Wedding Blog
There is no other way to say this, so I’ll just come out with it—my hair is bipolar. No, more like tripolar. This head of mine contains, when left to its own devices, ringlets, a lot of waves, and a little stick straight hair, all smushed together and not happy about it! Add that to a tendency to puff and frizz, as well as fall flat at the same time (gah!!), and I am one irritated wavy-haired girl!
My life goal, my holy grail, has been the perfect hair product. I’m not sure if this search has made me a product junkie, or if I have always been a product junkie and this search was just an excuse to buy buy buy, but I have gone through a LOT of products in my day. Sad as it may be, I have yet to find something that accomplishes these three things:
So while this magic potion continues to evade me, I will share with you other wavies (holla!) some of my favorite products that do at least one of these things.
1. John Frieda Frizz Ease Downplay Volume Reducer
Whooo! A doozy of a name, but a great product. I use this every day to keep the frizz fairy away, and slather extra on my ends to keep the puffiness down.
2. Sally Hershberger Supreme Head Style Primer
I use the one for wavy hair, and at first I wasn’t quite sold on this product. I had to play around with it for a while before I discovered how to really make it work for me, but now I really like it. The scent is AMAZING! It reminds me of a day at the beach, slathering on suntan lotion.
The only issue I have is that my waves end up falling flat at the end of the day. It definitely defines them really well, but lacks in the hold department.
3. Sally Hershberger Supreme Head Wave Spray
This is the newest product to be added to my arsenal. Once again, it has a fantastic scent! I really can’t say enough about how much I love the scent of these products. This little spray really defines my waves and gives them a messy, beachy look.
But once again, it doesn’t hold, and it really does nothing for the frizz.
Share with me, wavy-haired girls! What are your favorite products?
|
Share this post: The Woes of a Wavy Girl
Miss Powder Puff, join the club. There used to be a hair product company, I think their name was Physique? They made two products that, when combined, provided me with some of the best hair days ever. But, I think it went out of business. So, I just accept bad hair day after bad hair day.
I like “be curly” by aveda. I think mousse works well to hold curl too, but it always gives that “crunchy” texture.
I, too, used to have a favorite hair product that loreal made for curly hair. It was some sort of water-based spray. But they discontinued that product and I’ve never found anything quite like it again.
My hair is oh so terribly unpredictable as well. And it KILLS me, because my sister has perfect, beautiful curls. (Her hair KNOWS its identity!) Hopefully, other readers will have some good product recommendations.
The only one I sorta kinda liked — when my hair was much shorter (jawbone-length) and didn’t weigh itself down was Aveda’s Be Curly curl enhancer. It works best, according to my stylist, in tandem with mousse, and smells (in my opinion) so fresh!
Deva! Best Curly Haired Products I’ve ever tried. Read up on their advice to no longer shampoo and how to dry your hair properly (dont use a towel!)
gotta go with ghd fat hair lotion! it’s $25 a pop at sephora, but i always get compliments on the waves when i use it!
I am a natural curly girl whose hair tends to be more wavy some days. My favorite product is TreSemme Curling Mousse…but there is a trick to using mousse and not having “crunchy” hair. Crunchy hair is a MAJOR pet peevie of mine.
1. IMMEDIATELY when I get out of the shower I brush through my hair and ring out excess all excess water. This is the important part. DO NOT TOWEL DRY. Ring water out with hands.
2. flip head over and “finger brush” hair.
3. Whiled flipped over run any anti-frizz product through (frizz ease is awesome, but any smoothing anti frizz cream with suffice) It’s important to do this before the mousse…this is how I achieve the NON crunchy pretty curls.
4. Still flipped over I apply the mousse. I have thick shoulder length hair and it takes me about two palmfulls of mousse to saturate my hair. This sounds like A lot, but I promise with the anti frizz cream it will not crunch.
5. Flip head back to upright position (I am not a flight attendant I swear) and “scrunch” curls. If you don’t, the product will weigh your hair down, and pull out all of the curls and waves.
6. I am an air-dry kinda girl. In fact, I only use my blow dryer about once per month. IF you can’t stand air dry hair…you can use a blow dryer but only to JUMPSTART the drying process, do not fully dry with the blow dryer. I don’t care what $50 diffuser you have, if you fully blow dry wavy hair it will not help the frizz.
Hope this helps someone out there!
I don’t have any recommendations for you, but I would like to see what everyone else says! My hair is the same way, and I’ve just become a frizzy ponytail kind of girl!
ps…the curling mousse I mentioned above is only about $4 a bottle and is great! no need to spend lots of money on a hair product if they have something great at your local drug store/grocery
Girlfriend, I hear ya. I use the same Aveda Be Curly product you have in your cabinet along with Aveda Confixor. I put on the Be Curly first (about a dime or so, I have just above shoulder length hair) then scrunch in the Confixor (about a nickel size). The biggest part of my hair routine is my diffuser! I flip my head over to dry it so I can get as much volume as possible. Then I set it with John Frieda Moisture Barrier Firm Hold hair spray. Yes, I do have it down to a science.
Have you tried “Flat Out” for smoothing? It works wonders.
And KMS “Curl Up” is great too…
My hair is slight wave, enough to make it fluffy and somewhat frizzy. My newest find to tame the frizziness is DOVE- Frizz Therapy shampoo, conditioner, and leave in cream. I love it and it’s super affordable!
I have curly hair and having tried many different products, my all time favorite is the Aquage line!! It’s the best!! Only sold in salons, and sometimes hard to find, but it’s becoming more popular.
Ouidad hair products are the best! Forget about all those other products. If you have curly hair you have to try Ouidad climate control gel and botanical boost leave-in daily conditioner. They are miracle products. I tried everything under the sun for my curly hair and nothing compares. They have a great website and forum that will convince you to use the products!
Read “Curly Girl” by Lorraine Massey. It talks a lot about the best solutions for curly and wavy hair. I got the book and some of Devachan’s hair products for Christmas, and have been doing my best to follow the instructions (cleansing with conditioner only once or twice a week, not using a brush or comb for your hair), and my moderately curly hair looks really fabulous. I honestly didn’t think I had curly hair until I read this book - It’s definitely worth a try.
I have curly hair that can get wavy on occasion. My holy grail is Queen Helene Cholesterol Gel. At $3 for a LARGE bottle not only is it the BEST thing but cheap!
I recommend it enthusiastically. It is the only thing I use.
I’m going to agree with mmc4474!! Tresemme Curling Mousse is the best product I’ve found! And her instructions on drying/doing her hair are basically exactly what I do, and I get compliments all the time!
I guess you always want what you don’t have. I have stick-straight hair and have always envied girls with perfect wavy/curly hair. I guess I didn’t realize it takes a lot of work to get the perfect wave.
I fell in love with, of all things, Suave gel to deal with my sometimes curly, sometimes flat, always frizzy hair . . .that is until they discontinued hold level 7 and replaced it with the far to crunchy hold level 8. I bought a case of it online but I have no clue what I will do once I run out.
I second the recommendation for Lorraine Massey’s “Curly Girl” book. I’ve been using an adaptation of her method for over 2 years now and will never use shampoo again. It’s cheaper, easier, lower-maintenance, my hair is in much better shape and I don’t fight with it nerely as often. In terms of specific products I’m a HUGE fan of anything by Giovanni and Kinky-Curly is good too (but harder to find in my experience)
I’m with brighteyes. ^_^ I have straight-ish hair that waves a bit if left to air dry naturally and I’m constantly putting it up in buns or french braids at night to get great beachy texture. I love the way waves look and am so jealous of people who have them naturally. I may have to try out some of these tips for keeping my faux waves longer…
You just described my hair issues to a T! I’m an irritated wavy-haired girl too! And I’m still searching for the perfect product that accomplishes those three goals!
I’ve recently stopped using mousse in favor of curling cream and that makes my waves/curls softer. Try Curls Rock by TIGI.
I am also a wavy girl. I love “ringlet” by Redken. That’s my only product. They also make a different one for straightening your waves.
I’ve embraced the ghetto-fab gel route for my very curly (yet prone to flatness) hair. I wash at night, put just a little in my hair, comb it through, and sleep that way. When I wake up, it is gorgeously curly and holds with a lil spritz of hairspray. No “wet look” for me, no flakiness from the gel, and no crunchy hair.
Best part? Gel is cheeeeaaaap.
I’m a curly sometimes wavy with straight parts (the underneath layer) girl with thin hair that appears thick. I have a couple of non-traditional suggetions. In my experience, heavy conditioning defeats frizz through moisture so once every week or two I use Suave conditioner (works so much better than the expensive stuff and i asked my hair dresser and he said something about it having more oils which made sense but I’ve since forgotten) on dry, unwashed hair, apply generously then let it sit for about 15 minutes before washing out but not completely out. Do not brush after, I usually style with a bit of conditioner if I’m going out or do this at night so I don’t add product after. On the topic of products, if you happen to have a Boots near you, they make a white tube of hair straightening stuff which is somehow great for curling. However, my secret ingredient is hair glue by got 2 be (yellow tube). You need to use this in moderation think a dime size droplet for long hair and with a bit of water because it is thick but this has kept my curls in perfect condition through miami heat and chicago wind. The key is you can’t use it daily since it is strong and you need to wash it out each day or else it gets gross but it works. Sorry this was so long, hope it helps.
I have hair that does what it wants most of the time and a lot of it! I have also collected and tested many products and the one that works best happens to be $3! It is Sunsilk styling cream (in the green bottle). It does not make your hair crunchy but it tames the beast…
I am loving all of these tips!!!
@jschober…I think they discontinued that sunsilk creme…at my local publix they have them marked down by half…I could be wrong but just wanted to give you a heads up!
@Gilneas: @Karolijn: I’ve read up about the curly girl routine, and frankly, it scares me a little. I’m so attached to shampoo!!! My hair is the type that looks really oily after a couple of days of not washing (especially the pieces around my face), so I find myself washing every day. My hair is fine, not course like curly hair. Is yours similar? Have you found a way to use this system that works?
@EAQ219: I never knew how to use that Be Curly (when your hair is damp??), so the entire bottle is full. Which is sad considering it was almost $20. So thank you for the tip! 
YES! PHYSIQUE! It was perfect for my wavy hair…oh, how I miss it. Now I use Sunsilk Waves of Envy cream for the frizz and spray for the definition. Love, love them. With their powers combined, they help tame the crazy lion’s mane on top of my head.
@Miss Powder Puff: I have thick hair, and a lot of it. The key to the curly girl routine is that you ARE washing your hair, just with a cleansing conditioner, water, and friction. At the beginning, she even suggests washing your hair more often, and weaning yourself down, as you it works out.
I tried to whole “no poo” routine a few years ago, and ended up with a very oily head and huge snarls. Currently, I use Devachan’s No Poo shampoo twice a week (rubbing it just on my scalp really well, and concentrating on my trouble spots that get especially oily or itchy), then rinse that out, and comb my hair out with my fingers, using Devachan’s One Conditioner - she says to put enough in so your hair feels like seaweed. I rinse that all out (they suggest leaving some in, that makes my hair WAY too oily and heavy). I’ll finger comb it again, scrunch it dry with a towel, finger comb the last tangles out, then scrunch in their AnGell, which gives me great curls and isn’t crunchy at all.
If you’re very, very scared to give up shampoo, the book suggests “spot cleaning” just your scalp, and some other suggestions (including gentler shampoos) and such. Devachan makes a low-poo shampoo, too, for wavy girls!
Wow, that got kind of long But I have to say - I was really skeptical, but I really, really love it. My hair feels healthy, smells fabulous, and I have great curls.
@Gilneas: I should give it a whirl. Thank you so much for the tips!
we are kindred… i have been riding the curly wave my whole life, although i straighten a lot… i will try those products, but what works for me is leaving in a light conditioner, it doesn’t weigh the hair down and doesn’t leave it crunchy (which is my pet peeve)
I am a twisted tress gal as well. It’s a real pain most of the time. I’ve used so many products that I’d be here all day to list the ones that don’t work.
If you are looking for a good product that doesn’t break the bank like a salon product would, try Sunsilk’s Captivating Curls products. I use the de-frizz leave-in conditioner right after my morning shower, let that air dry “justalittle” while dressing, then toss my head upside down and scrunch with the gel & cream twist pump. It gives me the hold my curls need while leaving them soft and frizz free. They are in the aqua-teal colored bottles. I use these on days that I don’t want to flat iron, or use my more expensive products.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v429/PoeticGlory/n37605875_33007190_9813.jpg
They also have a new mousse out that I’d like to try soon.
Oh, and I AGREE with Gilneas! I only shampoo once (maybe twice) a week, while using a thick, moisturizing conditioner developed for curly hair the rest of the week. Does help!
my favorite “product” was Yuko Straightening. It turned my partly frizzy, partly curly, partly wavy, COMPLETELY puffy hair (think Hermione from Harry Potter) into actual nice hair!
Weather Works is a GODSEND!! Tames your hair!! I can be in 100% humidity and keep my “yak horns” from sticking up!!
We are hair twins, Miss Powder Puff! I’m straight on top, curly on the sides, and wavy in the back. When my hair was super short (growing up it was a perma-pixie) it looked okay cause it could just be wild, but now I wear my hair long which makes it very difficult to work with! Mostly I straighten it by just blow drying, but the ends get really coarse and frizzy fast. I’ve never been able to master the au natural look, but I think I’m gonna try some of these tips!
it’s rare for someone to find one product to do it all….
im kind of in the same boat, so here goes my routine:
for the curly days i use DevaCurl Angell, let it air dry and if I find it’s frizzing up, i spray it with DevaCurl Set It Free, it locks the curls right up not to mention it smells a bit like skittles ….
for the days im too lazy and do nothing, i use MOP D-Curl, its a straightening balm thats basically amazing, light enough and strong enough all at the same time BUT i also use a leave in conditioner either Goldwell’s KeraSilk Instant Silk Fluid or L’Oreal Serie Expert Absolut Repair Leave In
it helps that i work at a hair salon …. b/c i know i would be cringing at the cost for hair product! but i can’t stress how much a quality product helps - dont waste time at your local drug store, and investing in a quality shampoo and conditioner is so worth it, overtime the results are very noticeable
oh gosh… i wish i had some advice to give. i too am a wavy hair girl. i normally just throw my hair back in a ponytail and ignore it (i work at a gym, teach preschool students, am majoring in Special Ed and have a two year old… sooooo i could care less about my locks… which is sad, come to think about it! but i swim quite often and i know i already have enough damage…) when i actually do it i either let it air dry and curl the weird strands with my sexy hair straightener curling iron (it’s like a straightener but with a curve.. it’s weird but works wonders!) OR i straighten it completely (with the same iron!) i love this topic though.. i’m curious to try a lot now!!
@Miss Powder Puff: Try it out! The worst that could happen is you have a few days of bad hair. And the best is that your hair will look awesome! Good luck!!
I probably could have paid my college tuition with how much money I spent trying products for my hair and the best thing is Sunsilk. It’s not expensive at all. I use the shampoo and conditioner and then use the leave-in conditioner and my curls come out great!
@mmc4474: Thanks for the tips! I also hate the crunch factor of mouse. I will have to give that a try. Right now I use a curl enhancing hairspray that you use when your hair is still damp. It works pretty well, but it doesn’t seem to hold all day.
I have coarse wavy “lionhead” hair which I’ve always had trouble managing until I found naturallycurly.com. I use Mastey Traite which is a no sulphate shampoo and Back 2 Basics Pom and Peach conditioner. For styling I use 2 sets of products, everything goes in when the hair is soaking wet. Jane Carter Solution’s Condition and Sculpt, followed by MOP Curling Creme. If not, I also use Karen’s Body Beautiful Hair Nectar as a leave in, followed by Kinky Curling Custard. It’s extra hassle for me because all the products are not available where I live, have to specially order them from the U.S but I get tons of compliments on my hair since I started this routine. The no-poo method is way too difficult esp since the weather here is very hot and humid.
I have terrible, wavy, voluminous (seriously, like a MANE!) wavy hair! It’s too wavy and frizzy to be left to dry by itself without looking like a crazy puffball, and it’s not wavy enough to do those nice, beachy waves that some women seem to get so naturally! So frustrating. I end up just blowing it out straight every day, then curling it a little with a curling iron if I need too. Too much heat treating, I know.
Thanks for the tips. My hair goals are just like yours!
Nice informative post as usual. I’ve just had a baby and haven’t worried about my appearance for almost a year now so it’s refreshing to read a post like this, thank you.
| Visit our sister sites | Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Fertile Thoughts Infertility Support |
Mrs. Powder Puff, Chicago
Age and Occupation: 25, Preschool Teacher
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Career Services
Engagement Date: May, 2008
Wedding Date: July, 2009
Blogging Since: November 12, 2008
Venue: Outdoor ceremony, banquet hall reception
About Me: I am your typical Midwestern girl attempting to plan a sane, budget-friendly, fun wedding to the man of my dreams. I love shoes, laughing at “Platinum Weddings”, crafts, inspiration boards, candy, and basically anything I can DIY. While weddings can certainly be all-consuming, I honestly can’t wait until the ceremony is over and I can finally call Mr. Powder Puff my husband!
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 |
Latest Gallery Pics