Tea Tree special formula shampoo has my heart...

Our city has been experiencing some strange weather patterns. 

Snow. Cold. Heat. and rain probably all within a 2 month span....Sometimes not even that. Last year we had all of that in a week span!

I love the cold. I wish it could be cold all year round. What I don't like is the rain AND cold. When the sun comes through and gives us warmth but still at 40 degree weather....Perfection.

While I sit today and hope for no more rain 😑 and scaring my family with my loud sneezing 😄 I wanted to share a few thoughts about this shampoo that was given to me by Maple Holistics. Such a delightful shampoo because the scent is amazing....

Tea Tree Special formula shampoo

Cost: $8.95

Amount in bottle: 8 Ounces

Made with: Aqua, jojoba oil, botanical keratin, argan oil, tea tree oil, lavender oil, and rosemary oil (and other ingredients, see ingredients list in this post).

What is Tea Tree oil? Melaleuca oil from the leaves of a tea tree or Melaleuca alternifolia.

How I feel about this shampoo:

It's pretty good. According to their website, it is suppose to be beneficial in eliminating dry flakes, among other things but this benefit was one that I was hoping for when trying it out. Dry scalp flakes have been the norm for me nearly all my life, no shampoo has really worked for me. I think only once dry scalp stayed away for a good month, but it always comes back. I don't think it's the type or brand of shampoo, I just believe I have really dry scalp up there!

The first time I used MH tea tree I noticed the scent and the feel of my hair. Aside from the scent, my hair felt clean, manageable, semi soft, and was free from a majority of my scalp flakes. I didn't use it continuously because it only came with 8 ounces and I wanted to see a pattern of benefits as I tried it. I used other shampoos between my use of MH. Every time I went back to MH it was like my hair appreciated the pampering. My hair would feel better and stay that way between shampoos. 

Just recently I started experimenting with no shampoo'd hair. It had nothing to do with the MP shampoo I just wanted to see how my hair would act, just wanted to not have to wash it every day. Well I didn't like it much. After the 1st day (or after 15 hrs sometimes) my hair was very oily, dry flakes would stick around longer (even after brushing or combing), it was unmanageable, and oil would make it's way to my face and ears (oily face and ears, yuck). After this revelation no shampooing for a couple of days was out of question because either way, shampoo or not, I will have flakes. I'll just live with that. 

The point is....If I could just have 2 days (maybe 3) where I'd have a very small amount of dry scalp, yes yes and yes! Even if the oil showed up less dramatic by the 2nd or 3rd day - yes again! 

I can do that with this shampoo.

The only thing that keeps me from using MH tea tree every time I shampoo is that it contains only 8 ounces of product. I have long hair, down to my waist nearly...the whole bottle would probably last one month maybe a half longer......So if MH could make a larger bottle for us long haired gals that would be great! 

Maple Holistics free sample - here

Similar products that I've used include Paul Mitchell Tea Tree shampoo but haven't used this in years, so not sure if the formula has changed since then - 

Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Shampoo ($14)

Amount:10.14 ounces

Made with Tea tree oil, Peppermint and lavender

Disclaimer: Products provided by Maple Holistics at no cost. My opinions are my own. This post contains safe links.

Hair Experiment using Feria's Wild Ombre 060 and Power Reds R57

Deciding on a hair color has never been an easy task. My dark brown locks don't really catch tint all that well so I'm faced with 2 choices - red/burgundy or bleach/highlighting...But I've been doing my own hair tint since I was 13! So experiment time! Let's see what changes I could do...

This is so new to me, but it is a change!

Alot of effort went into this sort of dipped ends/ombre look that I have going on here. I actually wanted the color blend to be a little higher, um I'd say somewhere around my chin, but ultimately I am happy with the result. (Get the makeup look here).

It took me months to decide what color to do. Should I highlight it? Should I cut it first? Should I just lighten it? Weighing in all the costs of upkeep and Salon vs. DIY .....So! I was super duper excited when these landed on my doorstep

I waited until the perfect time to dye away - at almost 5 months pregnant, hahaha yes, cleared by my doctor of course....I decided to cut and style my own hair first, which led me to look over and see these boxes just waiting to be used in some way or another, then I got the idea to Ombre then 'tint the Ombre'...

Pre-Ombre

From start to finish, the whole process took about 5 days. Look at the color of the developer I posted via Instagram, wild right? Pure pigment in there, just this beautiful red fuchsia color! Looks pretty scary in the bottle but creates the most vibrant shade of red as witnessed in the first picture

Tips:

For long hair lengths, a second box of Ombre kit might be needed. I only used 1 because I was so eager to change it up I didn't want to waste time

Follow all directions on the box :)

Bleaching hair takes a toll on hair health so after your 1st step Ombre is finished, treat your hair divinely by conditioning or even deep conditioning your bleached hair a few times before adding on the color tint, but of course this is what I did - completely my opinion

Blend the color tint to mend the part where your bleached part and your natural hair color meet, I added about 2 - 3 inches past my Ombre part

Wait about 3 days before shampooing again after you've completed your colored hair tinting, this is what I did to make sure the color took, completely my opinion :)

*Just a quick note: I am not a hair professional, so if you are going to use these products please use at your own risk :)

Since tinting, my hair routine hasn't changed at all. I oppose using the special 'color treated' shampoos and conditioners because I seldom feel that they work to its purpose.

1 - Suave Professionals Natural Infusion Moisturizing shampoo with Macadamia oil and White orchid
Great shampoo to use, affordable and comes in different formulas (Awapuhi, Seaweed, Moroccan Argan, Keratin, etc)

2 - L'Oreal Total Repair 5 Damage erasing balm

3 - TRESemme No Frizz ultra light Shine spray
It tends give this great shine to the hair and not be oily, perfect near hair ends

4 - It 12 in One Miracle Mist with Abyssinian Oil
Repairs, Strengthens and Protects...I use only for curling or flat ironing. Review coming soon!

Disclosure: All items with an exception of Suave and TRESemme were sent to me for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Fromm Hair Shaper Razor

My new found love! I'm saving my money for other things and handing my own hair cuts now! Sorry hair stylists, I gotta do it!

The Fromm Hair Shaper Razor #107:

-Traditional Stainless Steel
-Blade guard
-Light weight
-From Sally's, only cost me $4.49 plus tax

I have always cut my own hair as far back as I can remember because my issue with hair stylists is that I have attempted a hair appointment for a cut and have been disappointed miserably many times! It seems as though I can never achieve the cut I am aiming for, Talk about frustrations! So to put an end at future hair fiascos I decided to cut my own hair....

-Save money (and gas!)
-Achieve the look you want
-There are sites (Google) that offer step by step instructions how to cut your own hair as well as youtube tutorials

The medium size hand held razor looks like this, is not heavy nor is it cheap looking. I love the way it has grooves as to skip and add dimension to the hair.

I love to razor my hair beforehand and then use a flat iron to create a straight look that is sleek just like in the pic below:

So I'm sold.....I tried it and loved it and I continue to razor my hair every 2 weeks or so. Here is just one example of how my razored ends look:

What is your favorite hair styling tool? :)

Roots Only hair color applicator

It is a re-usable, easy to use hair color applicator that can concentrate on coloring roots!

 

I color my hair very seldomly but next time I decide to change up my color I'll be sure to use my Roots Only applicator :)

 Marie Yamazaki was kind enough to send me a new patented Roots Only hair color applicator to use and enjoy and possibly review. Since I didn't plan on coloring my hair just yet I did try it out using shampoo in the bottle. I have seen comb 'thinga-ma-jigs' and spoon-like hair color applicators before in individual hair coloring boxes but I've never really seen one quite like this before....

Reasons why I like it:

-Easy to use

-Bottle is soft so squeezing is easy

-Liquid comes out evenly, not too fast and not too slow

-Comb is long in length so it covers a good amount of hair per application

-Bottle can hold a little more than 4 oz of liquid

-Easy to clean after use

-Bottle is perfectly sized, it is not obnoxious so it doesn't take up alot of space on your bathroom shelf

Roots Only hair color applicator comb costs $5.99 and at a good price since it is re-usable. For those in the cosmetology/hair styling industry you can order 2 or 3 at a time at a discount.

Visit http://www.rootsonly.com/ for more information

Review of Yuko Repair Through

Yuko is the original Japanese Hair Straightening company in the United States. The patented revolutionary technology straightens hair without compromising the hair’s health or vibrance.

I had a wonderful chance to experience Yuko products for myself. I was contacted and sent a free bottle of Yuko's Repair Through hair formula.

-------------------- 

I had never heard of the company Yuko until they contacted me to review some of their products. According to their website... 

"Yuko Hair Straightening, also known as Japanese hair straightening, is the world renowned U.S. patented method recognized as the leading brand of chemical hair straightening that gives you low maintenance, shiny, hassle-free straight hair. No matter how curly or unruly your hair is, Yuko will create the results you’ve always wanted."

I was intrigued by their hair care products and services but even before looking around the website I just thought they sold Japanese hair care products, nothing more, but it turned out to be more than that.

My Hair Background: My hair has always been a big disaster, too many years of not conditioning and plenty of sun (I do live in Texas, lol). To me it has always been a dried heap of wavy hair and brittle ends. I gave up on it long ago, I don’t have a hair stylist because of past bad experiences...So what I’m left with is to care and style my own hair, which can be a good thing if you have the right tools! And to be honest I never would’ve bought a hair product costing more than $15, but now since I have it, I really like it and can get use to paying a little more for quality.

So this Repair Through lotion meets my expectations and beyond. Sure it may be a bit pricey but in my opinion it’s worth it.

About the Repair Through:  

It contains Aqua-Gold, which is a water-soluble ingredient specifically created for Yuko by Phiten’s
Phild process technology. The Aqua-Gold helps deliver nutrients into the hair faster, smoother and more evenly. Our Repair Through also contains amino acids, silicone, and is alcohol-free. It prevents split
ends, reduces tangles, and protects your hair from the damage that can be caused by using a blow dryer or flat iron. Adds natural shine and moisture. Micro-emulsion formula gentle to the hair."

Comes in a light blue spray bottle containing 6.8 fl.oz of product. Retails for $24.00.

Directions:

Ingredients:

My experience using it:

-I applied it on my hair when it was dry and also when it was damp…

-Immediately after the application my hair felt soft and smooth

-Drying time was very fast

-2 days later my hair still felt very soft and looks shiny

You might like this hair product if you:

-Have dry hair

-Want to make your hair more shiny but not oily

-Want to protect your hair during flat-ironing or curling

-Want softer, smoother hair

Rating:

4.5 out of 5 stars

Overall: I am very satisfied with the Repair Through. I’m thinking about getting the Repair Cream and the Shampoo just to try it out.

Aside from the Repair Through that was sent to me, Yuko products and services include treatments such as Hair Straightening, also known as Japanese hair straightening, shampoos, lock-in treatments, Repair treatment creams and Repair sprays.

http://www.yuko-usa.com/

TRESemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo: A Review

Ever since I can remember my hair has always been oily on the second day, something I hate to tolerate since I work full-time and see patients every day. I wouldn’t mind this oily disaster if I were a stay at home mom but for someone that styles her hair and puts on a full face of makeup Monday thru Friday it is a big pain.

To be honest, you aren’t really suppose to shampoo every day, one of the reasons why I shampoo every other day, but on some days I’m just too lazy to shampoo or on some days I’m running late for work. My solution to oily hair was a few sprinkles of baby powder, but powder flies everywhere!

So to put an end to my oily appearance I decided to try the new Tresemme dry shampoo, one of the products in a new collection called Fresh Start by Tresemme….

Spray on your hair if….

-you have naturally oily hair throughout the day

-you tend to have oily hair the day after you wash your hair

-your hair is naturally straight

Cost: $4.99 at CVS

Pros: price, hair is matte (non-oily) for a specific amount of time, smell is a little strong but it is a pleasant smell, easy to use, you can reapply at any time

Cons: hair looks dull with no shine, scent can be annoying, doesn’t last a very long time (lasts for approximately 4 to 6 hrs without re-application)

Trial results:

1st try: Sprayed on my hair, from scalp to 4 inches out on roots, about 11 times in 10 different spots……

Noticed a slight difference at first application. It is very hard to tell if the spray works when you first put it on, you can’t see oils and shine on the hair after applying it, meaning at first glance the hair looks normal (not oily). On this first day my hair took the spray decently but after about 6 hours started to look oily again.

2nd and 3rd try: Sprayed on my hair, from scalp to 4 inches out on roots, about 8 times in 6 different spots…..

My hair was oily in the mornings, I applied the spray and there were little to no results. My hair looked oily most of the day afterwards, which was a little disappointing. On these days I used less spray but on the most oily parts of my hair, which to me is why there were barely any results. I could see a slight difference on the first hour.

2nd try, after application, still quite oily

2nd try after a few hrs

On my first day of trying the dry shampoo it applied well but I noticed it gave me a slight grayish shot of color I suppose is due to the clay in the formula, with that said, it combed out easily on the hair at a radius. My whole goal was to see my hair as if it was just washed and dried, the dry shampoo gave me hair that was half matte and half oily which was an odd sight. I wanted for it to last at least until I left work to go home but it was starting to get oily again going on my 7th hour, which to me is not that bad.

Scent: Surrounded by clouds of the dry shampoo I noticed the smell of citrus extracts, it was pleasant but after 2 or 3 sprays it gets to be a bit much.

Here is my honest opinion: It does work, provided as long as you use it correctly and apply a generous amount on the areas that are oily the most. Don’t be stingy with the spray, I say if you really need it then apply a good amount, for me it worked this way. If you need to have your hair decent for more than 6 or 7 hours then this spray probably isn’t for you. If you want to go for a third day, please try it out to see if it works, I have not tried this product on a third day.

Product: 3.5 stars

Packaging: 5 stars

Quality: 3.5 stars

Overall: 3.5 stars

Would buy again? Not sure