Chris
First of all, why did March literally fly by? Like was I even awake? I feel like the year had a slow start then March went zoom! Anyway, this month let’s talk about one of my favourite topics – hair! Since removing my locs, I have been on this quest to find the products that work well with my hair needs. I try my darndest not to be a “product junkie” because it can be so wasteful and unkind to the wallet. So a few months ago, I’d decided that I wouldn’t buy anything new until I’d finished the products that I had already started using (so many products to try, so little time). That was actually easier than I thought it would be! So now that I’m actually running out of hair products, time to try some new stuff!
Renpure Coconut Creme Cleansing Pudding
I always see this line whenever I’m at Winners but it wasn’t until I saw someone talk about it on Instagram that my interest was piqued. And then it went on sale and it hit me that maybe the universe is trying to intervene. So first things first, let’s look into this line; the bottle highlights there is “zero sodium chloride, sulfates, dyes, harsh salts, parabens, gluten”. They have a wide range of natural products (Almond milk, argan, bamboo coconut water to name a few) but I have only seen the Coconut Line – it ranges from shampoo, conditioner, leave-in to curling jelly. Since I am interested in finding something to gently cleanse my hair in between shampoos (I shampoo once a month), I settled on the Cleansing Pudding.
It has a consistency that was a little thicker than shampoo but not as thick as conditioner.
The cleansing pudding “gently removes surface impurities while restoring natural oils”. Thankfully I read the directions this time around; it said to refrain from massaging through the hair as you normally would with shampoo but instead to to rake a generous amount (8-10 pumps – my kinda gig!) through the hair from root to tip then use a wide-toothed comb to work all the way through. Once I had worked through with my fingers, I combed through for a few minutes for a minute or 2 – until I felt my hair had been properly saturated by the product.
When I rinsed my hair, I noticed it felt clean but not stripped. You know that squeaky clean feeling you get with shampoo? It was there. You know the stripped of moisture feeling that accompanies the squeaky clean feeling? It was not there. I have super dry always-thirsty hair, so this was a nice result. I was happy to see the product did as it said it would. My hair felt clean but moisturized – say whaaaat? I will happily use this in between shampoos.
I will definitely be trying more products from this line. I got the coconut creme cleansing pudding on sale for $7 CAD but regular price is still affordable at under $10 and they’re really giant, so essentially you’re getting your money’s worth.
This is a definite GET IT!
Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Hair Masque
Okay guys, you may recall my initial excitement when Shea Moisturizer finally arrived in my area, but just in case – let me refresh your memory here. The raw shea butter deep treatment masque continues to be one of my staple products. This time around when I started to run low and went to the store to buy a replacement, the Manuka honey & Mafura oil masque caught my eye. Short description from the site:
“This intense conditioning deep treatment infuses hair with a powerful dose of moisture and nutrients. Certified organic Shea Butter, Honey, Mafura and Baobab Oils are blended with antioxidant-rich African Rock Fig to restore and lock in moisture. Smoothes and fortifies follicles for stronger, healthier frizz-free hair.”
Ever since I visited Australia & New Zealand, manuka honey is one of my favourite ingredients because it us so gentle and moisturizing but I’d only used skin products that contained it. But, what is Mafura oil, you ask? Well let’s look into that.
I’d like to take this opportunity to point out that it seems that sheamoisture is one step ahead again, because most Google results that came up were surrounding this product!
Anyway, here you go:
Mafura butter is made from the seeds of the Trichilia emetica tree which grows in Eastern Africa. The oil is harvested by soaking the seeds in hot water for several hours. They are then crushed and during grinding the firm, yellow butter is expelled. The oil which has a high melting point is unrefined.
Hmmm I learned nothing. Like I knew it originated in Africa – come on Google don’t fail me. Okay, let’s delve a bit more:
Mafura butter is a highly moisturizing butter that is extracted from the seeds of the Mafura tree (also known as Trichilia Emetica or Natal Mahogany). The Butter is widely used in the Southern African region, especially in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, as a skin moisturizer and hair conditioner.
Ah! There we go – skin moisturizer and hair conditioner.
The conditioner is really thick and a little goes a long way. I like to section my hair first and work all the way through each section. The I flat-twist and cover with a shower cap and go about my day. A few hours later – before rinsing – I sit underneath my trusted Huetiful.
I noticed that it had fully saturated my hair and felt like it penetrated the follicles. When I rinsed, I kept running the water through thinking that I had used too much product. It wasn’t until a few moments afterwards that I realized that the masque had created so much slip because my hair has been so coated and moisturized during the deep condition process, that the moisture had remained even after the product was completely washed out. My thirsty hair even remained moisturized for the entire week (I dc once a week) and even my ends were soft and cooperative aka less frizzy. I will be repurchasing this conditioner. I got it on sale for $16 CAD but regular price I believe is $19. But I don’t even care, it’s worth it.
I have found The One – conditioner, that is. This is absolutely, positively without-a-doubt GET IT!
My hair is so happy!
Ash
Macadamia Professionals Deep Repair Masque
So apparently, it’s the month of the hair masque, huh?
You will probably see the name of the product I am trying this month and find yourself checking to make sure this isn’t an old post from 2013. Ladies and gentlemen, I am tardy to the party yet again…reviewing a product that was super popular many moons ago. There was a period of time when it seemed like everyone and their mamas were clamoring for the Macadamia Oil products. In particular, the Deep Repair Masque was gushed about by vloggers and bloggers alike.
I took my sweet time purchasing this product because I had other deep conditioners that I like just fine for a fraction of the price of the Macadamia Professional products. The full size Deep Repair Mask is about $35, but I picked up a smaller size to give it a try.
So what’s the big deal about these Macadamia products?
Macadamia oil contains the highest amount of Omega 7 than any other nut oil. Omega 7 most closely resembles human hair sebum and thus mimics scalp’s natural oil production to provide nourishment and moisturization with exceptional absorption and penetration from the inside out. Plus, Omega 7 is exceptionally lightweight and non-greasy with no buildup, which makes it ideal for all global textures, from the finest to the coarsest hair. Argan Oil is a rich oil filled with Omega 9, antioxidants and Vitamin E, which improves hair strength, renews damage and restores shine and softness to dry, brittle hair while reducing frizz and fly-aways.
Macadamia Professional boasts the use of an exclusive Pro Oil Complex that is a blend of the therapeutic macadamia and argan oil and promises to deeply yet weightlessly nourish and repair hair from the inside out, rather than just conditioning from the surface, to renew hair’s natural texture.
The Macadamia Professional Deep Repair Masque is a hair reconstructor that Macadamia Professional claims penetrates and rebuilds damaged hair for improved health, shine and elasticity with no weigh down. It is deal for dry, damaged or color-treated hair. That’s me! So, I gave it a try with high hopes.
The masque is rich and creamy.
It smells like a dream, very fresh and fruity without being overpowering. Directions say to apply to the hair and leave on for 7-10 minutes. Because the cream is thick, it combs nicely through my hair and stays put while I’m doing my other shower stuff for the seven minutes. Because I’m a rebel, I have even left the product in my hair overnight.
I want to tell you I was blown away. Really, I do. I want to tell you that I washed the mask out and my hair was softer and shinier than it’s ever been. Alas, this is not the case.
Was my hair conditioned? Yes, definitely. But, I can name half a dozen deep conditioners that will do the same thing for my hair (and you could probably purchase ALL of them for the cost of this one).
So, the Macadamia Professional Deep Repair Masque earns a resounding, ” Meh.” from me. I truly don’t see what all the fuss was about. Save your pennies and pick up the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle that wrote about HERE instead. FORGET IT!
Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution
Winter time means nutso skin for me. During the cold months it seems that my face ends up with both dry patches and breakouts simultaneously. Admittedly, this has lessened greatly since I started incorporating BHAs and oils into my facial skincare routine, but during the winter months it does definitely take more TLC to keep my skin happy. When the weather first started to change last year, I found myself dealing with some breakouts on my face. Lucky for me, they are not too severe and don’t last long, but can leave my complexion a bit uneven. I had been hearing wonderful things about Kiehl’s products for dark spot correcting, so I decided to pick up something from their line.
The Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution is said to help fade dark spots and prevent the formation of future dark spots and other skin discolorations with continued daily usage. It is silicone-free, paraben-free, fragrance-free and contains no colorants or optical diffusers. It contains a number of ingredients that are great for the skin. Activated vitamin C penetrates rapidly to attack deep-set dark spots while preventing the formation of new discolorations for visibly more uniform skin tone and clarity. White birch and peony extract sugar derived ingredient work to restore hydration and nutrients to the dermis and epidermis layers of skin. This potent active increases skin elasticity levels and collagen production resulting in restored skin density, volume and thickness.
The solution comes in a glass vial with a dropper. I love the apothecary feel to all of the Kiehl’s products, although this one is not ideal for travel. The product comes in 1fl. oz. ($49.50), 1.7 fl. oz. ($78.00) and 3.4 fl. oz. ($132.00) sizes.
The solution itself is a serum consistency. It isn’t sticky and evaporates soon after being worked into the skin. It smells medicinal, but not bad at all. Sort of reminds me of witch hazel.
I have had fantastic results with this product. The funny thing is, I don’t really use it for corrective dark spots. I just think it does wonderful things for my skin beyond that. I absolutely feel like it has improved the texture and tone of my skin. My complexion is certainly more even since I started using it, even though it is probably a difference that is perceivable only by me.
Most incredibly, I have had ZERO BLEMISHES since I started using this product. That’s big. I am almost scared to write about it so I don’t jinx it. I can’t speak too much to this products ability to banish dark spots because of the fact that since I have started using it I haven’t gotten any dark spots. I am happy with that.
I apply the solution to my skin before bed and again in the morning before moisturizing. It is lightweight and feels refreshing.
I love this product and it will be a continued repurchase for me. GET IT!