Maple Holistics Spa Day and Giveaway!

**These products were sent to me for review by Maple Holistics.  Reviews are entirely my own personal opinion**

Yesterday was a bad day.

First, Benjamin didn't nap once due to us getting a new roof.  This meant roofers were stomping around, pounding in nails and yelling at each other the whole morning and afternoon AND early evening.  This made for a cranky baby.  Second, I didn't have a chance to have a shower and/or bath the whole day which made for a cranky Christina.  Third, I woke up to two pimples on my chin.

There you have it.  A yucky day all around.  After Allan got home, dinner was eaten, baby was bathed and put down for bed, I handed the baby monitor to him and said "I'm having a Maple Holistics Spa Day".

Seriously, I am SO HAPPY I did.

The Shampoo and Conditioner were so relaxing.  They are limited edition products called "Winter Blend" and they seriously smell like candy canes.  The best part of these products is they make your scalp tingle and give it a nice cooling sensation.  The products are created with a blend of 5 different mint varieties as well as a laundry list of gorgeous therapeutic products (green tea, sea buckthorn and hibiscus to name a few).  My hair was clean and my scalp was tingly and I felt so much more relaxed after using them.  (Quick thing to note, because they are sulfate free you will not get the same lather you do with other shampoos.  I don't use sulfate products personally, so this is something I'm already used to.)

As you all know, I'm a sucker for a good skin mask.  Before opening the mask, I thought it was a scrub BUT was very pleasantly surprised to see it was a mud mask!  I have had mud masks in Thailand and Bali and this one reminded me of one I had during my travels.  I was instantly drawn in by the gorgeous lavender smell.  Seriously, so relaxing and luxurious.  The mask went on super smoothly and hardened within a matter of minutes.

I removed the mask after a few minutes and my skin was SO SMOOTH.  Seriously, I feel like a whole new person.  It's been a long time since I've said this but I will actually be buying this product again once I'm out.  It is seriously fantastic.

Now to the good part - GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Maple Holistics (and EduMuch) wants to send one of my readers a set of their own Winter Blend Shampoo and Conditioner.  To enter the giveaway, you must live in the USA (or have an address to ship your items to in the US) AND answer this one question - What is your favorite way to relax?

Check out this link too!  http://www.mapleholistics.com/free-products/

    

Drugstore Shampoo Failure: Garnier Fructis Color Shield

If you couldn't quite tell from said haircut below, I have extremely thick hair. 

I am told, consistently, how "amazing thick hair is" and "how many fabulous hair styles you can do with thick hair."  Though that may be true, I have wanted nothing other than thinner, easier to manage hair.  Yes, I love that I don't ever have to use thickening creams or volumizing products and can go for three (even four) days without having to wash it BUT this is where the convenience ends.  I use a handful of shampoo/conditioner every time I wash my hair, it takes ages to fully blow dry and a straightener will only straighten my locks if it's on the hottest setting.  This means, you guessed it, that my hair is unbelievably over-processed and dry.  Hence my need for a great shampoo/conditioner.

Unfortunately, Garnier Fructis Color Shield was not it.

Pros:

Smells just like strawberry yogurt

Price is phenomenal at $5.99 per 750 mL

Prevents color from fading

Cons:

Shampoo doesn't lather well 

Shampoo doesn't fully clean the hair

Conditioner doesn't do anything, at all

Hair looks lackluster after use

Conditioner on the left and Shampoo on the right

Booo...I had such high hopes for this shampoo.  Not only was the price phenomenal but I adored the strawberry yogurt smell.  Trust me though, my friends, when I say to steer clear of this shampoo; try not to be sucked in with the fantastic pricing.  I should have saved the $12 spent on these items and purchased something from the L'Oreal EverPure product line instead.

**PS - I should probably mention that my hair stylist, Alicja, who cut my hair into a really cute bob nearly died when I told her the type of shampoo I was using.  She said that my hair was so dry because of it and ended up giving me a ton of salon shampoo/conditioner samples to take home.  Thanks lady!**

The 5 Best Drugstore Shampoos/Conditioners

I'm a shampoo/conditioner snob and I freely admit it.  To me, a shampoo or conditioner is only worthy of my money if it comes from a salon. 

However, when Allan and I first began saving for the down payment on our condo, there were a few things I had to stop buying and my expensive hair products appeared to be the logical sacrifice.  At first, I was desperately missing my expensive Pureology items and all I could think about was how these "cheap" drugstore products were ruining my hair.  And then (prepare yourself for it) I found a shampoo and conditioner that actually smelled even better than my Pureology and from then on, I knew everything was going to be okay.  Haha.

The 5 Best Drugstore Shampoos/Conditioners

1.  L'Oreal Paris Nutri-Shimmer Shampoo and Conditioner - This is one of my current favorites.  In fact, I used it this morning and my hair still feels and smells amazing.  I love these products because they actually add a shine/shimmer to every strand, making your hair look extremely healthy.  According to the L'Oreal laboratories they developed nutri-shimmer with "Pearl and Protein which provides targeted care for the hair fibre."  Whatever they put in, it works.  I highly recommend it.

2.  Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo -  I picked this HUGE bottle up for $3 from Target when I was in the states shopping and have never looked back.  If you are like me and constantly use tons of hair products (pommade, mousse, hairspray, etc) then you need a clarifier to remove the dulling buildup.  I use this shampoo once a week (usually Sundays) and, afterwards, my hair is shiny and oh so volumized.  If you have colored hair like I do, do not exceed use of once per week with any clarifying shampoo as your color will fade a lot quicker.

3.  Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner - This entire line is amazing.  Not only are all their items processed without sulfates and parabens but their scents are PHENOMENAL.  (They have tons of different smells ranging from coconut milk to cherry blossom.)  I especially like this formula because it deep cleans without being abrassive and after using it, my hair is super soft, shiny and manageable.  By the way, these products cost about $8.99 (CAN) each and for salon style paraben-free formulas, this is such a fanastic price.

4.  John Frieda Radiant Red Color Captivating Daily Shampoo and Conditioner - Ummm, wow.  Love love love these products.  I'll say that I use the Radiant Red because I, obviously, have red hair but there are also formulas for Brilliant Brunettes and Sheer Blondes.  These two products are great because they actually protect your colored hair and keep your color looking bright for a lot longer, which is definitely what you need if you're a red head.  Another good thing is the price.  Yes, it's on the upper end for a drugstore product but comapred to what you'd pay for salon goodies, you're saving a wackload.

5.  L'Oreal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner - I wasn't a fan of this one when I first kicked my expensive salon product habit but I went back to it a few months later and it grew on me.  I have to admit that L'Oreal makes great smelling shampoos and the fact that this line is formulated without sulfates, makes this a great buy.  I will say that if you aren't too familiar with what sulfates are they are the additives that make your shampoo foam or bubble.  (Basically, they're an additive that can also strip your hair and suck out moisture.)  So, by not having sulfates, you'll notice that the shampoo doesn't foam/lather as much but your hair will feel better after it's clean.

What are your favorite drugstore shampoos and conditioners?  Have you used any of these products before?

XO

DIY Beauty Fridays: Banana Hair Conditioner

The only word that can accurately describe my hair would be over-processed.

I know, I know, I shouldn't be so hard on myself but seriously I color my hair every 5 weeks, flat iron it everyday, blow it dry every second day and even flat iron my hair when it's full of product. (Shame on me....) As you can see, my hair takes a beating which is why a fantastic conditioner, in my case, is a must. My absolute favorite hair treatment is MOROCCANOIL Restorative Hair Mask. I adore this product because it keeps my hair shiny, nourishes my split ends and improves the overall texture of my extremely thick hair. Of course, all of these positives come with a negative and that is the price - $60 is a lot to spend on a small tub of conditioner which is why making your own conditioner is fantastic:

Banana Cantaloupe Conditioner

1/2 of a banana (without skin)

1/4 of a cantaloupe (without peel)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Plain Yogurt

Place all ingredients in a blender and mix well until combined. Once done, remove from blender and apply on freshly washed hair, saturating from roots to tips, leaving on for 30 minutes. Rinse with cool water.

Why this works?: Bananas are an amazing natural product for your hair and scalp. They improve manageability and shine while moisturizing your scalp to prevent dandruff. Plus, they smell great AND cost next to nothing.

I actually forgot I had this recipe and as I was going through my computer last night, I re-discovered it. It brought back all the memories of when I would make this at home during my home spa nights. Seriously, I am so excited to go home tonight and make this!

Enjoy ladies

Say Hello to Awesome Hair!

I know you'll aware of this already but I have craaaazzzzyyyyyyy hair.

It's really thick, and dry, and color-treated, and frizzy, and sometimes curly/wavy.....and I like to texturize it myself. Yes, you heard me right. I actually have a pair of texturizing shears at home, from my grandmother, that I use between haircuts. And the worst part is, I think I do such a great job thinning out my own hair and am ALWAYS surprised when my hair stylist says "Christina, stop cutting your hair."

I have used everything to try to tame my unruly mane. Creams, oils, masks, deep conditioners.......(You get my drift). But finally, after spending heaps of coin, I've found my miracle: Moroccan Oil Restorative Hair Mask.

I would go loopy without this product. I'll use this instead of my normal conditioner about three times a week. I shampoo my hair first and then slap this on, leaving on the hair about five minutes prior to washing off. Not only does your hair feel clean, nourished and look impossibly shiny, but it smells divine. ( Like a sweet coconut island vacation...) The product helps to reconstruct your hair by undoing damage done by chemicals and even the environment. (Sun and wind.)

Heeerrrree's the kicker though. It's expensive. I pay about $39 for 250 mL. This size, though, lasts me about three months so $13.50 a month isn't so bad. Plus, since most people don't have crazy hair like I do, you could get away with using this once a week.

Rave Review: Organix Shampoo and Conditioner

Sooooo, for people that don't know me, I'm literally obsessed with my hair...(news flash, I know.)

Sometimes, I'm surprised by how vast this obsession is since it's sometimes greater than my cosmetic fixation. I have no idea if it's because I have short hair OR that I'm just completely anal, but either way I love to have hair that looks, feels and smells great. Oh, and if I can have smashing hair WITHOUT breaking the bank, even better.

Ladies, I have officially found a phenomenal shampoo and conditioner. The brand is called Organix and you can actually buy it at Superstore, Shoppers, London Drugs and even Zellers. It's about $7.99 a bottle and it smells like a dream. I am loving the Coconut Milk fragrance right now (being that it's summer and I don't live in the tropics) and am blown away by how moisturizing the shampoo and conditioner are.

Oh, another HUGE benefit is that the Organix line is completely paraben and sulfate-free. And all for under $10 a bottle.....you can't go wrong with that.

Try it guys, you will not be disappointed. http://www.organixhair.com/

(Wanted to also show you a picture of my newly cut short hair.....I am soooo loving it right now.)