Setting Your Beauty Budget
You spent $60 for your haircut, $150 for gleaming highlights and...
But spent $3 on your shampoo?
When it comes to hair, you get what you pay for, so make sure you balance your beauty budget correctly.
Splurge on:
Spend your money on shampoos, conditioners and styling aids.
Quality over quantity is a bit of a cliché, but when it comes to hair care, the adage definitely applies.
I think everyone should shampoo and condition their hair less frequently, but with the best products they can afford when you spend a little more money on a higher quality product, you won't have to shampoo, condition or style as often because your hair will perform better."
Top End Shampoos, Conditioners and Hair Care Products:
Alterna's 'Caviar' Anti-Aging hair care: $17-$41;
Phytologie products: $14-$40;
PureOlogy Serious Color Care line: $18-$22
Best Bargain:
Paul Mitchell Awapuhi line: $9-$12
Splurge on Hairbrushes
Looking for the best hair brushes? Mason-Pearson has a line of natural pure boar bristle brushes that'll get you hooked for life. Full-size brushes are costly, but if you want the same quality for a more palatable price, skip the 'master' and pick up a 'junior' Mason for $70. Everyone tries to knock off Mason-Pearson’s, but when a product claims it's just like the real thing, you're better off spending the money on the real thing.
Top End Brushes:
Mason-Pearson are top quality and will cost between $40-$120
Best Bargain:
Paul Mitchell 413 sculpting brush: $7;
CHI brushes: $10-$15
Saving on Styling Tools
If you've got the urge to splurge, you can spend upward of $200 for an Ionic hair-dryer, a supercharged device designed to dry hair at light speed without frizz or damage. Truth be told, the same effects are reached with standard dryers. From a personal standpoint, the 'professional' dryers are somewhat of a gimmick.
What you should really be looking for is a hair dryer with a high wattage, because that determines how powerful it is. The more powerful, the less time you'll spend drying your hair, and the healthier it will ultimately be." Look for a dryer with 1875 watts or higher, and make sure it comes with a concentrator to direct air-flow.
Top End Hair Dryer:
T3 Tourmaline Ionic Blow Dryer: $192
Best Bargain on Hair Dryers:
Conair Ion Shine 1875 Watt Hair Dryer 1461: $15-$20