Say adios to your kinky strands and hello to soft, subtle and totally straight hair. With these products and tools -- all with a budget in mind -- you can get freakishly straight hair that even the most humid of frat basements can't frizz.
Straightening Shampoo + Conditioners
The first step to getting hair straight starts in the shower.
Splurge: Redken Smooth Down Shampoo and Conditioner ($10.59 and $12.59 at Trade Secret and select salons) smells like a creamy coconut and keeps hair completely frizz-free. Thanks to macadamia oil, cadellia wax and cationic refiners, fly-aways are kept at bay, leaving smooth and manageable hair.
Save: Sunsilk Hairapy Thermashine Shampoo and Conditioner ($3.59 each at drugstores) has a heat-activated silk protein and amino acid formula that replenishes hair that has been dulled by frequent heat styling.
Blow-Out Straightening Serums and Creams
Paired with a blow dryer and round brush, these products will put you on your way to achieving a great blow out. Squirt a dime-size amount into hands and work through damp hair with fingers and then proceed to blow dry.
Splurge: Frédéric Fekkai Coiff Contrôle Ironless Straightening Blow-Out Balm ($25 at Bath and Body Works, Sephora and select salons) takes you from wild mop to sleek and incredibly straight without the harsh chemicals.
Save: Freeman Papaya Moisture Plus Glassy Anti-Frizz Cream ($4.99 at drugstores) smells like a tropical getaway and does the job of smoothing hair if applied before blow drying.
Hair Dryers
Some girls reach for their irons first, but most of the straightening should come from the blow out, and a superb hair dryer will make it a cinch.
Splurge: T3 Bespoke Labs Featherweight Dryer ($200 at Sephora and t3tourmaline.com) is used by top-notch hairstylists and celebrities alike. With a ceramic heater that produces negative ions and infrared heat, hair dries up to 60 percent faster without depleting hair's natural sheen.
Save: Revlon Matte Chrome Hair Dryer ($21.99 at Ulta) is compact and lightweight enough that it won't weigh you down. With six heat and speed options and a cold shot button, this hair dryer has everything that you need to blow out your hair.
Round Brush
This style of hair brush produces optimum results for blowing hair straight.
Splurge: Spornette Legacy Boar Bristle Hairbrush ($13.99 at Ulta) features 100 percent natural boar bristles and a ceramic barrel for optimum heat styling protection.
Save:DCNL Ion + Ceramic Hairbrush ($7.49 at Ulta) has ion-powder infused bristles that add shine and eliminate heat stress. What's even better is that the brush is available from 2 ¼ to 1 ¼ inches so girls with manes of all lengths can use this tool.
Heat Style Protectants
To prevent frying your locks, try some heat protection products. By coating hair during heat styling, your strands will maintain their moisture and healthy shine.
Splurge: Aveda Brilliant Damage Control ($14 at aveda.com) uses black tea and aloe to protect all hair types from thermal damage, breakage from combing and UV rays.
Save: Alberto VO5 Miracle! Mist Heat Defense Conditioning Spray ($3.69 at drugstores) features a conditioning formula that takes the brunt of the damage from heat styling.
Flat Irons
A girl's best friend, the flat iron is the easiest and most efficient way to tame tresses.
Splurge: GHD Original Ceramic Styling Iron ($195 at ghdhair.com, Sephora and select salons) has ceramic-coated plates that heat up to maximum temperature in seconds for efficient straightening. The negative ion technology reduces damage and pumps up the shine. This amazing heat styling tool also can be used as a curling iron, perfect for turning your ends inwards or creating a wavy style; can you say two-for-one?
Save: Conair Ceramic Ultra Slim Straightener ($26.99 at conair.com and Ulta) is a powerful flat iron for a reasonable price. Ceramic plates are non-damaging to hair, it has 25 heat settings and not to mention, a funky bright red color.
Finishing Gloss
These hair-glossing products seal in moisture to make straightened hair look extra lustrous.
Splurge: MOP C-Straight Smoothing Shine Lotion ($15 at Bath and Body Works and select salons) is a citrus-scented serum that will make your straightened hair look polished. Not only does it eradicate frizz and fly-aways, the product also protects hair's color from UV rays.
Save: Neutrogena Triple Moisture Healing Shine Serum ($5.99 at drugstores) reloads hair with moisture and shine with olive, meadowfoam seed and sweet almond oils. It smells great and does adds gleam to your finished 'do.
