Seven Days, Seven Ways...

I don't know about you, but my hair is stuck in a terrible rut, and I've had enough of it. I'm over at She Said Beauty today with a challenge for us straight-haired girls - seven days of easy, quick styles that even the most inept stylist (that's me) can manage. Head on over and find some inspiration for even the most tired, boring locks - and go on, I challenge you - try one for every day this week!

Sans Ceuticals Haircare

Surely you all know how sensitive my skin it - not least because I never shut up about it -  but it really does seem to find new ways to annoy and thwart me at every turn. Recently, I've been having trouble with shampoos and hair products - they irritate my scalp and do nothing for my long, lifeless tresses. That is until a box arrived from Sans Ceuticals, a lovely little line all the way from New Zealand. The aptly named Sans is a boutique, Auckland-based haircare line that takes green to a whole new level. Entirely chemical-free, only the most potent and effective natural extracts and vitamins are used, while every effort is made to make sure ingredients are organic, locally sourced, sustainably harvested and highly active. Even the packaging is ecologically sound - the simple and chic little bottles are made of non-leaching plastics and printed with vegetable inks. 

I'll admit I was a bit doubtful trying out the line - yes the idea and ethos of the brand is great, but who hasn't had some unpleasant run-ins with so-called natural shampoos and conditioners that leave hair a limp mess of snarled tangles?. The Nourishing Hair Wash sudses up beatifully but subtly into a dense, velvety foam,  leaving hair feeling clean but not stripped. After the a few pumps of the Nourishing Hydratant (that's fancy Kiwi talk for conditioner), ends felt soft and smooth without any of that creepy silicone slickness.  To top things off, I'm in love with the beautiful scent as well - fresh, natural and softly sweet - like tangerine peel and freesia blossoms. 


All in all, a big hit here at the Blossom Shed -  pure luxury that you feel good about using. Clearly hair likes it too -  my straggly ends are softer and smoother, while my roots are less weighed down by build up and heavy silicones. I have to break the news to you now that it is rather expensive, particularly if you're used to drugstore-priced shampoos. Not everyone will be able to justify it - but I'd highly recommend the line if you have sensitive skin, are committed to using only the purest products, or have invested in expensive highlights or color that you want to gently protect. 


Should the mood strike you, you'll find Sans Ceuticals products in the US at Woodley and Bunny or Anthropologie, and in the UK at Love Lula. 

*Products was kindly provided by Sans for consideration.
Picture via Pinterest

Cult Classics - Moroccanoil

Your're probably sick to death of hearing about Moroccanoil. I know I am. But there is a reason everyone goes on about it, and so I feel it deserves its place here amongst the Cult Classics at The Blossom Shed.

I don't love the smell (fake vanilla and I are in a duel to the death), and I don't love the ingredients for the price - mostly silicones with some Argan Oil for conditioning - but there's still no debating that a dab or two worked through wet hair works wonders. Instant shine and softness without too much weight or oiliness, it's a godsend for damaged, color-treated or particularly unruly locks. I like to work a bit through very damp hair from ears to ends, then put it up into a bun to sleep. I wake up to a mane of gorgeous soft, healthy looking hair that still has texture and movement to it. It's a quick fix, but a very effective one that's invaluable to dry, damaged tresses. I'm definitely keeping a bottle on hand for when I go blonder in the summer, and chlorine and sun wreak havoc on my unruly and bleached strands.

The Morroccanoil Original Treatment is available online at HQ Hair - it also comes in a light version for finer, more easily weighed-down hair.

What are your hair plans this spring? Do you change your look a lot, or stick with the same cut and color? I've had long, thick hair with shaggy bangs for years, and don't plan on changing it, even though I'm often tempted. It's become a security fringe that I'm a bit terrified of going without. I like peering out at people from beneath all the hair. It makes me feel superior.

(Product sent for consideration by Moroccanoil)

Amika Obliphobica Nourishing Hair Mask

This conditioning treatment looks and smells like tropical custard, which is more than enough to recommend it to me. If you need more facts than that, it also hydrates and nourishes with Sea Buckthorn berry and Argan oil, and softens and conditions my fine hair without weighing it down or leaving it too slick. The massive 500 ml tub will last easily for 6 months, even with my notoriously wasteful habits, and I love the feeling of scooping my fingers into the cool, banana pudding-looking contents. Leaves hair shiny and healthy without any build-up, and it's sulfate, paraben and cruelty-free. A new staple for my winter hair, and undoubtedly for summer pool tangles as well. My only complaint is that it leaves my hair a bit too soft and clean the first day - it is conditioning it after all - but I need a bit more styling product to give my super-fine hair some texture. Check out the rest of the Amika line on their website and like them on Facebook for 25% off!

Yes, that is the back of my toilet. There's not a lot of storage in my bathroom.

What's your winter hair saviour? Any tips for conditioning without weighing hair down? Tempted to try this one out? Let me know in the comments below!

(product was kindly sent as a PR sample by Amika)

Luscious Locks

Between the cold, dry air and the fuzzy knitwear, winter is hell for hair. It's either static and parched or flat and limp, and it's hard to find products that add shine without ending up oily. Here's my top three serums that smooth flyaways and boost shine without weighing hair down.


Aveda Brilliant Emollient Gloss is the hair product I've used the longest. It's a little thicker than most serums, and makes hair feel actually nourished instead of just slick. It uses rice bran oil and vitamin E to condition, smells beautiful and comes in a lovely cobalt bottle that lasts forever.
Josie Maran Hair Serum has lovely high quality ingredients like Argan, Jojoba and Camellia oils and a tart bergamot scent. A little goes a very long way - one tiny pump is perfect for my long, thick hair, so it should last for ages, and actually helps to nourish hair as well as smooth it. This one's great for keeping in your purse for quick touch-up - it has the most natural ingredients, and is my new favorite. Nick Chavez Angel Drops was included in my recent BeautyFix package. I chose it because the thirteen year old inside me liked the name "Angel Drops". I had no idea who Nick Chavez was - it I'd had to venture a guess I would have said a Backstreet Boy. It turns out, rather disappointingly, he's a Hollywood hairstylist. This serum contains the most fillers and least natural ingredients, but it makes my hair shine like nothing else - my six month old highlights look incredible when I use this, and it smooths the hair without losing texture. It's a quick fix for instant results, and it comes in a large bottle that will last me for years. The special part about this? The smell. For days I was trying to figure out what the floral scent reminded me of - it was driving me crazy. Suddenly yesterday I got it - Pat the Bunny. It smells EXACTLY like the flowers in the Pat the Bunny book. I, like Judy, love that smell, but if you don't want to smell like a children's board book, this may not be for you. I'll continue to quite happily relive my toddler years everytime I use it.

Josie Maran and Nick Chavez products were PR samples. Photo via pinterest

Cult Classic - The Mason Pearson Brush

There comes a point in your life when it's time to grow up and invest in a few of the classics. We all need a nice coat, and a good handbag, and yes, a quality hairbrush. You can't put a some pink, plastic goody with broken teeth in your sophisticated purse, or on your stylish vanity. It brings the mood down. I'm particularly biased because I've never used anything else but a Mason Pearson - apart from a disastrous interlude with a drugstore-brand round brush, these were what my mother raised us on, and with good reason - they're brilliant. The brush was designed in Yorkshire in 1885 by Mason Pearson himself, and very little in design or materials has changed since then - its cellulose molded handle feels and looks almost like polished wood. My favorite model is the small, pocket size, with a combination of boar and natural bristles.

It's quite an investment, but the absolute best you can do for your hair and scalp, and lasts forever - it might not be something you can go out and buy right now, but if and when you reach a point that you want to splash out, go for this one. Since I have my lovely brush already, I now have my eye on the matching comb. It's time to find a worthier partner for my Mason Pearson than the $3 detangler with broken tines. A disgrace.