If I had one wish, I’d ask a genie for full, Jemima Kirke-style mermaid hair.
A girl can dream.
But great hair doesn’t just happen - it’s all about the right routine, a few holy-grail products, and knowing how to tackle a bad hair day.
We asked a few of Cape Town’s coolest girls to spill their best-kept hair secrets, from everyday styles to bold experiments (yes, pink ombrés and undercuts included).
Ready to take notes?
Gina Rae Bennett
1. What’s your everyday hair care routine?
As a very busy gal, I don’t have time for long haircare routines. I normally do my hair at the gym after a sweaty yoga class, so there’s no time for 10 different product steps.
I know it’s unorthodox and ‘bad’ for my hair, but I wash it daily. I usually go to heated yoga or I run every day and I can’t think of anything worse than spending the day with sweaty, greasy hair.
I use an everyday lightweight shampoo and conditioner (currently loving the Kirsten Ess range) and a Tangle Teezer brush.
If I don’t let my hair dry naturally, I whip my Dyson through it. A bit of a textured heat protectant that doubles as a holding spray, and I’m good to go.
If I’m strapped for time, I love doing a low bun. Instead of using gel (which can dry your hair out), I love the Mycro Keratin leave-in conditioner. Works like a charm!
2. How do you handle bad hair days? Any quick fixes or hacks?
A low bun is my best friend on a bad hair day. Slap a hair mask in, middle part and scrape it back - it’s chic, it’s easy and it’s effortless.
3. What’s your absolute favourite hair accessory?
I love my Best silk scrunchie and a good claw clip!
4. Do you have a signature hairstyle?
Middle parting, beach waves or my Sofia Richie-inspired low bun.
5. What’s your go-to hair salon order?
The best thing I ever did for my hair health was to stop colouring and highlighting it.
I started easing out of my highlights and going more natural about 2 years ago, and I have never loved my hair more and it’s never looked thicker and healthier.
I go to Mop on Bree Street, to Carlos (what an angel of a man!), and my current order is a trim, tone and half a head of low lights- easing away from the intense blonde towards my more natural shade.
6. Who’s your ultimate hair inspiration - celebrity or friend?
Without a doubt Blake Lively!
7. What’s the most experimental thing you’ve ever done with your hair?
Hard to choose just one! I cut a fringe (never again), I’ve gone for the bob look and at uni I used to “dip-dye” the ends a bright pink… everyone called me Avril Lavigne for a solid 2 years. So millennial - and so cringe!
Ema Sita
1. What’s your everyday hair care routine?
It depends on whether I have braids on or my natural hair out. But in both scenarios, I always oil my scalp in the morning and wear a bonnet before bed.
2. Do you swear by any holy grail products?
Yes! My favourite shampoo and pre-shampoo Moisture Miracle line by African Pride. They are incredible!
3. How do you handle bad hair days? Any quick fixes or hacks?
I try to accessorise as much as possible. I reach for a scarf, add a bow or even a colourful scrunchie just to add life to my hair on days like that.
4. What’s your absolute favourite hair accessory?
Lately, I’ve been loving my Spicy Ava scrunchie from the Jesse Jade’s Collection.
5. If you’re short on time, what’s your go-to hairstyle to still feel put-together?
A sleek back bun is perfect!
6. What’s your go-to hair salon order?
My salon order is usually Goddess Braids! I love how versatile they are and love a classic dark brown or the current blonde braids I have on.
7. Who’s your ultimate hair inspiration - celebrity or friend?
Taís Araújo and Skylar Marshai are huge inspirations,
8. What’s the most experimental thing you’ve ever done with your hair?
How much time do you have? LOL.
One of my favourite things about my hair type is that I get to experiment in so many different ways: from blue braids to sleek press, to weaves and even cutting it all off and starting from scratch.
I love being creative with my hair and have so many more hairstyles on my Pinterest board to try in 2025.
Jenna Kelly
1. What’s your everyday hair care routine?
To do as little as possible.
I wash and condition every 3 or so days, finishing off with a leave-in conditioner or hair oil, and I’ll do an at-home mask once every 2 weeks.
I use an Aquis microfibre towel to gently dry off, and won’t comb my hair when it’s wet. Instead, I’ll use a diffuser on low heat to gently dry roots and set my waves, and a claw clip to add volume and shape while the rest of my hair air dries.
I also sleep on a silk pillowcase and use my beloved Mason Pearson hairbrush when needed.
2. Any holy grail products that you swear by?
I’ve used the same duo for about 8 years: Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Shampoo and the Kevin Murphy Hydrate Me Rinse.
For a mask, I’ve repurchased countless bottles of Kevin Murphy Re.store. For aftercare, I switch between Kevin Murphy UnTangled, Young.Again, Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil or KMS Defrizz Oil.
3. How do you handle bad hair days? Any quick fixes or hacks?
Technically speaking, every day could be considered a bad hair day for me. I have a wild, untamed quality to my hair and an unfortunate crown parting, which has resisted sleek buns and blowouts all my life.
Instead, I leant into it and accepted it as part of my essence. Greys and all.
4. What’s your absolute favourite hair accessory?
Best silk scrunchies (so sleek, so small, so gentle) and a really old, cracked flower-shaped claw clip that just does the things.
5. Do you have a signature hairstyle?
I love a loose plait, and when the temperature drops again, I’ll bring back my fringe.
6. If you’re short on time, what’s your go-to hairstyle to still feel put-together?
Claw clip in a high, messy cluster with my side bangs out in their natural wavy tendrils.
7. Who’s your ultimate hair inspiration - celebrity or friend?
Orion Carloto. May we all have such thick, dark and healthy hair that seems to grow a mile a minute. Amen.
8. What’s the wildest or most experimental thing you’ve ever done with your hair?
Girl, you name it, and I’ve most likely done it. Shaved undercuts! Bright pink and purple ombres! Icy white blonde! I was part of the Tumblr generation – we were experimental in all the most unflattering ways.
Rebecca Scher
1. What’s your everyday hair care routine?
My hair needs some daily oomph to make it look like I have cared for it.
My hair doesn’t naturally have that effortless, lived-in look - it needs a little help every day to look polished.
So I brush it every morning and night with my 12-year-old (is that gross to admit??) Maison Pearson Hairbrush.
I exercise most mornings which can leave my hair a little sweaty. I generally blow dry the sweat after I have showered (am I revealing more gross secrets??) with my Dyson Airwrap and go in with the Crown Affair Dry Shampoo at the roots, it has a beautiful scent for that daily refresh.
I also add some Crown Affair Oil to my ends, just to remove the “puffiness” from the blow dry and sleek the ends.
There are some days when I do extra sweaty exercise like spinning and there is no coming back from the amount of sweat, so my hair needs to be washed. I wash it 2-3 times a week using the Davines Oi Shampoo and Conditioner. Crown Affair’s Microfibre hair towel to dry it in what feels like 5 seconds - it’s a real miracle worker.
2. Do you have any holy grail products?
Dyson Airwrap, I don’t know how I managed all these years without it. It takes my hair from messy and meh to sleek and “done up” in 5 mins.
3. How do you handle bad hair days? Any quick fixes or hacks?
Slick back bun with a Best Scrunchie or a chic chignon bun with a Best Clip.
4. What’s your absolute favourite hair accessory?
I am so obsessed with our Best clips. It’s the most premium clip I’ve owned, and it just levels up that third-day hair like nobody’s business.
7. Who’s your ultimate hair inspiration - celebrity or friend?
As you can probably tell I am a big fan of Crown Affair and naturally the founder, Diana Cohen too.
She has made incredible products that are so good I try to find US mules to bring them to South Africa. Her philosophy on hair care has influenced me, with the added bonus of her being an inspiring female founder.
8. What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever done with your hair?
A short blunt bob, so short the back was cut with an electric trimmer used to cut men's hair. I loved it until I realised that maintaining that chic length required a lot of time and effort.