It’s been a while since we talked about our favorite hair products — what are yours, readers? We asked each Corporette writer to share their favorite shampoos, conditioners, and other hair styling products!

Elizabeth’s Favorite Hair Products for Her Fine, Wavy/Curly Hair

I have very fine, wavy/curly hair (something like a 2B/3A hybrid if you’re into curl types), so I like products that don’t weigh it down too much. My current routine starts with the Ouai Fine Hair Shampoo and Conditioner. The products smell nice, and you can buy the huge refills at Sephora or Ulta to cut down on plastic waste.

Once a week I also use the Detox Shampoo from the same line to help get rid of any product or dry shampoo that may be lingering. The brand isn’t cheap, but I stock up whenever I have a coupon code.

For folks with fine hair, styling products can be a challenge. Select the wrong one and you look like a stringy mess all day. After a lot of trial and error, if I’m blowing my hair out, I usually use some kind of heat protectant like Drybar’s Prep Rally or the Color Wow Dream Coat. Those seem to provide some protection from heat damage without weighing everything down.

If I’m doing a curly/wavy style, the routine is a little more involved. I start by applying R+Co’s Twister Curl Primer to damp hair, then spritz my whole head with a continuous spray bottle to bring it back to sopping wet. Then I section and comb out my hair with a Denman brush to distribute the product and make some curl clumps.

Once I’ve got a bit of a style in place, I either add some medium-hold gel or some mousse to finish things off. Honestly, blow-drying is quicker most of the time, but once I stopped shelling out several hundred dollars for smoothing treatments every few months, I learned to embrace the curls most days.

Ann’s Favorite Hair Products for Her Straight Hair

When it comes to hair products, I’m always open to trying something new. But I have a few favorites that are working for my straight hair right now. I just started coloring my hair, so I have a big bottle of Tresemme’s Keratin Smooth Color Shampoo to protect my new look. I alternate that with Aveeno’s Apple Cider Vinegar Blend Shampoo when my hair and scalp start feeling a little greasy.

Weekly, I apply a clay mask like this to keep my scalp happy so I only have to wash every other day. I also swim, so UltraSwim’s Chlorine Removal Shampoo is in the mix as well.

I’m not that particular about conditioner, but I love Herbal Essences Bio:renew Repairing Hair Mask — I use it once or twice a week and it makes my hair feel super soft.

Because my hair is very straight, it’s easy to manage and style. I use this Kristin Ess Style Assist Blow Dry Mist Heat Protectant Spray and massage a dollop of Moroccanoil Volumizing Mousse before drying with a round brush for volume.

Kate’s Favorite Hair Products for Her Fine, Straight, Short Hair

My hair routine is simple because my hair is easy to take care of. (Half of it is buzzed, for one.)

I discovered Amika’s Normcore Signature Shampoo several years ago when I found out the kids’ salon my son went to used Amika. After I bought the shampoo for him, eventually I started using it myself (my CorporetteMoms review). Recently, my mom switched to it as well! I really like the smell of this shampoo (apparently it’s “amber vanilla”?), and it always leaves my hair soft and shiny. It’s cruelty-free, too.

Afterward, I blow it dry with a cheapo small round brush. (Amika recommends Normcore for fine to medium hair, 1–2c.)

I only use one styling product, and it’s from Sexy Hair, a brand my hairstylist uses in her salon. I use their Style Sexy Hair Frenzy Matte Texturing Paste to add a little volume and definition to my fine hair, which my asymmetrical style needs in various spots.

The product doesn’t take away the softness or shine from my shampoo, it smells nice, and it’s cruelty-free. When I first started using it, I had a very short pixie cut, and it was great for that, too.

Kat’s Favorite Hair Products for Her Curly, Dry Hair That Takes Forever to Dry

I saw a meme once where someone asked a curly girl what her hair routine is, and her reply was, “I don’t think you’re emotionally prepared for this conversation.” So, um, buckle up.

I’ve been following the Curly Girl method exclusively since 2020. I’d flirted with it in previous years, but during the pandemic I decided that since we weren’t going anywhere, I had lots of time to experiment with different curly hair methods. (Is it weird that I would kind of classify my curly hair as a hobby?) If you’re interested in trying to follow it, I highly recommend the r/curlyhair subreddit, as well as their Holy Grail list of products — I’ve tried almost all of them. (My favorite influencer was Janelle O’Shaughnassy on YouTube, but it looks like she’s stopped posting for the moment..)

There’s a saying in the curly community that the process is more important than the products, and I do generally agree with that — but some of the more time-intensive processes I’ve tried, like the bowl method, just don’t net a huge enough difference for me to do them. (Other processes I just haven’t mastered yet, like the Denman brush or finger curling.)

My General Curly Hair Routine

For wash day, I alternate through a variety of different shampoos and conditioners. I generally only wash my hair with shampoo once a week, so all of these last a long time. (I’ll get to exact products in a bit…)

Anyway: my current wash day process is thus: I shampoo my hair, condition my hair (then combing it out with a wide-toothed comb), and then rinse it all out. At the end, I turn off the water, and — while my hair is still dripping wet, still standing in the shower, I flip my head upside down and 1) apply leave-in conditioner, 2) apply a curl cream/mousse 3) brush with the Denman, 4) scrunch out as much water as I can, 5) add a cheap gel like LA Looks, and 6) (while my hair is still upside down) “plop” using a moisture-sucking hair wrap/cap. I generally use some combination of scrunching and “praying hands” to apply the products, but I’m not devoted to either of them. (Sometimes I will separate my hair into distinct clumps after step 3, then skip step 4, but I’ve gotten away from that as it’s started to get colder in favor of getting my hair as dry as possible before I put it in the cap/wrap.)

But wait, there’s more!

THEN, I get dressed, put on my makeup, et cetera (letting the wrap/cap soak up more water). Before I blow it dry, I remove the now soaked cap, flip my hair upside down again, blot my hair with a t-shirt to get any excess moisture out, and then add another layer of a better quality gel. I use duck clips to clip my hair out of my face (and give a bit of volume)… then, on to the blow dryer.

To blow dry my hair, I absolutely love my Shark blowdryer and diffuser, and it takes about another 10-15 minutes for my hair to be mostly dry (80%, maybe?). My interest wanes after 5 minutes, to be honest, so whenever possible I try to blow dry it as much as I can, and then let it air dry — in a few hours when it’s totally dry, hopefully the gel will have dried in a cast.

The common phrase for curly girls is to “scrunch out the crunch,” but I don’t actually like to scrunch at this point — instead, I flip my head over yet again and “clap out the crunch,” basically applauding with my hair between my two palms. (If it’s late enough I may just go to sleep with the crunchy cast; that’s another great way to get rid of the cast.)

My CoWash Routine

A few days after my wash day, I’ll do a cowash routine — I don’t use shampoo, which can be stripping, and instead use a dedicated cowashing product or just 3X the amount of conditioner so I can get enough slip to scrub my scalp. Then the rest of my routine is pretty much the same.

My Refreshing Routine

I shower daily, even if I’m not getting my hair fully soaked every time. I used to wear a shower cap, but lately I just put my hair up in a claw clip, leaving the ends out so it’s kind of like a floppy ponytail. I wash my body and face, and then grab handfuls of water under the spray to scrunch into the ponytail; ideally it’s about 50% wet.

(I’ve also used a big bowl for this step of wetting the ends — some people like this because the resulting water in the bowl ends up with runoff from the products you put in on wash day, and then those products get reapplied as you scrunch the bowl’s water into your hair.)

When I step out of the shower, I flip my head and use a ultra fine water mister to get the rest of my hair slightly damp — and then I plop my hair it in this great mesh cap I love. (You could instead do this with the “fishnets on your head” routine, but I’ve never gotten that to work.) I’ll do my skin routine, get dressed, and do makeup, then take my hair out of the mesh cap and clip it up with duck clips. It’s usually dry within 20-30 minutes from this point forward.

(Some days I will also mist my hair with this “curl energizing & refreshing spray,” but it’s usually a sign that I really just need to shampoo or cowash my hair. Another sure sign: my hair is totally frizzy and my curls are all flat.)

How I Maintain My Curls Overnight

Sleeping is one of something else that curly girls talk about. There’s the pineapple (a super high ponytail), there are hair wraps, there are a ton of different techniques! The one that I’ve found works best for me is a “cooling gaitor” I bought back when we thought those might be good protection from Covid (they are definitely not).

I just put the gaitor around my neck, then pull it up over my face and around the top of my hair, kind of like a headband that continues all the way up. I look a bit like a nun, I guess. Sexy!

It’s cheap and easy, not sweat-inducing, and my curls come out of it mostly in tact and not overly frizzed.

My Favorite Curly Hair Products

Shampoos & Basic Conditioners: At the moment my collection includes drugstore brands like Kinky Curly’s Knot Today/Come Clean shampoo and conditioner set, the Trader Joe’s tea tree tingle set, Giovanni’s Deep Moisture set, and Not Your Mother’s Blue Sea Kale & Pure Coconut Water (it’s in the middle of their hydration range).

Every six or so washes I do a clarifying wash with Suave. (There actually isn’t that much product buildup as you might expect from all these products because as far as I remember they’re all Curly Girl approved products and rinse out without the need for sulfates, but a clarifying shampoo still helps!)

CoWashes: Cantu, and Trader Joe’s — I also have an extraordinarily old bottle of Devacurl’s cowash that I found in my parents’ house… I think I’ve heard chatter that the formula has changed, though, so YMMV). The two cheap conditioners I use for this purpose (because I take 3x as much conditioner as usual to get enough slip to really scrub my scalp) are Suave’s coconut one or the Vo5 lime one.

Leave-In Conditioners: I alternate between As I Am, Curls Blueberry Bliss, Ecoslay Rice Leave-in, NYM’s Tahitian leave-in detangling spray, and sometimes just the basic Kinky Curly conditioner. (One surprising thing about the past few years is how much conditioner my hair can take — I’ve loaded it up and my hair hasn’t felt weighted or greasy at all.)

Curl Cream / Mousse (Middle Step): I’m still figuring out what I like here, to be honest. I seem to get the best results from Kinky Clean curling custard or drugstore mousse (I like Herbal Essences or Giovanni ones). I also sometimes use Uncle Funky’s Daughter Curl Stimulator, as well as Curlsmith’s Feather-Light Protein Cream, as well as the Cantu curl enhancing cream.

Gels: My first gel is always the super cheap LA Looks. I’m pretty loyal to the fancy ones for my second gel, though, switching almost exclusively between Ouidad’s Climate Control Gel and Ecoslay’s Orange Marmalade.

Tools: Turbo Twisties, mesh Scrunch It cap, wide-toothed comb, Denman brush (or sometimes a Tangle Teezer), Shark blowdryer and diffuser, cooling gaitor, thermal heat cap

Extra masks and other treatments: I’ll do these as needed/when I have time…

For when my hair is feeling dry/frizzy then I’ll do Olaplex No. 3, Vo5 hot oil, Ecoslay’s Banana Cream Deep Conditioner, or NYM’s butter masque. (Ideally I’ll do them about 30 minutes before my shower, with a heated cap on.)

When my hair is feeling frizzy and limp I’ve been experimenting with adding protein (although too much protein can also make your hair frizzy, I guess?) like with Ecoslay’s protein shake — I also get good results from an apple cider vinegar rinse (you dilute it with water first). (I have tried the rice water rinse and hoo boy was that nasty, so perhaps I let it soak too long.)

If my scalp feels itchy or dry, I love Kiehls’ Magic Elixir and Briogeo’s scalp reviver. I also make sure to scrub my head extra well on my wash/cowash days, and sometimes before a wash I’ll use this metal scalp massager is also good for circulation, which in turn is good for scalp health. (I have one of these palm-sized scalp massagers but I find it hard to use with my long hair, for what it’s worth.)

Also, yay gray hair: I’ve heard that you should keep your gray hair from getting “brassy,” so I’ve also been experimenting with purple shampoo (I like Shea Moisture), but at about 15% gray I don’t seem to need it very often. I feel like it lightens the rest of my brown hair, but maybe it’s just the gray being lightened? Hmmn.

(If you’ve made it this far, CONGRATULATIONS!)

Readers, do tell: What are your favorite hair products? Anything you’ve been meaning to try lately?

The post Our Favorite Hair Products in 2023 appeared first on Corporette.com.

Readers had an interesting threadjack the other day about what constitutes “long” hair, which made me think about this old discussion about whether older women can have long hair “and still be professional.” (Yeah, I know, even the question is cringe.)

But I started wondering — are any of these old arguments relevant in 2023? Is there a certain magical age at which you have to get your hair cut to shoulder length or shorter?

(Full disclosure: I have always had my hair between shoulder length and bra-strap length, save for a cute asymmetrical haircut that was adorable aside from the fact that I’d forgotten my hair has never been consistently straight — and then the “post-wedding chop” where I donated 9 or 10 inches or whatever. At this point (in my mid-40s) I cannot see myself willingly having hair that is too short to put into a bun.)

Why Did People Used to Think That Only Young Women Could Have Long Hair?

So let’s go way back to 2009 — some of the reader comments at the time on this issue (from a threadjack, of course), involved things like these comments:

Women over 40 in law firms or corporate practice almost uniformly have hair above the shoulders. Anything longer just doesn’t look polished and modern. There’s plenty of flexibility to wear your hair in a sleek bob, or with loose or tighter curls. But hair that drags on the shoulders seems inconsistent with the classic look you see on most women of that age in senior positions

Another commenter noted that “[u]nless it’s a stunning cut, short hair makes you fade into the background, i.e. forgettable!” (Which is soooo interesting taken with the idea that women often talk about becoming invisible in general once they’re past a certain age… like the short hair trend is encouraging that “we value your contributions but it would be better if you just blended into the background” vibe.)

Other posters noted that the rule of thumb (short hair for older women) was grounded in the physical realities of aging — frizzy hair, jowls, crepe-y neck, etc.

Only Younger Women Could Have Long Hair, Then?

The fun part of this discussion is that no, young women often wrote in to Corporette worrying that their long hair made them look too young — and wondering whether they should cut it when they got their first “Big Girl Job,” as we phrased it back then.

Long Hair and “Professional” Looks in 2023

I’m curious to hear what people say here. I would say that there are no rules anymore (huzzah!)… but I would still argue that waist-length hair is probably still not something I would advise, although I’m struggling to put my finger on why exactly.

I do think it’s important that whatever your hairstyle is, it looks intentional (but, ideally, not in a way that screams “I spent three hours on my hair this morning”).

Readers, what are your thoughts? Are there any limits on long hair these days for women, young or old?

The post Long Hair, Older Women, and Work appeared first on Corporette.com.

Hair is one of the key pieces to looking polished. Perfecting a quick, sophisticated updo can be a simple way to have great work hair (and great interview hair!). Here are our favorite 12 easy office updos… whether for summertime, interviews, or beyond!

First off — looking for an easy clip for office updos? This one (affiliate link) is one of our favorites…

{related: 14 great YouTube tutorials for updos}

Office-Appropriate Buns (and Variations)

Jean at ExtraPetite had a great tutorial a while ago about how to get a “voluminous puffy bun” if you feel like your head shape isn’t quite right for updos.

(We’ve talked before about the sock bun, as well as the trick to making an updo more comfortable.)

In New York, I see a lot of women wearing their hair in chestnut buns, but very high on their heads — one of my old writing teachers had her hair like this every time I saw her.

I can’t get it to work myself (maybe the curls make my hair too piece-y?), but it looks very comfortable — and sleek — if you can do it.

Cup of Jo has a good tutorial for chestnut buns, but there are also a ton on Pinterest.

The below is basically a chestnut bun, inverted — it’s new to me, but I like how tidy it is, and how quickly YouTuber AK Makeup1 can do it.

When I need to do something quickly I do an inverted chestnut bun — which is saying a lot for how quick and easy it is.

Gibson Tucks and Chignons for Work (and Variations)

This easy Gibson tuck tutorial, from Cup of Jo, remains a classic. Quick, easy, and neat.

You do need a few bobby pins or Spin Pins to secure it, though.

I like this variation on the Gibson tuck: the braided Gibson tuck. This is particularly great if you have some layers to your hair. You can do it one of two ways: by tucking one long braid like blogger HeyWanderer does, or by making two side braids as shown in this Reddit tutorial.

Here’s an image from HeyWanderer.

Easy French Twists

The French Twist is another classic that can be a great way to look pulled together. Be warned: this is a pretty bobby-pin-intensive look (to say nothing of the hairspray required) — but it’s a classic.

YouTuber Alex Gaboury has a great tutorial.

I like this variation on the classic: the sideways French twist, from The Small Things blog.

Other Easy Updos for Work

Finally: I see less of this kind celebrated online, but more of it in real life: the claw updo. Easy, fast, and a classic.

This picture is from The Daily Connoisseur, where you’ll find the full tutorial.

I like the idea of knotting rather than twisting — this kind of thing also works great if your hair is slightly damp.

LuLu’s has the full tutorial.

This twist variation for short hair looks great, from The Beauty Department.

Professional Ponytails

Finally: I’m seeing a few fun variations on the ponytail for work that I thought I’d include.

First, here’s the classic, the wrapped ponytail. Makeup.com has a good tip: if you curl the section of hair you’re using to wrap your pony, it looks much neater.

I also am seeing a lot of things on Pinterest with this twisted pony — pretty. The Beauty Department, as usual, has a good tutorial.

Ladies, how do you keep your hair up and out of your face in the summertime?

What are your favorite updos for work?

Psst: As of 2023, these are some of Kat’s favorite hair products (she largely follows curly hair routines)… but she loves this $30 brush/blowdryer!

Ladies, what are your favorite easy office updos? 

The post 12 Easy Updos for the Office appeared first on Corporette.com.

Are you coloring your hair — or going gray? I found my first gray hairs at age 26 (thanks, bar exam!) but honestly haven’t thought much about it until the past few years. There’s no right answer for how to handle it, so I thought we’d do a “this or that” style post with input from me, Elizabeth, and Kate. So let’s discuss: color vs going gray!

How are you handling your grays? Do you have any tips on coloring, DIYing, frizz, cuts, or more? (Have the events of the past year or two changed your approach and mindset?) Do tell…

A few resources I know of if you’re interested in going gray (for inspiration and support): Grombre (website) and the hashtag #silversisters, which will take you to a wealth of Instagram accounts.

{related: how to go gray intentionally}

Hair Color vs. Going Gray: 3 Women Share Their Approaches

Kat’s Approach: Go Gray (For Now, at Least)

I remember being slightly judgy about my mom, who never wore makeup and never dyed her hair, but at this point in my life, I’m on the same page for hair, at least: I’m just not interested in having regular color appointments, and I feel like DIYing it would be a recipe for disaster.

I DO keep a little Pinterest board of “white streaks” because I absolutely LOVE that look and think it’s edgy but also age-appropriate.

(Queen Letizia, as always, is #goals.)

But unfortunately it seems like for most women, the white streak is natural (i.e., your natural hair is totally white) and then the hair around it is dyed — so I think it’s even more upkeep than just dying your hair.

The biggest thing that has bugged me about gray hairs in the past has been how frizzy they are, but at the moment I feel like my hair is doing OK on frizziness — I’ve been following the Curly Girl Method since November or so (including heated hair masks; see our Coffee Break later today!) — and my hair and frizz seems to be reacting well… thus far. I also stopped plucking my gray hairs several years ago, I think on advice from readers here — after all, if you pluck the hair and it grows back, you end up with wispy baby hairs that stick up and create frizz. (And they’re still gray.)

A few years ago when I had a few keratin treatments, I felt like they helped the frizzies — but because the rest of my hair was so smooth I also felt like they stood out more. I’m not doing keratin at the moment, both because I’m lazy and because I’m doing the CGM, but readers, if you’re getting keratin treatments, I’d love to hear how you think it affects your grays.

I’m still probably only about 10-15% gray at this point, but because the rest of my hair is so dark you notice it.

{related: corporate women and gray hair (guest post)}

Elizabeth: Demi-Permanent Color

Somehow, I’ve beaten the genetic odds and made it to my late 30s with only a handful of gray hairs. (Both of my siblings are very much in the “salt and pepper” stage of graying now.)

I spent dozens of hours and thousands of dollars getting caramel highlights in my medium-brown hair when I was in my twenties, and I just don’t see myself committing that amount of time and energy into my hair color anytime soon.

Now, when the grays are looking particularly noticeable, my hairstylist applies a single-process, demi-permanent color. The demi-permanent color is perfect because it covers the gray but fades out after 4–6 weeks, so you’re not left with dramatic roots.

It works for me for now, although I expect that when the grays become more prominent, I’ll start taking more drastic steps.

All the women in my family have been coloring their hair for decades, so it’s just never really occurred to me to do anything different! Perhaps I’ll feel differently when it becomes a more substantial commitment.

Kate: Going Gray (For Now)

I’m in my early 40s but am lucky enough to only have a few grays here and there. I’ve left them alone … for now. Once I start getting more, they’ll be pretty obvious, because my hair is a medium brown. I have no idea what I’ll do about it, though — say “F*** it” or do something to hide the gray…

My husband, who’s a year older, started going gray pretty early and now has a nice “salt and pepper” thing going on — but to me it looks just as good as when his hair was still all black. I’m not exactly to eager to “age gracefully” in general, so we shall see…

Readers, where are you in the “color vs. going gray” debate? What are your best tips, no matter what you’re doing?

The post Color Vs Going Gray: What’s Your Approach? appeared first on Corporette.com.

Readers had an interesting thread about curly hair routines the other day — I don’t think we’ve talked about this recently, so let’s share our general hair routines! Please share your hair type or style (broad strokes are OK), any environmental factors (water type, humidity), and what products and techniques you use!

For my own $.02, I’ve been leaning into curly hair for the past two years — I’d say that it’s somewhere between a 2C and 3A right now. I’m still frizzy some days but I’m generally pleased with my curl definition.

I cut my own hair when things were really bad (curls are pretty easy to DIY; you just chop off the bottom of each curl and make sure the general effect is even), but when I went back to my stylist I asked for a curly cut that might still be able to be blown out. (If you’re not familiar with them, some curly cuts really layer your hair in ways that can look fabulous when curly and horrible if your hair is occasionally straight.) To be honest I have no idea what kind of water we have.

I only wash my hair every 3–4 days, using a variety of shampoos and conditioners (links below!). Rarely (maybe once every six months) I’ll do extra treatments, like an apple cider vinegar rinse after shampoo to help with frizz/buildup, or do a hair mask, usually before I get into the shower. The only time I really comb my hair is when I have conditioner in it; I like wide-tooth Conair combs. (I do have a Denman brush — personally I haven’t noticed a difference in my hair when I use it unless I do it right after I turn off the water, and I usually forget. But I’ve used the base of the brush to coil my strands and get a better curl…)

I’m still kind of playing around with my own curly hair routine — currently I rake my strands with leave-in conditioner in while my hair is sopping wet (love this one from Mixed Chicks), then plop it using a Turbo Twist towel. After I’ve done my skincare routine, lotioned up, and gotten dressed, I flip my head upside down and scrunch in about a quarter-size dollop of gel (I’m still loving the EcoSlay gel, but sometimes I use the Aussie gel). After this I’ll scrunch in about a quarter-size dollop of curl defining cream, like Living Proof’s. (I just saw a great tutorial for finger coiling that I’ll have to try.)

{related: how long do you spend on your hair for work?}

Then I use little duck clips to pick up the sections closest to my face, and let my hair air dry. I’m trying to get in the habit of diffusing it when it’s almost dry because I see so many curly girls with amazing hair who diffuse it… but I tend to get involved in something else and forget to monitor when my hair is 80% dry.

My hair does not get overly “crunchy” with these amounts of products, so I don’t have to “scrunch out the crunch” — I suppose I could add more products but I’m fine at the moment.

Second day hair: I’ve found that the gel is key to keeping the curls for multiple days in a row — no gel or too little gel and I’m a flattened, frizzy mess after one day.

Like I’ve mentioned before, I really like sleeping in a stretchy, cooling gaiter like these — they’re comfortable, and my hair looks great afterwards. On nights when I shower and wash my hair, I’m having decent luck with sleeping in wet hair in a gaiter as long as I flip my head totally upside down while putting the gaiter on. I actually have an old absorbent T-shirt towel from Curls Like Us that is sort of a circular gaiter shape — if I happen to have it I can use it as a “liner” for the usual, stretchy gaiter, so my pillow doesn’t get all wet. The T-shirt one wouldn’t stay on by itself so it needs the second, stretchy one to stay in place.

If I’m going somewhere and need to refresh Day 2 or Day 3 hair, I have a large plastic bowl (like huge bag of popcorn size bowl) that I keep in the bathroom — you can often find them in picnic supplies in stores like Walmart. Anyway, I put a little bit of water into it and then flip my head upside down to liberally soak the bottom of my hair. While I’m doing that, I’ll use this spray bottle (it’s amazing, like a fine mist) to wet some of the top portions of my hair, and scrunch everything in again, and then use the duck clips again while I do my makeup. My hair is fine but there’s a lot of it, so it often takes 3–4 hours to air dry when it’s drenched after a shower, but doing this kind of refresh only takes 20–30 minutes to air dry.

(Also an option: one of the bun-type updos we featured in our roundup for easy office updos. My favorite is the inverted bun; it’s really simple.)

That’s my curly hair routine — what are your hair routines, readers? What have you been doing forever, what have you tried and didn’t work for you, and what things do you still want to try?

Psst: As of 2023, these are some of Kat’s favorite hair products (she largely follows curly hair routines)… but she loves this $30 brush/blowdryer!

Stock photo via Stencil.

The post Curly Hair Routines & More: Share Your Routines with Us! appeared first on Corporette.com.

HOLY MAC, you guys. Readers have been applauding this $35 One-Step Styler for a while now as an easy way to give yourself blowouts at home, but I only just got around to trying it a few days ago.

I must admit I was dubious that anything would work for my thick and curly hair — when I used to blow it out regularly with a round brush it would take me easily 25-30 minutes for mediocre results. In fact, my policy over the past few years has been to just let my hair air dry/do what it wants 90% of the time, and get a salon blowout if I actually wanted to look nice.

But I tried the Styler on Friday, and couldn’t believe it — after ten minutes of using the product on 85% dry hair, my locks were smooth, and silky, and actually looked about 95% as good as they would have if I’d gotten a salon blowout.

(The crink in the back of my hair is hard to get out, but I’m assuming that’s technique/product and not the problem of the Styler.) The finished look was so good I ran over to show my husband.

The blowout lasted for days; the only products in my hair were my usual winter products: leave in conditioner and an anti-frizz serum. I clipped my hair into three main layers to do the styling.

At this late date you’re probably looking for an after-Christmas delivery, but obviously pick-up and delivery options vary by region; you can also find it for $35-$59 at Amazon, Target, Ulta, Walmart, and Bed Bath & Beyond. Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer Hot Air Brush

(As noted on Thursday’s discussion about Dyson hairdryers, this is generally seen as a great dupe for the $550 Dyson AirWrap — but note that if you’re trying to avoid regular intense heat on your hair, you may want to investigate the Dyson a bit more.)

2020 Update: This thing is amazing! So we’re adding it to our our Office Beauty Hall of Fame!

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Workwear sales of note for 11.28.23

Our favorites are in bold!

• Nordstrom – Black Friday deals have started! 1,800+ sale items! Shop designer, get bonus notes up to $1200. Markdowns include big deals on UGG, Natori, Barefoot Dreams, Marc Fisher LTD, Vionic and more!
• Anine Bing – Sale, extra 20% off! Many blazers down around $250
• Ann Taylor – Up to 40% off your purchase
• Banana Republic – 40% off your purchase, including cashmere; up to 60% off sale styles
• Banana Republic Factory – 60% off everything & extra 20% off purchase
• ba&sh – Up to 50% off Fall/Winter styles
• Bergdorf Goodman – Extra 30% off select sale, save up to 70% off
• Club Monaco – 25% off almost everything
• Cole Haan – Up to 60% off almost everything plus extra 10% off (ends tonight 11/29)
• Express – 40% off everything
• Her Room – Up to 50% off 1000s of items
• Hugo Boss – Up to 40% off women’s & exclusives
• J.Crew – 50% off everything + free shipping
• Kule – Up to 40% off, $50 off when you spend $250
• Lands’ End – 50% off sitewide (readers love the cashmere)
• Loft – Free shipping, 60% off 2+ styles or 50% off 1
• Lo & Sons – Up to 70% off; spend $100, get an extra 10% off wallets – reader favorites include this laptop tote, this backpack, and this crossbody
• Ministry of Supply – 25% off sitewide with code (ends 11/29)
• Summersalt – 30% off everything plus extra $10 off sweaters with code; up to 60% off (this reader favorite sweater blazer is down to $75)
• Talbots – 50% off all markdowns and 30% off entire site — readers love this cashmere boatneck and this cashmere cardigan, as well as their sweater blazers in general
• Theory – Cold weather essentials up to 40% off
• Theory Outlet – up to 80% off sweaters and outerwear – readers love this t-shirt
• Uniqlo – Limited time deals starting at $14.90 (ends 11/30)
• Universal Standard – Enjoy 30% off everything (as a minimum) + extra 10% off
• White House Black Market – Up to 60% off sale styles
• Zappos – Early Black Friday sale! Save BIG on footwear, clothing, bags and more. Daily Deals 50% off, and check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kid shoe brands on sale.

Kid- and Family-Related Sales

• BabyJogger – 25% off 3 items
• Crate & Kids – Up to 50% off everything plus free shipping sitewide; save 10% off full price items
• J.Crew Crewcuts – 50% off everything + free shipping
• ErgoBaby – 40% off Omni Breeze Carrier, 25% off Evolve 3-in-1 bouncer, $100 off Metro+Stroller
• Graco – Up to 30% off car seats
• Nordstrom – Big deals on CRANE BABY, Petunia Pickle Bottom, TWELVElittle and Posh Peanut
• Strolleria – 25% off Wonderfold wagons, and additional deals on dadada, Cybex, and Peg Perego
• Walmart – Savings on Maxi-Cosi car seats, adventure wagons, rocker recliners, security cameras and more!

Some of our latest posts here at Corporette…

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

• Favorite comfy pants for an overnight plane ride?
• I’ve got a nasty case of tech neck…
• What’s a good place for a relaxing solo escape?
• What’s the best commuter backpack?
• I’m early 40s and worry my career arc is ending…
• I canNOT figure out the proportions in this current season of fashion…
• How is everyone wearing scarves in 2023?
• What shoes are people wearing to work between boot and sandal season?
• What’s a good place for a relaxing solo escape?
• What are some of your go-to outfits that feel current?
• I need more activities that are social, easy to learn and don’t involve extreme running/jumping/etc.

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