Product Review: Redken Extreme Shampoo

Here is a lovely example where the marketing lingo surrounding products can prevent you from getting the best possible product: this shampoo, even though it's marketed as an ultra gentle anti-drying shampoo for super damaged hair, is actually harsher and more drying than the color protection shampoo in the same line. So even those who don't color, would likely experience better results with the Color Extend product. Ironic isn't it? The product's ingredients are almost identical (usually the case), but using it completely shows the difference in concentration. Both are relatively sudsy, rinse nice and clean, and don't leave the hair feeling like straw post-use. However, the straw feeling is more present with the use of the Extreme shampoo, along with slightly more suds. Which is all the explanation required, really.

I personally like the scent of this one a little bit better, it's a bit of a warmer, more dessert like smell. But both are fairly light considering they're hair products and neither lingers on the hair, so it hardly matters in the long run. However there are a lot of people for whom the pleasurable experience of washing their hair absolutely must be capped off with a scent they like, which is why 99.9% of hair products on the market are scented. If you are one of those, and if you like products with light, somewhat floral, somewhat citrusy, somewhat vanilla like, you will most likely love this.

Product Review: Ouidad Botanical Boost Moisture Spray

This is probably one of the lightest leave in conditioning spray on the planet, fantastic for those with the very finest hair types that can't get away with using and rinse off conditioners. So why would I, with thick, curly, impossible to weigh down hair use this? Oh, dear grasshopper, so many products are so much more multi-functional than you think. I initially bought it to use as a cutting lotion for when I thin my hair (yes, I have thinning shears and I regularly thin out the bulk, otherwise I would look like a yeti) for which it worked fantastically well. Just plain water can't do it for tangles like these, so in order for me to be able to get a fine-toothed comb across my entire head, on top of providing glide for the thinning shears is a great thing. 

On a whim, on a desparate day, I also took its indication for curly hair seriously (any hair type can use almost any product, buying curl specific products limits you so immensely when you could potentially find the most effective product of your life in a line for color treated hair or fine hair, or whatnot) and boy was I glad I did that. This is now my favorite second day refreshing spray. I wash my hair once or twice a week, so by day 2 or 3, it can look extremely rumpled, rough and frizzy. Adding this helps slightly re-wet it, returning some of the bouncy curl formation, while negating some frizz. After spritzing in generous amounts, I add some coconut or palm oils to the dryest parts, silicone-based leave in serums throughout and I'm out, looking like I've just washed my hair. The reason I like this better as a second day spray than anything I've used before, is the ultra fresh, mildly floral-watery scent. It literally makes me smell like I've washed my hair in a mountain spring. Nothing better than extra water, moisture and a freshly laundered smell.

Product Review: Redken Color Extend Conditioner

It's good that they have liters available of this stuff, because I could definitely see myself using it as a daily co-wash (you know, when I win the lottery). For those with curls looking to co-wash, this is a great option due to a moderate amount of silicones, a high amount and variety of emulsifiers (which usually aid in better rinsing) and a fabulous detangling ability. For those who hate any film left on the hair, well sorry but this ain't it. It definitely adds a soft, substantive conditioned feel to hair (ends in particular) which increases touchability and shine. In terms of its color protecting abilities, well silicones are the best color preservers and they are here but in lower concentrations than in most products. Depending on what the rest of the routine is like (color would still be well preserved if you were using a high-cone styling routine) this would still be ok. It's real value is in detangling and defrizzing hair.

Girls with fine hair might like it, due to the moderate silicone content and higher quat conditioning agent concentration. However, there's still a heavy amount of thickening ingredients in here, which don't thicken hair but they do thicken the product's viscosity, which depending on how fine the hair is and how much of it is used, might be problematic to some. If you do have fine hair and are considering using this, I have the same reccomendation as I do with trying any conditioners: put the most near the ends, negligible amounts near the roots and start with less, so you can build to more if necessary. This particular product really works well with the start with less philosophy, even a small amounts slips through hair incredibly well. This can help you preserve volume and precious dollar bills (Redken might not be the most expensive salon brand, but if you're using a lot, it can still feel that way to the pocket book). As for the scent? Same as the accompanying shampoo, much more appealing than most Redken products, due to the semi fruity light floral feel.

Product Review: Moroccan Oil Intense hydrating mask

For anyone that has been waiting for a new post from me, I apologize for the hiatus. Recent computer troubles curtailed my posting entirely and I've been sad in keeping so many products in the backlog.

Things are back on track again though, so I'm happy to share another review with the world. There is a difference between the intense hydrating mask and the restorative hydrating mask, but I have yet to try the second so here's a review of the first. If you're comparing them side by side in the store and forget which is which, remember that the brown lid one is the more commonly available, popular and the one I'm reviewing. The other one will have an orange lid. 

This has officially become my favorite low-cone mask, for days when I want to alternate. Though I'm always the first to sing the praises of silicones, they can build up and not allow more moisture into the hair unless they're alternated or clarified. Because my thick, coarse, curly hair could not handle a clarifying shampoo without turning into an afro, I prefer to alternate products. There are very few low silicone conditioning products on the market that can detangle hair as bushy as mine without a lot of grunt work, but this one can. Suffice it to say, I'm not fond of the price, but I do find I need less of it to comb through the hair than of most products, so a jar does last me longer. This would work well on anyone that suffers from dry/damaged/curly/colored/chemically treated/heat abused hair, but if you have a fear of weighing the hair down, apply this only to the midshaft and ends. An additional tip for all my fellow curlies: I am a 3b/3c mix but anyone up from a 3a can use this as a leave in also. The high concentration of glycerin mixed with the high concentration of argan oil makes it great to use on humid days, while the addition of cetearyl alcohol enhances comb slip. Try it that way and see what you think.

Product Review: Moroccan Oil, Original oil treatment

I tried Moroccan Oil years ago, when the buzz initially began, because I'm usually the first to get on any hair smoothing bandwagon. Over the years as all the beauty bloggers and youtube gurus began to get more popular and become more of a "thing", so did many of the brands that relied on them for supposed grassroots marketing. What seemed like a beautiful thing: a beauty addicted girl sharing her likes, dislikes and tips with the world, in order to help everyone else choose more wisely - quickly became no different from getting beauty tips from Vogue.

I've toyed with the idea of starting a blog which centred on product reviews not sponsored by anyone, but figured the market was overcrowded and I wouldn't want to get drowned in a sea of voices. But the idea wouldn't leave my head so here I am. I'm going to review one of the products that almost every single beauty blog has reviewed, but I'll do it my way: sharing my knowledge of the science behind the product formulations and how they interact with our hair and skin.

Ingredients:
1. Cyclomethicone - clear odorless silicone, it serves as a carrier for other oils onto surfaces and quickly evaporates after application. This is part of why a lot of people report that Moroccan oil feels light. There's an incredibly high concentration of cyclomethicone, so the initial heaviness evaporates while a lot of the moisture stays.
2. Dimethicone - this is the one that actually stays on the hair, due to a much lower volatility than cyclomethicone. the reason dimethicone has revolutionized haircare (and skincare) is that it provides a smooth, glossy coating which helps temporarily mask raised cuticles and split ends, while preventing moisture from inside the strand from evaporating while simultaneously preventing gaseous atmospheric moisture (humidity) from entering the hair shaft; the anti-frizz properties are incredible and due to the smoothing of the cuticle layer, hair is also easier to comb, leading to less mechanical damage and split ends. most miraculously, and for reasons not fully understood yet, dimethicone speeds drying time of hair, which means less heat damage while it also insulates the inner cortex from overheating. this is why its found in almost every hair product on the market, including moroccan oil, the incredible effectiveness.