Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV

I am a huge fan of Urban Decay eyeshadows.  They are pigmented, creamy and there is a wide range of colors.  My first Urban Decay eyeshadows were the ones from the Naked palette.  Recently, I purchased the Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV ($64) off their website and I also purchased the Naked 2 palette during the Sephora VIB Sale (review to follow).

I had been contemplating this palette for a few weeks and finally took the plunge because the palette was on sale for $29.  The reason I was drawn to this palette was because it has some bright colors along with some neutral colors.  The shadows were creamy except for the colors Midnight Cowgirl and Midnight Rodeo.  These two shades were the most glittery of all of the colors and and thus had the most fall-out with large chunky glitter particles.

April 2012 Birchbox

April is here and that means an April Birchbox.  This month's theme is Natural Wonders.  The products in this month's box look towards Mother Nature for inspiration.

There were a total of six items in the April box:

• Yes to Blueberries Age Refresh Cleansing Facial Towelettes
• Kahina Giving Beauty Argan Oil
• Kahina Giving Beauty Facial Lotion
• Benta Berry G-1 Exfoliating Facial Cleanser
• Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift
• Pur Minerals 4-in-1 Mineral Tinted Moisturizer in medium

 I'm looking forward to trying everything except the Taylor Swift perfume sample (which I have smelled before).  It's just not my taste .

Overall Grade:   B

Butter London :: Tart with a Heart

I've been eyeing Butter London nail polishes ($14) for a while now.  I finally caved yesterday and purchased two of them at my local Ulta .  Tart with a Heart (from the Holiday 2011 collection) was not available on the Ulta website but this was the one color that I wanted for my first Butter London purchase.  I had a 20% off coupon and decided to stop by my Ulta on my way home after work to just browse.

I was super excited when I spotted the last Tart with a Heart on the Butter London display.  I didn't hesitate, I just grabbed it.  My Ulta had quite an extensive selection of colors.  I didn't go crazy because these are the most expensive nail polishes I have ever purchased and they were not on sale.  If and when they go on sale, I will pick up more.  There were two reasons that I caved.  One was because I got the shade that I had been eyeing for weeks now and two, the 20% off coupon took the sting out of the $14 price tag.

Benefit Bella Bamba Blush

Benefit's boxed blushes have always intrigued me.  The packaging is unique and the names of the blushes are cool.  Recently, I purchased The Pretty Committee makeup set (you can read about it here) from Benefit during Sephora's VIB sale and included in the kit was a full size Bella Bamba ($28) box blush.

  

Milani Baked Blushes :: 02 Rose D'Oro && 07 Fantastico Mauve

Here are two more of the colors from the Milani Baked blush collection.  Up until this point, I had owned four of the colors.  You can read about my other Milani Baked Blushes here.   There are a total of nine shades I believe so the only colors that I do not own are 04 Terre Sole and 06 Bellisimo Bronze.  Both of these colors as their names imply are more of a bronzey color and I personally am not a huge fan of bronzers (I own several) and so it doesn't bother me that I do not own these last two colors.

Now on to the two new colors that I acquired about a month ago.  The Fantastico Mauve was on clearance at my local Target and the Rose D'Oro was purchased from a CVS.

My Beauty Diary Black Pearl Sheet Mask

Even though my skin is oily, I still think that it is important to keep it hydrated.  The last thing you want to do to oily skin is to deprive it of moisture because what ends up happening is your skin will just produce more oil to compensate.

I don't think moisture or oil for that matter should be the enemy of a person with oily skin.  Sometimes oil based skin care can be an effective and gentle way to care for your skin.  Please refer to my blog post on the Lancome Huile Douceur oil cleanser here  and my Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil here.

Recently, I started using the My Beauty Diary Black Pearl Sheet Mask ($13).  The My Beauty Diary line of sheet masks is from Taiwan I believe and it can be purchased from several online purveyors specializing in selling Asian beauty products.  I obtained mine from Amazon.

Sephora 2012 VIB Sale

The only time I make a purchase from Sephora is when I have a gift card or if there is a sale.  Earlier this month Sephora was having their annual VIB sale which they dubbed ChicWeek.  I had my eyes on several items but finally settled on Benefit's The Pretty Committee ($38) makeup set and Urban Decay's Naked 2 ($50) eyeshadow palette. 

I debated for a long time over what to get, going back and forth over a lot of products.  I am always a very pragmatic person and I might proudly say, frugal.  I absolutely love makeup but I will rarely pay full price for anything (a feat that I will boast to anyone who will listen, lol).

I find that the best things to purchase during these sales are either brands that don't go on sale at their more traditional outlets or what I call value sets.  The brands I am talking about are, for example YSL, Dior, Nars, Guerlain and Laura Mercier, just to name a few.  During the Sephora sales, everything is on sale, no exclusions.  During this particular sale everything was 15% off.  This is the best time to stock up on high-end brands.   Secondly, the value sets from Sephora are one of the best values around.  Usually, for a very reasonable price, these sets come with several items (they can be full sizes or deluxe sample sizes or a mix of both) which let you try out several items from one brand or a collection of items from several different brands.

Maracuja Divine Shine Lip Gloss :: Peaceful

One of my biggest beauty pet peeves are dry, peeling lips.   I am always on the lookout for something to hydrate and soften them.  Currently I am using the Jurlique Love Balm in Rose ($6.50) that I purchased from Birchbox (I had a $10 credit from them when the Tarte Lip Surgence lipstick came broken in my March Birchbox).  You can read about that unfortunate event here. 

I love wearing lip balm but sometimes I want to wear either a lipstick or a lipgloss instead.  But most of the time lipsticks and glosses end up making my lips more chapped.   The Maracuja Divine Shine Lip Gloss in Peaceful ($21) upon first impression seems like any other typical lip gloss.  It comes with a brush tip applicator and a click pen mechanism to advance the formula up from the barrel of the pen.  I prefer the click mechanism versus the twist mechanism of my Stila Lip Glazes.  The outside packaging is super cute with a vintage floral pattern.

Tarte Airblush Maracuja Bouncy Blush in Shimmering Poppy & Airbrush Finish Bamboo Blush Brush

I am an admitted blush junkie of the first order.  I love my high-end blushes and my more affordable drugstore blushes.  But up until this point they have all been powder blushes.  The Tarte Airblush Maracuja Bouncy Blush in Shimmering Poppy ($25) is my first cream blush.   This item along with the coordinating Airbrush Finish Bamboo Blush Brush ($28) was part of the Miracle of Maracuja 8 pc Skin Smart Collection from QVC which can be seen here.

Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil

Sometimes it's a bit shocking how things turn out.  I have what I would consider rather oily skin.   Specifically, I am very oily in the T-zone with the most oil on my nose and the areas just next to my nose.  I find that I have to use a setting powder and I have to blot several times throughout the day.

So believe me when I tell you that I am in love with using the Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil on my face.  Yeah, you heard me.  I love using this oil on my oily face.  This oil was the centerpiece of The Miracle of Maracuja kit ($59.96) that I purchased from QVC which you can read about here.  This oil is full size at 1.7 ounces and retails for $46.

HG Status :: Enjoy Conditioning Spray

I use a lot of products but there are only a few products that I consider my holy grail products.  My Enjoy Conditioning Spray is one of those products.  I think I am on my fourth or fifth bottle and I have been faithfully using it for almost two years now.

I was first introduced to it from my dear friend RC who mentioned that the Enjoy line of hair products were amazing and so good for your hair.  I purchased my first bottle at a local beauty supply shop with a Groupon.  For a 10.1 fluid ounce bottle it was $22 which is a lot in my book.  But since I had my Groupon I figured it was worth a try.

The reason why I love this conditioning spray so so much is that it does an amazing job at detangling my long and very knotty hair after my shower.   It conditions effectively too and leaves my hair so soft.  I don't think I would want to comb my wet hair without this stuff.  I feel because it makes combing through my hair so easy that it minimizes breakage which as we all know is important when you are trying to grow out your hair.  My wide-toothed comb literally glides through the jungle of knots that is my hair.

It is touted to also help hold on to hair color longer and it can be used as a heat protectant as well as a light skin moisturizer.

It has a pleasant scent that definitely lingers in your hair for several hours after using it.  I love love this stuff so much that it makes me a bit uneasy to be without a back-up at all times.  I would definitely recommend this product without hesitation.

Please note that Enjoy also makes another leave-in conditioner with a pink Enjoy star logo (as oppose to the gray star logo of the conditioning spray) that is in a similar bottle but without a pump but rather a squeeze dispenser.  I do not recommend this leave-in conditioner.  It does not condition as well and does not detangle my hair as effectively.

Overall Grade:   A+

Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadows

Wet n Wild products never ceases to impress me.  I am in love with their Color Icon Blushers (I own all four colors).  You can read my review of them here.

I must say I am equally impressed with their eyeshadow trios.  I purchased six of their palettes, which retails for $3.   The consistency of these eyeshadows are super creamy and buttery.  Most of them are heavily pigmented and glide on the lids so smoothly.  I cannot tell you how much I love these eyeshadows.  They rival my Urban Decay Naked palette and my Dior 5 Couleurs Couture Eyeshadow palette in 754 Rosy Tan, which I have reviewed here.

Now lets take a look at each palette.

Tarte The Miracle of Maracuja :: A QVC Exclusive Today's Special Value

I'm not one to shop on QVC but I saw that they were having a Today's Special Value on this Tarte The Miracle of Maracuja oil set through Allthatglitters21 on youtube at such an amazing price that I purchased the set without doing prior research or even hearing about maracuja oil before.  This is highly uncharacteristic of me.  Usually, I will read blogs, consult youtube or read magazine articles before making my purchases.  Lets just say I took a leap of faith with this purchase.  So for one day this set was $59.96 (full retail value is $203) for this eight piece collection of full size items.

Here is the product insert showing all 8 items.

This is how they came in the mail.

The set included the following (from left to right) with full retail price:

• Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara $19
• Cashmere Waterproof Gliding Eyeliner in Black Magic $18
• Beauty & the Box Amazonian Clay Eyeshadow Quad in Envoke the Smoke $22
• 100% Pure Maracuja Oil, 1.7 ounces $46 (reviewed here)
• Maracuja Creaseless Concealer in Medium $24
• Maracuja Divine Shine Lip Gloss in Peaceful $21 (reviewed here)
• Airblush Maracuja Bouncy Blush in Shimmering Poppy $25 (reviewed here)
• Airbrush Finish Bamboo Blush Brush $28 (reviewed here)

Also included were two samples of the Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Eye Base and the Brazilliance Skin Rejuvenating Maracuja Self Tanner.

 

I have not used any of the items yet so this is only an overview of the items in this collection.  Reviews and swatches to follow.  This item is still available on QVC's website  for $65.94 if anyone is interested.   Overall, if the items perform well than this would have been an amazing deal.

Please also consult Tarte's website for detailed product information.

Overall Grade:  A+ (for value and initial impression of products)

L'Oreal Nail Polishes :: The Rest of My Collection

As promised, I have swatches of the rest of the L'Oreal Nail Polishes from my small collection.  I might pick up more colors if there is a future sale on these.  But first here is 400 Tangerine Crush on my nails.

This is a bright, orange, cream shade with no shimmers.

Here is my entire collection.

 

March 2012 Birchbox | First Impressions

I received my first Birchbox today and I must say I am mostly pleased with what I received.   Birchbox for those that don't know is a subscription service whereby you receive monthly boxes filled with 4-5 deluxe samples of premium products for $10 a month.  When you set up the service, the website asks you to take a survey so that it can send you products that you would be interested in.

If you like any of the products you can order the full size version on the Birchbox site.  So now onto what I received for the TeenVogue March Birchbox.

Wet n' Wild Color Icon Blusher

Color me very impressed.  Wet n' Wild makes four shades of their Color Icon ($3) line of blushes and these have got to be one of the most pigmented blushes I own be it drugstore or high-end.  If I thought I was impressed with the Milani Baked Blushes, reviewed here I was mistaken.

These Color Icon blushes are wonderfully soft and buttery in texture and incredibly saturated with pigments.  I love these so much.  Do practice caution though since they are so pigmented.  Use a light hand and build up the color if needed otherwise you might end up looking like a clown.

Milani Illuminating Face Powder :: 01 Amber Nectar, 02 Hermosa Rose & 03 Beauty's Touch

Warning:  this will be a very picture heavy post.

Please note all of the images were taken late in the afternoon with the sun starting to set.  I've tried to correct the tone to closely reflect the true coloring of these powders.

Notice the pretty raised embossment of the rosettes.

I've always been a sucker for pretty packaging and novel presentation of beauty products.  Usually, high end brands like Chanel and Dior are genius at not only producing amazing quality products but they devote a lot of time to how the products look.  

You can see my review of the Les Tissages de Chanel Tweed Blush in Brun Rose here  which showcases the intricate embossing of the powder.   Because these prestigious brands command a hefty price tag, it is expected that they also look very unique and very expensive.

Batiste Dry Shampoo

For those times when you don't have the time to shampoo your hair there is dry shampoo.  Not only do I use the Batiste Dry Shampoo ($8) for days when I am short on time, I also use it because I want to prolong the time between shampoos.

Cheap & Cheerful | Essence Colour & Shine Eyeshadows

I love finding unexpected treasures where I least expect to.  Several months ago, I stumbled upon Essence makeup products at my local Ulta.  I must have passed the display many times during previous visits but for whatever reason, the display made me stop and take a closer look that day.

I first read about Essence from a fellow blogger who was from Germany which lead me to believe that Essence was sold in Germany or at the very least in Europe.  She raved about the quality for such an inexpensive price.  So imagine my surprise when I came across an Essence display at Ulta.

Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque

For anybody who suffers from dry, parched, thirsty hair, a good hair mask can help bring your hair back from the brink of disaster.  I've been growing out my hair and to help it along I've layed off the hot tools, made sure to not wash my hair too often (which can accelerate color fading and dry out the hair shaft) and invested in good quality, moisturizing shampoos and conditioners.

I've been loving and still using my Brocato Cloud 9 Miracle shampoo and conditioners which I've reviewed here.   Even though the conditioner is excellent, sometimes my hair needs an extra boost of moisture.  For those times, I reach for my Macadamia Natural Oil Repair Masque ($30/ 8.5 oz).

L'Oreal Nail Polish :: 310 Versailles Romance

With spring coming, somewhat early in some parts of the country than others, I find that I am drawn to very spring-y colors of nail polish.  This is a gorgeous peach shade with a slight pearly finish consisting of very subtle micro-fine shimmers. 

L'Oreal recently acquired Essie nail polish and it shows in their packaging.   Similar to Essie, some of the lighter shades tend to be streaky if not applied very carefully.  I applied two coats here and had some trouble keeping the streakiness at bay.  These polishes are $6 at any drugstores compared to Essie's being $8-$9.  So not much cheaper but, unlike Essie, the L'Oreals do regularly go on sale. 

I bought six of these babies during a BOGO half off sale at Rite-Aid.  So if you want to give these a go, I would wait for a sale.  Overall, I've only worn this shade but I'm impressed.  I will do a later post with swatches of the other colors.  For now, here is a glimpse of the other colors in my collection.

Overall Grade:   B+

Dior 5 Couleurs Couture Eyeshadow Palette :: 754 Rosy Tan

When I was in the market for my first Dior eyeshadow quint during last fall's Friends & Family Sale at Sephora, I deliberated quite a long time before choosing the 754 in Rosy Tan ($59).  Mind you Sephora does not carry the full range of Dior's eyeshadow quints but from the offerings that I saw on their website, I went with the most wearable and neutral palette that I felt I would get the most use out of.

New, out of the box.  Notice the gorgeous quilted embossing on the powder.  Taken indoors near a window.

I am a professed neutrals girl and this quint spoke to my pragmatic side.  There are five shades that do not have their own individual names so I took the liberty of arbitrarily numbering them to make discussion easier.

Borghese Nail Polish in Capri Coral

I must admit that I was not aware that Borghese made nail polishes.  I stumbled upon them when I visited my Rite-Aid and saw that they were on clearance at 75% off.  Originally, these retail for $8 but that day they were on sale for $2. 

Being curious and the fact that they were such an amazing price, I decided to snatch up four of the colors.  Here I am wearing B215 Capri Coral which is a very vibrant red-orange.  This shade is a cream formula with no shimmers. 

It applied quite nicely and was opaque in two coats with minimal streaking.  I would say I am pleased with my amazing find.  Now would I pay full retail for these polishes?  Probably not as there are so many other well known brands out there but for 75% off, I would say these are very good. 

I will provide updates on the other colors when I have tried them out.

Overall Grade:   A (mostly for the price)

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipglosses

I am not usually a lipgloss  person.  I think I am much more of an eyeshadow and blush person.  I think it has to do with the fact that lipglosses need to be re-applied throughout the day and thus are more high maintenance in my opinion.

With that said, when I do feel like like wearing lipgloss, I have a few favorites that I turn to.  A favorite drugstore brand that I quite enjoy are the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipglosses ($8).  I own four shades, all of which are creams with no glitters.

Lancome Huile Douceur Cleansing Oil

At the end of a long day the last thing you want is to spend a lot of time removing your makeup.  I usually do a two step wash routine.  I wash my face the first time to remove the bulk of the makeup and follow up with a second washing with my Nutrasonic face brush to remove the last bit of makeup.

A little background on what I wear on my face.  I usually wear foundation, powder, eyeshadow primer, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara and blush.  Phew, I know that sounds like a lot so coming up with a method to completely remove everything is crucial.

China Glaze Nail Polish in Knotty

I love China Glaze's Knotty ($7), which is a lovely champagne nail polish with multi-colored micro-shimmers.  One thing to note, this polish is very sheer.  I used two coats here but you could definitely go with a third coat if you would like.  I love how this color gives a clean and polished look.  The color is definitely subtle but the fine shimmers lends it some interest.  

Overall Grade:   B+

Les Tissages De Chanel :: 70 Tweed Brun Rose

I have always admired French art, fashion and of course cosmetics.  I finally made my foray into the French cosmetic realm last fall with a generous gift card from my sister, TH.   I bought the Limited Edition 2011 Holiday Les Tissages de Chanel blusher in 70 Tweed Brun Rose ($45) and the Les 4 Ombres eyeshadow quad in 14 Mystic Eyes ($58) (which will be reviewed in a later post).

First of all the powder has a very unique and iconic Chanel tweed texture.  The blush consisted of different shades of peach and pink in a raised pattern instead of one uniform color.  Initially, there was a gold overspray that disappears after the first one to two uses.

L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows

I remember the first time I heard about the L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows ($8) (back in August of 2011) and thinking that a drugstore brand had found a way to replicate the Giorgio Armani "Eyes to Kill" Intense Silk Eyeshadows ($32).   I was super excited until I heard that the Infallible eyeshadows were not available in the US.  Talk about disappointment. 

Well, I need not have worried.  L'Oreal released the Infallible eyeshadows later that fall in the US market.   The thing that drew me to these eyeshadows were the intense pigmentation and unique texture.  They are billed as a loose powder but they have a very buttery, soft, creamy consistency but they are not wet.  These shadows even come with a little stopper to help keep the powder from drying out and also to help press the powders down. 

Site Review :: www.mygiftwithpurchase.com

By now I'm sure it is pretty apparent that I love all things beauty related.  I know that I have discussed a lot of drugstore make-up items and some mid-range make-up and haircare items but when it comes to department store beauty purchases, I make it a rule (that I try to closely follow) not to buy anything without also receiving a free gift with purchase (GWP).

What is a gift with purchase you may ask?  Generally, it is a promotional set of sample size items that you receive for making a minimum purchase amount.  How can you find out when a particular brand is giving away a free GWP?

Milani Baked Blush

The Milani Baked Blushes ($7) are quite unique among drugstore blushes.  First of all they are baked which means they are very pigmented.   Most of the shades are shimmery, some more than others.  There are a total of nine shades of which I own four.  

These blushes have a marble texture with glittery veining.  Upon first look it might appear that the glitters are just an overspray but in fact the glitters are baked into the blushes.
 

01-Dolce Pink is a medium pink with a peach undertone.  There are some very fine shimmers that doesn't show up as glitter on the cheek.  In fact it looks like you have a very subtle glow as if you are wearing a highlighter.  This shade is my absolute favorite and the one I reach for regularly.

Too Faced Natural Eye Palette

I am a huge fan of neutral eyeshadows and even more so if they are packaged in a convenient palette such as the Too Faced Natural Eye palette ($36).

Honey Bee Cupcakes

Here are some honey bee cupcakes I baked today.  These were inspired from HEA's cupcakes for her little girl's first birthday.  When I saw them I knew that I had to try to replicate them because they were so darn cute.  Mine are not as nice as her's but not bad on a first attempt and they were really fun to make.  Enjoy!

These are chocolate fudge cupcakes with a pale yellow buttercream icing.  The bees are made of chocolate covered almonds with sliced almond wings and yellow icing stripes.

Cheap & Cheerful | Eyes Lips Face (E.L.F)

Eyes Lips Face has got to be one of the most comprehensive beauty lines I have come across.  The list of products that they offer is very long but I would like to highlight a few items worth discussing about here.

Studio High Definition Powder ($6)

This powder has been widely compared to Make Up Forever's (MUFE) HD Microfinish Powder ($30) so right off the bat you can see the appeal of the E.L.F version.  I do not own the MUFE version but from what I can gather from other blogs, they are very similar.  They are both white, silica based powders that are very finely milled.  The purpose of these powders are to "create a soft-focused effect that diminishes lines and imperfections."  It is a nice setting powder that reduces shine but I am not sure I can see the soft-focus effect.  For $6 it is a nice way to try an inexpensive version of the MUFE HD powder.

Overall Grade:  B+

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters | First Impressions

Taken in natural light.  Notice the scraping on the bullet of the Candy Apple. That was a new, never used lipstick.

I think the whole world must be in love with these lip butters because they have been very difficult to find.  I finally got my hands on these babies a few days ago at my local Ulta.  They were running a special buy one get one half off on their Revlon products.  These usually retail for somewhere between $7-8 depending on where you buy them.

There are a total of 20  shades but I only grabbed 4 because many of the shades were out of stock.  Luckily, these were 4 of the shades that I was interested in.  I might go back and get 1 or 2 more later if they come back in stock.  Don't fret if you cannot find these lippies at your local drugstores because these are not limited editions and should be more readily available once the buzz has died down a bit.

Luxy Hair Extensions

I have always wanted super long hair ever since I was a child.  I have attempted to grow my hair out numerous time but it seemed that it would never grow pass the middle of my back.  Getting it to that length would take such a long time that I would get bored and cut it short.  This vicious cycle went on for several years.

Currently I am growing my hair out once again.  Surprise.  To help it along I am laying off the hot tools and regularly doing the weekly deep conditioning.  So until it grows to the length I want, I am using the Luxy Hair Clip-In Extensions.

I saw these extensions being used in a youtube tutorial and was intrigued.  They looked so natural and beautiful and more importantly easy to use.  I must have watched their videos for about a year before I seriously considered purchasing them.  They offer a total of ten colors ranging from $119.95 for the 120 gram set to $139.95 for the 160 gram set. 

Brocato Cloud 9 Miracle Repair Shampoo & Treatment

My search for a good shampoo and conditioner has finally lead me to the Brocato Cloud 9 Miracle Repair Shampoo and Treatment.  Before I get into the products, a little background on my hair.

My hair is somewhat typical for Asian hair.  It is long, somewhat coarse, thick and wavy and also color-treated.  I am currently coloring my hair a soft black because after years of coloring it a medium, ash brown with highlights, it has gotten to be too much of an upkeep and the lightning process was damaging my hair.   It has gotten to be pretty dry; not straw mind you but dry nonetheless.

Though my hair is pretty resilient, I figured that if I went back to my natural color, I wouldn't have to color it so often.  The ironic thing is that after several years of continuously coloring my hair lighter, I am now having a hard time keeping color on my hair.  Every six months or so, I have to re-dye it black otherwise, I revert back to the medium brown color.

Now onto the products.   I purchased mine at the Ulta semi-annual Liter Sale.  I believe this takes place in January and either June or July.  Basically this is when their liter size salon brand shampoos and conditioners go on sale.  I wouldn't suggest purchasing these babies at any other time because you will reel from sticker shock.

I believe at full price, the shampoo and the conditioner retails for about $36 a piece.  Ouch, I know but on sale they are $14.99 each. 

Lets start with the shampoo shall we?  The shampoo is rather light (as oppose to a thick, cream-like texture).  To my nose, it has a light cucumber scent which I find pleasant and I generally do not like anything with a cucumber smell.  It is so neutral in fact, that I think men could use these products and not complain that they smell like a girl.

The shampoo is sulfate free (good for holding on to that black color) but still lathers very well.  It cleanses thoroughly but never leaves me with that stripped, dry feeling (and I shampoo twice every time I wash my hair).   It is one of the most moisturizing shampoos for being so lightweight.

The conditioner has a light creamy texture with the same cucumber scent.  It is labeled as a Treatment but it is sold in the same size container as the shampoo.  I think most people would use it as an everyday conditioner following the shampoo.  Again, despite its light texture, this treatment really moisturizes my hair.

I usually apply a generous amount to the ends of my hair, comb it through to distribute the product and put it up in a hair clip.  I let it sit there while I wash my face and proceed with the rest of my shower routine.  The final step is to rinse thoroughly and voila, I get super soft, moisturized hair that does not feel weighed down or oily.

Overall I would say that it does live up to its name.  I have loved these two products so much that I have religiously used them for the last year and a half.

Overall Grade:  A