Macadamia Healing Oil vs. Moroccanoil Light

About a year ago, everyone had gone mad for Argan oil and what it could do for their hair. The most popular brand on the market was Moroccanoil but it wasn't long before other brands, both high street and high end jumped on the bandwagon. Rival brand Macadamia Hair came out with an oil product which claims to heal your tired ends as well as leave you with soft and shiny tresses.  Famous for making your locks shiny and more manageable, this product also helps speed up the length of time it takes to dry your hair.  So, what's the difference in the products?

I picked up the 25ml bottle of Moroccanoil last September to try. I was recommended by a hairstylist to try the light one as my hair is bleach blonde.  As you can see above it's a lot thinner in consistency than Macadamia and therefore lighter in my hair.  A lot of people dislike the smell of Moroccanoil, although I don't mind it.  If you're in a rush in the morning, as well as making your hair appear shinier it also reduces drying time which is brilliant for those of us who use too much heat on our locks as it is.  As the product is a light formulation, I also use it on dry hair sometimes if I want a more sleek, maintained look.  At £12.85 for 25ml and £30.45 for 100ml it's a more pricier option but I find that it lasts forever (I still have about 5-10ml left).  

I was first introduced to Macadamia Healing Oil through Elle Fowler on YouTube. Macadamia Hair products contain both Argan oil and Macadamia nut oil and they say the combination of the two leads to "ultimate rejuvenation and maintenance".  It's thicker in consistency but I don't find this product any heavier on my hair.  It smells quite fruity in comparison to Moroccanoil which some people may prefer.  Just like the Moroccanoil, this oil really helps in cutting down the time it takes to blow dry my hair. As for the healing part, I'm not so sure if this product does help my hair other than make it more manageable and shiny.  I have tried their Deep Repair Masque (review here) and found that, that did help my dry and broken ends a lot.  At £11.00 for 30ml and £25.45 for 125ml, it is certainly better value for money and I really enjoy using this product.  

If you have fine or bleached hair and you're looking for a product that you can use everyday to help manage your hair when it's both wet and dry and don't mind spending a few extra pennies, Moroccanoil is the oil for you. If you prefer a fruitier smelling, thicker oil best for wet hair than Macadamia Healing oil is the perfect option.  

Have you tired either product or do you have another hair oil you prefer?

- Today is Non Optional's 2nd birthday! Thank you all so much for your continued support -

L'Oreal Paris Hair Expertise EverPure Reinforcing Intense Mask

Last week, I spoke of my new found love for the L'Oreal Paris EverPure range (here).  Continuing that love, I picked up the hair mask, as I needed something to replace my Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque.  The first thing I noticed was the smell, it's the same of the regular conditioner, which I can forgive because it smells extremely good.  The second is how thick the product is.  When I picked up the pot it looked a lot smaller than what I was used to and I wondered how long it would last, but because the product is quite thick, you don't need as much to cover the entirety of your hair.  

I use this once a week, when my hair needs a bit of TLC. I leave it in my hair for around an hour, although the instructions say 10 minutes. I think anyone who has over-processed, heat damaged hair should leave it in for longer, to better help put back in what straighteners and colour takes out. After washing the product out, my hair felt soft and nourished, but it didn't feel as silky as it would if the mask was filled with silicons.  At £6.99 for a 200ml it's certainly not as expensive as that of the Moroccan Oil and Macadamia Oil masks.  

What hair products have you been loving lately?

Beauty Review: Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque

If you're like me, your hair has a hard life being subjected to heat, copious amounts of product and (in my case) bleach.  When I first went blonde in September, I knew I'd need to maintain it well and also look after my hair with a slathering of conditioner.  After my third appointment at the hairdressers to get my roots sorted out, my stylist complimented the condition of my hair and that it was in shockingly (I thought she was being a little dramatic) good condition.  I only have one product to thank for this and that is the Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque.  

This treatment is an extremely thick paste, which turns creamier when warmed up in the palms and smells gorgeous.  On the packaging it says to use the product no more than twice a week and leave in your hair for seven minutes.  I actually use this once a week and leave it in my hair for 1-2 hours.  By doing this I am allowing the moisture that the bleach sucks out of my hair, a chance to get back in and help condition my hair better.  Every other week, for extra nourishment, I will add some of the Macadamia Healing Oil to the mix which gives an even more intense condition.  This has been an absolute life saver and is obviously doing some good if my hair stylist is seeing better condition in my hair.  I do as well, always get my hair trimmed 1/2-1 inch each time, just to help it out.  

If you're wanting to try this miracle product out, it is slightly pricey at £18.50 for the 250ml pot, but it is nearly half the price of the Moroccan Oil Restorative Hair Treatment.  These two products are said to have the same results, so personally I would rather buy the cheaper product.  The Macadamia range is available on FeelUnique and I highly recommend you check them out.  

Do you have any healthy hair products to recommend?

New In: Fashion & Beauty Haul

I've been doing a spot of shopping here and there for the past couple of weeks so thought I'd show you what I picked up.  I always find haul posts a bit long so I've done mine slightly different this time.  If you like the new layout, let me know down below (poet but didn't know it comes to mind...)

1. There comes a time (or maybe more in my case) in a girls life when you stumble upon the most gorgeous bag and pretty much know you need it in your life.  Walking around M&S, of all places, whilst my mum shopped for her holiday, I spied this beauty. It's a medium sized, leather structured bowler bag and is the perfect sized everyday bag.  It was a bit pricey (£79) but I thought it could be an early birthday present to myself.  

2. I've heard only good things about the Tweezerman tweezers and whilst in a lecture, my tutor kept banging on about them and as he's pretty hard to please in general, I thought they must be good. I picked these up at Benefit and were cheaper than any others I've seen.  

3.  A re-purchase of my new favourite concealer - Collection 2000 (soon to be rebranded as COLLECTION) Lasting Perfection in shade fair 1.  It covers a multitude of sins, breakouts, freckles, dark circles and I wouldn't do my make up without it.  Only downfall - the writing on the tube all rubs off after a few uses.  

4. If you're like me, YouTube has become my new TV and the Pixiwoo girls have become a firm favourite channel.  Sam released her own line of brushes called Real Techniques and received rave reviews.  They were quite hard to get hold of in the UK until this month, as they were launched in bigger Boots stores.  I picked up the Powder and Blush brushes as well as the Starter set for eyes.  I haven't used them yet but they are so soft! 

5. I rarely shop in Dorothy Perkins but they were offering 25% student discount so I thought I'd have a wander.  I picked up quite a lot, including this oversized, square cut top.  I live in things like this and it will look great paired with those loafers.

6. I placed my first ever order on Missguided and it came today.  The first thing I picked was these turquoise loafers, which look almost radioactive.  They are going to be great at adding a pop of colour to otherwise dreary outfits.  

7. Another of my Dorothy Perkins picks.  I bought an oversized silver triangle ring and an extremely long necklace with cross pendent.  I needed some silver pieces to go with my Links of London bracelet and hopefully my new watch (see birthday wishlist here).

8.  The main reason I went to Benefit was to get the new blush box in 'Hervana'.  The four colours swirled together are supposed to create a healthy rosy glow on the cheeks.  I'll let you know how I get on.  

9. I picked up another top in Dorothy Perkins, which has aztec print all over it.  Again, it's a baggy number and will get a lot of wear.  I'll either wear this with a plain black bodycon dress and tights or with jeggings.  

10.  My second purchase from Missguided was this leopard print skater dress, which I plan to wear for my birthday.  I was a bit worried it wouldn't fit as I'm top heavy, but it fits like a glove and I really like it.   It came with a black patent skinny belt, but I didn't like it so took it off.  I'll wear black tights, sky high heels, my biker jacket with this and plan to do my make up like this.  Would you like to see an OOTN?

11. While I was in Boots, practically happy dancing over the Real Techniques brushes, I noticed that all the Katy Perry lashes were in stock and I immediately knew I wanted to pick some up.  After the success of the Girls Aloud lashes, Eylure teamed up with Kitty Purry and brought out 5 different lashes.  I picked up Sweetie Pie (pink) for everyday and Oh, Honey! (yellow) for the evening.  

12.  Oh look, no roots! Fresh from the salon today my roots have been bleached up! My hairdresser was pretty surprised that my hair was in "excellent" condition, which I believe I have Macadamia products to thank.  Review coming soon!

Let me know your thoughts on the new way of doing my haul posts and feel free to ask questions about what I picked up in the comments section.  Have a lovely evening!

Compulsive, Impulsive Shopaholic

My student loan was welcomed into my bank account last week and with the rest of my Christmas money burning a hole in my back pocket, I thought a shopping trip was deserved.  Admittedly, most of my purchases were online but I also did a spot of sale shopping too! Along with online shopping, I also booked flights with my good friend Gina (check out her blog here) as we're going to Spain for 10 days in the summer!

If you follow me on Twitter, or read my blog during the week you'll already know what a couple of my purchases were, including an investment which I'm SO pleased with.  When I get my maintenance grant (the one you don't have to pay back), I always try to make sure that I invest in something that's going to benefit me, last year it was my beloved Macbook Pro.  Without further adieu...

John Lewis; Canon 1100D with 18-55mm Lens £341

My investment buy was this DSLR camera.  I've really loathed the picture quality that my point and shoot gives when I'm taking pictures for my blog.  It is a great camera to take on a night out, but when you're trying to take pictures for reviews and what not, it just doesn't do any products justice.  I'm extremely lucky to have gotten this so cheap (usually retails around £400ish), as my Auntie kindly asked her brother-in-law if we could use his staff discount! I haven't had enough time to sit and play as I've had so much uni work to complete, but I'm already noticing a difference in my pictures and learning different techniques.  

Amazon; Canon EOS Rebel T3/1100D for Dummies Book; £15

The manual I get with the camera isn't all that, so I thought I'd get this to help me out when I'm trying to do various things.  It's 400 pages long, with lots of tips and tricks to help out beginners, which is what I most definitely am...

Amazon; Decal for Kindle; £17.99

I wanted to get some kind of skin for my Kindle, so that I wouldn't scratch it when it's not in its case.  I saw these Decals on Amazon and after flicking through the different designs I came across this Paris illustration.  The application is fiddly, a bit like a screen protector on an iPhone but if you're patient with it, it goes on well.  

Lush; I Love Juicy Shampoo and American Cream Conditioner; £8-10 each

You may well recognise these from my 2012 Beauty Wish List post.  These are possibly the most gorgeous smelling products ever.  I've washed my hair using them twice now and I have to say they really linger on your hair.  Usually after blowdrying or sleeping on my hair, the products smell fades completely.  These didn't. I then straightened my hair and usually the smell is definitely gone at that point. These didn't. Amazing! Oh, and they also leave your hair squeaky clean and silky to the touch!

Love-makeup.co.uk; Sigma F80 Flat Kabuki Brush; £13.99

I finally have this infamous brush in my collection! I have wanted this brush for about 6 months now, but could never bring myself to pay the extortionate shipping fees.  I then heard about Love-makeup.co.uk and the rest is history.  A word of advice, if you see this on the website and you want it, get it in your basket ASAP as they sell out within a day!  I'd really recommend Love Makeup after my experience.  I'd heard their shipping took a while but my brush turned up next day after despatch.  I've used the F80 a couple of times now and it really does give you a flawless finish.  A full review will be up soon, no doubt.

FeelUnique.com; Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment and Deep Repair Masque; £11.50 £10.35 and £18.50

Another off of my 2012 beauty wishlist... I have only literally just received the Masque an hour or so ago .  I'm really excited to try these products as all the reviews have been rave and I've heard it beats the Moroccanoil Restorative masque in both price and product quality.  I'll get back to you on that! The oil treatment is literally filled to the top and the masque is an extremely thick, paste like conditioner that smells amazing.  These can both be used together to create an even more nourishing treatment, or separately.  

Harvey Nichols; Marc by Marc Jacobs iPhone case; £30 £15

One of my sale bargains.  I recently had to purchase a new phone as my Blackberry became extremely difficult to use, it would crash on a daily basis and the Blackberry company itself went down AGAIN but not for as long as the first time.  I was fed up and got myself a refurbished iPhone 3GS to hold me over until my contract is up in September.  I bought this case in the sale as I always wanted a Marc Jacobs case.  

House of Fraser; Benefit Porefessionally Pretty £23.50 and Stella by Stella McCartney Eau de Parfum £36.50 £18.25

Oh Benefit, how I love thee.  I have wanted Porefessional for a while and while I was walking around I noticed the gift set on the shelf. Immediately I thought that it would be about £35 knowing what Benefit can be like when they add a couple of samples but when I heard it was £23.50 (same price as just Porefessional on it's lonesome) I knew it was fate and I must buy it. I then saw Stella and the 50% sale sticker that was on her box.  I've been lusting after this for a while as a nice everyday scent. 

Sainsburys; Gok Wan for Tu Satin Shirt; £25 £12.50

I've always had my eye on a few of Gok's pieces in Sainsburys, after it was launched in September/October time.  It was definitely fate that I found it today, the only one left in my size. I think the colour is gorgeous and will look great with some black leggings and boots.  I also think the collar is a bit different, a lot larger than the average and far pointier! 

Matalan; Be Beau Teal Chiffon Shirt; £14

I have a thing for chiffon shirts (and shirts in general), if you hadn't guessed by now.  This 3/4 length beauty caught my eye in Matalan, a place I rarely shop.  I picked this up for  a bargain price and know it's the type of top I'll wear to death.   

So that's why my Christmas money and some of my student loan went towards.  Have you picked up any bargains in the sales?

Beauty Lust List #1

You may have read my beauty favourites of 2011, but now I am looking to find some new products to make my 2012 favourites.  Mainly hair and make up products, here is what I'm wishing to try this year (excludes any feature releases I may not know about yet, obvs).  

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10  

1.  Lush I Love Juicy Shampoo; £4.75-£15.50 - When I first read the scents that were included in this shampoo, I must admit it had me druelling a little bit.  Fresh pineapple, orange, lemon and mango juice to name a few.  This is supposed to be a great clarifying shampoo as well as good for the scalp - both I need help with.  Since going a bright shade of blonde my scalp has been more sensitive due to the bleach and I've always used lots of products in my hair.  

2.  Macadamia Deep Repair Masque; £18.50 - I've been eyeing up the Moroccanoil Restorative mask for a while now, but after reading rave reviews (and admittedly seeing the less hefty price tag) I now want to try the Macadamia range.  The scent is supposed to be amazing and the results even better.  

3.  Lush; American Cream Conditioner; £4.25-£13.50 - Another Lush product... I'm all for conditioners that a. smell incredible, b. nourish my hair and c. aim to strengthen hair, so this seems like a match made in heaven.  

4.  Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment; £11.50 - I've almost finished with my Moroccanoil Light, which I've enjoyed using but this product appealed to me more.  The word 'healing' in the title had me hooked as my hair needs the extra nourishment these days.  Like Moroccan oil, this product has argan oil in it as well as Macadamia oil.  Unlike the Moroccanoil, this product can be mixed with the Deep Repair masque for extra nourishment.  

5.  Lush King of Skin; £4.95 - ANOTHER Lush product, I've gone a little Lush mad after discovering Snow Fairy.  Another fruity offering, this time Banana, that moisturises the skin in shower.  I'll probably need to invest in a tin to stop this melting away! 

6. YSL Touche Eclat; £25.00 - I've heard only good things about this product and I always look at it when I'm at the beauty concession.  Need I say more?

7.  Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronze Universal; £29.00 - Since buying a Chanel foundation, I've always had one eye on this bronzer.  Currently Chanel are repackaging and it's not in stock anywhere so I will have to wait a bit longer to try this product.  

8.  MAC Party Parrot Lipstick; £13.50 - From the Iris Apfel collection, this lipstick is a gorgeous pink coral colour.  I've been branching out with slightly more colourful lipsticks as I think it suits my complexion and hair colour well.  Unfortunately it's out of stock - like most things in the collection so it's another waiting game!

9.  Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki; £13.99 - I've wanted to try this brush for a while but couldn't justify shipping.  With the discovery of Love Makeup I might be able to grab it at a fraction of the price! Do you know any other UK stockists?

10. Benefit Hervana Powder Blush; Price TBC - This is Benefits latest offering, available in the UK from the 28th January.  After seeing Amarixe's post on this blush I've been lusting after it.  It's a matte blush, rather than their favoured shimmers (Thrrrob, Bella Bamba etc) and it looks gorgeous when swatched.  

That's it for my 2012 wishlist, but I want to know what's on your beauty wishlist?