Kerastase Initialiste Advanced Scalp and Hair Concentrate

Kerastase's newest offering, Initialiste Advanced Scalp and Hair Concentrate is a hair serum that is formulated to strengthen, give shine, softness, and substance to hair through the scalp and improve subsequent hair growth. 

It comes in a rose gold metallic box. 

The glass bottle makes up most of the weight of the 60ml serum.

The applicator is a pipette type. One to two drops for short hair and three to four for long hair. 

It's a leave-in type of hair product; it can be used on wet or dry hair. I usually massage it on the scalp after towel-drying hair. The milky white serum is watery and smells really good -- soft and invigorating at the same time. I especially like that it doesn't make my hair oily; no greasy residue or whatever. I don't see substantial improvements on my hair/scalp yet, but I do feel that some strands of hair are sprouting more than usual (and shinier and more robust at that). So far I have had no negative reactions from using this product. It's pretty much skin care for the scalp.

One bottle lasted me four months. I haven't encountered a product that works the way Initialiste is meant to do, but if you've got healthy hair to begin with, and are not too keen on hair products, for the price, I would say this can be a pass. 

Ingredients. 

Japanese side of it. 

Burt's Bees Very Volumizing Pomegranate & Soy Shampoo

Burt's Bees is an American all-natural (averaging 99%), additive-free brand that provides solutions for the entire human body. The first time I tried a product from Burt's Bees -- its famed Beeswax Lip Balm -- I was underwhelmed. A few years and an empty bottle of shampoo later, I ventured into their hair care line and gave the Very Volumizing Pomegranate & Soy Shampoo a try.

It comes in a 350ml plastic bottle that is a bit easy to squeeze -- feels biodegradable. 

Bottle opening.

The best attributes of this shampoo are its volumizing promise and its absence of sodium laureth sulfate (SLS). This concoction includes pomegranate oil, moringa seed extract, and soy. The soy amino acids are supposed to help with volumizing the hair. The pale yellow liquid has almost no scent. The lather produced is a squeaky, rubbery kind that is common in most "organic" shampoos. It cleans the hair gently and thoroughly, which I like very much. It also gives the hair some volume, mainly because it cleans so well that the residue-free strands become light and airy.

My main problem is it results to amazingly frizzy hair without the help of a hair conditioner or treatment such as Lux Hair Mask. Admittedly, there is a Very Volumizing Pomegranate & Soy Conditioner to complement this shampoo, however I would probably not repurchase because I personally prefer a more hydrating shampoo that I can use without a conditioner every day. For a deep clean, though, this works a charm. Above is the ingredients list. 

DHC After Bath Hair Treatment (Oil Type)

DHC, or Daigaku Honyaku Center, you may be surprised to know, started in Japan as a translation center. The company is more famous now for its ventures into cosmetics, vitamins, and healthy food. See the US website here for more fun facts. As it is hard to find DHC brick and mortar stores even in Asia, I chanced upon their UK website when in England and saw a discounted offer on this popular hair serum. (Thank you S, for this.)

The After Bath Hair Treatment Oil is a hair conditioning serum enriched with virgin olive oil, squalene, and shea butter. It promises to add shine and tame frizzy hair without weighing it down. The sturdy box it comes in is so beautifully done I kept it with me for quite some time to admire. The font and colors are well-coordinated, adding a dreamy quality to the packaging. The shining stars, seemingly dancing and twinkling, give off a magical effect to the overall design.

Neither did the plastic bottle allow itself to be upstaged. A pale pink lotus encapsulates the body which rounds itself up again at the bottom. I'd say this must be my favorite DHC among all its products.

The directions state to use one to two pumps of the oil and massage on clean hair (dry or damp). I personally only use this oil on the lower half of my hair. Half a pump is sufficient, as I found one full pump to be too heavy for my fine hair to handle. There is a light scent to it; nothing to fuss about.

Since I don't have time to wait for my hair to dry in the mornings, I use this mostly on wet hair. It does not feel oily or weigh my hair down as long as I am careful with the amount used. When my hair has dried, I do feel like it has an extra bounce and softness. It is also a tad shinier than when I do not use it. Sometimes it tames the frizzy strands, but most times it doesn't. It can't give the sleek-straight effect a good blowdry does. On the occasions which permitted me to, I found this best used on damp or dry hair, where the good effects were multiplied, and hair was actually less frizzy. Overall, this hair serum is a hair vitamin foremost, and a tress-defrizzer next. Hence the name -- Hair Treatment.

Peering into the box. The heavily-padded carton makes sure the item is shipped safely and arrives intact.

An Introduction to Peter Thomas Roth

My sister kindly brought home this Peter Thomas Roth set from her trip to New York (thank you 三姐). PTR is an American brand that carries a wide range of products with a heavy leaning on skin care. Mr. Roth, of Hungarian origin, is no stranger to the beauty business. Witnessing firsthand his parents' spa resort business in Hungary, he launched PTR in 1993 focusing on the soothing and healing school of Hungarian thermal springs. See his brand's story here. 

From left to right: Mega-Rich Shampoo, Mega-Rich Conditioner, Mega-Rich Body Lotion, Non-Irritating Mouth Wash.

These hair products smell fresh and sweet, at the same time never cloying. Great fragrance for my picky nostrils.

The Mega-Rich Shampoo is formulated as a clear gel (with tinge of green). It smoothed some of my frizzy strands and added noticeable shine. This counts as one the best shampoos I have used. I couldn't say the same for the Mega-Rich Conditioner though, as I felt it didn't make my hair feel significantly softer. Its creamy consistency washed off nicely, but there were no significant smoothness noted as a result.

I'm not a fan of applying lotions on the body. The last thing I look to doing after a relaxing shower is having to take an extra few minutes spreading myself with a sticky substance. If I were forced to do this tedious ritual, I'd say give me Peter Thomas Roth's Mega-Rich Body Lotion. For one, it smells divine -- sweet and sharp citrus notes combined. Two, it's more liquid compared to its counterparts, as you can see it oozing out in the above picture. Last, it is not sticky! If only for the high absorption ability, I would always remember this product. May I add that it effectively moisturizes throughout the day. I would slather this on every day if I could overcome the after-shower-lotion-sloth in me.

The Non-Irritating Mouthwash is a different matter. Indeed it doesn't sting and smells very refreshing, but it does nothing in the odor department as say, my current staple, Oracare. Skip this. Overall, I am really glad to discover two gems from PTR. I do look forward delving into this brand more.

L'Oreal Elnett Satin

L'Oreal Elnett Satin is one legendary hairspray in the beauty industry. It's known to deliver hold while maintaining hair's natural bounce.

I've seen the big version of this product sold in Sasa and just couldn't get myself to buy because I know I wouldn't be able to finish it; when I saw this mini tube in Boots I thought it was the perfect size to try.

The product is released with a "push-down" button.

The spray nozzle is without cover.

 

Some description.

Ingredients list. Alcohol tops it. (Eek!)

I am very glad with this handy 75ml can. I've only used it once for a party and I think this is the perfect size to get if you're using hairsprays only for special occasions.

The finish is definitely natural; in fact I had to spray this product lots of times to get it to "hold" my hair style. I would say Extra Strength is a bit misleading to describe this product's capacity. If you prefer quick action from your hairspray, this product is not it. But for mild hold and natural waves, this product is just fine.

Lux Hair Mask

I've finally finished my tube of Tsubaki Shining Hair Mask after two long years (wonder how I stuck to it; it was more of a personal dare/challenge, really). There were many brands of hair masks to choose from while scouring the aisles of Wellcome in HK Causeway Bay when I was seeking for a backup. In the end, I finally settled on Lux. The golden cap and elegant packaging drew me in, and the fact that it was made in Japan (Unilever) sealed the deal.

It's a huge 200g tub that I think will take longer than the Tsubaki (180g) to finish. 

The beautiful golden reflective cover.

I thought Tsubaki's signature scent was hard to beat, but I was reminded of how Lux shampoos smell like when I finally unsealed this lovely treatment. Tsubaki, while very unique in scent and easily impresses, can be a bit cloying. Lux has a more familiar scent that is on the sweeter side, but nonetheless balanced.

I honestly have never encountered a hair mask, or any beauty product for that matter that has Lux Hair Mask's soufflé-like texture (except maybe Jill Stuart's Jelly Eye Color N, but that is a whole different story). It is so soft and uniquely "fluffy." The formula has a beige-y color that gives off a comforting feel.

Some Chinese description.

I use a tiny dollop and apply beginning three inches below the scalp, leaving it on for three minutes as stated in the recommendation above. While it did not give my hair the same shine and smoothness that Tsubaki did, I found my hair to be a lot softer. I use it only once a week as opposed to 2~3 times a week.

Overall, I do like this product and would recommend it to people who have no problems with dull/frizzy hair and would only want an extensive conditioning treatment.

Shiseido Tsubaki Shining Hair Mask

Shiseido's famous Tsubaki haircare series is inspired by the camellia. The Tsubaki brand claims to include camellia oil extracts in its ingredients which make hair beautiful and healthy. There are three ranges: Shining (red), Damage Care (white), and Head Spa (yellow) with their own full lineup of shampoos, conditioners, and hair treatments.

Tsubaki Shining Hair Mask with Tsubaki Oil EX is meant to be used as a weekly treatment mask that nourishes hair by replenishing it with moisture. I've had mine for over two years and I still have a few good uses left. It's amazing how far this 180g product stretched out when used once a week.

The product come in a deep tub with a screw-cover cap. It's a thick, yellow substance that has a very rich texture. One small scoop is enough to cover an entire head of medium-length hair. I apply hair treatments beginning three inches below the scalp, typically avoiding the area above that and the scalp itself. I find that the first three inches of hair doesn't need repair as it's an area with relatively new hair growth, and my scalp itself is too sensitive to take in any rich product.

I put this on for about five minutes in the shower and though I think it should be applied on for longer, I can't be bothered. Rinsing takes around another good five minutes to cleanse out the product completely. I notice my hair looks healthier each time after use. This products makes my hair softer, shinier, and much smoother (but there are still some frizzy strands of hair). Overall, this is an effective product otherwise I wouldn't be diligently using this once a week for more than two years. It does not have the months-long effect of salon treatments, but I am quite satisfied with the weekly repair it provides as I definitely see solid results each time.