Kerastase Elixir Ultime Review

I'm a big fan of Kérastase products, although I'm not a fan of the price tags. Except once you try the products you have to admit that they are worth the cost. The newest product is no exception, Kérastase Elixir Ultime is by the far the best smelling hair serum I've ever used. It's really like a perfume for your hair! Formulated with a combination of four oils (Maize, Argan, Camellia, and Pracaxi Oil) it's surprising that it's so incredibly light even on fine hair. Even when you use it before cleansing, after conditioning but before blow drying, and as an added shine enhancer it STILL won't weight down your hair. In a battle between Shu Uemura Essence Absolue this wins hands down so save yourself the $15.00 and just pick up Kérastase Elixir Ultime.

Lavender Jamaican Black Castor Oil

(Lavendar Jamaican Black Castor Oil, $8.99 OilsfromJamaica.com)

I'm a big of Jamaican Black Castor Oil because it really does work to help hair grow in faster. After a while the people over at Tropical Isles added lavender to the original verison to help cover up the smokey scent of the regular stuff. I've tried both and I love both. The original Jamaican Black Castor Oil scent never bothered me and I never understood why people complained about the scent. Truth be told, the lavendar scented Jamaican Black Castor Oil smells just a tiny bit better than the original, so really I don't even think it's worth it.

Tropical Isles Red Pimento Hair Growth Oil Review

(Red Pimento Hair Growth Oil, $10.99 OilsfromJamaica.com)

As you guys all know I've been using Jamaican Black Castor Oil on the nape of my hair and finally it's growing in. What I do is put a tiny amount on the tips of my fingers and then massage it right into my scalp in the problem area. I do this about 3-4 times a week and proceed with my regular hair care regimen. Now, I've been experimenting with a new product by Tropical Isles, Red Pimento Hair Growth Oil.

Product Description: Tropical Isle Living Red Pimento Hair Growth Oil. Pimento (Jamaican All Spice) Jamaica's only indigenous spice. The essential oil is considered the best quality in the world. Jamaican Strong Roots Red Pimento Oil Hair growth with Black Jamaican Castor Oil 100% natural. Your roots and your hair will love you using this.

Thoughts: I'm loving it! The scent is medicinal but it's pretty light and pleasant. My favorite thing is the applicator tipped bottle, it makes applying the product super easy. The only ingredients are Jamaican Red Pimento Oil, Jamaican Black Castor Oil, Coconut Oil, and Wheat Germ. That's all! I've been using this for about a week and it's great.

Have you tried it? Are you loving it?

Get Your Gleau On

(Gleau Oil (2oz.) $6.50, GleauHairCare.com)

Gleau (pronounced Glow) is an oil blend recreated by Nadege, the writer behind relaxedhairhealth.blogspot.com. Personally, I usually only use oil to pre-poo or on the very ends of my hair if I feel as though they are especially dry. Gleau is a mix of quality oils such as Moroccan Argan oil, camellia seed oil, sweet almond, jojoba, meadowfoam seed oil, wheat germ, coconut oil and vitamin E. On my hair if feels just a tad bit heavy, but keep in mind that my hair is relaxed and fine, on the nap area which is more coarse it feels just fine. The oil has a pleasant yet light scent and the shine this product adds is out of this world. If you're looking for a new oil to add to your rotation this might be it.

Beauty Break: Votre Vu On Holiday

(On Holiday, $49.00 VotreVu.com)

"On Holiday" is one of those phrases that I don't ever use to refer to a trip or vacation, instead I just say I'm going away or I'm going on vaca. The phrase "On Holiday" has this slightly bourgeois. Maybe if I was going away for the entire summer to somewhere extra fabulous like Paris, then I might just start saying I'm going "On Holiday." Votre Vu has taken the phrase "on holiday" and bottle the essence of the phrase in a body oil. How so? Votre Vu On Holiday Body Oil is the best spray body oil I've tried in a very long time. It's packed with a variety of aromatic essential oils like grape seed oil, apricot kernel, sweet almond, wheat germ, and jojoba that leave my skin soft, touchable, thoroughly moisturized, and slightly scented and leave my hair extremely jealous. All my hair junkies are probably right on my wave length, we're thinking I bet that would make an amazing sheen spray! I know I know, the ingredients sound fabulous and guess what? It does! It's great as a body oil and a hair oil, which is awesome so I can smell like one scent instead of a variety of different scents.

Full ingredient list:

ISOPROPYL MYRISTATE, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, VITIS VINIFERA (GRAPE) SEED OIL, PRUNUS AMYGDALUS DULCIS (SWEET ALMOND) OIL, PRUNUS ARMENIACA (APRICOT) KERNEL OIL, FRAGRANCE (PARFUM), SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS (JOJOBA) OIL, TRITICUM VULGARE (WHEAT) GERM OIL, BENZYL SALICYLATE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, LINALOOL, AMYL CINNAMAL, HYDROXYCITRONELLAL, GERANIOL, HEXYL CINNAMAL, CITRONELLOL, BENZYL BENZOATE, FARNESOL, LIMONENE.

Poolside Hair Favorite: Leonor Greyl - Huile de Palme

(Huile de Palme, $47.00 LeonorGreyl.com)

Leonor Greyl Huile de Palme is a pre-treatment oil that's made it's way into my pool bag.  Generally, I don't even waste my time coating my hair with conditioner before swimming because I haven't found that it actually makes a difference in the health of my hair.  What I look for in a poolside hair favorite is the ability to condition and moisturize my hair post-swimming while I'm sitting poolside or inbetween dips in the water.  ((please note: as soon as I get out the water I rinse my hair in the outdoor shower))   

Product Description: A pre-shampoo treatment formulated with botanical oils that help detangle and nourish your hair. Also very effective at providing protection against the damaging effects of sun, seawater and chlorinated pool water. It’s the perfect blend to protect and restore damaged length and ends as well as your color.

AHS Thoughts:  I absolutely hate that the bottle is glass.  Generally speaking glass by the pool is a no-no, but I made an exception here.  If you can't/won't pour some in a plastic bottle and keep it moving.  Now, on to the full review.  I absolutely LOVE this oil.  It really softens my hair as soon as I put a little bit of this oil on my hair.  Plus mix that with the heat from the sun and it's like a deep conditioning treatment.  Please be warned it's pricey at $47.00 for 3.2 oz.   


Deal Spotter: Leonor Greyl Palm Oil (Huile de Palme) (3.2 oz.) for $34.99 on
Amazon.com

Hair Closet Review: Coconut Oil

Ladies, do I really need to go here? Coconut Oil... I LOVE coconut oil. If you read The Anti Hair Slave then you know I LOVE coconut oil. I can't sing the praises of the oil enough. I use it for everything. Coconut oil is my multi purpose oil. I use it on my body as an oil and in my hair. Our focus here is hair so let's get into the many uses of coconut oil.

1. Coconut Oil as a Pre Shampoo Treatment - The night before 'hair day' I like to sometimes do an overnight treatment where I put coconut oil all over my hair from root to tip and tie it up. I especially like to do this before an Ayurvedic rinse, it makes my hair especially feel good.

2. Coconut Oil as a Hot Oil Treatment - Apply coconut oil to my entire head, cover with a plastic cap and then sit under my bonnet dryer for at least a half an hour.

3. Coconut Oil as a Deep Conditioner Add On - Adding coconut oil into conditioners makes my hair extra shiny. I love this stuff!

I use Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.  I order the two pack from Amazon.com - 1 for the body and 1 for the hair.  Costs about $18.00 

Coconut Uses for Hair

I love coconut oil for my hair.  When I first started my quest to obtaining healthy looking hair coconut oil was one of the first oils I came across and it hasn't been failed me yet.  I know a lot of people don't exactly share my love for coconut oil but that's okay it's still number 1 in my heart. 

Here are my top 3 ways I use coconut oil in my hair:

1.  Alone as a shine booster. 
2.  Mixed into a deep conditioner for an extra added boost of moisture and shine
3.  Alone as a pre-shampoo treatment, usually with a little added steam.

Shu Uemura Art of Hair’s Essence Absolue

The newest mainstream thing seems to be to call a serum an oil.  For my readers, you would know the difference between an oil and serum instantly, the feel on your fingers, the way it feels in your hair, etc.  Shu Uemura Art of Hair's Essence Absolue Nourishing Protective Oil is called an oil but I'm sticking it into the serum category.  Even still Essence Absolue is awesome!  The scent is heavenly due to the fragrance of camellia petal and it adds amazing amounts of shine to my hair.  Perfect for use during blow-drying to add shine and hold down some flyaways.   

Now I'll skip to the downside, it's super pricey at $65.00 if you have to money then why not, but if not there are other products out there for less money that will give you comparable results. 

Availability: ShuUemuraArtofHair.com   

Pre-Poo Steam Treatment: EL' Treatment

So as I type I'm sitting under my BFF also known as my hair steamer.  This time I decided to treat my hair with Rare Elements El' Treatment.  I tend not to use this oil as a leave in but rather as a pre-shampoo treatment because the scent isn't my favorite.  Instead of being a flower type scent, it's smells like woodsy but it really leaves my hair feeling great.  The shine and the way it makes my hair feel keeps me coming back.  Sometimes I'll apply the oil to my ends and then wear a bun to work and pre-poo like that.  Now with the power of steam I'm hoping the benefits are amplified.  So once I finish steaming and rinsing I'll be back to finish up this post.

The steam with El' Treatment was awesome!  The scent from the oil didn't linger which was awesome and it really softened my new growth and the length of my hair.  The shine wasn't as great as the coconut oil steam treatment, but it was still better than nothing.