Tell me about your hair routine please

[CakeandRoses]

Having finally got my wardrobe and face under manners (HoC colour and style days and Bare Minerals respectively), I now turn my attention to my hair.

I have long, fine, straight (and wavy in places) hair which gets greasy by day 2. I wash it every 1-2 days and then do a haphazard mixture of letting it air-dry or blowdrying it (sometimes with BBH) - I like it looking natural rather than obviously styled but sometimes I think it just looks ungroomed . Recently had a bit of an experiment with colouring it and have just used an auburn semi. I'm rarely happy with it altho people do compliment me on it (it is at least shiny and silky).

I've got 2 v young DCs and don't have lots of time at the moment (tbh, I prioritise make-up and other stuff over hair styling). i'm also pretty cack-handed when it comes to curling with straighteners etc but would be prepared to practice if it meant nice hair for not too much extra time in the long run.

I've just found out that normal people still use dry shampoo so will try that for day 2 as it can look pretty awful on that day.

What else am I missing out on?

Were you a natural on your hoc style day? Because if you were, then you wouldn't look right too styled anyway. I tend to do the same as you except I wash it everyday( not that I'd recommend that, but I just love getting totally soaked in the shower) . I recently had a reunion which I got some dry shampoo for, but realised I hadn't used it correctly when I saw it in my roots so it looked like I was going grey. Which was gutting cos my hair colour is the one thing that hasn't aged!

natural ingenue so yy, too-style hair isn;t me and i'm comfortable with that, it's just i'd like to look natural but better, iyswim? eg i hate it when the back has a mad wave and the front is straight or the sides look frizzy (which has only happened since i coloured it altho seems better now with the semi). i also do look quite groomed overall i think - always wear full but subtle makeup, jewellery etc so it can feel like my hair's letting the side down.

i think my hair's also been going thru a bit of a crisis due to back-to-back pg and bf for 4 years. have just got a layer of new hair growth coming thru which adds to the overall annoyance.

Ooh what Auburn semi did you use?

I think its a simple case of if you don't feel your hair is up to scratch in terms of style when you simply wash and wear it, whether that includes blasting it with a hairdryer or letting it dry naturally, then you need to find a styling solution that works for you. Most of us are in this boat, I would say, there are not that many people who can shake their head after a shower and get on with their day.

So a bit cack handed with GHD's, fair enough, there are other options.

Do you have a bog standard curling wand? I find www.amazon.co.uk/BaByliss-2287BU-Curl-Curling-Tong/dp/B002XDPTMG/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1318243036&sr=8-7 this sort is the best, i.e 25mm or 1 inch diameter, it doesn't give tiny ringletty curls but the ones that are really large that are supposed to produce waves don't do it for me personally, it drops out in no time, whereas this is just the right size for the kind of look I think you are going for. Its cheap and cheerful at £18, the only thing I would say is that the button is badly placed, its easy to accidentally turn it off while you are using it, but for £18, you could buy it and see if you get the hang of it and its the one for you and if it is you could buy a better salon model with a more appropriately placed button that is the same diameter if that one suits. You don't want a big investment during this experimentative phase.

I never really "got" the hang of curling wants till I saw which I think is one of the better ones. I like the way she shows you how to curl away from the face, which I think is the best way to curl, and she doesn't bang on too long.

I think also the correct finishing spray is important, you don't want a styled or done kind of feel, have you tried the Loreal tecni art Texture spray ? I quick spray on your curls as you break them up a bit at the end will give them that natural deconstructed look that you want.

Do you reckon that might be worth a try? It might be too much faff for everyday but you might well get 2 days out of it particularly with a quick spritz of dry shampoo...

Just a quick one about curling - it is a major PITA with straight, fine, silky hair like mine, but this makes it very easy and doable even on very little sleep. Ignore the annoying voice, the method is worth it ;).

I usually wash my hair (Matrix Biolage hydrating combo), then use some Kevin.Murphy Anti.Gravity (on wet hair) and Osis Dust-it (on dry hair) for volume and texture. I blow-dry or air-dry depending on time constraints and then in the evening lightly wet the ends and put them in the sock bun as specified in the YouTube video and pile all the hair into it on top of my head. I wake up with lovely waves that last for days with a bit of help from a dry shampoo (Batiste). The trick is to massage your scalp properly and then brush it out completely, otherwise you look like you are wearing a powdered wig. It is not fool-proof but still much easier than washing my long hair every day. I also find that wearing my hair in waves makes it less greasy as the hair is further away from the scalp, if that makes sense. HTH

i am reading with interest about dry-shampoo.
i have a free sample which has been lurking in a drawer for ages
does it really work ? i am an every day hair washer generally. sometimes i skip a day at the weekends if we arent going anywhere, but for the working week i have very rarely not washed my hair (&blow dried) each morning.
Could this be the ten minutnes i am in desparate need of clawing back in the morning which will stop me shouting at my DCs and DH while i try and get ready for work???

Try it slackbladder (!!! love the name) it is amazing stuff.

Youngblowfish that video is great! Thanks for sharing it. I will try that method soon myself. CakeandRoses you should definitely try that before you buy any curling wands - no heat, something you can do the night before and style up in the morning.

Nice one! I might try it tonight.

Why, thank you TattyDevine! After tweaking the thickness of the sock, the dampness of the hair and getting used to rolling it properly, you should end up with <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Amy+Adams+oscars&um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=hDJ&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&biw=1173&bih=615&tbm=isch&tbnid=Us_shycyGgSCfM:&imgrefurl=howtobearedhead.com/2011/01/oscar-nominations-were-posted-today/amy-adams-2008-proenza-schouler-fitsugar-com/&docid=6Yir27xHlAVrEM&w=550&h=413&ei=nhWTToPaB4eu8gPY8PkO&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=879&vpy=180&dur=463&hovh=107&hovw=140&tx=164&ty=98&sqi=2&page=1&tbnh=107&tbnw=140&start=0&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this. Definitely worth trying before investing in any wands as simply no morning styling is required. Once you wake up you just take the sock out and brush your hair with your fingers or with a brush and voilà! It takes 2 seconds and the curl lasts. Let me know how it goes!

slackbladder, dry shampoo changed my mornings. I am so much more relaxed knowing that I don't need to spend hours fiddling with my hair and blow-drying it. Even if you want to invest in a full-size can, Batiste costs £2 from any Boots, so hardly requires a trust fund all of its own (the way some grooming products sadly do). It took me a while to get out of a mindset of 'I have not washed my hair for 24hrs, it is dirty!', but I have now and am so much happier for it!

thanks so much everyone!

tatty i've put you out of your misery about the colour now thought i'd try semis for a while and see how long they last - which is another reason for washing my hair a bit less if poss.

I've not really finishing spray aside from old-skool hairspray now and then so will def look into that.

blowfish it sounds as tho we have similar hair. i haven't been able to watch the video yet (supposed to be watching a dvd with dh) but you've sold it to me already - am expecting big things!

those with fringes - what do you do with yours to stop the grease?

Have to wash mine every day otherwise it looks like poo. I have fine, slightly wavy hair, which is so fine around my face that it goes a bit curly just around my face if left to its own devices. It is cut in a one length bob just below my jaw & I have a light sort of fringe. I put a temporary colour through it every monday morning. Wash it every day with a mile shampoo & conditioner. Blow dry with a big brush & finish with a quick whizz through of the straightners. I have two kids & work full time & I do the whole morning routine thing in just over an hour, so I'm guessing the hair aspect can't take much more than 15 mins each day.
I've tried to use dry shampoo but think my hair is just too fine. It makes it look really dull & even though it doesn't look greasy, it still looks lank.

arrghh - i must be so thick - i can;t understand how she does the sock part admittedly i'm watching with the sound down as next to a sleeping dh but i have now watched 5 different videos and still can;t work it out (albeit none seem to use the same technique)

i;m sad as i was so excited about murdering one of dh;s bloody malingering black socks and trying this tonight.

oh! i just tried it and think i've got it. not sure about getting the hair in evenly at the start but will see what it looks like tomorrow!

Okay, watched the vid, butchered ExH's sock, now have a massive donut on my forehead will report back in morning

Ooh excitedly awaiting sock results

My long hair was wet last night when I did it, so i've got wavy damp hair this morning and a soggy sock... I'll try again tonight!

I use the sock method, a lot, i have naturally ringlet curls and straighten it a lot, although its a lot curlier and harder to do since having my last dc's

The sock method is really good, although it works best if i straighten it one day then do the sock method for the next day on my straightened hair, it doesnt work on clean hair, there was a thad about this a few weeks ago and a few said the same.

Dry shampoo is amazing, my best friend in fact! Try the one for brown hair if you get stuck with the white residue, it sprays out brown so int does the job, but also makes your hair look thicker at the same time, no white powder

ok - mine is different, certainly but not exactly like hers at the end of the video!

i have a 'ponytail indentation mark' iyswim - do others get that? and the curls kinda go inwards rather than outwards or loose curls. it's all quite big and from the front does look pretty cool - quite bardotesque. (tatty before you nag me - i will try to get a pic for fb )

and i do have a bit of a headache where my scalp was being pulled by the bun - i didn't think i did it that tight but i must have.

my hair had been washed yesterday morning and i damped it slightly before doing the bun.

i think it's mainly down to my technique tho so will try again.

thanks byeckers - i'd bought the neutral one yday but will try the brown one next time as i was dithering between the two.

Cakeandroses, i havent watched the video linked on this thread but is it theone where you pile all your hair on the top of your head?
I use three socks, one on the top, with 'ears up' hair, then split the remaining hair into two bunchies, one right one left in two more socks, makes three different curl pattrens and so looks more natural. Also the top one, i roll under to avoid the indentation mark, i will see if i can find the thread in question as it has a link to the video i mean

here

same as kaplinkyplonk also left with unmanageable thick hair, have had to smooth into a bun at the nape of my neck, will try again tonight

Thanks for this thread Cakes, I have similar hair I think. Tried the sock bun last night, and it sort of worked - my hair was dry when I started (washed yest. morning, blowdried until I ran out of time so mostly natural).

I think if your hair is dry and you only dampen the length of the ponytail you shouldn't end up with indentation mark? Mine looked great and curly when I took it out but it dropped out almost immediately (even with a bit of hairspray) and is now only a bit wavier than usual - no-one but me would notice I don't think.

Byeckerslike, I think that's what I'll try, knowing my hair it would definitely behave better if I had straightened it on day 1. Thanks for the other thread and alt. method, will read/try....

Klorane is my dry shampoo of choice but it runs out SO fast.

moving that's exactly right, the way to avoid the indention mark is to dampen your hair after you put it into a ponytail and only wet the ends.

I took some pics of my hair in a donut and after I took it out, but can't upload them on the iPhone and won't be home until the evening as DH is treating me to a shopping trip. Apparently, he needs some more socks ;).

Oh, and cake the hair really should not be pulled too tight at all. It should be much looser than when you do a normal ponytail, as in the end it is not the elastic that keeps the hair in place but the sock.

Would love to see pics youngblowfish - thanks for original link to method! Will give it another go tonight, I possibly didn't dampen enough - I think it can work with some tweaking.