Product Review: ABBA Pure Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner - The Natural Shampoo and Conditioner combo that work!

I can't believe that I have not blogged about this amazing shampoo and conditioner combo: ABBA Pure Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner.

Photo Credit: www.pureabba.com

The sales lady at a specialist shampoo store recommended this shampoo and conditioner combo to me when I asked her for a natural shampoo that still lathered up and a good conditioner to go with it.  I was getting frustrated with my existing shampoos and conditioners. My hair was limp and dry. On top of that, I had a birthmark on my head and it was itching like crazy. I though it may have something to do with some of the chemicals in my last shampoo.


It is available online (Amazon and the company store @ www.pureabba.com) and all leading specialist shampoo stores, including hair salons. It comes in 2 sizes: the 8oz/ 236ml or the 33.8oz/1L.
Seriously, do they use oz or ml? Odd sizes.


The Product

According to the website, the key botanicals are Olive Butter, Peppermint Oil, ProQuinoa Complex™.

Where possible, all ABBA® products are formulated to be 100% Vegan, Gluten-Free and made without Parabens*, DEA*, Phathalates, Synthetic Color Additives, Sulfates and Sodium Chlorides.

ABBA® has a strict policy that animals can NEVER be used for testing in the creation, development or formulation of our products.

The ProQuinoa Complex™ combines the best of pure ingredients with optimal performance. We also use cutting-edge surfactants in our shampoos (except Detox Shampoo) that are so gentle you can use the shampoos as a body wash. Formulating with mild surfactants also protects hair longer and helps maintain color by not stripping the hair daily.

The ProQuinoa Complex™ formulas unite the power of three powerful proteins, Quinoa, Barley and Soy, to strengthen and repair damaged hair.

QUINOA: A complete protein that contains eight essential amino acids to bring moisture and strength to each strand of hair.

BARLEY: A food-grade protein that infuses hair with lasting moisture.

SOY: This special protein delivers body and control to even the most stubborn hair and does not contain any gluten.


My experience  

Maybe it is the food grade ingredients, the shampoo and conditioner smells yummy. Despite not having a load of chemicals, the shampoo lathers up decently and the shampoo and and conditioning experience was amazing.

Verdict

I LOVE it! My hair was clean and soft after just one wash and stayed that way until my shampoo the next day. The ABBA Pure Moisture Shampoo and conditioner combo definitely deserves a spot in the crowded shampoo shelve in my bathroom. In fact, it was so popular that it went out of stock for 2 months! Definitely get the 1L one if you have the space. 

Product Review: Etude House Silk Scarf Shampoo

I can't believe that it's been 3 months since I did a product review! I have tried some pretty amazing beauty products for the last few months but I guess I didn't update my blog because my Sony notebook has been "dying" on me.

While I was in Singapore in September, my sister recommended the Etude House Silk Scarf Shampoo as one of her favourite shampoos (and she has at least 10 different kind of shampoos in her bathroom). If you have not heard of Etude House, it is a Korean Cosmetic house with many cool beauty products. You can get it the shampoo in Canada for C$12.32 for a 300 ml bottle at Global Rakuten Store

My experience  

I love it the first time I use it. The smell is sweet and very girly, the shampoo bubbles up really well and my hair feels super clean after just one wash.

Verdict

I love it so much that I brought 2 bottles home from Singapore.  My hair feels very silky and soft the next day. I have been using for almost a month now and I am still loving it! Definitely a must have in your bathroom!

Product Review - Paul Mitchell Instant Moisture Daily Shampoo and Treatment /Conditioner

Since I have been using my favourite Nexxus Salon Hair Care Therappe Shampoo and Conditioner set almost every day for more than a year, the combination seems to be losing its effectiveness.
 My hair stylist commented that I should change my shampoos once in a while as they tend to loose their effectiveness after prolonged use.

I was recommended the Paul Mitchell Instant Moisture Shampoo and Treatment (a.k.a Conditioner) by the sales person at a hair salon (At Richmond Centre, near Sears) which carried more than 50 different types of shampoo. She was so sure about her recommendation that I thought I would give it a try though I was still a little hesitant since I am not a fan of 1L shampoo/conditioner bottles without pumps. It was a good thing that the store sells the pump. I definitely recommend buying the pumps since it is not the most fun thing to hold a 1L shampoo bottle with soapy hands and have it land your toes during the shower.The shampoo was C$21.99 and the treatment/conditioner was C$22.99, which is still a great price for the 1L combination.

My experience  

I love the smell. Very refreshing, like a cologne. The shampoo bubbles up really well and my hair feels super clean after just one wash. The treatment/conditioner is a lot thicker than the usual moisturizer, smells good and really moisturizes the hair.

Verdict

I love it and my husband raves about it. My hair feels very silky and soft the next day. The Paul Mitchell Instant Moisture Shampoo and treatment is definitely the best shampoo and conditioner set that I have tried so far if only I have discovered them much earlier. Definitely a must have in your bathroom!

Product Review - Lacoupe Orgnx Coconut and Macadamia Oil Shampoo and Conditioner

It has been a while since I tried a new shampoo and a conditioner. The Nexxus Shampoo and conditioner I bought last June just finished and I was browsing at Costco and saw the Lacoupe Orgnx Coconut and Macadamia Oil Shampoo and Conditioner set for $15.99 . Seriously, how do you pronounce the name? Org - Nix?

The key selling ingredients for both Shampoo and Conditioner are Coconut Oil and Macadamia Oil extracts. Both are cherished ingredients packed with moisture quenching properties that promote shiny, strong and healthy-looking hair. The shampoo is also sufate, gluten and paraben free. It is also infused with Cocoa Butter and to provide gentle care for your hair. To top it off, a Moringa Tree is planted for every product purchase. Imagine planting a tree for less than $10. How can you resist such tempting marketing pitch? I can't so I bought it. 

My experience

The smell is delicious. Indeed, it smells like a rich creamy butter. It hardly lathers since it is sulphate free. It felt pretty heavy on the hair and I ended up losing more hair during the shampoo process than I usually do with my Nexxus or Biosilk Shampoo. It kinda reminds me my shampoo hair loss experience with the Marc Anthony shampoo. The conditioner smells equally delicious but it feels heavy too on my hair, despite rinsing it off several times. 

My hair felt horrible the day after using both the shampoo and conditioner. It felt super dry and heavy. It certainly didd not feel healthy, shiny or hydrated! I was so disappointed after the first day that I tried again for a second time just to be sure. My hair got worse after the second try. I had to do an Olive oil treatment and had to use the Biosilk shampoo and conditioner for 2 days before my hair returned to its original soft condition.  

Verdict

Although the Lacoupe Orgnx Coconut and Macadamia Oil Shampoo and Conditioner set appeals to both the heart and the mind intuitively, it failed miserably on my hair. I will not be using the remaining shampoo and conditioner since it almost ruined my hair in my 2 earlier attempts. My only consolation is that 2 Morigna Trees will be planted because of my purchase.   

Product Review - Biosilk Silk Therapy Shampoo & Conditioner (from Costco)

Visited Costco last weekend and bought a set of Biosilk Silk Therapy shampoo and conditioner. The words "Silk Therapy" caught my attention. Honestly, I am still quite happy with the Nexxus Shampoo and Conditioner set I bought about a month ago from Costco but using the same shampoo and conditioner every day is kinda boring so I bought the Biosilk Shampoo and Conditioner. The two 34 Fl Oz (1006 ml) shampoo and conditioner were around C$30 + tax. C$10 cheaper than the Nexxus Shampoo and Conditioner set. Worth a try.

My experience

One of the most important thing to me for a shampoo is the smell. The Biosilk Silk Therapy Shampoo has a light floral scents since it is made of botanical extracts and herbs. Definitely smells better than the bubble gum smell for Nexxus Shampoo and the tropical smell for Marc Anthony's Macadamia Oil Shampoo. It has a nice transparent texture, bubbles up quite well though it does not feel as luxurious as the creamy Nexxus Shampoo. My hair definitely feels nice and smooth after shampooing. 

The silk therapy conditioner has a similar floral but has a creamy texture. It feels good upon application. Again, it does not feel as luxurious as the Nexxus conditioner but it smells nicer. 

It is relatively easy to comb and blow my hair after conditioner. 

My user experience can defintiely be improved with better packaging. The shampoo/conditioner container is rather huge (34 fl oz/1006 ml) so it is not as easy to pick up with wet and slippery hands in the shower. For that, I prefer the convenience of Nexxus Shampoo and Conditioner pump design. 

My verdict

I like the Biosilk Silk Therapy shampoo and conditioner set. My hair still feels light and silky after more than 12 hours. 

If I were to rank the 3 sets of shampoos and conditioner that I bought from Costco recently, it would be no. 2. My favourite is still the Nexxus Shampoo and Conditioner set. If you are getting only one set of Shampoo and Conditioner from Costco, I highly recommend the Nexxus combo. If that is not available or if you are looking for something cheaper, the Biosilk Silk Therapy will be a good alternative. 

Updates on 20 July 2013

I LOVE the Biosilk Therapy shampoo and conditioner set. My hair is super soft and silky after using the set for 3 days. It is currently my favourite shampoo and conditioner set in my bathroom. 

Product Review - Nexxus Therappe Shampoo and Humectress Conditioner from Costco

I went to Costco two days ago and I could not resist buying Nexxus Salon Hair Care Therappe Ultimate Moisture Shampoo and Nexxus Salon Hair Care Humectress Ultimate Moisture Conditioner. The Nexxus shampoo (1.3l) and conditioner (1.3l)combo was the most expensive shampoo and conditioner set  sold at Richmond's Costco @ C$39.99 + tax  The world "Salon" caught my attention and I was really curious if the shampoo and conditioner are better than that the cheaper Marc Anothony's Shampoo, Conditioner and treatment set @ C$19.99 + tax that I bought about 2 months ago.

First about the shampoo. The full name is a mouthful - Therappe Luxurious Hydrating Shampoo. It is formulated with Rosemary, Chamomile and Nettle to gently cleanse nourished, healthy-looking hair. The conditioner - Humectress Ultimate Hydrating Conditioner, specially formulated with Vitamin E, Coconut Oil, and Honey Extract to provide nourishing moisture, leaving hair luxuriously soft, manageable and full of lustre.

Unlike the March Anthony's Shampoo which is sulfate free, the Nexxus Therappe contains sodium laureth sulfate. So, if you have sensitive scalp, dyed hair, oily hair and skin and issues with eczema, this is may not be something you want to try.

My experience  

First, I am surprised by the smell. It smells like a sweet chewing gum with a bit of a tropical twist. It is not exactly a smell that I was expecting. It does smell better than the Marc Anthony's Macadamia oil shampoo but not a whole lot better. It lathers very well, thanks to the sulfate. It does feel luxurious with all the suds. It rinses off nicely. The conditioner smells much better (thank goodness!). It smells sweet like honey. Overall, my hair does feel softer and more manageable. I am not so sure about the full of lustre part. 

Verdict

If you don't mind paying C$39.99 for the pair (since there are cheaper options at Costco), the Nexxus Therappe and Humectress are pretty luxurious salon quality shampoo and conditioner. My husband loves it. Just a side note, even though sulfate is supposed to be bad for hair follicle, both my husband and I noticed that we were having less hair loss after we started using the Nexxus Therappe and Humectress combo. It is definitely worth a buy!

Updates on 27 Jun 2013

Absence makes the heart fonder. I never thought that I would miss the Nexxuss shampoo and conditioner combo so much. I was away to Las Vegas for 5 days and my hair felt so dry and unmanageable after using the hotel shampoo and conditioner and being out in the hot and dry weather for 5 days! I was so happy to be able to wash and condition my hair with Nexxuss at home last night. My hair felt so much smooth and softer. 1 more week of use and my hair should return to the pre-Las Vegas silky soft condition. :)

  

Product Review: Marc Anthony Macadamia Oil Shampoo, Conditioner and Treatment

Hello! This is my first product review on my blog.

My existing shampoo and conditioner was running out and I was at Costco and came across the Marc Anthony Macadamia Oil Shampoo, Conditioner and Treatment Set selling @ C$17.99 + tax. The reason I bought was that it is "Sulfate Free".

Why Sulfate Free? This requires an entire blog by itself. Do checkout sulfate-freeshampoo.net  and it has a very good article written on it. Basically sulates in shampoos give you the alluring bubbles in shampoo ads and they are strong grease removers. Unfortunately, it comes with some downsides, especially for those with sensitive scalp, dyed hair, oily hair and skin and those with eczema. Sulfates in shampoo also cost premature hair loss by causing damage to hair follicle. Isn't it a good enough reason to go sulfate free?

So how was the shampoo? First thing first. The smell. Not your sweet heavenly kinda of smell but I was expecting worse since it is Macadamia Oil. To set your expectation right, it was not sweet smelling but neither was it awful. It smells kinda tropical. It does not put me off but it does not motivate me to use it either. It lathers decently. Not as bad as I thought. I was expecting no bubbles. Then again, I have used baking soda to wash my hair before, so it was quite pleasant to have some bubbles. It cleans pretty well, no less than my previous shampoo containing sulfate. I would still use baking soda once a week as it really cleans all the hair products off the hair. Hair was clean, light and definitely soft after use.

What about the conditioner? It was actually really good. Same smell as the shampoo. My hair felt really good after the conditioner, very moisturized indeed. My hair used to feel very dry but after 2 days of the shampoo and conditioner, it looks shinier and definitely feels more silky.

I only tried the treatment oil once as I generally shampoo my hair before bed. I did not want to risk getting the oil on my pillow and hence my face since I may get breakouts. I have tried 3 different types of hair oils before - Joise Maran Pure Agan Oil, Josie Maran Argan Oil Serum and Marc Anthony's Macadamia Oil treatment. it ranks highest in terms of moisturing. However, I prefer Josie Maran Argan Oil Serum because it has a more pleasant smell.

Overall conclusion, I like the Marc Anthony Macadamia Oil shampoo, conditioner and treatment set and would definitely recommend my friends and family to use them.

Update on 16 June 2013:

After 2 months of using the shampoo combination and especially after I bought the Nexxus Shampoo and Conditioner set  a few days ago, both my husband and I concluded that the Marc Anthony Macadamia Oil Shampoo was causing our higher than average hair loss during shampooing. As such, I am changing my recommendation for the Marc Anthony Macadamia Oil Shampoo. Buy the Nexxus Shampoo and Conditioner Set instead! Much better, especially in terms of keeping hair loss during shampooing to a minimum.

How to clean your makeup brushes

As mentioned in my blog yesterday, I have a weekly date with my makeup brushes to shampoo them. 

A quick recap for those of you who have not read my earlier blog What causes adult acne and how to prevent it, I woke up with a huge acne yesterday and I am determined not to have history repeat itself again. I made a promise on my blog that I would make a weekly date to clean my make up brushes. This morning was the first weekly date in months.

For those of you who have not been cleaning your makeup brushes, here are the steps to refresh your memory. 


What you need: 

- dirty makeup brushes
- a gentle shampoo (I use Sephora's  purifying shampoo)
- a small plate
- some paper towels

Step 1: Pump a small amount (dime size amount of shampoo on the small plate)

Step 2: Keep the tap running (just a gentle stream of slightly warm water 

Step 3: Wet the brush at an angle (where the hair is lower than the metal portion)

Step 4: Dap a little shampoo on the brush

Step 5: Move the brush clockwise a couple of times and reverse the directions a couple of times on your palm (left palm if you are right handed and vice versa). You should see some colours running off). You should see some foams. 

Step 6: Place the brush (at an angle) under running water until the water is clear. You should turn the brush to make sure that all the shampoo is washed off.

Step 7: If you are a clean freak like me, you may repeat Step 4- 6 again to do double shampoo. 

Step 8: Squeeze of the excess water lightly with your finger tips

Step 9: Lay the brush flat to air dry on the paper towel

Repeat Steps 3 to 9 for each brush.

The whole process should take less than a minute per brush once you have figured out how to do it. It took me less than 10 minutes to clean 10 brushes. I hope you will make it a point to make a weekly date with your makeup brushes to clean them!