Being Italian has its advantages and disadvantages. One of its advantages is that our oily skin protects us from aging prematurely. One of its disadvantages is that most Italian women also have oily hair… with a propensity for unruliness. Excessive oil production can turn freshly-washed hair into a flat greasy nightmare in just 24 hours. The sensible solution (washing it daily) is out of the question, since “over-washing” causes your hair to produce even more oil. Our focus must be on quality hair products and, of course, adequate knowledge of oily hair hacks, like how to add volume to second day hair. Keep reading for a breakdown of my second day hair routine plus palm print shift dress details. 

How to Add Volume to Second Day Hair

In my experience, even if I’ve styled my hair with hot rollers and an entire bottle of hair spray, my Italian heritage prohibits me from retaining more than 20% of its volume after just a few hours– let alone a full day. There are hacks in place to help add volume to second day hair, however– even for the most oily Italian locks. For me, it’s with a little TLC and two of my go-to Cibu hair products, Cibu Ka Pow Dry Shampoo and Cibu 8 Days A Week Texture Finishing Spray. 

How does it all work? First, I let my hair partially air dry before styling, and I either blow dry it with cool air to minimize oil production or I use a headband to get heatless curls overnight. If I do blow it dry, I curl it with a straightener and use very little product on the first day. When it comes time to style it the next day, I spray Cibu Ka Pow Dry Shampoo evenly onto my dry hair, focusing on the roots. This has become a staple of mine since it smells super fresh and is virtually invisible, unlike so many other powdered dry shampoos that leave a paste-like residue in my hair. Then, I gently brush my hair with a Wet Brush to remove any excess dry shampoo.

Next, I mist 8 Days A Week Texture Finishing Spray all over my hair to texturize and add volume to second day hair. In case you don’t know what a “finishing spray” is (and I’ll admit I didn’t before my stylist recommended it), 8 Days A Week is a non-aerosol hair styling spray that creates texture and holds voluminous curls all day. I gently brush it out again using a Wet Brush, and I re-curl any fallen curls with a curling iron. Oh, and remember that second day hair is famous for being more moldable, even for Italians. You’ll notice more volume, more texture, and more defined curls than before. 

Tropical Details: Palm Print Shift Dress

As promised, I also wanted to be sure and share these palm print shift dress details with y’all! I stayed at the stunning Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta hotel in St. Louis last weekend (weekend travel guide to come), and I was so excited when I saw their outdoor pool area. This dress couldn’t have been more perfect! It’s $13 (not a typo), features the most adorable ruffle sleeves, and makes the perfect impromptu vacation dress. Plus, the material is comfortable, durable, and stretchy– and it matches tropical landscaping perfectly. You can dress it up with heels for dinner like me or with sandals for a day of touristy adventures. I ordered an XS, and it’s just big enough to be fashionably over-sized. Scroll to the bottom of this post for full outfit details!

Shop the Look: Palm Print Shift Dress, $13 | White Heels, $120 (exact perforated style is no longer available, but these are super similar and available in 10 different colors) | Chocolate Crossbody Bag, $228 | Emerald Drop Earrings, $55 (exact style is old, but I’ve linked a similar pair of costume earrings) | Green and White ‘Brynn’ Bracelets, $60 (on sale– previously $80)

You can find Cibu Ka Pow Dry Shampoo and Cibu 8 Days A Week Texture Finishing Spray online and at Hair Cuttery. If you’re in the market for some awesome new products, locate your nearest salon here. You can drop by anytime to check out all their exclusive Cibu products. Plus, if you’ve never been in, their stylists are awesome and incredibly knowledgeable. They’ll give you personalized recommendations that will work most efficiently to address your hair concerns.

Use code DIARY20 to get 20% off any purchase on www.cibuforhair.com through 8/24!

If you’re Italian, what’s your favorite oily hair hack? Which products do you find most useful? Share with me in the comments! I’m always looking for new products/hair hacks to try!

_{This is a sponsored post with Hair Cuttery. Thank you so much for supporting the brands who make Diary of a Debutante possible! As always, the opinions in this post are mine alone.}