Friday, February 17, 2012

Yes To Tomatoes! Yes To Carrots!



I told myself I would NOT purchase the YES To Tomatoes! because I wanted to try the Yes To Carrots! first. Well remember a few days ago during my trip to Walgreens to pick up my Aussie Moist 3 Min Miracle and the Yes tot Tomatoes  line was on sale for $7- something? Well they were $2 this time around! I could not pass them up!

I just tried the shampoo and conditioner and I was very impressed. As a fine- haired 3c/4a type gal I did not find it immediately volumizing, but I read that you needed a few washes to experience any recognizable differences. I didn't mind though. The shampoo was very moisturizing and I have no idea what people mean when they review this shampoo as  low suds.... I mean, if you want THAT many suds try throwing your head in a washing machine with some dish detergent - this will do the trick ;-) I was able to detangle with just the shampoo ( which I  would only do when trying out a new shampoo if  it appears I could acutally get a comb through it  at this point).

The conditioner was very creamy and a bit looser than I expected. I also used a bit more than I wanted but it's a large bottle so this was ok. It was pretty moisturizing to my surprise; my hair wasn't SUPER  moisturized where I was blown completely away, but it did a nice job.

The MAIN reservation I have about this product is the fragrance it leaves behind... I just cannot take it! It's way too perfume-y  and overpowering, and I cannot get away from it. I am extremely particular when it comes to scents and it's not a bad scent at all, just one I don't want anywhere on  me.  This smelled nothing like tomatoes ( thank the  heavens for that) but  the average person may find this to be pleasant. Not me.

**Update** The next day I tried the Yes To Carrots line and it not only left an unpleasant smell with robust artificial notes identical to its Tomato counterpart, it left my skin and head an itchy mess! I can't! This is one band wagon I'm jumping off!

I would have to say  Yes   NO To Tomatoes and NO To Carrots!


* I have also found a  valid review on Amazon that was both interesting and disturbing once I did the research. I  was sadly  and further turned off by this product line. I find it amazing how most lines that denote  words like 'organic' and 'natural' are only fractions of what they claim to be. Although I would not MIND purchasing a line that isn't completely natural, I hear buyers (like myself) declare that they are on a quest to find an ' all natural' product.  The turn off here is the marketing behind this line which is so misleading.  Some reviews down below will help explain better.

One reviewer writes:  
Can someone please explain to me, why in the hell a company that promotes a "Natural" shampoo, with no SLS, would use chemical perfume for fragrance?! "FRAGRANCE (PARFUM)" I had to wash my hair immediately after shampooing with this product, to get the obnoxious artificial perfume smell out of my hair, and I could still smell it! Not only that, it left my hair over conditioned and flat looking. Would've given it zero stars if I could.

Another reviewer:
If you like Yes To Carrots because it smells nice and it doesn't irritate your eyes, then then by all means you should buy it. But if you're asking my professional opinion, I have to tell you that I'm not very impressed by this faux natural brand.
Yes To Carrots?

According to their website:

All of our Yes To products combine the fresh, unadulterated goodness of organic fruits and vegetables with the purifying and moisturizing properties of 26 minerals harvested from the ancient world's most renowned spa- the Dead Sea.

Come on! While it's true that their formulas contain lots of natural goodies, they don't bother to mention that the functional ingredients in their products are the same tried and true chemicals used in other mass market beauty products. For example, their shower gel is based on sodium coceth sulfate (a cleanser) and cocamide DEA (a foam booster/thickener). While I have no problem with brands that like to convey a certain look, feel, and scent by using natural ingredients, I don't like being mislead to by companies that claim to use the "unadulterated goodness of organic fruits and vegetables" but don't tell you they include chemicals like propanediol and benzyl alcohol in their formulations.
Perilous Parabens?

Another issue I have with this brand is their stance on parabens. Their website also gives an explanation for why their products are paraben-free.

Parabens are a group of chemicals that have been widely used as preservatives in many cosmetics to ensure the products remain free of bacteria, fungus and other microbes. They also help extend the shelf life of cosmetic products. In 1998, the United States Environmental Protection Agency released a report stating that parabens - butyl, ethyl, methyl and propyl varieties - demonstrated "estrogenic activity."

Sounds like a mouthful, but it means that these chemicals could possibly imitate hormones found in the human body and have an adverse effect on our endocrine system when absorbed by the skin or flushed into our drinking supply. Studies conducted in Europe found similar results and we've found better alternatives to ensure your products stay clean while ensuring your safety when using Yes To CarrotsTM products.

The problem is, this is only half truth because subsequent studies have shown that the methyl and propyl parabens have no cause for concern.
The Beauty Brains bottom line

In my opinion, Yes To Carrots is just another brand trying to capitalize on the naturals/organics trend by hiding standard cosmetics ingredients behind an over-hyped soup of fruit and vegetable extracts. The products may work perfectly fine but, personally, that kind of hypocrisy turns me off.
 

Monday, February 13, 2012

Organix Conditioner Vanilla Silk: My first Use & updates

Let me begin by saying that my product reviews aren't based on  its properties such as its look, thickness, consistency, etc., although I may include these points as well. Instead, my product reviews are more for me to keep track of what worked and what didn't, memorable points about the product, and how it may compare to other products in my stash. In the meantime, I hope that my readers may gain a better understanding of how the products work and how they can benefit from it, especially if they have a similar hair type.

With that said, I'd like to review the Vanilla silk Conditioner from the Organix line. There are so many mixed reviews about  this product. I used this as a  co wash after cowashing the day before with the as I am coconut cowash ( that didn't provide much moisture). Well,  I actually liked this one! I have to use it a few more times in order to be certain, but for now so far so good! 

It "silkified" my hair immediately as a cowash. After doing a 30 minute dc, I  hopped in the shower, slabbed a bit of this onto my strands from root to tip, layered a shower cap over it, thought silky thoughts, and voi la! ..........My hair was so silky and smooth and after applying my kimmaytube leave in and some cocoveda oil I wanted to go out and buy some more! 

But before I do such a thing  I will spend the next few weeks sampling what's in my hair closet. I have a few other conditioners I'd like to try before I settle on this one. $6.99 a bottle is a bit more than I wanted to pay for 13 oz when compared to  my favorite Tresemme naturals Nourishing Moisture that is ~$5 for 25 oz.. I didn't need that much though which is a plus, but I'd like to cowash with it again without dc-ing first to see how it stands up alone. As long as this holds up on its moisture part, it smells so awesome that it would be a great treat just to keep under the cabinet when you want to be transported by the lovely and intense aroma of Tahitian vanilla bean!  Unfortunately my dc contained eucalyptus oil in it, which lingered annoyingly in the background as I tried to enjoy my silky vanilla scent. It's not a fake vanilla which I like. It's smells authentic, sweet, and pampering.

I really cannot wait until tonight when I cowash my hair with this once more..... to be continued!

**Update** I tried this again (2/14/2012 )and I must say that it did smooth my hair. I did not pre condition before, nor did I add any leave ins so that I  could determine how it affected my hair. Ideally I would do both the pre conditioning and post leave in treatments, and I plan to do that once I try it for the last time to be certain it is a keeper.

I'd like to use it one last time as after shampooing to see if it still gives the same results. If it does, this means its great for a cowash, as a part of a dc treatment, as a co wash without pre pooing, and as a quick conditioner after a shampoo when much moisture is needed but I don't have the time to dc at the moment .... we'll see ;-)

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Moist Deeeeep Conditioner


 

Now this is one deep conditioner that I haven't heard many complaints about. What brings me to writing about this awesome dc is that I JUST finished using it. I am currently trying to refine my products down to the most ACCESSIBLE and EFFECTIVE, and when I came across this at Walgeens I could not pass it up at $2.99 a bottle. After using it tonight I feel compelled to go back and pick up a few more ( only had I not bought the last 2)!

So  this was my 2nd time using it. Both times I used it as a cowashing conditioner for 3 minutes( after all, isn't that what is says)?v I first prepooed with coconut oil on top of wetting my hair with Taliah Waajid's Medicated mist bodifier leave in. I would never leave coconut oil on my hair as a leave in, but on top of this it leaves my hair nice and soft.

After cowashing with the Aussie moist and then doing an ACV, my hair was TOTALLY moisturized. I mean, WHAT A COMBINATION! It made me feel 'WHY OH WHY would any other conditioner exist? My hair was full, bouncy, and most of all moisturized. The smell and consistency are both great! The only reservation I have about this stuff is that it's so darn small and it's not found everywhere- it's not always in stock!

My new growth could not thank me enough for revisiting this.The price is a little high, considering it's not all natural and has some really questionable ingredients, but I can't really complain.
 My hair is about should length and I used almost half a bottle after 3 uses. I  didn't need to add anything to this to make it feel so special- again, it is the real deal!

***Update**** I used aussie moist again after my henna (2/10/12) and my hair was very moisturized, even more after the acv rinse. I did not dc after my henna because I wanted to see if the aussie most could hold its own! Well it did!

Aussie...