Shampoos
I liked all three of these (and their matching conditioners too!) The Griffin Remedy Volumizing Shampoo doesn't dramatically impact volume, but it's a great everyday shampoo and smells wonderful. After the matching conditioner ran out, I used it to clean my makeup brushes a few times too. Broo's Malted Mint Invigorating Shampoo uses craft beer in place of water and is incredibly gentle and hydrating. I tried Broo's old formulas a few years ago -- when they came in bottles rather than tubes -- and had problems with the scents, but this one has a much milder fragrance. It smells a little like mint and a little like beer, but neither scent lingers at all once hair dries. The Andalou Naturals' Argan & Sweet Orange Shampoo is another good one, although like I mentioned in yesterday's skincare empties, Andalou has reformulated most of their products with what I consider to be inferior ingredients. I managed to snag a couple backups of the old formula shampoo and conditioner, but after those, I won't be using Andalou's hair care any more.
Conditioners
I can't quite wrap my head around Intelligent Nutrients' prices here in Canada, but if money was no object, I'd probably exclusively use their products on my hair. That said, the Harmonic Conditioner is not one of the company's top standouts for me. I adore the matching Harmonic Shampoo -- which I used up many months ago -- but the conditioner is just so-so. It smells great and works well, but I'm not convinced it performs significantly better than less costly options. The Desert Essence Coconut Conditioner is something of a cult favorite, in the green community and beyond, but I can't deal with its strong scent. I couldn't even get through the entire mini. I like some coconut scents, but the DE is verging on synthetic sunscreen coconut to my nose and I'm not a fan. Beyond the fragrance, the actual conditioner works well, so I ended up replacing it with the Italian Lemon instead. It has a much milder fragrance and is scented only with essential oils.
Styling + Extras
I've gone through countless bottles of the Kinky-Curly Spiral Spritz Styling Serum over the last few years and I've got another one on the go right now. I prefer lightweight products that defines my curls without any stickiness or crunchy feel, and that's exactly what the aloe-based Spiral Spritz does. It's a great no-frills products for me. Chorus Supernatural's Moor Clay Mask is technically a face mask, but I loved it even more as a clarifying shampoo mix-in. (I have an entire post on how I use it HERE.) I've since replaced the Moor Clay with a different clay, but it's not working nearly as well, so I may circle back to this one again in the near future.
I bought Rainbow Henna's Persian Burgundy Henna over two years ago, but never quite worked up the courage to use it until this past December. The color was not at all what I was originally going for, but I ended up liking it a lot nonetheless. This was my first time dying my own hair, so it was a learning (and a bit of a PITA if I'm completely honest) but the results are great, so I think it's worth the hassle. One pot of henna was enough for one full dye job and one root touch up on my medium-length hair. I'm debating dedicating an entire post to my henna experience, so let me know if that's something you'd be interested in seeing!
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