A Beauty Editor’s Hair Resolutions for 2014

My goal for 2014 is to be a better citizen of the world. To get there, I’ve come up with several noble resolutions, from giving even more at work to going the extra mile in my relationships. But one of the most important resolutions to help me reach my goal is “Banish bad hair days.”

What’s the connection? Gorgeous hair is a confidence booster that lets you move forward better in all other areas of your life. If you’re like me, you know what a distraction it is to have hair that’s frayed, frizzy, fried, or just not behaving the way you’d like it to. So, here’s how I plan to achieve my best hair every day, all year round in 2014, so I can shine in every aspect of my life.

1. Prevent damage from hot styling tools.
The first step to gorgeous hair 24:7 is preventive. I wouldn’t think about plopping an egg into a skillet without first coating the pan with butter or oil, yet sometimes, I use my blow dryer, curling iron or flat iron -- which sizzles at 400 F -- without applying anything to my strands first. This can really dry out your hair, setting it up for frizz and other woes that keep you from looking and feeling your best. In 2014, I resolve to spend the extra five seconds it takes to prep my hair with a heat protectant, which creates a powerful shield that prevents damage, protects hair color, and adds extra shine and softness to my hair.

2. Show off my natural wave.
Most days I wear my bob sleek and smooth. But I also like to shake it up a bit without having to get a haircut -- something I haven’t done enough of this year because I’ve felt that my natural waves weren’t polished enough to go without straightening. In 2014, I’m going to experiment with letting my natural wave show. I’m going to add a no-crunch curls whip product to my beauty arsenal so that my hair looks satiny even when it’s not straight.

3. Bring my hair BB cream with me wherever I go.
I travel at least once a month, and when I do, I tend to pack at the very last minute. I fling things into my toiletry case almost literally as I’m walking out the door. That means I typically forget my reliable hair care products and find myself trying to use the hotel body lotion as a substitute for a styling product. The results aren’t pretty. My solution for 2014: I’ve stowed a powerful BB cream for hair right in my overnight case. This multi-tasking wonder, which can be used on wet or dry hair, is a shining, smoothing, heat protecting, moisturizing, frizz fighting, flyaway tamer, all in one. I love it! If only I could find a dress that had this much versatility!