The Mane Attraction

I'm all about great hair. It's sort of my signature when it comes to style. I've been obsessed with my hair for as long as I can remember and not because I have great hair but because I have long, coarse hair that is hard to tame and even more difficult to style without the right products. Here are a few of my favorite beauty tips and salon products that help me "manage my mane".

The only flat iron that has ever worked to straighten and smooth my hair is the Babyliss Pro. I literally cried when my husband gave it to me for Christmas a few years ago and I've been obsessed with it ever since. It has 2.5 inch ceramic plates which are perfect for long hair and heats up to 450°. No more waiting (and waiting) for your flat iron to get "hot enough" to work.

The Straight & Smooth Spray for Thick / Coarse hair by ghd works to help tame thick, rebellious hair while also protecting from heat and styling damage. All you need to do is apply 4-6 sprays to damp hair before blow-drying and style as usual. You can also use this product on dry hair to refresh your style by spritzing over dry hair and then either using a blow dryer or styling tool to finish off your look.

Washing my hair is somewhat of a "major event" in my life because it literally takes FOR-EVER. My girlfriends tease me because I regularly read fashion mags while blow drying my own hair so it goes without saying that it eventually becomes worth it to spend some cash on a quality blow dryer. The T3 Veloce Dryer - Silver is a tourmaline-infused hair dryer which means that when heated it emits the maximum level of negative ions and infrared heat to heat the hair from the inside out and accelerate water evaporation. Read: It uses technology to make blow drying your hair extra fast! Almost 40% faster than traditional blow dryers. Yay!

In between washes I swear by Sidlab "Magic" Dry Shampoo. Based out of Portland, Oregon this line is sulfate and paraben-free and the products are amazing! The Magic Dry shampoo is clear (which I love!) and it instantly absorbs oil and adds volume to your hair without leaving product build-up behind. This is one product I would order by the case if I had room to store it!

Celebrity stylist Rosaline Hampton turned me on to the Davines line of shampoos and conditioners. The Melu line is specifically designed for long hair and helps to prevent breakage. The name Melu comes from the English term “mellow”, meaning rich, full-bodied, abundant, and soft. The Melu shampoo and conditioner contain Mediterranean active ingredients including spinach extract, apricot butter, cherry oil and rosemary extract.

And when I'm traveling or there's no time to do my own hair I love visiting a great blow dry bar. In London my favorite is the Hersheson's Blow Dry bar inside the Oxford Circus Top Shop. You can choose from a menu of fashion-forward looks and relax while reading a magazine and letting the stylists work their magic. No matter what style you pick or what type of hair you have all blow outs are priced at £24. And once you're finished getting glam you can stick around and shop for a new outfit. How perfect is that?