Current Hair Care Obsessions

Cut and Color by Jordan Mcleod of Zazu Salon Chicago

Happy Tuesday guys!

This hair post is feeling way waaaay overdue! To be quite honest, there was a period of time I let hair care slip as a priority. I started traveling every week for work, was using whatever the hotel had on hand for shampoo and conditioner, I let my haircut grow out, my roots get a little too dark from the lack of sun… It was not a good look friends! My hair just felt so dry, dull, and lifeless. There truly is not a better feeling than getting a fresh cut and rocking healthy locks, so glad I finally pulled myself out of that rut lol.

I always say that a good head of hair comes down to three things: a good hair cut, good tools, and good products. My hair stylist Jordan is a freaking hair wizard; he did my permanent extensions a while back, chopped them off and gave me a super fresh ‘do when I decided I was over the length and maintenance, bumped up my blonde just in time for a trip to LA… Needless to say, he’s come through for me every single time! In addition to being incredibly talented and skilled, he genuinely listens to what I want. I personally HATE blunt hair cuts on myself (I like tons of layers so my hair has movement and body and dries wavy), and I can’t tell you how many times other stylists have ignored this and left my hair essentially at one length. My hair was cut recently in this photo, and as you can see, there is a ton of length diversity, layered, choppy pieces, and it looks soooo good when it’s curled. It also makes my color and babylights really pop! (In case you’re wondering, when I go see Jordan for my color, he does balayage and babylights on my hair. It makes my roots grow out really nicely and just looks extremely natural). If you’re in Chicago, he’s at Zazu Salon (right by Mag Mile) and I could not recommend him any higher.

Now, the tools… Over the last year, I have become a ride or die T3 Micro girl. The hype is so real you guys. I have their straitening and styling iron, the whirl trio interchangeable curling wand (the 1.25 curling iron is my normal curling go to), and the Cura Hair Dryer. The brand definitely runs on the pricer side, but it is by FAR the best line of tools I have ever tried (the Beachwaver, Conair 1.25 curling iron, and 1 in. Remington wand were the curlers I used in the past- the curls just never looked as good!). My love for T3 simply boils down to how great my hair looks when I use their stuff; I almost dare you to scroll through my food back to circa 2016 to see how my hair looked curled haha…. I’ve definitely improved my styling abilities but I’ve always made some serious tool upgrades! Best part is that my curls will last for like daaaays at a time. In fact, I always just end up showering before they get to the point of falling flat. I’m thinking of doing a little tutorial of how I curl my hair on Insta Stories, so def let me know if that would be of help to you!

For hair maintenance and styling, good products are a must! I’ve been using Kerastase Elixir Ultime as my post shower serum for shine, nourishment, and restoration. I rub a pump or two between my palm and comb it all throughout my hair, focusing on the roots. I also love putting a tiny bit on dry hair for extra shine and softness.

I often am an air dry type of gal, but if I’m going to blow dry my hair, I use the Drybar Southern Belle Volume Boosting Mousse for the most insane volume I’ve ever gotten in my life. Seriously. As in, err on the side of caution with this, because it is some powerful stuff.

And now to talk about what has become my all time fave hair line: The Ouai Matte Pomade has quickly become my holy grail hair product. For one, I can only describe the scent as smelling like Hawaii; it’s pure flowery heaven. I put the tiiiiiiniest bit between my fingers and rub them together, essentially just giving my fingers a light coating, and then I use it to scrunch up my hair, mold it into waves a bit, very carefully pat down flyways… It gives your hair this amazing texture and hold, and it’s just the perfect compliment to any curled ‘do. I have a tutorial of how I use it saved on my “Coachella” Insta story highlights! It can be tricky at first to get the hang of using, but it is by far my favorite hair product.

The Ouai Wave Spray is another fave of mine; I’ll use it on wet or dry hair, a little bit or a lot, all depending on what look I’m going for. It adds crazy volume and gives the most perfect beach waves. I love using this spray on it’s own if I’m not in the mood to do anything to my hair, but still want it to look “done.” Every lazy girl’s secret weapon haha.

Shop all of my hair care faves below!