The Healing Seed Shampoo Review

Ok, I know it seems like I rag quite a bit on most of the products I review.. I think the reason I do this is because 1) I'm the buyer for a gift company and am always weighing the pros and cons of a product (in other words, I want it to be as close to perfect as possible, so it'll be easier to sell), 2) I want to discuss things others may have overlooked and 3) there are SOOOO many different products out there, I guess I figure the more I nitpick and don't compromise, the more information I can provide to you all to save you time, money, and help you find products you'll love and get lots of use out of. So there that is lol. Moving on, here is a review for a product I really LIKE!

Picture courtesy of TheHealingSeed.net

This shampoo really surprised me. I'm used to either Head & Shoulders (the soft and shiny one, spacing on the complete name right now), or Dove for color-treated hair. After one use of this stuff (which is all I had because this is one of the samples I got from the LA Mart), my hair was noticeably lighter, fluffier (but not in a frizzed-out, wow it must be humid today kind of way) and had so much shine. I was VERY pleased with the results of this. It retails for $13.95 for 8 oz. on the company's website (thehealingseed.net), which I think is pretty agreeable. My sample only had maybe a tablespoon if that, and it was plenty for my waist-length hair so I can imagine this bottle lasting a while. This also has a very nice scent, I believe in large part to the orange oil it has in it. I'm happy to have found something I really like since I started reviewing products on here and I hope you all enjoy it too!

AHAVA Mineral Botanic Velvet Cream Body Wash in Honeysuckle & Lavender

Picture courtesy of bathandbodyworks.com

This is another product I received a sample of from one of the showrooms at the LA Mart.. And at this point, I'm kind of just blah about it. It did its job in the shower, lathered up a bit (which I wasn't really expecting from something labeled a "cream" body wash) and rinsed clean with no residue (and no noticeable moisture improvement, I still needed lots of lotion post-shower, then again, I have yet to find a product that allows me to skip this step completely). I think whats lacking is the scent. It is only halfway there for me.. I'm thinking I'm picking up an almost herbal tone to it, which is kind of turning me off. They needed to capture more of the honeysuckle OR lavender, not dumb down both. This wash is actually really reasonably priced, I found it online at bathandbodyworks.com for $19.50 for 17 ounces, which is going to be a HUGE bottle. For someone who likes herb-y scents, I think they would really like this. Because its from AHAVA, of course its loaded up with Dead Sea minerals and plant extracts and this wash is actually marketed for sensitive skin types (which could explain the less-than-overwhelming fragrance). I have a sample of another scent, Hibiscus & Fig, which I'm more excited for. Oh and on a side note.. Just noticed the bottle on this stuff.. For a container this size, it REALLY should have a pump, otherwise you run the risk of slippery hands fumbling with it in the shower and dropping it on your feet.

Juicy Jewel Shampoo & Conditioner Reviews

This is one of the items I’m reviewing from the California Gift Show, which is a trade show that recently took place in LA. This is one of the items I was lucky enough to grab some samples of before the product hits shelves, in fact, I’m not even able to find a picture of this stuff online because it is so new. I don’t even have pricing information or anything like that but thought I’d review anyways for fun. Before we get too excited, I will tell you that after falling so deeply in love with the Juicy Jewel fragrance, I was expecting this stuff to blow me away (in a good way!) And I am pretty disappointed.. The scent of the Juicy Jewel fragrance is bursting with ripe berries, a hint of floral and juicy citrus.. As soon as I find this in stores, it will definitely be in my must-haves. The hair items I’m reviewing are actually named “fragrance conditioner” and “fragrance shampoo” so of course I was expecting the products to infuse my hair with that gorgeous scent and have it linger throughout the day.

Lets start with the shampoo. It is watery. And I don't mean like, oh its thin, this is basically like body spray consistency. The conditioner is one step up from that, about the consistency of a runny body lotion. The shampoo smelled fabulous as it was lathering up and the conditioner felt like it did leave a bit of softness in my hair. Unfortunately, after I got out of the shower and brushed my hair there was NONE of the scent noticeable, which kind of defeats the purpose of using products like this. I also noticed a bit of greasiness nearing the end of the day and my hair felt kind of heavy and product-y even though I didn't put anything in after my shower so as to be able to judge the products on their own. I'm thinking of writing the company and suggesting to them that they reformulate if product has not yet hit the shelves.. Not that they'd pull thousands of products on my say-so, but companies ALWAYS want input on their products. So for now, I'd say don't wait for the shampoo and conditioner to hit shelves (aka pass on it), but definitely go out and grab some of the fantastic gorgeous-smelling perfume from Juicy Jewel.. Its the perfect summer fragrance, and hey, I'm in Southern California, my summer lasts until October, so I can still rock it for a while :)

Bliss Blood Orange & White Pepper Body Butter Review

Picture courtesy of Blissworld.com

Whew, what a name! The first thing that struck me about this body moisturizer is the interesting combination of blood orange (a longtime fave scent) and white pepper.. Is this lotion going to make me sneeze? Hehe.. Not at all, as it turns out. The scent of this has actually turned into a slight obsession for me. The blood orange in it is very present and just begs to be sniffed but for some reason it reminds me of late fall.. Like when the Christmas rush starts and the Christmas-y scents come out. I'm thinking maybe I'm translating the white pepper into clove? Whatever it may be, the scent is definitely addictive and I really like it.

But of course this isn't a perfume, and this baby lays down the moisture pretty nicely as well. I didn't notice any greasiness after a few minutes (would wait a few before dressing though), and hours after I can still feel this incredible softness wherever I've rubbed in the lotion. My one drawback.. and unfortunately its a biggie.. This lotion sells for the not-so-bargain price of $35 for 8.5 ounces on blissworld.com or through their catalog. The scary part is, if this was the only lotion you're using, you'd go through more than one a month and for me at least, thats just WAAAY too much to spend on lotion. Maybe for a special occasion, or if you get a particularly nice paycheck, this would be an awesome splurge as a little treat for yourself.

Thymes Essentials AHA Body Lotion Review

                                      Picture courtesy of Thymes.com

First impressions: This has a very clean green citrus scent, made skin noticeably smoother after use, not tacky, soaked in quickly.

Price: $24.00 for 9.25 oz. Easy to Find: Thymes.com; other etailers; Larchmont Beauty Center, etc. Scent: green citrus. Greasiness Factor: almost none. Liklihood to buy again: medium. Overall: high rating for the scent and sinking-in factor, however $24 is a little steep when there are comparables for less.. nice to use for special occasions, when skin is dry and in need of a moisture boost. Otherwise for everyday use, its a pass.

Description from Thymes.com's website: Treat your skin to the gentle exfoliation of Thymes own alpha hydroxy acid fruit complex that smoothes and softens skin as shea butter and vitamin E moisturize.

Fragrance: A refreshing Mediterranean blend of Italian tangerine, orange and lemon, red currant, dewy jasmine, petitgrain, cyprus, a touch of sheer musk and sun-drenched grapefruit. Perfect for the whole family.
Gentle fruit & sugar acids exfoliate Smooth, fast-absorbing formula

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin², Glyceryl Stearate², Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride¹, Isopropyl Myristate¹, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Fragrance, Cetearyl Alcohol¹, Bilberry Fruit Extract, Tridecyl Stearate¹, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate¹, Cetyl Alcohol¹, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Shea Butter, Sugar Cane Extract, Sugar Maple Extract, Orange Fruit Extract, Lemon Fruit Extract, Ceteareth-20¹, Polysorbate 60², Tocopherol², Isohexadecane, Tridecyl Trimelliate, Dimethicone³, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Citral, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Linalool, Phenoxyethanol
Source: ¹Coconut and/or Palm, ²Mixed Plant, ³Silica