Skincare - Body -Johnson & Johnson - Baby Oil
CombatWombat 5/12/2009 3:21:00 AM
Good moisturizer. I would rather give this a 4.5, but rounded down b/c my legs do still wind up feeling a bit dry after applying this oil, but very few things help with the papery skin on my legs. I apply straight out of the shower before toweling off. This does not make much of a mess and hasn't broken out my back or shoulders, and my boyfriend loves how creamy-soft it makes my skin feel. The scent is inobtrusive, but I will probably try one of J&J's other formulations when I go to repurchase. Bought the small bottle and I'm a little more than 1/2 way through after a month, but at the price, I can handle it. Definitely worth a try.
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Shampoo -Clairol - Herbal Essences Breaks Over
CombatWombat 5/12/2009 3:18:00 AM
Perfectly acceptable for a cheap shampoo. It's a cream shampoo with ALS, so I find it more drying than HE's clear shampoos. I do use this with its matching conditioner, which is very rich and pretty well compensates for the drying shampoo. Smells fine. Nothing to write home about, but definitely serviceable, and if you need an inexpensive s/c set that detangles well, this might be one to consider. Does not weigh down hair, but will build up if used too many times in a row. Might repurchase.
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Conditioner -Clairol - Herbal Essences Breaks Over
CombatWombat 5/12/2009 3:15:00 AM
Surprisingly rich, this conditioner is much thicker than the Hello Hydration. Pretty good for detangling, which I suppose is all that you could really ask of an anti-breakage product. I squeeze all of the moisture out of my hair after shampooing (with matching poo) and leave this in for a couple of minutes before rinsing. It definitely builds up, which is why the medium rating, so you can't use this every day. I've found that alternating between this and Hello Hydration seems to work just fine. Very inexpensive, so I can use a huge pawful of it every time. The smell is very sweet and tropical, not a deal-breaker. Could see myself repurchasing.
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Treatments -Kerastase - Creme UV Defense Active
CombatWombat 3/26/2009 6:32:00 PM
Hmm. I can't help but wonder if I'm using this product incorrectly? I purchased it for a beach holiday where I would be out in the sun daily and frequently swimming in the ocean, and I wanted to protect my then-new highlights. I tried applying the creme as a conditioner, both leave in and rinse out, and wound up with gummy, knotted hair. I applied it before going swimming, both to dry hair and to damp hair, and could feel it melting away into the ocean. I tried applying a tiny amount and it all clumped badly, I tried applying multiple handfuls and it clumped badly. I have thick (abundant) straight hair prone to frizzies near the ends - maybe this only works for very fine hair? I'm not planning to repurchase, but I'll continue to fiddle with the product I have left in the tube - I don't want to believe that such a nice product with such good reviews could be so rotten for me. Poo.
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Fragrances -Jo Malone - Lotus Blossom & Water Lily
CombatWombat 2/11/2009 11:56:00 PM
I really do enjoy this scent - it is sheer and sunny with reasonable lasting power. It stays fairly close to the skin but lingers very nicely on fabrics. It's light and fresh without smelling "fresh." I keep wanting to purchase a full sized bottle, but the price keeps scaring me away. Someday I'll do it. Someday ...
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Gels/Soaps -LUSH - Sexy Peel Soap
CombatWombat 2/11/2009 11:40:00 PM
I received this soap as a gift, and as I've never used LUSH products before, I have no idea what the price is - I'm assuming it's rather high though. The bar looks and smells quite nice - Lemon Pledge would be accurate, but I really do love lemon scents. It contains lots of chunks, allegedly of marmalade, that give it a pleasant texture in the shower. However, this is ultimately just another bar of soap. After sudsing up, I'm left feeling tight, a little itchy and like I have a thin film all over my body. The soap doesn't just smell like Lemon Pledge - it actually feels as though I've showered with mild detergent, and in a way I suppose I have. It's not a terrible product, but I certainly wouldn't purchase for myself (or anyone else, for that matter). I like my bar soaps to be rich and fatty, and ultimately this one is just too anemic for me.
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Shampoo -Bumble & Bumble - Seaweed Shampoo
CombatWombat 1/28/2009 5:34:00 AM
Ooooh, the smell! A luscious, blue-green beachy scent, very cool and fresh. Unfortunately, the shampoo isn't that great. I found it very drying (oily/reactive scalp, dry, highlighted length) - the kind of dry and tangled that conditioner doesn't really help with. It also left my hair feeling kind of sticky, like it was coated in a film. Might be the sea salt. The trouble is, I'm almost positive that I'll buy this again for the great smell and the cute packaging. I'm such a sucker for scent and packaging. That, and I love the big, green salad of ingredients packed into here. I bet this would work really well diluted so it only hit my scalp. So my advice is to go ahead and give it a try, but do make sure you only buy a small bottle to start. And condition afterwards.
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Shampoo -Paul Mitchell - Awapuhi Shampoo
CombatWombat 1/24/2009 9:58:00 PM
The formula has been altered since the last time I purchased this shampoo. It used to be quite lush and fresh and non-drying, although I would still follow with a conditioner. Now it's very stripping and gives my scalp the creepy-crawlies. I guess people complained about the low lather in the original. If you can find a bottle marked "Original Formula" you might give it a try; otherwise, don't bother.
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Treatments -Paul Mitchell - Hair Repair Treatment
CombatWombat 1/24/2009 9:53:00 PM
Very good rinse-out strengthening treatment. I've used this for years on virgin and color-treated hair, and it's always made my hair much stronger and healthier. I sometimes follow this immediately with a deep conditioner, but don't usually need to. Very utilitarian, easy to work through hair, synthetic lemony scent. Will repurchase.
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Shampoo -Kerastase - Bain Apres Soleil
CombatWombat 1/11/2009 9:29:00 PM
Overall a good shampoo. This has left my hair bright and glossy, and my highlights are much clearer and prettier after washing with Soleil. The smell is wonderful - very summery without resorting to coconut or tropical fruits and the lather is quite lush. I still find that I have to use about as much of this shampoo as any other, but if I work it through my hair, I can get most of my scalp without a second handful. I'll try the two latherings method posted below. Doesn't clean perfectly, my scalp is definitely a little lank the next day. Fairly rich and moisturising, but I'd still recommend a conditioner for detangling. If I repurchase, I'd probably buy the Apres Soleil deep masque that matches this shampoo - until then, I'm doing deep coconut oil treatments before shampooing with this, and it's working pretty well. The price is high and the packaging is annoying, but such is Kerastase. Absolutely worth a try.
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Other -Origins - Peace of Mind Sensory Therapy
CombatWombat 1/9/2009 1:00:00 AM
This gel is one of the few things that can prevent my headaches from "blooming" or lessen the severity of ones I already have. Goes on chilly and does make my eyes water a tiny bit if I put it on my temples, but this is perfect for a quick time out from the day. Inexpensive for what it is and how long it lasts, and the little bottle travels well. I'm planning to keep this one around. Also, the PoM massage oil is nice too.
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Shampoo -Clairol - Herbal Essences Shampoo (Normal Hair)
CombatWombat 1/9/2009 12:46:00 AM
Strips my normal to dry hair and ravages my scalp, but it smells sooooo good. In 7th grade PE class, someone would always pass me bottle of this and the conditioner in the showers after swimming, so I associate the scent with one of those rare junior high moments of feeling that I fit in. Not worth the ruined hair though. If you must have the scent, use it as hand soap. That's what I'll be doing with my bottle.
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Shampoo -Clairol - Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Moisturizing Shampoo
CombatWombat 1/9/2009 12:42:00 AM
My hair is slightly on the dry side with a tendency towards flakiness, and whoa mama did this shampoo dry me out! There's no way I could get away with using this without the conditioner, even though it leaves a film which I suppose is the "moisturizing" aspect. Repeated use gives me a painfully itchy scalp. Skip this shampoo, although if you must have the scent, the conditioner is serviceable. UPDATE: I bumped up the rating to a 3, as I keep using and repurchasing this product. It's drying, but follow it with the conditioner. It does impart fairly silky hair, and honestly the fact that it's so cheap keeps me coming back.
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Conditioner -Clairol - Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Moisturizing Conditioner
CombatWombat 1/9/2009 12:39:00 AM
The conditioner is much better than the matching shampoo. While I'm not convinced that this product really moisturizes, it does go on silky, smooth hair out and help it to lay flat. The downside is that, since it coats hair, my strands were limp and whimpering after a short while. Will build up, but not the worst offender. Smells nice. I think this would make an amazing pre-swim protector - slick it onto damp hair before getting into the pool and then wash out. Won't repurchase, but it's not a terrible product.
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Hair -Kerastase - Ciment Anti-Usure
CombatWombat 1/8/2009 10:56:00 PM
Please see also my review for the matching Bain de Force shampoo. Continues the repair started with the shampoo, only takes one minute in the shower to work. The bottle is a little slippery and the scent a bit strong, but not enough to keep me from coming back to this high quality reparative treatment. Does seem to build up a bit, so do remember to clarify
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