A Denver Home Companion | best hair products for fine hair

continuing on my vain vein of posts about my favorite toiletries, we reach hair products! oh boy! without even reading the list you can see i am a Bumble & bumble whore. it’s true. for styling products they are the best. for reals. they make something for everyone and every sort of hair. there’s certainly been some trial and error when i’ve tried other B&b products not listed here. so this is my arsenal that i now stick to. mind you, dear reader, my hair is short, color-treated, fine, and stick straight. but, i’ve been told, i have a decent amount of it (so i’ve been instructed by my stylist to stop using the word “thin”). the following products may or may not be useful to you depending on your type of hair. as with my make-up, i don’t always use everything every day. but some days i go crazy and there’s a lot of product in my hair. really, it just depends on how i feel that morning or what i have going on later that day. so, without further ado: some explanations and links.

top row (left to right)

  • swissco tortoise wet comb/it says it in the name: perfect for detangling and combing wet hair.
  • mason pearson boar bristle brush/i must confess that i do not own this brush (yet!) but a useful knock-off. i became acquainted w mason pearson brushes when i worked at a high-end salon in chicago during college and those brushes, seriously, are amazing. it is on my list to save up for one eventually. the boar bristle tufts work wonders on fine hair. my knock-off, with boar and nylon tufts, also works great and will certainly suffice until it breaks (at which point a mason pearson will be mine!).

bottom row (left to right)

  • prep spray/a great base layer before treating w heat or adding any other products. particularly good for limp hair like mine. can be used on wet or dry hair.
  • thickening spray/does exactly what the name says. it gives great lift without being overly drying (which is how typical “thickening” and “volumizing” products work).
  • sumo tech/my hair, after being blown-out, still needs some oomph. it is that fine and limp and straight. i rub this in my palm and work it through all my hair –basically making it stand up crazy– and then lightly smooth down. it gives it texture and depth.
  • spray de mode/my favorite hairspray with a good but not crazy hold. i reserve this for days when i am really trying to get made-up and have my hair stand out (or up!).
  • brilliantine/this is a creme that adds some shine and more of a slept-in look. i don’t think i’ll  be replacing it when it runs out but it has served its purpose and is especially great on unwashed hair that just needs a little personality or on adding a finishing touch on my extra done-up hair days.

what products do you swear by? are you loyal to a certain brand or have you found that mixing and matching works best for you? what is your greatest challenge w the type of hair you have and how have you managed or overcome it? 

7 Responses to TOILETRY TUESDAY: BEST PRODUCTS FOR FINE HAIR

  1. Kristen. says:

    I also have the large amounts of very fine hair, I’ll have to try some of these.

  2. sarah sibley says:

    You, my lady, have rad hair. i’m a hair products whore, too. B&b stuff is awesome. I use sumo wax on my bangs. However, I like to share the love among brands. So, I use Unite on wet hair to blow-dry. Then I use Kevin.Murphy motion lotion, which smells sooooo good, to toussle it up. I also sometimes use Kevin.Murphy Young Again, b/c it’s a nice shine enhancer. Also a Mason Pierson paddle brush – ridiculously expensive, but worth it. It’s hair, after all.
    And,

    • emily says:

      i thought i was absolutely ridiculous for wanting to spend money on a mason pearson, but you’re the second person to tell me they have one and swear by it — so it’s nice to know i’m not just making up it’s amazingness!

  3. Yay for this post! I have been looking for some new products to try, and it turns out we have the same hair type (baby fine, stick straight, but lots of it)- only I wear mine long and usually pulled back.

    I can’t wait to try some Bumble & Bumble stuff out!

    • emily says:

      how do you grow yours so long?!!? mine has never really looked good past chin length… but i envy all your updos and beautiful braids i see you rocking over there.

  4. […] speaking of hair, a couple of weeks ago, while ramona was going to town on a PB&J sandwich, i noticed her bangs were invading her eyes. they gathered at a point in the middle of her face and no amount of side-sweeping was going to keep them away. i had said i wasn’t going to cut her funny little hair until i knew what its intention was (she has long layers and short layers and thick spots and some spots that seem so thin — it’s growing path hadn’t made up its mind). but these bangs were just killing me! so i grabbed my trusty (rusty) pair of ikea scissors and decided to see if she would let me snip. the girl didn’t even bat an eye and a minute later she had cute, albeit thin and wispy, straight bangs. not only were the bangs out of her eyes but she also appeared a bit more like a little girl. mission accomplished. […]

  5. […] the shower routine and before the hair and make-up routine, it’s the base layer routine. ya gotta prep that skin! this is my current […]

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