The Essential List 09. My Frizz-Free Hair Heroes
The exhaustive search for an easy regimen. Plus, how to do easy, undone waves à la Sienna Miller.
After years of trial and error, I’ve found a regimen that actually works for my hair. I used to love experimenting with skincare and beauty products, but currently I’d prefer zero brain space devoted to these items.
My mood depends on the state of my hair more than I’d like to admit. If my hair looks like shit, it doesn’t matter what I’m wearing— I feel blah. Most days, I don't need perfection, just hair that's manageable and lets me forget about it— ideally with minimal effort.
Some people are born with hair that doesn’t require a lot of thought or effort (#blessed, woke up like this, etc. etc). This is not my experience. In the height of summer when humidity peaks, I see others with perfectly sleek hair and sigh. Meanwhile, I’ve got a frizz halo. After both my kids were born, I had that awkward, postpartum hair regrowth— think months of weird, flyaway bangs. No anti-frizz cream could fix it.
But. BUT! Finally, I’ve zeroed in on products and a routine that not only work (without excessive heat tools or silk pillowcases), but also keep my hair tamed and—dare I say—silky for days at a time.
Before, I could not go one night without waking up a frizzy mess. Now? I wash, style, and then just brush and add oil to the ends each morning for 2-3 days.
Pre-COVID, I lived in Brooklyn and had found the most amazing hair stylist, Lucy. She is that rare, magical unicorn type of hair stylist that doesn’t need to ask what you want done. Lucy can simply look at you, analyze your hair and face, then work her magic. I was so bummed when I left New York to leave her behind.
Last year, I was so frustrated with my hair that I booked a cut while back in New York for a few days. I couldn’t fit in an appointment with Lucy, so I booked an appointment at another favorite salon in the city, Spoke and Weal. My stylist, Charmaine, is the one I can thank for helping me to reset and find a solution that really worked for my hair.
Before, I couldn’t go one night without waking up a frizzy mess. Now? I wash, style, and then just brush and add oil to the ends each morning for 2-3 days. Recently, I took a very early morning flight to meet some friends, so I had to shower, etc. the night before. Upon arrival, one of my friends asked me if I’d had a blowout(!) and this was the moment I knew that the search was finally over.
It’s not perfect (my hair is still my hair), but now it’s easy, I have more good hair days than bad ones, and—most importantly—I don’t have to think about. That’s all I was hoping for.
For background, my hair is armpit length (can we find a new term for this?), medium texture, wavy, prone to frizz, and I wash and heat style ~2x per week.
Davines NOUNOU Shampoo + Conditioner Nourishing is the perfect word to describe these products—the shampoo has the texture of liquid honey, the conditioner is deliciously creamy, and the smell is subtle and lovely. My hair absolutely drinks them up and is softer than it ever has been. My hair is unprocessed, so I wouldn’t have chosen this line myself, but I consulted with a stylist at a Davines salon and this is what they recommended (the beauty of speaking with people in the know!).
K18 Peptide Prep I use this before the NOUNOU shampoo once a week (usually every other shampoo for me). This is a clarifying shampoo that removes product build up (and also helps with hard water build up, if you’re dealing with that). After using this, you want to use a hydrating shampoo to rehydrate your strands. The first time my stylist used this on me the noticeable affect it had on my hair’s shine and volume before my hair was even cut was truly jaw dropping. I’m not convinced that one clarifying shampoo is necessarily better than others, but this one has been great for me. I only use a small amount once a week, so a bottle will likely last me a year.
LOVE Styling Cream I love this stuff. From what I’ve observed, this is one of Davines’ most popular product lines (I’ve also sampled and loved the hair mask). It smells great and keeps my hair soft, sleek, and frizz-free better than anything else I’ve tried. Before styling, I apply 4-5 pumps to towel-dried hair on lengths and ends. Even more to love: Davines prioritizes things like recycled packaging, ethical sourcing of ingredients, and even have a Zero Impact® policy for the carbon emissions from some of their product lines.
Amika Round Brush I love the convenience of a blow dry brush, but find they are not great for volume at the roots. Before using this, I quickly blast my roots with a regular hair dryer and tousle with my hands (any hair dryer will do). Then, I use this to dry and style from mid to ends. I have tried other blow dry brushes that made my hair puffy and frizzy (Revlon), but this one leaves it super sleek. Plus, it means I can travel with just this and still do my full routine with whatever hair dryer is available.
Living Proof No Frizz Vanishing Oil This is the product I credit for giving me “silky” hair for the first time. After drying my hair I use 1-2 drops on my ends and it transforms my hair texture. My hair tends to be really dry, so I also use this on my ends every morning to soften and rehydrate it. One bottle lasts me forever. (I will probably test out some Davines hair oils too. Not because I don’t love this one, but people rave about them and I love the rest of their products so much that I am intrigued).
Detangling Wet Hairbrush I learned about this brush via Jess Ann Kirby. It’s lightweight, great for wet hair, excellent for detangling, and kids love it too. Plus, it has a slight curve that adjusts to the shape of your head and feels like a massage while you brush. Heaven!
Easy, Undone Waves à la Sienna Miller
Without fail, when I attend a wedding I don’t leave myself enough time to get ready (things to do! people to see!). I usually end up curling my hair in a hurry in order to look “done” — sometimes it works out, sometimes it’s not great. However, for a wedding I attended in February with no kids, I made it a priority to leave myself ample time for getting ready. I even went so far as to do some pre-trip research on how to give my hair some wave and texture without ending up too puffy or looking like a contestant on “The Bachelor.”
Sienna Miller always has those undone, beachy waves so I did some YouTube deep diving to try to find a tutorial. This tutorial was the best one I found and uses a technique I hadn’t seen or tried before. I attempted it for the wedding and it was the perfect balance of easy to do and polished, but not overly fussy.
Know someone suffering from frizzy hair? Please pass this along to them.
If you have your own haircare essentials, tips, or tricks, I’d love to hear them! Share in a comment below or hit reply to send me a note.
The booking a cut with your old hairstylist in NY life is REAL. Need to seriously upgrade my hair game so loving these recommendations!
cannot wait to try every single thing!