Tools + Products

What my styling arsenal looks like:

From left to right.  Back -- Products : Small spray bottle, Aerosol hairspray, Pump hairspray, Moisture spray, Smoothing Gel, Conditioning Oil (NEW), Small Mirror.  Middle -- hair accessories: (Back) Mini bobby pin, regular bobby pin, "industrial" roller pin, hair pin, Magic Grip pin (NEW), Hair Hook (NEW); (Front): 100% silicone hairtie, cloth hairtie, flat silicone-lined hairtie.  Front -- tools: Comb with wide and fine sides, Boar-bristle brush

Click below for details and storage ideas!

This does not include everything I own -- inevitably I have a whole box of trial-and-error purchases -- but the things I consider essential and/or am testing right now.  I do my best to keep it simple -- for both cost efficiency and simplicity.  Admittedly, I will go out of my way to purchase certain products because they work for me.  Convenience wins out most of the time -- the majority of what I use is found in the Midstore, CVS, Target, or the Mall.

Left: I keep a small container with bobby pins and hairties handy (with my comb and brush) in the medicine cabinet.
Right: I bought a bucket ($1 at Target) to keep all my other things together and still handy. A bin makes it easy to sweep everything into it when you're in a rush.

Details are listed below (with a couple things that I don't have pictured that I use or you might find useful).

DISCLAIMER: These are products that work for me -- these won't work for everyone!

• Comb
• Wide-tooth (NOT PICTURED) -- for untangling wet hair; hair is fragile when wet, so you want to avoid ripping through your hair when it's wet (though occasionally it's unavoidable).
• Two-sided -- making parts, combing through hair when damp/dry; still best to comb from the bottom up to avoid hair breakage
• Brush
• Boar-bristle with Nylon Quills (NOT PICTURED) -- brushing hair out, redistributing oil in hair; I like boar-bristle brushes because they spread the natural oils in your hair from scalp and make your hair healthier and shiner without product.
• Boar-bristle -- smoothing, shine enhancer; like one with quills these are great for conditioning your hair naturally and when trying to smooth your hair down while styling, these are hard to beat for smoothing your hair down.
• Shampoo/Conditioner (NOT PICTURED) -- I use non-sulfate shampoo and if I'm feeling fancy I'll go non-sulfate and non-silicone
• Currently using -- Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo/Conditioner from Organix
• Used in the past -- you can mix up shampoo and conditioner to meet your needs
• L'Oreal Everstrong Shampoo/Conditioner; comes in Reconstruct, Hydrate, and Bodify 
• L'Oreal EverSleek; comes in Intense Smoothing and Repairative Smoothing
• Hairpins -- essential for flyaways, especially if you have layers, to keep hair looking sleek all day as well as anchoring hairstyles
• Mini bobby pins -- for those small flyaways or delicate styles that longer pins will show through
• Regular bobby pins -- for fly aways, bangs, etc
• "Flat" bobby pins (NOT PICTURED) -- you can find these in the Midstore; they don't budge 
• Roller pins -- my best friend bought me a pack of these that are close to industrial grade; I have yet to destroy one of these which is saying something and the tips don't peel off or poke/scratch.  And best of all?  If you bend them out of shape it's a snap to bend them back into shape.
• (True) hairpins -- I haven't found a brand of these yet that make them sturdy enough for my hair, but people who do use them love them; when they are in well they're great for keeping larger bunches of hair down.  (And if anyone finds a good brand of these let me know!)
• Magic-Grip Pins -- I tested these today and I love them.  They're plastic so they're a little more comfortable than roller pins and they hold thick hair well (important for me) but we'll see if they hold up to regular use and if they'll hold their shape long-term.

• Hairties -- basic must have
• Hair-hooks -- NEW; they are for thick hair, the idea is that pulling your hair through a hairtie will rip it out after it's past a certain length.  They're nice for that and quick to put in, but I haven't figured out how to secure them as tight as normal hairties yet

• Cloth covered hairties (thick) -- Cheap, easy to find; I usually need about 2 of these to keep my hair in a pony tail and about 3 to keep a normal bun in.
• 100% Silicone Hairties -- from Goody.  These are great because they are tight and grippy, but they also rip my hair out and break if you're rough with them.  I stopped using these -- but I recommend these for people who have a hard time keeping hairties in.
• Flat Silicone-lined hairties -- from Scunii.  They they have the nice cloth covering, are flat so they don't budge as easily and a little bit of silicone grip to keep it in place.
• Plastic hairties (pictured below) -- I use these to secure the ends of multiple braids or for the end of a style I am going to tuck and pin,  thicker hairties can get in the way of securely pinning down hair when you're using bobby pins (and the ones from Goody come in a variety of colors to match your hair color which is better than the clear ones if your hair is darker)

• Products -- these are NOT an essential item.  I bought all big bottles, because I thought I'd use them everyday, but I don't and when you do, less is more.  I've had all of these since Youngster year and most of them are still a little less than half-full.
• Paul Mitchell's Super Skinny Balm -- smooths my fly-aways and smells nice.
• Paul Mitchell's Super Clean Hairspray -- it's light, adds a little bit of hold, doesn't make your hair feel tacky, and combs out well (which is nice going from school to working out)
• Paul Mitchell's Freeze and Shine Super Spray -- harder hairspray, can give you helmet hair if you desire.
• Paul Mitchell's Apuwahi Moisture Spray -- when I have to style my hair dry, this dampens my hair and adds a little oomph to dry strands (and smells nice).
• Dove Nourishing Oil Care, Leave-in Smoothing Cream -- NEW, like Paul Mitchell's Super Skinny Balm, but with more conditioning properties.

• Spray bottle
• FOR THE NON-PRODUCT USERS.  Spring for a small spray bottle (a small one so your arms don't kill if you're doing a longer style and have to hold it over your head for 10 minutes).  A couple spritzes of water will take care of most wisps, though somewhat temporary, if you don't like using additional products on your hair or certain products interfere with something else you use on your hair.  Also a spray bottle applies water more evenly and better than more product bottles (other than aerosols -- and if you feel tree-huggery then you can feel good about ditching the aerosols).
• FOR THE CHEAP-PEOPLE.  To make things like your hairspray or your moisture spray last longer mix 1 part of your product with 3 parts of water.  Tada -- you're super thrifty.

Depending on your hair, you might also include some of the following:

• Hair combs -- like a row of bobby pins, they come in various different lengths and sizes.
• Mousse
• Hair wax/creme
• Different hair pins
• Argan/Morrocan Oil -- if your hair is especially dry this stuff is great!