Hair Talk: the Last Stretch. What Has Worked for My Hair this Year

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Four years ago when I was about to move to Belgium, I predicted my hairdresser would be one of the people I miss the most. Just to make things clear, I think this goes past the typical tricky Asian hair problem. It is more about the fact that he has never disappointed me during the 6 years and a half years I’ve known him. I am a minimalist when it comes to hair. I want a good cut that I can easily blow dry to make it look presentable. I use next to no styling products (I do need a curling mousse now after the perm), and after I successfully reduced the frequency of shampooing in the beginning of the year, it seems like I’m on the right track.

Even though at this moment there’s nothing else I want to do besides going straight to my hairdresser’s from the airport next Wednesday (it’s not a joke. The appointment has been booked!), I am here to share some products that have helped me through the year!

When I tried the Macadamia Natural Oil Get Hooked pack in the beginning of the year, I said their Deep Repair Masque is something I would repurchase. Fast forward several months when I ran out of my mask, I did decide to go back to it and I don’t regret a thing!

This mask is by far the best treatment I’ve tried when it comes to detangling my hair in the shower. At the same time, it is not greasy and doesn’t weigh my hair down. I would recommend this to those who have thick hair that can’t be tamed unless you bring out the big guns. However, this does contain silicone. For those of you who can’t have silicone on their hair, you might have to look elsewhere.

When I reviewed the Caudalie Divine Oil I said my hair has never been a fan of oil, therefore I only use it on my body. I have to take that back! After rubbing it into my hair and scalp as an overnight treatment before shampooing my hair the past month, I can tell you this works miracles!

I used to use olive oil for that purpose, but Divine Oil definitely works better. It is a lot lighter in texture, and it is absorbed by the hair fast. Not smelling like the chicken waiting to be browned is definitely a plus too, but what is truly amazing is how soft and fine my hair becomes after I shampoo it off!

I have reserved the rest of my bottle exclusively for this purpose now! Compared with a lot of other oils that are specifically marketed for hair, this one does not contain silicone. I personally do not limit myself to hair products with no silicone, but for something that I rub into my scalp as an overnight treatment, I prefer to go silicone-free. If you own this oil, you have to try it on your hair! If yours isn’t very damaged, just a couple of hours will do!

I have recently been introduced to the Kiehl’s Strengthening and Hydrating Hair Oil-in-Cream, and I have been pleased with it! This is essentially a leave-in conditioner that you work into your hair (starting from the ends) when it is still damp. Afterwards you can style it as usual.

Because of the fact that it is silicone-free (and also paraben-free. I like that!), what it does is not majorly de-frizzing your hair. I am not saying silicone is not good. I you want a quick fix to frizzy hair, that’s a possibility. However, I do not associate it with truly nourished hair.

After I use this cream, I can my hair is softer yet stronger, and it stays that way for longer. Because it doesn’t contain silicone, I also get more volume. This is a product that I will go on testing and report back about the results. At the moment I can already tell those of you who are looking for a good silicone-free leave-in conditioner to take it into consideration!

What are your go-to hair products? Do you mind having silicone in your hair routine? Are you as minimalist as I am when it comes to hair or do you make major changes every several months?

Sunny, your beauty culture translator xx

Disclosure: Some of the product mentioned in this review are provided by the PR for my consideration. All opinions are honest and my own. I am in no way compensated for this review. I have always been, and will always be committed ONLY to my readers.

  • http://twitter.com/lov2read68 Kristi C. (@lov2read68)

    Adding the last 2 products to my list of products to try. I love the Macadamia Deep Repair Masque!

    • http://mostlysunnybunny.wordpress.com Sunny

      Yaay I’m glad to hear you like that too! It has worked very well for me :)

  • http://www.bellachique.be/ Teri

    Oh yay, I’m so happy that the Caudalie oil helps! I can’t live without it now, and you’re right, it’s better than the smell of olive oil too! I’m now not feeling like a walking salad anymore! I love your pictures btw, they look so good!

    • http://mostlysunnybunny.wordpress.com Sunny

      It really does help! I’m reserving that bottle exclusively for this purpose now! Thanks for your compliment Teri. That means a lot to me :)

  • http://anonymoushedonist.wordpress.com anonymoushedonist

    oh my the caudalie divine oil looks great! thanks for this post.. my hair’s majorly damaged after a dye job and i’m on the lookout for something good :)

    • http://mostlysunnybunny.wordpress.com Sunny

      It really is great! I lay a towel on my pillow when I go to bed with this in my hair, and I see a big difference every single time! It doesn’t feel greasy, oily, or heavy either!

  • Joyce (bronzerbunny)

    All of these products sound interesting to try! I’m amazed your hair is so long!! Mine never grows like that! Anyway, I have one stylist at home that has been cutting my hair since I was 7 or 8… I’ve gone other places when im not home but he is just so talented!

    I did end up getting a pretty good haircut last weekend though. My hair was getting long and I never anticipated being in ca for so long so I finally just googled for an Asian haircut place. LOL!

    Can’t wait to see what yours will look like!

    • http://mostlysunnybunny.wordpress.com Sunny

      Haha it’s funny if you think about it. With all the problems I have with my nails, my hair just grows and grows like nobody’s business! So you do prefer to go to Asian hairdressers’ as well? I was told that it’s really just the aesthetics that’s different and I want to believe that, but in any case I want to stick to mine!

      • Joyce (bronzerbunny)

        Dude, i’m the opposite and my nails grow like crazy! (And then break badly since i hardly take care of them and try to use them as tools to open things lol!)

        I do prefer to go to asian hairdressers! i think you’re right about the aesthetics – they tend to have more of a unique style and I don’t know why I always find them to have more talent than your average salon. In my experience, normal salons just give me blunt, boring bob cuts and can’t even figure out my layers. I think I’d have to pay a TON to get the customization and talent that the asian hairdressers i’ve been to offer. But yeah, I want to stick to mine, and as soon as I go home I’m so going to my guy again!

  • http://aucuparia-brumalis.blogspot.com/ ~ Claire ~

    I consider myself as ‘simple’ in haircare as well but I have a lot of hair products, lol. I like the macadamia hair mask a lot, I also love hair oils. I think it is quite adventurous when it comes to hair products, since everyone’s hair is different but at least we have a huge market/products to choose from.

    • http://mostlysunnybunny.wordpress.com Sunny

      That is true! It’s like skincare products. What works well for one doesn’t necessarily work well for another. I always try to see if I can get a sample before I purchase!

  • http://ciambelladiamore.blogspot.com Ciambella

    Hi! Love your blog and your aesthetics–very clean and pretty! Wish I had your language skills; my Mandarin’s regressed to pretty basic survival Mandarin. I’m fourth generation Chinese-American, and the lack of Chinese skills got me lots of strange looks when I was in China and Taiwan, haha!

    I hear you about the hairdresser–I have the perfect guy to do my hair; he’s cheap and fast and I’m scared about going to someone else. For haircare, I permed my super fine, super flat hair recently for the first time since approximately the first grade, and I love it! The only problem is trying to get used to taking care of the curliness. Supposedly curly hair does best with silicone-free stuff, but I’ve been using TIGI products (Catwalk Curls Rock and Foxy Curls Contour Cream) to style it and they’re both loaded with dimethicone…they do work with holding perfect beachy curls, though. Curly hair’s kind of a pain to maintain, especially compared to my previous very basic hair care routine (I never used styling products before this), but I love having volume for once!

    • http://mostlysunnybunny.wordpress.com Sunny

      Aww thanks so much for the sweet compliment!

      The thing is people in Taiwan definitely assume if you LOOK Asian you should be able to speak Mandarin, but come on! There are just so many who were born elsewhere and I find it perfectly normal for them not to speak Mandarin ;)

      The thing is that my hairdresser told me last year it’s easier to maintain shape/volume in my hair since I only get one haircut a year. He definitely wasn’t wrong. I’ve tried to go through the year with my natural straight hair, and my roots always became SO flat at some point it was heartbreaking! I’m actually find with a curling mousse and diffuser, so not so much work compared with my natural hair (I still have to blow-dry anyways). I’m pretty sure I’ll get another perm when I finally get to see him again next week!

  • http://www.peggytimmermans.be/blog Peggy Timmermans Visagie

    Although it got me hives…I’m very curious about the macademia product you’ve got there!

    • http://mostlysunnybunny.wordpress.com Sunny

      Ahh too bad to hear you’re allergic to some nuts. I wonder if you’ll have the same thing with oil though. If you don’t put it near your roots you might be fine? Hmm.

  • Alison

    I’ll definitely look into eventually trying the Kiehl’s and the Caudalie oils someday! They both sound lovely, and I’ve been curious about the oil for my skin after hearing several good reviews anyway.

    As for me, I’m something of a hair minimalist myself and don’t tend to load up on actual styling product. I mostly use Caroline’s Wash + Frederic Fekkai Glossing Conditioner, followed by Frederic Fekkai’s Glossing Créme with a leave-in mask every now and then. I absolutely LOVE Caroline’s Wash. Its the strangest thing: its a sulphate-free, nut-free, lanolin-free, silicone-free, fragrance-free moisturising wash designed to be use for hair AND skin that’s really sensitive. And amazingly, its great! Its the best shampoo I’ve ever tried and smells natural and gorgeous, like almond milk or something. I’m also really impressed with the Glossing Creme (I’m on my second or third bottle of each of these) – its the only thing that makes my thick, somewhat coarse hair shiny on the ends. That said, I’m tempted by the Caudalie!

    • http://mostlysunnybunny.wordpress.com Sunny

      Hey Alison, you should really try dry oil for your skin. It makes mine very supple and soft! I love the Fekkai product I’ve tried (an anti-frizz leave-in conditioner), but word on the road is that it’s pulling out of its international markets next year (Awwwww) so I’ll have to stick to something else! Caroline’s Wash sounds cool! I prefer to go silicone-free for my shampoo as well, but I have used shampoos that contain silicone that work really well for me… I guess as long as you know your hair doesn’t loathe silicone it really only comes down to personal preferences!

  • http://www.pinklavenders.com Rainy Days & Lattes

    Hi Sunny! :)

    I’m really sad because I haven’t really found the “right” combination for my hair. I use a lot of oils, and treatments but it seems my hair/scalp is not responding good to it. I have naturally very curly/frizzy hair and it’s hard to tame it. I have to try that scalp oil because I haven’t tried anything non commercial before. The best treatment I’ve used is the biosilk therapy and Kerastase treatment serum. Thanks for your post! ^___^

    • http://mostlysunnybunny.wordpress.com Sunny

      Hey Jen, definitely give the Caudalie oil a try. It makes my hair very soft and way more manageable! I like a lot of Kerastase products as well, but I don’t think I’ve tried a serum so far! In any case I’m SO happy I’ll get my yucky dry ends chopped off in some days. Can’t wait!

  • http://www.nailsandcupcakes.com Isabelle

    I don’t really mind silicones lately, but I don’t really have loads of products containing them either.. That Caudalie oil really looks divine, by the way!

    I have a few oils, serums & spritzes here that I use to keep everything healthy. Also, I use conditioner every single day. My hair has been really terrible in the past & I am so happy that I turned my routine around and now have thicker, sturdier & healthier hair. Yours looks pretty healthy too, so I’m sure you’re doing the right thing too! :-)

    • http://mostlysunnybunny.wordpress.com Sunny

      Hey Isabelle! I can’t shampoo/condition my hair even every other day anymore, but I do use a treatment every time I shampoo so it’s fine :) Your hair looks really nice to me. I think we all just need to find a routine that works!

  • http://www.lenallure.com l e n a

    i am so interested in the codaline hair oil. looks so luxurious! i always like oil that is light in consistency.
    i just use 4 different set of poo/cons and i am not using any treatment just yet, but your post certainly is helpful for me to choose something in the future. ;)

    • http://mostlysunnybunny.wordpress.com Sunny

      Hey Lena, if you like light oils you should definitely look into the Caudalie one! I’m so jealous you have such healthy hair! Most conditioners don’t work for me anyways, as my hair is really quite thick!

  • http://mybeautysample.com/ Becca @ The Beauty Sample

    Well, no wonder you have such lovely hair Sunny–you seem to take really good care of it! I, however, definitely do not. My hair is definitely the thing I spend the least amount of time on–next to no time, really. I like to wash it every other day (I would wash it every day if I could because my scalp is quite greasy and I haven’t found a dry shampoo that truly works for me yet) with just drugstore shampoo and conditioner. Then I air dry. That’s it. No products, no styling, no brushing even (I don’t need to because my hair dries without tangles and if I brush it, it goes really flat). So I’m really low-maintenance in that regard. I love how other girls style their hair, but it’s never been my strong suit, so I just leave it be. I really do want to start seeing a professional hair stylist though–I think it’s about time :P

    • http://mostlysunnybunny.wordpress.com Sunny

      Haha you’re just so much luckier Becca! If I don’t put in a little work my hair will be heartbreakingly dry! If I air dry it’ll probably not have a shape anymore, so I do always blow dry. You probably have the lowest maintenance hair I’ve ever heard of!

  • http://thesmalllittlethingsinlife.blogspot.ca/ Annick

    It’s so good to know that the Caudalie Oil doesn’t contain silicones! So hard to find products without them these days! I’ll definitely have to find this for my hair – I love how you use it as a deep conditioner!

    • http://mostlysunnybunny.wordpress.com Sunny

      Hey Annick! This oil is pretty multi-purpose and very light. My hair adores it and I hope yours will too!

  • http://www.beauty-reflecttions.com Tracy@Beauty Reflections

    Your hair is so long and beautiful!
    Going to look for that mask for my daughter who has really long hair-it sounds wonderful!

  • http://twitter.com/BunBunMakeup Juli/BunBunMakeup (@BunBunMakeup)

    My hairdresser will be someone I’ll miss most if I do leave the country for a while too! I think we’ve all got a special relationship with our hairstylists, coz they understand our hair a lot better than we do and we entrust our crown of glory in their hands.

  • http://twitter.com/ChloeAsh Lily (@ChloeAsh)

    I’m so tempted to try the Caudalie oil now… I have to go check out Sasa, to see if it’s available. I have oily scalp and fine hair, and I’m afraid my condition is quite bad – thinning crown! :-(

    • http://mostlysunnybunny.wordpress.com Sunny

      Ugh that doesn’t sound pleasant :( Check to see if you can find this, or another dry oil that has better ingredients. I hope it helps!

  • http://emtiny.blogspot.com em

    I am already using the Macadamia oil masque and love it. It smells good too! I am interested in trying the Caudalie devine oil now.

  • http://deijsprinses.wordpress.com/ deijsprinses

    What a wonderful compilation! Thank you Sunny! :)

    • http://mostlysunnybunny.wordpress.com Sunny

      Aww thank you! I really needed A LOT of help with my hair so I thought I should really share :)

  • Pingback: Let’s Get Smooth Hair with Redken Smooth Lock Butter Silk, Kiehl’s Strengthening and Hydrating Hair Oil-in-Cream, and The Body Shop Coconut Butter Beautifying Oil! | MOSTLY SUNNY

  • http://beautyreductionista.blogspot.ca/ Liz

    Hi, Sunny!

    Joyce told me about your trick of using the Divine Oil on the scalp and I’m testing it out right now. My hair’s about your length in that photo right now and my scalp is horribly dry due to winter cold. Thanks for the tip and I hope it works!

    • Sunny

      Hey Liz, I hope it will work for you! I just started testing out the Aesop scalp treatment (basically a dry oil for scalp) and I will report back in due time how it works!