Awapuhi Wild Ginger

About 11 months ago, I’d had some vague plan to write a post on the five products you need for your hair right now, but I get the feeling I would have been just a little bit off the mark. And, I’m glad I waited to write this post, because the number is now looking a little closer to, well, three (did the photo above tip you off? Just a little…?).

It isn’t often that a beauty product takes me back to my youth; and I mean really takes me back to my youth, and not in that lipsmacker-smells-so-good-you-could-almost-eat-it kind of way. No, I mean in that lazy summer afternoon watching the waves roll down the beach, with a scoop of chips, some battered fish, and a thirst-quenching ginger beer kind of way.

For the last six weeks or so, I’ve been using a few products from the Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger range, and to say I’m impressed is an understatement, by far. Since I was in my early teens, I’ve relied pretty heavily on a rather battered pair of GHD hair straighteners, and some rich serum to tame any flyaways (and believe me, there’s always a l-o-t). But since putting these haircare products into heavy rotation, I’ve found myself reaching for those styling products less and less, to the point that I can get away without any heat styling to my hair, and not have any unwanted volume near my roots.

So, about the products. They’re free from sulphates, which means that your hair isn’t being stripped of any essential natural oils which keep your hair looking healthy and moisturised; meaning it’s already a win in my book (that, plus did I mention they smell like ginger beer??!!).

My favourite product of the three is the ‘Moisturising Lather Shampoo‘; a little of this stuff goes a long way, and it lathers up unlike anything else I’ve ever used before. The ‘Keratin Cream Rinse‘ on the other hand has a formulation which feels more like milk in your palm than any other conditioner I’ve tried – which is generally on the thick and moussey side of the scale. I’m not exactly sold on the formula of this, and I get the feeling that this has more to do with my general experience with hair care than anything else, but it’s worth noting that when putting this through your hair, it’s hard to know whether you’ve managed to condition from root to tip or not.

For a long time, I struggled to find an intensive conditioning treatment which works as well as my HG from Bumble and Bumble, but the ‘Keratin Intensive Treatment‘ manages to hold a candle to it, perhaps coming in at a very close second. This is so incredibly nourishing and seems to have added that extra bit of moisture and shine to my hair that it really needed – well, that and the additional magic that a fresh cut can have.

From the girl who used to shudder at the thought of spending more than she had to on shampoo and conditioner, I’ve come a long way in the last fourteen months. And, it’s safe to say that I’ll be keeping Paul Mitchell’s Awapuhi range in heavy rotation – it’s one of the few products I’ve used recently (along with OGX) that has really gone above and beyond my expectations.

I’ve been trying out a couple of other bits from the Paul Mitchell range, that I’m hoping to share my thoughts on in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, I would love to hear your thoughts. Have you tried PM before? How did you find it? x