Happy Monday! I can barely keep my head up after having such a fun July 4th weekend. I was in desperate need of this product this morning so thought it would be fitting to discuss it today. Above are my two favorites, Moroccan Oil Dry Shampoo which just launched this year, and an old classic, Tresemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo. The price points on these are very different (Moroccan Oil- $26 and Tresemme-$5) and to be honest, I think they work about the same. Both do a good job of adding volume and eliminating oil and odor, which are the 3 key ingredients to a good dry shampoo. The differences between the two are that the Moroccan Oil provides UV protection, and comes in two different formulas for dark or light toned hair. Plus, it has that incredible “just left the salon” scent to it, which is why I purchased it to begin with. The Tresemme has a fresh scent, but not quite as powerful as the Moroccan Oil and it does not provide UV protection for your hair. I have tried a variety of drugstore brands along with pricier brands and for me, these two are the winners of each category.

The BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium curling wand is one of the best purchases I have ever made. Before this, my hair was only ever two styles: air dry frizz ball, or straight. This helped shake up my routine a great deal. It is super easy to use and gives you perfect beachy waves. This tool is my go-to when I go out because the curls also add volume to your hair giving off that “professionally done” look. I have had so many compliments on this particular hair style. You can purchase this wand on Amazon for $40, MUCH cheaper than any of the other high end brands. I highly recommend this tool to anyone looking to change up their look.

I figured it would be fitting to do a post on round brushes to go along with my hair dryer suggestions from yesterday.

The above photo shows the three ceramic types that I currently use, and they are labeled 1-3, 1 being my favorite option (I realize they are ordered by size as well, which is just a weird coincidence–no bearing on the quality of the brush).

I’ll begin with #3, the DryBar Full Pint round brush. This was another DryBar impulse purchase that happened not too long after the hair dryer purchase. I figured if I loved the hair dryer, I would love the other products as well. Not the case. This brush is adequate, but is definitely not my favorite. It does not pull through my hair smoothly which causes kinks and its a little too light which causes a lack of sturdiness. Blow drying your own hair is pain as it is, so you want to make sure the tools you are using don’t add to your frustration. This brush is also $40 which I think is overpriced for the quality.

#2-The Cricket Friction Free Thermal 2″ round brush is a great option! This was recommended to me by my hair stylist a few years ago and he was right. It is a great blow dry/shaping brush. You can also find it on Amazon for under $20. This was my #1 go to for a while, but over the years the glue has loosened and the top piece of the brush tends to pop off at random. It’s still useable and I like the size, but I’m not too impressed with its longevity. It does pull through the hair smoothly and adds some shine.

#1-Olivia Garden Nanothermic Brush 2 3/4” is my absolute favorite! The size is perfect for longer hair. Sizing aside, the quality is excellent. I have had this brush for over 2 years and it still feels brand new. The weight and grip of the brush is ideal for that constant brush spinning you do when you’re trying to perfect a section of hair. The brush also includes a retractable sectioning pick in the handle. I am going to be honest with you right now-I had no idea it had that until I just looked it up to get the exact name of the brush. This blog is helping me learn too! It’s also pretty affordable (under $25). I highly recommend this brand for any hair length in order to get that perfect blow out/wispy volume look.

Happy Monday everyone! I’m going to attempt to live up to the name of this blog by posting something daily. We’ll see how it goes.

Recently I was asked what type of hair dryer to purchase, and is it worth it to spend the money on a more expensive one or is there a cheaper alternative that works just as well?

I think it depends entirely on how you style your hair. I have several friends who use a hair dryer to simply dry their hair before styling it with a flat iron or other heating tool. For this purpose, buy the cheap stuff! A great and affordable option is the ConAir Infiniti Pro Dryer. Ringing in at just $30, this dryer is powerful and lasts a long time. I have had mine for about 4 years (i now keep it as a back up dryer) and I know others who have had theirs just as long and still use it every day.

If you tend to steer clear of flat irons (as I try to do), I would suggest paying up for your dryer. I had the unfortunate experience of using a rusty hotel dryer with a round brush and broke off a lot of hair, which is why I tend to avoid using a flat iron unless it’s absolutely necessary (there are still broken pieces around my face that stand out straight like devil horns when directly straightened with an iron).

My dryer splurge was on the DryBar Buttercup Blow Dryer. It was $195 which was really rude but I have to say, its one of my most successful investments. This thing is light, turbo charged and hot hot hot. I have thick/longer hair and I can completely dry it in under a minute. Aside from cutting down your drying time, it is a dream to use with your round brush. It leaves your hair light and bouncy with just enough shine.