CURRENT HAIR CARE FAVOURITES

After chopping off a few inches of hair last week I've really struggled with styling the new length. It seems that every haircut is followed by a week-long trial-and-error period, in which you curse in the mirror, search for hats to cover your mistakes, and undoubtedly head out into the streets with a few wonky curls. D'oh. Thankfully, I now have mastered styling my new cut, although I can't take all the credit as I owe my new-found skills primarily to a few of my favourite hair products. 

These 'life-altering' products vary depending on whether I am aiming for a straight, polished look or going for the messy, beach-inspired waves. When I wear my hair straight I opt for products that are going to ensure my look remains sleek. The Living Proof Primer Style Extender has always been my go-to for creating a sleek style that lasts between sleeps. I sometimes even add a dollop when I'm going for the beachy look as well just to extend the style – the less I wash it the better. I also always apply a heat protectant spray, right now I've been using the Chi 44 Iron Guard – it protects my hair and minimizes my split ends, but I am not a fan of the scent. From here I simply section my hair into three sections and pass my Chi Hair Straightener over it, before taming frizz with the Got2B Playful Texturizing Creme Pomade.  

The beach-inspired look begins with the same spritzing with heat protectant spray, however it's followed by products from a line I've spoken about a lot lately, the TRESemmé Perfectly (Un)Done Waves line. The combination of the Wave Creation Sea Foam Mousse and the Sea Salt Spray create a slightly sticky base that allows waves to last for days on end. I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that I got away without washing or styling my hair for three days thanks to this complete line up. However the line still has little effect on the frizziness of my hair to I once again reach for the Got2B Playful Texturizing Creme Pomade to tame my hairline.

What products make your hair more manageable?

AM¥     XO

[*]Some of the items in this post has been sent to THE PRETT¥ VAIN for purpose of review. All views expressed reflect my own opinion on the product. For additional information please see the Disclaimer.

TRESEMMÉ . PERFECTL¥ (UN)DONE WAVES

We may be smack dab in the middle of winter in Toronto, but that hasn't stopped me from dreaming of striped cabanas, beautiful beaches, and perfectly waved hair created by a simple dip in the ocean. While I won't be dipping my feet in the salt water any time soon, I have discovered a new line of hair care products to help me achieve touchable, beach-inspired locks at home. The new TRESemmé Perfectly (Un)done Waves Collection is certainly not the first of it's kind, but given that TRESemmé offers salon-quality products at drugstore prices it's definitely a line to acquaint yourself with.

The TRESemmé Perfectly (Un)done Waves Collection consists of 'five wave-enhancing cleansing, conditioning and styling products – comprising shampoo, conditioner, a sea foam, sea salt spray and a hairspray.' The line uses a natural Sea Kelp Extract to help shape and form hair, creating natural looking waves that last all day long. To create the waves shown above, I began by washing and conditioning my hair with the TRESemmé Weightless Silicone Free Shampoo ($8) and Conditioner ($8). The combo is said to 'nourish hair without weighing it down, for a look that's full of body and shine', however I didn't notice a huge difference in comparison to my current shampoo and conditioning regime. Once my hair was towel-dried I applied three pumps of the TRESemmé Wave Creating Sea Foam ($10), as well as a healthy spritzing of the Sea Salt Spray ($10) before blow-drying my hair. I have naturally straight hair, so creating a wave without the use of a curling iron is next to impossible, and most times I'm still not 100% happy with it until it's survived a night of sleep. So of course, it came as no surprise that once blow-dried my hair didn't look anything like the style above, however I did notice that my hair was extraordinarily voluminous. I also noticed a slight stickiness, most likely from the Sea Salt Spray, which I somewhat expected, as you do with any sea salt product. The difference between this Sea Salt Spray and the others that I have tried is the fact that the stickiness subsides dramatically after styling, and it provides added hold to the curl to improve the lasting-power of your waves. Pretty ideal if I do say so myself. I finished the look with a healthy coating of the TRESemmé Ultra-Brushable Hairspray ($7) before finger-combing through my curls to reveal 'perfectly (un)done waves'.

I'm quite smitten with this collection – more so the styling products than the shampoo and conditioner. The products truly help to create beach-inspired waves, and work together to extend the wear time, without compromising style, or leaving you with helmut hair. 

THE PRODUCTS

How do you achieve beach-inspired waves in the winter?

AM¥     XO

[*]The items in this post have been sent to THE PRETT¥ VAIN for purpose of review. All views expressed reflect my own opinion on the product. For additional information please see the Disclaimer.