Review: The Rest of the Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Collection

Name: Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Collection

Price: $2.99- 5.49 each

Available: Anywhere Herbal Essences is available

Here is the rest of the Tousle Me Softly collection. Earlier this week I wrote up a positive review on the Shampoo and Conditioner from this collection. Today I am going to do mini reviews for the rest of the products.

Tousle Me Softly Mousse: I tried this both in my hair and in my aunt’s hair, and the result was the same. Disappointing. This product is extremely light weight in both texture and hold. My hair is really thick and straight, and my aunt has really fine hair that is quite thin. This product had no hold in either of our hair. Worthless

Product 1/5

Tousle Me Softly Hair Spray: This product is a lot better than the Mousse. I never use hairspray, but I tried this one for review purposes. This is quite nice, it doesn’t leave my hair smelling of alcohol – like other hair sprays. It holds my hair in place, and doesn’t turn it into a crunchy, hard mess. This also works equally well in my aunt’s hair as well.

Product: 4/5

Tousle Me Softly Spray Gel: This does the job that a spray gel is supposed to do. This has a pretty decent hold and it leaves the wet look that is trendy right now. I personally don’t like that look however, but that is just my personal taste. This is allows for hair to be textured, and it will actually hold the hair in place. Just not something I’ll ever use.

Product: 4/5

Tousle Me Softly: Finishing Cream: This is the only other product other than the Shampoo and the Conditioner that I actually like. This comes in a tub and it for smoothing out the frizzies. Since I live in a high humidty area, this is very nice to have. This can be used in both wet and dry hair. It helps keep my, and my aunt’s hair smooth and frizz free. My aunt’s hair is worse than mine when it comes to frizziness, so it works really well. This is not a substitution for a deep conditioning treatment.

Product: 5/5

You can get more reviews on these products and more at Total Beauty….

Review: Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Shampoo & Conditioner

Name: Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Shampoo & Conditioner

Product: 4/5

Price: $2.99 each

Available: Anywhere Herbal Essences is sold

I received the complete Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly from Total Beauty to test out and review. I was almost out of Shampoo and Conditioner when I got these, so I started testing out the Shampoo and Conditioner that very night. I am not someone who likes using styling products in my hair, so I have yet to try any of the other products I received.

I have been using the shampoo and conditioner on and off for the past few weeks, and I quite enjoy the products for what they are. Shampoo and conditioner doesn’t actually have anything to do with how tousled your hair eventually ends up. That is where the styling products come in at. The purpose of the shampoo and conditioner is to clean the hair and prep it for the styling, and these do it well. My hair didn’t dry out or feel oily after using the products. My hair wasn’t all that moisturized, which is usually something I look for in shampoo and conditioner, but these products never made the claim to be moisturizing, so I can’t really count this as a negative.

I think these are a good buy if you are looking for a new shampoo and conditioner to try. There are definitely better products available in this price range that does give more moisture, such as Aussie Opposites Attract Protect and Soften. However, if you are lucky enough to score these on sale, then I definitely recommend that you pick up a bottle or two and  give it a whirl.

You can get more views on Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Products on Total Beauty.com

Mail Haul! Curtesy of Total Beauty

Imagine my surprise when I got a new package in this morning that contained my next set of Total Beauty Sneak Peak program!!! A lot of the times when I get something from Total Beauty, it’s something that I typically wouldn’t be interested in and spend my hard earned money on. Well, this time I was truly excited to receive these items.

I have actually been running low on my fave shampoo and conditioner combo (Aussie Opposites Attract Protect & Soften), and have been dragging my feet on purchasing a new set. Have I mentioned before that I’m really cheap? LOL. Anyway I had been eyeing the new hair care collections that have been coming out from Herbal Essences, even though I didn’t care for Totally Twisted.

So today in the box, I recieved the full line of Herbal Essences new line called “Tousle Me Softly.” I am already loving the deep purple and floral design of the bottles, so I am excited to break into the products tonight.

Here is everything I recieved:

Tousle Me Softly Shampoo

Tousle Me Softly Conditioner

Tousle Me Softly Hairspray Fixtif

Tousle Me Softly Mousse

Tousle Me Softly Spray Gel

Tousle Me Softly Finishing Touch Cream

Everything execpt the Finishing Touch Cream runs for about $3. The Finishing Cream is a little bit more expensive at $5.49 or so. So keep an eye out for future reviews on these products!!!

Review: L’Oreal EverPure Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner

When I heard that L’Oreal was coming out with their own line of Sulfate-Free haircare, that was specially designed for color-treated hair, both me and my aunt were ecstatic. As cronic hair-dyers we were constantly looking for a way to keep our color going without having to spend tons of money on higher end salon products.

After using this product for the past few weeks, I have not seen any real difference in my hair color, or in the health of my hair. In fact, this duo seems to leave my hair drier than other duo’s that I have used in the past.  Which is interesting, because Sulfate in hair products are commonly believed to dry hair out, so to have the sulfate free products dry my locks out even more than the products that do have that ingredient. However,  my aunt who has also tried this product out with me, feels that this duo adds moisture to her hair. This is probably because her hair is more mature and drier than my normal to oily hair.

Even though this duo doesn’t work as well as I’d hoped it would for my hair, doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t recommend it for others to use. One of the things I really, really like about this duo, is the Rosemary Mint scent calms me down, when I am stressed out. It even lingers in my hair long after my washing. So, if you are wanting to try sulfate free hair care products, without having to go to a health food store or spend a ton of money on products, I highly suggest you pick this duo up at any drugstore, chain store, or grocery store.

Product: 3.5/ 5

Price: $5.99-6.99 each

Available: Anywhere L’Oreal Haircare is available.

You can check out more reviews for these products at Total Beauty, here and here.

New Haircut!!

As all of you know, I don’t post my picture on this site very often, I don’t do tutorials, so there really is no point in me doing it. However, I got a haircut today and several inches were taken off. I did this to get rid of all the hair that I have damaged over the past few years. Highlighting and dyeing can take the life right out of your hair.

Anyway here is a  my new hair cut:

Review: Aveda Vintage Clove Shampoo

When I received my Aveda Dry Recovery System to test and review, this was also in the package. I have to admit, after using this product for the past few weeks, I must say that I am not impressed with this product. The texture of this shampoo is quite similar to drugstore shampoos, and it reminded me of the Pantene Pro V Brunette shampoo. However unlike the Pantene shampoo, which smelled like fake chocolate this one had quite a lovely clove scent to it.

When I applied this shampoo to my hair, it lathered pretty well in my hair, and I was able to wash my hair to my satisfaction pretty easily. I definitely felt that this shampoo cleaned my hair well, and it felt nice and soft afterwards. Even though this stuff is quite nice, I don’t think it’s worth the Aveda price point. A small bottle of this shampoo is $10 and a larger bottle is $27. I prefer not to spend that type of money on my hair care, especially when I can get my Aussie for $3.

Product: 2.5/5

Available: Aveda.Com and Aveda Salons

Price: $10 for 8 fl oz / $26.50  33.8 fl oz

You can get more reviews of this product and others on TotalBeauty.com

Review: Aveda Dry Recovery System

Name: Dry Recovery Shampoo Conditioner & Moisturizing Treatment Masque

Product: 5/5

Price: $24 per product

Available: Aveda Salons & Aveda Website

Repurchase: No

I recently received these Aveda products to test and review. Since I have been going through my hair care stage, I jumped on the chance to use a truly high end hair care system and compare it to my cheapy system that has been working with my hair. Because I use these products at the same time, I just decided to write one long review on all three products instead of writing three different ones. So here we go!

OVERVIEW OF EACH PRODUCT

Shampoo: I was surprised when I first opened this product. Unlike most shampoos I’ve used over the years, this one was thicker and denser than I’m used too. I was also taken back by the scent of this product, it is a floral scent, that brings up images of health food stores and organic flowers. Which is a good thing because many of the main ingredients of this product are certified organic. When I worked this shampoo into my hair, it didn’t foam up like most shampoos. I did feel like it cleaned my hair well, it didn’t feel weighed down after I rinsed it out. When I was testing this out, I tried just washing my hair with this, without following it up with my conditioner. I wanted to see if this product was as moisturizing as it claimed to be on its own. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that my hair was really soft after using only this, however it was quite frizzy. This is usually normal for me after I wash my hair, it normally doesn’t settle down until the second day after washing it. But it seemed that my hair was frizzier than normal when I used just this product.

Conditioner: I have always used this product with my Aveda Dry Recovery Shampoo – so I can’t really say how this works on its own. However when I use this with the shampoo, my hair is not only extremely soft and shiny, but the frizziness that I usually have to deal with, is very subdued. This conditioner has an extremely thick texture – it reminds me of toothpaste actually. The scent is extremely similar to the shampoo, which makes my shower smell very organic-y when I use these. Like the shampoo, this product has many organic ingredients in it, which is a major plus for many people – I personally don’t put this at the top of my priority list. There really isn’t much to say about this conditioner, it does it’s job very well, and if you use it over a long period of time, you will really see it change your hair.

Moisturizing Treatment Masque: I recently only got into using deep treatments on my hair. Before using this treatment, I was using and loving the Pantene Pro V Fortifying Fortifier, which I have recently reviewed here. I like this treatment a lot, it’s thicker than the Dry Recovery Conditioner it also shares the same scent as the other products in this line. I find it to be very good for weekly treatments, I wouldn’t recommend that you use this twice a week like I did with my Pantene treatment. I leave this stuff in my hair for a few minutes while I wash and shave my legs, I usually find this to be enough time for this product to work. When I was applying this to my hair, I found this stuff easy to spread into my hair, even though it’s extremely thick. I feel that it sinks deeply into my hair, and rinses out without any problems. I have used this product with other shampoo and conditioners and I find that it works equally well with cheaper brands as well as the matching Aveda products. This definitely does the job if you need the extra shot of moisture.

Final Thoughts: I love this system. It works the way its supposed too, which is a very good thing considering that to purchase all three of these items would run you close to $100 for all three. I however would not purchase this in the future, because even though these infused my hair with wonderful moisture, I get the same results with my Aussie Opposites Attract combo and my Pantene treatment. My Aussie combo and the Pantene treatment runs me about $10-11 for all together which is MUCH BETTER than the $100 for the Aveda. If you are someone on a budget who wants soft, moisturized hair, then I highly suggest you grab the Aussie along with deep treatment of your choice, there are many good ones out there on the drugstore market. But if you are someone who prefers higher end hair care and wants organic products, then by all means check out the Aveda collection. You won’t be disappointed.

Review: Pantene Pro V Fortifying Fortifier

Name: Pantene Pro V Fortifying Fortifier

Product: 5/5

Price: $4-6

Available: Anywhere Pantene Pro V is sold

Repurchase: YES!!!

Ingredients: Active Ingredients: Water; Stearyl Alcohol; Behentrimonium Chloride; Cetyl Alcohol; Bis-Aminopropyl Dimethicone; Panthenol; Panthenyl Ethyl Ether; Lysine HCl; Methyl Tyrosinate HCl; Histidine; Fragrance/Parfum; Disodium EDTA; Benzyl Alcohol; Sodium Hydroxide; Methylchloroisothiazolinone; Methylisothiazolinone

I love this stuff. I typically hate Pantene products because they tend to make my hair fall out. But this product is absolutely amazing, it makes my hair feel extremely soft and it takes out the tangles as well. I can literally feel a difference as I am rinsing it out of my hair. I used to have normal to oily hair, but then I started highlighting my hair, which completely dried it out. Since then, I’ve been on the hunt for something that would bring moisture back into my hair, now that I am no longer highlighting the hell out of it. I actually got this product as a GWP when I purchased other Pantene products that I eventually gave away. So I was left with two full sized bottles of this stuff.

Even though I had problems with Pantene, I still decided to give this a whirl. The directions on the bottle say to use this product weekly, but I tend to use it every other hair washing. Since I only wash my hair every two to three days, it works out that I use this stuff about twice a week. I leave this stuff in my hair for the amount of time it takes me to wash my body and to shave my legs, which equals about 4 to 5 minutes. Since this stuff is cheap, I tend to use a liberal amount on my hair, so I can saturate my hair in moisturizing goodness. The first time I used this product, I wasn’t really expecting much – I had been burned by Pantene twice before so my expectations were extremely low. So I was more than pleasantly surprised to discover how well this product worked with me.

Final Thoughts: I began using Fortifying Fortifier in early summer and I’m on my second bottle now. I began using this stuff long before SunSilk, Aussie or Herbal Essences (review coming soon). It does exactly what it promises to do. It infuses my hair with moisture, and it helps my hair behave, which is all that you can ask of a deep treatment. When my hair feels super dry and brittle, I use this stuff along with my Aussie Soften & Protect to give it a super shot of moisture, and my hair goes from feeling like straw to something resembling real hair! So if you are looking for a new deep treatment, I highly suggest this product. It extremely affordable and easily available – so there really isn’t any reason not to try this!

Review: Aussie: Opposites Attract Protect & Soften

Name: Aussie Opposites Attract Protect & Soften Shampoo and Conditioner

Product: 5/5

Price: $3-4

Available: Anywhere Aussie is available

Repurchase: YESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!

Shampoo Ingredients: Water, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamide MEA, Glycol Distearate, Dimethicone, Ammonium Xylenesulfonate, Citric Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Fragrance, Polyquaternium 10, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium EDTA, PEG 7M, Prunus Serotina Bark Extract (Wild Cherry), Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract (Mango), Yellow 5, Red 4, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Sodium Chloride

Conditioner Ingredients: Water, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Glutamic Acid, Fragrance, Amodimethicone, Benzyl Alcohol, EDTA, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Prunus Serotina Bark Extract (Wild Cherry), Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract (Mango)

I tried using Aussie products several years ago, and my experience with the brand was less than stellar. I was very happy to let this brand fall into the background while I used other brands, both high end and low end. It wasn’t until this past summer that I was made aware of this brand again. By this time, I was happily using SunSilk Waves of Envy Shampoo and Conditioner, and honestly, the only reason why I tried this combo was because I was able to get both bottles for about $1.50. I had nothing to lose, so I gave it a try.

I fell in love this combo after the first time I used it. My hair was super soft and extremely shiny afterwards. I honestly don’t think my hair had ever felt that soft before, just with shampoo and conditioner. I normally have to use a deep treatment to get my hair that soft. I was extremely surprised at how well my hair repsonded to this product. My hair is normally extremely fussy when it comes to products. Some products will make my hair feel like an oil slick (Ion) or will actually make my hair fall out (Pantene Pro V).  Aussie Opposites Attract did none of those things to my hair. In fact my hair behaved better with Aussie than it did even with SunSilk.

Final Thoughts: There really isn’t anything more I can say about these products, other than they worked amazingly well for my very fickle hair. Other members of my family also used these products and my aunt and cousin, who both have extremely dry hair, had a good experience with these products. So, don’t take my word for it. This brand is super cheap, and you will be able to find it on sale, to make it an even better deal. I can honestly say that I have compared this brand to another one, which is extremely high end and this one one comes out on top. I do however plan on reviewing the high end brand soon, so be on the look out for that.

Drugstore Delights: My Shower Products

While I was taking my shower this evening, I was shocked to realize just how many products I have sitting in shower and on my sink. So I thought I would share what I have with all of you!

In my shower:

• SunSilk Waves of Envy Shampoo and Conditioner: I’ve already done a review on the duo, which you can find under the review category.
• Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Shampoo and Conditioner: This smells like lavender! I have yet to actually write a review on this product, but it is on the ever growing list. I use this product once a week or so, when I want to take a break from my SunSilk. I don’t use this too much because it has a tendency to make my hair a little bit dry. But I think that is what helps with the curling aspect of this product.
• Aussie Opposites Attract Protect and Soften: I just acquired this duo  yesterday for about $1.33 at CVS. I got this when CVS had it on sale for $2.49 a bottle, and then you received $1 back as an Extra Buck per bottle you bought. I also had an Aussie coupon that was $2 off if you bought two products. So I purchased this for about $3.33 out of pocket and received $2 back in Extra Bucks. I am going to try this combo for a while and eventually write a review on my experiences.
• Sunsilk Anti-Esponja (Anti-Spongy) 24/7 Creme: This is another new purchase that I recently picked up. I normally have frizzy and dry hair, thanks to 2 1/2 years of highlighting it blonde. So I’ve been on the look out for something that would take some of the frizziness out of my hair and make it nice and smooth. Since I live in North East Florida, I am constantly dealing with frizziness from the humidity and heat. I have yet to try this product, but I’m looking forward to using it.
• Pantene Pro V Fortifying Fortifier: This is my current go to for a deep conditioning treatment right now. I even bought a back up of this product soon after my first bottle. I use this once or twice a week to deep condition my hair and to make it softer. I apply a generous amount of this product to my hair and leave it in there while I shave my legs. Then as I rinse it out, I can feel my hair becoming softer. I plan on writing a review of this product within a couple of days.
• Avon Crystal Aura Body Wash: I’ve actually owned this body for about a year and I came across it when I was going through my Bath & Body Works shower gels and creamy body washes. So I thought to throw it into my shower and use it to shave my legs.
• Jason Natural Rosewater Satin Body Wash: I picked this up with the Lavender version when it was buy one get one free at a local health good store. I basically use this very day, to shave my legs and to wash my body. This works quite well as a shave gel.
• Soft Soap Radiant Spa Moisture Wrap and Exfoliating Body Washes: I purchased both of these products on a whim and I’m very glad that I did. These body washes smell amazingly good and I have been using these almost exclusively as my body washes for the past few weeks. I love these a lot and the Moisture Wrap is very creamy while the Exfoliating is gentle on the skin and makes arms and legs feel really soft and smooth.

Believe it or not, but I actually every product that I have in my shower right now. I love the idea of having several options to choose from, and I feel that by rotating my shampoos and conditioners I can keep my hair from becoming used to one certain brand.

If you noticed, everything I have in my shower is a product from the drugstore. I have used both salon products and drugstore products and I actually prefer the drugstore brands. My hair feels wonderfully soft and cared for, and I didn’t have to spend an arm and a leg to make it feel that way.

Be on the lookout for what I have sitting on my sink, which rivals the collection of products I have in my shower!