Gifted Product Reviews

Products given to us by the brand for testing purposes. If we love the product, we may share our opinions and experience. Read about gifted product reviews here.

Aveda Botanical Repair Strengthening Leave-In Treatment

March 11, 2025 · Leave a Comment

Harsh winter weather combined with forced indoor heat can cause luscious locks to quickly turn dry, brittle and blah. So we were excited to try Aveda Botanical Repair Strengthening Leave-In Treatment. It provides a no-fuss, overnight remedy to revive hair and build bonds with natural oils. It is especially effective on delicate hair ends.

Aveda Botanical Repair is excellent for delicate and brittle hair strands

What It Is

It is an overnight bond builder hair serum that did not leave my hair sticky or greasy

Why It Is Special

Unlike many bond builders, it is free from silicones, parabens, mineral oil, petrolatum, paraffin, and formaldehyde.

It is a small package, but you only need to use the tiniest amount for full-size product level results.

The Ingredients

Avocado Oil

Using Avo in a formulation imparts the benefits of avocado oil without the heavy oil feel.

Sacha Inchi nuts

Sacha Inchi Oil

Sachi Inchi Oil has amazing hair friendly properties. It replaces lost protein in the hair shaft. It is another name for Sacha Inchi Oil has an astounding level of omega-3s, omega-6s and some omega-9s. Omegas feed hair and keep it looking lush and hydrated.

Nangai Oil (CANARIUM INDICUM OIL)

Nangai Oil comes from a nut of the canarium indicum tree. It absorbs quickly and retains precious hair moisture with moisture-enhancing triglycerides. These promote hair shine and texture.

Sunflower Oil

Sunflower Oil is an excellent unscented oil for hair hydration and softening.

Vitamin E promotes scalp health.
It blends well with other oils.
Ideal for coarse hair because it helps hair retain moisture. It is a light non-polar solvent that prevents water loss. It penetrates the hair shaft to lock and retain moisture.
It contains Omega 9, an essential acid needed to stop breakage and stimulate hair growth.

Sunflower Oil benefits all hair types, especially hair needing extra moisture. This includes coarse hair, curly hair, and damaged hair

The Experience

CONSISTENCY

A lightweight consistency similar to a finishing cream. I did not find it at all greasy, especially for a product with multiple heavy oils.

SCENT

There is a faint nutty scent in the tube but I do not find it detectible upon application.

APPLICATION

TIP: Apply sparingly – think lima bean, not grape size dollop for long hair, pea size dollop for short. In a pinch, it doubles as a hair smoother.

It comes is a smaller sample size to try before a bigger investment. It says it is intended to be used as part of the Aveda Botanical Repair system, but also functions as a nice go-to smoother that fits into your bag for a quick frizzy hair fix.

Where to Find It

Find Aveda Botanical Repair at aveda.com and Nordstrom

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?

Have any comments or questions about Aveda Botanical Repair Strengthening Leave-In Treatment? Leave a comment or Email Us

ABOUT THIS POST

The Aveda Botanical Repair Strengthening Leave-In Treatment was submitted to Style Chicks for consideration purposes. All opinions and experiences are 100% our own.

How to Use the Nira Skincare Laser

March 7, 2025 ·

We previously featured NIRA. NIRA is an FDA-approved, at-home use non-fractional at-home laser device tightens skin in 2 minutes a day. This handheld dermatological device stimulates natural collagen production for younger looking skin and works in the small tricky crevice areas like around the browbone, crow’s feet, mouth, and eleven lines. In this article we tell our experience with the Nira Skincare Laser and how to use NIRA.

Meet NIRA: an FDA approved skin care device for at-home use

See Part One of this two part series: How Does the NIRA Skincare Laser work?

What Is NIRA?

The NIRA Skincare Laser offers a method of collagen building without the risks associated with in-office fractional laser skin resurfacing.

And it is far less painful. No risks or downtime. The change is slow and subtle but certainly notable.

The NIRA device is an ergonomically shaped tool that is lightweight and fits in your hand

The NIRA Device

Here is what came in my NIRA bundle:

NIRA comes with the device and a Hyaluronic Acid serum

The NIRA comes with a charger

The Treatment Head

The treatment head makes direct contact with the skin to be treated.

Because the head is small (about the size of a pencil head eraser) the treatment can be very targeted to thin skin areas you otherwise would not aim a fractional (damaging) laser – notably around the mouth and eye area.

The NIRA Skincare Laser treatment head is small enough to fit into crevices and target fine lines

Side view of the NIRA

Close up of the Nira treatment head

The body of the NIRA lights for the increment levels from low to high

Serum

The serum is hyaluronic acid – no extra bells and whistles. No fillers, parabens, and it is fragrance-free.

You may have a HA product you love, but for this purpose, choose one without extra actives. This enable you to best tolerate the treatment.

NIRA Hyaluronic Acid Advanced Serum is oil free, paraben-free, and fragrance-free

The Experience

The instructions are simple.

Turn it on, press the button again to increase or decrease the strength level. Start out at level 1 or 2 (just one or two bars) until you get the hang of it. Some areas won’t hurt at all with 4 or 5 bars, but others are sensitive.
Place the circle tip head directly and evenly against your skin where you desire treatment.
Press the big button to activate the “burst” of energy.
Listen for the two beeps.
Move over to the next spot and repeat until you have treated the entire area.
Repeat a second time on the area, so that the area is treated twice. (every spot gets two bursts total)
End your session or move onto the next area to be treated.

It is about two minutes to treat each area.

DECODING THE BEEPS

You will hear two quick beeps each time you press the button.

If you correctly fired, there are two beeps.
If are on an uneven surface or misfired, it is one beep with a losing a game show like buzz. Then you will need to redo that spot.
Periodically there is a third sound that is keeping count of how many bursts. All is well, keep moving along a wrinkle or area, following the contours of your face.

PAIN LEVEL

It is not completely painless, but not bad. Its a quick little “zap”. If it is too uncomfortable, choose a lower setting. You control when the burst occurs, so you can be ready for it. I recommend starting with level 1 or 2 the first time just to know what to expect.

Each area should get two treatments, but don’t do them in a successively, complete the treatment area and start over.

RESULTS

The NIRA is quite useful on forehead wrinkles and around the eyes. I really like it to firm and tone around the browbone, crow’s feet and to contour my lip line.

NIRA tackles pesky tell tale signs of aging such as crows feet, eleven lines, and deep forehead creases.

Results take time. But there is no down time, and no risk of infection.

There is a bit of temporary redness after use, but no skin irritation or swelling.

Tips for NIRA Best Use

Take closeup photos of yourself, there are improvements but subtle over 90 days.
Start with a lower strength, especially on sensitive areas. Increment up as you grow accustomed to the device
Charge after every other use

Where to Find It

Find the NIRA Skincare Laser & Serum Bundle at niraskin.com

The NIRA Skincare Laser Packaging

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?

Have any comments or questions about the NIRA?

The Style Chicks are here to answer them.

ABOUT THIS POST

The NIRA Skincare Laser was submitted to us for consideration purposes. All opinions and experiences are 100% our own.

NIRA Skincare Precision Laser: How Does it Work?

October 3, 2023 · Leave a Comment

Meet NIRA. This FDA-approved, at-home use, non-fractional laser device tightens skin in only 2 minutes a day. This handheld dermatological device stimulates natural collagen production for younger looking skin and works in the small tricky crevice areas like around the brow bone, crow’s feet, mouth, and eleven lines. It is particularly effective on forehead wrinkles. We dig into the patent to understand the technology behind this innovative hand-held laser. And we tried NIRA Precision for ourselves. Read what we learned about NIRA!

Meet NIRA: an FDA approved skin care device for at-home use

This is part one of a two part series on the NIRA Skincare Precision Laser. For how to use NIRA, see part two of this series: How to Use the Nira Precision Skincare Laser

The Collagen Conundrum

Collagen keeps the scaffolding of your face in place. We lose collagen as we age. This results in sagging, wrinkles, fine lines, and poor skin texture. If you are reading this, you likely want to rebuild collagen. There are several methods.

But the body needs roughly 12 weeks to build collagen, regardless of the treatment method – topical, device based, in-office procedure, or some combination thereof.

While there is some immediate improvements to be seen with each approach – there is no “get collagen quick” scheme to be had.

No matter what method you choose, you’ll wait 12 weeks to start to see meaningfully restored collagen results.

What It Does

The NIRA offers a collagen building method without the risks associated with in-office fractional laser skin resurfacing.

And it is far less painful. No risks or downtime. The change is slow and subtle but certainly notable.

The NIRA Precision laser device is an ergonomically shaped tool that is lightweight and fits in your hand

The Technology Behind the NIRA Device

The patent for the NIRA apparatus explains the process of building collagen quite clearly:

BACKSTORY

Traditional fractional lasers seen in dermatological offices heat and destroy skin tissue, specifically deteriorated collagen in the dermal layer of the skin. The hope is once the old collagen is gone, new healthier collagen will fill it’s place.

This approach is often successful. But some things can go wrong: scarring, infection, discoloration, and poor healing results in less collagen than desired. And the process is painful.

WHY NIRA IS BETTER

NIRA is a non-fractional laser. The goal is to heat shock the skin enough to stimulate collagen in the dermal layer, but not enough heat to destroy existing collagen.

The NIRA gets a controlled heat shock by combining “an optical energy source that emits optimum wavelengths, an energy dosage, and/or a thermal boost under controlled conditions“. ^[1]

These heat shocks produce “heat shock proteins” (HSPs) which stimulate collagen synthesis. Some HSPs are also involved in preventing the kind of cell death seen in skin aging.

To avoid any of the risks associated with traditional fractional lasers, there is a safety sensor to keep the heat controlled, and a timer to keep the heat shock energy burst to a short, non-damaging time limit. This makes it safe enough for repeated, non-damaging heat shocks.

The NIRA Device

Here is what came in my NIRA bundle:

NIRA comes with the device and a Hyaluronic Acid serum

The Treatment Head

The treatment head makes direct contact with the skin to be treated.

Closeup of the treatment head of the NIRA Skincare Precision Laser

Close up of the Nira treatment head

NIRA Skincare Laser fits neatly in your hand for easy at home treatment

NIRA Skincare Laser

The Experience

With a treatment head about the size of a pencil eraser, we find this device can target tiny, hard to reach spots.

Want to know about the NIRA experience? Read part two of this series: How to Use the Nira Precision Skincare Laser.

Where to Find It

Find NIRA Skincare Precision Laser at niraskin.com

NIRA Skincare Laser Bundle

REFERENCES

Dunleavy, Krylov, Dermal Photonics Corp 2014-JUN-18 Systems and methods for treating dermatological imperfections, US, US10695582B2
https://patents.google.com/patent/US10695582B2/en?oq=10695582

Nira Precision

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?

Have any comments or questions about the NIRA?

The Style Chicks are here to answer them.

ABOUT THIS POST

The NIRA Skincare Laser was submitted to Style Chicks for consideration purposes. All opinions and experiences are 100% our own.

Vegamour GRO Hair Foam

August 31, 2023 · Leave a Comment

Many of us would like to grow fuller, lush hair. There are several serums and oils on the market. These are often a messy application that makes hair go flat and greasy at the root – right where you want more volume. Here is our research on the Vegamour GRO Hair Foam formulation as well as our experience.

Read all about how Vegamour GRO Hair Foam works. It looks like hair mousse but you only need to apply small amount

What It Is

A mousse-like foam that adds volume at the root. It is not intended for the lengths of the hair. While it does double-duty as a styling agent to maximize the appearance of thinner hair, it is really a hair growth serum in a precise application form.

Why It is Special

While most hair growth formulations are oily, greasy or clump the hair together, this formula acts like a styling mousse at the root and adds some hair volume.

Adhering to daily use is much easier when I am not tempted to skip a day of treatment in order to have a better looking hair style for a day.

Research-Backed Treatments for Hair Regrowth

There are many formulations out there promising hair growth. While many ingredients can provide SOME benefit, most don’t address the main reasons hair won’t grow in well.

Research indicates the primary enemies to hair growth are:

DHT accumulation on the scalp
loss of blood circulation to the scalp
scalp inflammation
nutritional deficiencies

Bloodwork can rule out some nutritional basics like low Vitamin D levels, iron, magnesium, and B12. Most of us get enough Biotin from fortified foods but if you are low, that can impair hair growth.

A dermatologist can rule out other conditions, such as inflammatory conditions of the scalp, that may require medical attention.

But DHT and poor blood circulation are more complicated. That requires some topical treatment intervention. The ingredients in that topical treatment are key to your success.

Check out the ingredients in Vegamour GRO Hair Foam.

Vegamour Gro Hair Foam Key Ingredients

Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Callus Conditioned Media

Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) is used for the prevention and reduction of hair loss, achieving an increase in density.

It is also an important stimulator of follicular activity, optimizing the hair cycle and providing improvements in the density, strength and health of the hair.

It is also an outstanding anti-inflammatory for promoting optimal scalp health.

Tumeric is effective at “jumpstarting” the dermal papilla cells of DPCs – where hair growth happens – after periods of dormancy.

Trifolium Pratense

Trifolium Pratense is red clover. Red clover addresses DHT.

DHT is a hormone that accumulates on the scalp. It can suffocate the hair follicle, causing it to grow a thinner and shorter until it cannot produce a hair at all.

DHT is partially removed with regular hair washing, but not entirely. It can be trapped under dandruff or oils. Certain ingredients show an ability to remove DHT. Red Clover is an particularly effective one while also not being harsh or drying to the scalp.

Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Peel Oil

Citrus Aurantium Bergamia, better known as Bergamot has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Linalool and carvacrol are compounds in bergamot oil. Both are excellent anti-inflammatories for skin issues such as acne and skin irritation.^[1,2]It also lends natural scent.

Caffeine

Caffeine reduces inflammation.

Caffeine has antioxidant properties and slows down photo-aging. On the scalp, Caffeine encourages blood flow to nourish follicles and encourage healthy growth.

Vigna Radiata Extract

Mung beans.

As it turns out, the humble mung bean is a hair growth superstar.

Mung beans deliver folate directly to the DPCs Dermal Papilla cells (DPCs).

DPCs are specialized mesenchymal cells ^[3] located at the hair follicle base. They are essential to the hair growth cycle, especially for postnatal hair growth. ^[4]

Nicotiana benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide 9

This is a fusion peptide. It is designed to be an identical copy of the human gene responsible for vascular endothelial growth factor, part of what grows hair. It contains amino acids, disulfide bonds and proteins all of which build hair. There are no animal bi-products in this peptide, and it functions like your own human genes, but younger and healthier.

Simply put, this peptide nourishes the anagen (growth) cycle of the hair while strengthening roots.

Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide 86

A peptide.

Glucopeptide-2

Glucopeptide-2 is a peptide which uses an amino acid that acts like adiponectin. Adiponectin reduces the impact of genetic hair loss factors.

Limonene

Limonene comes from citrus peels. It adds natural fragrance and is believed to have some of the beneficial properties of the fruit such as Vitamins and anti-inflammatories. ^[5]

Biotin

Biotin is Vitamin H. Biotin aids in hydration, moisturizes, and restores dry skin. Biotin also supports the building of the keratin structure of hair.

Gluconolactone

A gentle polyhydroxy acid (PHA) exfoliant. PHA’s are like aHa’s but less irritating to the skin, so even sensitive skin types can use it. It not only exfoliates barriers such as dandruff and sebum, but is anti-aging to the scalp skin itself. ^[6] It is a “natural” ingredient, a cyclic ester of D-gluconic acid. ^[7,8]

THE EXPERIENCE

The scent is a fruity bergamot with a touch of citrus, but not so detectible once it dries down.

It is the texture of a hair mousse applied just on the scalp at the hair root – not the lengths. There is no weird residue. It wasn’t drying and washes out well. Only a small amount is necessary. This is particularly helpful for precise spot application if hair is thinner in a spot or to treat an uneven hairline.

PRO: Foam is less messy and offers a very precise application compared to a serum application.
PRO: Hair looks and feels thicker. There is less overall hair shed.
PRO: I did not experience white flakes or residue. It is somewhat stiff at the root – like a volumizing styling product – but not sticky.
PRO: Makes hair edges and the hair line appear thicker. This is a very nice perk compared to most hair growth serums and oils that tend to clump hair together or make hair seem greasy right where you want the appearance of thicker hair.
CON: If I could fix one thing, the nozzle would just a bit thinner to not disperse more product than I need at once.
TIP: Remember to shake the bottle well, like a hair mousse, for best texture on application.

If you are not a fan or serums or oils to promote hair growth, then this foam application is a great option for you. I find it useful for days I really prefer to style the fullest looking hair line yet still use a hair growth treatment, and use the hair serum on a “regular” day.

Where to Buy It

Find Vegamour GRO Hair Foam at Vegamour and Sephora

References

Perna, Simone et al. “Efficacy of bergamot: From anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative mechanisms to clinical applications as preventive agent for cardiovascular morbidity, skin diseases, and mood alterations.” Food science & nutrition vol. 7,2 369-384. 25 Jan. 2019, doi:10.1002/fsn3.903
Shao, L. (2003). [Effects of the extract from bergamot and boxthorn on the delay of skin aging and hair growth in mice]. China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica, 28(8), 766–769.
Satoshi Itami, et al. Role of Androgen in Mesenchymal Epithelial Interactions in Human Hair Follicle, Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings, Volume 10, Issue 3, 2005, Pages 209-211,ISSN 1087-0024, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1087-0024.2005.10107.x.]
Madaan A, Verma R, Singh AT, Jaggi M. Review of Hair Follicle Dermal Papilla cells as in vitro screening model for hair growth. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2018 Oct;40(5):429-450. doi: 10.1111/ics.12489. Epub 2018 Oct 4. PMID: 30144361.
de Cássia da Silveira E Sá R, Lima TC, da Nóbrega FR, de Brito AEM, de Sousa DP. Analgesic-Like Activity of Essential Oil Constituents: An Update. Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Dec 9;18(12):2392. doi: 10.3390/ijms18122392. PMID: 29232831; PMCID: PMC5751100.
[Cutis., 2004 Feb;73(2 Suppl):14-7., A polyhydroxy acid skin care regimen provides antiaging effects comparable to an alpha-hydroxyacid regimen.]
National Center for Biotechnology Information. “PubChem Compound Summary for CID 7027, Gluconolactone” PubChem, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Gluconolactone. Accessed 26 August, 2023.
Pastore, Saveria, et al. “The epidermal growth factor receptor system in skin repair and inflammation.” Journal of Investigative Dermatology 128.6 (2008): 1365-1374.

ABOUT THIS POST

This product was submitted to Style Chicks for consideration purposes. All opinions and experiences are 100% our own.

Vegamour for Healthy Hair Growth

August 25, 2023 · Leave a Comment

We all want lush, healthy hair. So we fully tested 6 Vegamour GRO products.

We used each Vegamour product for the recommended full 3 months.
We researched the efficacy of the ingredients in each formulation.

Want to know what we learned? Check out our six-part Vegamour GRO series. We share research on how the ingredients work, show the packaging, and tell our Vegamour experience for each of the six products we tried for this year’s Hair Loss Awareness Month.

Vegamour GRO Hair Serum uses vegan-friendly ingredients to promote hair growth. We independently researched the ingredients and used the serum for the full three months. Stay tuned for our findings!

Skip ahead to the Vegamour Six-Part Series, or read below about what to do if your hair is thinning.
READ the VEGAMOUR SERIES

Who Can Benefit from Hair Growth Products

For more than 40% of women, hair thinning occurs with several medical problems, medications, post-partum, post-COVID, and simply with age.

There are a few approaches to hair regrowth. There are fewer vegan options or options for those who wish to avoid chemicals. But there are research-backed, vegan, topical remedies to optimize hair growth.

Why Your Hair Isn’t Growing

The primary enemies to healthy hair growth are:

DHT accumulation on the scalp
Impaired circulation
Scalp inflammation

And a related problem: hair breakage. Your hair is growing, but it is also breaking off. This makes hair uneven, appear thin and unkempt. It gives the overall look of no hair growth progress.

Check In With Your Doctor

If your hair growth pattern is behaving differently, the first thing is to check in with your doctor. It isn’t just your vanity, your hair health can be a clue into your overall health. The vitamin deficiencies impacting hair growth are the same vitamins necessary for your body to function properly.

Bloodwork can rule out some of the usual deficiencies such as low Vitamin D, iron, magnesium, or B12. Any of these can impair hair growth, cause brittle hair, and even cause hair loss. Most of us get enough Biotin from eggs, nuts or fortified foods, but if you are deficient in a key vitamin, that can also cause hair growth issues and hair loss.

A dermatologist can check if any scalp conditions are impacting your hair growth and make some recommendations.

Once these areas have been checked, it is time to consider which topical treatments work and what hair care can optimize your hair growth.

What Ingredients Grow Hair?

There are many ingredients which claim to jump start hair growth. Research shows some do. Some ingredients help some people with certain problems, but won’t help others. It is awfully expensive in both time and money trying to figure out your hair growth problems.

Vegamour uses research backed ingredients within cruelty free, vegan formulations to optimize hair growth without chemicals.

Can all natural ingredients REALLY grow back hair?

We see many testimonials online saying that Vegamour works. So we did our own research into several Vegamour formulations to see what the medical journals say about these ingredients. And we tried the products our for ourselves for the full three months required to see results.

The Vegamour Range

We tested several of the Vegamour products for the full recommended three months. We researched each of the ingredients, and we report our findings on each Vegamour product. Check out our reviews on these products from the Vegamour range:

Vegamour GRO Hair Foam
Vegamour GRO Shampoo
Vegamour GRO Conditioner
Vegamour GRO Serum
Vegamour Anti-Gray Hair Serum
Vegamour GRO Scalp Detoxifying Serum

Check out the ingredients in this stellar vegan lineup, see that oh so pretty packaging, and read all about our experiences with Vegamour!