Dresser Diaries: Volume III | Hair Hair Hair
It seems like I just got my blogging mojo back a week or two ago, and I seemed to have lost it once again. In retrospect, I think part of the reason I'm in a funk is because Instagram has started to burn me out. One of my blogging goals this year was to focus on my social media account growth and I'm happy with my progress so far. I can easily say Instagram is the platform I've been the most active on, and it's definitely paid off. The only downside is that it's a large commitment and time killer as 90% of the content I publish there is unique. Basically, I'm still trying to find the perfect balance between posting on Instagram and posting on the blog.
On the plus side I have a crap ton of drafts sitting on my blogger homepage, so while I'm lacking the motivation to come up with new posts, I'm pushing forward by finishing up all the half-finished posts I've got sitting around (including a couple on sunscreen in honor of melanoma awareness month!)
First up is this post on some of the haircare items I've been trying out over the past few months! For whatever reason, haircare doesn't seem to be as popular as skincare and makeup in the beauty blogging world. Personally, I think I go through waves of enthusiasm when it comes to haircare. I'll binge buy a bunch of products one month and then forget about it for the next six.
If you're unfamiliar with my Dresser Diaries posts, you can read the first post to get a feel for the series π
Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray
I'm sure the next words I'm about to type out are almost blasphemy to some people... but I don't get the hype around this spray. It's so meh. I kind of feel ripped off for paying $20+ for this mini, travel-sized bottle.
I don't like teasing my hair at all. It's a pain to brush out and any sort of volume I get from it is not worth losing a chunk of my hair. So when I use volumizing products I view them as an alternative to teasing. This initially gives me some volume but it quickly disappears within the hour. It also leaves a residue behind that makes my hair feel gritty and knotted. If I actually got some volumizing action from this spray, I wouldn't mind the residue. I have to wash my hair the day after I use this otherwise my hair will be even more knotted and itchier.
It's definitely possible that this spray doesn't work for me because my hair is sort of long-- I could see it working better when I had a lob.
While I usually don't have any problems with aerosol cans, the spray on this one is so... quick and strong. It's a bit of a struggle to use only a little bit. The spray itself is quite fine, but a lot of it comes out in a short period of time.
Oribe Apres Beach Wave & Shine Spray
When I first purchased these two Oribe bits, I expected to love the texturizing spray and to find this wave spray mediocre. But in fact, it's the opposite! I really like this wave spray!
It gives me beachy waves without an excess of crunchiness or dryness. The result is very natural looking and keeps my hair relatively frizz free for a few days. It's the same look I get from using the Bumble & Bumble wave spray foam, except the Oribe is actually cheaper $/ oz.
Like the texturizing spray, it also has a really strong and quick spray. With this product, I don't mind it since I use much more of it anyways. Also, like the texturizing spray, it is heavily fragranced. I don't hate the scent but I don't really care for it Β―\_(γ)_/Β―
Sachajuan Hair Repair
Ever since I first heard of Sachajuan last year, I've been wanting to try out their products. How could I resist their Scandinavian cool aesthetic?
Unfortunately, the first product I tried from them, this hair repair mask, isn't anything amazing. Does it work? Somewhat. But I can get similar results from using regular hair conditioner. If I am going to splurge for a hair mask I expect exceptionally soft hair.
The brand claims that they use some sort of "ocean silk technology" to help "damaged and stressed" hair. Out of the 4-star ingredients (according to the Sephora product description), 2 of them are listed after phenoxyethanol (a preservative) and parfum and one isn't even found on the complete ingredient list. Color me confused π€
And my last complaint is a bit minor, but the packaging of this mask is a pain. It looks chic and expensive, but the material is so thick and hard to squeeze. Add in wet, slippery hands aaaand it becomes even harder. Also, the neck of the bottle is weirdly long?
Alterna Caviar Clinical Exfoliating Scalp Facial
I had such high hopes for this product when I first discovered it, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The actual product inside the bottle is a sort of gel with fruit enzymes for chemical exfoliation and micro-beads for physical exfoliation.
If I had known it had microbeads in it, I would not have purchased it. I'm shocked at Alterna! Microbeads are terrible for the environment and something I equate with cheaper products. Since Alterna is marketed as a high-end haircare brand that's "free of additives or harsh ingredients" (quoted from their own site) it was a disappointment to find out that they used microbeads since there are so many safer alternatives out there. On the plus side, there's a chance this product is being discontinued because I bought it on clearance at Ulta and it's no longer available on the Ulta or Nordstrom websites.
Performance wise it doesn't do much. My scalp feels clean for a day or two but my dandruff is back soon after. In comparison, I can use the Kiehl's deep-micro scalp exfoliating treatment once a week and keep my dandruff at bay.
I do like the plastic scrubber-brush type thing that came on the bottle. It's really satisfying to run it over my scalp while in the shower. I'll probably save the bottle and decant my other shampoos into it because I like it that much π
Verb Dry Shampoo
I've removed all aerosol dry shampoos from my haircare arsenal because I noticed that they exacerbated my dandruff. But since I'm lazy and don't like washing my hair all the time, I needed to find some dry shampoos that didn't irritate my scalp/ dandruff.
Enter this Verb dry shampoo. It's packaged in a squeezy bottle with a nozzle opening and is free of any propellants (which is what I suspect was irritating my scalp.) It's easy to control how much I dispense and is even easier to brush out. It also does a good job at making my roots look a lot less oily. Basically, it's a winner all around in my book!
R+Co Badlands Dry Shampoo Paste
In my quest to find non-aerosol dry shampoos, I came across this R+co badlands dry shampoo paste. When I first got it in the mail I was a bit disappointed at the size. It costs more than $30 yet the jar was so teeny tiny.
My thoughts quickly changed after my first time using it because a little goes a loooong way when it comes to this product. The texture is sorta thick and gritty. It's a thick paste with teeny granules in it. As a dry shampoo I find it to be meh-- it sort of soaks up the oils but not nearly as well as a traditional dry shampoo.
But it is amazing at providing texture and volume! I have a hard time getting any sort of volume at my roots, especially without the use of any heat. But holy moly, with this paste I can get crazy amounts of volume! It literally lifts my hair by inches. The only downside is that it makes my hair and roots feel really gritty. I end up washing my hair the day after using this because my hair starts to feel itchy. But honestly I don't mind this because I like the volume, and I usually apply it on my diry hair to begin with.
While it is pricey, I do think the price is worth it because it really delivers on results plus you only need to use a little bit to see said results.
Verb Ghost Oil
I canceled my Sephora Play! box this month and I semi-regret it because in my one-year subscription, I did discover some gems like this Verb ghost oil. For an oil, it has a really weird and thick consistency. It's almost sticky.
Even though it is thick, it's still easy to distribute to the ends of my hair without making them sticky or greasy looking. I usually apply leave in conditioner and a hair oil on the bottom half of my wet hair, out of the shower after I wash and condition my hair. The way I can tell if an oil is working is if the ends of my hair are still well moisturized and non-frizzy after not washing it for 3 or 4 days. And that's exactly what happened after I used this oil! I don't know how it works on dry hair as I haven't used it that way yet.
Ingredient wise it contains more silicones than oils, but that's okay with me since I get the results I'm looking for. If you read my post on occlusives and sleeping packs, then you may remember that silicones are great for locking in moisture.
Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Tea Tree Scalp Treatment
Out of everything in this post, this is the product I've used the least. I bought it during Sephora's recent sale and have been using it a few times a week for the past two weeks.
What first attracted me to this was the ingredient list. I've had good results from charcoal and tea tree products on my face, so I hoped they would help my scalp as well. It also contains witch hazel water, biotin, ginger root oil, peppermint oil, and sodium hyaluronate. According to the product description, it's supposed to reduce scalp irritation and inflammation, normalize oil production, help keep the scalp balanced and hydrated, and promote healthy hair growth.
So far, it's done nothing for my hair or scalp. I haven't noticed my scalp to be any less dry or itchy when I use it, my roots to be less oily, nor my hair to be any healthier. But like I said I've only been using this for 2 weeks so I'm going to trek on in hopes of seeing some results down the road. I'm also not sure how much and how often to use it-- I guess those are things I'll have to test out more.
The one positive I've noticed is that it dries quickly and doesn't leave any sort of residue on my roots or scalp.
On the plus side I have a crap ton of drafts sitting on my blogger homepage, so while I'm lacking the motivation to come up with new posts, I'm pushing forward by finishing up all the half-finished posts I've got sitting around (including a couple on sunscreen in honor of melanoma awareness month!)
First up is this post on some of the haircare items I've been trying out over the past few months! For whatever reason, haircare doesn't seem to be as popular as skincare and makeup in the beauty blogging world. Personally, I think I go through waves of enthusiasm when it comes to haircare. I'll binge buy a bunch of products one month and then forget about it for the next six.
If you're unfamiliar with my Dresser Diaries posts, you can read the first post to get a feel for the series π
Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray
I'm sure the next words I'm about to type out are almost blasphemy to some people... but I don't get the hype around this spray. It's so meh. I kind of feel ripped off for paying $20+ for this mini, travel-sized bottle.
I don't like teasing my hair at all. It's a pain to brush out and any sort of volume I get from it is not worth losing a chunk of my hair. So when I use volumizing products I view them as an alternative to teasing. This initially gives me some volume but it quickly disappears within the hour. It also leaves a residue behind that makes my hair feel gritty and knotted. If I actually got some volumizing action from this spray, I wouldn't mind the residue. I have to wash my hair the day after I use this otherwise my hair will be even more knotted and itchier.
It's definitely possible that this spray doesn't work for me because my hair is sort of long-- I could see it working better when I had a lob.
While I usually don't have any problems with aerosol cans, the spray on this one is so... quick and strong. It's a bit of a struggle to use only a little bit. The spray itself is quite fine, but a lot of it comes out in a short period of time.
Oribe Apres Beach Wave & Shine Spray
When I first purchased these two Oribe bits, I expected to love the texturizing spray and to find this wave spray mediocre. But in fact, it's the opposite! I really like this wave spray!
It gives me beachy waves without an excess of crunchiness or dryness. The result is very natural looking and keeps my hair relatively frizz free for a few days. It's the same look I get from using the Bumble & Bumble wave spray foam, except the Oribe is actually cheaper $/ oz.
Like the texturizing spray, it also has a really strong and quick spray. With this product, I don't mind it since I use much more of it anyways. Also, like the texturizing spray, it is heavily fragranced. I don't hate the scent but I don't really care for it Β―\_(γ)_/Β―
Sachajuan Hair Repair
Ever since I first heard of Sachajuan last year, I've been wanting to try out their products. How could I resist their Scandinavian cool aesthetic?
Unfortunately, the first product I tried from them, this hair repair mask, isn't anything amazing. Does it work? Somewhat. But I can get similar results from using regular hair conditioner. If I am going to splurge for a hair mask I expect exceptionally soft hair.
The brand claims that they use some sort of "ocean silk technology" to help "damaged and stressed" hair. Out of the 4-star ingredients (according to the Sephora product description), 2 of them are listed after phenoxyethanol (a preservative) and parfum and one isn't even found on the complete ingredient list. Color me confused π€
And my last complaint is a bit minor, but the packaging of this mask is a pain. It looks chic and expensive, but the material is so thick and hard to squeeze. Add in wet, slippery hands aaaand it becomes even harder. Also, the neck of the bottle is weirdly long?
Alterna Caviar Clinical Exfoliating Scalp Facial
I had such high hopes for this product when I first discovered it, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The actual product inside the bottle is a sort of gel with fruit enzymes for chemical exfoliation and micro-beads for physical exfoliation.
If I had known it had microbeads in it, I would not have purchased it. I'm shocked at Alterna! Microbeads are terrible for the environment and something I equate with cheaper products. Since Alterna is marketed as a high-end haircare brand that's "free of additives or harsh ingredients" (quoted from their own site) it was a disappointment to find out that they used microbeads since there are so many safer alternatives out there. On the plus side, there's a chance this product is being discontinued because I bought it on clearance at Ulta and it's no longer available on the Ulta or Nordstrom websites.
Performance wise it doesn't do much. My scalp feels clean for a day or two but my dandruff is back soon after. In comparison, I can use the Kiehl's deep-micro scalp exfoliating treatment once a week and keep my dandruff at bay.
I do like the plastic scrubber-brush type thing that came on the bottle. It's really satisfying to run it over my scalp while in the shower. I'll probably save the bottle and decant my other shampoos into it because I like it that much π
Verb Dry Shampoo
I've removed all aerosol dry shampoos from my haircare arsenal because I noticed that they exacerbated my dandruff. But since I'm lazy and don't like washing my hair all the time, I needed to find some dry shampoos that didn't irritate my scalp/ dandruff.
Enter this Verb dry shampoo. It's packaged in a squeezy bottle with a nozzle opening and is free of any propellants (which is what I suspect was irritating my scalp.) It's easy to control how much I dispense and is even easier to brush out. It also does a good job at making my roots look a lot less oily. Basically, it's a winner all around in my book!
R+Co Badlands Dry Shampoo Paste
In my quest to find non-aerosol dry shampoos, I came across this R+co badlands dry shampoo paste. When I first got it in the mail I was a bit disappointed at the size. It costs more than $30 yet the jar was so teeny tiny.
My thoughts quickly changed after my first time using it because a little goes a loooong way when it comes to this product. The texture is sorta thick and gritty. It's a thick paste with teeny granules in it. As a dry shampoo I find it to be meh-- it sort of soaks up the oils but not nearly as well as a traditional dry shampoo.
But it is amazing at providing texture and volume! I have a hard time getting any sort of volume at my roots, especially without the use of any heat. But holy moly, with this paste I can get crazy amounts of volume! It literally lifts my hair by inches. The only downside is that it makes my hair and roots feel really gritty. I end up washing my hair the day after using this because my hair starts to feel itchy. But honestly I don't mind this because I like the volume, and I usually apply it on my diry hair to begin with.
While it is pricey, I do think the price is worth it because it really delivers on results plus you only need to use a little bit to see said results.
Verb Ghost Oil
I canceled my Sephora Play! box this month and I semi-regret it because in my one-year subscription, I did discover some gems like this Verb ghost oil. For an oil, it has a really weird and thick consistency. It's almost sticky.
Even though it is thick, it's still easy to distribute to the ends of my hair without making them sticky or greasy looking. I usually apply leave in conditioner and a hair oil on the bottom half of my wet hair, out of the shower after I wash and condition my hair. The way I can tell if an oil is working is if the ends of my hair are still well moisturized and non-frizzy after not washing it for 3 or 4 days. And that's exactly what happened after I used this oil! I don't know how it works on dry hair as I haven't used it that way yet.
Ingredient wise it contains more silicones than oils, but that's okay with me since I get the results I'm looking for. If you read my post on occlusives and sleeping packs, then you may remember that silicones are great for locking in moisture.
Out of everything in this post, this is the product I've used the least. I bought it during Sephora's recent sale and have been using it a few times a week for the past two weeks.
What first attracted me to this was the ingredient list. I've had good results from charcoal and tea tree products on my face, so I hoped they would help my scalp as well. It also contains witch hazel water, biotin, ginger root oil, peppermint oil, and sodium hyaluronate. According to the product description, it's supposed to reduce scalp irritation and inflammation, normalize oil production, help keep the scalp balanced and hydrated, and promote healthy hair growth.
So far, it's done nothing for my hair or scalp. I haven't noticed my scalp to be any less dry or itchy when I use it, my roots to be less oily, nor my hair to be any healthier. But like I said I've only been using this for 2 weeks so I'm going to trek on in hopes of seeing some results down the road. I'm also not sure how much and how often to use it-- I guess those are things I'll have to test out more.
The one positive I've noticed is that it dries quickly and doesn't leave any sort of residue on my roots or scalp.
