I’m forever on the quest for two things related to hair care: 1) tools and methods for the fastest way to get my hair dry and 2) products that can tend to my frequently washed and heat-styled hair.

Last year I started using the Elchim Da Vinci Ionic hair dryer, which signficiantly cut down my drying time.  We’re talking soaking wet hair to dry hair in 10 minutes, as opposed to over 20 minutes with my previous, drug store bought dryers.

The Elchim does a great job drying my hair, and for the most part, it doesn’t fry or brittle my hair.  But heat styling always takes it’s toll, especially on frequently washed hair.  So I started a quest for products to protect and nourish my hair.

I stumbled across two Garnier products at one of my many trips to Target: a moroccan sleek oil treatment and a deep conditioner.  I’d tried Garnier products in the past, but I’d never tried these particular products.  On that same trip, I nabbed two of Goody’s QuikStyle brushes – a paddle brush and a rounded brush.  I read about these microfiber brushes in a magazine, and I wanted to try out their water-wiking potential for my self.

The verdict?  Whoa.  My hair could not be softer or smoother.  I use the moroccan oil daily on damp hair, and I use the deep conditioning treatment twice a week (Wednesdays and Sundays, specifically).  Each time I blow dry, I use a combination of the QuikStyle paddle brush and round brush.

The moroccan oil feels, well, oily, so I was a little worried when I first squirted it in my hand and started to rub the oily substance through my hair.  I was concerned my hair would be heavy and look like an oil slick.  But it turns out I had nothing to worry about because the oil hydrated and smoothed out my hair, leaving nary a trace of any oil.  The deep conditioning treatment, first off, smells incredible, and using it twice a week is enough to keep my hair soft and shiny.

And are those brushes worth the hype?  In this thick, wavy-haired girl’s point of view?  Yes.  Absolutely yes.  Unlike other brushes, these brushes glide easily through my hair, and the microfiber bristles and air vents help dry my hair faster.  How fast?  These brushes knock off about three or four minutes to my drying time.  So, for those of you keeping track at home, with just my blow dryer, I can dry my hair in about 10 minutes.  With these brushes, I can get my hair dry in about six minutes.

Have you tried these products?  Do they work for you?  What are your holy grail hair care products?