When I first joined HerCampus, I was just looking for a place where I could showcase my writing abilities – nothing more, nothing less. Instead, I found my very own girl gang, developed self-confidence in my skills as a writer and as an editor, and opened myself up to new and exciting opportunities. One of these opportunities has been testing and trying new beauty products from a variety of companies that partnered with HerCampus like Garnier and Bed Head.
Recently, Amika, a hair care company, reached out to me looking to send me products to test. Amika, according to their website’s ‘About Us‘ page, is “professional hair care + tools for a lifestyle of self-expression and hair rebellion against conformity and the mundane.” Amika, founded in Brooklyn in 2007, is “the antithesis of a typical beauty brand.” Sold at Sephora, I have always wanted to try this brand because of my love of hunting down the best animal-consious hair care products that don’t use animal testing. While the idea of becoming a beauty vlogger and an Instagram influencer is intriguing, I am not going to have a code for a FabFitFun box anytime soon, be partying with Bachelorette stars, or be peddling SugarBearHair gummies and Fit Tea. I will, however, be writing reviews of the products!
In my first box from Amika I received two products: their Soulfood Nourishing Mask and Perk Up Dry Shampoo. It was definitely a pleasant surprise to come home to after a long day of class and work, especially since I have been wanting to try these specific products. The box was really cool and funky – I will definitely be saving it for gift-giving – and featured the quote, “your hair will thank you.” I honestly hoped that was true. My hair is fairly curly and very thin, and I very recently chopped off about seven inches. While I love my curls, they don’t always love me, and some days can look really flat, especially when my hair gets greasy at the roots and dry at the bottom.
The first product I tried was the hair mask. According to Amika’s website, this product will “deeply condition and hydrate dry hair to its natural vibrancy and health with this replenishing treatment.” I had my reservations with this product at first. I have tried a variety of hair masks and treatments in the past, from DIY to big companies and due to my hair type, most products usually do not end up working for me. I was thrilled, however, when this one proved me wrong.
This little baby was deceiving in its orange and pink packaging and nondescript thick, white cream, but I was amazed at the results. I had to wet my hair first before massaging the product in, let it sit for about five minutes (full disclosure: I got lazy and left it in for about twenty minutes) and then rinsed it out. The next day I washed my hair like I usually do, and I was shocked. My curls looked better than they had in years, my hair looks more hydrated and richer in color and it just genuinely looked really healthy. Amika suggests using this product daily or weekly depending on your needs, and I will probably use it weekly just with how lazy I am about doing my hair. Soulfood is $28 for 8 oz container I received and is vegan and color safe.
The next product I received was the dry shampoo. According to Amika’s website, this product is “the closest thing to washing your hair without water – a talc-free, true dry cleanser that absorbs oil and refreshes hair with natural rice starch. Leaves no white residue, ever.” It was also the award-winner for Beauty Launchpad’s “Readers Choice Awards 2017: Haircare”. I can 100% see why this dry shampoo won, and why it has a legion of fans despite being $25. Also vegan and color safe, this product pumped up my hair that hadn’t been washed in about four days and sent my hair back in time to when I actually had washed it. There was no grease, no stickiness, and definitely no white powder. I was – and am – sold.
Overall, Amika is an amazing brand and I will definitely continue to support their business and buy their products. If you’re looking for products that will benefit your hair, this is the brand for you!