Three easy steps to have full-bodied hair
Don’t you just hate it when your hair goes flat like a fizzed-out soda drink? Flat hair can be caused by too much humidity, product build-up, and improper styling. Thank goodness it’s easy enough to fix! Check out these three easy steps to volumize your hair.
1. Use a clarifying shampoo to remove all traces of product build-up. That mousse, hairspray, and hair serum you love using? They don’t get completely washed away with normal shampoo! They tend to just pile up on the scalp and hair, thus weighing your locks down.
High-end clarification: Kérastase Cristalliste Shampoo and Serum
A good clarifying shampoo can remove any lingering gunk on your hair. It can restore bounciness and shine instantly. However, it’s not meant to be used on a daily basis (two to three times a week is enough). Stick to your normal shampoo for everyday cleansing!
Reader question: How to deal with limp hair
Hi Ms. Liz! I'd just like to ask what hair products you use on yourself (if any). Perhaps a mousse or volumizing spray? I have long, straight, and limp hair and I'm looking for a product that can give it a little lift. Thanks in advance! -Rapunzel
Hi "Rapunzel"! Love the name you picked for this question haha. I happen to have very thin hair that goes limp at the slightest provocation, so I'm careful about the products I use on it. I'm a big believer in the adage "less is more" - for hair at least. Lighter products and less stuff overall keeps hair looking bouncy, shiny, and volumized. Here are a few tips to revive your hair, and later on you'll see the products I love to use.
Use conditioner only once or twice a week and never let it get to your scalp. Conditioner helps hair become shinier and softer, but since it's heavy with rich oils it tends to deflate your hair. It drags down the roots so hair looks flat. Also, conditioner does absolutely nothing for our scalp so it makes no sense to let it go that far! Just apply it at most 3 inches away from your scalp. Concentrate on the tips of your hair instead since that's where you need the conditioning the most.
Use a shampoo that's not too oily. Same concept as using conditioner. You need a shampoo that can remove the oil and product build up in your hair without drying it up. This involves trial and error as it really depends on your skin and scalp condition.
How I blow-dry my hair at home
A few people have asked me how I style my hair. I must admit that I'm not that adept at fixing it, but recently I've settled on an interesting routine because of my short hair. It involves a couple of products and my blow-drier, of course! I rarely ever used this gadget when my hair was long, so now I'm happy to finally be acquainted with it.
I love this routine because it gives me lots of volume, softness, and shine - all under 15 minutes. If you're interested in doing the same thing for your hair, here are a few tricks!
Damp, unstyled hair
Step 1: Work a conditioning oil like the Kerastase Elixir Ultime on your hair. I prefer using oils because they (1) keep hair soft without making it greasy (2) give shine and bounce (3) serve as heat protectant to reduce damage from blow drying (4) never break me out! Most hair products seem to give me pimples/bumps near my hair line and chin. Not Kerastase, specifically.
Rapid fire reader questions
When I started Ask Liz! I just wanted a centralized, public place to store all my answers to your questions. Now, 275 questions later, I find that it has evolved into a sort of micro-community for beauty enthusiasts. I love that you guys are interacting with each other and answering other questions that I can't help with. How awesome is that? Cheers to everyone who posts! :D
Here are my answers to some recent questions.
Hi Ms Liz! I've been an avid reader of your blog for quite some time now (even choosing to read it before I hit the books getting ready for the medical boards!) hahaha! Anyway I'd like to ask for your advice on something I've always been frustrated about, my puffy eyelids. My upper lids don't have the crease you talk about on your tutorials where the top of the eyeball meets the socket. It's not droopy naman, I still have the crease where you put your eyeliner. So my question is, How do I create deep set eyes even with this dilemma? Hope you can post a tutorial! Lotsalove! - Crys
Heeey Cris! Thanks for reading my blog! I hope I won't be the cause of you failing the board exam, hehehehe. Anyway I have a tutorial on creating a crease already (c/o Dionne) - How to Create Double Eyelids with Makeup.
Reader question: Help! I'm hairy!
Got this interesting question over at Ask Liz. Read on!
Hi Ms. Liz! I don't know if I'm really asking a question or just seeking affirmation...I'm really "balbon": my arms and legs are hairy (but not like a man's, whew, could've been worse right?). Worse, I have facial hair! I have "baby bangs" that aren't really part of my "real hair" anymore (they're more facial hair than real hair because it's on my forehead already), and I can't even have the part above my eyebrows threaded for fear that it'll look really weird!
But I guess the worst part of it all is that I have a moustache! Eek! I really want to have it removed but I don't want to deal with it growing (thus I do not want it waxed). I would really love to have it lasered but that's too expensive, and I'm just in my early twenties! :(
Dove Nourishing Oil Care Nutri-Oil Serum
The Dove Nourishing Oil Care Nutri-Oil Serum is the bomb. For only P239, you get shinier, softer hair with less frizz. No stickiness. No product build-up. How cool is that? Sorry if I sound like a chirpy advertisement but I really really like this serum!
I've been a fan of Citre Shine serum since high school. If you have curly hair, you know how difficult it is to prevet tangling and frizzing, while still maintaining a semblance of definition.
Love/Serum Moisturizing Curl Enhancing Serum from Davines
I've been using the Love/Serum Moisturizing Curl Enhancing Serum (P1,203) from Davines for more than a month now. As you could have guessed from my initial review, I absolutely love it! Its a gift to frizzy, messy curly hair like mine.
This serum defines my curls without making them stiff and sticky, although I have to admit, the initial texture and smell is quite unpleasant. It smells off but thankfully the smell dissipates as soon as it dries.
New from Avon: Advance Techniques hair care line
Last July 14, Avon introduced its Advance Techniques hair care line to the press. The event happened at the plush Marriott Hotel, where the whole ballroom was transformed into a salon supervised by Lourd Ramos, makeup counter with pro MUAs, and a studio where Jay Tablante took everyone's photos. It was a beauty addict's paradise!
Everyone got a wash and blow dry - of course, all products used were from the Avon Advance Techniques line
Jay Tablante doing his magic
The svelte and style savvy Theresa Herrera hosted the program. Avon Director Ashley Ferguson flew in to introduce the star of the show, Lotus Shield, while Sen Yang, a Senior Manager at Avon's Global Research Center, went on a video conference call to talk about the technology behind Lotus Shield.
