The tamed hair kit
Yayyy here is the post over tamed hair – finally! As I mentioned in a recent video, I am super happy to have finally managed to tame my hair in a new stage without chemicals. It’s true this involves 7 products, spend some time with the blowdryer, a night of sleep before using the curling iron on the ends and ideally even a beanie to keep the volume low, but so what , am I right?? I’m not a “low maintenance” kind of girl anyway, what matters is being able to do my hair alone and be happy with the results! Hahaha
Before I tell you about the details of this process, let me give a bit of context:
I’ve mentioned in a few posts (links at the end) a bit of my hair history, all the permanent straightening I did throughout the years, how my hair doesn’t have pretty natural curls, and how it is a shapeless and very unruly mass (so, it’s not like I can show my curls-that-are-not-curls)…
I don’t even love having my hair straight-sleek-smooth, but I’ve always considered it too hard and complex not to straighten because of the roots, which are this previously mentioned fuzzy mass with a damn fizz, there’s not how I can just “let it be”. So I basically straightened the roots, to make my life easier, but I used the curling iron on the ends, which is my favourite look if I wear my hair down (I’ve told you I really like to wear my hair up, although a lot of people find it strange…)
But then it seems that 15 years of chemicals started to make a negative effect, and my hair was more and more tired, weak, breaking, falling – not to mention that my grey hair demands a touch up more and more often, and these chemicals I am not willing to let go for now!
CONCLUSION: by reason of force majeure, I decided to handle a period without touching up the straightening and see how I managed. In the beginning it was too annoying, when I washed my hair at home I would straighten only the hair around my face, because I never knew how to blow dry my own hair, so the rest would look like an out of control rebellion – and I only wanted to blow dry my hair at the salon. But that’s not reasonable right? I am for self-sufficiency, and not being able to get along with my own hair was making me uncomfortable…
So I decided to solve this somehow. I searched my cabinets to try to find a few products that could help me in my mission, got some tips, did some tests with the blowdryer and the straightening iron and got to – drumroll – tamed hair kit! It’s basically 7 products + tools (comb, powerful blowdryer, brush) + a few details I mentioned above, but IT SUPER WORKED!
Before the details, it’s worth clarifying two things:
. You don’t need to use all the products or do all the steps in order to be successful – I am sharing my most complex version of the deal to be able to give you the most tips possible, I also already did it without a few things and it works
. All the products are replaceable – these are the ones who worked better among the things I had at home, and I obviously don’t have all the products in the world! It’s worth considering the role each of them has in the process, and then you can adapt with other ones!!
And here we go! In order for this not to be confusing I wrote this in a “recipe template”, with the ingredients, the step-by-step and then a few more details about the chosen products, to make it easier to understand the roles
Products:
TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Shampoo + Lee Stafford Frizz Off Mask + Living Proof No Frizz Conditioner + R+Co One Prep Spray + Lee Stafford Keratin Blow Dry Smoothing Spray + Trevor Sorbie Straight Smoothing Balm + Moroccanoil
Tools:
Fine tooth comb + Philips Pro Care blowdryer + round brush + beanie + Arno Curl & Style Curling Iron+ Tangle Teezer
Step-by-step:
Before the shower: With my hair still dry, I brush it with the Tangle Teezer
In the shower: I wash my hair with the shampoo, apply the mask for 2 minutes, rinse off, apply the conditioner, rinse again
After the shower: I apply the Prep spray all over my hair and gently comb it. Then I apply the Blow Dry spray all over, apply the Straight Smoothing balm only on the roots, around the face and on the back and the oil on the ends
Blow dry time: With the round brush and the powerful blowdryer, I start by blowdrying the roots around the face and then go to the rest of the roots – I part my hair in the middle to make it easier when it comes to doing the back. I don’t care about the ends, the deal is to tame all the roots. I only dry the ends not caring much about styling them (but they actually turn out ok due to the products) and then I do a loose low twisted bun to make the hair a bit wavy already.
Curious fact: You must be intrigued about the beanie… It’s not practical at all, especially if you don’t live in a cold place like I do and don’t work from home like me. But you can substitute it with a large hairband, the important here is to have this element that helps you lower the roots and tame the volume & the static hair
Curling iron: I prefer to use the curling iron on the ends the day after, because sleeping also makes the hair nicer and more tamed! Otherwise do it at night right before bed, it looks great. And for this there is not secret… I do it from the middle to the ends and the root is already obedient.
And that’s it! Hahaha I know, I sound like a complete lunatic, but it actually isn’t that much work when you do it, you get used to it and it goes by quickly. Mine looks more or less like this:
in a selfie moment at the taxi in London…
A bit about the products:
Keratin Smooth Shampoo – TRESemmé
When my sister Luiza, who is also a bit of a straightening “slave” like me, told me she was using a magical shampoo that left her hair super tamed, I was excited and curious. It was this one by TRESemmé, that had just been released in Brazil, I bought it in London and started using it too. I used to think that a product able to straighten the hair was a bit BS, but I really understood it makes a difference – I feel it especially when I’m blowdrying it!
Frizz Off Mask – Lee Stafford
To go with the shampoo that straightens, the mask from the Lee Stafford Frizz Off line is great. Actually all the line is good and it’s worth using all its products, but I thought it would be more fun to go with a mix!! It moisturises well and helps to control the frizz.
No Frizz Conditioner – Living Proof
To complete the washing tender trio, another product to control the frizz, the famous Living Proof! I talked about it with more detail here
One Prep Spray – R+Co
This spray works like a primer for the hair, preparing it for the products that come after – it also helps to detangle, protects and lightly moisturises. This brand is really exclusive and you can find it at Space NK in London and in the US
Keratin Blow Dry Smoothing Spray – Lee Stafford
Another one of Lee Stafford Frizz Off line, it protects from the heath besides haling a lot to straighten the hair when blowdrying.
Straight Smoothing Balm – Trevor Sorbie
I bought this balm a long tie ago at a Boots in London and use a tiny little bit on the roots around the face and on the back, the places when my hair is a bit more rebel! It also helps straightening
Oil – Moroccanoil
I apply a tiny little bit on the ends, so that they don’t split.
Ah! Recently I tested great substitutes for the products that help to tame and straighten: the ones from the Kérastase Discipline line, and the ones from the Pantene Smooth Lisse line. I also heard great things about the BB Straight line, from Bumble & Bumble – other options for you.
Whoever wants to share tips of products to tame the hair in the comments please do, I will love to read as usual!
More posts and videos about my hair related sagas…
Random TV Beauté about hair Part 1 and Part 2
My experience at Dios here
X-Tenso straightening here
About straightening in genel here
Obs: I spent almost a year without doing a straightening treatment, but when I was in Brazil in February I tried a new one, called Exohair, at Estúdio Tez – I only did it on the roots around the face to try it, but I will talk about that and my new hair color in another post, because this one already went over the acceptable size a long time ago hahah!!
{Translated by Ana de Almeida}
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