When I asked on my Instagram stories last week if you would want to see a blog post featuring my commute hair routine, the majority vote was yes. So here it is! I will be sharing everything from what I get done at the salon to the products I use everyday.
what my hair used to look like
It’s always funny to me to look back at old photos because my hair was SO bad, haha! These photos are from 2014-2015. I got it trimmed 1-2 times per year, used cheap drugstore products, and that awful sun-in spray. It’s crazy to think that even though I dye my hair very frequently now, it is 10x healthier!
What my hair looks like now
What I get at the salon
I’ve been seeing Laurie at Sola Salons (it’s a group of independent stylists) in Timonium for about 5 years. My hair is so much healthier, and I couldn’t imagine not dying my hair anymore! When I couldn’t go for over 3 months at the start of quarantine last year it was rough, haha, but I refused to see anyone else in the meantime.
I go every 5-6 weeks (more like every 5 weeks during the summer since my hair grows faster). Every 2-3 appointments I get a trim or cut off a few inches depending on how the ends are. I always get my hair highlighted and then Laurie does a “double developer” which really brightens the root. I hate when people ask me or assume I “just bleach my hair” because I don’t get an all over color. I think the highlights make it look more natural/professional. I alternate with full and partial highlights – for example, when I went last week I got partial highlights and a trim and at my next appointment I will get full highlights. If you don’t know what the difference is, basically full highlights just mean the highlights are on both the top and underneath parts of my head and the partial highlights are just on the top (but Laurie still goes pretty far back). You can really only notice if I am wearing my hair up. So if you wear your hair down all the time, I would recommend just getting a partial highlight.
For the cut, I almost always get layers but sometimes I get more of a blunt cut where the ends are all even. I think the layers give it more dimension!
Products
- Olaplex bond maintenance shampoo – I have really oily/greasy hair so I have to wash it 3x per week. This shampoo gets it super clean without drying my hair out or leaving it tangly like a lot of other shampoos. It sounds expensive for the size but it does last a long time – I only have to buy 2 bottles per year.
- Moroccan oil purple shampoo – I’ve tried A LOT of purple shampoo over the past few years and this has gotten my hair the most blonde/takes out ALL the yellow/orange tones. Just a warning, it is very pigmented, and sometimes leaves my nail beds a little purple, but it works so well. It does not get my hair as clean as the olaplex shampoo though so sometimes after I use it I wash my hair a second time with the Olaplex shampoo so it stays cleaner longer.
- It’s a 10 miracle deep conditioner with keratin – THE BEST conditioner that exists. It detangles my hair and makes is sooo soft and silky. I’ll never use anything else because nothing else remotely compares.
- Olaplex bond smoother – I use this on the ends of my hair when they feel dry. It also helps with frizz and can be used on wet or dry hair.
- It’s a 10 leave in conditioner with keratin – I have been using this for at least 3 years and it is amazing. I use it as a detangler/leave in spray but it also works as a heat protectant and contains keratin which makes my hair really shiny and soft. The bottles last awhile and you really only need a few sprays.
- Moroccan oil hair oil – have the large bottle but wish I had just gotten the travel size because it lasts forever. It helps with frizz and makes hair super soft. A little goes a long way!
- Revlon One Step blow Dry brush – I have this and use it when I want to wear my hair straight but also have volume. Only use it once hair is 80% dry or else your hair may get caught in the brush/cause more tangles. It saves so much drying time though and my hair always looks like I just got a professional blow out!
- Wet brush – This brand makes the best affordable hair brushes. You can get them at Ulta or most drug stores.
- T3 base – I like the interchangeable aspect of this hot tool and the quality is really high.
- T3 Tousled waves curling wand – this is the curling wand I use every time I curl my hair! It heats up instantly and my curls last longer than they have with other brands.
- Moroccan Oil dry shampoo light tones – This is the only dry shampoo I will use! It has a purple tint to it so it makes my hair more blonde and less yellow looking. It smells good too. Sephora sells a jumbo size bottle that is the same price as the regular so I would recommend shopping there over other retailers.
- Olaplex hair perfector – this treatment helps to strengthen hair, and my hair always feels softer after. It’s great if you want to treat damaged hair.
- Marilyn hair mask from Lush – I love this hair mask for blonde hair. It makes my hair more blonde, smells really good and makes my hair SO soft and hydrated after. I do use a lot of it each time so it only lasts me a few uses but it’s still worth it.
Questions?
That is pretty much all I use on my hair currently! I do try to limit the amount of heat I use as well – I almost always let my hair air dry (I probably only use the revlon blow dryer 1-2x per month). I only curl it once per week if that and don’t even own a straightener currently! I hope this was informative and let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.
