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I'm Shay! I’m a cookbook author, lifestyle blogger, travel agency owner, wife and mama who loves making every day special for my family.

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Mix & Match Mama

Shades of Shay, Shay ·

Fifty Two Shades of Shay: Favorite Hair Products


Hello!  Hello!
After I did my post on my Favorite Beauty Products and then my post on my Favorite Makeup, your feedback led me to believe that a post on my Favorite Hair Products was due.  And then, I posted this pic of me holding Ashby at the zoo and you guys totally confirmed the fact that a hair post was due…
…the key to this particular day, my hair was super dirty :).
Here’s my hair motto…
…I embrace the messy.
About two years ago, I did a post on my beachy hair.  You can read that here.  I kind of feel like I’ve really honed in on all of the products and the routine that works for me, so I just do it every day on repeat.  My hair is color treated, really thick and naturally wavy.  I spent the first 22 years of my life trying to straighten my hair (spending hours and hours on it, using way too many hot tools and an abundance of products)…and you know what, my hair never looked right.  I was forcing it to be something it isn’t.  So, my hair is meant to be messy and I’m just owning it.
Now, Erika has tried my messy hair method before and for her, it doesn’t work (so, it’s totally not for everyone!).  That being said, we use almost all of the same products but have totally different hair.  So this post isn’t about making your hair beachy, it’s just about my favorite products (which work for beachy hair like mine and straight and smooth hair like Erika’s).  If you’re into my beachy mess, I’ll give you tips at the bottom :).
Okay…my very favorite hair products…
1. Moroccanoil: This post was not in any way sponsored by Moroccanoil…I’m just totally obsessed with the brand.  I feel like the original Moroccanoil is the gateway drug into the rest of the brand’s products.  I started with this oil several years ago and then once I realized how much I loved it, I started trying other products…and as your about to see, I love them too.  I use the oil at least once a day on my hair.  Just a little bit on my hair makes flyaways tame, hair smoother, and just freshens it up.  I usually buy this at my local salon but it’s also available online too.  
After I posted this on my Favorite Beauty Products post, several of you agreed about how much you love it and then a few of you told me that since I love this, I should try my #8 product…so keep reading :).
2. Dry Bar’s Triple Sec: My very favorite dry shampoo is Triple Sec.  Since I don’t wash my hair every day, I need a good dry shampoo and this is my favorite.  I also talked about this product on my Favorite Beauty Products post and mentioned how I was driving to my local Dry Bar to buy it and many of you commented and/or emailed me and said it was also available at Sephora (which is a lot more handy for me!).  Thanks friends!

3. Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray:  This Moroccanoil Hairspray is my fave.  I like that I can spray my hair but it’s not stiff or sticky and it brushes out if necessary (for those 2nd day hair days).  I typically buy this at a salon or on Amazon along with the shampoo and conditioner (below).

4. BB Straight Blow Dry: So, I was telling Andrea about this stuff and I’m pretty sure I was squealing.  I’m totally in love with this magical mix!  I rarely ever blow dry my hair (like maybe five times a year).  I let my hair air dry because typically, when I blow dry it…it frizzes like nobody’s business.  That being said, especially in the summer after swimming all day, I sometimes need to blow dry it for an evening activity.  Well, I read the reviews about this BB Straight Blow Dry cream and decided to give it a try.  Love, love, love, love!  You apply this right before you begin blow drying and then like magic, your hair dries super smooth and silky.  Even my wild/frizzy/wavy/hates to be dried hair dries so easily.  The reviews here are what sold me.  Love.  Love. Love.

5. Living Proof Night Cap: Speaking of things I love, love, love…this Night Cap cream by Living Proof is also one of them.  After the first night I used this, I texted Erika a pic of the bottle and told her she needed it ASAP.  She bought it that day and loves it so much too!  You apply this to your damp hair before going to bed and then voila, in the morning, silky and smooth hair.  This is probably my very favorite hair product.  The reviews on this baby are pretty fab too.  You can read them here.

6 & 7: Moroccanoil Shampoo and Conditioner: Sigh.  I should really ask Moroccanoil if they will just go ahead and stick my face on their stuff.  I am obviously a big fan :).  Like I said earlier, after I fell in love with the original oil, I started trying other Moroccanoil products and thus…I have been using their shampoo and conditioner for several years.  Love.

8. BB Hairdresser Invisible Oil: Well, after I shared my love of Moroccanoil with you, I had several suggestions to try this Hairdresser Invisible Oil.  This works just like the Moroccanoil on my hair and smells divine.  I moved my older bottle of Moroccanoil to my gym bag for gym days and have been using this Invisible Oil ever since.  If this is easier for you to find than the other (or if you’ve always used Moroccanoil and wanted a change up), then I highly recommend this Invisible Oil.

Whew.  Those are my favorite hair products!  And just as an FYI, here’s how I use them for my hair…

1. I only wash my hair every other night or so (never two nights in a row unless I’ve been in chlorine).  2. After I shampoo and condition, I brush it out with my Wet Brush (found at Target) and apply the Living Proof Night Cap.  Then, I twist it up into a bun and go to sleep.
3. The next morning, I wake up and pull my hair down, add some Invisible Oil, tousle those waves (maybe add a curl or two if necessary with my curling iron) and then go.  If I’m doing a ponytail or something that needs hairspray, I’ll spray it with some before leaving.
4. On Days 2 and/or 3, I just add a little dry shampoo to the roots, some more Invisible Oil and go.

Seriously…the beachy hair makes my life simple.

Sometimes if the humidity is high (the summer!), I use this…

…Surf Spray.  It’s probably the most famous beachy hair product in the world :).  
If you have questions about my “wet bun” look, here you go…

I don’t tuck my ends in the bun because they’re not wavy.  I hope this helps!
Okay, let’s recap…
Find my favorite beauty products here.
Find my favorite makeup products here.
As always, I love, love, love, love to hear your favorite products and suggestions!  Please comment below!
And if you’re looking for a little treat this Easter season…
…my Vanilla Bean Poppy Seed Cupcakes will do the trick :).

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Comments

  2. Jessica Sweeney says

    I love reading your blog! You always have such great things to share. I actually bought the Clarisonic Mia because of one of your posts and I love it!. I am going to try the Night Cap, I wash my hair before bed and in the morning it's just a mess. Thanks!

  8. Kelsey says

    Looking forward to trying the night cap! Can you post a video of how to do your bun? I find that hard to do and not have a million creases in my hair the next day! Does your hair still dry while pulled up?

  9. Amanda Lawrence says

    How do you secure your hair up in a bun? I have tried that and it leaves marks in my hair in the morning. Do you have any tricks? I love Moroccanoil as well!

  10. Britt says

    Hi Shay! Love your blog and this hair method. Have been using it since I found you a few months ago! For the second day- do you wet it and just not wash it? Or sleep with it up dry? Also have been wanting to ask what you use for eyeliner? Thanks 🙂

  11. Jen Weber says

    I love your beachy waves! I have thick, wavy hair but it's not a pretty wave:( So I straighten it EVERY day..I have tried over the years to get that beachy look but usually end up looking like I just gave up! Might have to give it one more try with some of your suggestions!

  12. Kirby says

    I laughed when I read one of your hair posts where your hairdressers had you embrace the wavy hair. I have a THICK THICK, wavy mop of hair, and I also spent maybe two years of my youth with a straightener in hand. I had a religious experience when a new stylist showed me how to use what I've got. It was life changing. I use a lot of Redken product, but I just bought a small bottle of Moroccan Oil shampoo, conditioner, and mask to try out. We shall see!!

  13. Erika Slaughter says

    Oh my goodness!!! When I startd reading and saw that "erika tried and It didn't work for her" I startd panicking that my pic was going to be there. And…I also just bough the Triple Sec too!! Sounds like I need to try the blow dry cream!

  15. Carrie says

    Thank you so much for this post!! I LOVE when you highlight your favorite products. I do have one question though;) I go to the gym almost every day and my hair gets super sweaty. Would you mind sharing your routine after you have worked out?

  16. Melissa Sexton says

    I agree with some of the other comments; I twist my hair in a bun and use a Spin Pin (best things in the world, BTW!!!!), but I still wake up with wet hair. How do you twist yours up?

  17. Jennifer says

    I tried your hair regiment a few weeks ago and love how my hair turns out "messy". Why, oh why, did I fight it for so long!! Thanks for helping us wavy hair girls see that it can actually look cute

  18. Natalie Zambreski says

    Okay, I'm sure you've probably talked about it somewhere, but how do you deal with taming your hair after a workout? Do you always wash it? Or do you just dry shampoo? I'm always so curious to see how people make their hair look good after sweating it out for an hour!

  19. Brooke McBride says

    I would also like to know how this whole bun thing works I've tried that and my hair is a stringy rat ball of a mess in the mornings, would love a tutorial of how/ what your bun looks like! This would save me so much time and hair damage if I could master this technique! Thanks love your suggestions!

  20. Anonymous says

    I stopped fighting my wave and it saves so much time. Thanks for the product recommendations!

  21. V @ X-tremely V says

    I seriously love how you style your hair! Mine has a bit of natural wave to it, but not enough to make it be my every day style. Maybe I need to test out some of these products to see if that does the trick! Thanks for sharing Shay!

  23. Cheri says

    I absolutely LOVE Moroccan Oil and have bought on line and in my salon. The smell is wonderful. I will have to try your Invisible Oil and see how that works. I have wavy hair but have to straighten every day…it is just out of control. May have to try your Night Cap and see how that works. Thanks.

  26. AllieDanae Walker says

    I forget how well my hair curls when I sleep on it wet – I think I just worry about the roots looking greasy, when in reality they don't! I do spend so much time blow drying & straightening my thick hair. If I straighten it or curl it, I can skip a day washing. I'm trying to get back to an every other day wash cycle.

    Favorite products –
    1. This cream is amazing for day 2! It gives a little shine & a great light scent to freshen up the hair. Seriously love! – http://www.walmart.com/ip/19856972?wmlspartner=wmtlabs&adid=22222222222015147243&veh=sem

    2. my hair is super thick and takes forever to dry and just a dab of this by Paul Mitchell works like a charm (I also wrap my hair in a tshirt before blow drying – its supposed to be better for your hair than a towel)
    http://www.amazon.com/Paul-Mitchell-Super-Skinny-Serum/dp/B000NYL3NQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427212838&sr=8-1&keywords=paul+mitchell+skinny+serum

    Now I feel like blogging about my own beauty routines + definitely trying some MoroccanOil + Bb products!
    Thanks for sharing

  27. Anonymous says

    Ahhh, this post made me smile! I also spent 10 years straightening my hair daily after spending 30 minutes drying it and it still didn't look right. I finally gave up when my baby was 3 months old and realized if I just shower at night and put it in a bun, I'll have waves in the morning! My life is so much simpler now, and who doesn't love simpler when you have a little one?! So happy to see that I'm not the only one embracing the messy hair 🙂
    Kendra

  28. Lynn Adwell says

    Oh my gosh, I put my hair in a messy bun on top of my head at night when it's wet and then let it down in the morning, spray, and go! I've never met anyone else who does this!!! haha! It used to be stick straight but now it's slightly wavy and frizzy, so this is what works best for me. However I usually just spray with hair spray.. I'm def going to add some of these products into my routine!!

    What do you do on gym days though??? I wash my hair EVERY single day (almost all the time) because I go to the gym almost every day and if I sweat, I HAVE to take a shower… yuck! Do you just use the dry shampoo on those days too? I've never tried dry shampoo!

  29. Mrs. V says

    Shay I need to see a picture of this nighttime bun!! Are there bobby pins or elastic rubber bands involved? How high up do you put it? Our hair is the same texture and length, show us the bun!!!

  31. Angela Ellingson says

    These posts are gold to me! I definitely need help in this area, so thank you so much for sharing! Detail question, on the nights you don't wash your hair do you still wear it up in a bun while you sleep? There are so many products I want to try between those three posts! Want to do a Sephora gift card giveaway and pick me as the winner?! Just kidding! Thanks Shay!!!

  32. Angela Ellingson says

    Oops! Reading comments after I commented. You answered my question already. But now I have another. 😉 Fabric elastics? Brand? Where do you buy them? And I echo the desire to see an example of your bun. I'm sure it's super basic, but I'm a little challenged/lazy in this area, so I need the play by play. 😉

  33. Anonymous says

    I love love love MorrocanOil! Works wonders and I love the scent too! Us wavy-haired girls unite! 🙂 Try one of the MorrocanOil masks, those are absolutely amazing too!

  34. Nikki says

    Definitely going to check out those hair products! I just got my hair highlighted on Friday and need some great products to keep it up. Is the shampoo/conditioner good for color treated hair?!

  35. Denise Ross says

    I have hair similiar to your type and love how easy it is to live with. Good style cut works z treat too. Great product tips I'm looking out to give a go.

  36. Leigh says

    Your hair list makes my list look sad. I use shampoo, conditioner and volumizier. I have your opposite hair (baby fine, stick straight and oily) so if I use a bunch of products, I end up with a gross mess. I love a good products post though :). I need to try that dry shampoo because I've yet to find one that can buy me a day between hair washings. Maybe that one can tame my greasy scalp!

  37. Shelby says

    Oh my goodness!! I neeeeed that blew dry cream…like yesterday & the years before!! Ahhh!! I hope this is my answer! Thank you! Loved this post!

  39. sarah mcclanahan says

    I wish I could do my hair like you do yours! I love yours!! Mine is curly wavy too. Ive been wanting to try the Moroccan oil- maybe after mine runs out! But that night cap is def one I want!! Thanks for these tips 🙂

  42. sarah c says

    Thanks!!!! I love how you style your hair! Gorgeous! Now I can steal your techniques and products. Muahahaha .

    Thanks ! I ♡ this post and you!

  43. McKinley says

    Hi Shay! I after reading this blog post I went and read your "beachy hair" one as well. It seems like you used the Sebastian Potion there in the same way you use the Night Cap stuff here? Which one of these would you recommend if I'm choosing between the two?

  44. Courtney Cammarano says

    I also have thick, wavy hair and have been trying to embrace it. Some days are better than others. There's one product I began using after your last hair product post – Sebastian Potion 9 – that I LOVE. I didn't see it on your most recent list though… do you still use it? I'm going to try the Night Cap as well, but am also deficient in the bun-making category. Would love to see how you do it in hopes of avoiding the crazy-hair mess the next morning. 🙂

  46. Jen says

    Would you mind sharing what you use for Kensington's hair? 🙂 I am growing my daughter's out and again am ready to cut it because it's driving me nuts! It's tangled all the time, and looks scraggly. It is actually pretty thick, though, so I'm not sure how to make it look better! She also has tons of static! Do you recommend any products to help?? 🙂

    Thank you!

  48. Lauren says

    Shay! I have tried and tried to get the bun right, and I just can't! Any tips?? I can't get the right kind of wave the way I am wrapping the bun up with the elastic 🙂

  50. Anonymous says

    Hey Shay! I am commenting on an old post, so not sure you will see it. I have naturally curly hair and tried your wet bun method with no success using the Moroccan oil shampoo/conditioner. My hair can get big and erratic, so I was back to wetting in the morning to style or straightening. I so desperately wanted to have an easier method in the mornings, so I tried one last thing…I switches to Redken All Soft shampoo/conditioner and using ITs a 10 miracle leave in conditioner…and BAM I am rocking the beachy waves today!!! Washed my hair last night, pulled my hair into a low bun ( I have found if I do a high bun- it makes my hair too big) and this morning I had calm beachy waves. hoping this info may help others!
    Sara Y

  51. Katelyn Magerko says

    I just found out about a sea salt spray made by Katrina and Karena of Tone It Up. I follow their fitness blog and am loving it. It has great products in it and smells like coconut. They live at the beach and have amazing hair so I trust their product! Def a must try for you!!

  52. Leslie Zinsmeister says

    Hmmmm! I've always wanted to try Morrocanoil but have been nervous since my hair is pretty fine. Do you know anyone with this type of hair that has success? Love, love, love all of your blog posts! Reading your posts is the first thing I do to start my day!

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