Beauty Blog

A few short years ago, I had a slight obsession with a certain bath and body store. I’d wait for the annual sales and throw down serious cash for lotions and shower gels that smelled extremely strong in the bottle but never lasted more than an hour on my body. One day while on vacation in Canada I stumbled upon the Lush Cosmetics store and I was forever changed. The smell in the store almost knocked me over it was so strong but it wasn’t an artificial floral or candy smell (like that other popular mall standard). The scent was unique, I smelled rosemary and herbs and a clean soapy smell. It smelled organic and grown up.

So what makes Lush so unique?

“Our Core Beliefs

We believe in making effective products from fresh, organic fruit and vegetables, the finest essential oils and safe synthetics.

We invent our own products and fragrances. We make them fresh by hand using little or no preservative or packaging, using only vegetarian ingredients, and tell you when they were made.”

And you know what? They aren’t lying! You feel the love in every Lush product. Nearly all of their products are vegetarian or vegan friendly. On every bottle is a sticker with a picture and name of the person who made it by hand and the date they made it. Every single product I have purchased has improved by skin, my hair, or my mood. Sometimes all three! Let me introduce you to my all-time favorite:

BIG Shampoo $21.35

“Lemon-lime margarita shampoo adds shine and body to fine hair. The difference between a hefty, healthy hairdo and a lot of limp, lackluster locks? It’s this saucy, sassy, salty shampoo! BIG combines shine-enhancing citrus juices with the beautifying, hair-buffing impact of sea salt and genuine sea water for a body-building regimen your fine hair won’t sweat over.”

This stuff is fabulous. The scent wakes up up and it leaves your hair shiny and soft. You don’t even need conditioner! If I could marry this shampoo I would! Just kidding……or am I?

Shop for more shampoo at Smarter.com.

We’ve all seen the commercials to “get girl-approved hair” by using Axe shampoo.  I’ve used AXE products in the past and liked them, so I gladly agreed to try out their new hair products.  For two weeks now I have been using the shampoo (dark blue bottle “Just Clean”) and conditioner (silver bottle “Just Soft”).  Now, me not really being into hair products, I usually can’t tell the difference between different shampoo brands other than the way they smell.  But after using the AXE products, I have to admit that my hair does feel a bit softer. The best part though is that it smells really good, which is probably the most important part to me.  It gives off a cool clean smell that makes you feel refreshed and ready to start the day.  Another good thing is that its only about $5 a 12oz. bottle making it a good bargain for the quality you receive.

Another product that I tried out was the Axe Hair Wax.  It is like hair gel only a lot better because it doesn’t make your hair all hard and crusty.  Instead it keeps your hair firmly in place, but with a softer look and feel.  You also don’t have to put on a ton like gel, only about a finger tip full is all you need.  This product is perfect for me and I recommend every guy should at least try it out.  I think they will like it better than the gel they are currently using.   Overall I definitely would use all of these products again and will probably keep using them from now on.

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for axe hair products.

I first heard about dry shampooing about 3 years ago when Bumble and Bumble came out with their hair powder products. Such pretty cans, I thought to myself, but how in the world does it work? Fast forward to now and it seems like dry powder products are everywhere, like the French brand Klorane or Rene Furterer Naturia Dry Shampoo; whether you want to conserve water and be more green or you find yourself stuck in the mountains with the urge to look pretty(This is why I don’t camp) or you just survived an 18 hour flight to some exotic locale, this product is served specifically for you.

While I do like the idea of conserving water, the purist in me screams bloody murder at the thought of going 2 days without washing the do. I MUST have squeaky clean hair. It CANNOT cling to my scalp like an oily rug. And if I can’t wash it, I will wear a pretty hat.

But this might sell me on the idea: Applying dry shampoo will buy you a day (maybe two) of foregoing the wash. And we all have those days when the alarm mysteriously does not go off and we are in a flying panic out the door. A warning though: If you do use dry shampoo don’t rush, or else you run the risk of looking like Marie Antoinette. (The shampoo dispenses in a fine powder mist that you brush out) Now, here is a nice historical cross-parallel: Didn’t the ladies in waiting powder their wigs with talc? Why? Because talc is an absorbent material. And that is exactly how these dry shampoos work: they absorb sebum which is your hair’s natural oil. They also give your hair lots of body which is a bonus. I witnessed it myself after watching many a You-tube video. (I love instructional You-tube videos, I am clearly addicted.)

Shampoos remove sebum and rinse it away, while powders absorb sebum and do not rinse out.
I imagine the feeling to be like applying foundation and then powdering your face to make it matte.
Still sound appealing? If you’re still drawn to this idea, or if you forsee a camping trip ( I am making a horrid face at the thought) then this product might be for you. Give it a go…