Goth Juice Hair Gel

It was during my first year of High School that I first 'went over to the dark side'. It was midway through year 9 when I was introduced to my first metal band and made it my mission to transform a once average-looking girl into one that wore nothing but black and subjected her hair to so much dye that I'm surprised I have any hair left to talk of.

Back then I had no idea how to look after my hair - I lived by the rule that unless I was going out on a Friday night, there was no reason to clean my locks, which resulted in some pretty nasty results. At the time I had no idea how to tame the bushy mane on top of my head and this meant I used excess amount hair spray, mousse, gel, wax - sometimes all at once, which as you can imagine, didn't exactly help the situation. 

Years later, and with a head of wonderfully conditioned and well looked-after hair, I am a little hesitant to start putting unknown cosmetics in without reading up on them first. Whether it was the name, the colour or the smell, there was something about this product that enticed me intro trying it, and I'm so glad I did. 

Goth Juice is a funky purple-coloured hair gel that claims to 'hold, style, fix and revive' your hair. It's especially designed to calm frizzy hair whilst giving it a natural volume. Containing a whole variety of different ingredients, this product probably boasts the strangest yet most beautiful smell for a haircare item.

With oakmoss absolute, hemp oil and fresh lemon infusion, this gel has a deep, dark and rather herby fragrance. Yet unlike Tramp and Supertramp, the lemon really stands out here and gives it an almost foody aroma. The lemon juice offers quite a fresh but bitter note that sits at the top whilst the hemp oil adds a subtle nuttiness that sets it apart from other 'forest' aromas that Lush offer. 

The gel has quite a smooth, gloopy consistency - it's a little like American Cream Body Lotion but with a more elasticated feel about it. Yet despite this, it's very light when you scoop it into your hands and it feels even lighter when you apply it to your locks. I just wanted to use it on the front part of my hair as it can get a little dishevelled after a long and tiring day's work. I just dipped my fingers into the pot and then ran my fingers through the areas I wanted the gel to sit - rather like a comb would do. 

It is quite sticky once it comes into contact with the hair and I was initially worried that I'd end up with horrible crusty sections where the gel had set and turned my hair to stone. However, once it was in place, you could barely feel it was there. More importantly, it kept my hair kempt and in place for the whole day but was then equally happy to be brushed out once I was home.

The great thing about this product is that it's highly versatile in what you can use it for. As well as using it to tame stray bits, this gel can also be used to style your hair. I really enjoyed scrunching my hair with this on my hands as it gave my hair a nice, natural-looking wave. 

Aside from damaging my hair, I also worry about trying new products in case they strip my hair of my dye. Luckily, I found that after using this most days for a few weeks, Goth Juice didn't strip my hair of it's colour and kept it in as good condition as it was before I began using it.

Last time this product was sold, it came in at £6.95 for a 100g pot. If we're to compare this to other brands of gels and waxes, this actually comes out on top as one of the cheapest. Yet unlike VO5 and other similar brands, this one didn't damage my hair or make it greasy at all. Most importantly, it was easy to wash away and I wasn't worried about the damage that it could do to my locks when the sun was beating down upon my head. 

Although the scent may put a lot of people off trying this, it is a really effective hair gel and one that lasts a really long time. I've been using my tub for over four months and it's only just about halfway full. Lush would do well to bring this back so us ex-goths can relive our teens again, without having to relive the bad-hair-days that went with it. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Fresh Lemon Infusion (Citrus limonum), Acrylates / Lauryl Acrylate / Stearyl Acrylates / Ethylamine Oxide Methacrylate Copolymer, Glycerine, Propylene Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate / Beheneth - 25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Hemp Oil (Cannabis sativa), Flaxseed Oil (Linum usitatissimum), Oakmoss Absolute (Evernia prunastri), Olibanum Resinoid (Boswellia carterii), Limonene, Linalool, Perfume, Colour 60725, Colour 14700, Methylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.