Hair and Skin Empties // August 2015

It's that time where I show you my trash and tell you if I like it or not. There's no better review than once you've completely finished a product, so here we go. 

HAIR

L to R:

Dessange Paris California Blonde Shampoo and Conditioner: I really liked this stuff. It smelled nice, it was cheap ($10ish) and it wasn't too heavy or too light. All around great... I just wish it came in larger bottles.

Pantene Color Preserve Volume Shampoo and Conditioner: I was always told that Pantene was bad for your hair because it strips it and then coats it in oil with the conditioner and makes your hair used to it? Does that even make sense? Anyway I picked this up because it was on sale and color and volume are two things I always look for in hair products. They were really good! 

Living Proof Full Shampoo: Love. I will always have this in my shower. I always have good hair days when I use this.  It's light, gives me lift and body, and it's smoothing but not oily. I don't use it too often because it's freakin' $25 a bottle. 

Clairol Hair Food Volume Shampoo: This is probably my favorite basic shampoo (and conditioner) at the moment. I love that it has a pump. It's not too anything - not too oily, not too dry, doesn't make your hair too fluffy, or too flat. I dig this stuff.

Kevin Murphy Angel Wash/Rinse (Shampoo and Conditioner): This was fine. I honestly don't remember anything super discerning about it, therefore, wouldn't purchase again. 

BODY

L to R: 

Nivea Touch of Smoothness/Harmony Body Wash: This is my go-to body wash. I don't like shower gels because I find they dry my skin out and sometimes they just feel slimy. These are creams and they are the same except for the scent. They are on sale a lot at CVS, so I'll stock up frequently.

Obiqo Body Wash: Ok yeah, back track on what I just said about shower gels. This was really nice. The only reason I bought this because it was cheap at TJ Maxx and it smelled great. I don't like really strong scents in the shower or in lotions because I'd rather wear perfume than wear a body product - ya dig? Anyway - if I could find this on the ever-changing shelves of TJ, I would buy it again.

Ahava Lotion: UGHHH I love Ahava products! Again, I don't like heavily scented body products and all the Ahava products are very lightly scented. They sink into the skin really quickly and I love that. Nothing worse than greasy limbs... They are also made from minerals of the Dead Sea which apparently helps your body naturally stay hydrated. I LOVE their hand lotion if you're looking for a good one.

Jergens BB Body Lotion: This is a nice lotion to put on when you're showing your legs and they aren't ready to be shown. It smooths everything out with a little color and sheen, but it's not a full on tanning lotion. I HATE the scent of Jergens Natural Glow - it's so potent and it's so recognizable... I don't know, I just CAAAAAN'T. This does have a scent but not nearly as bad and I can deal. I can. Whew. 

St Ives Apricot Scrub: This will always be one of my favorite scrubs. My mom always has this in her shower, so I guess it's a little nostalgic. It's a really scrubby scrub with a lot of texture. I feel like it actually gets the job done unlike some others. 

Boutique Bubble Bath: Another product from the shelves of TJ Maxx. I really liked the scent of this, but it didn't produce any bubbles. Oh well, it was pretty good and cheap. 

Bath and Body Works Amber Rush Shower Gel: This was fine. Nothing special. I don't usually buy these so I think it was a gift with purchase when I bought a candle or a birthday present. 

That's it! I already have another bag half full of more empties so stay tuned!

Spotlight: Caudalie Gift Set

A few months ago I placed a Sephora order and had been wanting to get the Caudalie Beauty Elixir. From what I gather, it's a spray that refreshes your skin throughout the day. It's kinda hokey and I don't know if I fully believe everything it claims to do, so I wanted to try a sample first. I wanted it for the summer and I was going to a music festival and thought I could use it there (Spoiler: I didn't). Enter the gift set. Seemed like a good deal at $32 and since the sample of the Beauty Elixir was already $18(!), I figured I would give some other items a shot.

It includes a lip conditioner, hand and nail cream, moisturizer, cleansing milk, the elixir and comes in a reusable bag (I have what feels like hundreds of these things).

Lip conditioner - Nothing special. The packaging and the way it feels on my lips reminds me of the Nivea ones at the drugstore, so I would just go with that instead of paying $12 for this (priced on it's own).

Hand and nail cream - Traditionally I really don't like hand lotion. I don't like the greasy feeling. This is a really nice lotion though. It sinks in really quickly... seems like it's water based rather than oil or something, ya know? It smells very fresh and spa-like... not offensive at all.  I would probably purchase this again. It's only $15 for 2.5 oz and that seems reasonable for me. Also would make a great gift!

Moisturizing Sorbet - I love this stuff. I have had it before and I was pleased to get it again. It's a good daytime moisturizer since it's not too heavy but gives a good amount of -- you guessed it --moisture. I'm gonna save this one for traveling since it's such a perfect size.

Gentle Cleansing Milk - A very reasonably priced face wash, especially for a luxury brand.  I liked this just fine. I don't know if I would purchase the full size because it's just fine. Again, nothing special. I would love to get this as a gift though and would definitely use it if I had it... I just don't feel like spending the money.

Beauty Elixir - This has a really fine mist...when it works. I've only used like 1/4 of it and the spray is already not working. When it does work, I like the smell - minty and refreshing. I think it's a step up from the Evian spray, but not at all worth $18 for the little bottle.

I like Caudalie as a brand. Most of the products are natural and have good ingredients like grape seed oil, sunflower oil, etc. All the products that came in this set have 0% parabens, mineral oil, and a ton of other things I can't pronounce. So I feel good putting these products on my skin.

Overall, I would recommend this especially if you're wanting to try out at least two of the items. It's a very good price at $32 ($54 value) with everything that's included. I like the idea of being able to try smaller sizes out before I fork out $ for something I'm not sure I'll like. Smaller sizes aren't just for travel! I will definitely purchase the moisturizer again and possibly the hand cream for me or for a gift.

That Nail Polish Is How Much? // Nails Inc. Victoria Beckham

$25.

Ok. Hear me out on this one...

Every nail polish brand has a "milky pink/white" color. Most of them are a pain in the a to work with: either too streaky, too thick, too thin, too pale, too something. The best one I had found was a Wet n Wild from the drugstore for like $2. Win. (And that's the one I'd recommend if you don't want to spend the insane $$$ I did on this one.)

So I had heard bloggers and YouTubers talk about Victoria Beckham's collaboration with Nails Inc starting about 2 months ago. She created a cream color "Bamboo White" and a red/orange, "Judo Red". How classy to just make two colors really well rather than ten mediocre ones.

When the Sephora VIB annual sale rolled around, I had this in mind. Everyone had been raving about it and I just knew I would get a ton of use out of it. It was just that damn price. Anyway, with my discount code, I steamed straight for checkout.

And here. She. Is.

   

What a beaut. Not streaky. Thick but not too thick. Freakin' perfect. (This would be a great wedding nail color.)

I do not regret this purchase. Yes, of course I wish it were cheaper. But it wouldn't be nearly as special with the incredible packaging, substantial bottle, and the fancy feeling you get when you use it.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Brand Spotlight // Arade Cosmetics

I was recently given some products to try out from a new line called Arade. The company is focused on Moroccan natural oils like Argan Oil and Prickly Pear Seed Oil.

First, the packaging is incredible.  Sleek, substantial, high quality, sophisticated are my first impressions.

I was able to try a few products and here are my thoughts: 

1. 100% Pure Argan Oil - I've used Argan Oil before but this stuff is the real deal. You can tell it's pure and potent. You can use this on your skin, hair, cuticles, as a moisturizer, pretty much anything. Personally, I like to use this as an overnight hair treatment - I run this through my hair, pull it up in a ponytail, go to bed, then wash out the next day. It makes my hair soft and shiny without being greasy - pretty incredible stuff. 

2. 100% Pure Organic Prickly Pear Seed Oil - Apparently this is one of the rarest oils on earth... probably true since most people (or at least most people I know) have never heard of it. I like to use this as a night time moisturizer on my face and neck. Arade says, "Because of its highly active potent antioxidants and fatty acids, Prickly Pear Seed Oil is a luxurious treatment that is easily absorbed, serving to rejuvenate, heal, and transform your skin." The only thing I didn't love about this is the scent... its natural smell is not my favorite. 

3. Revitalizing Face Scrub - This is a nice gel-based scrub and it wasn't my favorite product simply because I like cream scrubs better. You can't ignore the good-for-you and simple products that make up this scrub. Also, it moisturizes the skin and doesn't strip your face...AKA no tight feeling when you dry off.

 

4. Revitalizing Cream with Argan and Prickly Pear Seed Oils - This would be my favorite product out of everything I tried. I'm always looking for a good night time moisturizer that's not too heavy, not too greasy, but still does something for my skin. With both Argan and Prickly Pear Seed Oils and Aloe Vera, I can already tell this is going to be great during the summer months when my skin's dry and sunburned.

Thank you to Arade for allowing me to try out their skincare! I think it's some great luxury products that would make a nice gift for yourself or a friend. Check them out at aradecosmetics.com