As you probably already know, I am a total fiend when it comes to hair care. I have tried enough products that I can safely say that I have an opinion on hair care that you can trust. Of course, no one product works on everyone, but these are a few that probably have a much higher success rate. Here are three of my absolute favourite hair care brands, listed in no particular order.

This brand of shampoos and conditioners have achieved HG status for me, and that is saying something when it comes to me and haircare! Yuko Phiten is a hair-straightening brand (so ladies who like your curly hair, you probably want to stay away) that adds such wonderful silkiness and softness to your hair, it's amazing! Back when I had 'virgin' hair, the Color Lock-In Care range did absolute wonders, making my hair look incredibly silky, like it had just been heat-styled. Now that my hair is coloured and damaged, it's not doing quite as good a job, but I think that's just because I need to switch to their KokoroG treatment shampoo, for dry and damaged hair. Either way, this is still a keeper for me, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to improve the look and feel of their hair!

Macadamia Natural Oil is a brand I discovered right before I started travelling, and I absolutely adore it for my colour-damaged hair. I use the No-Tangle Prestyler which is great for protecting your hair from heat damage and adding silkiness, as well as the Deep Repair Masque, which has helped immensely to keep my frizziness and damaged ends at bay. I also have the Nourishing Leave-In Cream, which is a gorgeous, thick cream that leaves the hair feeling smooth and slightly textured when applied to damp hair. All products from this range have kept my hair healthy, thick and glossy-looking, which is why I keep repurchasing their products.

muk spa is quite new to the haircare market, though muk is not. Their argan oil range is an absolute dream to use, because they use the best ingredients, and their products are formulated so that they penetrate into the hair shaft to deliver their moisturising goodness, instead of just sitting on the hair. I love their Argan Oil Treatment, which is a serum packaged in a dropper bottle that literally sinks into the hair the minute I apply it - no nasty oily residue whatsoever! Another product that stood out for me was their Shine Spray, a lightweight hair serum that you spritz into your hair - no patting or smoothing or combing necessary. This one I think is amazing for adding some shine to a hairstyle!

As you all probably have already noticed, I've moved to Malaysia to handle some things, and though I have plans to move back to Melbourne, I'm not sure when that will happen just yet.

So for now I'm keeping myself occupied with Malaysia, and what comes with it. One of the things that comes with Malaysian weather is the insane humidity. My hair used to be straight enough so that it wouldn't look weird after being affected by the humidity and heat, but it's changed now. So what I get is this puffy, frizzy, half curly mess that is just depressing to look at. Especially in photos.

So I've started to blowdry my hair everytime I have an event to attend, or photos to take. I'm a pretty low-maintenance type overall, so I hate that I have to add an extra step in my morning routine. Though I would love to eliminate blow-drying completely, it seems to have become necessary, and so I have instead incorporated a product that has helped me cut down my prep time instead:


The David Babaii Blow Out Rapid Blow Dry Spray is love in a can. This spray is essentially a two-in-one (YESSSS!) heat protectant and blow dry speeder-upper. It reduces the amount of frizz I get in my hair after a blow dry, and I love that I don't need to apply heat protectant underneath it first, because this already is one. It cuts down my blow dry time by an impressive amount - it usually takes me forever to blow dry my hair because it is quite thick. My hair is sleek, glossy, and shiny by the time I'm done, and I don't need to sacrifice any volume or suffer any greasiness for it.
This retails for AUD 24.50 per can and is available at Priceline, and in selected salons and pharmacies nationwide in Australia.

I already blogged about the David Babaii Miracle Elixir in a previous post listing my haircare routine, and it is still a part of my haircare routine today. It is a very lightweight leave-in spritz that doesn't need to be combed in or messed with - simply spritz it onto your tresses and let it work its magic. What you get in the end is extra shine, and not the least bit of frizz. I use this right after blow-drying and it works a right treat. Not to worry if you have thin hair - this hardly leaves any grease behind, and doesn't weigh the hair down at all. I even spritz it onto my boyfriend's hair after he's done styling it, but he doesn't like it because it makes his hair too soft - a positive, negative review, in my eyes!
This retails for AUD 29.95 in stores.

Another product I am absolutely in love with (and I use this on days when my hair just won't behave, and when I don't blow dry it) is the muk spa Argan Oil Treatment, pictured below in the far left.


This miraculous product is the reason for the improved health of my hair ever since the damage it suffered after I had it balayaged. The genius people behind this hair serum have formulated it specifically so that the molecules responsible for incredibly smooth, glossy hair, are absorbed into the hair, instead of sitting on top of it. This helps to keep the hair grease-free and light, whilst still delivering all the beauty of argan oil directly into the shaft of the hair. I swear by this, and I haven't stopped using it since I found it.
This bottle retails at AUD 34.95, and is available at selected stockists - see www.mukhair.com.

A lot of people probably already know this, but oils are fabulous. Even when you have oily skin. They are great for balancing your sebum production, and delivering hydration to your skin. They are a great anti-ageing product, and they also do wonders for you when you take them orally.

In the summer months and especially now that it's approaching winter here in Australia, I have been really enjoying a few products that I thought I'd share with you all:


1. muk spa Argan Oil Treatment (AUD 34.95 per 100mL)
This first oil is actually a treatment for your tresses, and a really good one at that! It contains argan oil, and utilises a kind of technology that helps deliver that argan oil into your hair, instead of just having it sit on top of it, meaning your hair won't be weighed down, nor will it feel greasy. This makes it the perfect product for any kind of hair, from thin, flat hair to thick, coarse hair. It works beautifully on both non-treated and treated hair. Simply pump a few drops into the palm of your hand, rub your hands together, and disperse the product all over your hair. To help disperse the oil more evenly, brush your hair through after. It has been working absolute wonders on my newly coloured hair, and I bet it will on yours, too.

2. Jojoba Company Oil (AUD 19.95 per 30mL)
Jojoba oil is special, in that the jojoba plant is the only plant that can produce wax esters similar to those found in our skin (sebum). Our skin's natural wax esters are responsible for keeping the skin hydrated, plump and most importantly, firm. Our production of these esters starts to decrease as we progress into our 20s, and that is where the Jojoba Company's oil comes in. I like it because it absorbs into my skin almost instantly, without leaving that greasy feeling behind on the skin. It has been doing a great job at hydrating my skin too, no grease but plenty of smoothness and plumpness to my skin.

3. Kosmea Radiance 24/7 Youth Boost (AUD 39.95 per 20mL)
Kosmea is well known for their rose hip oil, which is high in antioxidants, vitamin A, and essential fatty acids. This means that it helps your skin cells regenerate faster, prevents premature ageing caused by exposure to the sun, and helps to reduce the appearance of burns, scars and wrinkles, among other things. This new offering from Kosmea adds the antioxidant benefits of berry oils, and is great when applied to your skin when you're fresh out of the shower (this oil works best when applied to damp skin). Honestly, I am very tempted to start slathering this onto the skin on my arms and legs as well, and I think I just might!

3. Simplicite Sage Face Oil (AUD 41.80 per 55mL)
You all know that I am a huge fan of Simplicite products, and this Sage Face Oil is one of my favourites. It is quite heavy and does feel greasy on the skin*, but I am more than willing to leave my skin feeling a little bit greasy for all the benefits that this one face oil offers. It helps to prevent the formation of blackheads and pimples because of its antibacterial qualities, and helps the sebum on your skin 'move around' so that it doesn't clog your pores. The fantastic thing about this oil is that it is also formulated to help reduce the appearance of hyper-pigmentation, so it is absolutely fabulous for acne-prone skin.

* Robin from Simplicite has come back to me about this, and has told me that your skin is not meant to feel greasy when you apply the Simplicite Sage Face Oil. To avoid feeling greasy, apply the oil on top of Simplicite's Floral Toning Spray, or mix the spray and the oil together in your palms before applying to your skin, and it shouldn't feel greasy.

Have you tried face/hair oils? Do you have any favourites that I should keep an eye out for? :)