I have been meaning to write about make up and non-hair beauty products for a while. I even filmed a tutorial with Jake a while back that was accidentally erased and never re-shot. So, I thought I’d do a little series of a few tips and products I love.

Want to know a confession? I’m not really that girly.

I mean, clearly I’m super girly…what with all the lipstick and ruffles and heels I wear, but would you believe that I really don’t do all the girly stuff that most of my friends do? I do my own nails 99% of the time, I don’t get facials, I don’t get waxed  (tmi?), I don’t tweeze my eyebrows and I rarely wear perfume.

I do love beauty products though. I could go to Sephora, MAC, NARS or even the beauty aisle at Target and look at every single product they sell. Reading what each product does, investigating new colors of lipstick, etc. So let’s dish about my favorite products shall we?

In this post, I’m going to talk about the face. Specifically skin.

So, to be honest, I’m super lazy about washing my face, and I generally just use baby wipes to wash off my make up. Any dermatologists/estheticians out there disgusted by this? Is it bad? I don’t know, I was using some Neutragena wipes for a while and they didn’t seem that different. I can’t be sure, but I think I use Pamper’s brand. That just made me laugh to type.

My favorite facial scrub is from Keihl’s. It’s their Pineapple-Papaya Facial Scrub. Get ready to see a lot of Keihl’s products on here. Their skin stuff is the best there is.

Next is the Keihl’s Avocado Eye Cream. This stuff is so rich and refreshing. My friend Linda gave me a tip to keep this in the refrigerator. The cold eye cream feels like heaven under my eyes. Those old bags of mine…

My favorite daily moisturizer is also from Keihl’s. I really wish they were paying me to say this. My only complaint is that daily moisturizers almost never come with an SPF higher than 15. I would like to see 30 in my daily SPF.

Last but not least (and also not Keihl’s or a baby’s butt product!), Burt’s Bees Night Cream!

This is everything you want in a night cream. It is so rich and thick and I wake up the next morning feeling like I should put on some diamonds to match this fancy skin of mine. This is way too heavy to wear during the day (it’s shiny), but it doesn’t make me break out at all and it really is just so awesome. Even Jake uses it to fancy up his face. Burt’s Bees has a day cream that is great too, but it doesn’t have SPF and I find that I just plain need that in my face skin’s life.

What are your favorite moisture/face wash products? Do you use Burt’s Bees or Keihl’s?

Next week I’ll be posting my “Two Minute Make-up” routine.

Some people have extremely thick hair. And when they put in a bobby pin, sometimes the bobby pin will immediately slide right back out because the hair is too thick to hold it. Well, get ready for Japanese bobby pins my friends! Before you doubt these, keep in mind the kind of hair that invented them..Japanese hair is thick, silky and straighty straight, so the right pins are very important. I have yet to see a hair type that these wont hold.

Japanese bobby pins are flat, and I wish I knew the chemistry/physics/engineering/technology behind how they work so well, but I don’t. I just know they are bobby pins on crack.

Japanese bobby pins are pretty hard to find, so you may have to get them online. They are much more expensive than regular non-cracked out bobbies, but a big box will last you a long time and you will finally have something that works for you rather than having to use ten pins to anchor down one little strand of your huge haired head.

You can order them from Shear World here. You’ll want anything in that center row.

Let me know if you try them out!

My hair (pre red) looking all big thanks to mousse and approx’ fifty other volumizing products.

Back to the volume series! I’ve been putting off the next few posts, because I was thinking of maybe doing some tutorials to help guide the way, but it turns out I’m super busy right now and I don’t want to keep you waiting any longer.

Let’s talk about products, shall we?

Products for volume (cheering and high fives)

The best products I’ve found for volumizing have come in two forms; mousses and sprays. They are light and airy, and have a nice way of coating the hair with the right amount of grab/hold to lift it off of the roots, just where it should be. I use handfuls of mousse sometimes on really fine hair before blow drying. I swear to you, guys…people tell me their hair wont do this or wont do that, and then I get a couple handfuls of mousse/spray/other products and they are saying “my hair has never done this before”. So, maybe not for every day wear, but try using more product if your pea size isn’t getting the job done?

I love mousse.

I love volume spray.

I feel like I’m constantly repeating myself with product recommendations, so maybe click on my “products” tab and check out the ones that I love the most.

(little known fact, dry shampoo gives my hair TONS of volume. I don’t even know if it’s supposed to give volume, it is the product that keeps on giving. I would bring it on Survivor as my luxury gift. For sure.)

If you are having trouble getting lift and volume, you will want to avoid creams and gels. Sometime they work, I love creams, but when I’m going for the most volume, I’ll go for a Morroccan oil for smoothing I would get from a cream after my hair is dry instead. Gels and creams will weigh the hair down. They are both generally (but not always) heavy. Again, some of you might be able to get fabulous lift while using creams and gels, but I’m saying for maximum, go with mousse or spray. If you want the hold from gel AND the lift from mousse, I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to choose which one is more important to you.

One last thing about mousse, is that you don’t have to have curly/wavy hair to use it. A lot of people think it isn’t for them if their hair is straight, but it works wonders with straighties. Put it on towel dried (but no more dried than that or the hair will get crunchy) hair, then blow dry like you usually would. It might be a little harder during the blow dry to get a brush through it than usual, but that is a good thing! It means your hair will have hold and wont be so slippy and soft like you hate! Try it!

Is that everything? Try sprays, mousses and root lifts. Avoid heavy creams and gels.

Good luck out there.

(for mousse I like to go for medium hold. Sachajuan, Redken and Garnier are my favorites)

The shampoo/conditioning process is very important in creating volume. It’s actually almost more important to know how to properly shampoo/condition so that you can prevent weighing down your hair. It is so easy to overdose on heavy conditioners thinking you’re repairing your hair, when you’re actually caking on more and more build-up, causing small tiny hair. So sad y’all.

So, here are my steps for the best, most volumizing shampoo to create enormous hair.

Step 1: Use a good shampoo, of course! A volumizing shampoo is always a plus, or a clarifying shampoo to remove product and pollution build-up. Be careful with clarifying shampoos though, they can strip your hair. You don’t want to use them more than once a week or every other.

Step 2: Shampoo thoroughly. Get all that dirt and grime out. I’ve mentioned before that it is good to shampoo twice if your hair is extra dirty or hasn’t been shampooed in a while. You don’t want to use much shampoo each time, just about the size of, or a little bigger than a quarter. You usually wont get much of a lather the first shampoo, and when you get a big lather the second time around, it means the hair is clean. While you’re shampooing, really make sure you scrub every single inch of your head. I’m surprised how often I see clients that have very dirty hair underneath, and really only rub in a small circle with their palm on the top of their head. They skip out on the scrubbing with the pads of their fingertips and they don’t get the sides, nape or crown properly cleaned! Lots of detail, but make sure you scrub!

Step 3: Avoid over-conditioning. This one is extremely important in preventing flat hair. To apply conditioner the right way, put a small amount in your palm, then start at the bottom of your hair and work it through upwards, combing through the strands. I don’t even put it at the roots, because my natural oils moisturize that part and the conditioner will only weigh the roots down! The next part is vital….rinse like crazy. A lot of people get out of the shower with slimy hair, it should be soft, but not slimy. Rinse well!

Also, I would say not to use a moisturizing conditioner unless your hair is incredibly damaged or over-processed. A moisturizing conditioner will be too rich and too heavy. Think Pantene Pro-V. I know it is a really good detangler, but it is too heavy and it will pull your hair down like crisco. All conditioners will be moisturizing to a degree, so again, unless your hair really needs the extra moisture, I’d go for a lighter volumizing one.

So, here is a short list of my favorite volumizing shampoos. (conditioners from all the following are good too, but this post is a little more focused on the shampoo!)

This is an old question that I have been waiting to answer until the weather is colder. Because colder means dryer, and dryer means more static. Since I waited so long to answer this question, I can’t find it! So, to who asked this question, I’m sorry if I don’t answer it specifically enough, since I can’t remember everything you wrote. I’ll just make something up..

Q by Static Stephie: Help! My hair gets super static-y during the winter and I can’t stand it or get dates.

A by Reagan: This happens to me all the time. Especially since I wear a wool pea coat in the winter. I swear I look like a crazy person some days. So, definitely the dryness in the air creates a lot of static, so you want to keep your hair properly moisturized. I have found that using finishing oils and serums do the trick for the most part. I recommend this one.

If that doesn’t do the trick, or if you dont want to buy any new products (or presents for your hair), you can simply use a dryer sheet! It does wonders. The only reason I wouldn’t say to do this first, is because dryer sheets were made for laundry, not hair. And while I’m not sure of any bad effects it will have on your hair, I only use it when things are really bad. K?

First try rubbing the sheet in your hands, then run your hands over your hair. You can do it in a petting way rather than a combing way. Plus petting your hair has got to be good for its self esteem. If that isn’t doing the job, run the actual dryer sheet down your hair shaft until it is sufficiently de-static-ed. It will work. I prom’.

Love ya. Happy winter! (soon)

PS if we have time this weekend, we are going to film a Blake Lively Tutorial! I doubt we’ll have time, but I just want you on the edge of your office chairs. One is coming. Hooray.

Q by Heather: I’m a lifelong blondie and just recently took the plunge into red.  Everyone keeps telling me that red fades the fastest, so what do you recommend for preserving the color so I can extend the time between colorings as long as possible?

I have very fine, soft, limp hair, and have found a color-safe volumizing shampoo/conditioner that I LOVE, so I’d prefer to continue using those, merely adding color protecting products to these products and not replacing my shampoo and conditioner.

A by Reagan: Going from blond to not blond is tricky. Blonds tend to have more porosity than everyone else, so the color fades the fastest. It’s also true that red fades faster that other tones, so you are in double fade fast mode. Here is my recipe for preserving color…

~Use Shampoo for color treated hair (which you’re doing Heath! Good job! Can I call you Heath?)
~ Shampoo less often. Remember how much I like dirty hair? Here is another perk to dirty hair…shampoo strips your color little by little every time you do it. So the less you do it, the less you are stripping! I don’t want stripper hair!
~Use a color depositing Shampoo once in a while (maybe once a week? once every other week?). You have to get one that closely matches your color level. I recommend this one.

*Note* I posted this picture of Christina Hendricks because she is a natural blond who went red when she was just a little girl! And also I posted this picture of her because Madmen is my favorite show and her character is the main reason for that..

I’ve been meaning to write about Keratin for a while now. I’ve gotten several questions about it so it’s really about dang time I discuss it on the blog! If you don’t know what it is, Keratin (or Brazilian Blow Out) is a protein treatment that smooths and fills the cuticle of your hair, dramatically reducing frizz. It is applied to clean, dry hair and then sealed in with a very hot (450 degrees F) flat iron.

Here are some pros:
~Blow drying your hair will be half the job for you
~Blow dries will last days longer
~Blow drying your hair will be half the job for me! (but not half the money, too bad, hehehe)
~Hair will look shinier, healthier and smoothier
~It’s not a chemical process, so it isn’t damaging (aside from the 450 degree flat ironing)
~You might get yourself a boyfriend/husband in like one minute

Here are some cons:
~It’s expensive, my salon starts at $300 and goes higher depending on length and thickness
~You have to use specific sulfate free shampoos
~Some people have said it relaxes parts of their hair unevenly after the second or third time getting the treatment
~You can’t shampoo, tuck your hair behind your ears, use a headband/pony or sweat for three days after getting the treatment, which is inconvenient

Good to know:
~It is not a Relaxer/straightener. It will soften your wave/curls, but don’t expect pin straight hair a la Japanese straightener.
~It last 4-6 months.
~It takes 2+ hours for the treatment.
~Like I said, you can’t shampoo your hair for 3 days, or use a pony or anything that might kink it.
~Some brands are still using formaldehyde in the product, so be sure to google the specific brand before getting it. Most have cut out the formaldy, but just make sure.
~Keratin is best for people with wavy to curly or frizzy hair who straighten or blow dry it. It is really a miracle treatment for this type of person, and it is definitely the newest hair craze. For good reason.
~I don’t get Keratin on my own hair, because I like frizz and also it softens wave, which I don’t want since I wear my hair wavy every day.

If you are the right person for it, it is a really amazing treatment, and very worth the money. I have seen Keratin change people’s lives. I have a regular client with afro-hair who gets keratin and every time she comes in for a blow out, I feel like it is one of those times in your life when you have done something so miraculous in just 45 minutes that you accidentally kurtsy afterwords and everyone whispers about it later. And also since she started getting the Keratin, I no longer feel like I have just spent 2 hours at the gym when I’m done with her. So that’s always nice.

I definitely recommend the Keratin treatment.

Guys, don’t be mad at me. I posted something about how I go 3, 4 and 5 days in between shampooing and this is what you had to say…..

“You’re a runner!!!! How do you do that?”

“SICK!”

“But don’t you get sweaty running? My hair gets drenched!”

“eeeeeewwwwww”

I got many emails and a few comments with people wanting an explanation, which is understandable. When I was reading them, I started reflecting on it my life…..’What do I do about a sweaty head?’, I wondered. So I quit my job and traveled the world for a year eating food in Italy, wandering India and trying to figure out how I dealt with post-running hair.

I accidentally got my life mixed up with a popular book/Jula Roberts film for a second…

What I really did, was pay close attention to my shampooing schedule this week. I don’t usually decide, ‘Hey, It’s Monday so I am not going to shampoo my hair until Friday’. It’s really just ‘Do I need to shampoo my hair today, or do I not?’. So here is how it went….

Sunday-Did a 14 mile training run. Shampood my hair afterwards.
Monday-Day off from running, lifted weights. No shampoo
Tuesday-Ran 7 miles. No shampooing in shower, but used dry shampoo before leaving for work.
Wednesday-Ran 4 miles. No shampoo.
Thursday-Ran 8 miles, then I shampood my hair finally!
Friday-Day off from running, no shampoo.
Saturday-Ran 6 miles, no shampoo.
Sunday-Day off (actually I was supposed to do a long run, but didn’t! hehe rebel) no shampoo.

I imagine I’ll probably shampoo my hair tomorrow or Tuesday.

Some important things I discovered after traveling the world for a year, I mean, evaluating my shampooing routine for a week…
~I don’t sweat very much. I’m sorry, but I don’t. The hair at the nape of my neck is the only place that I can say really gets anywhere near “drenched”. My hairline gets a little sweaty, but for the most part, my hair isn’t really wet when I finish my runs. Maybe that is because I run at 6 a.m. and not having direct sunlight on me works in my non-sweaty favor, I’m not really sure. The only times I have sweated like a man, is if I go in the middle of the day, or if I run indoors on the treadmill, which I very rarely do.
~I would say that if I was “drenched” after running, I would probably shampoo my hair. I’m not trying to have you walking around feeling gross all the time.
~Dry shampoo really is heaven sent. My head/hair never, never, never smells. never. I use it a few days after I shampoo in the shower, and then I don’t really need anything more until it’s time to shampoo in the shower again. I take my hair out of it’s runner’s pony (panda tail) tail and let it dry before applying the heaven sent goods.
~I don’t force my hair to go longer than it wants in-between shampooing. If my hair is dirty, I shampoo it!

Man, you all really love to learn about shampooing less often. I know, it makes life so much easier, right? I’m going to change my header to “she’s always busy, busy busy, busy dry shampoo bottle”.

Love,
Reagan

Q by Katie: My question of the day, is your SHAMPOO and deep conditioner preference at the moment? Been using hydrating pureology for years, need a switch up! Help!? I too am blond, gets dry from bleaching..
Thanks!!
Katie

A by Reagan: Here are my favorites…

I know you said you’ve been using this shampoo and conditioner forever, but for everyone else in the world, this stuff is awesome! And it makes your head tingle! (Katie, I totally understand getting sick of your shampoo and wanting to switch!)Sleek Look by Matrix is maybe tied with Pureology. It is GREAT for hydrating. It is a very rich conditioner without being too heavy. (Tresseme and Pantien come to mind as conditioners that cause mad-crazy build-up)
This stuff smells amazing! It lasts me a long time because such a small amount detangles my whole head of hair!I like Aussie if you are going for the less expensive, pharmacy brands. Aussie is very inexpensive, but pretty good.

For deep conditioning, there is nothing else that holds a candle to Kerastase. Kerastase is the highest end of L’Oreal products. In my salon, we use the Proffessionel (mid-level) and I love it! L’Oreal products are all for color treated hair, so they are very gentle. Kerastase is very expensive, but if your hair is dying, it’s probably worth it!