On a trip like this I want to spend more time seeing the sights and soaking up the culture than fretting over my hair, but at the same time I want my coif to look presentable, and not like the hairs on these crazy looking rambutan fruits we saw at the Hong Kong Market.

So, I’ve come up with a kit and routine that allows me keep my locks looking relatively composed, smooth and shiny with minimal time and effort. 

Here are all the details on my Kit & Processes for Lovely Looking Locks, that will last for days:

1. John Frieda Hot Air Brush  / 2.  CHI Silk Infusion, 2 oz. / 3. Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo, 1oz.  / 4. Powder Brush

I find it hard to write how~to’s on something like hair styling, but here is a sort~of~stream~of~consciousness description of how I use these products, I hope it will be helpful and make some sense to you. But, please feel free to ask me if you have any questions. 

Of course, we all have different hair, so my methods may not work for everyone exactly, just use these tips as a guideline and make modifications to find what works best for your hair. For the sake of  perspective, my hair is a little longer than shoulder length; the texture is fine, with medium thickness and some body, also it is super curly (weird!) at the nape of my neck; and I have some highlights.

There are two stages here, first the washing and then the refreshing, which is what you can do to extend your “do” between shampoos…

~Washing~

After washing and conditioning my hair I use about a dime sized pour of the CHI Silk Infusion and massage into my ends, then I rub my hands through the rest of my hair to distribute the product, and comb it through with a wide tooth comb .

I start by flipping my head and hair over (while sitting down) and drying the underside first. I actually learned this tip from Warren Beatty, this is how he would start the process of drying Julie Christie’s hair in the movie Shampoo. For me, this works well because I can start to straighten my curlier locks, which are underneath. By brushing my hair straight down (or UP if you were sitting upright) I get some nice added volume in my roots, that makes my hair look fuller {i.e. JC below}. I also feel that heating the underside gets the drying process started, but it leaves the top wet for final styling. 

While “flipped” I run the brush from the base to the ends, trying to get the underside as dry and as straight as possible, I add a little bit of a curling motion to the ends.  Next, I flip my mop upright and comb all of the hair down, combing my bangs down over my forehead. Then I take sections of the side hair and comb through them, gently pulling them straight out horizontally and drying. After a few swipes, the sections are fairly dry so I roll the section on the brush, holding it vertically for a count of 25 seconds per section. After drying I gently un~roll and drop these sections, allowing them cool as I move on to the rest of the hair (the smaller the sections the better). I keep my bangs combed forward as I dry the sides and back. When the sides are dried and curled I pull up the sections on the crown, or top of my head, working from back to front, and holding each section, curled to the back,  tight on the top of my head, again for about 25 seconds per section. I usually spend some extra time on the front section to get my bangs to lie lower and curl however I want them to that day. 

Then I brush it out. 

If I am not happy with some of the sections I go back with the brush to get it right. Take some time to experiment, it took me awhile to figure it out, but now I am able to get great results. I usually finish the coif with 1/2 dime size of the CHI Silk Infusion, rubbing it between my hands and then running my hands through my hair, especially on any frizzy portions (usually the highlighted portions). 

~Refreshing~

The great news is that this comb also works on dry hair, so I can do touch up’s the next day, or the day after that or the day after that, because…..

in an effort to make this styling last longer….

…..in between washings, I use the Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo. A few little puffs this powder in between shampoos keeps my hair looking loose, full, shiny and smelling fresh as a lemon. To use it I squirt some of the powder into a bowl, or onto a clean, dry counter. Next I create “parts” in my hair, so I can reach the scalp. I dip the brush into the powder and liberally “puff” it along the part line, right where the hair meets the scalp. After doing this all over, I also puff some of the powder along the face line. 

Next, I lightly massage the powder into the scalp. If I am taking a shower, I put on a shower cap and leave the powder in while showering. When ready I flip my hair over and brush out my hair, to get all of the powder out.

You can also just squirt the powder directly into the hair, as the bottle recommends… but I find I get too much in spots and start looking like George Washington!

If you have thicker, fuller hair you may want to try this brush from Conair, it has longer hard, plastic bristles. 

Did you know that there is a company that specializes in selling high quality Travel Sized Hair Products ? There is, click on it and see if you can find your favorite products in miniature proportions.