Thursday, January 31, 2013

Adrien: Oh, My Hairs.


As Marianne can attest, I am never, ever quite satisfied with my hair. It's just a thing, having short hair. Every cut is slightly different and sometimes I go through phases where I want to grow it out for absolutely no reason. (I'm currently in one of those phases right now.) One thing I never seem to learn is that products that work great when my hair is super short are going to be a sad disaster when it gets longer. Like, I am a pretty big fan of Bumble & bumble Styling Creme...until my hair starts grazing my jawline. Then it frustrates me and just seems to make my hair angry. It's bad, y'all.

So, right now I have a short, shaggy bob thing going on:


Super flattering, those camera phone pics.

I like it, but it's a struggle to have it do anything but just lay there all sad and flat. (This is the part where all the ladies with curly hair sigh with envy and all the ladies with fine, straight hair are like "YES, RIGHT? UGH.") Anyway! I thought I'd tell you about what products I've been using lately. What's working and what's not.

I go to an Aveda salon and I bought the Volumizing Tonic a while ago to try to bully some life into my hair:



It smells really nice and when my stylist uses it my hair is GIGANTIC but when I use it? Eh. It's fine. I think this has more to do with my lack of blow-drying skills than it does with the product itself. Or maybe I'm not using enough of it? I don't even know. I should experiment, I guess. But it smells good and it also seems to help detangle, since I don't generally use conditioner. One other thing I really like is John Masters Organics Sweet Orange Styling Gel:


Again, mostly because it smells really, really good. I'm picky about product scents and this one is so nice without being overwhelming. The gel itself does a fine job but I'm pretty sure the drugstore stuff I used to use would do just as well. But it's smells so nice! (Did I mention that?) So, I spray the Aveda tonic on my roots, run some gel through the rest of my hair and then blow-dry with a round brush. Then I straighten my bangs and the ends with a flat iron. I piece out the ends with a tiny bit of Aveda Defining Whip:

It's like a pomade but much, much lighter. I don't know that it does a whole lot, but it's nice for taming flyaways and static and doesn't weigh my hair down. (Really, if you're going to buy a non-wax pomade Bumble & bumble Sumotech is probably the way to go.) Finally, if I remember I spray the whole shebang with some really embarrassingly named hairspray. Whee. Usually this looks great for approximately half an hour and then the whole thing falls flat and sad. I don't even know why I bother sometimes.

When all this fails and I am desperate for a little volume I'll occasionally use the Oscar Blandi texture spray which I got in a Birchbox:


I spray it on my roots and it definitely works, but it leaves my hair feeling weird and stiff. I can't imagine using it every day, but it does work. One thing that absolutely does not work is Living Proof Thickening Mousse:



I had such high hopes but if I use a big blob it makes my hair kind of lank and stringy and if I use a little blob it makes my hair sort of lank and stringy. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. What I do know is that, even though I bought the trial size, it's getting returned. I really liked some of the other products from this brand but this is not one of them.

So that's it! Do you have any secrets for fine hair volume? And, can anyone recommend an awesome round brush? Mine is some hard plastic jank I bought at Target and it seems to wish death upon my head.

23 comments:

  1. ....(whispers) try rubbing your roots after shampooing in the shower with a dryer sheet. You'll see....

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    1. This is so weird I might actually try it.

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    2. It really works- rub it where you always try to get volume (I do it at the crown, temples,nape etc). No "setting" product works on me(long, curly, fine)but this is brilliant. I discovered it one day when I was out of conditioner, remembered that laundry softener (in liquid form) can be used in a pinch, realized I didn't have any, but I had dryer sheets...?

      Also, one sheet can be used tons of times, yay.

      Needless to say, it's the ideal travel companion :)and it will make any updo behave perfectly

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  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. Thanks! I'm always looking for new products to try.

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  3. NO PLASTIC BRISTLES! This is one of the few "lessons" my stylist has taught that actually holds true for my uber-fine short hair. Since switching to a boar bristle I have experience significantly less breakage and a slight boost in volume just from a blow dry with it.

    As for products....blech. I have a hard time spending money on them since an added 15 minutes of "Hey, this looks gooood!!!!" does not justify an extra $15. Mine is still above my chin, so I just glop on some mousse, blow it out (with my boar bristle brush), add a teensy touch of gel and then hope I see all the people I want to impress within the first few hours of my day.

    I might check out that Aveda tonic, though, since I am probably going to grow my current cut out until these babies get here and are breathing air for a few months. I need something that I can just let be lank and flat during my sleep deprivation instead of something that looks like I have mange, which is what my current 'do screams every morning before my shower.

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    1. Thank you! Is your boar bristle brush round or flat? Any brand recs?

      And I do like the Aveda tonic, though it's not life-changing or anything.

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    2. I have a 2" Conair round brush like this one, but I think it might be the medium size, not large: http://www.drugstore.com/conair-brush-performers-full-round-100-boar-bristle-brush-large/qxp58193

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  4. I too have a similar cut as yours and have tried many, many product combos. My current, and best combo to date, is the Alterna Bamboo Freesytle Flexible Gel applied to wet hair. Then when it almost completely dry I use the Moroccan Oil styling cream. I've had my round brush forever and it doesn't have plastic bristles. My stylist just used the Moroccan Oil small round brush on my hair after I got it cut this week and it worked so well I'm considering purchasing.

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    1. I've used the Alterna Bamboo shampoo and really liked it. Now I'm curious about this gel. I'm such an addict.

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  5. I would like brush recommendations also!

    I have fine/thinning hair that's neither straight or curly (I mostly hate it). I've been using Aquage uplifting foam - helps for lift and overall thickening. I just bought Redken's quick tease. It wasn't doing much when applied as directed, but today I sprayed it on before flat ironing and got a lot more volume, so will try that again.

    I need a little something for occasional frizz control that is for fine/thin hair - normal products leave it very greasy/gross - so I'll watch to see if anyone chimes in with that.

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    1. I have superfine hair, and for frizz control I like just a tiny bit of Tigi Catwalk "Camera Ready" spray. It is the only shine spray I've found that doesn't weigh down/grease up my hair.

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    2. Thanks, Emily! I will give it a try.

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  6. Ooh, I have a brush recommendation! It's this one, by a company called Bass:

    http://www.amazon.com/Bass-Groomer-oblong-Brush-Bristle-A04/dp/B004003G7A/ref=pd_sim_sbs_petsupplies_7

    Yes, I realize that it is technically made for dogs but I don't care. Also, it's a little priced (for me, at least) but was worth it. I have this brush and love it, and my mom has used it and loves it too. The boar bristles do what boar bristles are supposed to do and the wire bristles give a little more structure than the boar bristles have on their own. I use for regular brushing and for blow-drying. It is awesome.

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  7. I have the same hair type, and this brush will rock your world: http://www.target.com/p/sonia-kashuk-hair-brush/-/A-10563302#prodSlot=medium_1_2&term=sonia+kashuk

    Its a copy of the Mason Pearson, and I use it while blow drying, brushing my hair forward and from side to side at the roots to build volume. I do follow with a round brush when almost totally dry to smooth and add some shape.

    Also, if you like the Aveda Volume Tonic, try their Pure Abundance Volumizing Spray. Its new, and works a lot better on my hair... its less gummy, and gives more volume all over without getting flat/greasy. Love!

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  8. p.s. I think your hair is SUPER CUTE. Seriously. Adorable.

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  9. ooooh girl... I feel your fine as frog's hair pain.
    2 products that don't let me down -
    Matrix Amplify hairspray in the can - humidity resistant, brushes out well and would seriously make curls last for 2 freakin days (funky updo on the 2nd day when it was long)
    TIGI Bed Head Manipulator (use the teeniest bit for piecing and when it's super short or stacked in the back, all over. It doesn't get stiff so you can re-lift throughout the day, smells great!)

    Your hair looks great!

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    1. Thank you, Lara! I used to use Manipulator back in the day.

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  10. I love these two...
    http://www.amazon.com/Sexy-Hair-Short-Blow-Ounce/dp/B000OQBLIK/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1359845113&sr=8-10&keywords=short+sexy+hair

    http://www.amazon.com/Sexy-Hair-Short-Texturizing-4-80-Ounce/dp/B004016SXI/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1359845113&sr=8-8&keywords=short+sexy+hair

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