Char's Favorite Things

Ever been sitting at home watching Oprah and the episode is about a deserving set of people who contributed to the world in some way? Now, because you love Oprah, most likely you are already crying, thinking to yourself, wow this is incredible. All of a sudden Oprah shouts, "You're on Oprah's Favorite Things!!!" Next thing you know, tons of people start walking from backstage passing out several gifts from watches, to ipods, and flat screen TVs.

Well although I'm no Oprah and I will not give away anything for free...I've complied a list of my favorite hair things for my readers who are obviously deserving if you are taking time to read my little blog. Often, my friends ask what I use on my hair so I figured I'd share. These are the top 5 products and tools that I absolutely live by and have no problem endorsing. Since I usually where my hair straight, these are the tools and products I use to wash, blow out, and flat iron my hair to achieve a nice salon-ish finish. (I'd like to say I usually do a good job...lol).

5. Revlon Tourmaline Ceramic Blow Dryer & Paddle Brush


Ladies, these two things go together like peanut butter and jelly. In my opinion, a GOOD blow dryer is the second most important step in the flat ironing process next to the flat iron it self. Notice I said GOOD blow dryer, not the $9.99 one from the local beauty supply store. (But if that works for you, more power to you). However, I like the Revlon Ionic Ceramic Blow Dryer, which surprisingly was only about $40 at Ulta (cheaper on Amazon). Reasons I like: different temperature settings, the Ionic aspect helps add shine and the ceramic aspect helps with heat control to prevent damage. When blowing out the hair it also helps to use the narrow nozzle provided. This will allow heat to concentrate on those coarser, thick areas and in return aide you in the flat ironing process. In my opinion, the better the blow out...the nicer the overall straightening process will be.
Another great alternative is Conair's Yellow Bird Blow Dryer.

The paddle brush makes a difference too whether you know it or not. I personally prefer a semi-wide tooth brush with rounded tips on the teeth of the brush. This not only helps de-tangle hair but the rounded tips helps to smooth your hair, another factor to help with the flat ironing process.

Blow drying tip: Make sure each section is about 75%-80% dry before blowing out with the brush. Your hair is in its most fragile state when wet.

4. Rat-tail Comb with Metal End


This little thing may seem very unimportant, however; if I can not find this comb when it's time to flat iron my hair I'm going crazy! The very small teeth in the comb are the most important so if it doesn't have a metal end it's really not that big of a deal. The small teeth allow you to precisely comb though each section before applying heat which makes for a nice, straight finish and prevents clumping. Try combing through your hair with a regular wide-tooth comb and proceed to flat iron....trust me you will see a difference. The metal end is just a little extra to help part very small sections in the hair, which is also key when flat ironing. Taking small sections is always better than flat ironing large chunks at a time.

3. Kera Care Dry & Itchy Scalp Glossifier


Now I don't know about other ladies, but I have a serious problem when it comes to dry scalp, especially living in Chicago. For the longest I used to wonder how I can 'grease my scalp' (like my momma used to do back in the day) while still having lots of body and volume. We all know grease weighs down the hair; however, this is the main reason I love Kera Care's Dry & Itchy Scalp Glossifier. This product is VERY light so it will not weigh down your tresses. In addition, it actually works! Dab a little on the dry areas of your scalp (not all over). You will feel a little tingle, but you will also achieve instant shine as well. Love this stuff!! You can usually find this at your local beauty supply but one thing I've noticed is not all beauty stores sell Kera Care products. If this is not at your local store try Sally's Beauty or Ulta. BTW...Ulta is my guilty pleasure so you will often see me refer to this store.

Dry hair note: Ladies also if water is not an active part of your diet you should start because that helps with dry scalp.

2. Biosilk Silk Therapy


This is hands down my favorite hair serum! (mind you I have at least three as of right now...I know I have a problem). But Biosilk is the best one I've tried to date. This is the one hair product that takes me from "Oh your hair looks nice" to "Where do you go to get your hair done?". Not really much else to say besides its great! And the best part is you only need to use a dime-sized amount per flat iron so it can last for a very long time. I bought a bottle about 9 months ago and I just ran out of this product last week. Can be used while hair is wet or dry but I prefer to use when my hair is dry. Ok the other best part is Biosilk provides lots of shine and creates tons of volume! Clearly I have a lot of "bests" about this product so just purchase it if you are curious :) You can find this at any Walgreen's or CVS, but be careful because the mark-up is ridiculous and will run you close to $15 for a small 2.26 o bottle. My suggestion is to go to Marshall's or TJ Maxx where you can find it in the hair care section for at least half the price. You may also be able to find my #3 pick there as well.


1. FHI Heat Flat Iron


Well well...if you know me this is surely no surprise! Honestly ladies, never have I ever met a hair styling tool I've loved so much since the pressing comb...you know the kind your mom used to put on top of the stove to heat. True story, when I first moved to Chicago I was on the hunt for a stylist who could take care of my hair when I didn't feel like doing so and trim my ends. The first place I attended was a very nice black owned Salon and Spa. People were great and everything. The stylist then proceeded to flat iron my hair with a CHI. Now don't get me wrong, CHI is a very good product as well, but it just doesn't have that special touch like the FHI does. I continued my journey to find a hair stylist only now I was searching for someone to complete a sew-in. Finally I found a place and as I was waiting to be seen, the stylist started to flat iron another woman's hair. As soon as I saw the red-coated plates of the FHI I felt like it was heaven sent! I wanted to cancel my appointment for the sew-in and let here flat iron my real hair right, then and there! I've used the FHI flat iron for about 4 years now and I still haven't found a better one.

FHI has 4 kinds of flat irons which are all fabulous by the way. They all range from $120-$500; however, usually cheaper on eBay or Amazon like everything else. I have the FHI Platform, which I prefer because it has a temperature setting. The FHI Technique is a little cheaper than the Platform, but it does not offer a temperature setting. I've found that it still works just as well as the Platform. I personally prefer to have a temperature setting just because some areas of the hair require less heat than others for example, if you know you have a very thin area of hair. The FHI always leaves my hair with a very glossy finish and gives my hair tons of volume, which we all love! Partnered with my #2 pick Biosilk and this is another "head-turning" favorite that seals the deal every time.

So there you have it! These are my top 5 favorite hair things. You may notice that I didn't include shampoo or conditioner in my list. This is primarily because I'm often trying new shampoos and conditioners every six months. For me, each s & c serves a different purpose depending on season, if I have color, or if I'm wearing my hair naturally curly. Also, because I've noticed that no matter which shampoo or conditioner I use, my top 5 favorites are always the constant denominator to making my Crown & Glory shine and look great!