2. Tresemme Thermal Creations Shampoo and Conditioner: I cannot say enough about how much I love this line from Tresseme. You can totally fry your hair with highlights and hot styling tools, and in one wash, these products will turn your straw into silk. No expensive line has ever done what these two products do for my hair. And at around $3 a pop at Target (for a very large bottle), what’s not to love?
3. Aveda Blue Malva Conditioner: An instructor at the Aveda institute recommended this to me when I got a horrific dye job from one of the students there. (I know, I know, never do color at a beauty school. But I was a college student interning up in Minneapolis, money was tight, and I thought I was getting a bargain. Who knew I would be paying for it in brassy, broken hair for 2 years afterwards. I’ve learned a lot since then on when to splurge vs. when to save. SPLURGE on your color.) Anyway, this conditioner is a sort of scary deep purple color, but it deeply conditions and nourishes your hair, making is glossy and neutralizing any brassiness in your blonde streaks. A great once a week treatment.
! Please note: I do NOT endorse the Blue Malva shampoo. While the conditioner is phenomenal, I would recommend you avoid the shampoo at all costs. I have been raving about the conditioner for years, so I was thrilled to try the shampoo when I got it on sale at my local Aveda salon for 20% off. I hate it. I have been working through the bottle for over 6 months now, and use it only to supplement my normal hair routine when I am out of the conditioner but desperately need to brighten up my highlights. It is incredibly drying and makes my hair tangle easily.
3. Juicy Couture Perfume: When I think about my time in Hong Kong, my most powerful memory is actually of the hotel I stayed at – it had the most amazing, powerful yet delicate jasmine tea scent wafting throughout the lobby. This perfume smells just like it, and brings me back there with every spritz.
4. J.R. Watkins Body Cream in “Lemon Cream” scent: Like diving head first into a lemon meringue pie. Both the scent and texture are absolutely to die for. So rich. Absorbs easily. Smells like warm lemon sugar cookies. But creamy. I can’t explain it. Just try it.
5. Dry Shampoo
Oh, dry shampoo. I seriously do not know how I lived in humid Florida for 21 years without this stuff. Snooze through your alarm and awake to greasy, lifeless hair? Miss a highlight appointment? This stuff will save your life (ok, maybe just your self-esteem). I discovered this just a few years ago, and I LOVE it. I actually think my hair looks best after a day or two of not washing, but I have a fairly oily scalp and bangs, which are completely unforgiving of even the least amount of grease, so this stuff is my go-to for staying fresh. Just spray it on your roots, wait a second or two, turn your head upside down give your hair a quick fluff, then flip back over and comb through. Ta-da! For those that use baby-powder currently, dry shampoo is a step up because it is lighter, sometimes slightly tinted for less contrast on your roots, and smells much more subtle. I used to use baby powder for this purpose, but my boyfriend could always tell and explained that my hair smelled less fresh and just like what it was: like day-old hair with baby powder in it. (He redeemded himself by telling me that he would rather smell just me with no baby powder.) Still...opps. :/ Not exactly my intention.
I'm actually not super picky about the brand here, but this is definitely a must-have in my beauty cabinet. I like Batiste Tropical as an inexpensive option - it works great and lasts forever. I really like the spray format, too.
I've been wanting to try Cake Beauty's version for a while, but I've talked myself out of it because I really like the spray format over the shake canister format (goes on lighter, easier to apply), and I realized that I probably really just the name and cute packaging that I am attracted to and that my <$10 products are working just fine. Cake does do a version for darker hues, though, which may be of interest to brunettes who can't pull off the George-Washington look....You can get this on Amazon, and newly, at Sephora.
Has anyone tried Cake brand dry shampoo? Does it really smell like cake?
5. Secret Clinical Strength
