Review: Ouidad Leave in Conditioner and Curl Defining Soufflé

 

So, lately I’ve been trying a bunch of new conditioners and moisturizers. Two products of Ouidad being one of them. I was curious to try products of Ouidad because they have a broad product line for wavy, curly, tight curly and kinky hair. I’ve tried the Moisture Lock Leave-in Conditioner and the Curl Recovery Curl Defining Soufflé. I will be reviewing and comparing them with each other.

 

Moisture Lock Leave-in Conditioner
The Leave-in Conditioner is in 8.5 ounces (250 ml) available in Europe which I think is a good minimum amount, since I have a lot of hair. It is a bit pricey, €23.40 in Europe and in the USA $23.00. The first thing that I noticed when I opened the bottle was the smell, which I did not like. It smells like a chemically bar of soap with a hint of men’s aftershave. Luckily, that smell is no longer present after applying it on the hair.

It is a creamy conditioner that does not weigh my hair down and keeps it very moisturized without using a huge amount. In addition, this product makes my hair easy to detangle and leaves it soft with nice defining spirals without a lot of frizz.

 

The Curl Recovery Curl Defining Soufflé
The Soufflé has in comparison to the Leave-in Conditioner an amazing fragrance. It is strong, but that is what I like and what I am used to. It is more expensive than the Leave-in Conditioner, €26.40 in Europe and $26.00 in the USA. It is a very thick consistency cream and it is recommended for tight curly and kinky curly hair. The Leave-in on the other hand is also recommended for wavy and curly hair.

Even though, the soufflé is very thick, I discovered it has no slip at all when I applied it to my hair. It dried my hair immediately and I had to re-wet quite a lot of pieces of hair. It left more residue in my hair than the Leave-in and I felt it lacked moisture when my hair was wet and during the course of my hair air drying.

 

Pro’s Leave-in Conditioner:
– Light weight and still moisturizing.
– Good detangler and nice curl definition.
– Leaves the hair soft and frizz free.
– Good packaging, good amount.

Con’s Leave-in Conditioner:
– Bad smell.
– Expensive.

My hair with the Leave-in Conditioner.

 

Pro’s Curl Defining Soufflé:
– Thick consistency cream.
– Nice smell.

Con’s Curl Defining Soufflé:
– Expensive.
– Dries out the hair.
– No slip and a lot of product residue.

My hair with the Soufflé.

 

Overall, I loved the Leave-in Conditioner and I will definitely repurchase that one. I was disappointed by the Curl Defining Cream so I won’t repurchase it but the Leave-in worked well enough for me to be curious of Ouidad’s other products.

 

(Ouidad’s products in Europe can be found on http://www.beautybay.com. In the USA, they can be bought at http://www.ouidad.com)

 

X Caressa

Our bad haircare habits

Wherever I am walking with my mum and we see guys with awesome hair, my mother always mention that guys have ‘prettier’ hair than woman, because it is thicker. I do not know if this is true, but I can tell that male hair is often healthier, because guys just do not do too much shit with their hair. Sometimes I even consider to ‘detox’ my hair which holds that I do not want to apply hair products for a while, allowing the natural oils of my scalp to restore. However, this is more complex than it may seem.
Ever wondered why your hair is so vulnerable at the moment? Girl, grab a chair and let me tell you about our crazy habits with hair products.

 

Numéro uno!

You just bought the awesome curl enhancing smoothie by Sheamoisture and are all excited about trying it out. You are already imagining how awesome your curls will become, but after the first use you are disappointed because the hair product barely exceeds your expectations. Can you relate to this? First of all, you have to buy hair products based on your hair type and not on your friends their experiences. Her hair type might differ or perhaps she might have a different curly hair routine which affects the absorption of hair products into the hair.
Secondly, it takes quite some time for your hair to get used to the new hair products. You should have some patience.

 

Numéro dos!
You might switch hair products too fast, not giving your hair a chance to adjust and ‘settle’ for a while. You should switch hair products every three months: one month to adjust, one month to ‘settle’, one month to do its work perfectly. Nevertheless, after a certain period of time the hair product does not work as it should, because your hair is used to it. It is comparable to sleeping medication, it works for a certain period of time but afterwards your body is used to it.

Numéro tres!
Sometimes we buy hair products without any knowledge of the content. It is better to avoid products which contain sulfates and silicones. We consumers have the idea that a certain products works when it foams. However, products which do not foam are effective as well.  Sulfates are considered bad, because it extracts naturals oils. Thus, sulfates damages and dries your hair out.

However, silicones are not necessarily bad. It depends on your hair, some people have no problems with silicones, while others notice that their hair becomes dry because of it.

 

Numero cuatro!

Budget shopping is not bad, especially because of these times of recession. Nevertheless, if you want to take good care of your hair it is recommended to visit the hairdresser, healthy food and products which consist of good ingredients.

Numero cinco!

Some of us believe that hair products against breakage and split ends are really effective. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Split ends can be caused by the trichorrhexis nodosa which is a hair disease which strips your hair off. The hairdresser can help you get rid of it, not a hair product from the super market or hair shop. He/She will cut your hair till a necessary length.

 

Curious about the outfits? This blog is waiting for you!

XoXo Whitney Rochette

Curly Hair Do’s and Don’ts

Curly hair is never the same two days in a row. Everyday it’s a new surprise, at least for me, when I style my hair how it turns out. Nevertheless, with great techniques, you can get a positive result everyday. That’s why I have listed some Do’s and Don’ts to make your hair turn out great.

 

 

The Do’s:

– Deep Condition.
Curly hair is naturally dry. Moisture is very important and just water everyday is not enough. With deep conditioners you prevent the hair from breakage and damage. In addition, your hair is smooth and soft. Try deep conditioning your hair on a regular basis, at least once a week. If your hair is very dry and damaged, you might want to start out with deep conditioning your hair twice a week.

 

– Moisture.
Your hair needs moisture a lot. Next to water, your hair needs some kind of (leave-in) conditioner or moisturizer that can keep it hydrated and protect it against the sun/wind.

– Satin.
Satin is curly girl’s best friend. By sleeping on a satin pillowcase, you will protect your hair from frizz and breakage (It is also very good for your skin). You can also use a satin cap to put over your hair when sleeping.

The Don’ts:

– Heat.
I’m not saying eliminate all the heat, just don’t overdo it. Heat damage can come very easy and the only way to get rid of it is cutting it off. Also, make sure you always use a heat protectant when applying heat to your hair to prevent damage. 

– Brushes.
I think this is very obvious when you have curly hair. Never brush it. Detangling and brushing are two very different things. If you want to detangling your hair, make sure you always do it when your hair is wet and use a wide tooth comb or your fingers. 

– Shampoo.
Don’t wash your hair every day, or even every other day. Shampoo has very harsh ingredients that strip your hair from your natural oils and makes it dry and brittle. Your hair needs those oils, so washing your hair once or twice a week is more than enough.

 

Just remember these tips and your hair will be most likely to turn out great every day!

 

X Caressa

Green smoothie of the week: Apple-Banana

Do you love green smoothies as much as I do? Then you should try this out! But first, do you know why green smoothies are becoming more and more popular? These smoothies do not only boost your energy, it also helps you to lose weight and it also makes your life style healthier. You will not longer forget to eat your veggies and fruits! 

 

Ingredients of this smoothie:

– One banana

– One green apple

– Spinach

– Lettuce

– Milk (I used soy
milk)

– Wheat grass
powder (optional)

– Protein powder
(only after doing sports)

 

Banana’s boost your energy and it stimulates the ‘collaboration’ between your muscles and nerves. It decreases anxiety and depression. Moreover, it improves your mood during PMS. The reason I add banana to my green smoothies is in order to diminish the chances to get another stomach ulcer. Not to forget, it facilitates the absorption of nutrients by the body. Wheatgrass powder consists of 80% – 90% of vitamins you need each day. I prefer to use soy milk rather than regular milk, because ever since I had been in America I like the taste of soy milk more. After the gym, I drink a green smoothie with protein powder in order to help my muscles recover. I add three table spoons which should be enough.

 

In the Netherlands you can buy wheatgrass powder at De tuinen (€17,99)

In America you can buy wheatgrass powder at Costco Wholesale ( two pack $49,99)

 

First, you cut the apple in small pieces and put them in the blender. Add water and then blend it. Afterwards, you need to grab a drainer and poor the juice through the drainer in a cup.

 

Wash the blender and poor the cup of freshly made apple juice in the blender. Add soy milk and a table spoon of wheatgrass powder. Then, you add the lettuce, spinach and the banana. Start blending.

 

After everything is perfectly blended (You do not see any pieces of vegetables) the green smoothie is ready to be served. Poor it in a cup, grab a magazine and enjoy!

XoXo Whitney Rochette

How to: Big (sassy) bun

Last summer, I decided to cut my curls in order to get rid of damaged hair. But guess what? I did not expect that my curls would shrink till my jawbones. It was impossible for me to make a nice bun and putting all my curls together in one ponytail was simply impossible. But we women have such good characteristics and one of them is that we become very creative when we want things to be different. I no longer had to walk around with messy hair during bad hair days, oh no I was able to create a big, stylish bun without a hair donut. 

 

This is what you need:–

– A big hair tie without metal, like this one: Click!

– Jumbo bobby pins or regular bobby pins, it depends on the thickness of your
hair

– Hair gel

– Hairbrush

 

Step 1. Put your hair together loosely in a pony tail

 

I only do this in order to apply the hair gel easily to my hair. I smooth my hair before creating the bun, because I like the result better. My hair is straight and soft. I use STYLE ICON argan oil styling gel, because it has no alcohol, no flakes and it has UV protection. Not to forget, the smell is not strong and for me it is perfect. After applying the gel, I grab my hairbrush and I comb my hair till it becomes straight. Use a soft hair brush in order to prevent breakage.

Step 2. Put your hair together in a pineapple bun

Create a ponytail like the picture above. My hair grew since my ‘big’ chop (It was not that big), so it is now easier for me to put my hair in a pineapple bun. Do not worry about the pieces which are too short for the bun (Thank God we have bobby pins). Furthermore, some loose curls are cute as well; your bun will be more casual.

 

 

   Step 3. Pin it up girl!

 

‘Fold’ your curls to the inner core of your ponytail and slide the pins in your hair. Use smaller bobby pins for the loose curls. Make sure that you use bobby pins which match your hair color! 

 

 

And then you are done!

Do you want to check the outfit out? Click here!

 

 

XoXo Whitney Rochette