some of the wines we tried there on my list of all time favorites!

If you’ve never made or tried caprese salad, I definitely recommend trying it! It’s super easy and tastes like fresh summer-goodness! All you need are tomatoes, (I like to get local tomatoes and take advantage of the time of year they’re in season), mozzarella cheese that is in water, basil, (which is super easy and inexpensive to grow yourself), olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.

Shop my look

Top: J. Crew Mercantile

Jeans: 7 for All Mankind from Nordstrom

Jewelry:

bracelet- David Yurman from Nordstrom

bracelet- Sonya’s

Earrings- Kendra Scott from Nordstrom

Ring- Nadri from Nordstrom