If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me how I style my hair I could retire a very rich woman. Or how I get big volume in my hair. So today, your wish is my command. I’m going to show you how I style my own hair at home and the exact products I use. Oh, and there are a few tips and tricks involved to styling your hair.
This is in no way sponsored content. Everything I use I own and have been using for a long time. I’m going to do this in a step by step process list so that you can see chronologically what I do. The pictures above are in order from top to bottom. The only part we did not photograph was me washing my hair in the shower. Nobody wants to see my naked body. Ain’t nobody got time for that!
NOTE: I have coarse, wavy, thick hair. I always have. It’s processed for color. My colorist is Gaby Chico in Dallas. For the past six months I have had hair extensions in my hair and those are done by Michael Flores at the Michael Flores Salon. You can see that process in this blog post. I just want to clarify that up front because I have never had beautiful, silky smooth hair. When I was in high school I used a full set of hot rollers to curl my hair into the Farah Fawcett style every.single.day. I started highlighting my hair when I was in college. Do the math, it’s been abused and processed for many years! Which is why I started taking Nutrafol last fall. You can read about it here. Use code GROW25 to get 25% OFF your first subscription – CLICK HERE.
Tips & Tricks to Styling Your Hair
1. I wash my hair every 3-4 days. It’s dry and can hold a style easily without getting dirty or oily. Currently I’m using The Pure One Natural Shampoo and Conditioner which is part of The One line by Frederic Fekkai. I also rotate with the purple dpHUE cool blonde shampoo and conditioner. Want to put your bad hair days behind you? Here https://www.barbieinablender.org/best-shampoo-and-conditioner-for-wavy-hair/ are the best shampoos for every type of curl and styling need. Check this blog post about why I love this hair care line and the Creative Director, Justin Anderson (the man is full of personality). Also, his root touch up kit has been a LIFESAVER during quarantine, which you can read about here. I also use the new Colleen Rothschild haircare products.
2. As soon as I get out of the shower, I towel dry my hair and add 1-2 pumps of The Tamed One Balm by Frederic Fekkai. I also add a full pump of dpHUE Color Fresh Oil Therapy. It’s light and colorless which is important for blondes. Use your hands to move the product all the way through your hair. Next, I use the dpHUE Leave-In Hair Therapy. This acts like a primer for your hair and speeds up the drying time. Then I comb my hair and let it air dry for 5-10 minutes while I do my face prep and body lotion.
3. Next, I dry my hair with my Dyson Supersonic hair dryer. This is the #1 reason why I can do my own hair at home. It cuts my drying time in half and smooths out my hair. Yes, I flip my hair upside down to get the underneath part dry. The Dyson dryer is EXPENSIVE so view it as an investment in your hair. It’s worth every single penny and I have no regrets for buying it online.
4. Next up on styling your hair is the Revlon Hair Dryer and Volumizer Hot Air Brush. After my hair is about 80% dry, I use this brush to smooth out my hair and completely dry it. This gives my hair a nice shape and the heat really dries your hair. Just make sure to use this hot spray before using the brush to protect your hair from the heat. TIP: This brush is also great to use on dry hair to style after sleeping on it or to quickly style it. Perfect for day 2 or day 3 hair.
5. To get loose curls or beach waves, I use my GHD curling wand. The trick is to leave the ends out. If you prefer a curling iron, I recommend this one from T3. Remember to move quickly as the iron really gets hot!
6. Then I use the dpHUE Color Fresh Oil Therapy again to break up my hair followed by the One Texture by Frederic Fekkai Dry Texture Spray to break up my pieces. This helps your hair look “done”.
7. Fly away hair and baby hair trick: I have a million little fly away hairs that stick straight up on my head. Anyone who dries my hair always fights with these. I learned this hair trick on set for a commercial shoot. Take any hairspray and spray it directly onto your hands. Rub together and then over the top fo your head. It calms your hair down. Voila!
My hair is now done for a solid 3-4 days. All I do is lightly comb though it the next day, use all the products and styling tools to touch up and I’m done. By day 3 or 4 it will be pulled back in a pony tail, but still styled. FYI – Justin Anderson explained to me why the frequent use of dpHUE Color Fresh Oil Therapy is NOT making my hair greasy. It’s because my hair is coarse and dry and NEEDS the oil. It literally soaks it up! So if you have fine, limp hair, you might have to adjust a bit.
As far as volume goes, my hair has lots of volume on its own. It just naturally wants to be “big hair”. Thank God I live in Texas where that’s a thing. Big hair, don’t care!
What questions can I answer for you today?
xoxo – Tanya
P.S. I am wearing my Soma Cool Nights Pajamas and Sleepshirt. I use these as loungewear and pajamas. Read about why I love the Sleepshirts here and the Cool Night Pajamas here.
photo: Audrie Dollins
I have thick, wavy, coarse hair. Junior high was a nightmare with my hair. It was an answer to prayer when someone created the flat iron!! If only they had created it when I was in junior high and high school
I wish Dry Bar would come to Iowa!
Kathy-
Junior High was a nightmare. Thank you for that reminder. UGH!
Thank goodness for hair care products and a flat iron!
xoxo- Tanya
Took me awhile to get your hair to blow out right. But after a few tries, I got it! 😉
Gaby-
YOU DID!
xoxo- Tanya 🙂
I baby fine hair but tons of hair no longer highlighted. Like you Tanya I’ve highlighted my dark ash blonde hair over 40 years! Just decided to simplify my hair maintenance because being blonde without brass is a maintenance commitment!
I love using the Dyson hairdryer! Had mine 2 years. It’s worth the money. Bought mine on QVC when a TSV.
I’m currently using Phillip Kingsley’s line. His philosophy is healthy scalp healthy hair. Since I workout 5 times a week and golf I wash my hair daily so his system makes sense for me.
Kris-
I am so glad you like the Dyson hairdryer. I think it’s a game changer!
xoxo- Tanya
What do you do when you have worked out and your hair is soaked with sweat? Can you still go 3-4 days?
Holly,
Well… I don’t really work out that much. If I sweat that much, it’s a hair washing day.
xoxo- Tanya 🙂
Awesome post, Tanya! Great tips and will use them all. Happy summer to you and yours!
Sharon,
You are very welcome. Glad it was helpful!
xoxo- Tanya
First of all, thank you for all the good information. I too have thick and coarse hair and very curly. I dry my hair just like you by turning my head upside down and then use a brush when it’s almost dry. I still have to curl it. If I let it dry naturally, it looks like I got a perm. The high school days were horrible. I’m back to my natural light blonde but intend to get more highlights each time I go get a trim. It was platinum last year and with all the highlights, I had the hair of many colors so I decided to start all over again. I’m so glad I found another person who does not wash their hair every day. Twice a week for me usually and it lasts. Nice post and I love your pajamas.
Barbara,
Thanks for sharing your hair story. Glad we have so much in common!
xoxo- Tanya
Are you still taking the Nutrafol supplements? I learned about them from you, and am in my 6th month. Since I have a million fly aways (my new baby hairs), and lots less hair coming out in the shower, I think something is working. However, I had hoped for faster growth and greater thickness. The supplements are super expensive, so have been wondering whether or not to continue. Your thoughts please!
Debbie-
YES, I do still use Nutrafol. It does help me and I do see a lot of new growth. It’s just going to take a while for that new growth to get to the bottom of my hair.
Be sure to use code GROW25 to get 25% off your Nutrafol subscription.
I just added that to the blog post.
xoxo- Tanya
Just like you, I also never had long, silky smooth hair. That’s why I started using hair extensions to make my hair look thick and long! A few months back, I started using Zala clip-in extensions (https://www.zalahair.com/) and their curling wand, and I’ve been really happy with their products!