So today…my hairdryer died.
It was mildly traumatic for me if only because I haven’t had to buy a new hairdryer in years. In fact, I’m fairly certain I’ve had my tiny blue conair one since I was at least a senior in high school.
So today, even though Fiance got it to work just as I claimed defeat and got started straightening my 95% dry hair, I vowed I would buy a new one. And I decided, I would also buy a new straightener to replace the $15 one I bought at a CVS the summer after sophomore year of college. I think it was then…might have been after freshman year - who knows!
All that matters is they were old and in dire need of being replaced.
Generally, while I care about how I look and go out of my way to make myself presentable, the details often slip me by. I’ll go months with just throwing my hair up in a pony tail out of shear laziness and I’ve gone up to 6 months without a cut/trim of my hair because I’m afraid of finding a new stylist. (seriously. Though I’m fairly certain Bubbles on capitol hill meets my affordability and quality requirements)
But how does one go about finding a new hairdryer, straightener, and/or stylist? I’m so bad at these kind of things mostly because I just…don’t care to spend a lot of money on them. I found a decent hairdryer that seemed to fit the bill after spending most of my afternoon scouring reviews (among other things) on amazon as well as an affordable straightener that had excellent reviews.
The hairdryer I picked is the Vidal Sassoon Ionic Travel dryer. The reviews noted all the things I was looking for in a hairdryer - lightweight, and fast to dry (seriously I spend 15 minutes drying my hair. My hair is between chin/shoulder length. It should not take that long to do my hair).
The straightener is by far a huge step up from the drugstore one I bought so long ago thinking I was cool shit for finally investing in a straightener. This one is thinner, has actually heat settings (not just hot and off) and the reviews say it heats up quickly (usually I turn mine on when I start doing my make up which is before I blow dry my hair - I give my hair extra time to air dry so it takes less time to dry with the blow drier. Lame. I know) and makes hair “extra straight and silky” which is…bum ba dummmm a step up from mine which leaves my hair flat and frizzy by noon. LAME.
I feel incredibly shallow for this post but really, I wanted to get YOUR input. Your advice for my…lackluster hair woes. Seriously…I’m just not good at any of this “beauty” ritual stuff.
Why do you feel shallow? Seriously, things like that break after awhile.
You’re not being shallow. My mother always said that you should take pride in your appearance. So think of it like that…just because you are researching hairdryers and straighteners doesn’t mean that you are shallow, it just means that you care about how you present yourself to the world, which is important.
That prob sounded way too serious for a post about a hairdryer, haha, but I do know that I feel better when I go to work and took the little extra step to get dressed and do my hair.
As far as blow dryers go, mine from college broke last year and I’m not too keen on it’s replacement. For straighteners, I’m obsessed with the Chi…but it’s a small fortune and my hair is kind of straight to begin with…so I just steal my little sisters. See, moving back home has some perks…I think.
Do you use anything when you style your hair? I’ve found that it’s not just the styling tools, its the product you use with it. Some anti-frizz/repair serum really makes a difference, especially when you’re frying your hair with a straightener. It fixes everything even on the most humid of days.
I’m dying for a Chi but they are expensive but probably worth it in the long run. The cheapo flat iron I have from Wal-Mart is crapping out. I heard Chi’s are life changing!
Have you checked up on Makeupalley.com? http://www.makeupalley.com/product/ I usually don’t drop money on big products until I check them out. Or I check out pursebuzz.com - she has great reviews on tools - typically from beautychoice.com - check out her site for coupons and such too.
Good luck.
I have should length thick/naturally wavy hair, so I know what you mean about having a good hair dryer and straightener. Lately I’ve showered at night and slept on my hair wet (this bugs some people like my husband, but I am fine with it) and then I just wake up and straighten my hair in the morning. My hair has been in much better condition because I am using less heat on it.
My hair dryer caught on fire recently. So now I’m using the one we blow up the air mattress with. Lame but I’m too cheap to go and buy a new one
i didn’t touch my hair with a blow dryer or a flat iron until at least two years after high school, pathetic… right? you should SEE my senior pictures. it’s a shame really. in the years since, i have learned that a good flat iron will change your life.
i’ve picked up a few tricks along the way though… i have SUPER THICK hair with a bit of a wave to it. sunsilk has this shampoo called “straight to perfection” and while it’s not a super expensive shampoo ( i used to be a serious expensive shampoo fiend) it’s pretty amazing stuff. it won’t make your hair straight, but it sort of relaxes it a bit and i swear, it makes it hold the straight better than anything else i’ve ever tried.
and then there are the products. i’m not big on styling products… when my hair was longer, i swore by root lift, but i’ve stopped using it. two things that i always use though?
biosilk silk therapy. it might seem expensive for like, 5oz… but you only use a TINY bit, so it lasts forever. i don’t care if you have the frizzies or the worst split ends in the world, a tiny dab of this stuff makes them disappear. i just put a dime size dab on my hand, rub my hands together and then run my fingers through my hair. it’s really super amazing. also, if you use it on wet hair and let your hair air dry? you wind up with the most amazing super soft waves in the world.
http://www.thebeautycastle.com/biosisith.html
matrix instacure. it’s like the leave in conditioner for the gods. again, you don’t need a lot and the bottle is pretty big, so it lasts a while. i usually try to let my hair air dry and then i’ll spray it down with a bit of the instacure before i flat iron it and you will die when you feel how soft the heat/instacure combo makes your hair. i’ve tried so many of the heat protection sprays and nothing works like this does.
http://www.beautyofnewyork.com/shopping/product_view.php?itemCode=CV7I250107KH0442
i hope this was helpful!!! i just know how you feel when it comes to the hair stuff, so i thought i would share the tricks i have learned! i actually discovered all of this stuff when i was getting my hair cut at the salon. she used it all on me there and when i saw my hair i HAD TO HAVE this stuff! i’ve sworn by it ever since!
I have to say, I’m one of the lucky and bratty ones when it comes to hair. My grandmother is a retired beautician so I have never paid for a hair cut or color my whole life. While she may not be up to date on the most recent hair cutting trends, she tries hard and gets the job done. Not to mention, it’s free!
But as far as a blowdryer and straightener are concerned, I’m on my own for that one. I use a cheap blodryer, I think it’s even a Target brand dryer but it dries super fast and it’s light. However, I splurged a little on the straightener because I learned spending that little extra money makes a more quality product. I have a Remington TStudio Nano Silver Slim Straightener ($39.99 @ Target.com) and it works amazingly. I have thick wavy-ish hair that doesn’t like to straighten very well sometimes but this one cuts it. And you can set it at whatever temperature you need.
Anyway, just my two cents.
Keep up the good blogging work!
ceramic skinny flat iron! you can get one for about $30 (but i’ve been known to spend $100 when it comes to fierce straightness) also the skinny irons let you curl your hair for the beach waves! (as seen here) http://www.jqlounge.com/2008/09/jq-informercial-of-day-wavy-beach-hair.html
I don’t own a hairdryer! what does that make me?
How did your new hair dryer hold up? Less than 15 min drying time? My hair takes FOREVER to dry (very thick and long) and I go through hair dryers from time to time because I have them burn out (perhaps overuse, due to the first issue mentioned!) - so I’m always looking for new ideas!
You just reminded me that I wanted to use my Birthday money to buy a new hairdryer and I didn’t. Crap!
I’m all about the products. Right now I’m using Prive shampoo and conditioner and then put Kerastase Oleo Relax on it right after I comb it. Even if I don’t take my time drying my (very wavy) hair, it looks good and once it settles down a little (usually after my hour commute) it’s silky smooth.
I will be honest, the Chi will change the way you do your hair. I have very thick hair, and bought the walmart 26 dollar straightener forever. I finally splurged, and its quicker, better and I have had it for years.
Besides, I am a label whore. I love it when my sisters have to call to ask to borrow my chi.