New Season 2015 #BrownBeauty Part 3: Hair Care @avedauk @mizaniuk @sheamoistureUK

The final installment in my New Season #brownbeauty series features the newest hair care products that I have been testing over the past few months!

There has been a flurry of activity in the UK afro hair sector during this time, which has seen US brand Shea Moisture land in Boots, Mizani, which recently celebrated its tenth anniversary in the UK, launch its latest product into salons and Aveda relaunch its range aimed at textured hair with an eye catching campaign.

Shea Moisture

The launch of the iconic Shea Moisture range in the equally iconic Boots caused a buzz in the curly and textured hair community! Advantage cards at the ready ladies….

Hitting the shelves in October, the arrival of the brand to the chain was supported by a fantastic press event event and launch party which was organised and hosted by the wonderful Bukky Fatusin of Curlvolution….

…which turned into one SERIOUS parrr-tayyy!

#turnup

 

Those who are familiar with the brand will know that is pretty extensive and includes hair care, bath and body and cosmetic items. The offering available in Boots is much more streamlined but still caters for our specific hair needs.

You will be able to pick up products from the following collections:

– Coconut & Hibiscus
– Superfruit Complex
– Raw Shea Butter
– Jamaican Black Castor Oil

I was sent the Jamaican Black Castor Oil range to test. The range claims to strengthen and repair, whilst supporting healthy growth for all hair types, including chemically treated, heat styled, natural and those who are transitioning.

Shea-Moisture-Jamaican-Black-Castor-Oil-Hair

First thing first..the products in the range smell gorgeous!! JBCO is unfortunately infamous for the fragrance of the neat product, but this range, which also includes coconut oil, jojoba seed oil, Clover flower extract and a signature essential oil fragrance blend smells delectable!

I have used the shampoo, the leave in conditioner, the hair serum and the edge treatment. The shampoo cleansed and moisturised my hair and produced a lot of suds (sorry – I still need my suds y’all) and I followed the cleansing step with a generous application of the leave in conditioner which contains peppermint to stimulate the scalp and keratin to strengthen. I haven’t used it long enough to asses the long term results but I was very impressed with the feel and texture of my hair post the initial use. My natural hair is quite porous, so it needed a good moisture boost, which is just what I got! The product itself is like butter, I will certainly be adding it to my regime going forward.

I have been using the serum to moisturise my scalp and edges as it is light and non-greasy.

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It also absorbs quickly into the hair and is a delight to use. The edge treatment is just that – a treatment. If you are looking for a product to lay those edges and keep them under control, this isn’t the product for you! I have rubbing a tiny amount into my hairline about twice a week for the past couple of months. As it is not a control product, you do not get the associated build build up. Again, the fragrance is beautiful, so if you are looking for products to get those edges in check, give these a whirl!

 

Mizani 25 Miracle Milk

As mentioned in my review of Mizani UK’s 10th anniversary celebration, the brand lauched its newest product, the 25 Miracle Milk at this time too.

I have been using the product on my hair and hair extensions for several weeks now. The formulation is less ‘milky’ than I would have expected and though it claims to ‘balance porosity’, it was too thin to really deeply hydrate my hair. However, it is great for my hair extensions. It produces defined curls with a shine and without the stickiness. I am able to use it daily without it weighing down the hair between washes. It is a nice addition to the range but unfortunately it will not make the cut as my favorite Mizani products.

 

Aveda – Be Curly relaunch

Aveda repackaged and relaunched its be curly range, aimed at curly, kinky and coiled hair types earlier this year.

As well as the repackage, the brand added two new products to the range – a Co-Wash product which is a low-lather conditioning wash and an intensive detangling masque, both of which contain certified organic babassu oil. Babassu oil is extracted from seeds of Babassu palm in Brazil and comprises of 70% lipid (fats to you and me!). It is easily and quickly absorbed, adding moisture and hydration, thus conferring extreme detangling properties to the hair. I haven’t used the Co-wash but the amazing Gina of Natural Belle has and you can read her review here.

I did use the detangling mask on my hair and loved, loved, loved it! The consistency of the product is rich and smooth and left my hair feeling hydrated and it was easy to comb.

I used the style prep serum and the curl enhancing spray on the curly extensions which I was rocking for the Keziah CONNECTIONS 3rd anniversary celebration! Both of these products contain a wheat protein and organic aloe blend which expands when the hair is wet and retracts when it dries to intensify the curl or wave pattern and keep frizz at bay. These products worked really well with my hair extensions. I would hydrate them with a spritz of water before application and then use 2-3 pumps of the serum, followed by a spritz of the spray. The products added a shine and defined the curls without weighing the hair down. My hair (and hands!) were not sticky after use and my hair didn’t feel crunchy at all. I would highly recommend these product to use with your curly virgin hair.

Last but not least, the supporting marketing campaign for the range was stunning, featuring a beautiful model with a halo of enviable curls.

Celebrate-Those-Curls-with-Aveda-BeCurly-CoWash

Here’s how you can get the look using the new products!

All products tested were PR samples.

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