My hair care routine has changed a little over the past few weeks as I colored my hair for the first time ever with highlights! Some of the hair care items I had been testing and wanted to review had to be re-tested with colored hair as I’ve found it a bit drier in texture and in need of more moisture. The good news is most of my styling staples fortunately have still worked for me! What has changed though is the need for different shampoo, conditioner and more hair masks.
I’ve really loved trying hair oils and my staples still continue to be the ones below:
- Ouai Hair Oil is great for a nice lightweight shine, the floral scent might not be everyone’s cup of tea, it did grow on me the more I used it
- Hair Rituel by Sisley Precious Hair Care Oil which is probably my favorite finishing oil for ends and to add shine that isn’t heavy or thick
- Moroccanoil Treatment is the most versatile product for pre-heat styling to smooth hair and also works to finish the ends and remove flyaways
- Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil is also a nice lightweight oil that I add on the ends as a finishing product
All of these worked for my normal thick hair, now that it’s colored I feel the Sisley and Moroccanoil work best to add shine. A couple that don’t work quite the same for me include the Shu Uemura Essence Absolue and the Living Proof No Frizz Nourishing Oil. They still add softness but now my hair just soaks it up and no shine is added. Brush I currently use is the T3 Dry Vent Brush. I like it enough to keep using it, but I’m still in search for my holy grail.
The Gisou Honey-Infused Hair Oil is one of the best smelling oils I’ve tried. It smells of honey, almond and a hint of coconut. It’s infused with honey from Negin Mirsalehi’s family bee garden. I was sent the Travel Size Oil (50 ml, exclusive to her website) and love it for it’s lightweight finish and soft shine. No greasy look or residue and it makes hair very soft. She just launched the Hair Perfume (100 ml) which has a more floral perfume like scent to it. It has a more powdery scent compared to the oil, I think it’s beautiful but prefer the oil if I had to pick one. I have ordered from her website before (they ship to the US), but you can also find her products at Urban Outfitters and Revolve.
The Rahua Legendary Amazon Oil is something I was really interested in trying out. It’s a plant-based silicone-free hair oil. It’s described as lightweight but I found it to be on the rich side and would recommend it for dry or damaged hair, and particularly if you have thicker strands. A little goes a very long way to coat the hair, I prefer using it on damp hair with just one pump. On my virgin hair pre-coloring it added incredible softness with a soft sheen. On my color-treated hair it adds softness but I find it challenging to find the right amount to use. Too little doesn’t add enough shine and one coat too much results in something that looks too heavy for my hair type. The oil has a very natural smell to it which fades after a few minutes. Based on the texture I tried I do think it would be too thick and heavy for fine hair, but if you’re looking for a silicone-free option this is a nice one to consider for very dry or coarse hair.
Shu Uemura Art of Hair Satin Design is something I discovered and reviewed years ago. It’s a blow dry lotion used to heat protect hair, remove frizz and add softness. I used up a bottle and repurchased but it sat in storage most of last year when we moved around a lot. I rediscovered it recently and my color treated hair LOVES this. It has the right texture, emollient and finish to make my hair soft and remove any signs of dryness. After using and blow drying my hair it is incredibly soft, tangle-free and without any greasy residue. Ends still need a little bit of finishing with a shine product or oil, but overall this is a solid win. It gives hair a soft satiny glow.
I love IGK for the packaging. Their products are also great too. I hauled two products from Sephora earlier this year. The Thirsty Girl Coconut Milk Leave-In Conditioner got me because of the name coconut. It’s a milk-infused leave-in conditioner that has a spray. The packaging and spray dispenser are excellent – these days I am always amazed when brands don’t package their products with well designed spritzers. I really appreciate that IGK packaging is all on point, not just in the fun design but function as well. As the product name implies it’s a leave-in conditioner. I found that it was very easy to overdo the first few uses. The spritzer is so even and dispenses a fine mist I wasn’t sure I applied enough. It does work like a traditional leave-in conditioner, I think I like it mainly for the scent and novelty of packaging. Performance is good and I have no regrets buying. I’m not sure I would repurchase. If you found it too rich or oily, I think simply sprayed too much on, although I can see how it could be too rich for fine hair.
The IGK Good Behavior Spirulina Protein Smoothing Spray also suckered me in with the name “smoothing.” I think their packaging and naming is genius. It gets me every time! This is a heat-protective blow out spray that is supposed to have similar effects of keratin treatments. I have not tried one so I cannot compare, but based on photos I’ve seen after the treatments I do think the IGK Good Behavior spray gives very similar looking results but in the shorter-term (as in it will last a day until you re-wash your hair). As a pre-heat treatment I see similar results with other types of products. I do like that the Good Behavior spray smooths hair, reduces frizz and does make my hair look smooth and fresh all day. As with the Thirsty Girl, I do think Good Behavior is easy to over apply. The IGK applicator spritzers are so good compared to other brands. They spray product very efficiently so you might be used to spraying more product. I’d recommend coating hair lightly and add one spritz at a time as you blow dry in sections if you feel you need more. It gets a thumbs up for me but I do think you can get similar frizz-free soft shine results with other products.
This Briogeo Hair-O-Scopes Brightest Stars Bestsellers Kit came at the perfect time for me. It has a full-size Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask which is now my holy grail hair mask. I had to wait 72 hours to wash my hair after color treatment. The first two days I found my hair just wasn’t the same, it needed a lot more moisture. This mask rescued it and I never want to be without it now. Prior to my highlights I had been experiencing a lot of breakage in the hair. I do think using this mask (along with the Aquis hair towels) has reduced breakage drastically. I’m still sampling the other items in the kit but the hair mask makes it 100% worth trying. I’ve already ordered another mask.
Last but not least are the Aquis Hair Towels. I’ve now tried multiple sizes and products in the line. I really liked the Prime Starter Kit before I had my hair colored to strengthen and reduce breakage. Post hair highlights, the leave-in conditioner just doesn’t really perform the same. It works to smooth and detangle, but I’m not seeing a lot of added moisture or shine. I’m going to put the entire kit to more testing before I give a comprehensive review.
For the hair towels I don’t think you can go wrong with any of them. With new hair coloring towels are prone to staining, but the dye washed out and didn’t leave any marks on the white ones. I just made sure I threw them in the washer right away.
I thought I’d always be a towel kind of person but their Rapid Dry Turban has a really clever design with a loop on one end and closure on the other. It’s super easy to use and holds hair in place better than wrapping a towel.
For the towels, I prefer the longer lengths for my hair. The first one I tried was the Lisse Luxe Long Hair Towel. I then ordered the regular sizes to try and found the longer ones easier to wrap around the head. Andrew has liked and borrowed all of mine and prefers the Waffle Luxe version. I think both textures work the same for me.
I’ve bought mine from Sephora, but I just noticed this Ouai Ouai x Aquis Set available at Bloomingdale’s at a really good price. With the holiday sets out definitely look around online for different options.
For those who didn’t see on Instagram stories, my before and after hair color:
After using the same stylist for nearly 10 years in San Diego, making a change was scary when I moved, but one of the best things about South Florida is that the people here are so nice. I found a salon on Yelp and decided to try based on the reviews. They made me feel completely at ease as a new client, I loved them and went back. I decided to have my hair colored for the first time there and loved the results. I was so nervous that I nearly cancelled but my husband and mother in-law came with me and assured me it would all be ok. The day of appointment the salon asked if they could film the process for their social media feed and I said sure. They put together a fun clip if you want to check them out I linked it below. Quick FYI this is all still my natural hair except for the coloring, no extensions. Just highlights – they also curled my hair for fun afterwards.
I was truly blown away by everyone’s kind words about the new hair. You made me feel so loved with the sweet comments and suggestions about hair care, shampoos and everything else in between. I’ve been testing different shampoos and conditioners which I’ll be reviewing soon, for now I wanted round up the oils and other products I have been testing for hydration and smoothness.
Overall, my favorites are still my favorites. I do love the Gisou Hair Oil for the soft finish, shine and scent. The Aquis Hair towels and Briogeo hair mask are life savers for me. I’m thrilled that I rediscovered the Shu Uemura Art of Hair Satin Design and am amazed it didn’t go bad (it was in storage for months, granted it was an climate controlled one).
What are your favorite hair products for hydration, added shine and smoothing? Let me know what hair type you have in the comments too!
Press samples featured include the Sisley Hair Oil, Aquis Hair Turban, Moroccanoil Hair Treatment, Briogeo Hair-O-Scopes Set, Rahua Oil.
Ah so many amazing brands that I want to try out xx
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This was fun to read! I like serums for post blowdry and I use Aveda and Verb, primarily but Aveda’s hair oil is my number one for air drying. I’m don’t respond well to heavy fragrances and prefer natural scents in my hair that fade quickly. I tried Ouai and couldn’t stand the scent. I wish they would pay closer attention to lightening the scents so they don’t compete with your perfume. Now I want to try that honey oil! Your highlights really do look beautiful!!
I have wavy hair. Joico Moisture Recovery Treatment Balm is one of my favorite hair masks at the moment. I used hair oils before (Orofluido, Moroccanoil, Macadamia oil), but now I prefer serums, which are more suitable for my hair type. I love to try new hair care products so I look forward to your next post Sabrina.
Would you mind sharing the salon and stylist you used in San Diego? I am still looking for someone.
Sure, I went to Dearinger. They’re located downtown, ask for Jocelyn, she’s great!
Thanks!!
Amazing review, very in depth, as usual. Thanks Sabrina. I will splurge and get the Sisley hair oil.
I’ve found regular Olaplex treatments (steps 1-3) do an amazing job at keeping damage from coloring (and heat) to a minimum.
Also *highly* recommend Color Wow Dreamcoat- basically you spray on wet hair and it activates from the heat of a dryer and/or flatiron. The results last a few shampoos, it doesn’t have silicones (so hair isn’t weighted or greasy) and it makes straightening hair so much easier. I noticed a major difference after just one use!
I won two of these hair oils from you and I am so thankful that I did. I have only tried the Ouai Hair Oil so far andI really love it. Thanks for this detailed report. I have wavy hair that is colored and it tends to get very dry. I am now interested in the towel.
I really love that Briogeo hair mask! I can’t use it much anymore unless a good pain day coincides with getting my hair washed (currently my mom is helping me with it). But, I did pass my larger jar of it on to her (kept a smaller one for myself in case I get lucky and can wash my hair again myself) and she loves it a lot! My sister visited two weeks ago and tried it out and I think she got the full size of it during the Sephora sale as she was raving about it.
Yes to so many of these!! The Aquis hair towels are probably my favorite thing ever – I recently received the hair turban version and I think I enjoy it much more than the regular towels because I can just go about the rest of my routine until I decide to dry my hair. The Gisou hair oil is also so so good – it smells great and also leaves my hair silky smooth. I was debating on picking up the hair perfume but now that I read your thoughts, I definitely want to smell it in person before getting it (if it isn’t the same). The IGK Thirsty Girl has been on my list forever but it’s always sold out in stores and I just haven’t gotten around to ordering it online. I’m finishing up a few other leave in conditioners at the moment anyways.
Also mixing things up with your hair is always scary!! I went through 21 years without changing up much and now that I have I’ll just keep changing it up here and there. After all, it’s just hair! It grows back / it can always be dyed over!
Cindy | http://www.cindyhyue.com
Living in Florida Since the 70’s i find my hair gets very dry. I love the Aveda Dry Remedy Moisturizing Oil and it smells divine..thanks for the detailed review. Will have to check some of your picks out!
Your hair looks great! Thank you for the hair oil reviews. I’m off to check the Gisou Honey-Infused Hair Oil now.
I rarely comment on blogs, but I read yours often and appreciate the specificity of your reviews. Also, your site is aesthetically appealing.
I got the same Briogeo kit and it just arrived today! It’s my second tub of the fabulous mask. Looking forward to trying the other products too. I am loving R+Co and Neuma these days. Neuma is a bit heavier so I use it when my hair is feeling drier.
I’ve been loving Aquis towels for years. I quite like the turbans with the button closure too.
You know, I don’t really get along with oils that have a lot of silicone. A shu uemura one put little knots at the ends of my hair. They drove me nuts trying to pull / trim them out. It’s just too slippy for my hair and I notice a lot of build up with them. I think I may try the Playa oil since Sephora carries it now and it’s silicone-free.
Have you tried any of the FORM haircare products? I love their leave in lotion!
With the Sephora sale going on I am going to have to buy the Aquis towels. Thank you for the recommendations! Also, I absolutely love your new hair color- it’s quite stunning but also very natural.
Do you have any recommendations for dry scalp?
The way you described the Shu Uemura satin hair cream, I REALLY need to try that. I also love the Briogeo hair mask, it’s my go to. The Amika one is pretty good too. I would like to try those Aquis Hair towels too – they sound awesome.
I just started using the Oribe oil. It’s pricey but so good.
I mix hylauronic acid with Marla oil and use that on both face and skin every morning. The mixture not only adds moisture but detangles as well.
Recently tried VERB hair oil, and quite pleasantly surprised. Thanks for another great post!
Thanks for the recommendation!
My hair is pretty normal – straight, brown, and not colored. It is fine, but I seem to have a lot of it. I do tend to get split ends and try and treat that with Aveda damage remedy hair repair – but ultimately what works best is just a trim. 🙂
I have straight, thin hair so all oil products I’ve tried, were weighting my hair down and made them greasy. I love your new hair, looks so great on you!!
Might have to order the Briogeo hair mask from the sale! Thank you for the post!
Favorite hair items are from bumble and bumble, esp their hair oil!
I love the morroccanoil tx and need to try the briogeo!
Your hair looks so lovely!!! Mine is unfortunately pretty thin and oily… The only time I didn’t look like I was dipped in oil a day after washing them was during my pregnancy, but now I’m all back to my oily self… With dry tips though.. So if you (or you, dear fellow followers here 🙂 have any advice for “combination hair”, I’m grateful!
I was trying to stay clear of silicones for a while but for now the only noticable result is nastily tangled hair :/
I like that Briogeo. Lately I’ve also switched to the Olaplex shampoo and conditioner. Those two are winners for my fine wavy hair.
Love your hair! Mine is baby fine and curly, so a lot of products weigh it down, but I discovered IGK’s Rich Kid Coconut Oil Gel and that has been working wonderfully for me!
I have very short hair and a very minimal hair care routine. I have used morroconoil in the past and liked it
I have asian hair bleached and balayaged to an ash blonde at a same length as yours. I find “oils” that are mainly silicones dry my hair out. I prefer serums that are like a leave-in conditioner consistency a la It’s a 10 Miracle Treatment.
I love hair oil. I have very dry, thick hair, so I use Davines Oi oil on wet hair and then use very small amounts of the Ouai oil on dry hair before using any hot tools.
I love the Ouai Rose Hair and Body oil!
Ouai oil is the best!
Moroccanoil Treatment is the only hydration treatment I use.
The Aquis turban is the best! I’ve had mine for 8+ years, and just got another during the Sephora sale.
Briogeo is one of my favorite haircare brands!
Caudalie Divine Oil does best on my curly hair!
The only product I use for hydration is the Morrocanoil Treatment.
My favorite hydration products are anything from The Perfect Hair Day Living Proof Line! I find anything too hydrating weighs my hair down.
That Sisley hair oil sounds so wonderful and luxurious! I really need to look into their hair range.
I have just recently started using the Sisley one after seeing your post, and I love it!
I love hair care posts, I am much more into hair care and skin care than makeup and always like to see what you have discovered yourself
I’d have to say the Moroccanoil is the only thing that’s working for my hair right now. My hair texture has changed so much since giving birth to twins.
I honestly don’t use anything in particular for my hair in terms of hydration…I’ll sometimes use a leave in spray conditioner but honestly my hair is above shoulders so for me my goal is to add texture and not make it too silky
Cheers Lisa
I have very similar hair to yours and have also recently hightlighed it as well. At the moment I use the Alterna Caviar line to keep it hydrated and manageable. I have also used the some products from the Briogeo line.
Interesting post! I definitely want to give Moroccanoil and Sisley hair oil a try.
I’m always on the look out for the perfect hydration product for my very dry hair… right now I’m using a product by Shea Moisture but the next brand I will try once I’m done with my Shea Moisture product is DevaCurl.
Presently trying Verb Ghost shampoo and conditioner. My hair was recently highlighted and is quite a bit drier than normal. I am pleased but thinking of hitting Sephora and getting the oil too.
I had the same issue with the Living Proof nourishing oil since going lighter. I do feel Moroccanoil works better. I’m thinking of trying the Oribe oil next.
Moroccanoil treatment is the only hydration treatment I use.
Moroccanoil Treatment is my HG oil (I got a sample of it and immediately switched to it once I’d finished up the Ouai oil)
I’ve bought the Briogeo Hair-O-Scopes Brightest Stars Bestsellers Kit after reading your post and have since used it a few times. It’s quickly becoming a favorite!
I love Briogeo! I’m eyeing the Gisou Honey-Infused Hair Oil and Rahua Legendary Amazon Oil.
Love Verb Ghost Oil products for hydration after showering – use their primer and ghost oil every time before blow drying. Also like Verb’s hair mask in shower about once a week.
I would love to try the hair oils .. my scalp is super dry and gets oily in 2 days .. but the tips are dry.. ahhhhh.. my hair need help. I do want to try the Moroccan oil tho
I really want to try the Gisou hair oil, it sounds fantastic. The Ouai scalp and body scrub you recommended previously smells absolutely divine by the way!
Nice post, just bought the Moroccan oil
I’m loving Oribe Supershine and Gold Lust hair oil. I also love using pre shampoo treatments, they really make a difference!
I’m loving Oribe Supershine and Gold Lust hair oil. I also love using pre shampoo treatments, they really make a difference!
Thank you for a great post!!! i really love the Verb Ghost products. the shampoo and conditioner are great!
I usually just use coconut oil to keep my hair hydrated!
How are these products on your scalp? Mine gets irritated pretty easy…
I just got the Oribe Gold Lust Shampoo, Conditioner and oil treatment in a set and I cannot wait to try them. The scent alone is delicious! I also love, love, love the aquis hair towels. They are nice and gentle on my color-treated curly hair that’s prone to breakage and frizzy flyaways.
Purchased the Ouai hair oil during the sale!
You rocks wavy hair! Thanks for the recommendation of hair products!
Looking at some of these to try from the Sephora sale!
Your hair is so beautiful!! I might check out more IGK products – their packaging is pretty!
I have curly hair, and sometimes I use just coconut oil on my ends… It helps dryness and adds shine!
Your hair looks great! I do understand about the first time coloring however…it takes along time to grow out any mistakes!
I am using Living Proof Full line daily. I have to be careful not to use a lot of conditioner as it leaves a residual if it isn’t rinsed out.
I love argan oil for hydration. I love the smell and it makes my hair soft and shiny.
I’m a big fan of Oribe styling products. I have too much of their stuff, but I love Fevacurl for their shampoo and conditioner.
I love briogeo leave in conditioning spray. I also use verb ghost oil and it’s my holy grail. Love the new highlights!
Oribe gold lust transformative masque IS amazing (just as long as you don’t mind products with cone). As far as oils just a drop of DE marula oil works wonder as a finish touch to restore shine!
I just like to try any kind of leave in conditioner. The last one I purchased, some kind of cactus water, I never got to try. My niece tried it first and said she really liked it and asked if she could have it.
Morroconoil hair deep conditioners/masks and oil, ALTERNA Caviar anti frizz Dry Oil mist are my favorites at the moment
I love the Orofluido beauty elixir hair oil!
Argan oil
I like using Avalon Organics conditioner.
I found Joico Moisturizer for Hair and really love it. It really quenches the thirst of my dry hair and mends my split ends between my trips to the salon.
I use argon oil
I have straight normal hair so I don’t dabble too much into different hair oils but I do love Kiehl’s Magic Elixir because it makes a nice scalp treatment as well.
I mix different oils
Nothing.
I love argan oil x
I have very curly hair so I’m picky about product ingredients. I like Briogeo, DevaCurl, Shea Moisture, and Evolvh.
You have gorgeous hair. I really like products with Argan Oil.
I love marrocan oil and redken color extend shampoo and mask 🙂
Amika and Colorproof have some amazing hydrating masques
I like Big Sexy products.
Love the Alterna Anti-Frizz Hair Oil.
Would be nice to see how the Aquis hair towels can help the hair
I have really thick hair. I use Shea Moisture and Love, Beauty and Planet hair care products.
Lot of good information here. When the weather changed my hair just goes down the tube. Breakage, dry, brittle………… just got 6 inches cut off. Will need to check some of these oils out and see what they do. I hate having to brush hair off my clothes before going in to the kitchen.
The one I’ve tried is the Moroccanoil Treatment and it worked really well to hydrate my hair. My hair type is dry and fine.
Gonna have to try some of these!!
I love OUAI Treatment Masque and It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product.
I love Amika products to help condition and keep my hair shiny.
Honestly, I’m not tied to anything specific for my hair. The biggest difference I see in my hair is when I remember to use conditioner and some type of protective/styling product in conjunction, as opposed to any specific brand of product. I have untreated, long Asian hair as well. The idea of maintaining a hair color won’t appeal to me until my hair starts to go grey; I’d rather spend that money on skincare and makeup!
I’m not too big on hair care so these brands are quite new to me. I’ve been using It’s A 10 for years – it’s my go-to.
I condition my hair daily and apply Paul Mitchell sculpting lotion before lightly blow drying my hair.
I haven’t tried hair oil before. I just use a leave-in conditioner after my regular shampoo and conditioner to detangle, hydrate and smooth hair
I’ve never used any oils on my hair but would love to try.
I use a great shampoo, conditioner and use a small amount of leave in conditioner. I would like to try the products you have reviewed especially the oils.
I have very long, thick, straight hair and love argan oil as a leave in conditioner.
Right now I’m using eva-nyc hair serum. I love it!
I’ve never used anything like this before. Now that I know I can get some of these products to hydrate with. Thanks for the review.
I really want to try Briogeo.
I find i prefer oils over conditioners. even my tresemme heat tamer spray is good at keeping my hair healthy and hydrated
I honestly don’t use anything on my hair to hydrate unless rinse out conditioner counts. I lost my waist length , stick straight dyed brown hair last year due to cancer and chemo. This new stuff that has grown is wavy, fine , and much healthier. My old hair routine doesn’t seem to work. I’m still trying to figure it out.
I like Kerastase masks or just leaving coconut oil in my hair for a few hours
I really love Fekkai Glossing Cream.
Haircare is as important as skincare.
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