Beauty in the Ordinary

This is not about being brilliant, or extraordinary, it's not about wanting to be famous, or making headlines, or trying to impress...this about sharing a 'gift' each day with the world...to lift the spirit of people when they read this blog, to show them the beauty in the ordinary.
"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." Raold Dahl

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Moving Right Along...



Okay...let's talk hair products.

V. and I were both blessed with full, thick heads of hair.
Not only thick hair strands, but also a lot of hair per square inch.
Mine is mostly straight, V's has a bit of a curl.

Over the years, I've done pretty much everything
one can do to one's hair...remember those perms mum gave us when we were
little V?...Yikes!..except shave it all off.  It's been every length from short-short
to so long I could sit on it.  In all modesty, my husband says most people would kill for my bad-hair days.

Right now, my hair is highlighted to lift it's dark ash-ness
and just brushing my shoulders.

Let's start with shampoos.



I wash it about every second or third day with any kind of light shampoo

this one...


or this one...



sometimes this one...
(pretty much, whatever is on sale)

and once a week with this



I'm told it's probably not the best thing for maintaining
my highlights, but I find they fade anyway and this shampoo does
remove the buildup that other shampoos seem to leave behind.

I only use one conditioner.


I've tried just about every other one on the market...and
nothing works for me like this one.  First I massage it into my hair and then I comb it through and leave it on for at least three minutes.  
I know hairdressers hate it...but there you have it.

When my youngest daughter got married, I went with her to the hairdressers.  She has inherited my thick, straight, dense hair.  The girl who washed her hair was rushing a bit and only put a dab of conditioner in it.  When she tried to comb Jessica's hair, it was a tangled, mangled mess.  Jessica kept insisting that she needed more conditioner, but the girl just kept tugging away.  Daughter had a complete melt-down (it was her wedding day after all).  Enter stylist, who after a brief aside with mother-of-the-bride, took her back to the washing station and proceeded to massage the conditioner into her hair.  This was the result


Since that day I have always taken the extra two or three minutes to massage the conditioner into my hair...lesson learned.


I've just recently (thanks to my darling elder daughter) started
using the tiniest bit of this



to help deal with some split-ends that need removing
and it's gorgeous...stupidly expensive, but gorgeous.

However, darling neice (remember the one that works at Sephora) tells me that I should be using Argon Oil


which is in Moroccan Oil, but is more pure and seems to cost less.
You can also use it on your skin and nails so the instructions tell me.

Once I've finished the bottle of Moroccan Oil, I'm going to see if I can find Argon Oil
and I'll report back.

Then there is the once-a-month
Sophia Loren hair treatment.


1/4 cup of olive oil massaged into the hair
and left on for at least a day.  If you can stand the smell, it works!
Good enough for Sophia...certainly good enough for me!

Now onto tools.


I have four old, white, bigger-than-a teatowel-but-smaller-than-a bathtowel 
towels.  I've had them for years and years.  I don't use fabric softener when I wash them.

They are the thirstiest towels in the world and I love them.
Out of the shower and wrap my hair in one of these.  Then I let my hair air-dry as much as possible and break out the tool-bag. 


I have a regular old hairdryer...




a Corialis flat iron...

silly expensive at the store, but I found mine on e-bay for a fraction of the price,

a set of hot rollers


and a curling iron.



Obviously don't use all of them together, mostly just the hairdryer and the straightener (did I mention I have this funky double crown?)

Two brushes


a flat paddle style


and a large-barrel round brush, both by Aveda, only because I happened to be getting my hair done there and bought them at the same time.  I don't think there is anything magical about this brand, and they are quite pricey.  Having said that though, I've owned both of them for quite some time, so they have lasted.

I don't use products in my hair...never have liked the way they make it feel (other than the Moroccan oil of course).  I might use the tiniest bit of hairspray if my hair's being a bit unruly, but that's about it.



So...how do you groom your locks?..what are your hair-secrets?


18 comments:

  1. Darling daughter has split end issues. I've emailed a link to this post lol

    xx
    z
    she'll probably roll her eyes and think "MOM"

    ReplyDelete
  2. ...and then secretly thank you under her breath z?...

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have loads of hair too which started to get wavy when I went through menopause....or maybe it's the underlying grey, I am not sure. I use Sheer Blond now that DD no longer works in the beauty industry and I can't get product at cost. I also use Morrocan oil and John Freeda curl spray. I spray the curl spray on well hair and scrunch, Then I dry it with a diffuser. Add Morrocan oil and scrunch. If I need a bit of hold I use Elnet-the best hairspray there is.

    I do have a confession.....are you ready....(my daughter is disgusted with this one) I never brush or comb my hair. Since it went wavy, if I comb it, it goes frizzy, so I leave it. My hands are my tools. I have that bed head look all the time. My neighbor is wild over it and my husband has to keep telling him to stop touchign my hair. My old hair was fine and straight and I never had a good hair day in 44 years until I had menopause.

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  4. Well hooray for the old M! First good thing I've heard come of it! Don't see an issue Chania with your hands...I'm sure they are clean!

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  5. When I go to the groomers, I don't keep track of what they use on me. One of the biggest problems is that I have extremely curly hair, and they need to straighten it out so they can clip me.
    Got a trim a couple of days ago; that'll take me until March, when I'll get a spring hair cut. (I want to look good when Bear comes out of hibernation.)

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  6. I use Rusk shampoo and conditioner usually. I use a bit of Material after drying my hair to give it some shape because my hair wishes to fly away! I do have my hair colored and cut every six weeks. If it would go grey all over I would be fine with that but it has just an annoying halo of grey.

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  7. I've heard of Rusk Olive, but I've never tried it.

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  8. Dearest Jacqueline,

    Fun thing to have olive oil in your hair for at least one day/month... Where do you hide?

    Lots of love,

    Mariette

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  9. First of all...I think you should use 'whatever' truly works for you...no matter what *they* say...and second of all...every single bride deserves a conditioning massage on her wedding day no matter what!!! That's the golden rule! I was shocked to read what happened to dear Jessica...silly hairstylist! Thirdly...did you know that Sophia also puts olive oil all over her body - everyday...it's the only moisturizer she uses (so I've heard). I started using it when my dad moved to Vegas...it was so dry there that no moisturizer was working at all...enter O.O....worked like a charm!

    BTW- My friend *just* told me about Moroccan Oil the other night...so funny, I'm going to try it (and get her some at cost!).

    Fun post J...right up my alley!
    xo J~

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  10. Ah Mariette...definitely a day to stay hidden at home. It's not so much how one looks its how one smells!
    Have a look at the Argon Oil too Jessica...I think it's much more reasonably priced. Not sure I could do the olive oil all over, I'd feel too much like a salad!

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  11. Was searching for funny hair pics and you made MY day and YOU have a new follower :) Wishing you a tangle free weekend! muah

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  12. Welcome aboard Champagne...I know we are going to have lots of little chats. I've just started knitting again, after a very long break, and realize just how much I love it and I'm really quite good too! You have some fabulous patters, so I'll be checking all that out too.

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  13. I use Moroccan Oil too so will be really interested to here what you have to say about the alternative...and whether you can buy it in Australia! Not that I'm expecting you to answer that part :)

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  14. Hmmm...so many great suggestions here!

    Hair talk...I spend way to much money on my hair. Highlights every 6-8 weeks for as long as I can remember. I am praying that this does not come back to haunt my health someday :(
    I am not blessed with the same gorgeous hair as you two fabulous sisters! Fine and shoulder length for me.
    I use Kerastase products and just bought the oil Elixr Ultime hoping for a bit of extra shine. Early days so I am not sure I can give a good recco just yet. Bit tricky to work it all out.

    Why is it that hair look best when you quickly pull it up and out of the way around the house and when you want it to really look good you can never get the same effect??

    That is my hair quandary of the day :)

    Great post Jacqueline...this has been fun!

    Jeanne xxx

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  15. I would die for your hair J - it looks gorgeous!

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  16. Kerry, I'll let you know about the Argon Oil once I get to it (right now I am loving the Morrocan Oil).
    Jeanne...Let me know about the Elixr Ultime...curious about that one. I have a girlfriend with very, very fine hair...it is the bane of her existance and she always tells me how envious she is of my hair. I tell her..just take a look at your long legs girl and then my short ones! Swings and roundabouts...I'll pass the compliment on to Jessica, hard for my mother-eyes to see her as anything but gorgeous.
    Thanks Molly...you are always such a dear.

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  17. At 55 I still knash my teeth over my hair. I had a lovely client say to me last year 'Your hair is always sooo perfect Millie!'. She has no idea how that lifted me & really got the Bad Monkey off my back for the first time in years!! I live & die by Redken's Blonde Glam Shampoo & Conditioner. No brassy yellow ever appears between colours - it is magic stuff.
    Millie x

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