volumizing product powerhouses

I really have no-ho-ho-ho business writing about hair care. Ever. {But that's never ever stopped me before!!!} The last time my hair was cut by a professional {aka not me and my subpar trim jobs} was during my first trimester with Phoebe and it shows. Postpartum hair loss doesn't kill me as much as postpartum hair regrowth does because I've earned myself a graduated bowl cut that sits real pretty directly on top of my head ... like a crown. The bowl crown grows like a notweed and taunts me daily. I suspect it will grow long enough to blend in with the rest of my hair sometime around 2025ish.

However.

I am a hair product review reading junkie and a total sucker when it comes to trying the latest and greatest. I also subscribe to almost everything Kate recommends because have you seen her hair? Plus she's a professional. So, I have the greatest of faith in the following products and a little tiny bit goes a very long way when it comes to every single one of them.

My hair is really fine (a nice euphemism for thin) but I have a lot of it BUT it doesn't matter because it's flatter than Simon' 19-day-old Cherry Coke in the fridge so I'm forever on a quest for volume. Forever. So ... if you were blessed with voluminous locks of lovely ... these might not be for you! I couldn't tell you because I'm on the side of the fence with the less green grass. Aren't we all?

Okay ... heady foreword over.

Forging onward.

1. Pureology Hydrate Shampoo - At the beginning of this pregnancy my hair turned into an oil factory. I tried every clarifying shampoo under the sun and the vinegar rinse and and AND. So then I was that annoying friend that SOS-texted poor Kate and she said my hair was probably dried out and overcompensating with extra oil. Duh. She recommended this shampoo and my hair was transformed overnight. I only wash my hair every 3rd or 4th day (I know some of you can go WAY longer and I applaud you) so this bottle has lasted quite a while despite a few spills a la my offspring.

2. Aquage Uplifting Foam - Another Kate gem. I put this on my roots right before I blow dry it after I shower at night (boo - I've turned into a "shower after the kids have gone to bed" person because I don't trust any of the kids to be left alone during a potential daytime shower, for good reason and Theo's room shares a wall with the bathroom and even if I showered at 4:55 in the am .... he'd be up and crowing - WHO CARES? sorry). Then I just put my hair in a loose braid to sleep. I've had the same bottle for well over a year and it's still fairly full. So very worth the price.

3. Conair Infiniti Pro Dryer - my old hair dryer was older than my relationship with Simon ... much older. And it was a ticking fire hazard and probably kept the neighbors up at night because it was LOUD. I read about this on Kilee's instagram and she has the best hair and sang it's praises and I have loved it. It works really quickly and is relatively quiet and does a great job of getting impatient Julia's hair very dry, very quickly.

3. Mitch Stone Essentials Lustre Drops - I read about these on a few blogs of bloggers with bomb hair and had to copycat. I just put one or two drops in my hair after I blow dry it and before I braid it. And sometimes if it gets static-happy ... this will tame it without weighing it down and looking like a grease bomb. It gives my hair a little shine and tames fly aways. 

4. Kenra Volume Spray - Yet another Kate find. I lightly spray this on before I curl my hair which is probably terrible to do but ... I do it. And the curl holds well without looking like banana/barrel curls that would've been appropriate at my high school homecoming dance. It isn't sticky and even though it says "extra hold" it doesn't make my hair feel stiff. At all.

5. Cortex Ceramic Curling Wand - I should probably use a bigger barrel but this works for now and it's super hot and works quickly. I still don't really know what I'm doing with a wand but I do curl away from my face and do different sizes of hair pieces so it doesn't look too uniform but I still probably fail. I've tried several wands and this is my favorite by FAR.

6. Big Sexy Hair Powder Play - I've probably blogged about this more than I've blogged about all my children altogether but it's that good. I just sprinkle a teeny tiny bit on my roots and work it through and voila! volume! I use it on the kids' hair (minus Phoebe) too while Simon rolls his eyes in my general direction.

I don't feel strongly about a particular conditioner (I'm using this now and it's fine) but I've been buying those little 99 cent Keratin masque packets at the grocery store and have been liking them well enough. And I was sooo excited to try this texturizing spray that I've read so many rave reviews about but before I had a chance to use it ... airport security took it. My fault. But ... seriously. It did smell amazing. Anyway, I might have to give it another go.

Any volumizing magic tips and/or tricks that I'm missing?? I hope so. Let a lady know.