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Hair Care + The Like

still being molly - outfit post photo bloopers
This is how I feel about hair care.

I will be honest, I am NOT great with hair. I mean, I know how to wash and dry it properly. I know about “leave-in” treatments and all that jazz (even though I don’t do them like I know I probably should…). Hair is just not my strong suit.

I mean, remember that time I did a hair curling tutorial? Yeah, I try not to, either.

Anyway, even since I chopped all my hair off and donated it, I thought by doing so I’d be making my hair life a whole lot easier and that it would feel healthier and whatnot.

Well, I’ll be honest, it hasn’t. My hair has just felt blech and dull and more blech and more dull lately. I blowdry it and I flat iron it, but if I try to curl it, it looks awful. And overall, the texture of my hair has just not felt awesome.

I know it sounds like I’m being complainy and I don’t mean to at all – I’m just being real. I don’t love my hair 99% of the time. I LOVE my hair when I leave the salon, but once I get home and I’m on my own when it comes to care and styling, that’s when it all goes downhill.

One thing that I’ve never honestly felt confident in is my styling products of choice – especially with my shampoo and conditioner.

Now, I’ve used the same shampoo forever (I have awkwardly dry scalp) and so I have to use a moisturizing product and I will switch up my conditioners to see what I like. But I’ve never found a combination that I REALLY like.

I find that the products I use either make my hair dry and frizzy or they weigh it down and my hair feels greasy and I’ve just blow dried it. Know what I mean? Does that happen to you? Am I the only one?! I just want my hair to feel like it feels when I leave the salon and pay someone else to wash and dry it without spending $25 on a bottle of shampoo. IS THAT SO HARD TO ASK FOR?! No? Yes? 🙂

Also, a side note, some women when they’re pregnant have GREAT, shiny, vibrant hair – while others while they’re pregnant end up with dull, dry hair. Yeah, I’m in the later of those groups. *Le sigh*

ANYWHO. Rambling.

I was recently sent samples of the new Vidal Sassoon Pro Series moisture shampoo and conditioner. I honestly have never used or even tried Vidal Sassoon products, but I’ve always heard great things about them.

still being molly - Vidal Sassoon Pro Series review

Well, I’ve been using the samples for the past couple of days, and while I’ll be totally honest with you and say they aren’t “life changing” hair products, I do have to say that I really like the way my hair has felt this week!

The shampoo and conditioner both have a light, but pleasant smell and best of all they DON’T leave residue! Now one day I DID NOT blow dry my hair to see how my hair air-dried with these products and the other day I DID to see how my hair reacted to it being, well, blow-dried with these products.

When I DIDN’T blow-dry my hair, my hair was definitely a little more static-y than normal so I had to use a spray to control fly-aways, but when I blow-dried my hair, it felt soft and not too dried out and again NO residue which made me happy!

It’s hard to tell because I was on my own taking these photos and the wind was blowing like CRAZY, but this is my hair when it’s air dried and just flat ironed a little (it looks a little flat here because, again, the wind was blowing like crazy… forgive me):

still being molly - Vidal Sassoon Pro Series review

And sadly, the close up pictures of my hair did not come out great when I took the blow-dried photos over the weekend. But, this photo from yesterday’s post, is what my hair looked like when I used the products and blow-dried my hair. It’s a little more full and has more volume:

still being molly - Vidal Sassoon Pro Series review

Overall I really liked the Vidal Sassoon moisture shampoo and conditioner and will definitely keep using them for the rest of the month to get a more accurate picture of how my hair interacts with them. However, I can’t honestly say right off the bat that they are the best thing since sliced bread, but I do like them.

Have you ever tried Vidal Sassoon products? What hair products are YOUR must-haves? What would you suggest for a hair-challenged person like me to use?

+++
Great hair doesn’t have to cost a fortune. At Kroger, you can achieve salon-inspired results, brilliantly priced, when you purchased new Vidal Sassoon Pro Series hair products. Download coupons for the already affordable products, now through March 2. Happy shopping (and shampooing)!

I was selected for participation in this campaign as a member of Clever Girls Collective.

29 Comments

  1. I have blah hair too! It’s taken me yeeears to appreciate my hair and find a good routine with it. My new favorite product is Pure Abundance Style Prep from Aveda. It makes my hair super soft whether I air or blow dry it, it gives me good volume, and it doesn’t take very much to do either. Fantastic!

    Reply

  2. I use Garnier Pure Clean shampoo and conditioner. It doesn’t have the chemicals that so many other brands do. My hair has been softer and shinier since I started using it. Plus it is inexpensive. A few times a week, I supplement this with dandruff shampoo to get rid of the flaky, dry skin. I am currently using Suave Professionals in coconut because the store was out of the kind I was using last time. I am not sure if it works better than other dandruff shampoos, but it does smell nice.

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  4. Hey Molly! I hear ya when it comes to finding the right product. I have KAHRAZY curly hair and even moving from Florida to NC hasn’t changed much with the humidity – though humidity doesn’t affect me all the time. My problem right now is that it’s drying out more and losing curl.

    I agree with Sandra though, I am a HUGE proponent of the $25 bottles of shampoo/conditioner. To be honest, my daughter and I tend to use slightly more conditioner rather than shampoo. I remember my hair guy telling me that when I use a drug store product or off the shelf product I’m essentially washing my hair with laundry detergent. So, we use Paul Mitchell super strong daily shampoo and conditioner. I buy a liter of conditioner and a regular size shampoo. It takes us almost 3 months to get through the conditioner and we use it EVERY SINGLE DAY. For styling, I use Chi Silk Infusion, Rusk Being Sexy Cream for more hold if I’m going out, and Lotta Body setting lotion. Total cost for my purchase over 3 months is roughly $75. That’s about $25 a month, but without those items my hair looks like Young Einstein’s.

    Heads up on getting curls. There are 2 definites you should think about using to get curls, a heat protector and a setting lotion. I have been using setting lotions for years, and lotta body does the job at the cheapest price. It’s very light so it won’t weigh your hair down. Apply both products, give a few minutes to dry a bit, grab some bobby-pins, and then curl and pin. Give the curls time to set, and when you pull them out, you should be able to shoosh and go 🙂

    Reply

  5. so glad to hear a non-raving review for a sponsored product-placement! i tend to wonder about those…but of course, you’d keep it real! i used to vidal sassoon back in the nineties. i’m currently using euphora, which my sister loves (she’s a hair person and an euphora product educator), but i can’t stand it. the smell! she got it from a hair supply place, so i can’t return it. otherwise i would! i have to say i’ve had the best hair luck with bumble and bumble. as others have said before, you get what you pay for. i’ll gladly pay more for skincare, haircare, and jeans. the rest i can fake it!

    and it baby-hair news, my hair has just gotten more and more blah and meh. no volume, tangly ends, slightly thin in the front-middle of my head. bangs do help, but bangs are nearly impossible with kids under the age of two. unless you’re one of those crazy lucky people who have a kid who sleeps until 8 and quietly sits there while you wrangle with your bangs.

    Reply

    1. thank you so much for your comment, amber! and yes! i will always always keep it real – even if the post is sponsored. i don’t ever want to fool someone into thinking i love something and i don’t. and wow! i’ve never heard of Euphora – and it smells bad? crazy!! but i agree – you definitely get what you pay for. thanks, girl!

      Reply

  7. Oh no! This makes me so sad to read this 🙁
    I tell my clients “your hair is the outfit you never take off so you should love it” ok, I will try to keep this short…ish….
    Product wise you get what you pay for…better quality ingredients equals better results. Lower quality products tend to have a lot of panthynol (Pantene is the worst product you could use) this creates a build up of wax on the hair making it shiny for a while but then dull, heavy and coated. Quality is key. That’s why stylists use professional brands only, you can usually find sales on larger sizes that will last longer at larger retailers( Goldwell & Kevin Murphy are the two lines I use in my salon, but Other good brands are Joico, Redken, Morrocan Oil, KeratinComplex) …but to add here you should be washing at MOST only every other day….and only using about the size of a quarter for shampoo, lather, rinse & if you need repeat with another quarter size of shampoo. Conditioner apply to ends first, then add to the scalp & let saturate (while you wash your body/shave etc).
    Natural hair will never “listen” & so you must use a product specified to your hair type/texture and desired styling result. For ex. I ALWAYS use a mousse or blow dry lotion to blow out my clients’ hair (gives volume, hold, shine & heat protection) and if you are flat ironing without a heat protector you will singe the hair & are essentially burning it every time resulting in more dryness, frizz & damage.
    Oils are the BIG rage now but be warned….only a product that contains Argon Oil ( like Morrocan Oil ) is actually beneficial to your hair replenishing it with vitamins…others are simply silicone & do nothing for the integrity of the hair.
    Also the big thing clients forget is to section when you blow dry, it actually goes faster and you have more control over the hair. You can also pick up some big Velcro rollers and after you dry a section roll it…allowing it to cool resulting in firmer volume. AND….practice, practice, practice 🙂
    Sorry to go on & on but I hope this will help you & fellow readers.
    I tell my clients it’s my job to educate them every time they come in to get their hair done….kinda feel like I just did a mini guest post….but I would be happy to answer any other questions 🙂

    Reply

  8. I wish I could use an over the counter product! I have been super spoiled. I am a liscensed Cosmetologist so I have a whole arsenal of products to make my hair look fabulous…I won’t go into too much detail because it would take all day! BUT, my all time favorite Shampoo and Conditioner are from TIGI Catwalk called “oatmeal & honey” which was so amazing smelling that I could have eaten it! Sadly, they discontinued it, you can still find it in some stores like Target, and Albertsons (not sure if you have that in SC). But I won’t buy from there, because it’s a product of diversion, which is gross. The shampoo and condition can be pasted through a ton of distruibutors and then dilluted with who knows what! Gross!!
    Sorry I’ll stop rambling. If you are going to buy a really good shampoo I highly recommend Ulta. They have liscenses to sell of their products and always run great specials! 2 for $15 liters!

    If you feel like your hair isn’t shiny or feeling dull you may want to go to your hairdresser :o) and ask for a “Colorance” or a “Demi-permanent” Clear* Make sure you ask for clear!! This will not change your hair color and has low peroxide and all the gross yuckies you want to avoid when pregnant. It’s low maintence, doesn’t take very long to put on and process, and also comes with a low price tag!

    Sorry If I rambled forever. You’re awesome! And it’s really fun to see your new outfits for baby!! :o) Hope you are having a great week!

    Reply

  9. I am always going back and forth on what shampoos and conditioners I use – I’ve never really found one I totally LOVED. Also, your hair always looks so pretty so if you DO have issues you do a great job at hiding them 🙂

    Sea and Swank

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  11. Okay, but your hair curling tutorial was nowhere near as bad as this one – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdVuSvZOqXM – it might be fake but it cracks me up every time.

    I’m something of a product junkie and use about 3 different shampoo& conditioners – I just rotate through them during the week. I’m a huge fan of the organix products but of course I have to wait until they go on sale (or I have a coupon) because, you know, the dollhairs add up…

    Reply

      1. nah, I pretty much guessed it was fake because she doesn’t really react? But so I just watched your tutorial and I love it so when I said “not as bad” I really didn’t mean for that to sound like yours was bad at all. I think we must have learned tutorial making at the same place. My favorite part was “glad I didn’t say an expletive!”

        Reply

  12. I’ve never tried these products, but it looks like it might be worth giving it a go! I have the same issues as you with shampoo/conditioner. Residue is the absolute worst. I’ve pretty much given up on traditional conditioner to use leave-ins instead. It definitely helps with the weighed-down feeling!

    Reply

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