If there's one makeup product I don't own much of, it has to be lipsticks. They aren't my favorite makeup to play with but of course that doesn't stop me from hoarding them...
The Stash:
Count: 14.
In my defense, most of my lipsticks were free! But maybe 14 is a lot for a gal who doesn't wear lipstick often. And no thanks to the Lipstick Bandits, I now want to expand the stash. Thankfully I've got willpower... No really, I do! I'll be sticking to tinted lip balms and stains from now on. They're just so much more easy going!
Now it's your turn, tell me your lipstick count. No judgement here, promise!
As diligent as I am with plowing through my stash, I just can't get through it fast enough!
Adopting Liz's rule of thumb, every two travel/sample sized items will equal to one full sized product and one jumbo sized product will equal to two full sizes. The first 3 contenders:
Skincare: Korres Pomegranate Cream Gel, Mask, and Scrub
The Korres Pomegranate Cream Gel and Scrub have already been reviewed but the mask deserves no such mention. It's mediocre at best.
I briefly mentioned the Bioré cleanser in my first empties post but this is my second bottle. I don't use it on my face because it's too drying but it's a decent brush cleaner.
Makeup Removers: Soap & Glory Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser + Lancôme Bi-Facil
I will genuinely miss the hot cloth cleanser. I wish it were available at Shoppers Drug Mart but I purchased my tube at Target before the brand was pulled from their stores. Sephora carries it on their website but the price has been raised along with many other Soap & Glory products. I'll give the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser instead of repurchasing Soap & Glory's.
Lancôme's infamous duo-phase eye make up remover - doesn't need further introduction. If you're looking for an affordable dupe of it, try the Sonia Kashuk Eye Makeup Remover. I absolutely love it and I have to review it soon!
Evolution of Smooth (EOS) Ultra Moisturizing Shave Cream + Shiseido Tsubaki Golden Repair Shampoo
I reviewed the Shiseido shampoo at the beginning of the year but count me excited that it's finally out of my shower caddy! Even though it's a huge bottle, I don't count it as a total success because the conditioner is still half full *sigh*.
The EOS shave cream is good; much better than the average shaving foam. It leaves my legs soft and has helped prevent ingrown hairs. Since it goes on sale often at Shoppers Drug Mart, I'll be repurchasing this one over and over again.
Moisturizers: HadaLabo GOKUJYUN Moisturizing Cream + AmorePacific Moisture Bound Rejuvenating Cream
I actually finished the HadaLabo cream right after my first empties post of the year so this one has been sitting on the counter uselessly for awhile. Click the link above for my first impressions of the AmorePacific cream but if you've already read it, you know I already like it!
Lip Products: Carmex Moisture Plus + C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve + Neutrogena Naturals Lip Balm
Now the Neutrogena lip balm is obviously 80% full but it's one of those lip balms that should never be used - it does more harm than good. Stay away - far, far away from it!
The Carmex Moisture Plus Tint and infamous C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve are legitimately empty though. I'm actually really depressed that the Carmex tint has been polished off but that's why I got back ups *maniacal laugh*.
Whether you use Smith's or C.O. Bigelow, a tin of rosebud salve lasts forever. I hope to finish my two back up tins quicker than this one as it is no longer a must have for me.
In total there are 13 empties; 6 samples, 8 full sizes, and 1 jumbo sized product. This has been a very successful run but not as successful as the first. I am still very proud of myself though and I promise to do better on the third run!
What have you emptied lately?
"Gee Ashley, why don't you make the post title even longer while you're at it..."
The title is lengthy so it's a good indication that this review will be lengthy as well. It's technically three reviews jammed into one post. Since all of the products are attached to The Body Shop's Rainforest Moisture line, it only makes sense to review them all together.I have spent three glorious weeks with the Rainforest Moisture line now and although I can't say my hair is better than ever, it's pretty darn close.
Special Information About My Hair
My hair is no longer color-damaged as the only type of hair dyes I have used since a mega hair-catastrophe in 2009 are temp's & henna's. It has taken me two years to grow out my hair and be able to snip out all the color-treated bits without going bald.
In its natural state, my hair is a boring black-brown shade that sports a fine texture. It's thin but very soft. I'd love my hair if it wasn't for my dry, flaking scalp. I occasionally get tangles and frizzing all the time thanks to heat styling but simple things like skipping a washing and using a deep conditioner can fix a majority of my issues. I also need extra help from a de-frizzing serum in the colder months.
The shampoo, conditioner, and hair butter are geared towards dry and damaged hair. They are all free of silicones, colorants, and parabens. It's a line that I've enjoyed and must review because the hair butter is holy grail status.
Beginning with the shampoo, the Body Shop's description:
Help restore moisture and improve the hair's softness without weighing it down, for a smooth and shiny finish using a moisturizing shampoo without silicones, sulphates, parabens or colorants. With pracaxi oil, manketti nut oil and Community Trade honey and sugar.
Key Ingredients
- Glycerin: an effective moisturizer which helps improve softness and maximize hydration.
- Organic honey: Moisturizes and helps condition the skin. Helps protect and preserve the forest as well as providing necessary income for beekeepers, an increasing number of which are now women.
I didn't know the shampoo contained honey before I started this review. It most definitely explains why the shampoo is quite thick and heavy in texture (but it's not sticky). Unlike the average shampoo, this one is free of sulphates and why I find this so special is because even without it, the shampoo still lathers a small amount and does a great job at cleaning my hair. As a "moisturizing" shampoo, this doesn't leave my scalp feeling extra greasy or my hair extra heavy or lighter. There are some knots that I need to comb out after I wash my hair and the shampoo alone can't defeat The Frizz but at least my hair is soft and shinier.
Next up , the conditioner:
Read the description for the shampoo but replace the word 'shampoo' with 'conditioner' and viola, the description. The Body Shop really isn't any more clever with titles or descriptions than I am which might explain why we're such great friends.
The conditioner is almost perfect. It leaves my hair soft, untangled but still a tad frizzy. Since the conditioner doesn't weigh my hair down and rinses out extremely well while still conditioning my hair, I can use it every time I wash my hair rather than every other time. Something about conditioning my hair is so relaxing. I hate having to go a day without conditioner but sometimes too much of a good thing will only reap havoc.
However, my ultimate favorite from the Rainforest Moisture line has to be the Hair Butter. It's utter perfection.
The Body Shop's Description:
Create soft, glossy, and tangle-free hair using a luxuriously rich and intensive deep conditioning treatment without silicones, sulphates, parabens or colorants. With pracaxi oil, manketti nut oil and Community Trade honey and olive oil.
Key Ingredients
- Glycerin: an effective moisturizer which helps improve softness and maximize hydration.
- Organic honey: moisturizers and helps condition the skin.
- Organic olive oil: a natural moisturizer for normal to dry skin. It also helps condition hair and gift it a silky shine. Our olive oil is organic, and it comes from our Community Trade partners in southern Italy.
I absolutely love this hair butter and it's taken the spot of my previous holy grail, the Shiseido Tsubaki Golden Repair Treatment Conditioner!
It's definitely not as intense as the Shiseido treatment but my hair is no longer damaged like it once was. It's also easier to repurchase and goes on sale more frequently too.
The hair butter feels like soft butter; thick but melts into bread hair easily. It's so nice and creamy but never heavy or greasy. It washes out fairly well but at least 5% of it stays in my hair which might explain why my hair feels moisturized and protected. I don't feel any extra weight in my hair either which is phenomenal. I can comb through my hair without knotting up or feeling static-y. It's so soft and silky, just unbelievable and then it gets better...
My hair has a coat of resistance after using the hair butter. I normally heat dry my hair so I need a heat protectant spray but with the hair butter, I don't. In other words, this butter is also a good protectant. I'll only use it twice a week so my hair doesn't grow resistant to it but it takes an army each night not to use it.
All in all, I like the Rainforest Moisture line but it did smell a bit different for the first four uses. Everything is very lightly scented and doesn't linger. I believe we as consumers are suppose to smell hints of honey but it's very light; warm but clean but again, it isn't very strong and the scent doesn't stay long. I catch whiffs of it when my hair whips into my face *ouch*.
Bottom Line:
If your hair is nothing like mine or in a state like mine, the Rainforest Moisture line probably won't work for you. If you must try it, The Body Shop has a travel kit of the entire Rainforest Moisture line for $15.00. It includes a green detangling comb that is 100% recycled plastic(?).
Overall, I'll repurchase the Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter and of course I highly recommend it to anyone with dry hair. It may just work for dry and damaged hair but at $8 and available locally, it doesn't hurt to try.
The shampoo is great for anyone with dry hair and hates sulphates in their shampoo or parabens and silicones period. There's definitely not a cheaper shampoo out there of this quality.
The conditioner is good but the hair butter is better so I'll safely skip that, as should you.
The prices vary for the shampoo and conditioner because there are 3 sizes to choose from but none are horrible considering how well they perform and follow through with their claims.
Ingredients (Shampoo)
Water (Solvent/Diluent), Sucrose (Depilatory Agent), Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate (Surfactant), Lauryl Betaine (Surfactant), Laureth-5 Carboxylic Acid (Surfactant - Cleansing Agent), Honey (Natural Additive), PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate (Surfactant), Propylene Glycol (Humectant), Sodium Chloride (Viscosity Modifier), Glycerin (Humectant), Fragrance (Fragrance), Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate (Skin-Conditioning Agent), Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Sucrose Laurate (Skin-Conditioning Agent), Isopropyl Alcohol (Solvent), Polyquaternium-6 (Conditioner), Salicylic Acid (Preservative/Hair Conditioner), Citric Acid (pH Adjuster), Schinziophyton Rautanenii (Mongongo) Kernel Oil (Skin-Conditioning Agent), Pentaclethra Macroloba Seed Oil (Skin-Conditioning Agent), Sodium Hydroxide (pH Adjuster), Tocopherol (Antioxidant).
Ingredients (Condtioner)
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Distearoylethyl Hydroxyethymonium Methosulfate, Cocus Nucifera Oil, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oilm Citric Acid, Cetyl Esters, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, Hydroxyproply Guar, Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernal Oil, Salicylic Acid, Mel, Pentaclethra Macroloba Seed Oil, Tocopherol.
Ingredients (Hair Butter)
Aqua, Cetearyl Alcohol, Distearoylethyl Hydroxyethymonium Methosulfate, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Cetyl Esters, Glycerin, Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernal Oil, Benzoic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Salicylic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate ,Mel, Pentaclethra Macroloba Seed Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopheral.
How long has it been since I've done a real review? Awhile, right??, Especially amidst all the P10P's and other ramblings, reviews have been hard to come by :/ Hopefully, this review brings joy and other lovely feelings in you!
Today, I'll be reviewing the Shiseido Tsubaki Golden Repair (or also known as Damage Care) Range. The range consists of a shampoo, a conditioner, and a treatment conditioner. The whole range contains Tsubaki amino, what ever that is...(?) This range caters to dry, brittle, and severely damaged hair - whether from heating tools or coloring.
Missing in Photo: Shiseido Tsubaki Golden Repair Treatment Conditioner.
Excuse my photo recycling but I'm too lazy to take a new one of the 3 Shiseido products.
The treatment conditioner (not shown) is packaged just like the Kao Essential Nuance Airy Treatment.
So I've owned the Golden Repair range for well over a year so I know exactly how it works for me. When I started using the Golden Repair range, I had extremely color-damaged hair and I never went a day without heat drying my hair. You can only imagine how dry & frizzy my hair was. Oh, and the amount of split ends was atrocious.
Straight to the point - this line of hair products saved my wacko @ss hair. Nothing will ever treat split ends but you can prevent them. After I got a trim, I continuously treated my hair with the treatment conditioner once a week and regularly conditioned every other day. This method prevented split ends and heat damaging completely! The shampoo itself was moisturizing but during the winter when I had crappy hair, I couldn't use it alone. Although, if I was too lazy to condition, I'd use the shampoo with added jojoba oil concoction to beat the frizz & dryness for a day.
Last summer, I opted for less rich hair products like the Kao Essential Nuance Airy range.
Nowadays, I don't need the added jojoba oil in the shampoo or two times use of treatment conditioner (weekly) because I'm nearly back to my virgin state (au naturale hair)! I only use the treatment conditioner every other week and the regular conditioner every three days. My new routine helps creates the healthiest, shiniest, luscious hair I could ever wish for.
Truthfully - I don't need too much moisture or conditioning anymore or bad things happen. I happen to suffer dandruff year round but even this rich moisturizing range of hair products does nothing for it. Ironically, the conditioner causes excessive oil reproduction so my hair gets stringy, greasy - quick! I need to use very little or my fringe gets flat, fast. See what I mean about bad things??
Almost forgot about the scent... it's perfume-y, kind of reminds me of Pantene but more luxurious. Definitely not a cheap perfume or old school - grandmotherly.
Bottom line:
I recommend the Shiseido Tsubaki Golden Repair range to those with damaged or severely damaged hair. The treatment conditioner is great for when hair is unmanageable and uncontrollable beyond reason.. It makes that wild, unruly hair behave and stay behaved! The shampoo is much too rich for summer use; more of a winter shampoo rather than all year round. The conditioner goes for the same. The treatment conditioner? All-year round product! It's a holy grail, savior for all hair types!
Lastly, the Ingredients & Instructions:
Disclosure
Make-Up Kismet is a personal blog written and edited by myself. This blog was created to share my experiences with whom ever reads it.
All reviews posted are written by me and are my honest opinions. All products reviewed are purchased by me for personal and/or review purposes unless stated otherwise. Each person is different, as are our experiences. With that said, I cannot be held responsible for any unsatisfying reaction to a product I review or recommend.
Photos on this blog are either from Google, other Bloggers or, my own. I try to depict all products as accurately as possible. I may edit photos for this purpose.
