New In!

Well hello there!

 

It's been a while hasn't it?!

 

Today's post is about some new products that I have been given the opportunity to try out. The other day I was doing a little shopping at the local shopping center. One of the stores  (Fontana Pharmacy) happened to be having their customer appreciation day which included a kind of expo.

 

One lady approached me wishing to share her creation with me which turned out to be some pretty interesting hair products called Ettenio.

 

A few hair products from the Ettenio brand

Haul Update

I was about to do another "New In" post, when I realized that I haven't yet come back to speak on my experiences with the products from my last haul. So this post will serve to do just that. Let's jump in->

Haulin'!

One just does not leave their country of abode for travel and not pick up a few hair products, especially when you're on a hair journey. So this post is dedicated to the items I copped recently. 

shopping for hair products in Walmart

Left Me Wanting More - VO5 Shea Cashmere Moisturizing Conditioner

Alberto VO5 Silky Experience Moisturizing Conditioner With Shea Protein & Warm Vanilla

•Sensual indulgence from a formula with shea protein & vanilla extract.

•Moisturizing formula helps restore softness & shine.

•Conditions & revitalizes leaving hair very manageable.

Ingredients

Water (Aqua, EAU), Cetyl Alcohol, Stearalkonium Chloride, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbic Acid, Biotin, Niacinamide, Cetrimonium Chloride, Glyceryl Stearate, Alcohol Denat., Polysorbate 20, Disodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, Fragrance (Parfum)

Directions

After shampooing, apply to wet hair. Leave on as desired. Rinse thoroughly. Avoid contact with eyes. In case of eye contact flush thoroughly with water. Ingredients Silky Experiences Shea Cashmere with Shea Protein & Warm Vanilla Conditioner

Claims

Silky Experiences Shea Cashmere with Shea Protein & Warm Vanilla Conditioner Treat yourself with the luxury of shea protein and warm vanilla. Enjoy the sensual indulgence from this moisturizing conditioner that helps restore softness and shine.

My Take

Using Protection - Arming Hair for Heat Styling

I've been talking a lot about heat in the last few posts (find them here and here). But no discussion about heat-styling is ever complete without mentioning heat protectants. As with any category of products, there are a mountain of options out there to cater to your whim and fancy. For the sake of brevity, I will speak on my methods in this post and of course you can chime in in the comments section about how you do things in your neck of the woods. Let's go.

L-R: LottaBody setting lotion, Nioxin Thermal Bliss, Aphogee Keratin & Green Tea Reconstructurizer,
Elasta QP Design Silk & ORS Thermal Protect and SHine

The way I use heat protectants depends on whether I'm using direct heat versus indirect heat.

Fly Away with me - Constructing my Hair goodies Travel Bag

So it's the holiday season and many of us are flying back home to be with family, taking a break from everyday life with a trip to some faraway land or opting for some QT with your other half somewhere relaxing. Whatever the case is, before we can enjoy the merriment of the vacation, we have to get pass the tedious packing stage. I am no good at packing. There I said it. I have been known to take a large case on 5-day trips and even weekends (hides face). I'm getting better though, last trip wasn't so bad, I managed to take only a carry-on for a 6-day trip. This time...it's eight days long! Can I do it?

The first thing I do is a construct a list of all the things I will want need on the trip. I would post the entire list, but I think that may overwhelmed you lol. So this post is dedicated to the hair goodies.

A Necessary Evil - Hair Product Haul

I just love paying 120usd for $50 worth of goods! (umm not so much) but it's a must when products are not available. Check out what I got below.

What I got:

Oil it Up - The Essentials { Peppermint Oil}

There are a myriad of essential oils out there with a great many benefits. Some of the more popular ones I've encountered include rosemary, lemon, lavender, cedarwood, sage, peppermint, tea tree and orange. But what exactly is it that makes these oils so 'essential'?

Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, or aetherolea, or simply as the "oil of" the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of sage. An oil is "essential" in the sense that it carries a distinctive scent, or essence, of the plant. It is very potent and is rarely used by itself for any purpose.

They are used in perfumes, cosmetics, soaps and other beauty products, for flavoring food and drink, and for adding a fresh scent to household cleaning products.

In this series I will refrain from addressing all these oils. Rather, I'll present the ones I've tried and loved. First up,

Peppermint Oil

For a cooling, cleansing treatment for your hair and scalp, try peppermint essential oil.

What is it?

Store-bought Deep Conditioners - My five faves

Deep conditioning really is one of the pillars of my hair regimen. I've never missed a week since the start of my hair journey. I have tried a few deep conditioners so far, some I didn't care much for but made them work, others I loved straight out the bottle. Let's take a look at my faves.

1. ORS replenishing Conditioner - conditions my hair adding both moisture and protein. Gives great slip making detangling a breeze. Results in soft, strong, shiny hair.
   
   
   

oil it up - My favorite Natural oils.

When I first started my hair journey a year and a half ago, I read a lot about natural hair oils and pretty much bought every one that I could get my hands on that had gotten good reviews. 

My stash

Now I have quite a sizable stash, some have finished and I haven't repurchased because they didn't seem absolutely necessary. But this post is dedicated to those that have been good to my hair and that I cannot live without. 

My lucky 7: 

Layering it on - M & S

Whether relaxed or natural, black (people's) hair is inherently dry! Many of us struggle with this (myself included) and attempt to combat dryness in various ways. We deep condition, steam, co-wash, and use leave-ins on a weekly basis, but there is one vital measure used to keep dryness at bay on the daily! What is it?

Moisturizing and sealing. 

Straight hair - Hair Repair & Jojoba oil
Curly styles - Water, Wave Nouveau & Coconut oil

This is the act of applying water or a water-based product to our strands to provide our hair with much needed moisture and then using a layer of oil on top of our water-based product to ensure that it isn't readily evaporated. 

Why do it?

I've Got My Eyes on You - Products I Want to Try

There are some products and tools out there that I have seen and been wanting to try but living in the far east, it's either unavailable or too expensive when you add shipping fees to the product cost. I mean who wants to pay $60 U.S. for some $3 hair rollers?! Not me! So for now, I'll keep them on my want list until they land in my hands. 

Here they are: 

1. Shea Moisture line of products 
   

Quickie - Moisturizing Shampoos

Instead of this...

In this post, I talked about the possible ill-effects of shampooing, but there are ways of using your shampoos without them being too drying or stripping.

Tip: 

My Love Affair... with Hair Products

I previously outlined my regimen here. Now let me tell you about the products I have been utilising in this regimen. First off, I must mention that living in Japan has denied me access to the barrage of products others have access to. 90% of my products are ordered from online shops and sometimes I pay A LOT for shipping so I take a minimalist approach to products, well I try to anyway. 

These are they: