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Curiously Carmen

Trader Joes Refresh Citrus Hair & Body Wash

May 24, 2014

I love Trader Joes food products. A few months ago, I went through a phase of going crazy over their food products, because it was so good and (mostly) healthy!

Unfortunately, the closest Trader Joes to where I live is in the country next to me, so I can’t simply stop by when I have free time. Anyways, the last time I went to Trader Joes a few months ago, I was strolling down the aisles and saw that they sold body wash. Needless to say, curiosity got the best of me and I ended up buying it. I think it was around $5-6 USD.

image (23)The description on the label made it sound super awesome, so I was very excited. “The pure aroma of sweet orange, succulent grapefruit, tangy tangerine, and luscious lemon refreshes the body and smoothes the mind.” is what the first line read.

However, I think they over-exaggerated with the description. The scent of the body wash isn’t that strong, contrary to what it says on their label. After taking a shower, I was a bit disappointed because I couldn’t smell much of the body wash on my skin.
image (24)Since I was disappointed with what little scent it had, I started to neglect it and left it sitting in my shower over the past months. I recently decided to give it another chance, which is why I am writing this review now. It says that you can also use this as shampoo, so I decided to give it a try. As a shampoo, it worked a lot better and formed a great lather, even with a small amount.

But I would suggest using a lot of conditioner since this doesn’t really moisturize your hair. I felt that my hair was drier than normal afterwards (didn’t use conditioner to test this out).
image (25)Anyway, needless to say, this body wash is pretty average, so don’t let their description deceive you, like what it did to me. I think if I didn’t read the description, I would have liked it a lot more, but I did have high expectations for this product. I should also mention that there are a lot of quality ingredients in this body wash, if you look at the picture above. (botannical water extracts of chamomile, ginseng, lemon grass, sage, essential grapefruit/tangerine oil, vitamin b5, vitamin c, vitamin e, vitamin a) ^ I’m not sure if I would buy it again.

Pros:
-Good price
-Has a light citrus scent
-A tiny amount produces a lot of lather
-Quality ingredients, not just your usual body wash ingredients
-Cruelty free, no animal testing, biodegradable bottle
-Durable bottle

Cons:
-Can’t smell the scent before purchasing; bottle is sealed
-Description is deceiving
-Says it is “aroma-therapeutic” but didn’t have any effect on me

What else did I get at Trader Joes? On a side note, if anyone reading this is going down to the states and wants to get me some TJ cookie butter, let me know and I’ll pay you back 🙂 Hope you enjoyed the review!

-Carmen


Filed Under: body, hair, makeup Tagged: beauty review, biodegradable, body care, body wash, bottanical water, bubble bath, chamomile, citrus body wash, clear skin, hygiene, lemon grass, no animal testing, soap, soap review, supermarket, trader joes, vitamin c, vitamin e

Lush Comestic Warrior (Fresh Face Mask)

May 22, 2014

I have had a slight addiction with Lush skincare products this past month, it’s all I’ve been using! I recently went back to Lush to look around, and was drawn to their fresh face mask section. After reading the ingredients in the masks, I wanted to try them and asked for a sample first. Unfortunately, I was told that they do not give samples of the fresh face masks as they expire in 3 weeks, and use only the freshest ingredients. Fair enough!

I ended up purchasing the cosmetic warrior ($7 CA) after reading the ingredients, here’s how it went.
IMG_4541The cosmetic warrior face mask is made with kaoline, fresh green grapes, fresh free range eggs, honey, cornstarch, glycerine, fresh garlic, tea tree oil, limonene, and perfume. Because of those ingredients, I can tell why the mask has to be kept in the fridge and expires in 3 weeks.
IMG_4544When I first opened the tub, I noticed that it was only 3/4 full of product. A lot of reviews warned people about the smell of this product due to the garlic and tea tree oil.

However, when I put it on, I didn’t find the smell to be unbearable. I didn’t really smell the garlic, but the tea tree oil scent was strong.I slathered a generous amount on my face. I figured that since it expires so quickly, I might as well use it up faster, and while the ingredients are at its freshest. I left it on my face for about 10 minutes.
IMG_4542After 10 minutes, the mask had hardened slightly. I washed it off with warm water, which took a few tries as the areas that I put more product on was harder to wash off. I noticed that the mask turned into a soapy, creamy lather after washing my face with it. Now, the best part: the results? After drying my face, the first thing I noticed was how soft and clean my face felt. It also felt really moisturized, more radiant, and healthier.

Pros:
-Leaves skin feeling really soft, clean, moisturized, refreshed
-Non messy
-Made with all natural ingredients and vegetarian (as it says on the label)

Cons:
-Have to use within 3 weeks
-Have to keep it in the fridge all the time
-Can be seen as “pricey”, you don’t get that much product for $7

Read more: My interview with Lush’s Director of Brand Communications, Brandi Halls!

-Carmen


Filed Under: face, makeup Tagged: acne remedy, beautiful skin, beauty review, clear skin, face mask, fresh face mask, LUSH, lush cosmetics, makeup review, natural face mask, natural ingredients, oily skin, sensitive skin, skin care, skin care review, vegetarian

Babyliss Pro Argan Oil ( vs. Moroccan Oil)

May 10, 2014

My hairstylist recently introduced me to argan oil. I was in shock when she told me that argan oil and Moroccanoil (Yes it’s spelled like that without the space) are the exact same thing.

I’ve heard many things about Moroccanoil, but not too much about argan oil. “Moroccan oil” is just the company name, while argan oil is the actual ingredient in it that gives your hair that healthy shine and condition. The ingredients in the Moroccan oil brand are very, very similar to the Babyliss Pro Argan Oil.

My hairstylist told me that if I wanted to buy argan oil, to go with the Babyliss one because it does the exact same thing as the Moroccanoil, just that it is not as marketed and cheaper.
DSCN0936I purchased my Babyliss argan oil from Kingdom Beauty Supply, a wholesale beauty supply store that sells professional hair products for hair stylists. Since you do need to be a hairstylist to be able to buy the products (unless you have a personal contact like I did), another place to try would be hair salons or the internet.

I tried looking on their website but it didn’t even give an option for Canadian stores. It’s a pretty crappy site as opposed to the Morrocanoil site, which is tailored to consumers. They were having a sale on their products, which was 2 for $20 (I think original price is $15 a bottle).

DSCN0938When comparing the ingredients in Babyliss and Moroccanoil, they are very, very similar. They both contain the same type of argania spinosa kernel oil.  It just goes to show how powerful beauty marketing is and to always check labels. You could save yourself a lot of money by doing that. I got the ingredient list for Moroccanoil online.

Now, time for my actual review on the Babyliss Pro argan oil. ft polka the cat (remember him?)! Yay! I am very low maintenance with my hair. I don’t ever style my own hair unless it’s just a straightener or crimper. I’ve battled with my hair curler for years now, and I still have not mastered how to curl my hair nicely. Needless to say, I never buy hair styling products. I’ve dyed my hair over 15 times in my life, so my hair is pretty damaged. But, I was sold on this one because of how healthy and shiny my hair looked afterwards.
photo (16)The application process is so painless and easy (another main reason why I bought this). After washing your hair, you just spray the product onto your hair and blow dry it.

Then, watch the magic happen, DONE! 🙂 I took this picture after my hair appointment, with the argan oil. I noticed that my hair looked a lot healthier, shinier, and felt a lot softer after using this product.
babylissOf course, sunlight can be deceiving so I took another picture back inside my room. I think my hair still looks shinier and healthier than without out. On the bottle, it claims to be lightweight, non-greasy, gives instant shine, hydrates, conditions, eliminates frizz, and repairs damaged hair. Furthermore, it provides thermal protection while reducing drying time and provides colour protection. In my opinion, Babyliss pro argan oil does all that it claims in their packaging. What’s not to love about this product?! =)

Pros:
-Leaves hair very soft, conditioned, and shiny
-Smooths out frizziness
-Protects hair from heat products
-Does not leave an oily residue, feels very lightweight/non-greasy after applying
-Cheaper than Moroccanoil, which essentially does the same thing
-A little goes a long way, making the bottle last longer

Cons:
-Not sold in retail stores, a bit hard to find
-If you’re used to buying drugstore products, you might find this product a bit overpriced

-Carmen


Filed Under: body, hair Tagged: argan oil, babyliss pro, beauty, beauty product, beauty review, damaged hair, dry hair, frizzy hair, hair, hair care, hair mask, hair products, hair salon, hair treatment, healthy hair, heat protection, moroccan oil, moroccanoil

Suzy Nail Colour Review

April 12, 2014

For the past two years, I’ve been stripped away from the liberty of wearing nail polish due to my job. So, whenever I have a few days off, I jump at the opportunity to wear it!

Since I only wear nail polish a handful of times per year, I don’t splurge on expensive ones since they’ll probably dry out by the time I wear it.
photo (23)I got this nail polish probably last year, at Suzy Shier which is a women’s clothing store. I really liked the soft, girly pink colour and it was also really cheap, so I decided to get it.

One of these cost $3, or 2 for $5. It’s a pretty good deal! I applied 2 coats to get the current colour.
photo (22)I haven’t worn this since last Summer, so I forgot how fast it dried! I would have to say that it dried in less than 45 seconds, I was so impressed. I’ve never had a nail polish dry that fast and have such healthy and strong shine to it! And for $3?! What a miracle.

Also, can you notice how the top brush part is uneven from the bottom? Somehow, I can’t twist it back to its normal position no matter how hard I try. I’m glad that it doesn’t leak, or else we’d have a problem!
photo (24)One of the annoying things about nail polish is their removal, especially if it’s glittery. I was in a rush to remove the colour since I was about to be late for work, but thankfully, this polish comes off so easy with nail polish remover. YES!!! Overall, I love this polish!

Pros:
-Fast drying
-Lovely colour
-Matte finish but with a light shine to it
-Easy to remove
Cons:
-Smells strongly like chemicals

-Carmen


Filed Under: body, makeup, nails Tagged: baby pink, beauty products, beauty review, makeup, makeup review, manicure, nail art, nail colour, nail polish, pedicure, pink

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Hi and welcome to Curiously Carmen! I am Carmen, the girl behind the blog. You can read more about me here!

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