JULY PRODUCT EMPTIES!- beauty,makeup,fragrances

Hi loves,I know I have been AWOL (I'm sorry). It has really been a hectic few weeks even as we have crossed into a new month.
Technically, this post is about products I have used up by the end of July- the loves, love-nots and the ones I would totally stay away from (aarh!). so lets take this walk together...........




SELSUN BLUE Dandruff Shampoo

I mentioned  in a previous post that I generally have dry skin so this also extends to my scalp as well as I tend to have flakiness and dryness.For many years I had spent money on numerous anti dandruff formulations ,Selsun Blue being a very strong medicated version (and best so far). I use this shampoo about once every 2 months or so when ever I start to notice dryness and flakiness on my scalp. I recently had a Eureka moment and realized my habits were also to blame. Not oiling my scalp often enough or even frequently doing hairstyles (yeah weaves) that rendered my scalp almost inaccessible for application of oils. I started oiling my scalp better and leaving out my hair and realised my scalp was in better condition and as such had less need for a dandruff shampoo.
 I also noticed that the major ingredient in Selsun Blue is Selenium Sulphite and being a sulphate can be drying to the scalp and hair ( I have been hearing and researching a lot about sulphate-free shampoos recently).
I have thus decided to try a new regimen of scalp and hair care that excludes the use of any anti-dandruff shampoo and as such I would not repurchase for now, so fingers crossed!

DARK AND LOVELY Olive Oil Rich moisturiser

I use this as a daily grooming and hair dressing tool to tame frizzy and dry hair . it's  a creamy formulation white coloured (used to be pink). The volume of product is substantial at a good price point. I really like the moisturizing feel it tends to give my hair . I apply to my scalp and some on my palms which I work into my hair to tame frizz and give shine.
This,  I would repurchase, got this at kuddy cosmetics.

PANTENE Medium to thick shampoo (breakage to strength)

Having watched many Pantene ads that show a model with long thick shiny hair for many years with hair strong enough to pull without coming out with clumps in your hands, I decided to give this a try to prevent my hair from drying out, hoping to get a silky sheen and shine to my hair. A few drops produced rich later that cleansed my hair thoroughly well, leaving my hair clean and healthy as to the shiny part? well not really feeling that with this.
 I will repurchase.
I got this at kuddy cosmetics store.

PANTENE color preserve conditioner

Color preserve? yes o, lol! am I the only one that works into a shop only to find out that your options in the cosmetic aisle are limited That was what happened when I went out shopping for hair products on that day and I had to settle for this one when I did not find a suitable conditioner to go with my shampoo. I have  always been scared of washing my hair  because it took a lot of work to comb through and untangle the knots afterwards so conditioning was a priority for me.

I would say it considerably helped detangle my hair. One thing to note is that it contains silicones so that was a "mehh "moment for me so I may look into silicone-free alternatives that would help detangle my hair as well as allow products reach my hair shaft.
I got this at kuddy cosmetics, can't really remember the price on this one.

ELF Mineral Infused Face Primer

I use this to prime my face and fill in pores and lines before the application of foundation. It is clear and is silicone based, best applied in a thin even layer as it tends to "ball up" when too much is applied ( or if you try to rub in). It did help my face look smooth and did not break me out. It however had no real effect on the longevity of my makeup.I liked the pump applicator however,  the cap tended to crack if pushed down too far. This is my second bottle and I really like it even for professional use. One thing I did not like though was that I could not see through to know the level of product left .It  also did not have a significant impact on those  with  oily skin on the  long term ( it instantly mattifies the  face on first application but  does not particularly work heavy duty with oil control, by the  way I have dry skin) so if you have oily skin, I think you should try the Becca Ever Matte Poreless Priming Perfector. It is pricey, but so worth the investment.

I am already on the next bottle, available at the Hadassah makeup Store.

EVERY STRAND Keratin shampoo with Aloe Vera (sodium chloride and sulfate free)

so after hearing a lot about sulphates being drying to the hair bla bla I went out and got this hoping to combat the frizziness that accompanies my wash day experience.

The first thing I noticed was that I had to use a lot of product to get the clean feel from my hair. It really did not lather much and I ran thru it rather quickly. I recently even got a second bottle and tried again with  the same results, I felt it really did not do much work of removing residue and build up

 from my hair.I have stopped and will probably skip the sulphate-free shampoos for now, thank  you. 

Got this at Kuddy Cosmetics store. 

QUEEN HELENE Cholesterol hair conditioning cream

In the spirit of trying to tame my dry frizzy hair I always do  regular cholesterol treatments with  some sort of deep conditioning hair cream. The Queen Helen brand has been a staple that has worked for me for years with good conditioning after wash. I use it about once every three months with a plastic cap on with or without heat.I am still on the look out however, for something better as I feel the conditioning felt in my hair lasts a really short time. I will repurchase for now till....... 

I got this at kuddy cosmetics store.

ORGANIC ROOT STIMULATOR olive oil heat protection serum

 This product I picked up from a salon store ( can't even remember the name).

I wanted to just roller set my hair and I was flatly told that  "we don't do that here" like I was old school or something. It was a Sunday (trying to prepare for a new week and few salons open) so I agreed to allow them flat Iron my hair which I rarely do ( with the dryness and all), so I asked for a heat protection serum (which I had to buy by the way) and I was given the organic root stimulator heat protection serum. 

I had a smooth silky result anyways but over time I began to feel my hair got this overtly silky "synthetic weavon/attacment feel" like products and oils I applied were just sitting on the surface of my hair shaft and were not really penetrating or being absorbed

I eventually started researching recently and I  stumbled on the effects of silicones on the hair (coating of hair shaft etc) 

I went back to all my hair products and found that some did contain silicones but this product took the cake! there  were literally "cones" everywhere lol! see a pic of the ingredient list below.

I recently decided to just discard the contents and reuse the container because I liked the pour sprout. To my surprise even after using a household detergent to wash out the empty bottle three times, it still had that oily, slippery feel inside. This further convinced me that this product created an impenetrable coating on my hair that would have shamed even the most clarifying of shampoos. I shuddered at the thought of how much of it I had been carrying around in my hair aaargh!

I am definitely not repurchasing this one! 

NEUTROGENA Alcohol-free Toner

This has been my HG face toner for years.  A replacement is already on my shelf I don't joke at all. It really tones the skin and is non drying. It does not give that irritating, burning sensation some toners can give. I have already  talked about this at length in a previous post on my daily skin care routine, click here to view it

SEA PEARL Cotton Pads

 

This cotton pad is flat and shaped like a circular disk. It is soft, fluffy and free of impurities ( I have tried some other brands and some cotton wool wads that can have some tiny grains that feel scratchy on the face..

This product comes in two variants the flat circular disk type and the cotton ball variant. I like the flat type cos its more convenient to use two sides and it consumes less product eg  toner

CVS Timeless Renewal exfoliating Cleanser

I recently started using this and I must say that I have fallen in love with it. It is a clear gel with tiny microbeads that help to exfoliate as I cleanse my face. I found it gentle enough for daily use and non-drying or irritating and as you can guess I already have another bottle on my shelf lol!

This  product is available  at the Hadassah skincare store. 

VASELINE Total Moisture Cocoa Radiant Lotion

I find out (generally from experience), that in terms of truly moisturising products from lotions to lip balms, brands like Dove and Vaseline seem to just "get it", so picking up the Vaseline total moisture lotion was a "no brainer". 

It felt really moisturising and non greasy. I also did not noticeably get darker with the cocoa butter. Widely  available in most supermarkets and cosmetic stores.

AVON UNPLUGGED Eau De Parfum For Her  (By Bon Jovi)

  This was part of a set of three ( perfume, shower gel, body lotion). It has this woody oriental fragrance with an exotic flowery scent mixed in. I really love it! It has a strong, long lasting scent that I like to reserve for my nights out and special outings. I would usually  pair with the shower gel and the body lotion for that feeling of being "enveloped in fragrant gorgeousness"

AVON UNPLUGGED For Her Shower Gel

This has a similar lovely scent as the  perfume. Really spot on. It comes as a gorgeously clear gel that applies and lathers well, readily liberating  its sweet dreamy fragrance in the bath that lingers long after I am gone. Love! this is one scent my hubby  cannot but ask about whenever I use it *wink*
I got this as a gift but I believe you can find in shops that sell Avon products or online via www.cosmeticsquare.com.

P.S
The Maliza L'uomo body spray in the picture is technically my hubby's empty but its a scent  I love on him so much that I always pick one up for him anytime I go shopping for my own products . so there............

Have you tried any of these products and had a different experience? Please comment below. 

Till my next post guys! 

Thanks for your support!

Hadassah.

DISCLAIMER

  This is not a sponsored post.