ProductWhores

Oh, Honey...

After going to a press preview last month for Garnier's new and upcoming launches, I can definitely say that you guys are gonna love their new products.  (Also, that the fresh juice bar they had for us was the BOMB and I still dream about the different concoctions they whipped up every day.  I need those juices in my life more often).  One of the first products I tried was their new Whole Blends Honey Treasures Repairing Mask and I'm totally in love.  First of all, it smells AMAZING.  It's so sweet and fresh and it really does have exactly the same scent honey does (minus the stickiness - seriously, if you've ever used honey as an ingredient in a homemade mask, you'll know what I'm talking about.  That stuff is lethally sticky).  It's so easy to use too - you just apply it to your entire head of hair, let it sink in for three minutes or so, then rinse it out.  It leaves behind softer, stronger hair that (as promised) smells fabulous.  I love inexpensive hair masks that you can use on a daily basis if you want because I wash my hair twice a day (I KNOW - that's like, the cardinal sin of hair care, but I have to shower in the morning to wake up and then after I work out, I can't not wash my hair.  It just feels gross to me.  So yeah, I love a good, affordable daily hair mask to keep my hair from frying away to nothing).  It's especially nice because you can pick it up in a dozen different stores that you'll find yourself at regularly (CVS, Walmart, etc...) so it's incredibly easy to buy and like I said, cheap (under $10, and if you find it on sale, WAY under $10).  I'll definitely be buying this one many, many times over.  Keep it in stock for me, local CVS!    

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with Garnier

Monoi Oil Goodness

Today (yippee!) Carol's Daughter is debuting a new line of hair products which contain Monoi Oil straight from Tahiti.  The collection, appropriately named Monoi Repairing Collection, features a Repairing Shampoo, Repairing Conditioner and Repairing Hair Mask - all of which I really love.  The scent - Tiare Gardenia flowers and Haaari Coconut Oil - definitely make me think of what it must be like on the beaches of Tahiti (and, honestly, when I close my eyes in the shower I pretend I'm there sipping an exotic cocktail - only to be jolted back to reality by a husband who can't find the extra paper towels).  Monoi Oil works to repair damage to the hair and prevent breakage (an especially great quality for those of us who over-use our straigtening irons or are addicting to coloring our hair).  I love how soft my hair feels after only using this collection for a few days!  My only small complaint is that the conditioner does not seem to condition my thick hair as well as I would like (even after leaving it in for a bit), but, it's only a minor complaint because after I comb through my wet hair, it is so fantastically soft and looks so shiny and bouncy I can't help but be giddy with delight.  I especially love how light my hair feels and the way it smells (so beachy fresh!)  Definitely worth checking this new collection out so, you too, can pretend you're on an island getaway.

Note:  Samples of these products were sent to me by a PR representative working with Carol's Daughter. 

Deep Shine Really Does Smooth

 

I'm not the biggest fan of deep treatments for hair because, honestly, usually my hair looks greasy afterward (yes, I'm following the directions on the bottles and yes, I have very thick hair so this is shocking), so when I was sent Rusk's Deep Shine Smooth Keratin Care Deep Penetrating Treatment I was definitely skeptical.  I had visions of looking like that girl who used to sit next to me in junior high with the nasty, oily hair (seriously, she must've never washed it), so I gave it a go on a weekend night when I knew I wasn't going out.  But despite my previous treatment experiences, this stuff is actually a great product and I was happy to grab drinks after deep conditioning because I didn't look like a freak.  I was impressed that a deep treatment could condition my hair so well yet leave my hair looking shiny (not oily) and definitely smooth (again, not oily).  It's sodium chloride free so is safe for color-treated hair and for other processed hair.  Definitely worth the $15.00 retail price and the container is big so you'll be using this stuff for a while.  Thanks, Rusk, for changing my mind on deep treatments.  I can admit when I'm wrong to stereotype. 

Note:  A sample of this product was sent to me by a PR representative working with Rusk.

De-Age Your Hair

My hair gets super dry during the summer and it's totally my fault because I always wash it twice a day - once in the morning and once at night.  I know that everyone says you're supposed to wash it like, once every 5 days or something, but just the thought of that grosses me out.  It's summer in Los Angeles!  I'm sweating and there's bugs and I'm sure the smog gets in it somehow too.  Besides, I cannot get into bed if I'm at all dirty and I'm not just going to stand in the shower and not wash it.  That would be crazy talk.  So I use a lot of conditioner in the summer and now I've decided to branch out into trying different kinds of hair masks to see if that makes a difference.  Tester #1 - Biolage's Age Rejuvenating Intensive Masque.  It comes in a decent-sized jar and after you shampoo, you just use this in place of your regular conditioner, leaving it on for 3-5 minutes before rinsing it out.  (As a total side note, I love deep conditioners that I can use in the shower.  It's so much more of a pain to try the ones that have to go on dry hair and force you to stand in your bathroom naked and awkwardly reading a magazine while it works.  Not fun).  The Age Rejuvenating Masque smells amazing - it reminds me a lot of Frederick Fekkai's Apple Cider hair products, which I LOVE - so that scores it bonus points right there.  And for something that requires such a short time commitment, it works great.  When I got out of the shower, my hair was soft and shiny and most importantly, no knots or tangles.  I didn't even spray in my usual leave-in conditioner because I felt like it would be overkill.  Definitely a worthwhile addition to my shower rotation.  Now if only I could stop myself from opening the lid and smelling it for five minutes every time I'm in there, I'd be all good...