Charcoal in my hair? No way, Can't be, Can it? [Shampoo/condition/mask Review]

The 'her/she' persona played by my hair

Shampoo: her many suitors

Let me introduce you to my hair. She has been dyed many many times. She is thick and coarse; the typical asian hair. She hates long walks on the beach because then it makes her dry and weird. Lately she's been more on the dryer side (usually she's very oily) so she is very particular in the shampoos she dates. 

Now these products from "HASK Charcoal Purifying Hair Care Collection" did not impress her to the optimum level. They were very ordinary and didn't affect her in any way. The hair care set gave her slight butterflies in her stomach with their scent, but other than that, they were like any other shampoos she's swiped right for. Maybe she hasn't given them a chance long enough to really show her a good time, but for the past two or so weeks, they were just like any ordinary hair care set.

I hope you got a kick out of that short dating story. Now for the real detailed review. 

Photo credit: Hask

As said above I was not quite impressed. It was not a wow factor, however I did like the idea of the haircare set. Charcoal "cleanses and clarifies." 

"Charcoal acts as a magnet that attracts and removes impurities. Leaves hair full of body and shine without stripping away moisture. Non-staining and safe for all hair colors - natural or dyed"

I did see a bit more shine with my hair and my hair wasn't dryer than it was before so I can say that it did do what it claims. 

Charcoal Purifying ShampooCleanses and ClarifiesFree of: sulfates, parabens, phthalates, gluten, drying alcohol and artificial colors
Introducing the best kept secret for hair…HASK Purifying Charcoal Shampoo. Charcoal, derived from coconut shells, combined with lemon and grapefruit oils, thoroughly cleanses and clarifies while helping to eliminate impurities from your hair and scalp. Gentle enough for daily use and safe for color-treated hair. We promise, the charcoal washes out! Ideal for all hair types. Directions: Apply generously to wet hair. Massage into a thick lather, rinse thoroughly, and repeat as often as you desire. For best results, use the HASK Charcoal Purifying collection. 

Charcoal Purifying ConditionerCleanses and ClarifiesFree of: sulfates, parabens, phthalates, gluten, drying alcohol and artificial colors
HASK Purifying Charcoal Conditioner is the perfect partner to the Charcoal Shampoo. Charcoal, derived from coconut shells, combined with citrus oil, conditions and locks in moisture while helping to absorb impurities, leaving hair silky, frizz-free and ready for styling. Gentle enough for daily use and safe for color-treated hair. We promise, the charcoal washes out! Ideal for all hair types. Directions: Shampoo hair and remove excess water. Apply generously, leave on for 1-2 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. For best results, use the HASK Charcoal Purifying collection.

Charcoal Purifying Deep ConditionerCleanses and ClarifiesFree of: sulfates, parabens, phthalates, gluten, drying alcohol and artificial colors
HASK Charcoal Purifying Deep Conditioner, is a super moisturizing, clarifying treatment that will nourish and soften all hair types, (including color-treated hair). Charcoal, derived from coconut shells, combined with citrus oil, absorbs impurities and helps restore hair to its natural radiance. We promise, the charcoal washes out!Directions: Apply a generous amount of Charcoal Purifying Deep Conditioner to clean, wet hair. Massage into hair focusing on damaged areas. Let penetrate for 10 minutes. Rinse well. Style as usual.

The shampoo&conditioner itself is a gray metallic color just like how you would expect charcoal to look. Don't let the color scare you, because as it says, it does not stain your hair. I can tell you from first hand experience - when I first got the products I had very light orangey blonde hair and it did not stain it at all, and right now after re-dying it to a darker color, it did not strip away any of the dye. Also, the scent is pleasant and citrusy but for those who are very sensitive, I wouldn't recommend sniffing too much (but please don't hesitate to try it out first). The shampoo gives a nice lather with minimal products so a little goes a long way. The bottles itself is hard to distinguish between the shampoo and conditioner which for me is a bleh because that's just an extra step. **I wear glasses/contacts so the days I don't have anything in my eyes, the world is just an annoying blur** 

Don't get me wrong, the product itself isn't bad, I will continue using it & I would recommend it to anyone just as a simple shampoo conditioner set but not for any other special reason.  

I will continue to use the set and I will definitely update if I see any other results in the long run.

The set also came with a hairbrush, which I was oddly impressed with. I don't usually brush my hair because I like the natural voluminous texture, but when I tried this brush out, my hair was very straight (as if I used a straighter). This may only be a personal experience, but the brush was rather nice and tamed my hair. The scent was horrid however, it had this bad plastic smell but other than that the size and all was pretty nice and great for traveling. 

Another thing it came with is a deep conditioner, which I wasn't able to try out yet, but seems promising and I love any hair mask! It does come in a packet, but there is A LOT of product in it. Probably can't use all of it in one use so I have to figure out how to save it without drying out. 

If you're interested in the products click here
For more information: 

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• Instagram: https://instagram.com/haskhair/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/HaskHair
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/haskhair/ 

xoxo

Disclaimer: This product was sent to me but words are 100% my own. I do not get paid when you click on the link so feel free to browse at your convenience. 

The Best of 2015: Beauty/Skincare/Hair Edition

I know I keep interchanging "the best' and "favorites" but you get the idea ;p

In no particular order here are my "The Best of 2015 - Beauty Edition."

{REVIEW} Pura d'or Hair & Body Care

Pura d'or Hair & Body Care

Photo owned by Pura d'or

"About the Product (from their website)"
The Premium Organic Argan Oil Based Hair Loss Prevention Shampoo is one of a kind. It contains 12 DHT Blockers, creates thicker hair and prevents from further hair loss.

The Premium Organic Argan Oil Based Conditioner adds texture, shine and volume to hair. Our shampoos and conditioners are free from SLS, Parabens and Gluten!

The Pure and Organic Argan is great for skin! It's 100% cold pressed. It helps create smoother skin, restores nutrients to cells and reduces scars.

My Words
I've been seeing a trend lately with this whole "Argan oil" this and that. I've had my fair share of good experiences with Argan oil products and a couple bad ones. Maybe I'll do a comparison if ya'll would like (comment down below). Anyways, Argan oil is a multipurpose oil which you literally can google and find lists and lists of good products. I've prefer it only on my hair but it's a great to add into your skincare routine as well, but I digress.

I really liked the fact that these products were made from natural organic ingredients and no parabens, no SLS, no harsh chemicals. It's always a plus for me. The packaging was super cute and chic. They individually came in wrapped in the air tight plastic film, so you know it has never been opened or used. Each bottle is approximately 3 months supply so it'll last long, but if you're someone like me I'd probably use this two days of the week because I have my other hair care treatments.

My first disappointment was the pump. Only the Shampoo pump was defected (definitely a manufacturer issue which I did let the company know) which totally bummed me out. Then the smell of the shampoo wasn't my cup of tea. To me it smelled like some sort of chemical (minty, peppermint, with a hint of cleaning supplies) but I've noticed with my other experiences with argan oil products that those didn't have the best smell either. I was intrigued by it's claim of "prevents from future hair loss / excessive shedding" because I am a prime example of excessive shedding. It bothers me because I have to clean my floors more often than normal girls and of course it's just inconvenient.  I've tried this out for two weeks (used 4x) already and it hasn't shown any improvement yet - but like everything else, it won't happen overnight, so I have high hopes still.

Conditioner I was a little more satisfied with especially because it has a great smell, "Lavender Vanilla" - yum. My only issue, which can be a big one to some people was after I applied the conditioner. My routine is after shampooing, I condition my hair and leave it up in a clip until I'm done with my body wash routine, etc. While rinsing, my hair felt so heavy - it wasn't silky smooth like other conditioners are when you rinse it out. Also, my hands felt like there were oil on them (although their wasn't), but that feeling of heaviness was on my hands as well. BUT, once my hair started to dry it wasn't completely normal. My hair was smooth, and light and smelled really good.

The Argan oil is no different than my other argan oil treatments that I am currently using for:

• moisturizing my skin at night
• nail cuticles
• hair

For me personally I'd give it a A- to B+ range because yea it did it's job of cleaning and conditioning, but so far I haven't seen results beyond the normal use of shampoo and conditioner. I would still higher up my list because they are organic products which in the long run - I'm sure will greatly benefit.

It is #1 rating for shampoo and conditioner on amazon!

For more information check out their website.

*Disclaimer: Products were sent to me by Pura D'or, but words are 100% my own*

xoxo

[REVIEW] Superior Hydration Argan Oil Hair Mask & Co.

InstaNatural

Hair  care & skincare "using premium organic and natural ingredients in their formulations without the use of harmful alcohols, parabens or sulfates." 

Argan Oil Hair Mask

Photo from InstaNatural

It is a hair mask that is a deep conditioning treatment that "transforms dry and damaged strands into soft, shiny, healthy hair." Also claims to "enhance texture and shine."

About the Product
from InstaNatural 

InstaNatural's Argan Oil Hair Mask is a deep conditioning treatment designed to transform dry and damaged strands into soft, shiny, healthy hair. Its restorative ingredients - such as Argan Oil, Japanese Green Tea, Amino Acid Complex, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil, Avocado Oil & Vitamin B5 - work together to penetrate hair deep down and deliver ultimate nourishment and hydration to enhance texture and shine. This intensive blend full of organic ingredients also serves to strengthen hair to defend against heat damage and other external aggressors

Key Active Ingredients:
+ Argan Oil
+ Amino Acid Complex
+ Coconut Oil
+ Shea Butter
+ Vitamin B5

My Words:
The smell isn't so great in my opinion, but thankfully, it doesn't linger in your hair once your hair dries.

What I noticed with the first time use, is that you need to figure out how much to apply on your hair. I used too much the first time and my hair was heavy and not as soft as I thought it should be. They recommended you to play around with the amount of product you use depending on your hair length and volume so that's what I did after my first attempt. A lot of the product doesn't mean it'll work better.

So I used this product for about 2 weeks before publishing this review so I can really see the longterm effects of this hair mask and I AM IN LOVE! I calculated the amount of product I needed for my hair after a couple of uses and it left it absolute perfection. My hair is super soft and less oily than before. Background story: I wash my hair every other day or every two days and before I used this hair mask, my hair would get really oily and unbearable to handle. However, after using this product It was less oily as I mentioned earlier even during the "non-shower" days. Also during the winter, my hair gets super dry and with this hair mask - it feels more hydrated.

Majority of the time I used it during my shower as a normal conditioner about twice a week. If I have more time, I use the hair mask as instructed by InstaNatural.

I am very impressed with this product because after so many years of dying my hair, I thought it would take expensive hair salon treatment to get it back in shape, but now my hair has never been healthier and soft.

I HIGHLY recommend this product! PLUS it's all natural ingredients!

Purchase this on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MNK9R5Y


Other InstaNatural Products to try: 

Vitamin C Serum

Photo from InstaNatural

The smell isn't too strong. My face is baby's butt smooth after application. I've been using this for about two weeks already and the redness of my face is slowly disappearing and the serum helps hydrate my skin.

How I use the product:
Clean your face and use a toner.
Apply few drops on your fingertips, rub them together and massage into your skin and let it sink in for a few minutes.
Once the serum is dried apply moisturizer on top AFTERWARDS.
I use this twice a day (morning and night)

I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good Vitamin C serum. It definitely comes close to my favorite Ole Henrisksen truth serum.

Purchase this on Amazon.com

Argan Oil (hair, skin, lips, nails)

Photo from InstaNatural

The smell is ok, I don't hate it.

There are MULTIPLE uses for this oil and the few ways I've tried are the following:

Hair: Controls frizzy hair
Moisturizer: Hydrates my skin without it feeling greasy
Nails: Rubbing oil on my cuticles

Still A LOT more ways to use this and still in the process of experimenting.


Purchase this on Amazon.com

Check their website for more InstaNatural products: http://instanatural.com
http://twitter.com/InstaNatural
https://www.facebook.com/instanaturalcompany

**Disclaimer: Products were sponsored to me by InstaNatural but words unless otherwise quoted are 100% my own.**

xoxo