I’m pretty religious about using a hair mask each week and lately I’ve been using the new SHU UEMURA Essence Absolue Nourishing Taming Overnight Serum $69/3.3oz @ shuuemuraartofhair.com). I’ve been a fan of their hair care products for some time and this one doesn’t disappoint. It’s a light cream you apply right before bed so it can do its work while you sleep. I was worried that it would get all over my pillow but it seemed to absorb pretty quickly and left no residue behind. And this is a no-rinse serum so don’t worry about having sticky, crusty hair the next morning, as it all gets absorbed.

This one really added moisture and frizz resistance (they claim 24 hours). It can be applied on wet or dry hair and use a comb to distribute it evenly down the hair shaft.

Styling has become a breeze with SPORNETTE’s latest release, the Square Heat Styler ($25 @ ulta.com). It comes in 4 different sizes, Small, Medium, Large and Extra-Large, so choose depending on the length of your hair. The square shape is ideal for getting high volume styles, super straight strands and even that flip at the bottom of the hair. The barrel is ceramic and tourmaline, which I have come to expect these days with a styling brush! The combo of these traits help the center heat up quickly and retain the heat, as well as leave hair super shiny afterwards.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

How long do you keep your hair brushes? I have a hard time throwing any out and I just recently I did with  the SPORNETTE Smooth Operator Tourmaline Ionic Bristle Hairbrush 3 ½” ($26.50 @ spornette.com). I had used it on and off for the past 2 years and the bristles were all bent and probably doing me no favors when it came to styling my damp hair.

Boy, did I not realize how dependent I had become on this brush! I tried others that I had on hand that and nope, they just were not cutting it and were actually creating more work for me. When I first got this brush, I remember laughing at how big it was and never thought I’d use it as much as I did.

                                     The barrel size is a little bigger than some cotton rounds!

What I like about it - the barrel is made of ceramic so it helps with drying time and because the barrel is so large, I don’t have to worry about bends in the hair when using it to straighten. The bristles are made of nylon and even though my original one’s bristles were all bent before I tossed it, the bristles lasted a really long time.

Another thing you don’t have to worry about it the hair getting caught some place in the handle. There is no space between the barrel and handle, which is common in most brushes.

Needless-to-say, I have a new one now, so my hair is happy again. Is it crazy to be attached to a hair brush? Do tell in the comments!

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

This has to be the wackiest hair brush I’ve ever laid eyes on and at first I thought, “I’ll never use this…” but lo and behold, I tried it, it’s super easy and quite frankly, exactly what I’ve needed this whole time.

Here’s the sitch: When blow drying my hair, I, and probably 100 million others, use a round brush. Now when drying the different sections, I’ll sometimes inadvertently give a little curl to somewhere in the section. With this brush, That. Won’t. Happen!

See, with this SPORNETTE Ventura Blow-Out Brush ($30 @ spornette.com, ulta.com) you are getting a round brush and a vented paddle brush in one. This allows me to grab a section of hair, apply the heat from the dryer and direct it where I want on the brush by simply twisting the brush to the flat part or the rounded sides of the brush. So no more unintended bends. Just sleek strands and maybe some curl at the ends, but with this, I get to decide!

And is doesn’t seem to matter what length your hair is. I thought this would be best for longer hair types but mine is shoulder length and it works nicely. Is this something up your alley?  

Available in Blue or Silver.  

I’ll admit it, I’m tease-challenged when it comes to giving my hair some good root volume. I just can’t seem to get the tease to go the distance, which I attribute to having fine hair. I’ve seen some people just use a plain ol’ comb but I’m just not that talented, so thankfully there are some products and tools out there to help. Here are my 5 Favorites... 

1. VOLOOM Hair Volumizing Iron $129.99 @ voloom.com

2. SPORNETTE Little Wonder Boar-Nylon Bristle Teasing Brush $8 @ spornette.com, birchbox.com

3. CRICKET Amped Up Styling Brush $5.99 @ ulta.com sallybeaut.com

4. BIG SEXY HAIR What A Tease - Backcomb in a Bottle $19.95/4.4oz @ walgreens.com

5. TOOL STRUCTURE 3 Row Styling Comb $2.49 @ sallybeauty.com

1. SPORNETTE Ion Fusion 3” Aerated Hair Brush #186 ($24 @ amazon.com, ulta.com) – I have about 6 different styling brushes next to my hair dryer and this one has certainly become by go-to in the last month. It has Ion-Charged and Anti-Staric Crimped bristles, which quickly dries and styles strands. And the handle is one piece so no worrying about hairs getting caught.

2. ROWENTA BEAUTY Expertise – Versa Style ($229 @ bedbathandbeyond.com) – this was only a matter of time – an iron that curls and and can straighten. It has 1” floating Ceramic Titanium plates that will smooth frizz and straighten and the edges of either side of the long part of the tool are rounded so you can get curl too. And it heats up to 400 degrees in 30 seconds. This is major, people! 

3. INSTYLER Rotating Hot Iron Hair Straightener ($99.95 @ target.com) – It’s funny when you find yourself nesting or juggling a lot of different tools how you forget about favorites, which this one certainly is!

4. CROC Turboion Croc Titanium Wet to Dry Flat Iron 1 ½” ($154.19 @ croc.com) – this is still my favorite hair straightener and does the job better than any other one I’ve tried. Need you know more?

5. GOLD N HOT Professional Ceramic Deep Waver ($39.99 @ amazon.com) – this ceramic-plated iron gives deeper waves than this one and I would definitely recommend using a setting spray with it so the waves last in your hair. 

Have you ever noticed your hair dressers arms? You have to admit, they get quite a workout wielding that hair dryer and brush around for hours every day. While I can’t speak on the dryer, I can give you an option for the styling brush. It’s SPORNETTE’s new Smooth Operator Collection and practically takes no muscle to style your hair with one of these and a blow dryer to get really smooth hair, and I mean smoooooooooooth hair. This one has Tourmaline Ionic bristles and a Ceramic Thermal barrel to help quickly distribute the heat and retain it as you pull it through.

And the brush handle is one piece, so you don’t have to worry about hairs getting caught in it. Annoying! Are you due for a new styling brush? $16.66/2”, $19.32/2.5”, $22/3”, $26.66/3.5” @ spornette.com.

It’s been quite a long time since I’ve come across a product deserving to be added to my Hall of Fame, which is my all time favorite products. But I found one!

The SPORNETTE Porcupine Hair Brush Boar and Nylon Bristle Rounder Wooden Handle 3” has been the answer to all my styling prayers. I’ve used this one on and off since I got it and I find myself going back to it when I want really straight shiny hair for the day/night. The wood handle is really solid and  helps me style with ease; not to mention the handle is one piece, so no worrying about a hair getting caught in part of the brush. Ouch!

See more about it here, which includes the awesomely affordable price.

I’m a little too fascinated by all things big hair these days; maybe it’s the watching of too much Jerseylicious, Jersey Shore and the Millionaire Matchmaker. Big hair, teased crown, I want it all and I’m living vicariously through these TV shows. In my own hands, I’ve got these two shown here that are helping me get the look but what I really need is, and I’ve stated this on twitter, Tracy DiMarco to come and do my hair.

CRICKET & CO. Amped UP Teasing Brush ($4.39 @ amazon.com) – this one mixes up boars bristles and nylon and are multi-leveled - longer in the middle and shorter around the outside. Great for the novice like me. Availabel in Blue, Pink and Purple.

SPORNETTE Big Wonder Brush Boar and Tourmaline #131 ($7.50 sallybeauty.com) – if you are a pro with the tease, this one is a good step up as it gives you more surface area.

The season once again is on deck to change! Will you be updating your hair styling products and tools? Here are a few to get you at least thinking about it.

NEXXUS Maxximum Super Hold Styling and Finishing Mist ($10.55/10oz @ ulta.com) – transitioning from one season to another can wreak havoc on strands. They don’t know what to do! This one will keep strays and flyaways at bay.

REDKEN Guts 10 Volume Spray Foam ($6.99/2oz @ walgreens.com) – we have all seen that big hair is coming back in a big way. And where does big hair start? The roots of course! This foam will boost strands to get them standing at attention.

BUMBLE AND BUMBLE Mending Masque ($37/5oz @ sephora.com) – let’s face it, if your hair is ratty and out of shape, nothing you try is going to help so make sure you get it back in line with a good hair mask like this one.

A change in the season means a change in my hair brush. After all, the materials that style and go though your hair have a life span as well. And they don’t have to look all boring and functional anymore. Take these two for example. This SPORNETTE Hypnotique #5902 Purple Paddle Brush ($26.95 @ spornette.com) combines nylon and 100% boars bristles and is a great staple everyday brush while SEPHORA’s Bamboo Boar Brush ($12 @ sephora.com) has a ceramic-coated barrel and, as the name states, all boar hair bristles. And the thinness of it makes it easy for wielding.

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided for review purposes. Some I bought.

Sometimes a hair tool comes along that is so serious and so solid, I thank the beauty product Gods that I do what I do here on Cybelesays.com! This SPORNETTE (take a deep breathe for the name …) Porcupine Hair Brush Boar and Nylon Bristle Rounder Wooden Handle 3” is such a serious styler that I’ve only been using it for when I’m really going to put some time into styling my hair.

So with regard to the name, does it really have porcupine quills in it or is that just in the name? The description on their site doesn’t make mention of any real quills used, only boar and nylon bristles, so I’m guessing not. And because it has both styles of bristles, this is a good brush for styling damp hair or dry.

Out of all five styles, I find this 3” one the most useful – the handle is not too thin or too thick and hard to handle. $10.99 @ birchbox.com, spornette.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided to Cybelesays.com for review purposes.