December 04th, 2017

I had an amazing time this morning on Good Morning Washington with one of my favorite people: VJ! We are able to talk about the importance of taking care of your styling tools and I wanted to share my tips (and my favorite tools and products) with you!

1. Why is important to clean your tools?
Styling tools, brushes, makeup brushes - all of these personal care tools are an investment - both in the tool and in yourself. If you make the financial investment you are clearly looking to put your best foot forward - so take the time to take care of your tools - with just a monthly clean you can add years to the life of your tools!

2. How do I clean my tools?
For blowdryers - take an old tooth brush and brush away the dust, dirt, and hair that can accumulate at the back of the dryer (air intake). If you have a dryer like mine (I own both a T3 and a DryBar Buttercup (LOVE this dryer (BUY ME HERE) you can remove the intake cover and use a soft, damp cloth to wipe away any debris.

For Flat Irons - I also use the DryBar flat irons (I have two - yes they are that good (BUY ME HERE) - you want to make sure you are taking care of the delicate iron plates and don't put anything abrasive on them. If you have residue from styling products, gently use a damp clean cloth to wipe away any dirt. If you have stubborn residue use a small cotton bud soaked in 70% alcohol to soften and remove the residue.

For Curling Irons -  Use a soft, damp cloth to remove any residue - also remove any shed hairs trapped in any part of the iron. I love these two irons (I have them both and I LOVE them!) Wrap Party Iron and Three Day Bender Iron

For Straightening Brushes - If you have curly hair and you lust after flawless, blown out locks - then get ye one of these stat! I LOVE my Amika straightening brush (I bought mine HERE). These are also a snap to clean: remove any extra hair trapped in the brush and take a cotton bud soaked in alcohol to remove any dirt and residue.

Taking care of your tools is the first step towards a great hair day - products are the second step! Here are some of my favorite products!

Amika makes AMAZING products - and I am in LOVE with the following:
1. Silken Up Dry Conditioner - A curly girls' best friend
2. Perk Up Dry Shampoo - A classic.
3. Bombshell Blowout Spray - This stuff is AMAZING - I used it on my dry hair and then styled (after I had let it dry) and I had incredible "Dynasty" style full blown out waves. It was epic.

Also - pro-tip - their Dry Shampoo and Conditioner spray CLEAR - if you have dark hair this is a BIG win for you. All their products smell DELICIOUS.

I also am in love with their Nourishing Mask, Heat Defense Serum, and frankly their use of Sea Buckthorn - one of my hero and favorite ingredients- makes them a winner across the board in my book. Go peruse their site and tell me what goodies you come away with!

DryBar- the majority of my hot tools are from DryBar and the reason why is that they are SUPER easy to use - which is key when you are a Makeup Artist first, and a Hair Stylist second. Truth time! I have many of their styling sprays in my kit as well as they usually bundle their tools with sprays - so they are GREAT for Holiday Gift Giving!!!  Als0 - all their products smell like magic and snickerdoodle cookies - so there is that. Here are some of my favorite products:

1. Triple Sec - The classic - you spray before styling - you spray after styling - this does it all.
2. The Sheriff - If you want serious hair, you need a serious spray. This is that spray.
3. Sparkling Soda - Everyone needs a shine spray. EVERYONE. Don't fight it - just buy it.
4. The Chaser - A great smoothing and shine cream I cocktail with other products - awesome fo controlling flyaways, bandaging split ends, and just making hair look beautifully finished.

Here is the video for you to check out!

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