I personally like heat protectant creams over sprays; mainly because it's easier for me to tell I've spread it enough. I use the Redken Frizz Dismiss Rebel Tame Heat Protective Leave-In Cream. For affordable tools, I super like Wavytalk products! I use both their hair dryer (started with the normal but eventually upgraded to the pro) and their thermal brush! I feel like a thermal brush is super versatile (imo) since you can do a single pass without curling to straighten hair and then do a second/third pass with a bit of curl/twist to add a wave or bounce. Remember to always use heat protection when using hot tools 🌟 heat protection, blow dry, a bit more heat protection, styling tool. Some people have different heat protectants depending on the tools they use too!