Mr Dandy's Hair Candy was one of the first in this range that I decided to try - for no other reason than because I was intrigued by the very name that it went by and because it seemed to be like no other Lush product that I have ever seen before. Described as a 'hair dressing', this exclusive product has the consistency somewhere between a gel and a wax. It looks and feels a little like a very thick body lotion that has had a helping of glue added to it - it sort of sticks to your fingers when you go to scoop some out and demonstrates a slight amount of elasticity when it's on your hands.
While I was expecting this product to possess a sweet, sugary fragrance, given the name, I was surprised to find that it shares its scent with the Jungle Conditioner and the recently released Tropical Jungle Body Lotion. The dressing has an almost woody, wheatgrass smell - there's definitely remnants of damp grass and reeds in the mix. However, at the same time, you also get a very heady, bitter lime element that gives the product a bit of a kick. It's a very fresh and natural aroma - one that I would describe as being slightly unsettling but equally as gorgeous. What is great about Mr Dandy's Hair Candy is that the smell is very potent both in the tub and once it has been applied to the hair, so it's one that will stay with you throughout the entire day.
How you use this dressing is up to you - there are multiple ways of applying it and it will depend on how you usually style your hair as to which method you choose. As I don't tend to blow-dry or straighten my hair, I opted to apply it once it was completely dry.
Lush state that a 'little goes a long way' so I merely dipped my fingers into the surface of the dressing and came away with an amount that equalled the size of a small tablet. Then rather than smearing it onto my hair, I began to scrunch and 'mess up' my hair to give it some volume, starting at the bottom and working my way up. I found that I needed to apply another helping or two throughout this process because I have fairly long hair and one portion wasn't enough for my liking.
In its favour, Mr Dandy's Hair Candy does exactly what it states it can do. Once I had finished playing with my hair, I did notice a certain amount of volume that I would never have been able to achieve without the use of the gel. What's even more impressive is that I found that I could continue to style and re-style my hair throughout the entire day and it would always allow me to do this - remaining in the new position until I was ready to change it up again.
The only downside that I found with this product, and this may be because I am not used to applying any styling products to my hair normally, is that I could really feel the gel once it was in my hair. Not only was the consistency of my hair noticeably different, but I found that my locks felt rather sticky and slightly dry after application.
On the tub it claims that the dressing is to help 'build structure into finer, flyaway hair', which it definitely does as I really noticed a difference in the volume of my mane once the product was set. However, as it made my hair slightly greasy, I found that it separated strands near the top of my head and made it look a little thin on top.
Overall, there's no denying that this product works and it's impressive just how well it holds the hair and how long-lasting it is - especially when compared with other non-Lush alternatives. If you regularly use a gel or wax, this is definitely a product you'll want to try out because it's definitely far more natural than some of the bigger brands. My sister, who has medium-length hair, said that she found this product perfect for spiking up or 'punking-up' her locks, and she said that it was no more noticeable for her as her usual brand.
However, I found that I wasn't very comfortable with how my hair felt after using this and it resulted in me having to wash my hair nearly every night to keep it in tip-top condition. While the inclusion of fresh banana and various essential oils tells me that this dressing is certainly not damaging my hair once it's on, I definitely didn't feel as if my hair was as clean as it normally is after a shower. I've given this dressing a high rating because as I said above, the problems that I encountered with Mr Dandy is to do with my personal preference, not a fault with the product itself. If you're looking for a natural dressing that'll give you volume and hold your style in place, this is definitely one you should try out for yourself.
Quantitative Ingredients: will be updated soon.
Vegan?: Yes.
2015 Price: £12.95 for 100g.
Year Of Original Release: 2015.
Scent Family:
Jungle FUN Bar (2014)Jungle Solid Conditioner
Jungle Liquid Perfume
Jungle Shower Jelly
Jungle Soap
Jungle Solid Perfume
Jungle/Tropical Jungle Body Lotion
Mr Dandy's Hair Candy Dressing
Does this smell like American cream?
ReplyDeleteNo it doesn't - it smells like Jungle Solid Conditioner 😀
DeleteI meant to post this on giants gel. Does Giantss gel smell like American cream?
DeleteNo worries! No Giants Gel doesn't smell of AC either I'm afraid - it's a sweet but floral smell! Sorry!
DeleteHow do this and giant's gel compare to Dirty hair cream in terms of hold and softness? I have a similar wave to my hair, although my hair is very thick. Do these leave your hair feeling sticky or stiff to the touch? I don't need to add volume to my hair, but something that will hold the curls/waves without weighing my hair down. What do you think might work?
ReplyDeleteI think Zest Styling Jelly would be the best choice for this!
ReplyDeleteI think Zest Styling Jelly would be the best choice for this!
ReplyDeleteI usually don't style my hair either, but Lush once had a creamy hair gel called King of the Mods. I really liked that, because it did what I wanted it to: to keep those new, short hairs from standing up and making me look weird. This one sounds like it would do exactly the same. Will try it definitely.
ReplyDeleteHate to try and correct you, but this actually shares it's scent with Guardian of the Forest, not Jungle!
ReplyDeleteLush employee here, Mr Dandy and Guardians of the Forest share the same smell :)
DeleteI have never used Guardian of the Forest, but to me Jungle (jelly) and Mr Dandy's smell very much alike. Mr Dandy's is possibly a tad less sweet than Jungle, but they're very similar imo. I love both. I 2nd the person suggesting using Mr Dandy's on wet hair. I'm a guy with shortish hair and this does dry a bit, like a hair gel, but not too much. It has great hold. I love this product and prefer it to Dirty, which is more of a cream/pomade and leaves my hair very 'thick' and dry and slightly sticky. I use Mr Dandy's for hold (and lovely scent) and R&B on days where I want my hair to feel natural, but moisturized.
DeleteI love this, I have wavy, fine hair and this make my hair so soft. But you have to use a very small amount. I apply this onto wet hair.
ReplyDeleteI love this, I have wavy, fine hair and this make my hair so soft. But you have to use a very small amount. I apply this onto wet hair.
ReplyDelete