We quizzed four New Zealand women with luscious locks on their hair care non-negotiables.
“Hair is funny ... you always want what you don’t have,” Kristine Crabb replied when I asked her how she maintains her iconic mane of ringlets. “But I say: love what you’ve been blessed with!”
I
In time, I grew to love my natural hair type for all its quirks, and below four women share how they’ve learned to do the same.
From weekly hair wash routines to the styling products they can’t live without, find out how four women with excellent heads of hair care for theirs, below.
Kristine Crabb, fashion designer
“My haircare routine is very simple, but something I’ve refined over the years,” says artist and fashion designer Kristine Crabb. Known for her fluid and inclusive designs, the Gloria founder embraces her curly tresses and the volume that comes with it.
What’s your hair type?
I just have naturally curly hair, it has medium thickness and volume and can easily be coaxed into different textures.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.What are your hair concerns and/or hair goals?
I love defined, ringlet-y curls and lots of volume, big curly hair is my favourite! It feels so abundant.
I’m concerned with thinning hair as I age, but I’m looking forward to more grey so I can be naturally grey [all over] one day. It’s so chic. I love the texture of grey hair.
Talk me through your hair-wash routine.
I just wash with shampoo and conditioner once a week – any nice, rich conditioner works – and then I leave to drip dry. It’s a bit of luggage to have slick, wet hair for the day, but it’s a great investment as it’s all I need to do for the week.
Do you do anything to your hair in the evenings?
No, I don’t! I love how my hair gets bigger by the day.
What are your go-to hair-care products and why?
I love Botaniq and Eithne Curran, both hair brands are made in New Zealand. They are made for curly hair and are natural and smell so good. I love hair spray too – best to get the volume and hold the curls in place.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.(Viva loves Eithne Curran Hydrating Set, $140)
How often do you visit the salon and what do you ask for in the salon chair?
I rarely go to the salon, but I love it when I do. Usually, I just get a treatment or hair colour.
Layla Kaisi, jewellery designer
“Embrace the curl, let it be a love letter to your younger self who was too afraid to stand out,” says jewellery designer Layla Kaisi, adding it wasn’t until her university years that she learned to fall in love with her curly, 3A/B textured hair.
What’s your hair type?
Firstly, let me preface this by saying my hair journey has been a classic coming-of-age tale, growing up with long, thick, unruly locks, I wanted nothing more than to have the sleek, “chic” hair of my peers. I spent my entire preteen and teenage years getting some form of permanent straightening treatment at the hairdressers or frying my hair every morning just to get flat hair that frizzed by lunchtime.
It wasn’t until university that I finally decided enough is enough and I cannot keep fighting genetics; I went on a long journey of hair (and personal) healing and finally put in the time to learn what my curls really needed, thus embracing who I was.
As such, I realised my hair wasn’t just a ball of frizz, and that I actually have curly 3A/3B texture hair. (For the uninitiated, hair texture is described from 1-4, A-C, starting from pin-straight hair at 1A, all the way to coily/kinky at 4C).
What are your hair concerns and/or hair goals?
I think anyone with curly hair will agree that curls are thirsty, they are in constant need of extra moisture, rich conditioners, and hair creams/gels. Without them, we inevitably get the ball of frizz aesthetic. The goal is always to have bouncy, shiny curls that form into perfectly clumped ringlets, unless humidity has its way with us.
Talk me through your hair-wash routine.
As people with curls usually have drier hair, hair wash day only happens twice a week and for good reason – it is quite the process. I start by lathering gentle shampoo into my hands and massaging it into my scalp only, rinse and repeat.
Next, I either apply a hair mask and carry on with the rest of my shower, or I go straight to conditioner and apply it from (near) roots to tips on drenched hair. Combing through my hair with my fingers, this is also the only time my hair gets brushed through the week, ensuring I get all the knots out.
From there I rinse and repeat again, this time applying a hefty amount of conditioner into my palms and squeezing my hair from ends up to my roots; ensuring the hair is soaked with a water-conditioner mix until it feels like seaweed in my hands. I then wash out most (not all) of the conditioner and finish up.
I dab the ends of my hair with a towel, but keep it mostly soaking for applying products post-shower. I apply a generous mix of hair gel and hair cream from roots to ends, finger-combing through as I slick back my hair.
Finally, I leave it to air dry over 4-5 (yes it takes that long) hours, as I go about the rest of my day and work. Once dried, I fluff it out to its full volume.
Do you do anything to your hair in the evenings?
I apply hair oil to the ends of my hair and always ensure to sleep on a silk pillowcase as cotton is too rough and causes excess frizz.
Do you do any weekly or fortnightly hair treatments?
Yes! Huge fan of applying homemade hair oil to my scalp once or twice a week to encourage healthy roots and growth. I make my own mix of rosemary oil, nigella seed oil, and jojoba oil and massage it into my scalp one-to-three hours before washing my hair.
(Viva loves Human Nature Pure Jojoba Oil, $15; Amazing Herbs Black Seed Oil, $65; and Oil Garden Rosemary Oil, $25.)
Do you do anything specifically for your scalp?
Those oils are a magic elixir. Post-Covid my hair got quite thin, and this has boosted so much hair growth. I am almost back to what my hair was like two years ago.
What are your go-to hair-care products and why?
I am not really loyal to any specific brand or product, I just ensure whatever brand I pick up, the shampoo does not have any harsh sulphates (sodium lauryl/laureth sulphate) that dry out the hair, and that the conditioners do not have silicones (dimethicone/dimethiconol) that coat the hair and weigh it down.
Learn to read the ingredients on the back, that way you can pick up any brand and know it will do well.
Do you use hot tools to style your hair?
I have had enough straightening for a lifetime! I avoid all hot tools now.
How often do you visit the salon and what do you ask for in the salon chair?
Once a year to get a nice shape, I ensure I go to a curly-specific salon – namely Urban Kurl Studio founded by absolute powerhouse Carla Ta’akimoeaka.
This salon, along with other curl-trained spaces, cuts hair dry so you can really see the shape and texture of the hair, unlike traditional hair cuts where it is cut wet, the hair could end up drying in odd patterns if the curls and texture are not taken into account.
Between cuts, I simply trim the ends of the hair myself, it’s pretty low maintenance in this one aspect at least.
Polly Markus, cookbook author
Under the moniker @miss_pollys_kitchen, at-home cook Polly Markus shared her signature recipes with the masses during lockdown. The popular foodie has since collated her selection of recipes into not one but two cookbooks, the most recent of which – Seriously Delicious – hit shelves just over a month ago.
What’s your hair type?
I have type 2A hair, it’s fine and thin but there is a lot of it, and it dries in an S-shape.
What are your hair concerns and/or hair goals?
I have had hair extensions on and off for years, I get them just to add thickness to my hair which I love. My main goal would be to have thicker, longer hair.
Talk me through your hair-wash routine.
I have recently started using the Revitalash Cosmetics Thickening Shampoo, $54, and Conditioner, $56. I only recently learned that you should double-shampoo your hair. Since using this new shampoo, they recommend massaging your scalp for a few minutes each wash which I’ve been doing. I wash my hair about three (sometimes four) times per week depending on what I’ve been doing exercise-wise.
Do you do anything to your hair in the evenings?
I’ve recently had micro nano ring extensions put in my hair, so at night I brush my hair, put a little oil on the ends and then braid my hair before I go to sleep. I have been using the Lou Hairdesign Silk Scrunchies which are the best hair ties I’ve used to date.
Do you do any weekly or fortnightly hair treatments?
I use the K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask, $135, once a week.
Do you do anything specifically for your scalp?
No … but perhaps I need to learn more about scalp treatments!?!?
What are your go-to hair-care products and why?
When I don’t blow dry my hair I use the Kevin Murphy Motion Lotion Curl Enhancing Lotion, $55, and leave my hair to dry naturally, I like how gives my hair a good spruce with minimal effort. I’ve had the Chloe Zara Hair & Body Perfume Oil, $110, since it came out, it’s got lots of benefits but also helps as a heat protector and smooths out the little fluffy bits – a little goes a long way! I was recently given a Wella SP LuxeOil Reconstructive Elixir, $47, and I’ve been putting that in my hair before bed. Dry shampoo is the best little helper on days when I’m caught short and don’t have time to wash my hair before a meeting.
Do you use hot tools to style your hair?
I recently purchased the Ghd Platinum+ hair straightener, $450, and I am loving it. My last Ghd lasted 12 years I was sad to see it go. My hairdresser showed me a technique using a straightener which gives the ends a big curl, giving you a fresh blow wave-type look – I’m obsessed.
How often do you visit the salon and what do you ask for in the salon chair?
If I’m just going for a trim, I would say every 12 weeks. I often go in with photos of hairstyles I think look amazing on people and then I chicken out and walk out every single time with the same cut! If I have extensions in, then they need to be maintained every seven or eight weeks.
Jess Molina, writer and fashion content creator
Arguably one of Aotearoa’s most stylish content creators, Jess Molina is known for assembling outfits that serve to celebrate local fashion brands and inspire others to embrace their own style. She recently debuted a fresh cut – a chic lob – to add thickness and volume to her fine hair.
What’s your hair type?
Fine, thin straight hair (no thanks to my PCOS) and an oily scalp.
What are your hair concerns and/or hair goals?
Definitely concerned and self-conscious about how thin my hair looks and feels. And the hair fall that comes with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). My goal is to have healthy, strong hair and reduce hair fall!
Talk me through your hair-wash routine.
I wash my hair every other day. Because it’s so fine and thin, I find that a lot of products tend to weigh it down so I keep it simple. I alternate between the Revitalash Cosmetics hair care range or Kerastase Genesis range for hair fall and the TreSemme Keratin range on days when I want extra smooth hair. I do the three-step wash, shampoo, and serum on hair-wash days.
Do you do anything to your hair in the evenings?
I have a short bob now which is pretty low maintenance so I don’t do anything to it. But I sleep on a silk pillowcase because I heard it’s better for your hair. Something about friction when you sleep … also it feels nice.
Do you do any weekly or fortnightly hair treatments?
No regular treatments but I’ve just booked myself a Japanese head spa so we will see if that changes things!
Do you do anything specifically for your scalp?
Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-Exfoliating Scalp Scrub Shampoo, $78, once a week and a hydrating mask. Also I love the Kérastase Specifique Argile Equilibrante Detox Cleanse Mask, $62, for my oily scalp once a week, too.
What are your go-to hair-care products and why?
Everything I’ve mentioned above is something I truly use and swear by. If I had to pick, though, I’d say the TreSemme Keratin Smooth Shampoo, $15, and Conditioner, $15, are so good for the price point. The Kerastase Genesis Anti Hair Fall Fortifying Serum, $99, is one of the best anti-hair fall serums in the market. And the Revitalash Cosmetics Thickening Shampoo, $54, and Conditioner, $56, are great for travelling!
Do you use hot tools to style your hair?
I love my Dyson Supersonic hair dryer, $599, and my Shark Flexstyle, $550, because it’s such a great way to add movement and body to my hair without being complicated to use. I love the look of a bouncy, long bob with a little bit of shine and lots of movement.
How often do you visit the salon and what do you ask for in the salon chair?
I go every five months or so. I’ve had the same haircut for years and every time I get it cut I always think how chic and current it still looks. I ask for volume in the salon as that’s something I struggle with recreating myself. In terms of haircut, I truly just want something easy to maintain and that grows well.
More on hair
Taming tools, trends and tips.
Is This Facial The Secret To Glossy, Healthy Hair? Reviewing The Chloe Zara Hair Scalp Facial.
Ask The Beauty Editor: How Can I Stop My Blonde Hair From Looking So Dull? “I’d love for my hair to look its creamy best for the full eight weeks before my next touch-up.”
How Noah Lyles Became Fashion’s Most In-Demand Man – Hair Pearls And All. The new men’s 100m gold medallist has turned the athletics track into a catwalk with a natural charisma that thrives on TikTok.
5 New Hair Tools That Will Revolutionise How You Style Your Hair In 2024. The best new-release hair-styling tools worth their price tag.
