Hair Oils Collection

|| Instagram: Hannahripley1

 

Hey girls. I'm sure you're all aware that 2012 was the year that using oil as a treatment for dry and damaged hair really took off, with countless variations from high end to high street and even Primark offering up different concoctions for us all to try, and I for one was fully on board with the hair oil hype. After trying out my first one (Babyliss Pro Argan Oil) it was love at first use and I was eager to see what else was out there on the market to give a helping hand to my frazzled ends. Needless to say, my hair's now in the best condition that I've ever had it, it's split end free and growing at a good rate and my only 'secret' would be the incorporation of oils into my hair care routine. Some are put on wet hair, some on damp, some on dry, most on both and are brilliant for using a 'finishing product' to keep any flyaways at bay on styled hair as well as using a healing leave-in treatment.

I know I've gone a bit overboard and don't need all these (there's 11), but hey - what can you do? There's a huge variety in my 'collection', ranging from the apparent 'best of the best' hair oil in the form of The Original Moroccan Oil, to the super pricey Ojon Rare Blend Hair Oil, the 'up and comer' in the popularity stakes: Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment, all the way down to the cheap and cheerful high street offerings of L'Oreal and Tresemme, plus a £2.50 tube picked up from Primark (Hask Argan Oil). There's obviously a range in prices and value, but also a range in quality and intensity, sizes that range from 10ml to 30ml to 100ml, and some bottles with pump dispensers and some with pourers. We all need variety in our lives.

L-R:
L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil, Tresmme Liquid Gold Restorative Complex, The Body Shop Mango Beautifying Oil, Lee Stafford Argan Oil Nourishing Miracle Oil, Avon Adance Techniques Moroccan Argan Oil, Babyliss Pro Argan Oil, Ojon Rare Blend Oil Total Hair Therapy, Hask Argan Oil from Moroccan, The Original Moroccan Oil, Osmo Berber Argan Oil, Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment.

Longest photo caption I've ever written right there! This post isn't really intended to review any of these oils in full because that would take me far too long and you'd be here all day reading it too, plus I've already reviewed most of these individually anyway. If you're interested in reading more about any of the oils pictured then here is a list of the ones that I have reviewed with a clickable link to their post:

- L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil

- Lee Stafford Argan Oil Nourishing Miracle Oil Treatment

- Avon Advance Techniques Moroccan Argan Oil

- Babyliss Pro Argan Oil

- Ojon Rare Blend Total Hair Therapy

It's quite hard to make much of a dent in any of these because with all of them only a tiny amount is needed with each use and a little goes a long way, plus with the way that I chop and change between which one I'm using I'm struggling to foresee even one of these running out any time soon - looks like I'm set for life on the oil front! There's none that I dislike at all, just some that are better suited to different circumstances or 'hair days', and some are more intense than others or better value for money, but all are good and I like using them all. I tend to stick to one that I use all the time for a week or two, and then I rotate things around and start using another for a while, but at the moment my three favourite ones are the Lee Stafford one, Babyliss and 'The Original', but ask me again in a month and I'm sure I'll reel off a different list.

Leave me a comment and tell me your current favourite!

*Just realised that I should have included some sort of non-bragging disclaimer to this: these have been accumulated over the course of about 10 months and weren't very expensive, and if they were then it was most likely a Christmas present! I also solemnly swear I will not buy any more!!

Ojon Rare Blend Oil Total Hair Therapy

Hi Ladies! (& Gentlemen?). I wanted to talk to you today about this little bottle of beautiful by Ojon called the Rare Blend Oil Total Hair Therapy. This product was really hyped up and popular back in October 2012 when it was released and everybody seemed to be talking about it. It appeared to be the champion of all hair oils, even trumping the original MoroccanOil, so I popped it on my wish list and lucky me received it as a Christmas present from my mum!

This is a 45ml bottle, the only size that it is available in, and costs £29.00 from Boots (link). £29 for this bottle?! Ouch. The ever so raved about MoroccanOil costs £30.45 for 100ml (link), whereas this one works out at £64.44 per 100ml - huge price difference, this one is more than double, making it one of the more expensive hair oils on the market. There's no denying that this is an expensive product, but does that mean that it is over priced? ..Or do you get what you are paying for with this one?

As the name suggests, this is a blend of seven different oils from all around the world (from Tahiti to the Kalahari Desert and all the way to Hawaii) that includes Ojon Oil, Rouge Oleifere, Tahitian Monoi Oil, Marula Oil, Kalahari Melon Oil, Kukui Oil and Ximenia Oil, all of which have different properties that can help out your hair and you can find out more about what each of them does over on the Ojon website, found here: link. Not only does it sound exotic, but it also looks ridiculously pretty too. With the different oils separating to create three different coloured layers within the bottle this looks like a cocktail that you would get on holiday - and smells like one too. It smells like tropical fruits and makes the hair smell lovely and fruity after use.

The product is activated when it is shook and all of the oils are blended together to create the peachy colour liquid, and it boasts the ability to moisturise, repair, tame frizz, create shine and prevent heat damage too. I love how this also contains heat defending ingredients so that it doubles up as both a conditioning and a protecting product, meaning one drop of this before blowdrying and I'm good to go.

 

What Ojon say:

"One precious drop of this multi-tasking wonder helps protects, nourishes and transforms dull, dry or damaged hair to vibrant health. Hair instantly looks glossier, shinier; suddenly feels softer, silkier, more luxurious"

When Ojon describe this a 'potent' concoction claiming that 'one drop is all you need', they definitely are not exaggerating. I have long, thick, and frizzy mane of hair on my head and thought that I knew better than to listen to the directions for use. All that is needed is 'one drop', yes really, one - and I'm not lying because I put about three drops in and looked like my hair hadn't been washed in days. On the Boots website there is a 'How To Use' video, and in this the stylist simply puts his finger over the opening of the bottle, tips and shakes the bottle and then uses the amount of product that has been left on the tip of his finger. He rubs this into his palms and then runs through the models hair. I was sceptical about this being enough and regretably used more on my hair on first application. He is, however, correct and that amount is enough to transform the hair, meaning that although this oil is priced much higher than other on the market, only a small amount is needed each time so it will be difficult to run out of this any time soon!

Although this does contain silicones, it does not feel like it is just sitting on the surface of the hair, it is really penetrating into the shaft and helping to repair damage and frizz. This can be smoothed over dry hair, but I prefer using this after washing my hair and running just one drop through the ends of the hair, leaving it smelling beautifully fruity, and whether I choose to blow dry my hair or not, I am left with hair that is tangle free, smooth, soft (so soft!) and shiny. My bleached and dry ends look a lot less like untameable pieces of straw, and more like actual strands of hair, with a luxurious flow and bounce!

Yes, it is expensive, and maybe if your hair isn't dramatically damaged then this could be a bit over the top for you, but if you're looking for something that will fix up your hair instantly and continue with progessively improved results after each use then maybe Ojon's Rare Blend Oil is one worth splashing out on.



 ♥

Christmas 2012 & Gifts

 

Hello!

I hope you've all had a really wonderful Christmas and enjoyed the overload of festivity over the past couple of days - I know I have! I have definitely consumed enough alcohol, chocolate, turkey and pigs in blankets to be able to last me until Christmas 2013. I've been carrying a little food baby around with me all day today and had a total of 4 outfit changes last night in order to find something that hid my super bloated tummy! Damn all those Christmas puddings and fruit ciders.

 

I've been totally in two minds about the 'What I Got For Christmas' posts and was originally really keen to write one up myself . I have read every single one that I've seen so far and had a huge nosy on Instagram on Christmas afternoon of all the uploaded opened present pictures; I just find them really interesting to look at! But when I heard people saying it's bragging and nothing more than showing off how spoilt you are and that put me right off doing one! I don't want to be a braggy show off :( I doubt anybody intends it that way at all, and that's not the way I see it either, it's just any other haul post really isn't it? But little old me worries about judgement from others (even though I shouldn't) and thought that maybe instead I should just not mention anything at all and individually review each of the beauty items over time. In the end I settled on a compromise and I've just combined a quick Christmas recap and a really brief mention of the presents because most are beauty related and girly but I'll still be doing full reviews of all of them so keep your eyes peeled because there'll be exciting stuff coming up in future posts!

 

Christmas was a little different for our family this year and I was apprehensive in the run up to it all, fearing that as we weren't sticking to our usual traditions that it wouldn't feel like Christmas at all - but all my worrying was for nothing and Christmas Day and all of the surrounding days were just as lovely as usual! Christmas Eve was spent cosy infront of the fire watching The Grinch and Prince Caspian and eating chinese takeaway after I had pampered myself to the absolute extreme, before lying in bed for hours and hours being too excited to sleep (seriously, how old?!) and it felt like I'd only had my eyes closed for a second before my sister came bounding in dragging me up to open our presents at quarter past 7! After all presents had been opened and 'thank you's had been exchanged then the preparation for Christmas dinner began and this year we were hosting the family dinner at our house - it is usually at my grandparent's house and they have 14 of us round for dinner but they just didn't feel up to the stress of it this year!

 

It's rubbish quality but here's a picture of my mum's idea of funny.. dressing the four of us in matching Christmas jumpers from Primark! I kept mine on all day but nobody else did :(

 

..And my mum clearly gets her sense of humour from her own mother because here is the family Christmas present from our Gran.. make of it what you will!

 

I don't want to ramble on too much about my Christmas Day but after our yummy three course meal we wound down with cups of tea and plenty of family laughs and a couple more present exchanges and a dip in the hot tub! My boyfriend and my sister's boyfriend both came around in the evening and we had a buffet style tea and then even more present exchanges! Followed by more stuffing our faces with sweets and cider before lying in bed watching The Dark Knight Rises feeling 3 stone heavier!! Boxing Day.. same again! Huuge family meal but this time followed by a girls night out in town and I really enjoyed myself - today is recovery day though.

 

My 'main present' from my parents was a laptop that I got early because my old one died a slow and painful death back in October, and mostly from my relatives I received money and cheques which I've used for just one treat in the sales and that's a new YSL Touche Eclat, and all of the rest of the money will be put towards a 2013 summer holiday! The pictures below are my 'stocking fillers' and the presents I received from my sister, boyfriend and boyfriend's mum - Of course I'm a very lucky girl to have received all of these really lovely things and I'm very grateful and appreciate them all!

 

Zip Hoodie (Topshop) from John, Christmas Jumper (Primark) from my mum, Embellished Jumper (Dorothy Perkins) from John's family, Studded lace body (Primark) from my mum, Dress (Republic) from my sister.

Nail Varnishes - High Voltage and Razmatazz (Topshop) and Studded Phone Clutch (Urban Outfitters) from John, Lock and Key Charm (Pandora) from John, Desperate Housewives Season 8 from John, Lady Million EDP from John, Perfume Set from Grandma, Pandora Mirror from my mum, Next Jewellery from a friend of the family. 

Lee Stafford Argan Oil Gift Set from my mum, Ojon Rare Blend Oil from my mum, Moroccanoil from John, Philip Kingsley Conditioner and Elasticizer from my Nanna.
How exciting!! Beauty lovers dream!!

More stocking fillers; some from my mum and some from my sister. Chocolate and sweets, beauty bits; deodrant, moisturiser, eyelashes, candles, socks and PJs!

 Every year it seems the build up to Christmas is so huge and the day can sometimes not live up to it's enormous hype, but this year I didn't feel too excited in the countdown to the big day but I enjoyed myself 10x more - or atleast that's what it felt like but I'm sure I say that it was my 'best Christmas ever' every single year!

 

I've well and truly indulged myself in an excessive amount of food and drink, spent quality time with all of my family and had lots of fun nights out with my friends, and been spoilt with beautiful gifts!

I hope that Christmas was as good for all of you as it was for me!

♥ ♥ ♥

What's On My Birthday List? | Wishlist #2

I don't think I've ever been so reluctant to have a birthday in my life!

10 days from now I will unfortunately be turning the ripe old age of twenty.

Yep, two-zero, half way to forty, no longer a teenager. Old.

 

What this does mean, however, is that I get to write a birthday list and pass it onto my mum who can circulate it to the many kind and lovely relatives that I have in my family and hope that they take my hints ;) I can't be the only person who has grandparents come around for a visit in the summer and pop me the question of what I'd like for my birthday when it's still 4 months until the big day? Keen little grandparents! Unless there's something in particular that I've tried on instore and know that I love and it fits, clothes aren't something that I tend to ask for as presents. My birthday wishlist contains majority beauty related items that are mostly luxury as I don't feel prepared to treat myself to them at the moment but they'd be amazing to receive as a gift:

 

 



Benefit 'Sexy Little Stowaways' Gift Set | Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette | NARS Laguna Bronzer

Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in 'Chunkiest Chili' | YSL Touche Eclat | Paco Rabanne Lady Million EDP | Glamorous Disco Pants in 'Navy'

Ojon Rare Blend Oil | Mac Strobe Cream | Clarins Everlasting Foundation in 'Wheat' | Lee Stafford Argan Oil Trio Gift Set | Pandora Charms

 

♥