So, I have long curly hair that tends to get dried out from overusing heat tools. And, early in the summer, I got a wonderful hair-kit from Sephora filled with many hair products to try. And, I was surprised that I loved them all ( well except for the dry shampoo which I never use. I am not a fan of dry shampoo in general). Below is a rundown of all the products I tried.
Bumble and bumble. Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Primer
Bumble and bumble is a classic haircare brand that I have loved since forever. So, when I saw this was in the kit, I was super excited. I love their plain invisible hair oil, so I felt I would love their primer.
- What it is: A frizz-fighting leave-in treatment that detangles, protects, and conditions dry, coarse, or brittle hair, while also providing UV and heat protection.
- Main Ingredients: Coconut Oil, Macadamia Seed Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Grape Seed Oil, UV filters to protect against sun damage. Free of sulfates, parabens, formaldehyde, and phthalates
- How it performs: I use it before blow-drying, before using my flat iron, and spritz it on before I head out for the day. It feels very lightweight and doesn’t make your hair feel heavy like some styling products can tend to do. And, after styling my hair, it feels soft. Plus, my hair doesn’t look like a big frizz ball. I’d give this a 5/5.
Drybar Hot Toddy Heat Protectant Mist
Growing up when I started using a flat iron at 14 years old, I really wished I would have been more diligent when it came to using a heat protectant spray. Because I really burned and damaged my hair throughout the years.
- What it is: A lightweight spray that protects dry hair from heat styling with curling, straightening, and styling irons; controlling frizz and adding shine. It is supposed to provide heat protection up to 450°F.
- Main Ingredients: Marula Oil, Fire Tulip Extract, Heat Activated Rice Protein, and UV Absorbers to shield hair from UV rays. Free of parabens, sulfates, and phthalates
- How it performs: So, I use this when I am going to use my hair straightener. My hair feels super soft after using my iron and has a beautiful shine to it. So, overall, I am happy. I’d give this a 4/5
Briogeo™ Be Gentle, Be Kind™ Superfoods Shampoo & Conditioner( Kale + Apple)
Listen, I love eating healthy, so when I hear a beauty product has kale in it, I get excited. I only had one sample packet of this to use up and got two uses out of it. So, keep that in mind.
- What it is: A nutrient-rich, green juice inspired shampoo and conditioner duo quenches parched strands, and help deliver vital daily nourishment to hair and scalp. It is supposed to boost dull locks, hydrate hair, and protect from environmental damage.
- Main Ingredients: Matcha, Kale, Apple, and Spinach. Features 98 percent naturally derived formula. It has no harsh sulfates, no silicones, no phthalates, no parabens, no artificial dyes.
- How it performs: It left my hair looking healthy and shiny. And, as it was only 2 uses I had out of it, I had a good experience. I have dry and curly hair, so it worked on my hair. I had read many reviews on Sephora, saying that it was not a product that should be used on color-treated hair. So, keep that in mind. Based off two uses I’d give this a 4/5.
Briogeo™ Don’t Despair, Repair!™ Deep Conditioning Mask
For me, the most important thing is a conditioner. So, I would always say if you had to pick spend more money on your conditioner that you shampoo. I had tried this mask before when I had the regular size of it and loved it.
- What it is: An intensive weekly treatment to restore essential hydration and enhance hair’s resilience and strength. It’s supposed to restore moisture, create vibrancy, and prevent future damage.
- Main Ingredients: Rosehip Oil, Algae Extract, B Vitamins, and Almond Oil. Free of sulfates, parabens, formaldehydes, phthalates, and a lot of other things.
- How it performs: As I mentioned already many times, I have curly hair that tends to be on the drier side from flat ironing my hair. I love using this every week. And, it leaves my hair looking silky and feeling soft. With continued use, it helps me get moisture back to my hair, and I think it has improved my hair from shedding as much. I’d give this a 5/5
Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo
I adore Amika’s products. I have thick and curly hair that I mostly blow-dry straight/use a straightening iron on. Since I have thick hair, I actually only need to wash it once a week. And it actually looks better when it’s a bit dirtier. I have tried dry shampoo in the past, but it was just never something that I really needed or made a difference in my hair. But, it worked on my friend who has blonde and thin hair.
- What it is: A dry shampoo formulated without talc or aluminum that refreshes hair by absorbing excess oil and adding volume. It naturally deodorizes hair and adds volume. It helps absorb excess oils.
- Main Ingredients: Oryza Sativa(Rice Starch) and Sea Buckthorn Berry
- How it performs: My friend loved it! She said it didn’t leave any white powdery residue. And, it left her hair feeling soft.
OUAI Wave Spray
- What it is: A weightless texture hair mist infused with rice protein to add hold for effortlessly chic, undone hair. It supposes to help create beach waves, enhance texture, and give her shine. It is safe for color-treated hair/keratin-treated hair. Also, it is made without parabens and sulfates.
- Main Ingredients: Specialty Rice Protein: Protects hair fibers from the oxidative damage due to solar radiation and protects hair keratin from degradation.
- How it performs: I have curly hair that I straighten most of the time. But, I do love the lose wavy, beachy hair look. On my freshly straightened hair, it didn’t much. But, I love using it 3 days after straightening my hair because then the waves hold much longer on my hair. It gives my hair a beautiful wavy tousled look, and I like the fragrance of it.
DevaCurl® WAVE MAKER™ Touchable Texture Whip
DevaCurl makes excellent products for curly hair gals. I adore their coconut curl styling cream. And, I prefer their coconut cream over this one for my hair. This one adds too much volume to my hair then I prefer. But, it is still a great product if that is something you like
- What it is: A light, airy, whipped style that effortlessly helps enhance waves. The cream enhances curls, fights frizz, and volumizes.
- Main Ingredients: Moringa Seed( enhances hair definition), Passion Flower Extract(helps fight frizz)
- How it performs: If you put too much of this in your hair, then it leaves your hair feeling weighed down. My hair dried great with this product in it and didn’t leave a crunchy feel to my curls. I am a fan of light wavy curls that are not full of volume. And, this creates a more voluminous look than I like every day. ( I have a lot of hair). So, I’d give it a 4/5. But, personally, I would buy the full size of their coconut style for my hair instead.
Playa Endless Summer Spray
Playa is a brand new brand for me that I discovered thanks to Sephora.
- What it is: A texture spray formulated with sea salt that gives you the perfectly tousled hair texture you usually only get after a day at the beach. It is supposed to enhance hair’s natural curl, boost volume, and shields hair from environmental damage.
- Main Ingredients: Marine Collagen Complex(Nourishes hair), Pacific Sea Salt(Adds texture), Beta-Carotene(Protects hair and scalp from UV damage.) It is a clean product at Sephora.
- How it performs: It is lightweight, and left me with soft beachy waves. Left me with a little too much volume then I typically like, but still enjoyed it.
VERB® Sea Texture Cream
- What it does: A texturizing leave-in cream that refreshes hair for instant volume, touchable hold, and a breezy texture.
- Main Ingredients: -Sunflower Seed Extract, Sea Water,-Pro-Vitamin B5. Free of sulfates SLS and SLES, parabens, formaldehydes, and mineral oil.
- How it performs: This was another item I gave to my friend to try. She has thin shoulder-length hair, and she put it her hair while it was wet. And, after it dried, it left her with beautiful wavy hair.
Moroccanoil® Moroccanoil Treatment
Since I have thick and curly hair, I’m addicted to trying hair oils. They are one of my favorite hair items. My stylist loves this brand and introduced me to it. And, I have bought multiple bottles of their super popular Moroccan oil treatment.
- What it is: A versatile, argan oil-infused hair treatment and styler that promotes softer, stronger hair with increased shine and less frizz.
- Main Ingredients: Argan Oil(rich in tocopherols (vitamin E), essential fatty acids, and antioxidants that hydrate and nourish the hair). Linseed Extract(derived from flaxseed, a good source of alpha-linolenic acid; an essential fatty acid that helps improve the health of hair)
- How it performs: I use this on my wet hair before it dries, and then I use it on other days as oil to tame my dry hair. I love it. When I use this oil continuously, my hair looks shinier and healthier. Plus, it doesn’t make your hair feel weighed down like most oils tend to do.
Living proof.® No Frizz Instant De-Frizzer
Living Proof is another solid brand out there for hair care. From their shampoo’s/conditioners to their styling treatments they produced amazing products. So, far, I have loved all their products I have tried for my hair type.
- What it does: A dry conditioning spray that instantly tames up to 92 percent of frizz on dry hair by adding softness, smoothness, and shine.
- Main Ingredients: Patented Healthy Hair Molecule OFPMA: Seals the cuticle and smooths without buildup. It is free of parabens and silicones.
- How it performs: This is one of my favorite hair sprays to de-frizz. It helps eliminate the frizz on my thick and curly hair. Plus, it makes my hair feel soft and doesn’t leave it with that crunchy hair spray feeling. Enjoyed it on my naturally curly hair and when I straightened my hair.
IGK Mistress Hydrating Hair Balm
This was the first product I ever tried from IGK, and I loved it. It has a lovely coconut balmy texture. I wouldn’t travel with it in the hot summertime, because I feel like it would just melt in the tube and lose its texture.
- What it is: A leave-in conditioning balm that melts into hair to boost hydration and reduce frizz.
- Main Ingredients: Coconut Oil(Helps restore and repair hair from the inside out by reducing protein loss and keeping hair moisturized.) Shea Butter(Helps hydrate, soften, and protect hair) Argan Oil(Helps nourish and smooth strands). It is free of many things like sulfates SLS and SLES, parabens, formaldehydes, formaldehyde-releasing agents, phthalates, retinyl palmitate, and oxybenzone.
- How it performs: It performs beautifully. I like putting this in my hair to let my curls air dry naturally. It leaves me with super soft curls with no crunch. And, on my straightened hair, it leaves it feeling smooth and frizz-free. It has a lovely coconut smell. Who doesn’t love coconut! So, I am a massive fan of IGK after this product.