***All items in reviews are products I have purchased for myself unless explicitly stated that they have been gifted. Regardless of who has provided the product, I will always give an honest and open account of my experience of its use. ***

After being so blown away by the Korean skincare I’ve been using, I started to wonder what Korean hair care could do for my mane. To put you in the picture, mane isn’t a word I use lightly; my hair is thick, ridiculously curly and FRIZZY… Oh and bleached within an inch of it’s life too (from my natural mid/dark brown to white blonde). So hair care is serious business and getting my hair to cooperate is no easy feat.

I currently rotate between shampoos and conditioners as well as using a toning shampoo every other wash and I’m mostly happy with that routine, for now. But one element of my routine I’ve not been happy with is serum. I can’t remember the last time I used a serum that kept my hair silky, smooth and shiny. What I have experienced though is sticky,stiff and dull hair which feels too heavy or ends up looking greasy, which just defeats the object of a serum.

Having done a bit of research I’d read some really glowing reviews about Innisfree Camellia essential hair oil serum. It was priced at £7.75, from the seller ‘iamlove-shop’ on eBay (a store based in South Korea selling legitimate beauty products; I’d highly recommend the seller as postage was reasonably fast, they have a HUGE range of products from well know K Beauty brands and the prices were extremely affordable. Postage was even free and I received 3 sample size products too- always a bonus). In terms of price it was on par or even cheaper that other products I’ve previously used. It certainly doesn’t break the bank and is an affordable addition to your hair care routine.

So prior to my testing review here’s the ‘official’ write up from the Innisfree website;

“Camellia essential hair oil serum that creates silky hair

1. Double treatment camellia oils
– Fermented camellia oil fills the holes of damaged hair and camellia oil coats the cuticles.

2. Hair strengthening
This hair serum revitalizes damaged hair affected by frequent perm and dyeing treatments.

3. Hair that flows and shines
This serum is instantly absorbed into the hair, nourishing the hair for a range of hairstyles.

How to use

After shampooing, towel dry your hair.
Apply 2-3 pumps of serum to your hair, concentrating on the ends”

All sounds pretty great in print and exactly what I need to treat my hair and bring it some life!

I tested the product as part of my normal routine; once on my shampoo and conditioner wash and again on my toning shampoo and deep conditioning wash day. My first impressions are that it certainly looks nice, the bottle itself is sturdy and has a decent pump dispenser as well as a protective cap so it’s convenient for travelling or just keeping to hand. The pump dispenses a good amount of product and for my length and thickness of hair I required 6 pumps of product to ensure even dispersion. The serum itself isn’t overly fragranced but smells fresh and slightly floral. It was easily combed through my hair and didn’t leave a sticky residue or feel heavy at all. On drying my hair I could already feel the difference in my hair’s texture. It felt soft, without being weighed down or greasy. It also didn’t feel like my hair had just been coated in something, instead it felt like the product had penetrated the hair instead of just sitting on the surface. The real test is in the straightening though; often this is where I find that the product hasn’t spread evenly or that it is sticky or greasy feeling. What I experienced with this product though was hair that was easier to straighten, the ends felt protected and not frazzled, there were no signs of excess product or patches of stickiness. Post straightening my hair looked glossy and healthy.

I’m honestly amazed that after using this product a number of times I can’t find anything negative about it to write. Usually after a few uses a product tends to lose it’s initial wow factor and finds it’s way to the back of my hair care shelf, but this product feels like a keeper. I’ve even recommended it to others as I’ve been so impressed.

Price ☆☆☆☆☆

Value for money ☆☆☆☆☆

Ease of use ☆☆☆☆☆

Product quality ☆☆☆☆☆

It’s fair to say I am extremely impressed with this product and would happily purchase it again. If go as far to recommend it to anyone who’s hair requires a fair bit of TLC but hasn’t had much luck finding a suitable product elsewhere. The search is over, this us your new must have? What Korean or Japanese products can’t you live without? Let me know in the comments section (you may have guessed I LOVE testing new Korean and Japanese products).

Thanks for reading- I update posts at least twice a week so don’t forget to follow the Konnichiwa Kitty blog page. What are your K Beauty must haves

#Stay cute #可愛いままでいて

Hannah (^_^)