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IGK Haircare Review

April 17, 2020 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Raise your hand if you’re the type that likes to check if your hair strands are in place before joining any Zoom meetings! True story, right? Even though our situations have changed (hopefully it’ll get better soon), it’s still very important to look our best (or at least presentable) in the virtual world. The products I like to reach for lately especially for Zoom-worthy hair are the ones from IGK. If you’re wondering what IGK means, it’s actually the initials of the stylists/founders’ last names. This brand is known for their colorful packaging and eye-catching labels. Ever since having tried their dry shampoos which are truly hair-savers, I have been testing some of their other products, especially their new releases. So far, most of the stuff I’ve tried from this brand has been really interesting. Let’s take a look.

Dry Shampoo

First Class Charcoal Detox (2-6.3 oz: 14-27 USD) – This is one of the best dry shampoos I’ve ever tried. With minimal scent and less fume, this charcoal dry shampoo is perfect for those with somewhat oily to very oily hair. This can make your hair look clean and fresh even after two days without washing. You may have to use a lot of this though and this can make your hair feel gritty, but still, this works like a charm. I really like that this doesn’t leave any white residue on the hair and this can save you a lot of time when hair grooming.

Jet Lag Invisible Dry Shampoo (6.3 oz: 27 USD) – This dry shampoo is a toned-down version of the First Class Detox shampoo above. This is meant for those with slightly oily hair the next day or for those who just want to add a bit of texture in their hair. For me, this only works to keep my hair looking fresh the following day. Other than that, this won’t work for those with super oily hair. Most of the time, I just use this as a texturizer or even to add a bit of volume to my hair.

Texturizing

Beach Club Texture Spray (1.7-5 oz: 14-29 USD) – This is probably one of the most wonderful and reliable texturizing sprays I’ve ever tried. If it wasn’t for the strong coconut scent, I would have made this as my most favorite hair texturizing spray because this really works well in creating or adding texture to your hair. This also gives that natural “beach hair” look and this even adds volume. Also, this texturizer is salt-free, non-sticky, and this doesn’t dry the hair. For an overall well-performing hair texturizer with a very pleasing scent, the Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray is still my top favorite.

Rich Kid Coconut Oil Gel (1.7-5 oz: 15-29 USD) – This award-winning coconut-infused creamy hair texturizer has a lot of purpose. You can create an air-dried tousled hair, wavy-textured hair, or frizz-free beach hair with this styler if those are your style. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work well on my straight hair especially if it’s very clean. This does tame the frizzies, but this also makes my hair look too textured and too scrunched. I find that this works very well on second-day unwashed hair to create that natural lived-in textured look that a lot of people especially on TV are sporting nowadays, and perhaps the kind of hair you may want to do when you need to be in Zoom ASAP.

Straightening/Masks

Antisocial Overnight Bond-Building Dry Hair Mask (5 oz: 34 USD) – This color-safe bond-building dry hair mask which feels like a dry shampoo is meant to repair and strengthen the hair over time. To use this, you’re supposed to apply this product at night as a hair mask, and that works really well. Also, for me, I like to use this whenever I feel like my hair has bents or has some waves that need to be straightened asap. What I noticed is that this really works in relaxing, softening, and detangling the hair. Most of all, the effect seems to be quite long-lasting and this seems to improve the hair’s texture, overall look, and condition. The scent of this may be a bit too much for some, however, given that this really works well on the hair, I think this is one of my most favorite products from IGK and I definitely recommend that you try it.

Good Behavior Spirulina Protein Smoothing Spray (5.6 oz: 32 USD) – This is a very interesting IGK product because this is a heat protectant spray that can actually make your hair look like it just had a Keratin treatment. To use, you must first coat your hair with this product, blow-dry it in sections, then finish it with a flat iron to achieve that smooth, shiny, and straightened keratinized-hair look. Personally, I don’t use it as indicated because I noticed that it made my hair look too heavy and somewhat oily since this has a dry oil feel. I prefer to use this as a finishing spray because this gives my hair a nice shine while still retaining some of the volume. But, if you want to achieve that pin-straight hair and want your hair to look more tamed and definitely less frizzy, you must follow the instructions. You might actually love the result.

Offline 3-Minute Hydration (6.7 oz: 38 USD) – I have a new favorite hair mask and it’s this quick 3-minute only Offline mask. I love the name of this mask and I love how this mask made my hair look hydrated, healthy, light, and shiny even after just a few uses. I feel like this has restored my hair back to its natural volume and vitality. On top of that, this mask works really well with any lightweight volumizing shampoo. The consistency of this very thick, so, you only have to use a bit. This though has a somewhat strong coconut scent, but will not be noticeable after rinsing. I definitely recommend this mask and I wish IGK will continue to make more interesting hair masks like this and with interesting names as well. The next one should be called “Quarantine Hair” or “Zoom Me Maybe” lol 😃 .

What do you think about IGK’s haircare products? What are your tips for a good hair day, at least online?

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Ouai Shampoo and Conditioner for Fine Hair Review

April 9, 2020 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 1 Comment

Hello. In line with taking care of ourselves during these quarantine times, it’s very important to take time to breathe, relax, stretch, exercise, and have a good soothing shower. Remember: “A sound mind is in a sound body”. So, speaking of baths and showers, I have a haircare line to recommend, that is if, you haven’t tried this line yet.

The Ouai Shampoo and Conditioner for Fine Hair is a surprise love for me. At first, I didn’t expect much from this line, thinking it would be just like any of those shampoos and conditioners that claim to add volume and bounce, yet most of them didn’t really work for me. However, I do love a lot of Ouai’s haircare stuff, so, I gave this a try. My first impression of these? I was blown away.

As a side note, my hair is quite flat, straight, and has mostly fine strands especially in the inner layers, however, I also have some sort of thick strands mixed-in. On top of that, it tends to get oily. So, I always look for a good volumizing lightweight shampoo and conditioner to help with the issue. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t like moisturizing haircare products. It really all depends on the situation. In fact, I’m planning to review the Ouai Shampoo and Conditioner for Medium Hair soon to see if that will also work for me. For now, let’s take a look at these.

Ouai Fine Hair Shampoo (10-32 oz: 28-56 USD) – This shampoo has a nice light floral scent (taken from Ouai’s Mercer St. EDP) which has a bit of lemon, jasmine, and musk. This has a very very lightweight feel that is definitely formulated for fine hair that needs volume or body. Also, this shampoo is color-safe, has no harsh ingredients, and this has Hydrolyzed Keratin which tames frizzies and flyaways. What I really like about this shampoo is that this foams and rinses the hair very well without having to use too much. This makes the hair feel so clean without drying it and this gets rid of excess oil. Along with the conditioner for fine hair, this shampoo delivers what it’s supposed to be.

Ouai Fine Hair Conditioner (10-32 oz: 28-56 USD) – This conditioner has a nice smooth feel that is quite fluid and totally light. This has the same ingredients as the Fine Shampoo which has Biotin and Chia Seed Oil but this is definitely not thick and this doesn’t weigh the hair down. The jasmine scent of this is quite more noticeable than the shampoo counterpart but still very very light. I really like that the effect of this conditioner plus the shampoo gave that right look of clean, soft, bouncy hair and with relaxed or tamed frizzies and flyaways.

Overall, I am utterly impressed with this Shampoo and Conditioner. I think these are becoming my holy grail haircare since there aren’t really many shampoos and conditioners out there that truly volumizes the hair and makes it look clean. On top of that, these make the hair look nice and still volumized even the next day, and with the sleek packaging along with the lovely light floral scent, I really recommend these for those with fine hair.

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Kérastase Haircare Favorites

March 7, 2020 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hello everyone. Happy Friyay and happy weekend soon. It’s been a while since I talked about my all-time favorite haircare brand – Kérastase. For me, Kérastase is my ride-or-die haircare brand. Regardless of what my day is going to be or what the situation may call for, this brand always seems to nail my hair goals. I find their products to be reliable and they really deliver in solving your haircare needs. However, Kérastase is a high-end haircare brand where not all of their products are made of natural clean ingredients and only a few are Sulfate-free.

Speaking of Sulfates. I try to avoid using haircare products that have Sulfates in them because even though Sulfate cleanses your hair thoroughly, it can also strip the natural oils from your strands and scalp, which can make them very dry in the long run. Also, it’s not advisable to use Sulfates on chemically processed or color-treated hair for the same reason that Sulfates are really stripping.

There are only a few Kérastase products that I love, but I love them very much nonetheless. They are mostly Sulfate-free.

Discipline Sulfate-Free Smoothing Shampoo & Cleansing Conditioner – These are the first-ever Kérastase products I’ve ever tried years ago, and they’re still my faves nowadays. These are what you’d call hydrating and moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, and they definitely make your hair frizz-free, soft, and super manageable. The shampoo itself feels light and it lathers very well with just one drop. It leaves a moisturized feel after rinsing. The conditioner is very lightweight yet very moisturizing at the same time. It does have a distinctive scent that is pretty hard to describe, but it’s not heady or anything like that. What I really like about this duo is that this really makes the hair look relaxed even on hot and humid days. I would say that these are perfect for any hair types, but also especially for those with dry or damaged hair, and of course for those with chemically-processed, colored, permed, or treated hair.

Another great Sulfate-free product from Kérastase is the Reflection line. This line is geared towards color-treated hair. I especially love the Reflection Sulfate-Free Shampoo and it has a very interesting light floral scent. I find the consistency of it to be not as thick as the Discipline line above, yet it still delivers maximum hydration. Since it’s designed for color-treated hair, it aims to preserve color, add shine, and vibrance. So, take note, if you color your hair, this will work very well for you.

For weekly cleansing, I use the Kérastase Aura Botanica Shampoo. This is a very lightweight Sulfate-free cleansing shampoo that has Micellar Water as one of its main ingredients. I don’t think this shampoo is meant for those with dry hair since this can be a little too drying for everyday use. It is made of clean and natural ingredients though and it’s definitely gentle. However, I would say that this is more suitable for once or twice a week use/cleansing only because this can remove impurities and product build-up from the strands, but the Micellar ingredient of this might be too drying for some.

Products not mentioned here that I also love from Kérastase is the Discipline Oleo-Relax Anti-Frizz Oil Serum. This lightweight dry hair oil can actually tame the frizz ASAP even with just a minute amount. I love using this on hot and humid days and it smells wonderful. I’ve read that this is also one of Jared Leto’s haircare faves. Now, judging from Jared’s/Jordan Catalano’s mane, he surely does have an amazing crowning glory.

Another product that I seem to love from Kérastase lately is the Ciment Thermique Resistance Blow-Dry Primer for Damaged Hair. I received a sample of this and even though I’m still currently investigating this product, I have nothing but good impressions so far. The scent of this is a lovely fruity one and it doesn’t weigh the hair down. I love that this protects the hair from constant heat styling (up to 450°F), and this also controls frizz and reduces breakage. Will talk more about this product soon once I’m done testing it.

That’s it for my favorite Kérastase products of all time guys. I don’t think I will be adding more to this roundup unless Kérastase will come up with something extraordinary or perhaps will launch another Sulfate-free line. For now, I’m very satisfied with these haircare products and I highly recommend them.

Are you a Kérastase fan?

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