{Review} New Haircare Routine (Paul Mitchell)

Paul Mitchell The Detangler (L) and Instant Moisture Daily Shampoo(R).

I'm back! A few weeks ago I ran out of not only my shampoo, but also my daily conditioner and my heavy duty treatment conditioner, so I went and picked up a couple of new goodies. Now, I've never really been into high end hair care. Personally, I've never really found a high end hair care product that I couldn't find a drugstore equivalent of, excluding special treatments of course. Shampoos, for instance, really are all the same to me. I've yet to come across a shampoo that just wowed me. Conditioners, however, I really love, especially the super rich ones that make my hair feel like I've just come back from the salon. That's how this conditioner, Paul Mitchell's The Detangler, makes my hair feel, so I'm glad I spent some extra money!

Paul Mitchell The Detangler (Top) and Instant Moisture Daily Shampoo (Bottom).

And I love how the caps are different colors! When I'm in the shower super late or super early and my eyes are barely open, I can instantly tell the difference between the shampoo and conditioner, lol! One time, I was so tired that I started to use my conditioner as a body wash haha!

Paul Mitchell Instant Moisture Shampoo

Paul Mitchell Instant Moisture Daily Shampoo

Paul Mitchell Instant Moisture Daily Shampoo

According to the Paul Mitchell website, this shampoo is supposed to clean, deeply hydrate, repair, plump skinny strands, offer UV protection from the sun, and be color safe. Really? All that in one little bottle? I'm sorry, but no. Basically, I found that this cleaned my hair. I actually used this shampoo for a week on it's own without the conditioner just to see how well it works. I found that this shampoo was moisturizing, but nowhere near as moisturizing as my favorite shampoo of all time, Head&Shoulders Classic Clean. Classic Clean is my go to in-a-hurry-have-no-time-to-condition shampoo because it makes my hair feel like I've shampood and conditioned. Instant Moisture just makes my hair feel not as stripped. Personally, I don't think this shampoo is worth the $17 I paid for it. It's not a bad shampoo, just not as moisturizing as I would like it to be.

Paul Mitchell The Detangler

Paul Mitchell The Detangler

Paul Mitchell The Detangler

Paul Mitchell The Detangler

I actually really like this conditioner. I think the texture of it really surprised me. It's not as thick and oily as other conditioners that I've tried. It looked initially like it would be very thick, but it actually spreads really easy. I know the first couple of times I used this I used too much simply because I wasn't used to using so little. You need very little of this to be effective. This made my hair feel amazing. It was conditioned, soft, shiny, and just overall, healthy feeling. My hair doesn't really tangle much so I can't speak about it's detangling abilities, but other than that, this is a great conditioner. The only thing I really don't like so much is the scent. It's got a scent that is a mix of chemical and herbal, that's the only way I can describe it. It's not horrible, but I like nice scents that linger in my hair and make it smell good for a few hours. This didn't. Other than that, great all around conditioner, and well worth the price.

Info:

Price: $17 ea (10.4 oz bottles, at the salon)

Ingredients: Instant Moisture: Water, Sodium Myreth Sulfate, Cocamide MEA, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride, Panthenol, Dimethicone, Laureth-4, Laureth-23, Dioctyldodecyl Fluoroheptyl Citrate, Dimethicone Bisamino Hydroxypropyl Copolyol/Hedychium Coronarium/Dimethicone Copolyol, Dimethicone Bisamino Hydroxypropyl Copolyol/Algae/Aloe Barbadensis Leaf/Anthemis Nobilis/Henna/Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba)/Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary)/Dimethicone Copolyol, Glycol Stearate, PEG-150 Distearate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Fragrance, Tetrasodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride.

Ingredients: The Detangler: Water, Isododecane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Bisamino PEG/PPG 41/3 Aminoethyl PG Propyl Dimethicone, Algae (Seaweed) Extract, Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Extract, Anthemis Nobilis (Roman Chamomile) Flower Extract, Lawsonia Inermis (Henna) Extract (Henna), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Extract (Jojoba), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract (Rosemary), PEG 12 Dimethicone, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Leaf Extract (Carrot), Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil (Grape), Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Magnesium Chloride, Magnesium Nitrate, Fragrance (Parfum), Hexylcinnamal, Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Orange 4 (CI 15510), Red 40 Lake (CI 16035) (CI 16035)

Disclosure: The items featured in this post were purchased by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure don't hesitate to ask in comments!

{Random Favorites} 3 Cheap & Effective Hair Care Products

The

Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Conditioner, Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo, and H2O+ Hair Repair Seaweed Masque.

So before leaving for spring break I realized that I never really do hair care posts. So I went and looked through my hair stuff and realized I use a lot of fairly effective products that came from the drugstore or were purchased at a low price elsewhere. My hair is very thick and very straight, so it tends to get oily pretty quickly. Therefore, I look for products that effectively clean and moisturize my hair without leaving it feeling greasy and heavy.

1. Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo

I love this stuff. I don't know what I will do if Suave ever decides to discontinue making it, but it is super cheap (I got the family size bottle for $2) and super effective. What a clarifying shampoo does, for those of you who have never used one before, is clean out all of the left behind hair oil, product, spray, etc. If you use a lot of hair sprays, gels, leave in conditioners, etc, they all leave a little bit of residue in the hair which builds up overtime weighing hair down, leaving it dull, etc. This shampoo gets rid of all that gunk and leaves my hair feeling really really clean. If you have dry to normal hair however, I would not recommend using a clarifying shampoo too often (more than once or twice every two to three weeks) because it can strip the natural oils right of your hair and damage it.

Now, Suave says that this is a daily shampoo. It's not. What I actually did was add a teaspoon of vinegar to my bottle which also helps clean the hair. I use this shampoo no more than once a week. I used to use this shampoo twice a month at home but at school I use it once a week. I swear they have hard water or something in the dorms cause my hair has been so bad lately, very heavy and its been getting greasy a lot faster. And I have thick hair which says a lot.

The odd thing I find with the ingredients list is that instead of using acetic acid, which is what is in vinegar that allows it to clarify hair if added to shampoo, Suave uses citric acid, which from what I've read is not as effective. If you want to make your own clarifying shampoo simply add one to two tea spoons of vinegar into you bottle and shake very well. It doesn't really make it smell worse either. But Suave really is a cheap and fairly effective clarifying shampoo if you are looking for a no-frills product.

2. Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Conditioner

I've tried the shampoo that comes with this but I didn't really notice much of a difference with it. I do like this conditioner though. I have really straight hair so it doesn't leave my hair looking tousled at all, but rather leaves my hair feeling moisturized but very light as well. I've noticed that with this conditioner my hair is easier to style, especially to curl. I have pin straight hair which resists any type of curling, but this conditioner makes it very easy to work with my hair. It's very light weight.

And it smells so good! Not a very strong scent, but very pleasant when showering. I never used to trust Herbal Essences because their products reminded me a lot of the Garnier shampoos which did absolutely nothing for my hair. I'm really glad I tried this one though cause it works very well for my hair type. And very cheap too, around $3.50!

3. H2O+ Hair Repair Seaweed Masque

Now, I know that H2O+ isn't a cheap brand or a drugstore brand, but I really only purchase what I find of them at Marshall's or TJMaxx, and I see this one there all the time for around $4.99, which isn't to bad at all. I don't think you can purchase this from their website anymore but check out your Marshall's or TJMaxx, because I've seen these there and have been buying them there for the past two years.If you rally can't find it, several drugstore brands like L'Oreal or Garnier have those little pots of hair masks. They are similar, but I really like the convenience of using a squeeze tube.

I've been using this so much that it's almost gone :( Will definitely repurchase! :)


What this is is a hair mask or conditioner, depending on the way you use it. I use it as a conditioner and it leaves my hair feeling sooooo moisturized! Every now and then my hair starts to feel very dry, damaged, dull, lifeless, etc, and I use this and presto! Hair is great again. The one thing I don't like is the smell. It has a very herbal, almost medicinal smell to it. It's not too overpowering and the smell doesn't really linger after you are done showering, but still kinda gross.


You can either use it as a mask by leaving it in for 5 to 10 mins in towel dried hair or you can use it as a conditioner. The way I condition is I was my hair first, put it in, clip my hair up, and then wash my face/body, shave, etc, and then wash it off at the end of the shower. If I put it into damp hair as a mask then my hair feels heavy and gets greasier faster because it's a bit too rich for my thick, straight hair. As a conditioner it works like a charm!



That's it for now! I'll finally have another Tip Thursday up again later today!

{Favorites} February 2011

So here are February Favorites! I know, a little late but everything's been so hectic lately that this is the fastest I could get them out. Not as many as last month, but I've been using a lot of the same so I figured I'd skip the repeats.

1. Skincare

L to R: Nature's Gate C For Yourself Serum, Philosophy Grace Perfumed Body Lotion, The Body Shop Peppermint Intensive Foot Rescue Lotion.

I've really been loving all three. I'm almost done with the Philosophy Grace lotion (you can't tell, but trust me on that) and I'm thinking about getting the full size. I put this on right after I get out of the shower, all over, and it makes me smell like I've spent the day at the beach! So pretty! I always get compliments when I wear this.

The C For Yourself serum is a bit heavier than I like a serum to be so I haven't been wearing it during the day but rather at night underneath my regular moisturizer. It's a re-texturizing serum and in the morning my skin feels really smooth like I've exfoliated.

The texture of The Body Shops Peppermint Intensive Foot Rescue cream is unlike anything I've ever tried before. It's more solid than a regular lotion, but almost has the consistency of a balm, but softer. It smells amazing though and makes my feet feel so smooth and soft. I put this on before bed, a thick layer, and wear socks. I wake up in the morn with the most soft and supple feet.

L to R: Nature's Gate C For Yourself Serum, Philosophy Grace, and The Body Shop Peppermint Intensive Foot Rescue.

2. Makeup

Clockwise: Dior 5 Color Eyeshadow in Earth Reflection, Nars Single Eyeshadow in Nepal, and L.A. Colors 12 Color E/S Palette in Traditional.

I've really been into neutrals this month. I never really go nuts with eyeshadow but I usually wear a mix of neutrals and a shade of purple or navy. This past month has really just ben neutrals. I've especially been loving pairing my Nars shadow in Nepal with any of the shades from the L.A. Colors 12 Color Palette in Traditional. If you remember, I got this palette for $1 (!!!), but it is really an awesome neutral palette. The Dior palette is great too, but it can bee a bit to shimmery for day so I've been using it at night with a liquid liner.

3. Hair Care:

Garnier Nutrient Spray and H2O Spa Hair Repair Seaweed Mask and Conditioner

I've been using the H2O Seaweed Mask and Conditioner as a hair conditioner. If I use it as a mask it is a bit too heavy for my thick hair. As you can see I'm almost done and I definitely will repurchase this one. It doesn't smell the best, kinda herbal-y, but my hair feels really healthy after I use it.

The Garnier Nutrient Spray is one of those products that has the dual layer (like Lancome's famous Bi-Facil makeup remover). You shake it up and then spray. I use this on damp towel dried hair before I blow dry. If I use it on dry hair I have to be careful not to spritz too much or my hair will be too oily. On dry hair one spray is enough to give me some shine. On damp hair I spray 3 times, rub it in, and then blow dry. My hair ends up looking very very healthy and shiny. You have to remember to shake it before using it otherwise the oil and water based ingredients won't work together.

4. Perfume

Marc Jacobs Splash in Gardenia

All this is is a body spray. It smells amazing. My favorite flower is the white gardenia. I love how they smell and look and everything lol! This spray is light and perfect for everyday use. I layer this over the Philosophy Grace lotion after I shower and then maybe another perfume like my Chance by Chanel. People always ask what I'm wearing when I wear this, especially when I layer it over Philosophy Grace. If you want an inexpensive dupe for this, Bodycology has a body spray in white gardenia. It's around $4 and it smells exactly the same only a little bit stronger. They actually have an entire line of lotions, sprays etc with the white gardenia scent. I've reviewed the lotion from the collection.

I've been using this for most of the month and I've barely made a dent in the MASSIVE bottle. You get an astounding 10 fl oz!!! I've only used a tiny bit over a cm, so this is going to last me forever.

That's it for February! I'll be posting a haul later today so stay tuned!