Review || Herbal Essences Naked Collection || Shine Shampoo/Conditioner + Dry Shampoo

Hello again, guys! Today's blog post is going to be a review of this haircare line from Herbal Essences that I received for review from BzzAgent! I was pretty excited to try this stuff out, because Ihave had some great results from Herbal Essences before, and the scent sounded amazing even before I received my package!

There are a few different formulations in this new line. I'm not sure if there are more, but BzzAgent gave us the option to choose between the Moisture set, the Shine set, and the Volume set. I clearly don't need any more volume in my thick, curly hair, so I opted for the Shine collection. The Moisture products contain "herbs, mint and essential moisturizers," the Volume ones contain grapefruit and mint, and the Shine forumla has white tea and mint.

And my god! The white tea and mint shampoo smells at least as good as you may think! It's light, fresh, and fruity. Kinda like peaches or nectarines, which probably doesn't make sense, but it's soooo nice! Anyways, enough raving about the scent, I should probably get into telling you about the products.

The point of the Naked Collection is that all of the products are free of silicones, parabens, and dyes. Which is great, since those are unnecessary and not really good for your hair anyways! Silicones (if i remember correclty) basically coat your strands to try and glue split ends back together, parabens may or may not cuase cancer, and dyes... are really just there to make you happy because your shampoo and conditioner are pink or aqua blue. Unless you are using a purple shampoo on your blonde hair, you probably don't need or want any dyes.

Herbal Essences Naked Shine Shampoo

As it has no dyes, this shampoo is colourless and clear, because its basically a clarifying formula. The shampoo removes dirt and impurities from your hair without stripping natural moisture. The bottle doesn't make any grand claims, just promising to clean, reveal natural shine, and leave you feeling refreshed.

One thing I did want to point out, is that, while this shampoo claims to be free of unnecessary ingredients, this shampoo does contain sulfates. Personally, I'm not super bothered by sulfates. I know they're in a lot of our soap products, but I like the foaminess, especially in shampoo. I've never liked a sulfate free shampoo before because I never feel like my hair gets clean... But I did feel I needed to mention it in this review for anyone who is bothered by sulfates and might think this product is free of them!

I think this shampoo is great, honestly. It doesn't do anything too special, but sometimes you don't need a complicated moisturizing shampoo. My hair tends to get pretty oily at the roots, possibly because the curls don't really allow the oils to spread evenly, plus I tend not to brush my hair except for right after I wash to avoid Hermione-hair... (book-Hermione, not gorgeous Emma-Watson-Hermione). I found that this left my hair feeling clean, but not with that horrible squeaky, dry feeling some shampoos give my hair.

I have no compliants about this shampoo, and (partially because of the scent) would certainly consider repurchasing.

Herbal Essences Naked Shine Conditioner

This conditioner claims that it "lightly conditions," which I take to mean that it isn't super moisturizing, but is also meant to not weight down hair.

That's great, and I've had no problems with this conditioner leaving my hair feeling dry, but I do also use a serum or oil on my hair after every time I shampoo. It's just a habit, and I couldn't break it even while testing out this collection. I also kinda feel it would have been unfair to do so, considering I do it no matter what shampoo and conditioner I'm using, so if I didn't here, I probably would have felt my hair was drier than usual, for obvious reasons!

Also, not sure this matters, and I do know that even many skin moisturizers contain alcohol, but I find it weird that this conditioner would have alcohol in it. Just leaving that out there...

The conditioner has the same great scent as the shampoo, and I would, again, consider purchasing this for myself.

Herbal Essences Naked Dry Shampoo

I like trying out new dry shampoos, partially just because I've not found one yet that really worked well for me. The closest so far has been Batiste... but that's not what this review is about.

This dry shampoo uses tapioca starch to absorb excess oil, as well as mint to help refresh your hair. The mint mixed with whatever fragrance they have added, however, smells so citrus-y and fruity, and soooo soooo nice! Can you tell I like how this range smells?!

This dry shampoo did a pretty good job. It's still not magic, but maybe my hair is just a little oilier than other people's... or maybe I wait too long to put it in, so it doesn't have a chnce to be effective? Also, I have really thick hair, so I always feel like a full-sized bottle of dry shampoo only lasts me a few uses. I think I'd be pretty lucky to get 10 good uses out of a dry shampoo... Am I doing this wrong?

Still, that said, I think this is about on par with Batiste. And it smells amazing, so even when it doesn't make my hair look fresh and clean, it makes me feel clean enough to throw it into a ponytail that doesn't look like a grease-ball, and I know that I'm going to smell fantastic.

***

I imagine, just going off of how these products smell, that both the moisture and the voume formulas would also smell fantastic. Hoestly, that's kinda just Herbal Essences's thing, anyways. I would certainly recommend giving this line a try if you're looking for a new shampoo, no matter which of the forumlas you try out. Herbal Essences is probably one of the cheaper drugstore haircare brands, which is great because they're still really good! Plus, it sounds great to skip some of the bad ingredients that are in so many of our products without having to resort to an organic, indie, expensive brand!

Thanks for reading!

These products were sent to me for free for review. This post is not sponsored. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.

Last weekend’s Target and Shoppers Drugmart Mini-Haul

Last weekend’s mini-haul was basically just me needing to pick up several things that I was running out of or completely out of, and also 2 pairs of shoes. First, I’ll show you my beauty-related products:

Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Shampoo and Conditioner:

I love Herbal Essences shampoos/conditioners, and I’ve tried a bunch of formulas. My last one, the Honey I’m Strong one, is empty now, so I had to pick up a new one, and I decided to try this one geared towards curly hair, which I have. First of all, this smells sooo good, fruity, sweet, and happy! Also, I tried it for the first time earlier today, and let my hair dry as I usually do, and my hair did dry a lot curlier all on its own than it usually does, since it’s usually a curly/wavy hybrid. Anyways, I’m definitely happy with this formula, and for $3 each bottle at Target, there’s no way I could complain!

Essie Millionails Treatment:

I’ve been out of my OPI Nail Envy for a while now, and my nails haven’t been as long since, so I picked up this cheaper alternative to try (only $10, instead of the usual $20 or so for Nail Envy). I’m trying out for the first time today, so you may hear about it again in the future.

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Silky Beige:

They didn’t have the colour I got last time (#004, so one shade lighter), but it was on sale, I’m almost out, and I’m a little darker because of the sun lately anyways, so I figure this will be fine. I’m making myself finish my last one before I begin this one, but I did test it on my hand, and it didn’t stand out at all. Definitely my favourite powder that I’ve found so far, and also, when I asked the Makeup Addiction subreddit for their favourite powders, most of them said this one as well, so I didn’t see a reason to try anything else out.

So that’s everything makeup-related, and I’ll just quickly show you the two pairs of shoes that I bought:

“American Eagle” fabric flats from Payless Shoes

Apparently the “American Eagle” line from Payless has nothing to do with American Eagle Outfitters, the store with the awesome jeans… Which I guess is good to know.

Anyways, these are actually my second pair of these same flats. The first pair I bought were in a bright (TARDIS) blue, and I loved them so much I went back for the cool patterened ones pictured above. They’re a really simple fabric flat, and they’re way cooler than a leather or faux-leather flat, since the air can go right through them to my feet, and also the back is open. I’m pretty sure that I’m going to live in these shoes all summer, since flip flops usually hurt my feet and these are just so damn cute! If you’re curious, these are about $17 in Payless in Canada.

“Hatsutori” Wedge Sandals from Spring:

From the front, these are just a cute, tan sandal with a wood-look platform, but I am in loooooove with the cool cut-out in the heel. I also think that the Japanese name that Spring gave these shoes is fitting, since they definitely feel a little Asian in style to me. They’re also pretty comfortable, though I haven’t had a chance to wear them out yet. They’re about a 3.5 inch difference between the heel height and the platform front, so they’re pretty practical, and a height I have proved I can handle well with my polkadot Forever XI shoes. Also, the straps are pretty soft, so I don’t think they should rub, bite, or blister much if at all. I’m excited to try them out! These shoes are $50 at Spring.

So that’s everything for now. I should also have a Wal-Mart skincare mini-haul up in a couple days, assuming I don’t disappear again.

Let me know what you think about any or all of the above, and also if there is anything you want to hear about from you. I love reading your comments!

Thanks for reading! <3

Collective Haul (or, Recent Acquisitions)

Hello again, lovelies! Its been a long time since I’ve done a haul post of any kind, mostly because anything I’ve got since my last one has been acquired slowly and one at a time. I do, however, want to update you on some of the stuff I’ve got recently (almost entirely thanks to my boyfriend). These aren’t in much of an order, just sorta as I remember them.

Herbal Essences Honey shampoo & conditioner

I wanted to just get replacements for my HE long hair shampoo and conditioner, but when I was at London Drugs, these were on sale, and they didn’t have the shampoo for that set. Instead, I decided to try this one, which I’m pretty sure is a new product. It’s supposed to be strengthening, and it smells really good. Also, so far, my hair really seems to like it.

Secret Va-va-vanilla Deodorant

Not super exciting, I know, but I got another new stick of my Vanilla deodorant. Nothing else smells as good!

Rubber Phone Case

I know this has little to nothing to do with makeup, but I finally found a nice cover for my phone, which is an HTC Legend! These were on EBay for $0.99, including shipping from the UK. I was debating between a dark blue and this neon green, and I think I made the right choice. I was worried that the added thickness on my phone would bug me, but it really doesn’t. I’m also even less worried about dropping my already indestructible phone, and his butt doesn’t come off anymore every time I pull him out of my pocket. (For the record, my phone’s name is Seth, and I call the little cover that hides the battery and sdcard on the bottom his butt… I’m weird, I know) Also, by the way, this is the only thing in this post my boyfriend didn’t purchase for me… >_>

Iron Fist Starry Night Super Platform Shoes

These were something I found and kinda fell in love with on ModCloth. My boyfriend thought the height of them would be funny, and so he bought me these as part of his anniversary presents to me. We didn’t get them on ModCloth, though, because Punk.com had them on for a better price, with a discount code, and cheaper shipping. I love them, but they are damn high, and a little scary to walk in!

London Look Compact Mirror

Because I’m stupid, a couple weeks ago I was checking my makeup while waiting for the bus, and managed to toss my old compact mirror onto the pavement, shattering it. I was pretty sad, since it was pretty cute, with black and silver glitter skulls on it. My boyfriend decided I needed a replacement (I swear I didn’t ask him to get this). After looking in a few places which had mirrors which cost more than they were worth, we found this one on sale at London Drugs; I think it was $5 or $6.

H&M Sweaters

These were on sale buy one, get one free at H&M last week (and might still be now). We were looking for a new cardigan, since I only had the one, and so I ended up getting that really cute mint green one, and for my free one, I chose the simple black sweater, which is just really flattering and cute on for me.

Overexposed by Maroon 5

This was kinda a random purchase, if I remember correctly, though it might have been another anniversary gift. Anyways, this is the latest Maroon 5 cd. I absolutely love Adam Levine and Maroon 5, and I really like this album as well.

Maybelline Super Stay 24 Color Lipstick in Continuous Coral

     For obvious reasons, I think, my boyfriend prefers these lipsticks to normal lipsticks, so that’s why he wanted to get me a second, more wearable colour, since the only one I had before was a dark dark red, which is alright now, when dark, almost vampy lips are in style, but not so great for all the time! This colour is super pretty, and I love how these last and even how they feel on!

Aquamarine Ring and Necklace

     And finally, the main anniversary gift that David bought be was this gorgeous matching necklace and ring from Ben Moss. The metal is sterling silver, and the big stones are real aquamarines. Also, unless the guy was lying to us, those are itty bitty diamonds on each side on the ring, and on the necklace. Aquamarine is my birthstone, and I loooooveeeee it!! So I’m soooo happy with these, since I finally have something aquamarine!

Anyways, that’s all for now. There are a couple of tags that I’m thinking of doing, specifically the “What’s in my bag” and “How much does my face cost” tags, so please let me know if you’re interested in seeing either of those, as well as if there’s another tag you think I should do.

Thanks for reading!

Empties: July-September 2012

Hello again! This is going to be my first empties post. I don’t plan to do them too regularly, since it takes me a long time to finish up products, but since I like reading and watching these types of posts, I thought I’d start saving up my empty beauty products to show you all.

I started saving them at the beginning of July, and I’ve been storing them in an old Glymm post box (excuse the nail polish and such. I also use these boxes as shields when I do nail art, and the top is covered in polish and tape):

My first product to run out was my first bottle of Seche Vite:

It looks like there’s a tiny bit left in the bottom, but since I don’t have Seche Restore, and since it’s so little and insanely thick, it’s not really work trying to get out. I already have a new bottle (which I’m 1/3 done now), as well as a bottle of Out the Door topcoat.

The next product was my OPI Original Nail Envy:

I basically squeezed as much out of this bottle as humanly possible. It even look empty! I’m pretty impressed with my perseverance. However, it’s understandable for two reasons, I think:

1) This stuff is amazing, and is the reason I can grow my nails now. It is great for strengthening. (The Sensitive and Peeling formula that I am using right now isn’t as good for strengthening, and doesn’t do much more than the original for peeling nails, so when it runs out, I’ll probably switch back).

2) Reason number 2 is that one bottle of this stuff in store here in Canada is $20! Hence why I don’t want to waste a single application!

Maybe this doesn’t count as a beauty product, maybe it does. Next, I finished up my Secret Scent Expressions Antiperspirant in Va Va Vanilla. I figure Sephora sells high-end deodorants, though, so it should count!:

By the way, that pinky/red splotch is a streak of nail polish I got on the computer and just haven’t moved yet. I promise it isn’t blood!

Anyways, this is the deodorant/antiperspirant I’ve been using for a couple years now. I’m addicted to the vanilla scent, and it works really well for me, and is pretty cheap. The amount of aluminum zirconium, or whatever the active ingredient is used to be listed on the front, and it has a higher percent than Lady Speed Stick, which doesn’t work for me. Which makes sense. I have repurchased this since, and will again, when the two sticks I have now run out (one for my room, and one for my gym bag).

The next product I finished up in early August, and it’s the Alpen Secrets Apple Fresh Shower Power Gel:

It isn’t exactly anything special, just a body wash I got for Christmas last year. It smells pretty great, since I like green apple scents, and it gets you clean and doesn’t dehydrate your skin. However, I probably wouldn’t repurchase this since I’m so obsessed with my Body Shop shower gels!

Next we have two samples from Glymm boxes that I finished up in August. First, was the Vitamine & Sea clay mask:

This was nothing special. In fact, I really hated it. It was supposed to be good for two uses, but  needed to use all of it to cover my skin, since it dehydrated really quickly and refused to spread. I also don’t think it did anything for my skin, and it was horrible to try to remove. I would never purchase this product.

The second sample I finished was the Caudalie Crushed Cabernet Scrub:

I loved this. At first, I wasn’t sure about the scent, but I really grew to love it! It smells a lot better mixed with the hot water of a shower than it does cold in the jar. It was very exfoliating without being too coarse and left me feeling very clean. I would definitely consider buying this product if it wasn’t so expensive ($29.00 for 150g)!

And finally, just last week I finished up my bottle of Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Shampoo:

This is a shampoo I picked up on a whim to try something new. I had been using Pantene, and I wanted something fruity and specialized for my hair. This is specifically for long hair, and is supposed to strengthen, and I think it’s been really good for my hair. I actually like it a lot more than the high-end samples I’ve received in my Glymm boxes, and I will definitely repurchase this shampoo. If you’re wondering, I’m not quite done the matching conditioner, though I am getting very close.

So that’s all my empties since July. I am getting very close on a few other products, but these posts will probably be more of a quarterly thing than a monthly one. I hoped you enjoyed reading this, let me know if you do want to see more of these, or if you have any other suggestions leave them in the comments!

<3