3 Hair Masks That I Love

With all the heat styling and color processing I do to my hair, masks are essential! I struggle with an oily scalp and dry ends so my biggest concerns are moisture, nourishing and strengthening my strands. Masking 2-3x/month is typical for me, though I have been trying to stick to 1x/week recently and have noticed a major difference in my hair. My favorite hair mask of all time was discontinued and I only have a tiny bit left, so I was on a mission to find ones that could continue its stellar work. I tested out quite a few but these 3 were the stand out favorites.

1. Oribe Signature Moisture Masque - I am a huge fan of Oribe products, and already went through an entire shampoo and conditioner in this Signature Moisture range. This is the mask that I reach for when my hair is at its driest and desperately needs moisture. It's a tad too heavy for my roots, so I concentrate this on the ends and comb through from the base of my scalp down. Only a small amount is needed but I find that it works wonders to makes my ends look fresh and my curls smoother. I can imagine that this will be my best friend come summer when the humidity is in full force and the sun is wreaking havoc on my ends. This does for my hair what many of my favorite hydrating moisturizers do for my face - gives it an instant shot of water. 

2. R+Co. Pre-Shampoo Treatment Mask - I was not quite sure how to use this one when I first saw the name. A pre-shampoo treatment? On dry hair? Hmmmm....But then I saw that it can also be used as a traditional mask on wet hair after shampooing. I tried it both ways and to be honest, I like either one because the results are fantastic! The texture is a fluffy foam that I work into the ends of my hair and then comb through so it gets distributed everywhere. This mask gives me tons and tons of volume and makes my hair bouncy and healthy looking. When paired with this shampoo, the volume is even better. I love it! 

3. Ouai Treatment Masque - I saved the best for last in this post. I absolutely adore this treatment masque. It's a creamy texture much like the Oribe and one packet is enough for my entire head. It instantly detangles,  and then I use a wide tooth comb to make sure it distributes evenly. I concentrate it more on the ends than at the roots, but I don't find that this will weigh my roots down if I use it there. After just one use, my hair looked instantly refreshed. Shiny, healthy and smooth without looking flat. My only complaint is that I wish they had the option to buy it in a tub or tube. I love the packets for travel, but I know I will go through them way too quickly when using regularly.

*pr samples included

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Oribe Launches Makeup and Skincare

Oribe is the master of hair care, but he is now expanding his empire to include makeup and skincare items! I am already a huge fan of Oribe products and the packaging and formulas are truly remarkable so I knew that anything else launched had to be of the same quality. Just from a first look - the new products immediately wowed me with their ornate (yet still elegant) gold packaging. Here are my thoughts on the few products I tried from his new line:

1. Oribe Restorative Body Cream - While I thought for sure the lipstick would be my favorite item, this body cream won me over instantly. It is rich and decadent, yet surprisingly lightweight when on the skin. I used only a small amount at a time, but it did an amazing job at nourishing, soothing and hydrating my skin all day long. I put it on in the morning and by evening, my legs and arms still felt soft and moisturized. The scent is fragrant but not overwhelming and would be fine layered with one's daily perfume or left alone for a most subtle effect. I have a feeling this will be a lifesaver for my skin when temps drop and the snow comes. Eek!

2. Oribe Golden Face Oil - While the body cream was incredibly decadent and rich, I was happy to see that the face oil had a more lightweight texture. It's not the thinnest oil in my collection, but fell more in the middle range of textures which worked well with my combination skin. I prefer to use this at night because it does make my skin very glowy even after being absorbed, and I wake up with even and calm skin the next morning. It contains Sea Buckthorn Berry and Rose Hip which help moisturize the skin but also target anti-aging concerns.

3. Oribe Illuminating Face Palette in Sunlit - This palette was the most surprising to me because I had expected it to be very shimmery and more of a highlighter. However, once I swatched it on the back of my hand I loved that it gave a slight radiance but not an intense shimmer. I showed all the shades separately above and then swirled together as one shade. I prefer to mix the colors together and dust them over my cheeks to give a subtle bronzy glow. I can wear it alone which gives me just a hint of color, but also layer it on top of other blushes to add a bit of warmth to my cheeks.

4. Oribe Lipstick in Nude - Yes. Yes. YES! This nude lipstick is beautiful! The color is on the paler side when on the lips (see me wearing it here), but I love the look. The formula gives medium coverage and feels creamy on the lips but not too slippery or too matte. I find that the lipstick lasts a good 5-6 hours on my lips before needing any touch-ups, and looks great alone or layered under a gloss or balm. 

*pr samples included

Are you thinking of picking up any of these new products? Which ones are your favorites?

Shop the entire Oribe makeup and skincare below:

My Current Hair Care Routine

I am all about variety and change when it comes to my skincare and makeup routine, but I am not as versatile with my hair routine. My hair texture has changed significantly this past year due to some steroid injections I had to have in my neck, so it has been a challenge determining what products would work. I plan to have a hair straightening treatment done in November, so this line-up may change after that, but for now here are the products I use regularly on my hair.

1. Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil Heat Protective Primer - Since I use a lot of heat on my hair, both blowing it out and curling it, I need a heat protectant spray. But the bonus with this is that it also helps to smooth the hair and reduce frizz. It's incredibly lightweight and leaves my hair shiny and healthy looking. I spray it on my hair when it is damp and then style as usual.

2. Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil - For the extra humid days either in the summer, on vacation or when it's raining, I need an extra boost of smoothing for my hair. This Invisible Oil from Bumble and Bumble is truly invisible. Being that I have an oily scalp that can get greasy very easily, I have rarely if ever found a hair oil that works for me. That was until I tried this. I use only one small pump on damp or dry hair to help smooth and minimize frizz, and surprisingly it does not weigh my hair down at all.

3. Christophe Robin Hair Purifying Lotion - I've said before many times that I am not the biggest fan of dry shampoo. I have tried a few here and there, but on the whole it only serves to make my hair feel dirtier and leads to a ton of build-up with my oily scalp. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this finishing lotion, but as soon as I saw that it had vinegar in it, I had a feeling it would work well. I spray it directly onto my scalp and roots on the days I don't wash my hair, and it helps to balance my scalp, make it feel fresh and clean and evaporates almost immediately. An added bonus that I wasn't prepared for was how voluminous it makes my roots and adds a nice bit of "oomph" to my second (and sometimes third and fourth) day hair.

4. Nuance by Salma Hayek Nourishing Hair Mask - Though my scalp is oily, my ends are dry, dry, dry! This is most likely due to the amount of heat styling that it goes through, so a deep conditioning mask is a must. Many deep conditioning masks however, can be a nightmare for those with oily hair. It can leave the hair limp and greasy (I know this from tons of experience) and make it almost impossible to get a decent blowout because the strands are too slick. After just one use of this Nourishing Hair Mask, I could see a difference. My hair looks nourished, soft yet still bouncy. I typically only focus on the ends when applying, but can get away with using over my entire hair without weighing my hair down.

6. Oribe Signature Shampoo (bottom swatch above) - Though I only wash my hair 2-3x/wk, I need a shampoo that is consistently good and removes any build-up while still leaving my hair clean and soft. This Oribe Signature Shampoo gives a good lather but not too much where it dries out my scalp. I get out of the shower and my hair always feel fresh and weightless though the strands look smooth and shiny. The only challenge is that my hair can get a bit tangled when using it, so I always need to use a conditioner after.

7. Oribe Signature Conditioner (top swatch above) - Since I use a deep conditioner once a week, I need my regular conditioner to provide just enough moisture without weighing my hair down. This Signature Conditioner helps to detangle my hair, condition it, yet it never leaves my scalp greasy or unbalanced. I struggled with a flaky scalp for the past year and this shampoo and conditioner duo has really helped to reduce that significantly. My scalp is more balanced and my hair looks healthier.

*pr samples included