Alterna’s Caviar Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner
Thanks to Lock & Mane, I recently tried out Alterna’s Caviar Moisture Shampoo with Seasilk & Caviar Moisture Conditioner with Seasilk. These products are ideal for dry, brittle hair and help bring it back to a healthy, silky condition.
Here’s the Deal: These products are sulfate and paraben free, and contain Color Hold, which is perfect for those with color treated hair who want to avoid color fading and striping. The shampoo and conditioner also contain UVA/UVB protection, which shields hair from the sun’s harmful rays. Every Alterna product also contains enzymetherapy, a system that assists in the effectiveness of the delivery of enzymes. According to Alterna, enzymetherapy helps transform ingredients into a structure that the hair and follicle can absorb easily so thicker, stronger hair can surface.
My Take: My fine hair really loved this shampoo and conditioner. It left my hair shiny and soft, and not at all stripped–even before the conditioner. Also, it wasn’t so soft it was limp and flat, which is a problem I have with some products. As far as the price point, it’s definitely higher than drugstore products, but I believe that you get what you pay for with hair products to some extent. Plus, I only had to use a little dab of conditioner to treat my long hair, and I feel much better knowing I’m not dumping prardens and sulfates onto my hair. The smell is awesome–a light floral scent that lasts. In fact, on second day hair my BF commented on how good my hair smelled! The only issue I had was the packaging–it has kind of an odd twist top, which is unnecessarily complicated, especially when your hands are all wet and soapy. A flip top would have been much easier. Minor complaint, but still worth noting.
Available at lockandmane.com. Price for shampoo: $30.00 and for conditioner: $32.00.
An editorial sample was provided by the company so I could review this product. Please see my About page for further information on Disclosure policies.
Davines: Polishing Coat & Vegetarian Miracle
When I got my hair cut by Lissa at The Hive, I also splurged and bought two Davines products: Nourishing Vegetarian Miracle, which Lissa swears is how she can both color her hair all the time and grow it super long. And Davines Wizard No.10 Universal Polishing Coat.
First of all, that name. I mean, come on. And secondly, it came in this very cute little pink tin that totally matches my new pink bathroom. How could I not get it? But aesthetics aside, this product works. It’s great for creating that piecey look with a layered cut. Also, it smells awesome. After I blow dry my hair, I rub a little Universal Polishing Coat between my palms and apply to my hair from the back of my head (at the nape) moving upward to the top of my head, so I don’t apply too much and weigh my hair down. With whatever is left on my hands, I run it over the front, top and bang area. Works like a charm.
The Veggie Miracle is a great deep conditioning treatment. After shampooing, I apply it from root to ends and comb through. I let it sit anywhere from 10 minutes to, well, one time I forgot it was on and fell asleep. Oops! I guess that was an “overnight treatment.” For an intensive treatment, you can use this product as your conditioner on alternating days for two weeks and then for maintenance, use it twice a week.
Don’t miss my review of Davines Alchemic Shampoo and Conditioner for Copper Hair!
Must Have: HerCut
I’ve had my eye on this relatively new line of haircare products, HerCut, for a while. Mainly because the packaging is so cute. I love the little drawings of each girl with her corresponding haircut: Long Layers, The Pixie, The Blunt Cut, The Bob, The Shag. Adorbs! (Check out each illustration at the end of the post; which cut are you? I’m Long Layers.)
HerCut is the first-ever hair care collection tailored to your haircut–not your hair type. HerCut believes it doesn’t take an expert to maintain straight-from-the-salon style, just the right products to support your cut. HerCut Catalysts address the five major categories of haircut–bob, pixie, shag, blunt cut and long layers–and customizes a Catalyst to meet the specific needs of every cut.
Since I just got my hair cut, this was a perfect time to try out this line. I tested HerCut Long Layers Catalyst. It’s a heat-activated styling cream/gel that’s specially formulated for a long layered cut. It has a dual dispenser that delivers cream and clear styling product, although the first time I used this product, only the clear product came out. I put my finger over the clear product dispenser in order to get the heavier cream to come out and that worked.
I really liked this product. It’s free of bad for you and your hair chemicals, like parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes, petrochemicals, phthalates, GMOs and triclosan. (Can I just say, I love that more hair lines are creating products free of these chemicals?) My hair wasn’t weighed down at all; it’s super lightweight, yet provides enough lift to give volume at the roots and provide movement to the layers. After I blew it out with a boar bristly brush, my hair looked incredibly shiny and felt super soft. And the blowout lasted well into the next day. LOVE THIS.
Check out my review of HerCut Normal-Dry Shampoo and Deep Conditioner after the break, plus illustrations and descriptions of all the HerCut Catalysts! Continue Reading…
Suave Styling Kit Giveaway!
It is that time of year to celebrate the holidays and ring in the New Year in style! Suave wants to make sure you and your friends have great holiday hair without visiting the salon.
Suave Professionals are proven to work as well as salon brands for a fraction of the cost, and Suave wants to prove it this holiday season! The winner of this giveaway will receive an 11 piece Suave holiday styling kit.
Included in the kit are Suave Professionals products (including shampoos, conditioners and styling aides), along with a sneak peak at the new line of Suave Professionals products launching in March: Rosemary Mint, Almond & Shea Butter, and Aloe Vera & Ginseng!
Included in the prize package:
- Sleek Styling Crème
- Healthy Curls Mousse
- Volumizing Root Lifter Spray Gel
- 360 Weather Protection Hairspray
- 360 Weather Protection Cream Gel
- Rosemary Mint Shampoo
- Rosemary Mint Conditioner
- Almond & Shea Butter Shampoo
- Almond & Shea Butter Conditioner
- Aloe Vera & Ginseng Shampoo
- Aloe Vera & Ginseng Conditioner
This giveaway is now closed. The winner will be notified by email. Thanks for entering!
Davines
The last time I got my hair cut at The Hive by owner Lissa Renn, we chatted about the hair product line they use–Davines. Lissa explained that Davines is a super cool Italian company that’s focused on high quality and sustainability. They’ve adopted all sorts of sustainability projects, like a zero impact (carbon neutral) policy for their Essential Haircare product line, and they’ve partnered with LifeGate, Italy’s leading supplier of renewable energy to ensure that their business is run on 100% clean energy.
Plus, Davines’ products draw rave reviews from customers. When I left The Hive, my hair looked amazing, thanks to Lissa’s genius cut, but it smelled great and was so incredibly soft from the Davines’ products too. I was tempted to buy some, but I held back since the last thing I need is more hair products. But I’ve been dreaming about them ever since. Lissa did slip me a little sample packet of Davines Alchemic Shampoo and Conditioner for Copper Hair.
I finally tried it out last night. The shampoo does not lather up much because it doesn’t contain sodium laurel sulfate, but if you’ve used other natural shampoos, you’re use to this. Don’t worry; your hair will still get clean without all the suds and won’t be stripped in the process. The conditioner was amazing. It felt like a conditioning mask. I didn’t notice a serious boost in my color, as these do contain color pigments, but I only had enough for one use, so that might happen after continued use. Overall, loved these but would prefer to use a shampoo/conditioner without color pigments since I don’t color my hair.
I have an appointment at The Hive this week. I think I might break down and purchase Davines Nourishing Repairing Mask, since that’s the one product I am really dying to try. I will let you know my review, if I get it!
L’Oreal Professionnel
Coming this spring to a salon near you: L’Oreal Professionnel. The reformulated line was previously available only in Europe as the Série Naturelle collection. L’Oreal Professionnel products are sulfate-free, paraben-free and silicone-free and made with 100% natural fragrances, colors and recycled packaging. Coconut derivatives provide the foaming action that the company says was previously only achieved with chemicals. So far the line only provides cleasing and conditioning products since the science of blending organic ingredients with styling performance has yet to be perfected. Prices range from $23 to $33.
Must Have: Oscar Blandi Pronto Wet
Oscar Blandi Pronto Wet Instant Volumizing Shampoo & Conditioner are my new holy grail ‘poo and conditioner! I have used Oscar Blandi’s Pronto Dry Shampoo Powder for ages now and am a big fan. I recently tried the Pronto Dry Shampoo Spray too.
The Pronto Wet Instant Volumizing Shampoo & Conditioner is designed to work alternately with the Pronto Dry Shampoo as part of Oscar Blandi’s new Every Other Day regimen. You use Pronto Wet on the days you cleanse your hair with water and Pronto Dry when you don’t. Pronto Wet is specifically formulated for hair that’s not washed every day; it removes build-up and instantly boosts volume with clinically shown AquaFlex technology for thicker, fuller hair. Plus, it has that awesome lemon verbena fragrance that I love. My hair smells amazing after I wash with this stuff! I can’t stop sniffing. The products are sulfate and paraben free. They contain Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, which increases hair’s ability to retain moisture, imparts shine and gloss to damaged and dull hair. They also contain Grape Seed Oil and Olive Oil, which adds moisture, and Silk Amino Acids to repair and strengthen hair.
The first time I tried out the Pronto Wet Instant Volumizing Shampoo & Conditioner, it was after a long day and a trip to the gym, so I just showered and did nothing to my hair. I didn’t put any product in it–just combed it out, towel dried it, and let it air dry. The weirdest thing happened; it looked AWESEOME. And the next day? Still awesome! It was wavy and shiny and healthy looking. And no second day greasiness at all! Pretty sweet
I love shampooing with Pronto Wet. Even though it’s sulfate-free, it lathers up like crazy, so it really feels like you’re getting your hair thouroughly cleansed, which is nice when you’re skipping a couple of days between washing. My hair felt soft and healthy after shampooing–not stripped–which is a major plus in my book. Price: 8.4 oz / $24.00 each
An editorial sample was provided by the company so I could review this product. Please see my About page for further information on Disclosure policies.
Coconut Oil for Your Hair?
I’m not super hippie dippie or anything, but I do love organic products (and cheap products!) So when I read about the benefits of organic coconut oil for your hair, of course I had to try it.
First of all, you have to get some high-end organic coconut oil. Make sure it says extra virgin, cold pressed and organic on the container. You can find it at Whole Foods or a similar store. (Barlean’s brand is about $15.00 for 16 oz.) Then you can use the coconut oil in a number of ways. It’s great as an intensive conditioning hair treatment–either overnight or while you’re just hanging around the house. Apply the oil to your dry hair focusing mainly on the shaft and the ends, and staying away from the roots completely. You don’t have to totally saturate your hair, but you do want it fairly covered. Then tie it up and out of the way while you sleep or go about your day. You can also just apply the coconut oil as a pre-wash treatment an hour or so before you shower, let it sit, and then wash your hair.
Some people also use coconut oil as a leave-in treatment on their hair, typically on dry scalp or ends. It can also be use as a moisturizer, although reviews are mixed about putting it on your face. Personally, I would stick to using it on my body only. But can try it out to remove stubborn eye makeup, lip balm, shaving cream, foot cream, cuticle and nail cream… So multipurpose!
And oh yeah! You can cook with it too.
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