Some Samples from Kara's Way

Items were received by Kara's Way complimentary.

Kara's Way was kind enough to provide a few samples for my consideration and these happen to be some of my favourite types. It should come as no surprise that I love soaps and hair care is something that I am quite discerning about. As these were provided complimentary, I know that some of them appeared in previous boxes that have already gone out.

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Aubrey Organics
Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Shampoo & Blue Camomile Hydrating Conditioner

First up is the Honeysuckle Rose shampoo which is free of sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens or petrochemicals. Which basically means that there is minimal lather. The scent took me by surprise (I'm not sure what I was expecting) but it was wonderfully light and refreshing. It was easy to work with in terms of being able to wash it out quickly.

I followed up immediately with the Blue Chamomile conditioner and that also had a very surprising scent which was also quite lovely. The conditioner was creamy and while a bit on the liquid like side, it just made it easier to work with. The two combined smelled fantastic.

After my hair dried I noticed that quite few curls came in which is slightly unusual but very welcomed. My hair seemed to be enthralled by this new combination. Grant it those curls slowly dropped to wurls throughout the day but the fact that my hair even started on a happier note was wonderfully unexpected. Now all I have to do is find it at my local stores.

Price: $10.48 each for 11 oz.
Stars: ★★★★★
Takeaway: Great unexpected results for a first go. My hair was softer and bouncier which was great plus it has a great light scent that almost feels like it sticks with you throughout the day.


Fundamental Earth
Fundamental Shampoo (For All Hair Types) and Fundamental Conditioner (Normal to Dry)

I will completely admit that this one somewhat took me by surprise. I hadn't heard about this company before so while I did have a little bit of skepticism, I overlooked it. What I mean is that I frequent a lot of hair forums and weirdly enough this one never came up. On the day that I tested it for the first time, Nicole (at Spialelo) asked me if I had any recommendations for a shampoo and conditioner that was free of sulfates, silicones, and protein. Admittedly protein had never been anything that I was cognizant about so the first thing I did was check the products I had been using lately.

Of the many I have been using and/or recently tested the only ones to pass that test was Disney Baby Daily Renewal Naturals Baby Shampoo (check out the review here) and Fundamental Earth. Incidentally 100% Pure and Terressentials Organic hair care also seems to fit the bill (but I haven't tested these out). In general though, it seems that finding a protein free haircare item that is also free of sulfates and silicones is pretty tough.

Moving back to Fundamental Earth, the ingredient list is paired down which makes for a simplistic blend that hopefully couldn't go wrong. And it didn't. The shampoo had a lot of different scents such as ginger extract, honey, lavender oil, lemongrass oil, rosemary oil, etc. The one scent that really came out though was the rosemary. It worked much like any other shampoo and had a great lather. As one could imagine, it was therefore really easy to wash out.

The conditioner is somewhat similar when it comes to the ingredient list (by what black magic does this happen?!) which means it's also quite simplistic. This one has hops extract, balm mint extract, honey, Moroccan argan oil, chamomile extract, lemongrass oil, etc. It looks and feels exactly like any other conditioner that I've used but the added bonus is that with the argan oil already in there, I don't have to follow up later with a leave in. Okay, maybe that's not really a good perk to focus on, but honestly, the chamomile scent was refreshing when I used it the first time. My hair was soft and bouncy and overall seems quite happy with this one.

Price: $16 for the shampoo (12 oz) and $17 for the conditioner (12 oz).
Stars: ★★★★★
Takeaway: Definitely a great shampoo and conditioner combination; I'm even more impressed by this one since it fit all of Nicole's criteria (being free of sulfates, silicones, and protein). My hair loved this a lot and this will definitely enter the standard rotation of hair care.


Coastal Scents African Black Soap

As I already mentioned, African black soap was something I grew up with -- specifically Nubian Heritage African Black Soap. I haven't really been able to find it in local stores since I moved out to the West Coast which is why my usage of it dwindled. I received two samples of this soap from Kara's Way so I feel as though was ample to work with in order to provide a review of the long missed black soap. So wait, a step back for anyone who isn't familiar with black soap... what is it?

Black soap, or rather this particular blend of black soap is made with coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa pod ash, and palm kernel oil. The soap itself is great for trouble skin (such as eczema), reducing blemishes and the appearance of fine lines, and evening out dark spots. It also offers light exfoliation so at the end of the day what really works for me is that it provides moisture back to my skin (via the shea butter) and provides light exfoliation which is great for my dry skin without overdoing it.

A note from Coastal Scents is that they do say that you shouldn't use this directly on your skin and you should use a wash cloth or sponge. I didn't know that at the time so I used it directly on my skin and didn't have any issues. With that being said, if I did order a full sized bar (16 oz) then I'd likely follow their directions.

Price: 79¢ for a sample and $12.95 for a full bar.
Stars: ★★★★★
Takeaway: Another win for dry skin but this one is a bit different given the slight exfoliation present in this bar. Black soap is a long time favourite of mine and I'd definitely recommend their blend especially given the cocoa butter element.

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This product was featured in the December Kara's Way box and was given to me complimentary for my evaluation.

Review: Ology Soothing Baby Shampoo & Body Wash

After my bottle of Disney Baby Daily Renewal Naturals Baby Shampoo finished, I headed over to my local drugstore to find that  Garnier Pure Clean was out of stock... again. After being unable to find a suitable replacement, I went over to Walgreens to grab either Pure Clean or the Disney Baby Shampoo since they always seem to have it stock. (I always go to the first one since it's so close however with that being said, the Walgreens is really just across the street). Anyhow, as I was about to grab the Disney Baby version, I noticed the ology brand which had a lovely "No Harmful Chemicals" notice right along the front of the bottle. Ology is a Walgreens brand, so I figured that I'd give it a shot.

I grabbed the Lavender & Chamomile version since that's one of my favourite scents. On the back, it states that it has no parabens, silicons, dyes, phthalates, or animal byproducts. It also states that the bottle is made of 100% post-consumer materials. 

I've been using this for a few weeks now (and yes, in the image just behind the bottle of ology is Pure Clean) and overall, I love it. Sometimes the shampoo is a bit hard to wash out, but truth be told, I've found this with a lot of shampoos that are similar in nature. The only catch about this one versus the Disney Baby is that this one does not claim to be sulfates free. So if that's an issue for you then this is something you're going to want to pass on.

Overall, while I think it's almost on par with Pure Clean or the Disney Baby (Naturals) Shampoo, it's not quite on that level. The texture is fine, the lather is as expected, and it's performance is okay. However if I mess up and neglect to fully wash my hair out then it dries in a stringy manner which looks like it's incredibly oily (when it's not). Plus there's still the issue of sulfates, which my hair does not get along with when there is prolonged usage. I do love the scent which is wonderfully subtle and great if you have a headache (lavender is simply amazing to me). 

If sulfates were not an issue, I'd probably say this was on par with the Disney Baby Naturals (or Pure Clean) simply because with the latter I can use it for a long period of time without having to worry about switching it out. Sulfates in the past have led to considerable damage to my hair -- it is not bad in itself as it is surfactant and all it does is assist with the lather. It is particularly damaging to my hair because my hair is wurly and pretty dry so sulfates don't quite work out for me. For my mother (who has a gorgeous head of hair, I might add), this has never been a problem but she also has hair that is of a different texture. So don't be quick to write this one off unless sulfates really are a problem for you.

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Product: Ology Sooth Baby Shampoo & Body Wash
Price: $5
Stars: ★★★☆☆
Takeaway: Overall, a solid shampoo that is free of parabens, silicones, dyes, and phthalates (but not sulfates). Works well and would be a great contender were it not for the sulfates part. It is about the same level of difficulty to wash out as others that are similar and nature and good to have on hand. 

Taking On the World of Disney

For my birthday, my boyfriend and I decided to take on Disney World which was an epic adventure and a lot of fun. It had been 13 years since I had been there and I was excited to experience it all again. I'm generally not big on celebrating my birthday but I figured that in the sea of people, it was easy to go unnoticed, even if you are wearing a large pin that says "Happy Birthday."

It was early but I was ready
for Magic Kingdom. 

Anyhow, let's talk about makeup since Florida is different both temperature wise and climate wise. It's wonderfully warm down there during December and humidity was around the high 50's. So what does this translate to? Well, first, let's consider what was in my makeup bag.

The things I brought along with me: My entire makeup bag which included included the CVS Illuminating Moisturizer with SPF and my Cover FX makeup (the pressed mineral powder and the setting powder). I also walked with all of my eyeliners, mascara, makeup brushes, and makeup sponges.

I did leave behind a lot of my eye shadows, but truth be told, I didn't have any intention of wearing them anyway. The Disney World parks are intense and the one thing you probably don't want to do is wear too much makeup if you have oily skin. I walked with copious amounts of blotting sheets in the event that my makeup would run.

As it turns out, the weather was quite amicable toward my makeup so I had no problem keeping it on. A word of caution though, as you might have noticed with my picture on the right, I went light with my makeup.

I have no news to really report about makeup, but as always, there was something new that I tried on my trip. This time it was a body lotion and a shampoo.

New Items: Dial NutriSkin Replenishing Body Lotion Sensitive Skin and Seventh Generation Baby Shampoo & Wash.

Dial NutriSkin isn't new to me -- a few months ago I tried out the Extra Dry Skin version (and conveniently forgot to write a review about it) and found that I liked it a lot. The only thing I wasn't thrilled with was that I just couldn't find it everywhere which is a problem when it comes time to buy a new bottle.

This time round during a trip to Publix to stock up, the Extra Dry Skin version wasn't anywhere to be found but the Sensitive Skin was. It was also the smallest bottle I could find that would be the best option for our vacation for the week.

I don't know if anyone else ever has this problem but the soaps that you get when vacation can be incredibly drying. When I was done washing my hands or taking a shower my skin would appear ashy white. Thankfully I had this lotion to revive my skin and every single time it made me so happy we sprang for it. They generally go for about ~$5 so at that price, it's not a huge risk to take either. It feels great on the skin, especially one that has been stripped of moisture so I would most definitely recommend this to anyone who has particularly dry skin.

Moving on to the shampoo, I've been keeping to shampoos that are free of parabens, sulfates, silicones, and dyes as best I can. After scouring the selection of normal shampoos without much luck, I headed on over to the infant's section and quickly found a close alternative for the trip. The Seventh Generation Baby Shampoo & Wash does have sulfates, but it doesn't contain parabens or silicones which was a trade I was willing to make fore a short amount of time. I kind of wish I had a loofah so that I could make use of the wash instead of suffering with the bar of soap. The bottle ranges from $6-$8 depending on the location.

My hair was wonderful during the trip which I attribute to the climate of Florida. It constantly appeared bouncy and wurly without ever seeming drab. I think the key item on this trip would have been the lotion because I didn't need the other products nearly as much. As for my hair, I noticed the difference after washing my hair the first day and upon our return to home, my hair return to it's lifeless state again. I think with the previous trips I learned that my skin and hair aren't always going to act the way I expect them to so it's best to be on your toes about visiting a new area that hasn't a different climate.

And now for some quick Disney tips! LeFou's Brew at Gaston's Tavern is an interesting blend and quite sugary. The souvenir cups are wonderfully cute too! For those of you with Disney World in your future, I will strongly recommend Undercover Tourist, not just for the discounted tickets (they are an authorized seller of discount tickets for Disney and Universal Studios, along with some other attractions in the Orlando area)  but also for their blog which is loaded with great tips. 

Review: Nature's Gate Awapuhi Volumizing Shampoo

It happened again. I went to my local drugstore to pick up more Pure Clean shampoo and they were out of it. This is quickly becoming the norm around here. Either that or I'm timed exactly with all the other people who buy that shampoo and we all run out of it at the same time. Which is actually kind of cool.

Anyhow, I decided that I would just grab a bottle of baby shampoo or something at my grocery store instead later that same night. Now as with all my hair care items as of late, I've been trying to make absolutely sure that the shampoos and conditioners are paraben and sulfate free. So I tend to scour the aisles for a bit and really analyze the bottles. (And sometimes when I'm in a rush, I realize the error later and have to fix it). I did find a baby shampoo but a little bit further in the same aisle I found a whole selection of paraben and sulfate free shampoos (thank you Andronico's!). My eyes were drawn to the bottle of Nature's Gate -- specifically the Awapuhi which is Hawaiian White Ginger (read as: the flowers were pretty).

On the back of the bottle it notes that it is free of the follow: parabens, sodium lauryl/laureth/coco sulfates, phthalate, and butylene glycol. On the front of the bottle it mentions that there are "7 Healthy Hair Nutrients" which include panthenol (Vitamin B5), soy proteins, vegetable proteins, jojoba oil, borage flower seed oil, Vitamin C and Vitamin E. 

I've been using it for about a month at this point and there are a few things to note. Namely that it doesn't quite lather up the way a shampoo would (and you shouldn't expect it to either, seeing as it doesn't have the agents to do so). At times, I couldn't help but feeling like I should wash my hair with the shampoo twice before working the conditioner into my ends. But each time, I was happy that I didn't try to rewash my hair till it felt squeaky clean. This shampoo is a bit heavy it seems on the oils, which is nice because it is still cleaning my hair and not stripping it entirely. 

As for the wurls... the first day they were drab. My hair seemed weighed down and almost appeared straight which was odd but not unlike my hair. Since then, the curls have picked up a bit and my hair seems to react just fine to this shampoo as it does with any other that meet the same criteria (that would be that they are free of parabens and sulfates).

I do think that my hair appears a bit shinier and overall seems a bit healthier but there are times when the wurls (waves and curls) seem kind of lost. I have a feeling that the added oils might be a bit too heavy for my curls and waves and are ultimately weighing it down. I think that as my hair gets longer, this will definitely be a go to (based on availability though) but for now, as my hair is short, it might be a bit too much for now. 

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Product: Nature's Gate Awapuhi Volumizing Shampoo
Price:  $7.79
Would Recommend? Not for short hair, but perhaps for long.
Takeaway: While I love the idea behind it, I think that it might be a bit heavy on my hair. The wurls don't always come out as a result. I think that while my hair is shinier and looks healthy, the curls themselves look a bit drab. I think that's it seems great for longer waves but for the short curlier types, this might not be the best one to go to. I'll definitely be revisiting this one in the future as my hair grows out.

Review: Disney Baby Daily Renewal Naturals Baby Shampoo Powder Fresh

For some reason, I thought I had blogged about this one before. Wait, stop -- give me a chance here. I know it's a bit of stretch, but if you're at all interested in haircare that is free of parabens, sulfates, silicones, and dyes, then this is your best bet.

As I mentioned before, I love Garnier Pure Clean but it flies off the shelves of all of my nearby drugstores. Not one or two, but all 4 within the immediate vicinity so sometimes I have to stockpile these when they are finally in stock. (Okay, not true, but I do have to buy a set for my place and my boyfriend's place). The last time I ran out of bottles of the shampoo and conditioner in both locations, I had to go find it at my local drugstore and while there was two bottles of conditioner left, there was only one shampoo bottle left. So I searched the store to find a bottle of shampoo that fit the bill. 

If you've tried this at your local drugstore then you know that it's kind of hard (to say the least) because haircare that fits this criteria (of being free of parabens, silicones, sulfates, and dyes) is a challenge. You can find something that matches some of the criteria, but not all. So I searched high and low (literally, the shelves are rather high), I couldn't find anything that fit so I gave up and headed to the toy section. Which is conveniently located by the baby section.

Upon quick glance I noticed quite a few bottles that touted being free of many of the items I've listed. But it became very apparent that some of these baby shampoos were actually a great replacement for my beloved Garnier Pure Clean.

Now, of course, I was drawn to this particular bottle because there's a Pooh and Tigger on the front and it immediately reminds me of my best friend. After doing a quick check, you'll note that this bottle is free of sulfates and parabens. You can find the full ingredient listing at the Disney Renewal Baby website.

So how does it stack up? Well, let's get a big ticket item out of the way. This bottle doesn't quite smell like powder -- in fact, it kind of smells like oats. It was remarkably like the Fresh Soy Face Cream.

It works very well although admittedly it doesn't lather (which is fine by me, but I just wanted you to be aware of that factor). It works well and I use it interchangeably with my Pure Clean (that is, if the Pure Clean is finished and I can't find it in store). Overall, you'll love it if you're looking for a good (cheap) sulfate-free and paraben-free shampoo. It's also silicone free and seems to be dye free as well. This has been another happy (Disney!) addition to my haircare lineup.

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Product: Disney Baby Daily Renewal Naturals Baby Shampoo Powder Fresh
Price: ~$5
Would Recommend? Yes.
Takeaway: Great shampoo if you're looking for something that is free of sulfates, parabens, silicones, and possibly even dyes. It's also easy to find in local drugstores which makes it all the better.

On Travelling: Lite Camping

I'm actually kind of surprised that I haven't broken down and done the ultimate "travel" post. Well, I'm not that surprised, truth be told I'm wordy and sometimes lazy about taking photographs (especially since I can't edit them and my camera is quite unrully). During my hiatus, I went on a short camping trip and thought to myself that I really ought to write about the experience (especially since it was a lite camping trip) but I wanted to go over some basics that I took with me.

Well, for starters, let me give you a quick run down of the "camping" trip -- it was actually for a Beer and BBQ Festival (I'm setting a tone here), and we camped out for two nights. The campsite came equipped with showers, bathrooms (well, portable toilets), and firewood. Basically this meant that we didn't have to do much heavy lifting -- but because we do share the space with a lot of other people, that did mean that there were certain things that we had to walk with, I'm not going to get into the long list of it, but the items that are worth taking a gander at are below.

Warning: I didn't wear any makeup on this trip because that just would have been silly on my behalf. I did walk with my usual stuff (like deodorant, a toothbrush, and toothpaste).

First things first is the nesting wine glass ($7.50). You can judge me all you want but if you're the only one on the campsite with one, then no one is going to try to take your drink. (This holds especially true when the other wine drinker has a GoVino glass ($3) so there's no confusing the two.)

Jokes aside though, soap, bug spray, and sunscreen are essentials. For the trip I grabbed a tube of the Banana Boat Natural Reflect with SPF 50 (~$10) that was oil and paraben free. I'm not a huge sunscreen fan in general but it's something you've got to do when you're exposed to the sun for a long period of time. I found that I had to reapply it twice (which I was supposed to do) and while I didn't quite like the feel of it, I did like the comfort of knowing it was doing it's job.

I didn't use the bug spray much since insects tend to flee from me but the other campers that I was with found the Cutter Skinsations Insect Repellent to be wonderfully helpful. I always walk with a bottle when I go camping for my friends and so far, no complaints about this one.

Soap is soap and generally I'd toss in a bar of Ivory and call it a day. I did figure though that I should walk with a bar that offered some type of exfoliation though. I grabbed this bar of Yardley of London Scrub & Smooth Bath Bar Sea Minerals which smells like bergamot and lime and is 100% vegetable soap. The bar of soap retails for ~$3 and if you've got several campers and a shower, this will come in handy.

Time to break down what's in that handy makeup bag though. That bag is my camping "makeup" bag and I use that term lightly because there's no actual makeup in there but it is a bag of necessary items. A lot of these items were actually samples, which makes it easy to pull them together and toss into another bag.

• Hand Sanitizer (while we did have a lot of water and wet wipes available, we also ended up doing a lot of cooking. This is great if you're handling meats or just any kind of food.) I grabbed a generic brand that cost about a dollar. 
• Floss and/or flossers. I keep a small spool of floss in the bag but in my other makeup bag (that's in my purse) I keep flossers. Flossers are great for on the go and keep a small spool as a backup (or to share) is just nifty and very useful. 
• Extra elastic hair bands -- I admit, that with short hair, I don't use these much and even last year when I had this bag with long hair, I ended up just putting my hair in a bun and keeping it steady with a pencil. Nonetheless, it's good to have them around.
• Small bottle of lotion. Now I did walk with my purse's makeup bag and in there I keep two other small bottles of lotion as well. I tossed in this one in as extra in case anyone needed it. You should definitely have on around especially if you suffer from dry skin (which is why I keep at least two bottles around).
• Shampoo and/or conditioner. You may not really need this but if you end up with a lot of haircare samples, it doesn't hurt to toss or two of them into a makeup bag especially since they don't take up much space.
• Toothpaste (not pictured is the travel toothbrush). Here's where my makeup bags combine to form a super hygienic pack. My everyday bag has a travel toothbrush (so as long as I have my purse, I can brush my teeth anywhere) but I tend to not carry toothpaste in that one since I'm usually at a friend's place where I'd have to use it. 
• Lancome Bienfait Multi-Vital with SPF 30. Well, this was tossed in by my mother (yep, seriously) who is a huge fan of Lancome and demands that I travel with the face cream because it has SPF in it (and in that way, I don't have to slather sunscreen on my face). Admittedly, this is one thing I really love travelling with especially since the other face creams I have either don't have SPF or it's very low. 
• Neutrogena Ultra Sheer SPF 70. Another sample and I'm not sure that this is something I'd actively seek it (because I walk with two items that pretty much cover this area). 

I know I have a Lancome primer in the picture but that shouldn't have been in the bag. I've removed it so no need to put it on the list.

I'm prepping for another trip soon so there shall be more in the series to come!

Review: Miss Jessie's Crème de la Curl Shampoo and Conditioner

Even though I got my samples for the shampoo, conditioner, and styling lotion first, my friend gave me the Miss Jessie's Quick Curls, which I've been using with much satisfaction (and just overall happiness) so far. (You can read the review for the Quick Curls here). So that made me very excited about using the Crème de la Curl samples. (Just so you know, you can order free samples from Miss Jessie's website.)

I finally got the chance to break them out and use them. I know you can barely see the shampoo packet in this picture but I pretty much used that up right away so it's on the right and it's deflated. The shampoo and conditioners are 1 Oz. each.

The shampoo out of the packet was an interesting texture. I remember thinking that it was a lot like meringue. Very light and fluffy but still... stiff? I wasn't sure how to describe it when I was holding it and I'm still not sure now. The shampoo does not lather so it was a bit interesting to use the first time. I ended up wasting a bit of product (accident, I swear) because it was slightly challenging to get out of the packet. I liked the feel and the scent to it though as it was very light and fresh.

The conditioner was like any other conditioner in terms of texture and worked the exact same. But it did have more of a chemical scent to it. It seemed really creamy and heavy which worried me a bit. If you recall, I have waves which lean toward wurls at times. If I add something that it too heavy, it will weigh down my wurls and make my appear lifeless.

Well, my suspicions were right. My hair was a bit on the lifeless side. My hair on a normal basis is actually a bit more wavier than it appears in both pictures. These pictures are of day two by the way -- my hair gets wavier on day two and trust me, day one wasn't good.

This made me a bit sad since it didn't work out but since I have such success with the curling lotion, I'm looking forward to the last sample that I have since I'll need to pass on this one.

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Product: Miss Jessie's Crème de la Curl Shampoo and Conditioner
Price: $16 per bottle.
Would Recommend? No.
Takeaway: It drowned my waves. :( This is probably not the best product if you have wavy hair but it might work out better for curly hair.

Review: Kérastase Age Premium

My friend ordered the Gossip Girl Birchbox and instinctively knew that based on her profile, she'd be getting the Kérastase Age Premium samples and had no use for them. Now in a pre-haircut world, I was and still am pretty comfortable with trying out anything on my hair so long as it wouldn't weigh down my hair. The verbiage that I use will be in reference to when my hair was long as I have yet to use the samples on my short hair.

What I did to start was that I dabbed a bit of the Masque Substantif prior to washing my hair and mostly to work it into the ends of my (then) long hair. After running around for about 10 minutes getting other things into order, I grabbed the Bain Substantif (shampoo) and worked it in. The texture and consistency is that of normal shampoo so there was nothing uniquely remarkable about that. It does create a substantial lather so I was pretty content with it's performance.

Now here's where I deviated yet again. See I didn't get the sample box so I didn't get instructions as to what to do with the masque. I know, it's a masque, but do I use it before I shower (like other hair treatments) or after? I wasn't sure and that's why initially I dabbed a bit on the ends so in that way, I could have both bases covered. Looking at Birchbox's website now, I realized that it goes on afterward, which makes me happy that that is exactly what I did.

I grabbed the remainder of the Masque Substantif, rubbed it in and allowed it to sit for a bit before washing it off. It's recommended you let it sit for 5-10 minutes and I opted for 5 minutes (one of the masques I use require you let it sit for 20 minutes but I was running late that morning and couldn't spare a minute longer than 5 so I just kind of lucked out). Since I let my hair air dry, I didn't notice any real differences till later on in the day.

Over the day as my hair dried I noticed that it was a bit more lighter in weight and fluffy (but not frizzy). Which is a good thing. I rather liked how my hair felt overall but I admit I wasn't sure what set this apart from other things that I do to my hair. In other words, there wasn't a noticeable difference. Sure my hair felt a bit lighter and fluffier, but it also feels the same way after I use Lush's Jasmin & Henna Fluff-Eaze so I'm definitely not sure if this in the cards for being for long term use.

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Product: Kérastase Age Premium Brain Substantif
Price: $36
Would Recommend? No
Takeaway: I can't speak about the extended use of this product since I only had a sample, but for the two times I did use it, I really wasn't that blown away by it.

Product: Kérastase Age Premium Masque Substantif
Price: $60
Would Recommend? No
Takeaway: I can't speak about the extended use of this product since I only had a sample. Just like the product above, I really wasn't that impressed by it. It does a good job, sure, but not better than other products I've seen that are much cheaper.

Review: Renpure Organics Shampoo & Conditioner

Last month I wrote about Renpure Organics My Hair is Pretty Parched! and it was quite positive. I found myself not really have to use much of my argan oil in order to add back in moisture to my parched hair. The bottles, being a bit on the small side and my hair being the long side meant that I ran out of it a little while ago. I've now been using the "I Love My Hair!" which I admit, is probably not the best for my hair. As the names suggest, the former (My Hair is Pretty Parched!) is for moisturizing and the latter (I Love My Hair!) is for shine.

As with the other two, the consistency of both the shampoo and conditioner were just right. Sometimes when you get these types of hair care products (No parabens, sulfates, gluten, phthalates, or propylene glycol), the consistencies tend to be a bit weird. (Not all the time, but this has been my experience as of late).  The scent was also light and a bit on the floral side so it was very pleasing to me.

But how did it hold up? Well, my hair did get quite shiny which is exactly what these bottles boast. They delivered and for that, I am quite happy. Problem being that my hair requires... no demands extra moisturizers which is not something these two can deliver. As a result I had to use a lot of argan oil in order to balance my hair out.

Does that mean I'd recommend against them? Absolutely not. If you're looking for shine, it's all right there. But do not expect a moisturizer as well. Expect to use some extra oil (doesn't have to be argan, it could be coconut) in order to balance it out. It's definitely worth it but just not a "please all" kind of product.

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Product: Renpure Organics I Love My Hair! Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner
Price: $6.99 each
Would Recommend? Sort of.
Takeaway: Fantastic for shine but if your hair requires more than shine then expect to pair it with another product that delivers (such as moisturizer, which was my case).

Review: Renpure Organics Shampoo & Conditioner

It's been just about a month now that I've been using this shampoo and conditioner duo and it is just about time that it adjusts to it or... well, there is no other option. Sadly, coming off from vacation, my hair has not revisited that bouncy look from before (while on vacation, my hair curled up and remained bouncy, something it has been unable to achieve without the high levels of humidity). So regardless of just how paraben and sulfate free a shampoo and/or conditioner is, my hair remains slightly lifeless. But this is not a comparison of the days of yore in regard to my hair. Let's be on with it.

I grabbed the "My Hair is Pretty Parched!" and the "I Love My Hair!" duo since they were on sale. I've been using the "My Hair is Pretty Parched!" for the last four weeks (vacation excluded, so I was using this prior to vacation).

The bright side for anyone who is conscious about what's in the bottle: NO parabens, sulfates, gluten, phthalates, or propylene glycol. Grant it the last three have never really struck me as label worthy, the exclusion of the first two (parabens and sulfates) made me happy. Either way, I do enjoy indulging in the idea that "less is more." So the verdict?

Well, my hair has had no real changes. It remains shiny, a bit on the bouncy side but the waves are still demure. Overall, that means that the product works well for me! I know it doesn't sound like much, but I've been trying to stick with sulfate and paraben free shampoos and conditioners and I know what to expect. I anticipated that if it worked well then there would be no real changes to my hair. And I was right. 

The scent is light and flowery and the consistency of both of them are what you'd expect. (If you read my review of the original sulfate and paraben free Organix Moroccan Argan Oil shampoo and conditioner, you will note that the consistency of both of them were kind of weird). The consistencies of Renpure are normal so you get to work up a nice lather to the shampoo and the conditioner stayed on my hair without falling off in odd clumps. 

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Product: Renpure Organics My Pretty Hair is Parched! Moisturizing Shampoo
Price: $6.99
Would Recommend? Yes
Takeaway: Light scent that smells good, works well. Normal consistency so... yeah, no complaints here.

Product: Renpure Organics My Pretty Hair is Parched! Moisturizing Conditioner
Price: $6.99
Would Recommend? Yes
Takeaway: Same as above. :)

The Wonders of Kauai

Last week my boyfriend and I went to Kauai for a week -- it was a great week filled with a lot of sunshine, warm weather, and relaxation. Naturally during this vacation makeup was something that was kind of important to me, but not really. Especially since I forgot that what works here in San Francisco, does not work in the humid and warm climate of Kauai. While reminiscent of a New York City summer, it reminded me that my choice of makeup did not bode well. So here's the breakdown.

The things I brought along with me: My entire makeup bag which included my Alba Hawaiian Jasmine and Vitamin E moisturizer and new Cover FX makeup (the pressed mineral powder and the setting powder). I also tossed in a few of my e.l.f. Studio brushes.

The one thing left behind: Milk of Magnesia.

New Items: Garnier Fructis Pure Clean (Shampoo and Conditioner) and lots of generic rice paper (oil-blotting tissues).

We arrived early Sunday morning and since I wasn't particularly in the mood to worry about makeup when we checked in, I decided to go natural for the rest of the day. The next day however I did wear makeup and thus paid dearly for that. My face became quite the oil slick and I had to rely heavily on my e.l.f. Shine Erasers throughout the day. I was averaging about 3 sheets every hour between 11 AM to 3 PM so we had to stop into Longs Drugs to get me some more oil blotting sheets. 

Needless to say that the following day (Tuesday) and for the rest of the week I decided to go completely makeup free. I do suspect that the culprit was the moisturizing cream because as I mentioned, the weather and humidity was very similar to NYC during the summer. Which meant that I was supposed to switch moisturizers. The Jasmine and Vitamin E blend is fantastic for the winter however during the summer the Aloe and Green Tea Oil is actually much better and assists in controlling the oils. Since moving to SF I haven't had the need to switch moisturizers between the seasons so I didn't have the appropriate moisturizer for Hawaii. 

But to be honest, I actually did enjoy having the chance to go completely makeup free for my vacation. I did rely very heavily on the oil-blotting tissues but overall my skin held up well considering the factors. There was a point in time where I almost bought another bottle of Milk of Magnesia, but I figured that with the high temperatures, I didn't really want to be bothered with makeup. I bought two more packs of oil-blotting tissues instead and hoped for the best. Sure I grumbled a bit given the maximum shine that was added to my face but it was a nice change. It was kind of sad though that the makeup I bought specifically for this trip did not hold up. But I am happy to say that it does hold up well here in SF.

While I'm on topic about the Wonders of Kauai, let's touch upon hair care. I did walk with a small bottle of Argan Oil which I amazingly didn't have to use (not even once!). One of the first stops that we made was at Walmart so that we could pick up some essentials -- such as, but not limited to, hair care. We grabbed a bottle of the Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Fortifying Shampoo and the Fortifying Conditioner. I don't think I can properly convey how happy my curls were. This particular line (Pure Clean) has no parabens, no silicones, and no dyes, which meant that my hair was not weighed down. And given the climate, my hair was even curlier than normal and there wasn't a build up. At no point did my hair feel oily and/or greasy which is amazing for my hair. I have no idea what the change in climate will mean for how it holds up in the long-term but that is definitely something that I will touch upon in the future.

Makeup aside, do remember to get yourself
awesome souvenirs.

So if you're traveling, don't forget that weather and humidity are going to factor into your makeup and haircare. Be prepared for some sudden changes, especially if the destination you're going to doesn't have a Sephora or similar makeup store.

Review: Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Haircare

Important Note: As of February (2012) I noticed that new bottles for the conditioner don't explicitly say that they are sulfate and paraben free. I checked the website and it says that they are still sulfate and paraben free but you may want to conduct some research into that.

Something I enjoy doing is switching up my haircare products; whatever I'm using at home will sure enough not be what I'm using at my boyfriend's place. When I decided that I needed to switch back to something that was sulfate free, I decided to go with Organix's Moroccan Argan Oil line. I grabbed the shampoo and conditioner a few months ago and I'm happy to say that it's become a staple. There are a few things that I do need to mention about that though.

I adore argan oil and enjoy it's benefits. It adds shine to my hair and since I use it primarily on my ends, it keeps the ends hydrated and manageable. Sure, I still have to deal with the split ends (thanks to having wavy hair, so it's naturally a bit dry) but overall argan oil makes it a little bit easier. This is why of the vast collection that Organix has, I opted for the Moroccan Argan Oil.

For the shampoo, it is a weird texture and consistency. Seriously it comes out in weird blobs but it has a nice fragrance and more importantly, it's strange appearance does not effect how it works. There's a great lather and overall my scalp is happy with this shampoo. 

For the conditioner, the texture is just fine, but the consistency is a bit watery so it's harder to get it onto my ends in time. Even when I'm putting it into my hair, I have a slight problem making sure it doesn't fall through my hands or just slip off of my hair. It's not the most moisturizing conditioner I have encountered but it doesn't build up either so in the months that I've been using it, my hair has been happy. The waves of my locks have been bouncy and shiny -- a bit more split ends but overall good.

So I know if you've read through this, you might be a little bit concerned, after all it seems to warrant a "meh" experience. But it's all a matter of what you're looking for. See, I can trim the ends to get rid of the unsightly split ends, and I can deal with weird textures and consistencies if my hair is happy after it all. And it is. As I've mentioned, my hair has felt lighter, has more of a curl and a bounce to it. It doesn't feel weighed down so when it came time to buy a new shampoo and conditioner, I reached for these two. (Well, at least for restocking at my boyfriend's place. I'm actually using a different shampoo and conditioner at home, which I will post a review for later).

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Product: Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo
Price: $7.99-$9
Would Recommend? Yes
Takeaway: Weird texture and consistency but it performs its task well.

Product: Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner
Price: $7.99-$9
Would Recommend? Yes, with caution though.
Takeaway: Watery consistency which makes it a bit more difficult to pile on. Is not highly moisturizing but manages to leave a fair amount of argan oil behind which gives a nice sheen.

Takeaway for both: They work well with one another but if you're looking for a moisturizing combination, this isn't it. It is lightweight so it won't weigh down your hair, which will give it a nice curl and bounce as well as a nice shine though.