Shampoo & Conditioner
Favorites
*Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-exfoliating Shampoo (sephora.com): refreshing mint scent with cooling sensation. Creamy consistency, lathers well. Scalp & hair feel & look hydrated. Clean beauty product.
*Hask Biotin Boost Thickening Shampoo & Conditioner (shampoo; conditioner): great volume for a great price. Their coconut water volumizing shampoo & conditioner was even better but they unfortunately discontinued it : ( Lightly scented (smell is okay). Highly recommend.
*Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Shampoo (ulta.com): smells amazing; rich lather; hair looks hydrated and volumized after blow-drying; mid price range, but a little goes a long way.
*Rossano Ferretti Parma grandioso 02 Volumising extra volume shampoo & conditioner (shampoo; conditioner; conditioner mini): this set actually gives a ton of volume to my fine hair! You can feel the difference before you even get out of the shower. Intoxicating smell, truly luxurious. Clean beauty product. Love the minimalist, black and white packaging. A little pricey but a little goes a long way and worth it since it actually works. Their volumising shampoo was even better, but they discontinued it unfortunately. Overall highly recommend.
Want to try
Others
*Christophe Robin Cleansing Volumizing Shampoo Paste (mini size; standard size): lovely smell (rose extracts); lathers well with a lot of water; hair felt soft and had a ton of volume that lasted DAYS even after multiple washes; downside is that the texture changes for the same amount of time – hair felt stiff & couldn’t run my fingers through it. I wouldn’t use it every day but it would be great once a week or before an event.
*Christophe Robin Volume Shampoo & Conditioner with Rose Extracts (shampoo; conditioner): amazing smell; gave hair a lot of shine; not volumizing enough for my fine hair to justify the price point, but blogger Sophie Elkus, who also has fine hair, vouched for it in her blog, so might be worth trying for yourself!
*Guild + Pepper Warm Oak Shampoo & Conditioner (shampoo; conditioner): nice masculine, cedarwood scent – perfect for fall or winter; doesn’t weigh my fine hair down. Slightly drying due to sulfates and shampoo lather is just okay. Would make a nice gift or seasonal shampoo/conditioner for a guest bathroom.
*Kiehl’s Amino Acid Shampoo (sephora.com): nice coconut smell in the shower, but not overpowering after blow-drying (which I personally prefer so it doesn’t interfere with perfume); lather was just okay; hair looked & felt smooth & nourished; it gave my fine hair a lot of volume; not sulfate-free; mid price range.
*L’Oreal Paris EverPure Volume Shampoo & Conditioner (amazon.com): refreshing and invigorating scent; shampoo lathers well; didn’t add that much volume and didn’t notice any difference in color of my highlighted hair; great price point at under $15 for both.
*Matrix total results Length Goals shampoo (amazon.com): great smell; lathers well; sulfate-free; hair & extensions felt really clean and smooth after using, but unfortunately not volumizing enough for my fine natural hair. Low-mid price range at $14.
*OGX Extra Strength Extra Volume Biotin & Collagen Shampoo & Conditioner (shampoo; conditioner): great smell; shampoo lathers well; hair looked noticeably shinier & smoother; decent volume on ends but wish it gave more volume at roots; not sulfate-free unfortunately so can’t use with extensions; great price at under $7
*Ouai Fine Hair Shampoo & Conditioner (shampoo; conditioner): love the minimalist packaging aesthetic; subtle clean scent that lasts all day (couldn’t stop smelling my hair!); shampoo lathers well; hair was smooth, shiny, and soft after blow drying; unfortunately didn’t give as much volume as I’d like & price midrange
*Pantene Pro-V Sheer Volume Shampoo & Conditioner (shampoo; conditioner): I used these for YEARS – the price and the volume they gave my fine hair were unparalleled. Unfortunately they contain sulfates, which was forbidden when I got hair extensions. When I stopped using these, I saw the dryness/fly-aways and texture of my hair get a lot better, so I’ve haven’t gone back.
*R+Co Dallas Biotin Thickening Shampoo & Conditioner (shampoo; conditioner): amazing R+Co signature scent; hair looked shiny; doesn’t lather or volumize as well as Hask Biotin shampoo & conditioner.
*R+Co Television Perfect Shampoo & Conditioner (shampoo; conditioner): amazing smell; makes your blow-out look fantastic; hair looks shiny and smooth; clean beauty product; unfortunately not volumizing enough for my fine hair to justify the higher end price, but if you have thicker hair, highly recommend!
Purple Shampoo (I highlight my hair every ~8 weeks and use a purple shampoo once a week to keep my blonde hair light & bright)
Favorites
*Schwarzkopf BC Bonacure Color Freeze silver shampoo (amazon.com): really brightens light-colored hair. Works so well that people I work with (including guys) would ask if I just got my hair highlighted. Under $10 from Amazon.
Want to try
Others
*Kerastase Blond Absolu Purple Shampoo & Strengthening Conditioner: smells amazing! Hair was soft, smooth, and slightly more lightened after using, but not volumizing enough for my fine hair. The Schwarzkopf BC Bonacure Color Freeze silver shampoo makes hair look even lighter with more volume, and at a lower price.
*Lakme Ultra Clair Shampoo (amazon.com): brightens my blonde hair, but not as well as the Schwarzkopf BC Bonacure Color Freeze, which is also less expensive (see above).
*Oribe Bright Blonde Shampoo for Beautiful Color (mini size; standard size): smells nice; decent lather; brightened my blonde hair but not as much as the Schwarzkopf BC Bonacure Color Freeze silver shampoo, plus it costs more. Also the shampoo slightly leaks out of the top of the cap and is/looks messy.
Dry Shampoo
Favorites
*Living proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo (1.8 oz; 4 oz; 7.3 oz): the only dry shampoo I’ve tried that doesn’t make my fine hair greasy at the roots; volumizes hair; fresh scent; no powdery residue. Highly recommend.
Want to try
Others
*Kenra Professional Volume Dry Shampoo (ulta.com): actually made my roots seem more greasy and weighed down my fine hair. Smells nice though. Price midrange.
Styling Products
Favorites
*John Frieda luxurious Volume Fine to Full Blow-Out Spray (ulta.com): actually gives my fine hair a volume boost. Not sticky. Nice smell. Great price point under $12.
*Paul Mitchell Extra-Body Sculpting Foam (6.7 oz; 16.9 oz): I use this product every day. This mousse adds so much volume to fine hair without weighing down. Doesn’t make hair sticky or crunchy. Good price point, a little goes a long way and the larger bottle lasts a long time. Highly recommend.
*Paul Mitchell Extra-Body Thicken Up Styling (amazon.com): I add one pump of this liquid-like product throughout the ends after the Paul Mitchell Extra-Body Sculpting Foam; a pea-size amount goes a long way and adds even more volume to fine hair. $16 and lasts forever. Highly recommend.
*R+Co Dallas Thickening Spray (1.7 oz; 8.5 oz): amazing/intoxicating smell; tons of volume to my ends, but weighed down my roots a little and made them a little greasy looking; lots of shine. Overall think it’s a great thickening spray, just avoid on your roots if you have fine hair like mine. And of course I love the packaging.
*Sexy Hair Big Blow Dry Volumizing Gel (amazon.com): really volumizes fine hair without making hair feel crunchy/sticky or weighing it down.
*Sexy Hair Big Sexy Hair Root Pump Plus (ulta.com): great lift at the roots; great smell and great price – lasts forever. Highly recommend.
Want to try
Others
*drybar Southern Belle Volume-Boosting Root Lifter (sephora.com): I have fine hair and this root lifter was okay, not significant enough of a difference to spend the money on it and made my hair kind of crunchy. Nice smell though.
*Eleven I Want Body Volume Foam (walmart.com): mess-free pump; I use 4 pumps most on ends but also on roots – gives hair volume without weighing down roots but not as much as this one; makes hair slightly crunchy/sticky; nice, barely there scent.
*Oribe Run-Through Detangling Primer (sephora.com): nice smell; doesn’t weigh hair down; helps detangle but my fine hair doesn’t need much help brushing out after washing anyway; have to put some effort into pushing down on the nozzle (either due to the dispenser style or the thicker consistency of the product); $37 but lasts a long time.
* R+Co High Dive Moisture + Shine Creme (1.7 oz or 5 oz via dermstore.com): great smell; smoothed hair without weighing down
*Sebastian Shaper Plus extra hold hairspray (ulta.com): smells nice, but didn’t hold my ponytail fly-aways well enough for the higher price
*Serge Normant Meta Lush Volumizer (dermstore.com): smells SO GOOD but didn’t help volumize my fine hair at all (if anything weighed it down more at the roots); I basically use it as a hair perfume. Not worth the $$ as a volumizer imo, but it gets great reviews, so may be worth trying for yourself, especially to experience the intoxicating scent. Pretty sure it’s discontinued now.
Oil
Favorites
*Playa Ritual Hair Oil (sephora.com)
*Verb Ghost Oil (sephora.com):
Want to try
Others I’ve tried
*Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil (sephora.com): Allure Best of Beauty winner; signature Oribe scent is subtle & doesn’t last long/interfere with perfume; doesn’t weigh my fine hair down; adds subtle shine; great pick but Verb Ghost Oil just as effective at a fraction of the price. Last forever, a little goes a long way.
Masks
Favorites
*Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! deep conditioning mask (sephora.com): nice packaging; nice scent; clean beauty product; after blow-drying, hair looks noticeably shinier, smoother, and healthier. Slightly weighs down hair, but nothing that can’t be fixed with volumizing styling products (see above). Midrange price.
*Oribe Signature Moisture Masque (neimanmarcus.com): Once a week I use this product in lieu of conditioner, leave it in while I shave (~ 5 minutes), then rinse it out. Intoxicating scent (I’m obsessed with Oribe scent); moisturizing without weighing my fine hair down; blowout looks amazing after; a little goes a long way – if used once a week, this jar will last a least year. Pricey, but worth the investment, especially since it will last a long time
*Sienna Naturals Plant Power Vegan Hair Mask (revolve.com): has a subtle “natural/plant-based” scent that doesn’t linger after showering (my preference so it doesn’t interfere with perfume). Hair looked nourished and smooth and felt soft. Unlike most hydrating/repairing masks, my hair not only wasn’t weighed down after using, but it had even more volume than some volumizing shampoos/conditioners give it. Great price at $22 for a large jar, and a little goes a long way.
Want to try
Others I’ve tried
Treatments
Favorites
*Kerastase Nutritive 8H Magic Night Serum (sephora.com): amazing smell, perfect for falling asleep; not greasy – didn’t leave a residue on my pillow/sheets; my dry hair looked more shiny and soft in the morning. I have to wash my hair every morning because it’s so fine, so probably better for people that wake up and style their hair without washing it first.
Want to try
Others I’ve tried
Tools
*ghd Helios 1875W Advanced Professional Hair Dryer (sephora.com): lightweight, aesthetic design, dries hair fast (very powerful!), hair looks smooth & shiny without fly-aways.
Hair Salons/Stylists
If you want the best blonding, these are your gals.
Lyndsey at Salon Couture of Southington (Southington, CT)
Brittany at All Dolled Up (Southington, CT)
Jessica at Joseph Anthony Salon (Glen Mills/Springfield, PA)
Deena at Joseph Anthony Salon (Springfield, PA)
Lindsay at M Salon (Baltimore, MD)
Adriana at The Beauty Bar (Southington, CT)