Description:

There’s one rule when you expose your hair to heat — the hair must be protected. This product guards against heat and friction to keep your hair shiny and incredibly soft. It’s a fantastic tool for instantly transforming all hair textures, enhancing strands’ flexibility to reform and hold shape. To guard against heat styling damage and friction, spray this multi-use protective spray to keep your hair shiny and incredibly soft. It’s a fantastic tool for instantly transforming all hair textures, enhancing hairs’ flexibility to reform and hold shape. Also, the moisture-locking vitamin complex hydrates and is heat-activated to guard against harsh styling damage.

This spray smells quite yummy. No awful, chemical scent, but a slightly fruity one (similar to Tresemme shampoos and conditioners). It doesn’t leave any residue on my flat iron (another spray of mine did, which I will review soon), which is very good.

The instructions of the hairspray is to spray liberally 6-8 inches away from mid-shaft to ends. Instead of spraying it directly onto my hair, I prefer to spray the liquid onto my palm, rub my palms together and then apply it onto my hair. This controls the amount of spray I use and also to avoid the spray from misting onto my clothes or furniture.

I’ve been using this for a month, and I’m loving it big time. I use a hair straightener at least 4 times a week, and a protective hair spray is certainly most needed to protect my hair against the high heat. This is especially so with my very dry and coarse locks. This spray kept my hair shiny and soft. What more can I say? Love it!

Tresemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Protective Spray retails at AU$8.95 for 300ml, and is available at all leading supermarkets and pharmacies.

What I like about it: Smells good, leaves hair shiny and soft after ironing.

What I do not like about it: It only comes in one size. A travel-sized one as well would be nice.

Review: Tresemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Protective Spray
Copyrighted by Beautyholics Anonymous

I’ve been sent the Cloud Nine Micro Iron by the good people of Cloud Nine for review. To the tell you the truth, I was really excited about this one, as it’s deemed to be the next GHD. Cloud Nine irons are developed by the founders and inventors of the original GHD iron (but it’s not part of GHD). Since I do not own a GHD flat iron (just ‘cos I’m cheap), this was a great opportunity to finally check out a Cloud Nine flat iron. I contemplated between the regular iron and micro iron, and in the end, chose the micro iron as I already have a regular-sized straightener.

Just a bit of description about the iron:

The Cloud Nine Micro Iron allows you to focus on shorter areas of hair, with added shine every time you use thaks to its unique black plates. Working at an optimum temperation of 150C, it is idea for shorter styles, fringes, men’s hair or simply the perfect handbag/travel size.

Okay, I knew I asked for a micro iron, so I should expect it to be small, but man, it’s tiny. Nothing wrong with that really, just that it’s really cute and definitely purse-friendly. It comes with a black velvet bag you can transport the iron in. The micro iron is 15cm in length and under 200g in weight.

The iron comes with a heat guard (see the blue plastic thingy in the first picture), which you can use after you’re done with the irons. Simply slip on the protective heat guard and allow the iron to cool down. There’s only one temperature setting with the micro iron, which is 150C.

An important safety feature of Cloud Nine irons is the hibernation mode. Its sleep mode kicks in when the iron is switched on but not used for 20 minutes. The iron will cool to ‘box temperature’ and reheat once it’s switched off and on again. This is a huge plus point for me as I’m often worried if I’ve switched my flat iron off or not.

Oh, and the iron also has a RFID chip which allows Cloud Nine to identify each iron with its own unique ID number. This means that the company can track your iron and monitor it throughout its working life to ensure it’s a genuine product only sold through authorised Cloud Nine stockists. There you go. At least you’ll know you’re not getting some sold-on-eBay-made-in-China lemon.

Overall, I really like this iron. While it is too small to fully iron all of my long hair (it IS possible, of course, only that it will take me yonks to complete), I use it mainly to style my fringe and to give the front bits a bit of a wave. And its size is absolutely perfect for traveling. I wouldn’t have to lug my regular-sized iron with me when traveling anymore, thank God.

The Cloud Nine Micro Iron retails at AU$90 and is only available to purchase at reputable professional salons. For Cloud Nine stockists, please call 1300 C9hair (1300 294 247).

Cloud Nine Micro Iron – Man, It’s Tiny
Copyrighted by Beautyholics Anonymous

The Original Moroccan Oil Treatment certainly is one of ‘em hair cult products. Heard so much about it, and all very positive reviews too. It was only a matter of time before I got my mitts on it too.

Just to fill you in before I get to the review, I have very dry and coarse hair, and is very prone to split ends. Years of colouring, perming, straightening have made it a lot worse. It definitely lacks lustre.

I’ve always envied my Indian friends who have lovely, luscious, shiny black locks who never seem to have hair problems. Of course, we all know that other than their genes, it’s also the coconut oil they apply on their hair that gives it that lovely shine. Now I’m afraid I absolutely hate the smell of coconut, and couldn’t stand it on my hair or skin. So what’s a girl with shitty hair to do?

Description:

This hydrating oil has a unique quality of instant absorption into the hair, which creates an instant shine and offers long-term conditioning – without leaving any trace of residue.
Softens thick and unmanageable hair
Restores shine and softness to dull, lifeless hair
Strengthens brittle hair
Promotes healing and provides nourishment to hair damaged by colouring and styling
Protects against UV damage and other environmental factors
Reduces drying time and speeds up styling time

First off, the smell. No coconut-y smell there. 1 point.

Texture – well, it is an oil afterall, so when I poured it out onto my palm, rubbed it out between my palms to warm the oil up, it would be greasy. But when it’s applied on my damp hair, the greasiness disappeared. 10 points there.

The morning after – woke up with the oh-my-Gawd-is-that-soft-hair-mine feeling. After giving it a good straightening with my hair iron, it’s shiny and looks fantastically healthy. In fact, whenever I go to my bead lady to stock up on beads, she calls me “the girl with shiny black hair“. Ding ding ding! 10000000 points!

Suffice to say, this is awesome stuff. It comes in a brown, very apothecary-looking (if that’s the word) glass bottle. You would only need the amount of a 5-cent coin, even for long hair. Mine flows past by bra so that’s pretty long to me. It’s suitable for all hair types.

I bought this from Adore Beauty for AU$49.50. Kate, who owns Adore Beauty, is really friendly. Plus you get two good-sized samples with your order too. Not bad, not bad at all if you ask me. Initially, you could only get this from Adore Beauty, but I’ve seen several salons stocking this range now. I can’t wait to try the rest of the range.

What I like about it: Light in texture, not stinky, results in soft, shiny hair.

What I do not like about it: Nothing

The Original Moroccon Oil Treatment Gives Me Lovely Woosh Woosh Hair
Copyrighted by Beautyholics Anonymous

Never use a brush on wet hair, and do not over-brush wet hair. Wet hair is more easily damaged than dry hair (when hair is wet, its hydrogen bonds have been broken and the hair is therefore in a more vulnerable state). On wet hair, it is best to use either a wide-toothed comb or a wide-bristled brush with rounded tips.

When I was younger, I used to use a fine-toothed comb to comb my wet hair. You know those sort of combs where you get for free from hotels? Or the god-awful orange combs boys love to slip into the back-pockets of their jeans? (Malaysian readers would know this very well) Yep, those. As I have really thick and coarse hair, it takes longer for it to detangle, so I would really force that comb down. It didn’t make my hair look any sleeker when it was dry, and the amount of split hair I had was crazy. I don’t even mean split ends; strands of my hair would tear, right in the middle. And my itchy fingers would break those strands just for the heck of it, leaving me with uneven, split-ended hair.

After I learned of this tip, I purchased a wide-toothed comb to see if it made any difference. I’m glad to say that although it didn’t lessen the split ends much, the amount of torn hair in the middle reduced significantly. It also helped to comb it less, especially when it’s wet.

So lay off that brush when your hair is wet

Beauty Tip of the Day: Do Not Brush Wet Hair
Copyrighted by Beautyholics Anonymous

I never thought that the words “shampoo” and “dishwashing liquid” would be one and the same. When I saw this link about saving money on shampoo by using detergent from Lifehacker Australia, I was utterly flabberghasted. Has the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) become that bad that we’re now recommended to use dishwashing liquid to wash our hair?!

With the GFC comes the streams of books selling like hotcakes at bookstores teaching you how to be frugal. I guess being an Asian, it’s in my blood to already be cheap, so most of the tips are common sense to me. But it infuriates me at times to discover little “tips” such as this in order to save a few bucks, because really, it doesn’t make sense.

We spend a lot money on taking care of our skin, hair and body. Even when we are careful with our money, lower-priced skincare items do add up in the long run. What is the point of throwing all that money and hard work away if we are to, for example, use such harsh chemicals on our hair? There IS a difference in the chemicals used in washing-up liquid and shampoo. Washing-up liquid is formulated to remove tough grease and oil from dirty dishes. Unless the scalp is secreting that much grease to be able to fry an egg and then some, even when diluted, it’s not good. It’s far too harsh and stripping on the hair.

I’m all for homemade hair masks, facial masks and whatnots, when it contains natural ingredients. Go ahead and use olive oil on your hair; it keeps the hair incredibly soft. Mayo on the face? Not really my thing, but it’s a popular recipe and many swear by it.

For me, GFC or not, there really must be a line to be drawn when it comes to the skin and hair. I’ll stop *God help me* buying magazines. I’ll keep using my own bags and not get yet another. No more takeaway coffees for me. So we’ll eat out less. I’ll stop getting the high-end brands and find cheaper, drugstore alternatives. But washing my hair with detergent? God no.

I don’t have to share my shampoo with my dishes.

PS: You only need a little shampoo to wash your hair each time. Lather up, apply, massage and rinse. Just forget repeat.

Would You Wash Your Hair With Detergent?
Copyrighted by Beautyholics Anonymous

Fried Hair Rehab

Our program comes to the rescue for women at every price point

Sun damage, coloring, flat-ironing … you’ve demanded enough from your stressed hair. Find out how to bring health back to it, thanks to advice from a panel of hair pros.

See tips

Total Beauty: Fried Hair Rehab
Copyrighted by Beautyholics Anonymous

Your Ultimate Flirty Hair How-To Guide

Get expert tips and tricks, plus the perfect products, for seriously sexy hair

Raise your hand if you want gorgeous, sexy hair! It’s easy to achieve with these tips. No matter what your hair length or type, get ready for some seriously stunning hair.

See tips

Total Beauty: Flirty Hair How-To Guide
Copyrighted by Beautyholics Anonymous

Description:

Pantene 3 Minute Miracle Treatment’s Amino Pro-Vitamins instantly penetrate the hair strands and the formula hydrates the inside of severely damaged hair.
In just 3 minutes, it mimicks the smooth outer layer of healthy hair to help repair severe damage and protect your hair from further damage.

Ingredients:
Water, Bis-Aminopropyl Dimethicone, Stearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cetyl Alcohol, Fragrance, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Panthenol, Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Lysine HCI, Methyl Tyrosinate HCI, Sodium Hydroxide, Histidine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone/Methylisothiazolinone.

Click to enlarge

It was actually my housemate’s girlfriend who introduced these tubes of goodies to me. She brought them with her from Malaysia when she came for a visit a few weeks ago, and gave me one to try out.

I’d normally use all of the cream in the tube in one go, but she suggested only using half per wash, as it would suffice. I was pretty apprehensive as my hair’s long, and would need quite a lot to cover it all. I gave it a go and used half of it on my first wash, and she was right. Used half of the tube, add a tiny bit of water, lathered it well, and I could already feel the ends getting very soft.

I left it on for the duration of my soap-on-soap-off, which was less than 3 minutes. After rinsing the hair, oh my. I was amazed to discover how soft my hair was! After blow-drying and giving the hair a bit of straightening with the flat iron, my hair felt great. It was incredibly soft, manageable, and smelt great.

I highly recommend this to those with dry and coarse hair. I requested my mum to get me 5 boxes of these when she’s coming over for a visit. I don’t know how much it costs in Malaysia, but I bet it’s a lot cheaper than getting it in Australia.

Pantene Pro-V 3 Minute Miracle Weekly Intense Treatment comes three tubes in a box, and each box retails at AU$7.99 at Priceline.

What I like about it: Good fragrance, amazing softness to dry and coarse hair.

What I do not like about it: Nothing

*flick hair flick*

What sort of hair treatment creams/masks do you use? I’d love to try out new ones too

Review: Pantene Pro-V 3 Minute Miracle Weekly Intense Treatment
Copyrighted by Beautyholics Anonymous

Don’t you just love fresh-out-of-the-salon hair? I do. I’m a heck lot vainer when I step out of the salon. Any reflection I see, the hair goes flick flick. Shameless, I know.

Other than the amazing hair-blowing skills salon people have in creating that gorgeous, sleek hair, it is the shine serum they use after blow-drying that gives the hair that healthy glow. It keeps the hair sleek and frizz-free without weighing it down. I went on a search for such a serum.

Description:

A weightless shine serum that protects and polishes the hair while nourishing and moisturizing. Protects against further damage.
Prevents split ends and frizziness. Gives separation to curly hair.
Hair is left glossy and healthy. Hair is left feeling renewed with improved manageability. Adds vibrancy, shine and definition.
Recommended for:
Cuticle reconstruction and additional shine on all hair types.
Dull, coarse & curly hair. Long hair.
Coconut papaya fragrance.
Use: Apply one to three drops in palm and emulsify. Distribute through damp hair to aid in blow drying or styling. For intense shine, distribute through dry hair. Reduces frizz and increases smoothness.

Ingredients:
Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Keratin, Hydrolyzed Keratin PG_Propyl Methylsilanediol, Thiotic Acid, Psodium Guajava Fruit Extract, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Aleurites Moluccana Seed Oil, Glycolipids, Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Butylphenyl, Methylpropional, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Fragrance/Parfum

This was introduced to me by the hair stylist-cum-sales assistant at Price Attack. I told her I was looking for a serum to be used on dried hair after blow-drying, not damp. I also wanted something light; not incredibly watery that it would be useless on my hair, but tacky enough to produce a lovely sheen on my hair without weighing it down.

She suggested a few brands of shine serums in similar price range, but highly recommended Joico’s K-Pak Protect and Shine Serum.

I compared this serum with other brands of serum in the store. By holding the bottle horizontally, and gently rocked it left and right, I noticed that it was pretty light, compared to the rest which were thick and tacky. I was sold.

After blow-drying and straightening my hair with a flat iron, I squeezed a dollop of serum onto one palm. Rubbing the palms together to spread the serum evenly on both hands (never squeeze serum directly from the bottle right to the hair; you’d end up using too much on one side, and not enough on the other), I flattened my palms on my hair, concentrating at the ends.

A dollop

Spread that dollop evenly on both palms

The result was healthy-looking, shiny and sleek hair. Yes!

I really like how light this serum is. Yes, it is a tad sticky at first, but after applying it on the hair, the hair does not feel sticky at all. Smells great too.

I’d highly recommend this shine serum to anyone with dry and coarse hair, who’s looking for something to give the hair a bit of shine and sleekness without the weight.

I bought it at around AU$25-28 (can’t recall the exact price) at Price Attack for 50ml/1.7oz. You can also get this at hair-specialty stores like Hairhouse Warehouse. I don’t think you can get this at pharmacies like Priceline though (I will check and report back).

What I like about it: Gave me sleek and shiny hair without weighing it down. Light, and smells good.

What I did not like about it: Nothing

What about you? Do you use any shine serum on your hair when it’s dry? Or just leave-in conditioner when it’s damp?

Review: Joico K-Pak Style Protect & Shine Serum
Copyrighted by Beautyholics Anonymous

Ahh … have I caught you there? When was the last time you gave your hairbrush and/or comb a good cleaning?

If you want to keep your hair tangle-free, dirt-free, etc-free for long, it’s important to use clean hairbrushes or combs. Hairbrushes and combs get dirty with repeated use, especially if you use styling products on your hair. This does not only apply to women, but even more importantly, to men who use hair wax or gel on a daily basis.

Imagine after washing your hair, it’s all nice and clean, and then comb all that clean hair with a gunky comb that you haven’t washed in ages.

How’s that for motivation?

There’s no need to throw out that old brush or comb and get new ones just because it’s accumulated so much gunk over the months and *gasp* years.  If the bristles aren’t worn or snapped off, when you do give them a good cleaning at least once a week, it should work like new.

I’ve had the same hairbrush and comb for 7-8 years now. Even though I bought a new hairbrush a month ago, I couldn’t bear to throw out the old paddlebrush I bought from Boots 7 years ago. Holds such a sentimental value to me.

I digress. To properly give your hairbrush or comb a good cleaning, all you need is:
1. Shampoo
2. Toothpick
3. Toothbrush

If you haven’t removed hairs from your hairbrush for a long time, chances are there will be a LOT of tangled hairs at the base of the comb. Remove hair which are sticking out of the brush with your fingers, stick a toothpick in between the hairs at the base and gently pull out the bits that are stuck to the base.

I keep a separate toothbrush just to clean my hairbrush and comb (also to clean the husband’s). A cheapo toothbrush would do; I got mine from the $2 store (4 in a pack). Squeeze out some shampoo onto the toothbrush, and start brushing the hairbrush or comb. I like to use hot water when washing the gunk out.

Some people recommend soaking the hairbrushes and combs in hot water and bleach first before cleaning the brushes. I don’t think it’s necessary if you maintain your hairbrush and combs well. Remember to let the hairbrushes and combs dry completely before using them.

Time to go wash your hairbrush and/or combs, girls. While you’re at it, why not wash your man’s combs too? Chances are, they haven’t washed theirs in ages too

Have You Cleaned Your Hairbrush or Comb Lately?
Copyrighted by Beautyholics Anonymous