I love Aveda Light Elements Defining Whip, it’s very workable and can be layered to get different styles. However, you might want one step up to the Light Control Texturizing Creme, because it sounds like your hair is heavier.

Bonus is these are ver lightly scented.

I don't have any advice on product, but just want to say WOW and good for you. I am not that brave, but wish I was. Enjoy your new look.

I usually use Kiehls creme with silk groom

https://www.kiehls.com/hair/hair-styling/creme-with-silk-groom/262.html?dwvar_262_size=6.8%20fl.%20oz.%20Tube&cgid=hair-styling-aids#start=1&cgid=hair-styling-aids

and nothing else. don't even own a hair brush. never dry my hair too..a bit of towel dry just so water won't be dripping on the floor

My hair is not very thick, it won't stand unless cut real short, I also don't really want it to stand, do like to have it touseled though

It's a good product. I return to it again and again. Everybody's hair is different, of course

ETA: I forgot! If I want it more parted, going out and all-I also use this wax, also by Kiehls

https://www.kiehls.com/hair/hair-styling/creative-cream-wax/500.html?cgid=hair-styling-aids&dwvar_500_size=1.75%20fl.%20oz.%20Jar#start=2&cgid=hair-styling-aids

I got my first pixie cut when I was..twenty I think? Stuck to it since then, with few exceptions.

I've highlights too.

Started getting color at certain point. For ten years now, it's red. Washes off soon but still looks fine like that was intentional-because of the highlights

Except that the cut plus color plus highlights is a pretty expensive endeavor..and I do it rarer than I should..it's great because it's so low maintenance otherwise, and I find it very mood uplifting

So. It's exciting. Enjoy your new haircut!!

I love the style in the photo above, and my hair is cut that way, too. I just wish I had a clue how to get it to do that. I've tried a couple of products, but all I get is clumps and then even those don't stay together. By the end of the day my hair just looks dirty.

Donna

Following with interest. I too recently got a short cut - just a bit longer on top than the one pictured. My hair is fairly thick too and I like it fluffed so it looks like I didn’t get it ALL cut off. So I am writing down suggestions . . .

localeater, I'm another fan of Aveda Light Elements Defining Whip. I started using it when I got my hair cut short a couple of years ago, and even though it's back to a chin-length, layered bob, I still find it the best for light texture and control. If you use it with restraint it never looks heavy or greasy, even on second-day hair. The smell is divine, very herbal/spa.

When my hair was short like that I used a kind of waxy product from Pureology that they no longer make. So I can't recommend a current product but that was the kind of thing I needed to make my hair piece-y and spikey like that. What does your stylist recommend?

Very cute cut, and yes, you are brave going from such long hair to a short do. I used to wear mine similar to this a number of years ago and loved the ease of care (although it requires frequent cuts). Not sure if you'd be interested in this at all, but I've just started using shampoo bars from Chagrin Valley. I'm going to switch to their most conditioning bar (my hair is long and color-treated, so tends to be dry), but I absolutely love how these shampoo bars lather, are all natural, and are great for travel.

https://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/products/natural-hair/natural-shampoo-bars/

I've been using shampoo bars for about a year and a half. I like the Chagrin Valley bars. Buy the sample bars to find one you like. The ones that are mostly coconut milk work well for me. I like the Citrus Mint too. They give you more body than shampoo. I don't use a conditioner or vinegar rinse any more, just a tiny dab of leave-in conditioner a few times a week. My hair is chin length and fine textured.

A new product I'm using now that my hair is a little longer but I don't want it flat on top - Matrix Total Results High Amplify Wonder Boost Root Lifter (what a mouthful). My stylist recommended this when I complained about how my hair seemed so flat on top now that it is longer and more of a layered short bob and has more of a part. I love this product. I just spray it at the roots on the top of my head but then it gets combed through a bit when I'm drying with a round brush. Gives the top lift but also helps with styling/smoothing the rest of my head though you can't even tell it's there, not sticky, gummy, stiff, etc.

Mayflowers - Did you experience an adjustment period when you switched to shampoo bars? I'm dealing with that right now, and today my hair feels like a gummy mess. (Thankfully it doesn't LOOK as bad as it feels. I hope.) I did an ACV rinse this morning, but still have a waxy feel on my head. I understand that this is extremely common, however, and I plan to just endure it. (I figure that's one reason ponytail holders were invented.)

I didn't, but I think your water might have something to do with it. We have soft water. I think this is addressed in Chagrin Valley's FAQ.

Here's my old thread on them. I see I've been using them for two years. Note that the link takes you to the middle of the discussion. Look at Magdalena's post on the second page. She had a gummy feeling. She's in Texas too.

[https://www.houzz.com/discussions/my-shampoo-soap-bar-experience-dsvw-vd~4377404[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/my-shampoo-soap-bar-experience-dsvw-vd~4377404)

Thanks everyone! It was a huge change. I have donated the hair to Locks of Love.

I am so in love with this short cut. It takes seconds to get ready in the morning-even less than when it was long and I did nothing more than brush it. I've been playing with it-I seem to like it spikey on top the best, but to change it up a little and have it lie flatter and over to the side is ok too.

I can't get over the compliments I get. I didn't realize just how bad my hair must have been before-LoL. I think this cut just makes me feel more confident and it's showing. And now I can wear all the cute earrings I never wore because you couldn't see them.

I've been watching a lot of YouTube hair videos lately as I venture into soft waves. I'm also interested in the products they use. I can't help myself when it comes to hair products. In one video the person used Not Your Mother's Sea Salt Spray. Her hair turned out really cute and I thought I'd give it a try. Fortunately, considering how it turned out, it was less than $5 at Target. I spritzed a little on clean, dry hair and it instantly turned my hair into a dull mass. Not nice texture, really unpleasant. I took such an instant dislike to it, I opened the bottle up and poured it down the drain so I'd never be again tempted to use it. Hey, it was only $5 and not worth a trip back to Target for a refund. But the worst part was the strong coconut smell. A mild whiff of coconut it wasn't. It was so bad, the smell woke me up on multiple occasions last night. Washed it out this morning. It's definitely Not Bunny's Sea Salt Spray either.

IdaClaire

The Cons

Chicago-based master stylist Jon-David says that because of the high concentration of cleanser in bar shampoos, they tend to have more a waxy consistency, which can build up in your hair.

“This happens because the soap—which is saponified oils and an alkali—reacts with water when you use it, and this forms soap scum,” says Kirsten Connor, formulator and creator at Flourish Body Care. To avoid this, many bar shampoo users rinse with apple cider vinegar to remove the coating and shine their hair.

Those with long, porous or curly hair especially may also experience tangles and frizz, along with that “coated” feeling, something Susonnah G. Barklow, editor at NaturallyCurly.com, knows all too well. “Personally, I find the act of rubbing a bar of soap on my head awkward,” she says. “And it almost always results in very tangled hair.”

I don't rub the soap on my head. I comb my hair before showering. I wet my hair and comb it again, straight back. Then I lather the soap in my hands and wash from front to back. I wash everyday so I don't need to scrub the heck out of my hair. My hair is curly and was shoulder length when I started bar shampoo and tangling was never an issue. I think our soft water helps.

From Chagrin Valley's FAQs:

Conventional shampoos and conditioners, even some that claim to be natural, contain waxes, silicones or other additives that coat your hair to make it feel smooth.

Since our natural shampoo bars do not strip hair like detergent based shampoos, you may notice your hair feels different immediately after washing because your hair is accustomed to the squeaky clean feel of detergent based shampoo.

Switching from conventional shampoo to a natural shampoo bar often means a transition or adjustment period. While many folks have little problem with their hair adjusting to a new routine, some do.

Since everyone's hair is unique it is difficult to tell you exactly what your transition, if any, will look and feel like. Your hair may feel greasier than normal or it may even feel drier than normal. It may feel waxy, coated or just weird.

This transition period, which can range from a few days to a few weeks or even a month, is literally a time for your hair, which has been addicted to chemical-laden shampoos, to go through withdrawal, and learn to live a chemical-free life. It's not easy!

It may take some patience, but if you can persevere, your reward will be healthy, soft and silky hair.

https://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/blog/posts/tips-adjusting-to-shampoo-bars/

Unfortunately, I gave up on the shampoo bars after an especially greasy and gummy day when I had to participate in an important work meeting. I was embarrassed by how awful I looked. I don't have the time or patience to see if I come out on the other side of the adjustment period, which I understand may be weeks for some users. I love the concept and wish the bars had worked well for me. I was so hopeful after my first couple of washes, but just not willing to work through repeated bad hair days. Chagrin Valley bars work wonderfully for my mom, so she'll get the ones I bought.

Almost a year to the day since I posted in this thread, and I tried using a shampoo bar again this evening. Same brand as before (Chagrin Valley) but total night and day experience. It worked beautifully this time with absolutely no gummy, residue feel. Plenty of volume and shine. It had to have been a bad mix with the color I had on my hair a year ago. Now that it's short and au naturel, shampoo bars may become my new favorite thing. Definitely gained body and shine with this wash. Yay!

Also, more white hair coming in. I wonder how long it generally takes til one's entire head is white?

Interesting about the shampoo bar but I must say your au naturel hair color is just gorgeous!

I have a short pixie cut, too. I use Fiber by Nick Arrojo. I hate, hate, hate spray or other glop in my hair. This is the only thing I've found that doesn't prompt an immediate run to the shower.

Thank you ruby! I am eager for the white to take over.

Moxie, that looks like a good product. I'll see if I can find it when my current paste runs out, which will be fairly soon.

Your hair looks fabulous Ida. My hair is cut in a pixie, and I am now using Aveda Smooth Infusion-apply when wet then dry my hair with my beloved Dyson. Some of the best $ I have ever spent.

Not everyone goes entirely white, or at least they don't live long enough for it to be complete. I started going gray in my 30s and now am silver all over, meaning I still have enough very dark hair scattered around to not be solid white. I have white stripes everywhere and in certain photos I'd swear my hair is white, but it's really salt and pepper with a heavy emphasis on the salt.

Thanks, Jana! I've just seen your pic in the glasses thread, and you look fabulous as well! That cut is super cute on you!

Interesting, Bunny. I assume I will eventually be totally white, as both parents are and grandparents were before them, but I don't recall how quickly it happened for them.

It's gorgeous, Bunny! What a wonderful, sparkly shade it is.

If you want the spiky look, then mousse would probably give you the finish you want.

My hair has gotten some curl in it which tends to get unruly in the summer, so I've found "It's a 10" leave in conditioner which seems to control and add a lot of shine. I get the walmart equate version though. I figure if it's popular enough for walmart to copy it, it must be well received in general.

This is me on vacation in ID, just toodling around...I also don't color my hair...never have and am delighted to not have to start...yet anyway.

But short hair is wonderful. It takes me 30 sec to dry my hair and go. Last thing I want to do is complicate my life.

Congrats on the new do!

Annie, your hair is wonderful. 30 seconds to dry and go?!! My hair has gone from life-long straight to a bend here, a wave there, but not uniformly. I'm forever in that place where I ponder let it grow vs cut it all off. My hair is my nemesis.