Review: Maple Holistics

(Sponsored)
Hello Princesses!

Today I'm going to be talking about some Haircare from Maple Holistics! Maple Holistics reached out to me and offered to send me some products to try out on my super dry, coloured, dandruff ridden hair!

Maple Holistics has one goal in mind: to provide a natural, holistic range of premium products which can enhance hygiene, health and daily living.

The formulaic composition of each product stands out in uniqueness, quality, and effectiveness. Only the purest and highest quality ingredients are used in each product, maximizing the therapeutic potential for each specific area of health. Some of the products offered include therapeutic shampoos, facial masks, bath soaks and more. Our expert Research and Development team is constantly engaged in creating new products. Most importantly, customer satisfaction is our number one concern. When you’re happy, we’re happy.

Maple Holistics chose a colour safe dandruff shampoo and a silk conditioner for me to try. These are fantastic options and are definitely what I would have chosen on my own because they suit every aspect of my hair.

Color Safe Dandruff Shampoo for Color Treated Hair

"One of Maple Holistics most original and best-selling formulas, Sage Shampoo can help eliminate dandruff in an easy and natural way. No longer do those with moderate-to-heavy dandruff plaguing the scalp area have to suffer the embarrassment and inconvenience that comes along with ‘dandruff dust shoulders’ – guaranteed.

Sage: Safely formulated and the spearhead of the formula, Sage is a natural astringent and plays a vital role in reducing dermatitis. It helps reduce dandruff and prevents clogged hair follicles. Sage also helps combat hair loss and baldness, as well as adds shine and luster to the hair.

Rosemary ct. Verbenone: Rosemary has an excellent reputation for scalp and hair care. Rosemary ct. Verbenone contains less camphor and is safer to use in topical applications. Rich in verbenone, this ingredient can stimulate renewal of the hair follicles, while promoting improved circulation. It releases a herbaceous aroma preferred by many.

Spikenard: Spikenard is an aromatic herb native to the mountainous regions of India, China, and Japan. This exotic addition works to restore pigmentation and contains exclusive natural properties to combat dandruff.

Tea Tree: Tea tree has been used as the go-to dandruff cure for ages. It contains over 98 all-natural compounds to combat dandruff. It has terpenoids, such as terpinen-4-ol, viridiflorol, eucalpyptol, nerolidol, and cineole, which are responsible for its antimicrobial properties. It works together with Rosemary ct. Verbenone to help clear out dead cells for healthier cell renewal.

Jojoba and Peach Kernel: Great for moisturizing sensitive scalps. These also help maintain hair volume, an essential component to preserving hair color. The antibacterial properties of jojoba help soothe the scalp and treat dandruff.

Botanical Keratin: Hair nutrient deficiencies can sometimes stem from lack of keratin, which this natural ingredient generously replenishes.

Stop dandruff now. Try our Sage Shampoo to improve your scalp’s health."(1)

I have bleached hair (though it has almost a whole year of growth to it now) and dandruff. I don't usually have dandruff, but since being on acne medication which makes everything on my body dry (dry eyeballs and lips are the worst!) my scalp has gotten super dry too. My Dermatologist recommended washing my hair less regularly to combat the dry scalp, and I find that I only need to wash it once a week.

This shampoo is colourless and has a regular shampoo texture. It smells heavily of Tea Tree which I quite like, it's really refreshing in the shower! It lathers quickly and I don't need to use too much to thoroughly clean my scalp (I don't use this on the ends of my hair at all).

I have previously been using the standard Head and Shoulders shampoo to combat this new dandruff problem and I find both shampoo's quite similar in all honesty. I find that this shampoo doesn't keep my hair as oil free as the Head and Shoulders does, which means that it's probably not quite as stripping, though it does leave my hair feeling squeaky clean and a little knotty after using. It's good, but not substantially better than my current Head and Shoulders.

Silk18 Natural Hair Conditioner with Shea Butter & Jojoba Oil

"Silk Amino Acids: Eighteen naturally-derived (literally extracted during the silkworms process of creating silk) silk amino acids prompts an assortment of hair and scalp benefits. Some of these benefits include strengthened hair fibers and natural restoration for flawless hair health. In addition, the high molecular weight of the silk amino acids results in the formation of a substantive film to increase scalp permeability. Includes L-Alanine, Glycine, L-Serine, L-Valine, L-Threonine, and more.

Shea Butter, Aloe Vera, and Green Tea: These helpful ingredients are fast-absorbing and commit moisturizing qualities to dry and delicate hair strands. Shea butter, in particular, contains vitamins A and E, making it an excellent natural moisturizer for the hair. It locks in moisture without leaving the hair greasy or heavy. The gel-like substance of aloe vera, on the other hand, makes it a great conditioning agent as well. It has a similar composition to keratin (the natural protein in the hair), which allows it to easily penetrate the entire length of the hair shaft. Green tea contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which strengthens hair roots, activates hair follicles and promotes hair growth.

Pomegranate, Hibiscus and Sea Buckthorn: Certified blend assists in repairing damaged hair follicles to revitalize healthy, flowing hair. Pomegranate contains ellagic acid, which prevents the moisture in the hair from drying out. Hibiscus (“the flower of hair care”) helps prevent dryness, dullness, and hair damage. It also prevents problems like dandruff, split ends, and premature graying. Sea buckthorn, on the other hand, contains high levels of Omega 3, 6, 7, and 9, as well as vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K that promote healthy skin and hair.

Argan and Jojoba: These two essential components help provide relief by moisturizing sensitive scalps. These also help maintain hair volume, an essential component to preserving hair color. Argan, in particular, is proven to make hair softer, shinier, silkier, and softer. It also tames frizzy hair and treats split ends. Jojoba keeps the scalp moist and stimulates hair growth.

Botanical Keratin: By definition, keratin is a family of fibrous structural proteins, which contribute to the composition of hair. Essential at every level, weak quantities of keratin can be the cause of frizzy and unmanageable hair. This naturally derived ingredient helps replenishes ideal keratin content for strong, durable hair.

Vanilla: Light and sweet, 100% natural vanilla undertones mildly sweeten the formula for an overall delightful and refreshing conditioning experience."(2)

This conditioner has an amazing scent, it's a very warm vanilla smell, it's totally delicious!

This conditioner has a thin almost gel like texture and is easy to distribute throughout my hair. I chose to condition half of my hair with the Silk18 Conditioner, and the other half with my regular Argan Oil Conditioner to see what the difference was over a month. After the first wash out there was no difference to be felt, but the Silk18 side looked curlier (my hair is naturally wavy in parts, this is how it looks air dried), however after the second wash I started to notice that the Silk18 was definitely making my hair appear curlier, but also that it was making it a TON knottier. I was waking up with massive matted knots in my hair if I didn't sleep with it in a braid and a lot of hair was falling out from trying to brush the knots out.

What I Love

- Inexpensive hair care
- Conditioner smells amazing
- Shampoo works well
- Conditioner makes my hair curlier

What I Don't Love

- Shampoo isn't better than my current Head and Shoulders
- Conditioner makes my hair substantially knottier

Final Thoughts

Although I think both the Shampoo and Conditioner are quite good products, they are not quite perfect for my hair. The Shampoo is quite nice, though I don't find it substantially better than my current Head and Shoulders shampoo and I don't feel the need to replace that shampoo. The Conditioner smells absolutely amazing and makes my hair look gorgeous and curly, but it also makes my hair really knotty which means I'm yanking out more hair than I want to unless I wear it in a braid all the time which is dumb because my hair is heavy.

I would absolutely recommend the Conditioner to any Princesses who are looking for a conditioner to make their wavy or curly hair curlier, and the Shampoo for and Princesses wanting a super refreshing Shampoo that helps with dandruff and doesn't fade their coloured hair!

Thank you so much to Maple Holistics for sending these products for review, and edumuch.com for sponsoring the blogger connection! ^.^

Fail Product - LUSH No Drought Dry Shampoo

Hello Princesses!

Today I'm going to be talking about a fail product for me, but a great product for my younger sister. LUSH's No Drought Dry Shampoo was one of the first LUSH products I ever bought (excluding their bathbombs) and something that has never really worked for me! Of course just like every review I write, this isn't to say that it won't work for you, but is just my personal experience and thoughts.

"Our dry shampoo absorbs excess oils and volumizes locks, making the hair look and smell fresh without having to wash. When you don't have time or want to give you hair a break from too much washing, massage a little into your scalp and through your hair, then shake or brush out. It blends in completely, even on dark hair, to give texture and a soft, matte finish. Lemon, grapefruit and lime oils will give your hair a fruity fragrance, so you'll smell fresh too!

Features

• Quick fix: A lifesaver on days when you wake up late and don't have time for a shower.
• Keeps you feeling fresh: The zesty, citrus fragrance makes hair smell fresh and clean.
• Wash wherever you go: The perfect companion for late nights and early mornings, camping, travel, music festivals and a whirlwind life!" (1)

I shake this product throughout the roots of my hair in three parts, (long thick hair problems) and distribute it evenly with my hands. This is incredibly messy due to the bottle packaging. It's vital to lean over a sink to apply this, and if possible to wear clothes you don't mind dusting with the powder itself because I can almost guarentee that you will get this Dry Shampoo everywhere.  

My hair looks voluminous after I've ruffled it up, but after brushing it through, it flattens right down and looks and feels just as greasy as before (but with added white flakes that look like dandruff). I feel like the after photo looks a little better than the before, because my hair gets a little pale after being dusted with white powder. This Dry Shampoo makes my hair look exactly the same as before, except now my clothes are also covered in in white powder and I have dandruff.

I found this review on the LUSH USA website, and apart from the fact that this product really doesn't work for me, I find it very applicable.
 

"Most Liked Negative Review

The price of environmentalism
Let's face the facts: this product is much less convenient and somewhat less effective than the kinds you can buy at the drugstore in the awful CFC cans full of weird chemicals. That's the tradeoff we have to make, and I'm okay with it, but we should be honest with ourselves.

That said, it works fine to perk up hair that's been one day without a shower and isn't particularly dirty. Putting it on and distributing it through your hair is an annoying process (Lush seriously couldn't think up any better way to get powder out of a bottle??), and the powder will get everywhere, and getting it worked in evenly so it doesn't make you look like you're going grey takes a minute. Basically the whole thing is kind of a pain, but it takes less time than shampoo and conditioner, you're not killing the planet, and one bottle lasts forever and ever. Is the trade-off worth it? That is up to you, my friend."(1)

What I Love

- Environmentally friendly

- Inexpensive ($16.90NZD)

- Works for my sisters fine, dark blonde hair

- One bottle will last you years

What I Don't Love

- Messy

- Strong Smelling (potentially good for smelly hair though)

- Doesn't do anything for my hair other than make it look like I have dandruff and a messy cocaine addiction

Final Thoughts

I much prefer to use the Bastite Dry Shampoo for my hair, but I really wish that this Dry Shampoo worked for me so I can feel eco-friendly and look after animals. I just didn't think this product made my hair look or feel less greasy, which is of course the main reason you would use a Dry Shampoo! 

However, it works wonderfully on my younger sisters fine, dark blonde hair, so I would still suggest trying it out if you can since it's not too expensive (and lasts forever and a half!), so I will be giving my bottle to her!

Have you tried LUSH's No Drought Dry Shampoo? Did it work for your hair, or leave it as greasy as before like mine?

Store Review - LUSH

Hello Princesses!

Today I'm going to be talking about my online shopping experience with one of my favourite walk in stores - Lush! This is an online store review because I wanted to take advantage of Lush's half price boxing day sale while I was in Gisborne, which of course has no Lush store.

Website Practicality

I find Lush's website very practical and easy to browse, but not incredibly aesthetically pleasing. I'm not sure what it is about the home page, perhaps it's the lack of predominant "fun" colour throughout the site, or the busyness of the pages that irritates me, but I don't find it lovely to look at. However, it is very practical with the massive search bar at the top and a million downbars to choose from.

Price Comparison

I don't think I can really compare prices for Lush since they only sell their products in-store and online. I find their products to be well priced, sitting nicely between the cheap drugstore/supermarket brands and lower high end brands (only a couple of $100 moisturizers there!).

Shipping and Packaging

The standard flat rate shipping for Lush costs is $9.00NZD. My package came neatly wrapped in a box, with a Lush product pamphlet. Nothing was bubble wrapped or foam padded in the box, but nothing was harmed during shipping. I was surprised that the two glass jars in my package were not bubble wrapped, but I suppose that there was nothing else hard in the package for them to break on and no room to roll around.

 Products

 I decided to splash out and buy a couple of products that have been on my wishlist for a while, a couple of limited edition products, and a couple specifically to take with me to Taiwan!

Jumping Juniper Solid Shampoo Bar

Lavender and juniper shampoo bar to control oily hair. Along with spots and exams, oily hair can be one of the most annoying things to torment your teenage years. Jumping Juniper cleans away grease and balances sebum production with lavender oil. Juniper sorts out an oily, congested scalp, while lemon and lime make your hair clean and shiny and give it an extra fresh scent. Juniper will get you jumping in no time.

I bought this solid shampoo bar specifically for my trip to Taipei and I have no regrets! It's a good size, super lightweight and leaves my hair feeling really clean and fresh for three days. It's currently tied in first place for my favourite shampoo along with Lush's BIG Shampoo!

Santa Baby Lip Tint

A Christmassy red lip tint made with cherries and dates for sweet, kissable lips. Made with Fair Trade shea butter and nourishing carrot oil to soften and moisturise, and a cinammon-sweet, cola-flavoured taste of Christmas, Santa will be hurrying down the chimney tonight.

If you're looking at the product photos and wanting to vomit a little bit, I don't blame you. The surface of this Lip Tint looks like a glittery bacteria colony and you can bet your right foot that I took this into the store to be assessed before putting it anywhere near my mouth. Apparently the formula of the product isn't quite perfect, but it's perfectly safe to use. The cola smell is incredibly tasty, but this tint is very very matte and drying (not unlike MAC Ruby/Riri Woo) so beware dry lipped girls!

Emotional Brilliance

Make sure that your skin, moisturiser or Colour Supplement are completely dry before you apply a powder. Can be used with matching Colour Supplement. Once you’ve got the powder on the brush; tap off the excess. Make sure you brush evenly, outwards from the nose! Keep blending until the coverage is just right. Can be used on its own for a natural effect.

This translucent powder is surprisingly lovely! My only gripe with this product is the tiny packaging. It makes it very difficult to pick up the powder with a large powder brush and tap off the excess without powdering the entire floor.

Feeling Younger

Mix a little in with your favourite moisturiser or colour supplement. Or apply a thin layer between your moisturiser and colour supplement to brighten skin tone. Apply the product on the brow bone, cheek bone, eyelid, cupid’s bow or collar bone. This reflects the light from the skin to make it glow. Apply a little underneath the eye to cover dark circles.

This skin tint is absolutely gorgeous and works well as an illuminating primer as well as a highlighter! It is a little sticky, so I feel more comfortable setting this product with a powder which does take away a little of the glow it produces.

Rose Jam

Let your skin be kissed by a rose with this sweetly floral shower gel. Wrap yourself in a comforting embrace with nourishing Moroccan argan oil, organic rose absolute and rose oil together with a Fair Trade vanilla pod infusion. This is an indulgent wash that lifts the spirits.

 I haven't had time to try this shower gel yet, but it smells divine!

 Pink Fun

Jam packed with the fruity, candy smells of childhood. FUN is a novel, multi-purpose, mouldable soap! It’s for body, hair, bath and fun! That’s right, you can wash your hands and body with it; you can bathe with it for masses of bubbles; you can wash your clothes with it; and for even more fun you can mold it into shapes and characters. With a gentle softening base of corn flour, talc and glycerine, choose from five different types of FUN.

I've used an entire bar of pink fun previous to purchasing this one, and I really love this product for traveling! You can choose how much you take with you, it acts as a body wash, shampoo and bath bubbles! Super cute, smells divine and is perfect for a short or long trip.

Buffy Body Bar & You Snap The Whip

Exfoliating scrub for your seating area. Use Buffy on wet skin, in the bath or the shower, to make you softer and smooth to the touch. Buff yourself all over, paying special attention to your backside; rinse off the ground up exfoliating bits of rice, almonds and beans and pat yourself dry. There’s no need for body lotion after a Buffy, because the cocoa and shea butters in it moisturise your skin beautifully. Slay that cellulite. 

I've used a buffy body bar previous to purchasing this one and I absolutely love it! It exfoliates my skin while also leaving it touch-ably soft with zero effort.


Hardcore body scrub and butter bar to show skin how to behave. It’s black, fruity and it scrubs your skin really, really hard. Get soaked in the shower and start your punishment. You Snap The Whip forces your skin to submit to its pumice and charcoal regime. Once the wickedly effective exfoliation is over, it comforts you with luxurious macadamia nut oil and scents you with fruity blackcurrant and bergamot essential oils. Your skin feels as if you’ve just peeled off the old one and revealed a sexy new one (which you have, in a manner of speaking).

You Snap The Whip is a new product for me, and another one that I chose to take over to Taiwan with me! My first bar however was inexplicably faulty - it started melting as soon as I touched it and melted like butter in the shower. I took it into my Local Lush store and the girls there swapped it for a non faulty version for me. I'm absolutely loving using it, it makes me skin feel incredibly clean!

 What I Love

- Quick shipping

- Cheap shipping for large orders ($9NZD Flat Rate)

- Easy to use website

- Great customer service for faulty exchanges

What I Don't Love

- No bubble wrapping on glass products

Final Thoughts

Although I really enjoyed my online shopping experience with Lush, I still much prefer to actually walk into the store to buy my products! The store always smells divine and you can touch and see the products which I think is so much fun, (my local store always demo's the new products for me! ^.^), but shopping online with half price is still a pretty decent experience in a pinch!

2014 Favourites

Hello Princesses!

Today I'm going to be talking about my 2014 favourites! I don't usually do monthly favourites or anything because I struggle to find more than one favourite per month, but I every time I do a yearly favourite post I always find so many to talk about! -.- Let's get right into it!

Lush - BIG

This is my absolute favourite shampoo of all time, it makes my hair feel amazingly clean and smell super fresh! This massive tub lasts for absolutely ages too, so you get really good value for money! ^.^ You can check out my mini review here!

 

Argania - Liquid Gold Hair Oil

I absolutely love this this hair oil, it makes my hair feel and look healthy and I swear it makes it grow much faster than if I don't use it (although my mum still hates my long hair, love you mama!). New Zealanders can find this in any Farmers store, I totally recommend it along with everything else in the range!

Benefit - Porefessional

This is still my favourite primer of 2014 for smooth, poreless skin. I like other primers for brightening or colour correcting, but this is definitely the best pore smoother that I've tried in 2014! 

 

Trilogy - Rosehip Oil

I can't live without this little bottle of facial oil. I've been using it morning and night for over a year now and am completely addicted. It smooths and nourishes my skin, while also helping to fade acne scarring that plagues my face. This is my absolute favourite product of 2014!

NARS - Orgasm Blush

Peachy pink with gold sparkles, this is my go-to blush when I don't particularly have time to choose a blush to match my face. It works with everything, easy to apply and never looks bad. I always take this blush with me when I travel because I can trust it. 

Urban Decay - Naked

The O.G of neutral palettes, it's no surprise that this is in my favourites and I'm sure it needs no introduction. It's great, portable, pigmented and makes it easy to create natural/neutral or more dramatic looks. This is another of my traveling companions filled with trust.  

MAC - Pleasure Bomb

I really love the colour of this lipstick, it's such a shame it's limited edition because I totally would have bought another one! It actually looks very similar to Lime Crime Pink Velvet Velvetine on me, but I much prefer this lipsticks finish and feel on the lips since Velvetines are not the greatest for my dry lips.

Eye of Horus - Goddess Mascara

This has been my favourite mascara of 2014. It never clumps, removes with warm water and makes my lashes feel super moisturized and pampered. You can check out my review here!

LUSH - Angels On Bare Skin

The perfect soft exfoliator for sensitive or acne prone skin. This is my absolute favourite cleanser, and I've raved about it on many occasions so you can check out my proper mini review here!

That's it for my 2014 favourites! I hope you've all had an amazing 2014, and hopefully 2015 will be even better for us all! ^.^