Sharing the secret

If you haven't treated yourself to the famous RetailBox 'Secret Box' yet, you've been missing out. For only R190 you get a mystery box sent your way with full size, salon brand, haircare products sent your way. Most salon shampoos cost R200 alone.

This month has been my favourite one yet. Courtesy of RetailBox, it arrived earlier in the week and I have been itching to share whats inside. I was told to keep it hushed until today - so best you read quickly and then hurry up and snap one of these up before they sell out.

Inside you'll find the Schwarzkopf Oil Miracle range. The range is brand new in SA and to RetailBox, so we all got first dibs on trying it out. The range is aimed at those with dry, damaged and dehydrated hair. So if you've been more of a sinner than a saint with your straightening iron, and those monthly highlights, this is for you.

Barbary Fig Seed oil is rich in fatty acids, smells like sweets and does wonders for your hair and scalp. The keratin smoothes the frizz and keeps those ends looking fresh. So like I said, if you've nuked your hair with styling aids too much lately, you must try this out. For R190, you are getting the Restorative Shampoo, Restorative Conditioning Mist AND the Treatment. Together they are worth R620. Its a no brainer really.

My favourite item in the bunch is the leave-in conditioning mist. I have very fine hair, and thick, gloopy conditioners are just way too heavy. All I need is a light spritz and a comb through before I start with my styling. The smell is heavenly and lasts all day.

Get yours over here at Retailbox - while stocks last.

xx

Beauty Buys | Retail Box Secret Box

I really enjoy a clever idea and I love trying new things. For these reasons alone, I love the RetailBox Secret Box concept. You click on over to RetailBox, pay R199 and then excitedly wait for a box packed with premium hair care products to arrive at your door. A premium shampoo brand will generally set you back at least R250 per product, so you can see why this Secret Box idea is so very appealing.

The Secret Box 10 (available as of this morning!) is for my fellow thin-haired ladies. My solution to my problem was hair extensions ultimately, but to keep the little hair on my head that I had happy, I was using NIOXIN. My other half still does. There is no other brand that works like this one, and you can walk into just about any salon worldwide and they'll have this product on their shelves.

NIOXIN does everything it promises. Lets call it the yoga of haircare (because yoga really does change your body, but thats a post for another time). It revitalises, volumises and refreshes the scalp, while getting the moisture balance right. The NIOXIN Hair System Kit 3 for Fine, Chemically Treated Hair is a unique system of complementary products that work in unison to achieve resilient, thicker looking hair and a refreshed scalp. 

This set contains the following products:

NIOXIN System 3 Cleanser Shampoo 

NIOXIN System 3 Scalp Revitaliser Conditioner 

NIOXIN System 3 Scalp Treatment 

Recommended retail price for all of this is normally R536. This is without the fabulous NIOXIN paddle brush they've popped in the box as well. So you're looking at over R600 worth of product, for a third of that price. 

Don't say you weren't informed. This one is going to be gone in a flash.

Long hair diaries

The verdict is in. Blondes have more fun, especially with long blonde locks. I've had my hair in every colour of the rainbow just about, and its great, but there is something about being blonde that just fits. I feel the most confident and myself when I've got some fresh highlights. After going for a serious chop about 3 years ago, I was getting mighty tired of growing it out - and if you're into this year's super chic long bob, good for you, but I am all about mermaid hair for 2015.

From side ponies, to waves and curls, to long and straight and even left to dry naturally, I am LOVING this hair. Even post-surprise-5km run with my girl Siyaam, they held up pretty well (my sweaty face not so much). 

My hair isn't particularly thick or voluminous, so previously, long hair has looked a little ratty on me and I had extensions put in for my wedding, which ended up being quite uncomfortable and caused quite a lot of hair loss in the end. So I swore I'd never use anything other than clip-in extensions for the rest of my days.
That was until I found myself listening to Tracy McGregor and the team from EasiHair Pro  describe their new generation extensions. They are 100% cuticle intact human hair, using  a tape-in method that is light, long lasting and you can barely feel that they're there. The pieces of hair move with your own hair and mould to the shape of your head so you can freely wear your hair in just about any style - including a top knot (which anyone who's had extensions would know, is virtually impossible without giving away that you're wearing extensions).

I am now over three months into using this system and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. I had mine put in at StyleBar. They know the system best and unlike the extensions of yesteryear, they only take about 90 minutes to put in. So you can have a cappuccino, read a magazine and walk out with supermodel hair. I can't stress the need to get this done properly enough. You want to be in the hands of people who not only can put the extensions in, but you need great advice. I went and had a consult, looked through the colour options and we came up with a beautiful golden blonde by mixing and matching a few boxes of extensions. My highlights were changed up accordingly, and the end result was perfection. I have never had hair like this. Ever.
Here are my before and after shots.

Like I said, we are three months into it. You need to go every 6 weeks or so to have them taken out and reapplied, but you do this when you're going for your highlights and trim anyway. I can vouch for their durability considering they have survived yoga, running, swimming in the sea, SWEAT1000 classes and plenty of styling for events and general summer madness. I remember someone at the launch saying something along the lines of, "The hair is like a pair of R5000 jeans. If you are the kind of girl who just throws them in the washing machine with your gym clothes, they aren't going to last. But if you're the type of girl who turns those jeans inside out, gently hand washes them and looks after them, they'll last a lifetime". So you need to treat these like an investment. Use salon quality shampoo. Be gentle. Take care to dry the tape bonds daily. Don't let your hair get knotty. Simple stuff really.

Seriously, if you've been considering extensions, I can't recommend this method enough. It has been a game changer for me. And lucky for you, there are StyleBar salons everywhere - so just hop on over to http://www.stylebar.co.za to find your nearest branch.