Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment Review

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment 
Claims: "Fertilises your follicles whilst going deep down into the cortex to condition and strengthen from within. Reduces irritation and moisturises the scalp."
RRP: AUD16.99
Packaging: 5 out of 5
Review: I don't generally write negative reviews but this product, unfortunately, warrants one. I bought this because Sharon Farrell on Youtube recommended. She loves this product and says that it has helped her grow her hair longer. Upon further research, I found more positive reviews than negative ones. With my fingers crossed, I went out and bought this product.

This product has a very strong floral scent. The first few times I smelled it, I thought it was nice. After that, it started irritating my nose. That's the first strike. The first couple of times I used this treatment, my hair felt nice and soft afterwards. With subsequent uses, I felt like my hair was not benefiting from the use of this product. I did not see an increase in length of my hair. What's worse? Every time I used it, a pimple would pop up on my scalp a couple of hours later. And that was the last straw for me.

I've stopped using this treatment but have yet to get around to throwing it out. Just as well I bought it at 40% off. Otherwise, it would have been an even bigger waste of my money! I am not trying to say that this is an absolutely horrible and disgusting product. All I'm trying to do is warn you. This product could potentially cause scalp acne if it's not suitable for you. If this product has worked wonders for you, then that's good for you and I envy you!

Have you ever experienced any negative effects from using a hair treatment product?

Rusk MiraCurl Review and Demo

Rusk MiraCurl
Claims: "Effortlessly creates perfect curls everytime... Has a ceramic curl chamber which eliminates frizz while leaving hair full of body, volume and luster."
RRP: AUD199
Packaging/Design: 4.5 out of 5
Review: This curler is very quick and easy to use. It takes me only 15 minutes to curl all my hair (I usually take half an hour with a regular curling iron). It's also very easy to learn how to use it and get the hang of it. The only reason I gave it a 4.5 out of 5 for package/design is because it's a bit heavy. Otherwise, it's an excellent hair styling tool. I give a more in-depth review and demo of the product in the video below. Note: I believe this product is called Curl Freak in the USA.

What do you guys think? Game to try this method of curling your hair?

John Frieda Full Repair Shampoo, Conditioner and Deep Conditioner Review

It's been a really busy week and I'm really sorry I hadn't been able to write a post for Wednesday like I normally do. I'm afraid this is going to be the case for the next month or so. I have exams coming up and after that I'll be going overseas (on holiday). So please bear with me! I promise I do have some awesome tutorials planned, they just require a lot of time to make so they won't be up on this blog anytime soon. And yes, this also means that majority of my posts for the next month will be mainly reviews.

So, until I return from my trip around mid December, I'll only schedule posts for once a week. But after that, it'll be back to the normal schedule of twice a week (Wed and Sat). I also promise I will make it up to you guys. *hint hint* Giveaway to come! 

Anyway, let's dive into this review!

John Frieda Full Repair Full Body Shampoo
Claims: "Targets short, broken hairs, flyaways, and damaged ends. The shampoo is formulated with inca inchi oil, a micro-oil rich in Omega-3, which penetrates dry, damaged hair and repairs the look and feel of overworked hair."
RRP: AUD15.99
Packaging: 5 out of 5

John Frieda Full Repair Full Body Conditioner
Claims: "Penetrates dry, damaged hair and smoothes and detangles hair, reducing the risk of breakage."
RRP: AUD15.99
Packaging: 5 out of 5

John Frieda Full Repair Hydrate + Rescue Deep Conditioner 
Claims:  "Infuses the hair with moisture to improve the look and feel of damaged hair.The conditioner deeply replenishes and restores softness and shine, targeting hair in its most damaged areas."
RRP: AUD16.99
Packaging: 5 out of 5

Review: My hair has been feeling a bit dry lately. Perhaps it's due to the change in weather but it's really unhappy. I rarely get breakage and split-ends up they've suddenly popped up. I keep trimming them off for "damage control" but I know that I'd need a more long-term solution. Introducing...! Nah, I better stop sounding like an advert. So, I was sent the Full Repair range to try out. Although I have yet to see a reduction in breakage and split-ends, I do have positive findings to report.

Most hydration/repair type of hair care products weigh the hair down so we tend to lose body and volume as a compromise for soft silky strands. With this trio, I noticed that volume is retained and it adds moisture back into my hair. This is particularly true with the Deep Conditioner. I love how soft my hair feels after using it. All three products have similar scents. I'm happy to announce that it's pleasant and non-irritating to my sensitive nose. The formula is slightly "gel-like" and the shampoo lathers up relatively easily.

Word of warning, once you've used the Deep Conditioner, you'll find that the Conditioner is not as "powerful" in comparison and will be tempted to just stick to the Deep Conditioner. Too much of a good thing is never good, you should use it in moderation. Plus it'll be quite costly to use it as your everyday conditioner. Just make sure you cover all of your hair with Shampoo, not just your scalp. Rinse off. Apply Conditioner. WAIT for a minute. Rinse off. If you're in a hurry to wash the conditioner off, it will not get the chance to work its magic. I've been guilty of this crime before.

I hope that with continued use, the next time I post an updated review, my hair will be damage-free!

Do you suffer from split-ends and breakage like I do? Do share your hair woes! 

Bump It Up! A Review

My hair is very difficult to tease and doesn't not hold volume very well. It's coarse and heavy and drops faster than a hot potato on bare hands (did that analogy make sense?!?). I've tried it many times at home with a rat tail comb and a couple of different hair brushes but to no avail.

I even asked a hairdresser for advice on how to tease my hair. She gave me a sympathetic "Yea, hair like yours is very hard to tease". She grabbed a rat tail comb and said, "you use this!". Then she proceeded to yanking a lock of my hair up vertically and tugging the comb up and down against my hair vigorously. She was so distracted and rough with what she was doing that I swear I was going to be bald by the end of the appointment. I stopped her after she gave it a couple more goes. It was really hurting my scalp and ineffective at giving my hair more volume. Despite this unpleasant experience, I was not deterred from teasing my hair. 

I decided that I needed to cheat if I wanted to get my hair anywhere near as voluminous as Bridgette Bardot's. Enter Scunci Hi Styles... and Double Lift  & Tease Comb. The former was specifically requested by me; the latter was unexpectedly thrown in by the PR agent. I am impressed with this comb. It has been the only comb so far capable of getting my hair teased. Of course, the effect created on my hair still isn't as prominent as those with fine hair but still! It has made a huge difference! So I have the PR agent to thank for adding this extra goodie to my parcel.

As for the Hi Styles, I must admit that despite being an "easy to use" item, I struggled with it. I had trouble hiding the teeth and my hair kept falling down on the sides. Anyway, I persisted and kept practising. Soon enough, I figured out my own method of making this tool work for me. So I'm pleased with this product as well. Below is a photo of the end result after using the comb and the Hi Styles.

What do you think?

 Both these products are available at Priceline. The comb retails for AUD5.95; and the Hi Styles AUD9.95, which I think are very reasonable prices. I will be creating a tutorial for these two items very soon. The question is, would you guys like it in written (with photos) or video form? Please let me know if you have a preference!

Thanks for reading. Have a lovely day!

Please note that although this is a sponsored review, these opinions are honest and solely my own. I will not falsely write a good review on "bad products" or "products that I do not like".

Moroccanoil Glimmer Shine Spray Review

Moroccanoil Glimmer Shine Spray
Claims: Protects the hair from UV rays and free radicals. Provides hair with an instant shine."
RRP: AUD35.95
Packaging: 4.5 out of 5 
Review: To me, the brand Moroccanoil is synonymous with "hype". There was a lot of hype surrounding their Treatment hair oil a couple of years back. I remember lusting after it and after nearly a year, I finally got my hands on a 25mL bottle, thanks to my boyfriend, R. It lived up to its hype and I'm happy with it but it quite expensive.

I was lucky enough to receive the Glimmer Shine Spray to trial. I had high hopes for this product as well. I must say that it hasn't disappointed me at all. It's really easy to use; less messy than the Treatment hair oil, whereby one would have to work it through one's hair with one's hands. With this product, all you have to do is spritz it onto your hair and leave it be. You advised to not touch your hair for a few minutes, which I am fine with. It means my hands won't get oily and I don't have to rushed to the sink to wash them . 

This product contains Argan oil so you can expect the scent to come with it. It's neither pleasant nor unpleasant. What I do like about Argan oil is that it makes my hair soft and smooth. I also noticed that the product makes my hair shiny. So on days when I plan on using this product, I skip my Dove Therapy Oil, which is part of my haircare routine. Another big reason, I gravitate towards this product is that it protects the hair from UV damage. Although I cannot see the difference/results yet, I believe that it the long run, it will benefit my hair. 

I love that this product comes in a glass bottle. I hate oil products that come in plastic bottles. For some reason, plastic bottles just ooze out oil the moment you crack the seal and start using them. Sure, glass bottles are heavier compared to plastic bottles but really, they aren't heavy. The only reason I rate this product 4.5 for packaging is the look of the plastic cap and plastic + aluminum spray nozzle. They are both functional but in terms of aesthetics, it really let the product as a whole down. The glass bottle looks so luxurious but when my eyes landed on the plastic/aluminum top, they just went "ugh". The colour isn't the most attractive and I recently noticed a tiny dent on it (even though I have never dropped it or knocked it against anything). 

In terms of pricing, one might think $35.95 is a lot of money to be paying for a hair product. Hey, I can name more expensive hair products than this one. In my opinion it is very reasonable, considering it is a 100mL bottle. I predict that this bottle will last me a very long time since only a couple of spritzes is sufficient each time. I think that since the Glimmer Shine Spray is such a multi-tasker, it's a good product to invest in. This is becoming a hair product staple for me so I'll be repurchasing when this bottle runs out! 

Cedel Blow Dry Faster Heat Protector Review and How-to

Cedel Blow Dry Faster Heat Protector
Claims: two-in-one formula that reduces blow drying time while protecting your hair from the heat of your hair dryer.  
RRP: AUD7.99 
Packaging: 5 out of 5 
Review: I was very skeptical about this product when I first received it. It claims to reduce the blow drying time and I was dubious.  Normally, I take at least 15 minutes to dry my hair. The first time I tested the product, I shook the bottle, sprayed and proceeded to blow drying my hair. I did not feel any significant reduction in the drying time. The second time round, I still took 15 minutes to dry my hair. I started to think that this product was a total gimmick.

Despite my frustration and doubt, I decided to give the product another try. After all, as the saying goes, "third time's a charm". I picked up the bottle and took another look at the instructions at the back. Eureka! It finally hit me why this product wasn't working. I was skipping a vital step! I will get to that in a minute... 

Now, I am very impressed with this product. I used it again yesterday, following all the steps and it works. I took only 5 minutes to blow dry my hair. The best part is, it still leaves my hair smooth and soft (I was afraid that applying product to my hair would caked and crunch my strands up). Whoever invented it is a genius! I have a really heavy hair dryer. With this product, my arm no longer has to suffer every time I blow dry my hair. To me, this is the main feature of the product; the heat-protecting function is an added bonus.

I think the bottle is a very good size: easy to grip, hold up and spray at different angles. The price is reasonable and affordable. I recommend getting this product, especially if you're someone who leads a very busy/hectic lifestyle and need something that saves you time!

Here's how I blow dry my hair with Cedel Blow Dry Faster Heat Protector

 
Step 1 Shake the bottle. Then spray it all over your hair. 

 Step 2. The step I missed! The instruction says to take a comb and run it through your strands to evenly distribute the product. I don't own a comb, so I used a brush and ever-so-gently ran it through my hair. Remember, hair is weakest when it's wet, so please be gentle! 

Step 3 Proceed to blow drying! Note, this photo is only for show. That's not how I normally blow dry my hair. And you're done in 5 minutes! Well, for me anyway.

Before

After

  
Do you know if any other products or tricks that reduce blow drying time? Please do share!

Triple S: Dandraff Drama Part II, a Review

If you can recall my previous post on dandruff, you'd know that I'd been trying to fight it off for quite a number of months now. At that time, I only just started using Head & Shoulders Scalp Massage Cream for Anti-Dandruff Care. It's been almost a month now and it's about time I wrote a review for it.

Source: beautydirectory.com

I'm really glad I bought this. This stuff works. Not only does it get rid of dandruff, I no longer experience itchiness in my scalp! I can leave my hair unwashed for three, sometimes four, days without getting "itchy attacks" and my hair would just be slightly greasey from the accumulation of hair oils. This is a good thing for me because I'm really busy, having to get to uni early in the morning and coming home late, I don't have a lot of time or opportunity to wash my hair (unless I wake up 4am, which I am not willing to do so). So now, I just wash my hair twice a week. You might think "Eew, gross!" but it's actually not that bad. My hair just gets nourished with its natural oils for longer. Even the lovely Zoe Foster only washes her hair once every three days.

So how do I use this Scalp Massage Cream? Easy. After having shampooed and conditioned my hair, I just scoop some up with the tips of my fingers and massage it onto my scalp. Massage your scalp for at least one full minute before rinsing it off. When I'm in a hurry, I just massage the cream into my scalp (no longer for a full minute) after shampooing and let it sit instead, while I apply conditioner to the lengths and tips of my hair. Tip: to retain moisture in your scalp and hair (plus make your hair shinier), rinse your hair with cold water.

The plastic tub is really sturdy. I dropped it once or twice and it's still very much intact. However, I don't recommend dropping or throwing it around for fun! The lid feels "flimsier" than the tub and will be the first thing to break. Another plus to this product is that it's very affordable; the RRP is $10.99. So overall, I'm very happy with this product. I've bade my dandruff farewell and hope to never see it again!

Summary

• Head & Shoulders Scalp Massage Cream for Anti-Dandruff Care gets rid of dandruff and itchiness.
• Scoop some up with finger tips and massage into scalp for 1 minute.
• Packaging is good and sturdy.
• Very affordable. RRP: $10.99.