Here is a list of what products I used up during the past few months, what I thought of them, and which ones I might repurchase.
Shampoo
From left to right:
- Larry King Good Life For Your Hair Shampoo: I enjoyed it, I think it washed the hair well while keeping it hydrated at the same time.This is actually a refill version but I felt I could use it directly out of the tube, no need to transfer it to another container. It’s too expensive for me to repurchase, but I’ll look into other products from the brand.
- Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro Exfoliating shampoo (x2): honestly, there are very few exfoliating hair products that don’t bug me. And this isn’t one of them. I could feel the little micro beads on my head even after rinsing the shampoo – even after applying and rinsing conditioner! I felt the “exfoliation” added nothing but stress to my routine (but I also don’t suffer from dandruff) and beyond that, it’s just a run-of-the-mill shampoo. Won’t repurchase.
- Hask Argan Oil Repairing Shampoo: pretty good for the price, I think it’s a bit watered down but it is very inexpensive, and those two things usually go hand in hand. It washes the hair without stripping it, but I keep having to use more than I typical do with other shampoos to thoroughly wash my hair. I was first made aware of the brand due to their argan oil vial (it used to be sold in Primark) and that one, even though super cheap, is amazing. I’m sure I’ll repurchase the shampoo (and conditioner, which I also tried) at some point because it was so inexpensive and it’s often on sale.
- Sachajuan Ocean Mist Volume Shampoo: not a fan, I think it dried out my hair a little bit. Maybe stripping the hair of its natural oils is their trick to get more volume (the hair is less weighted down this way) but I honestly only felt like the hair was less hydrated and with no extra volume. It was not a trade off, it was just off. Won’t be repurchasing.
- Aveda Shampure Nurturing Shampoo: I don’t like this. I don’t know what’s nurturing about it because my hair feels dry after using it. I absolutely could not skip conditioner when using this shampoo, two washes in a row and my hair would be like straw. Clearly, won’t be repurchasing.
Shampoo + Conditioner Pairs and Hair Masks
- John Frieda Frizz Ease Miraculous Recovery Repairing Shampoo and Conditioner: nothing to write home about. Certainly not miraculous. It performed just like an average drugstore shampoo and conditioner. I felt it was a bit watered down, my hair could’ve used a bit more conditioning. It is not uber expensive but I’ve found cheaper alternatives that have performed better. Will not repurchase.
- Sachajuan Scalp Shampoo and Conditioner: I enjoyed using this pair, I think they worked well as a shampoo and conditioner for normal-to-dry hair, but I don’t suffer from dandruff so I don’t know how to evaluate their supposed scalp benefits. I likely won’t repurchase these, but they got me interested enough in the brand for me to look more into Sachajuan.
- Bouclème Curls Redefined Intensive Moisture Treatment: I enjoyed this, I think it helped with maintaining my waves, and my hair felt decently conditioned. It also lasted quite a long time. Whenever I want my hair to get wavy again, I’ll consider repurchasing and probably give a second look into the brand and their other offerings.
- Amika Flash Instant Shine Mask: such a disappointment. I did not notice any difference with this, apart from my hair being conditioned (to the same degree that it would be with any other average conditioner). There was no extra shine. I had no problem using it up, but if I’m looking for shine, this isn’t going to do it. Won’t be repurchasing.
- Curlsmith Double Cream Deep Quencher: it was quite hydrating for my hair, and it didn’t weight it down (although I didn’t notice it added any more definition to my waves). I don’t think I’ll repurchase just out of lack of convenience (I would have to order it online) but it was pleasant to use.
- Hair by Sam McKnight Deeper Love Intense Treatment Mask: I was kind of disappointed with this one: sure, it conditions, but it’s nothing memorable. I was expecting my hair to feel silky smooth after using it and it was just meh. It’s too expensive for such average results, so I won’t be repurchasing.
Dry Shampoo and Volume Products
- Batiste Original Dry Shampoo: probably my third or forth bottle. It’s not the best dry shampoo I’ve ever tried, but it’s one of the cheapest and it gets the job done. It can leave that white powdery cast on the hair if you don’t rub it in enough, but it doesn’t take too much effort to make this work. I’m going to repurchase, eventually.
- Grow Gorgeous Volume Root Stimulating Primer: besides a minty sensation on my scalp, this did nothing. I had high hopes and none of them were minimally met. This is supposed to be a pre-shampoo, but it did nothing in terms of volume, washing or conditioning. Using it or not using it is the same thing. I have tried other products from Grow Gorgeous that did work, so this is a flop – but if I hadn’t, I’d be completely turned off from the brand. Won’t repurchase.
- Moroccanoil Extra Volume Conditioner: this was amazing. I noticed my hair had so much more volume when I used it – and this is just the conditioner, I haven’t even tried the volume shampoo. It hydrated my hair but instead of weighting it down it made it light and bouncy and oh-so-voluminous. I will absolutely be repurchasing, and I’ll be trying the shampoo and the root boost spray. I already knew and loved Moroccanoil’s Original Oil, but this Extra Volume conditioner really pushed it into my top three favourite haircare brands.
Well, I saved the best for the very last. There is not a lot from this list that I will repurchase, but I did discover some new interesting brands.
