Confession

I have a confession!
I buy hair products from the grocery store!

You might be thinking," Umm..So do I. Big whoop."

Well, I am a licensed hairstylist who vowed to never buy those cheap products that don't work... and are awful... and give you build up and all that jazz. Or at least that is what we always had to convince our clients of when they sat in our chairs. I might be breaking a rule here, but No you don't actually need a $30 shampoo to look half way decent.

Over the years I have stepped away from the salon and out of laziness and cheapness(is that a word?) started buying a shampoo here and there from Walgreens or Kroger. It started with shampoo and now I use store bought everything!

I thought for the fun of it I would show you a few products I have found that I REALLY actually think are great that will fit into anyones budget. Everyone's hair is different so these might not work for you as well as they do for me- so keep that in mind. Also, my hair is in this weird in between bob-ish stage and doesn't require a lot of products. I am just showing the products I currently use.


Let's start with shampoo and conditioners.
My favorite so far is Aussie. This one to be exact.

I don't really need a moisturizing shampoo, but if a brand makes one I usually buy it. I like the way it smells and most of all it doesn't seem to build up or eventually leave my hair feeling brittle.I also like the conditioner that belongs with this shampoo. I try to use conditioner every other wash or as needed to prevent possible build up.

 PS. A lot of these cheaper shampoos you find at regular stores are basically made with similar soaps you would find in your dish cleaner. They can be too harsh and might be why your hair doesn't feel good with repeated use. Keep trying different ones until you find one that works for you. Also, sometimes using two shampoos that you alternate between, from day to day, can give you better results.

Hair Products
Leave in Conditioner: In my opinion everyone should use one in some form or another. Especially if you use heat on your hair.
Right now I am using the Dove brand and I REALLY like it. Its moisturizing without being too heavy ,plus it has a heat protectent to help prevent damage from the blow dryer and flat iron.

Styling Product:
I was selling my jewelry at a craft show in downtown Nashville( in a hip part of town), when this really beautiful girl walks in with a really great funky cut. It was one of those weird girl moments where every girl near me stopped to take a stare. I mean she had great hair! An A-line platinum bob that was cut perfectly. This lady walks up to her and asks where she gets her hair cut and what product she uses. I leaned in a little to hear what she would say and she spurts out, "Garnier Fructis Surf Hair." I would have thought for sure she was a salon product type gal, but turns out she is in college and chooses to pay more for a great cut and save on products.

I did some googling on the product and it had a TON of great reviews. I figured I would try it out.
So, here is the thing. I personally can't really get a beachy look out of it and I would in NO way say it has a strong hold unless I got a bad jar of this stuff. It's kind of a thin pasty/cream texture and I have to use a lot of it to even see a difference. Its great for taming fly-aways and for making hair a little bit piecey looking. I am including it in this list because I do like it, just not what it says its meant for. Let me know if you use it and feel differently.

Next will be my search for a good hair spray. Know of one?

Thanks for reading