Organix Awapuhi Ginger Shampoo Review

For anyone who has read my high praise for Ojon Damage Reverse hair products and balked at the high price, I've managed to find an alternative that is kinder to your hair and your purse strings! The Organix Awapuhi Ginger range is free of parabens and sulphates, and is currently on a 2 for £10 offer at Waitrose. Normally the shampoo retails at £6.99 for 385ml, which is better value for money than spending around £20 for 250ml of product.  

Awapuhi Ginger extract and keratin protein acts to revive and strengthen the hair, according to the blurb on the front of the packaging. Yet, other natural inclusions like cocoa seed butter, avocado oil and aloe leaf juice also help to tame the frizz and came as a welcome surprise when reading the ingredients list.  

Over the last few months, I've been using this in various combinations and it works so beautifully with the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer as a pre-wash treatment that I could skip conditioner if I'm really pushed for time. This formula is really nourishing to my thick hair with minimal tangles left behind when drying. Unlike other sulphate free shampoos I've tried, this one really foams. After 2 months, I have noticed a lot less breakage and my hair is much healthier with a noticeable shine. If you have dry, coarse hair like me this has to be on your 'to try' list.

I'm considering the idea of doing a wash day diary once a month, so you can see what products I use on a regular basis more quickly (I'd been using this shampoo since Christmas and it's only made an appearance now). In fairness, once I find something that works well it rarely changes, but I thought it would be nice to take you with me on my hair journey. Let me know what you think.

Candice x

Hair Talk #2

This is a slight overview of things I have been trying recently. I bit the bullet yesterday and got my hair relaxed at the hairdressers after putting it off for 7 months. Usually, this is a big no-no, as the different textures (straight and afro) can cause the hair to break if not cared for properly. I was complemented on the condition of my hair, considering that having 4 months regrowth can be risky, let alone 7! I tend to use hair oils a lot, as shown by this post, but here are some new additions that I think have made a difference.

Ojon Rare Blend Protecting Treatment - £23 here 

After being seriously impressed by the Damage Repair range, I have been buying things direct form Ojon and this full size beauty was a gift with purchase. As my hair got more unruly, this with my Tangleteezer became a match made in heaven. It acts as a detangler and heat protector in one, with 7 rare oils acting to prevent hair breakage and damage from styling. For me, it was an excellent leave-in conditioner as it wasn't too heavy on the hair, but made styling a breeze due to the extra slip . The dual phase can be seen as a bit gimmicky in other rare blend products, but here it is executed perfectly. I still haven't decided if I'd pay full price for this, but it has made hair washing days much more bearable for me.

Philip Kingsley Elasticiser - from £15 here     

I really wasn't expecting this to do anything for my extremely coarse roots, but this is a dream to use as a pre-shampoo treatment and has displaced the Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment - a firm favourite. Left in my hair for 15 minutes this leaves my hair super shiny and much easier to manage. I have experienced less breakage in my hair during my 7 month stretch, and this is probably the reason why - immediately after washing there are fewer tangles and my hair feels a lot smoother. I am also trialling some Philip Kingsley shampoo, but the Elasticiser has now become a permanent step in my routine.    

Are there any hair essentials that you swear by? 

Hair Oils

 

Using hair oils can either be an expensive investment or a budget fix depending on the products used. Brands such as Moroccan Oil have capitalised on this as the focus lay towards quality ingredients, but surprisingly the most hyped up oils tend to be loaded with silicones. As I have afro hair that gets dry quickly, I try to avoid these in favour for more nourishing options. Here are the oils that tend to work well for my hair.

Macadamia Healing Oil Spray - from £10.58 here

Alas, this is one of the silicone sprays, however this still delivers on the moisture and shine. I tend to use this when blow-drying my hair and the process is quicker as a result. It is lightweight and is perfect for fine hair - the spray gives a large amount of oil so I would suggest spraying into the hands and working your way through the ends. Despite the benefits of the macadamia nut, I probably won't repurchase this because of the silicone content.

Coconut Oil (pictured in clear jar)

However unassuming this may look in the old Nutella jar, this has become my saviour in recent months. The coconut oil is solid at room temperature and I warm it in my hands to work into the hair after and between washes. It also imparts shine and texture to the hair (I never like my hair bone straight anyway) especially when used for braid outs. This method of applying coconut oil to freshly washed hair and plaiting my hair for the night leaves me with the most gorgeous curls in the morning. This oil however is very thick, so it can help to tame unruly hair and not a lot is needed. This can be found in health stores (or Amazon) and is a multi use product - an absolute bargain.

An honourable mention goes to castor oil (another health store buy) as my mum has used it in my hair for years. I credit castor oil for my fast hair growth and for soothing any scalp problems. The only downside is that it smells pretty awful, but if I find any nice smelling versions, I will share them on here. I want to try pure Argan oil from Melvita next, but I have no excuse until I use up the Macadamia oil  Are there any oils that you can recommend?  

Hair Talk

I'm in a bit of a rut when it comes to my hair - since having it relaxed (chemically straightened) I've only alternated between a bob and a shoulder length cut. For my next trip to the hairdressers, I've been thinking about getting a pixie crop like Jessica Chastain, putting box braids in like Beyonce on that trip to Cuba or simply growing it out to see if I can get to bra-strap length. I can't decide for a full 5 minutes, so I thought I'd let you in on the products I use on a regular basis.

My hair is quite thick and can get unruly past shoulder length- I remember wash days when I used to get tangles as large as my fist! Now I take care to use nourishing products with less silicones and more natural products, which is why I use the Ojon Damage Reverse range. I first prep the hair before washing with the Restorative Hair Treatment (£16). This comes in a solid paste that you have to warm in your hands to get a nourishing thick oil. The chocolatey tobacco scent isn't to everybody's taste but I do love it and it comes out after shampooing anyway. There is an alternative with a more vanilla smell for those that can't handle weird smells that you can now get as a gift with purchase on the website, but I feel that the original one imparts more moisture onto the hair. It tells you to leave for 20 minutes but as my hair can get really dry I do stretch the waiting time by at least an hour.

Next, I wash my hair with the Ojon Damage Reverse Restorative Shampoo. No other shampoo has left my hair so soft and shiny and the inclusion of castor seed oil amongst many others allows it to fully nourish the hair. Since taking this photo, I have purchased the full size and have not been this happy with a shampoo for a very long time. The range may be pricey, but I have found that ordering from the Ojon website allows you to trial new products and they often give generous samples with your purchase. Other options incluse purchasing mini tester bottles, which can be found in the bigger branches of Boots or on the Ojon website.

For conditioner, however the Ojon Damage Reverse one is just ok, I just had better results using the TIGI Catwalk Oatmeal & Honey Conditioner - which you can get from TK Maxx from £5.99. As this is a salon quaity product it leaves the hair baby soft and makes detangling a breeze. This is also formulated for damaged hair and the Oatmeal and Honey range has quickly become a family favourite (never leave your expensive products in the family bathroom!) Another budget conditioner that does the trick without weighing down the hair is the Aussie Miracle Moist Conditioner. Although I wouldn't recommend the shampoo, this range is great for hydration, especially for afro and  chemically damaged hair.

As there is an emphasis on oils in my haircare routine, I'll let you in on the other products I use in a later post. Hint -  they are much cheaper and easier to use!

I'm not dead... I promise!

Well, I've been a bad blogger, haven't I? Sorry I haven't posted, it's been a mixture of not physically being able to submit anything through Blogger, moving back home and being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of beauty products I've accumulated!! I only have one face after all.

Update 1: I got my hair did! Considering that I've never been a fan of the poker straight look, I have been known to avoid the hairdressers for fear of being burned. But this time, I came out with a short bob and curled it loosely to give that messy tousled look.It probably didn't help that I'd been out in the wind and rain before I took this, it looks like I've been pulled through a hedge...

Update 2: My new makeup routine consists of mixing Revlon Colorstay in toast with YSL's Le Teint Touche Eclat, which seems to have solved the problem of using them individually. On its own, Colorstay gives full coverage,is very matte and this particular shade made my complexion look muddy. On the flipside, YSL's latest offering is very sheer and gives a dewy finish which doesn't last long on my skin. The shade B60 is my closest match despite it being too light for me (it leans more yellow than my skintone) so this compromise gives a more natural semi-matte finish. On my lips is MAC Syrup lipstick, which has become my new go-to nude.

EDIT: I forgot to mention what brush I used for my base as applying the Revlon Colorstay can be a bit tricky and it dries quickly on the face! I apply my foundation with the Real Techniques Stippling Brush as the duofibres allow you to work quickly whilst stippling the product onto your skin. Everyone's been raving about these brushes so I don't think another glowing review is necessarily needed, but before I bought this, I would use a standard foundarion brush and end up using too much product. The Stippling brush gives an even lightweight application without compromising on the coverage.

Update 3: There is SO much I forgot I had! After moving back into a box room, I've had to move everything into storage and it hasn't been easy. A vast amount of it is skincare from different parts of my skin journey, and makeup that I've tried, thought was so-so and cannot bring myself to throw it out. I'm trying to phase out buying so much by just using what I have, but the lack of funds hasn't stopped me compiling a list as long as my arm! Things forgotten include the Revlon Colourstay, SEVERAL nail polishes and my favourite perfume of all time Flight of Fancy by Anna Sui.

I was reminded by another favourite over at The Sunday Girl blog where the mere mention of the Bath and Bodyworks hand sanitisers made my start looking for my own collection. I have 3: Linen, Warm Vanilla Sugar and Fresh Lemon. I'll show you the Lemon one as it's the least battered of them all.

I love these as they're very dinky and handbag friendly without the horrible alcohol scent! Considering I went to America a year or two ago, it's a wonder I have any left at all...

Update 4: After umming and ahhing I decided to visit the BeautyMart at Harvey Nichols to eye up the skincare section and hoard lots of Bioderma. Unfortunately for me, they were sold out of the big bottles, so had to resort to getting the tiny one to test it out... so far so good. I was fairly restrained despite them having Weleda, Balance Me and other organic goodies in stock. As aforementioned I have more than enough skincare (but of course that doesn't stop me wanting to try more, sigh) so I only walked out with Bioderma and yet another polish. FYI, the samples you get are amazing, mine included an oil cleanser.

Whilst in there, I was complemented on my nails, do you like? The green polish is Going Incognito by Essie (pre-diffusion line) and the glittery one is a very pared down Edinburgh Gate by Nails Inc. This glitter polish is so chunky it can be passed off as a sequin mani if you layer it enough, but the combination of silver, green and red particles make it very versatile.

I have a few things planned, such as my Nails Inc Polish Collection, what's in my make-up bag and other fun stuff. Let me know if there's anything else you'd like to see.