I’ve had long hair for many, MANY years. After I developed a severe allergy to hair dye, the only way for me to switch things up a little was by getting a new cut/style.
While I love makeup and all things beauty, I was never a “hair” girl. Never. I hated spending time at a hair salon, it was never anything I’d look forward to. I never used a whole lot of hair products and that all changed when I finally found a stylist I loved and trusted AND who cut off about 20 inches of my hair.
I never thought I’d love having short hair as much as I do. It made me fall in love with all things hair again. I’ve been trying a bunch of new products over the last two years and these right here are some of my absolute must-haves and favorite products for short hair.
OUAI’s Wave Spray is one of those products I just couldn’t get enough of this summer. I can’t even tell you how many wave/salt sprays I’ve tried over the years- none would actually give me that curly, beachy look I was always after. Until I discovered the Wave Spray. This product is actually very sticky when you first use it, but once it dries it feels fine (you just have to wash your hands right away when working it through your hair). I love that when using this my hair stays curly/wavy all day long and it doesn’t go flat the minute I leave the house, which is something that my hair loves to do. This spray also doesn’t leave any gross residue on the hair throughout the day.
Also loving: OUAI’s Smooth Spray. This is a product you also use on damp hair and if you have any problems with dry hair, flyaways, and your hair is a bit out of control, you’d love this stuff. The key is to not overdo it when applying it. It smells amazing and it leaves my hair looking very smooth and soft and reduces any frizz. I usually skip conditioner when using this and it’s the only product that I use when straightening my hair. It just makes it incredibly silky and smooth and beautiful.
You probably remember me talking about Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray back when my hair was still long and I love it even more now that my hair is short. This spray gives so much volume and texture and as long as you don’t use too much, it will not make your hair feel stiff or sticky. On those days when I don’t feel like styling my hair, all I need is a bit of this texturizing spray and it gives me that nice, undone, but done look. It also works great when curling my hair. I use this curling wand and curl just a few pieces, concentrating right in the middle of each strand, alternating directions, and finish off with the Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray, run my fingers through my hair a couple of times and I’m done.
Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak dry shampoo- hands down one of my favorite drugstore hair care products. I’ve used it for years- both the original and the unscented versions and they work amazing. Post-Accutane, my hair isn’t nearly as oily as it used to be, but it also is not as extremely dry as it used to be during the treatment. I can go 4-5 days without washing my hair and this shampoo is the only one that I love enough to use every day. It not only refreshes but also adds some volume and texture which is great when you have short hair. The best part is that it’s only about 5 bucks and it seriously works a lot better than some pricey dry shampoos I’ve used.
I think I’ve already mentioned the fact that my hair isn’t too picky when it comes to products- mostly due to my minimal use of styling tools and a healthy diet. BUT when I do use something that doesn’t work for my hair, it literally starts to fall out. One of my favorite shampoo + conditioner combos is actually from a drugstore as well. I’ve been using Suave Professionals products for years and my current favorites are Sea Mineral Infusion shampoo and conditioner. Both leave my hair feeling so soft, smooth and healthy and again, they’re super affordable.
OUAI Smooth Spray in action- it makes straightening my hair such a breeze and it’s one of the very few products that actually leaves my hair pin-straight and smooth.
Phyto’s Phytodensia* collection is actually designed for aging hair and promotes strength and density. I’ve been using these for the last couple of weeks and I love the way they make my hair feel and look. The Plumping Serum probably being my favorite from this collection. I dispense a few drops into my damp scalp in small sections and massage it in- this stuff gives me SO much volume and adds a ton of body to my hair.
One thing that I like most about having short hair, is that it actually forces me to style it. With long hair, I could just put my hair up in a bun, add some hairspray, which means that it always looked the same and well… was kind of boring. Styling long, thick hair took forever, too. With short hair, I can’t really put it up in a ponytail and styling it doesn’t take more than 15 minutes so it’s safe to say I can’t see myself going back to having long hair anytime soon.
Spot any favorites here? What are some of your favorite hair products?
