For years I had longish hair. Roughly the same length for 15 years – about 6 inches past my shoulders. Sometimes it was a little longer (when it was healthy and I treated it well), but never shorter. I couldn’t pull off a shorter cut – not me – at least that’s what I thought. But one day last November, while in Paris and sipping on a cappuccino in a cafe, I decided I had to give it a go.
Perhaps it was because I had spent days people watching in Paris, and had seen endless numbers of chic women wearing their hair in a shoulder grazing style. Perhaps I was giddy with the idea that I could potentially look that chic, but the decision was made in that moment. I waited until I returned to Los Angeles to take the plunge, and as soon as I was able to went to my salon and asked for them to do what I’d never asked for. “Cut it short, please.”
As soon as I saw my hair snipped off and falling to the floor, I knew I had made the right call. My ends were lifeless. Dull. They needed to be cut away to allow for a head of healthy hair. And even more so, I wasn’t great at styling long hair. You’d think after years of having that length I would have figured it out, but more often than not, my hair was in an untidy bun, or a sad ponytail. This new length would allow for neither of those styles unless at the gym, and would hopefully force me to style my hair more.
With my new length I decided to focus on not only learning how to style a lob, but also focusing on the health of my hair. I’ve been all over the place with what products I use, but in the last year or so have honed in on what my hair needs and what products I really like. So without further delay, here are some of my favorites.
For in the shower my go-to is Oribe shampoo and conditioners. I color my hair, so I use their Shampoo for Beautiful Color and Conditioner for Beautiful Color. Both are crucial in helping me hold onto my red hair in between dye jobs, and are my secret weapon. My hair is moisturized, the color lasts longer, and the smell is divine. When my hair feels a bit dry, I’ll use the Mask for Beautiful Color (not pictured), and when I want some texture without having to curl my hair, I use R+Co’s Cactus texturizing shampoo. It’s great for lazy days.
Another one of the questions I’m asked often on IG is what I use to curl my hair. I’ve been using the t3 Micro wand for about 2 years now, and have no plans to ever use anything else. It comes with multiple attachments, but I use the same one every time. Plus, it’s rose gold, so what’s not to love about that? I used it when I had longer hair, and learning how to curl my shorter hair took a bit of trial and error. If I hold the hair wrapped around it too long I can end up looking like Shirley Temple, so I usually hold each section wrapped around the barrel for about 5-7 seconds. It’s quick, and I can lightly curl my whole head in about 5-10 minutes tops. For heat protection, I use Oribe’s Heat Styling Spray before blow drying or curling.
But by far, my biggest hair secret (which isn’t a secret because I will tell literally anyoneeee about it) is dry shampoo and texturizing spray. I only wash my hair twice a week, and only really curl it right after it’s clean, so the rest of the time I rely on keeping oil at bay. I live for my Oribe Texturizing Spray, and I can’t even tell you how much it transforms my hair. It makes it not look so clean and perfect, roughs it up the right amount and just gives it a more lived in look. For mornings when my roots are oily, I hit the crown of my hair with Oribe Dry Shampoo and work it in. It’s easy and allows me to be lazy – which is basically my eternal goal.
My last hair products that I use are R+Co’s Vicious Strong Hold Hairspray and Oribe Apres Beach Wave spray. I use both to just set the curl right after it’s fresh, or occasionally if I do an up-do to hold it in place. I like that both aren’t overly heavy, and I only ever use a teeny amount.
