When it comes to hair styling, I am a true minimalist. It’s not really by choice, to be honest, but more of a reflection of my styling skills.
I remember that when I was in school, I was looking with envy at the slick straight hair sported by most of the girls there. I wished I had the same type of hair – supple and easy to manage. Instead, I looked more like Hermione pre-makeover. It didn’t help that my parents’ preferred haircut choice was a short bob : stylish but not great for thick, coarse, wavy hair. (Pyramid hair anyone?)
Most of the girls were blow drying or flat ironing their hair. Working with your own texture to enhance it seemed alien at the time. Now, just to give you some perspective, I once tried to time how long it took me just to dry my hair. After around 40 minutes, I decided to stop (I was bored. Plus, my arms were dead by this time). And the worst? My hair wasn’t even completely dry (there was a humid patch underneath that insidiously began spreading on the back of my head). So needless to say that straightening my hair was extremely occasional. I think the real problem was that I didn’t know how to manage my own hair.
(Wow, that was quite a tangent and I kind of lost my point. I guess it brought back some of my childhood insecurities.)
I actually prefer my hair curly nowadays because I know how to care for it. I have naturally thick, wavy and dry hair. With this type of texture, the prep is everything. Masks also play an important role in smoothing out my mane. After that, I only need to revive my curls between shampoos and that’s enough for me. This is where the two products featured here come in.
Low maintenance seems to be a theme at the moment on this blog. I think it’s related to the summer heatwave we are having. In this heat, I want to spend the least amount of time possible on my appearance, be it makeup or hair styling (I even rush my skincare routine and quickly apply all of my products outside the bathroom- it’s a sauna in there!)
The Nuxe Huile prodigieuse is my go-to hair oil. This dry oil is truly a multi-purpose product. The list of its benefits is quite extensive: enhances curls, gives a glossy finish, nourishes hair, smoothes out flyaways… Plus, it has a cult summery fragrance that I love. It’s a staple in my regimen.
The Aloe vera gel is a more recent addition to my routine. I like to mix it with hair oil to make an hydrating and nourishing mixture. I also use it on its own when I want to slick my hair back into a bun or a ponytail. It’s the natural version of a light hold hair gel.
So two products is all it takes for my minimal hair styling routine. (Although I have to admit that the effectiveness of such a simple routine relies a lot on the texture you’re working with on the day. This is like the hair lottery: sometimes you have beautiful curls and other times you just get a rat’s nest!) Anyway, these products help me make the most of my hair texture. Thanks to them, my hair looks supple and shiny.