Now, I’m no hair expert. But I own more hair products than Boots and I try a different one out each week. Call me hair obsessed, but I honestly do. I have been trying to grow my hair since I was about five (without much luck) and I’ve finally resorted to just not cutting my hair. That way, my hair just gets longer and longer (and drier and more split). So without a regular hair cut – I resort to finding hair products that will ‘cure’ my damaged hair and hopefully leave me with glossy, long and healthy locks to rival Jenifer Aniston. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet found that magical hair product that instantly transforms my hair into the perfect locks. However, I’ve recently been trialling a few that have come in pretty close.
Before I start, I will just say that several of the products featured in this article have been sent to me by PR’s or are PR samples. This does not change my opinion of the products and in actual fact, many samples sent to me that I haven’t used, enjoyed or hated are put in a box in the corner of the room and are never featured. It sounds terribly harsh, yes. But if I don’t like a product, I won’t feature it. So, I promise I won’t lie just to please a PR! I am not going to talk about the prices of these products, nor where you can buy them from – because this is purely a post about the hair products I use and like. I’m not trying to force them upon you and I am well aware that sometimes I over do it a little on the links, so I’m leaving them out of this post. If you do have any queries about where you can purchase the products from (most of them can be googled and found quite easily) then please feel free to comment or Tweet me.
Carino Miracle Argan Oil : this product I have featured on my blog previously, but since it’s so good – I feel it deserves a second mention. The Carino miracle oil has been my life saver over the past few months, especially with regards to tackling all those pesky split ends and making my hair look far less dry than it actually is. Originally I was sent a sample of this by a PR from Aldi, as it was one of their special buys and was only in store for a limited period. However, after trying it – I went out and stocked up (and pretty much cleared out my local Aldi) and unfortunately, I’m now down to my last bottle. It’s quite a thin oil compared to some of the other Argan Oil based products I own, but it really does the trick if you leave it in your hair for an hour (wrap a towel round your head) and then wash out with a light shampoo. I am not yet sure if Aldi have plans to bring back this oil but I spotted a few bottles on eBay if you fancy trying it out.
Fushi (Really Good Hair Oil and Repair Conditioner) : I have been trying out these two products for around two weeks now and although I didn’t initially see a difference in the condition of my hair, after one week of use – my hair is looking far healthier and glossier. The Really Good Hair Oil is actually a mix of Sesame Oil and Argan Oil, which means that unlike other hair oils – it is much lighter in texture and doesn’t weigh your hair down unnecessarily (nor does it make it fly away). I find this works best by applying lots to your hair, wrapping in a towel for half an hour (to heat up the oil and speed up the process) and then washing out, as if you apply it to dry hair (even the tiniest bit) your hair does get quite greasy. The conditioner works wonders for dry and damaged hair like mine and because the majority of it’s ingredients are natural, rather than full of lots of chemicals, it is great for those who suffer with sensitive scalps. I did also try out the shampoo in the Fushi range, which was fine however I found the Hair Oil and the Conditioner were the most effective in repairing damaged hair.
Lee Stafford Argan Oil: Again, I’ve posted about this product before but it’s so good, I’m writing about it again. I recently went to Boots and stocked up on lots more of these (as they do run out quite quickly if you use them as much as I do). The Argan Oil is really light and works best if you apply to freshly washed hair before blow drying, as it tames fly away hairs and acts as a serum (as well as protecting your hair too). It’s a great holiday product (as not only is the bottle travel size) but it is so easy to apply, especially if you are in and out of the pool or sea lots and don’t want the chlorine and salt playing havoc with your hair!
REF. Leave In Treatment : Although I love this product now, this wasn’t an instant success either and it was only after a few uses that I started to see a real difference. In hindsight, I was actually using this Leave In Treatment every day for a week, which meant that inevitably it started to weigh down my hair and produce un-desirable results. If you use this product once a week for one month (which I have just passed the one month stage) then it works wonders. It really does. It softens, smooths and calms even the most damaged of hair (I would consider my hair a 7 on the damage scale) and if you apply it to towel dried hair before blow drying, it actually improves the volume you can create. Another slightly shallow thing that I love about this product is the way it smells. It has the most amazing citrus-y lemon and lime scent that lasts in your hair all day (and leaves you sniffing your hair as subtly you can).
It’s a 10 Miracle Shine Spray : I’m often dubious about any product with ‘miracle’ in the name, because usually they are the ones that tend to over-sell themselves and whilst they sound good, they don’t necessarily work. However, with this product – this is certainly not the case, as the effect this spray has on hair (especially mine) may as well be referred to as a miracle. Whilst it is primarily a ‘shine’ and ‘gloss’ spray, this product also protects hair and softens it a little. This means that if you have very tangly hair after stepping out of the shower, and don’t want to damage it by harsh brushing – this would be ideal for you. I know personally that no matter how much conditioner I use, my curly hair is a complete nightmare to brush when wet, yet a few spritzes of this softens my hair and makes it far easier and more manageable when brushing and styling. One thing I would say however, is be careful about the amount of this product you use in one go – as lots of generous spraying can quite easily turn glossy locks into a greasy mess. It isn’t sticky as such, but lots of this in one helping can make your hair look greasy and un-washed.
Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance : I’m actually so terrified of running out of this product that I own about 5 bottles (all of which are half used). It’s main use is to de-tangle and protect your hair, whilst also re-hydrating dry and damaged locks. I normally use it on towel dried hair, as it does soften and de-tangle hair ready for brushing, whilst also protecting your hair against heat treatment if you then choose to blow dry or straighten it. If you’ve ever owned any Aussie products, you’ll know that they smell AMAZING and this product is no different. The main sweet smelling ingredient is Jojoba Seed Oil, which features in most of their products. Not only does this ingredient smell divine, but it also has been used for centuries for conditioning hair, so you are in safe hands!
If It’s Oils You’re After:
If you are a hair oil virgin, but are looking to improve the overall condition of your hair (without making it look greasy and heavy) then there are two very amazing oils that you simply have to try! Osmo’s Berber Oil was actually a sample product that I think I received in a Glossy Box (I might have imagined this though?) and I haven’t stopped using it since. It’s a gorgeous honey texture (without the stickiness) and smells of sweet spices and Christmas Candles (don’t ask me how I came to this conclusion, but after sniffing it violently for 20 minutes trying to come up with a description for this post, that’s what I came up with). It does everything you could ever possibly want out of a hair oil instantly, with no fuss. Perfect!
Similarly, Amika’s Oil Treatment is another great hair oil with no fuss – as it replenishes moisture and acts as a serum when applying heat to your hair. With regards to the smell of this product, it is more olive oil than sweet spices – but it certainly does the trick – and if you want a no fuss, no frills treatment that really works – this is for you!