Fashion done your own way

by Molly Dutton

the most effective nourishing conditioner and, when applied to the bottom three quarters of the hair, creates a gorgeous soft feeling.

Spring is the perfect time to start transitioning out of your winter beauty and fashion habits and get used to a more summer-appropriate routine. One thing I have always struggled to manage across the seasons is my hair care routine; often the most overlooked self-care ritual, surprisingly. It is extremely hard to find products that do everything you need them to in all scenarios. You need something for those chlorine filled pool days in humid countries as well as a selection of frizz ease products for those rainy UK staycations. To add even more to all of those factors, we all really want budget friendly items that aren’t going to dip into our summer savings. All in all, hair can be a very difficult beauty issue, which is why I have spent the last few months experimenting in order to give you a selective list of the best, affordable items.

One thing that I have learnt is that each item in your hair care routine is equally important, meaning none should be overlooked. It would only make sense to start right at the beginning with shampoo, a product I had absolutely no idea about prior to my research. After much consideration and searching, I fell upon the L’Oréal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Shampoo , which can be bought in all of the high street beauty suppliers for a mere £3.25. This wonderful magic product really locked in the moisture in my hair without creating a greasy appearance. Don’t be fooled by the oily consistency as it replenishes your strands and helps create a bit of shine (picture long, luscious locks in the sun). Controversially, I didn’t choose to purchase the conditioner from this collection and instead opted for the L’Oréal Elvive Dream Lengths Conditioner; a very similar product but in a rich, creamy formula. In my opinion, this is

Oils are trending across all the social media platforms at the moment, and for good reason. Despite being a huge bargain hunter (or a tight wad, you decide), I believe that hair oil is something that we should all invest in for the upcoming months. Across TikTok, the hair company Olaplex has been raved about constantly by beauty influencers and, truthfully, I wasn’t buying into it. It was only when I decided to try their bonding oil that my mind was changed. Applied onto dry or damp hair, preferably both, your hair feels so much healthier and less prone to breakage. The bonding oil would be an ideal product for a holiday involving chlorine swimming pools and it can reintroduce some moisture into your hair and overcome the dryness that so many of us struggle with. It left me feeling less like Monica in that one friends episode and more like Rachel in every single episode. To be completely honest with you all, it does have a slightly steeper price tag than the drugstore classics, but the results speak volumes and a little goes a very long way (my bottle is still looking on the fuller side after two whole months).

Unfortunately, despite all of their positives, platforms such as TikTok have a bad habit of creating myths surrounding hair care. For example, I was made to believe that hair serums and oils should never be used in collaboration, which is not true at all! Of course, there is such a thing as overwhelming your hair with too many products, which is exactly why we have to be selective about the ones we choose. There is, however, no harm is using multiple variations of hair treatments. I experimented with Aveda products during my hair care journey and fell in love with their Smooth Infusion Perfect Blow Dry ; a lovely, quick treatment for your hair prior to any blow-drying or natural air-drying. Due to its serum consistency, it works perfectly alongside hair oil and adds a little bit of frizz-ease into the routine. I typically use two spritzes and run my hands through the lengths of my hair to tame the strands (a task that would have taken much longer a few years ago).

I cannot stress enough the importance of an effective heat protectant. In the beauty world, heat protectant is held in the same regard as SPF. Both products prevent long lasting damage and create a healthier outward appearance for the skin and the hair. I have been using heat protectant for years now, ever since my hair resembled a mad scientist after years of frying with various tools. For majority of my teen years, I was a loyal user of the VO5 Heat Protect Spray , and to this day, I would continue to highly recommend. There is no stickiness or lumpiness associated with this product, which can be a rarity with heat defence. Despite my undying love of that staple item, I have since progressed to the Schwarzkopf Keratin Heat Protect Spray for that hairdresser finish. The only difference between these two beauties is that the latter is infused with keratin which smooths the cells that form our hair strands and, ultimately, manages any frizz. Keratin also contains bonding properties, similarly to the Olaplex bonding oil mentioned above; both products will temporarily bond the hair back together to create a sleek look. You will have a few extra minutes to relax after using a product with so many functions!

The final piece of hair wisdom I wish to pass on is far simpler. I will always suggest that the hair is washed as little as possible. I am in no way suggesting weeks just a few less days than you usually would so that your hair retains some of those natural oils. I know that the thought of greasy three-day hair is difficult to deal with but adopt some hairstyles that thrive under those conditions. Get your slicked pony out, it’s time for some hair health!