Beautiful hair has been nothing but a good thing

People often tell me that my hair looks beautiful, and it always makes me happy.

Hair shapes the way other people see us,
but it also affects how we see ourselves.
When my hair feels polished and falls the way I want it to,
I feel more put together before I have changed anything else.

I enjoy it, and other people compliment it.
So far, beautiful hair has brought me nothing but benefits.

That does not mean I follow an extremely complicated routine every day.
I simply use products I know well and try not to rush the basic steps.

My routine begins before shampoo

I use jemile fran shampoo and treatment as my regular wash-day products.

Before applying shampoo, I thoroughly rinse my hair and scalp with warm water.
I do not treat this as a quick step.
I use my fingertips to massage my scalp while rinsing,
making sure my hair is completely wet before I begin shampooing.

When I am in Japan, I also book an intensive salon treatment
every three to four weeks at CITY in Omotesando, always requesting CHIKA.

For me, hair care includes both my regular routine at home
and the occasional appointment where I leave the more intensive treatment to a professional.

I remove as much water as possible before drying

After showering, I use a dedicated hair towel to remove as much excess water as I can.

Rather than spending longer than necessary under the heat of a dryer,
I take the time to towel-dry properly first.

For my leave-in step, I use Cami Hair Oil,
and I use a Tangle Teezer to brush and arrange my hair.
My dryer is the compact ReFa dryer.

I begin drying at the crown and roots instead of focusing on the ends first.
This helps me shape the top of my hair before moving through the rest of the length.

And if you are wondering which of these products I take traveling, the answer is all of them.

I even take my compact ReFa dryer overseas.
I prefer continuing my normal routine instead of creating an entirely separate travel routine.

My signature waves start with a 32 mm curling iron

The style I wear most often is my hair down with voluminous curls.

I use a worldwide-voltage SALON SENSE 32 mm curling iron,
usually set to 180 degrees Celsius.

When I want more volume and stronger hold,
I curl my hair outward and make the curls slightly more defined at the beginning.

For my fringe and face-framing sections, I put in rollers before I start my makeup.
I then use the curling iron to refine the shape.
These sections have a major effect on the balance of the finished style,
so I give them extra attention.

Because I create a stronger curl from the start,
I usually do not add finishing oil or hairspray afterward.

Consistency matters more than one miracle product

I do not think one single product is responsible for the way my hair looks.

It is the combination of thoroughly rinsing before shampoo,
removing excess water with a towel, drying from the crown
and taking time with the face-framing sections.

None of these steps feels dramatic on its own,
but together they have become a routine that works for me.

Most importantly, I am happy when my hair looks beautiful.

Every time someone compliments it, I am reminded that the care I do for myself
also becomes part of how I present myself to the world.

I enjoy my hair, and other people seem to enjoy it too.
There is really no downside.

Watch the full styling process

I also shared my face-framing technique, styling process
and more of my hair routine in a YouTube video.

If you would like to see the hand movements
and the difference between the before and after styling, watch the video below.