[Reviews] Hair products: Dove S&C, Garnier S&C and Loreal Elseve Color Vive Protective Mask

Remember my loot post few days ago? http://cecilywishes.blogspot.com/2011/02/todays-loot.html. Well guess what? I am in a perfect mood to write a review. *hallelujah!* So here it goes. :)

Some notes:

I wash my hair at night. Yes only at night. I do not shampoo in the morning because based on my previous experiences, my hair betrays me during the day if I try to give it a shampoo wash so ever since then I just washed it with water. At night, I try to deep condition twice until thrice a week.

 

1. Dove Therapy Colour Care Shampoo and Conditioner

I used this first among the three products. Both shampoo and conditioner I tested them on the same night. The smell is nice not revolting as expected with every Dove products because they claim to be mild. Its not fragrance free though but its still passable in my nostrils. After washing out and conditioning, my hair feels alright, soft to touch, overall it’s a likeable feeling which extends until the next morning. My hair is not greasy. The hair looks and feels fresh after a day. Although I am not that raving it.

Verdict:   |    Recommended? OK!  |  Price: PHP 185.00 (each)

2. Garnier Fructis Fortifying Shampoo and Conditioner

Oh so here we are at the worst product. lol what an intro. Alright, after using Dove, I decided to try this one even though the reviews at Make Up Alley are revolting. As usual, I shampooed and conditioned at night. Has a fragrance but the nostrils again has a passable score for it. But the shampoo doesn’t lather that well. Maybe the SLS content is not that strong? (lol ok that’s a carcinogen accdg to cosmetics database) So I didn’t feel like my hair is thoroughly cleaned but anyway, I proceeded with the conditioner. The conditioner is alright again. First night and day with Garnier products: I gave it a passable score. I actually still liked my hair when I used it. So I decided to try it again for the second day. At this point, I wanted to use the shampoo together with the Loreal Elseve Hair Mask. So as usual, lathered the hair then proceeded with the 1-2 min hair mask. I will not put the verdict first but lets proceed with the next review…

3. Loreal Elseve Color Vive Protective Mask

Here we go. So I put the Hair Mask for 1-2 mins. The smell of this product? REVOLTING. The nostrils couldn’t take it that much. It had a few sneezes all over. I still continued though. The sneezing continued until I dried my hair. Overall feeling? I think I liked it at first, I didn’t realize the effect until late this evening.

Around, mid afternoon, I feel like my scalp has been acting weird. I tend to touch it all the time. I think scratch is the term not touch. I still didn’t wash my hair though. But when evening came, I noticed that the itching worsened and I noticed some oil build up in my scalp. It left a deposit in my nails, imagine that. :o That’s when I finally thought, it should be either the Garnier prods or the Loreal Elseve. I feel like itching again as I type this. *scratch*

I definitely needed a deep cleansing after using those heavy products. Unfortunately I got no clarifying shampoo on hand. (PS. Clarifying Shampoos tend to be expensive :o) Good thing I researched and found out about baking soda to remove the gunk in the hair.

Here’s what I used: 2 tbsp of Baking Soda + 3 tbsp of Dove Shampoo. (My measures might be a lot though lol)

I used that forumula to clarify my hair. And truth to be told, my hair feels lighter right now as compared before. The itching has lessened and I am quite relieved with that.

Here’s more to add insult to injury, I noticed bumps in my hair and back and also in around my hairline!!!! Argh, after taking care of my skin for quite a long time….

Alright yeah so right now I have learned my lesson. I will probably need to rethink about these two products. They are quite expensive though and I do not want to throw them away that fast. But before that, I shall fix my greater concern first, the skin irritation! SO till then Loreal and Garnier, goodbye and goodluck.

---

Garnier Fructis Fortifying Shampoo and Conditioner

Verdict :   |    Recommended? use it with caution!  |  Price: PHP 25.00 (for the small freebie bottle)

Loreal Elseve Color Vive Protective Mask

Verdict :   |    Recommended? if you are in for a challenge, then use it lol  |  Price: PHP 250.00

---

XOXO, C

Singapore (some) loot

April 29, 2010 Edit: Added Review. after 2 weeks of usage.

Need a filler post because people who know me personally are demanding “Cecily” to post a beauty blog hahaha LOL. No seriously, because a lot of my friends know this blog already, I should be more responsible from now on. That means, I should regularly blog?? lols I’ll try. :D

Here are some of the things that I bought recently. And yes I am still here in Singapore for a month and a half already yay. I miss my Derm! I mean, my face misses the facial treatment already hehe.

Panasonic Eyelash Curler.

This is a SURPRISE gift from my Best Buddy (Of Whom I met after 6 years cause we are miles apart lol) Surprise because I was with her when she bought it HAHAHA. Cool. Despite my incessant try to reject, I couldn't resist because YOU know I cant hide my facial expression when I like something. My eyes and actions are readable. Naww that’s sometimes good but oftentimes bad cause I can’t even do a simple white lie for practically sake! (okay, OFF TOPIC. moving on…) This product was reviewed by ekimura and she made a good review about it. I will make my review soon also. :D

▮▮▮► Verdict: N/A Recommended? N/A. Not available because I plan to make an in depth review so watch out. :)

Lux Silk Caress Body Wash. Erm my Ysa Papaya Soap ran out already and I couldnt find any alternative. I didnt know that soaps are not really a thing here in Singapore. I have to settle with Lux cause it claims to whiten, exfoliate and Moisturize. It’s cheap and I am praying that it will not do any harm with my skin. ▮▮▮► Verdict: ★★★★☆ Recommended? ✔ And yes! It is not harmful on my skin. Good body wash but I am not sure with the whitening though…

Neutrogena Oil Free Eye Make Up Remover. I ran out of VMV Make Up Remover as well and found this Neutrogena product on sale that’s why I bought it. It’s supposed to be a Clinique’s Dupe cause both product looks the same although I am not sure with the effectivity. ▮▮▮► Verdict: ★★★☆☆ Recommended? ✔ Not really raving it although it says its oil-free, somehow the consistency is very oily especially when applied to the eye. I am not that comfortable in using it cause it gives me blurry vision. I like tightlining my eyes so this product is quite hard to use when removing my eye liner. I still prefer the VMV Make Up Remover.

Biore UV Face Milk SPF 50+++. Was about to buy another Sunblock called “Acned” and it also has SPF 50+ plus its claims to be oil free and clears acne as well but was halted by my best buddy cause she was not convinced and I was glad I did follow because…it has mineral oil in it and lots of other ingredients which are possible allergens. EEEK. shhh. plus its made from China so…not really bias but you know, I want to avoid any formaldehyde reactors applied in my face. ▮▮▮► Verdict & Recommended? see this post: http://cecilywishes.blogspot.com/2010/03/review-face-sunblocks-from-neutrogena.html ❥

Fiber Top Coat Nail Polish. Bought this at Daiso (the international name of Saizen.) Recently, my nails are chipping so bad cause I am doing the dishes which I dont normally do at home in the PH. Sounds like I am a spoiled brat there but you know back home in the PH, my fingertip eczema is triggering whilst here in SG, it was suddenly not acting up (knock on the wood) Maybe the air is cleaner here I guess…So there I am hoping that this Fiber Top Coat Nail Polish can save my nails. ▮▮▮► Verdict: ★☆☆☆☆ Recommended? ✘ This product is such a pain in the *** It has a very THICK consistency making it harder to apply in the nails because it scoops a bit glob THUS making it longer for the nail to dry! LIKE HOURS! UGH I just wasted my S $2 at Daiso.

Sometime ago, I also bought these three products and I currently use them all. They are great by the way and pretty cheap in my opinion.

LA Girl Eyeliner in Deep Purple. ▮▮▮► Verdict: ★★★★☆ Recommended? ✔ I super like this eye liner because it glides easily and it really accentuates my eyes. TIP: Try to use this color in smokey eye look rather than black or brown. It makes a great difference in the eyes. :)

SilkyGirl Double Intense Waterproof Mascara. ▮▮▮► Verdict: ★★★★☆ Recommended? ✔ I dont have any issues with this mascara except…it clumps when using my Panasonic Curler. I dont know maybe it depends on the way I curled my eyes…but anyway, I still have to learn the trick in applying this mascara w/o much mess.

LA Girl French Manicure. ▮▮▮► Verdict: ★★★★★ Recommended? ✔ PERFECT! almost the same as my nailcolor BUT BETTER. The only bad thing is, this nailpolish is gone in my collection. WHY? I accidentally let it slip on my hand, turning it into broken pieces of glass. :( It’s a bit pricey so I didn't buy another. No more pieces left also in the shelf of vivo mart so…move on move on.

Liole Blooming Tint. I found the review of frmheadtotoe (Watch it below) and was curious about this Benefit’s Benetint Dupe. I am instantly convinced to try so good thing I found this on the shelf of Sasa although the one I saw is in a different packaging. I think it costs $14 but we got it for $11 cause it was on sale) I bought the red one while my best buddy (again who’s with me haha) bought the pink tint. The SA told that the Pink Tint is a bit subtle but for me the differences are not really noticeable heheh. I like this tint so much cause it gives me a natural red lips look. ▮▮▮► Verdict: ★★★★★ Recommended? ✔

Alright, I think that’s it in general. :)

Till then. xoxo

[Review] 2 Whitening Lotions | Maxi Peel Exfoliating Lotion + Skin White Glutathione SPF 20

ME? Never a fan of lotion. I hate the icky feeling that any lotion gives. Being an oily skin myself, I already have enough oils in my face so I cant bear to have another greasiness in my body. But since I am kikay lately, I decided for a change. Why not try these whitening products in the grocery stores? They’ve been recommended by a lot in the Girltalk forum. That sounds believable, Isn’t it? :)

A. The first lotion I have tested is Maxi Peel Exfoliating Lotion.

Lets check out what they have said in their website:

Maxi-peel Neck & Body Exfoliant Lotion

[View Commercial]

It has gentle MICRO-EXFOLIATION TECHNOLOGY that best provides smoother, whiter, and even skin all over your body!

• SMOOTHENING: has gentle micro-exfoliating action and dissolving beads that removes dead skin cells to reveal smoother, younger-looking skin!
• MOISTURIZING: packed with moisturizers to soften rough body parts such as elbows & knees!
• FAST WHITENING: evens out skin complexion, from neck to body, in 2 weeks!
• VITAMIN-ENRICHED: has Vitamins B5, B3 and E that moisturize the skin!
• COOLING & NON-STICKY after-feel: leaves skin with that cooling & lightweight feel!
• Intense SUN-PROTECTION: packed with SPF10 to protect skin from harmful UV rays!
• Perfect complement for the Maxi-peel Exfoliant
• Dermatologist Tested Safe and Effective

PROs: Love the smell, CHEAP!, NOT THAT GREASY, has a salicylic acid which doesn't promote acne break outs.

DID it whiten my skin? I don't know. For me it was more of a lotion and sunblock to me.

CONS: I think I saw phenoxyethanol. (Harsh preservative), UGLY packaging, LOW SPF

I have finished two small bottles and I bought a big one but consumed halfway cause I’ve decided to change and try other products which has a more SPF content. And by the way when they said, INTENSE SUN PROTECTION, that’s BS. Cause SPF 10 is tooo low at the moment. If Caucasians will use this, they will BURN!

B. So my second experiment is Skin White Glutathione SPF 20.

SkinWhite Glutathione Lotion

• Delivers intense whitening that helps lighten even stubborn mark and spots.
• Experince a high level of whiteness in just 7 days!
• Has Vitanourish formula combines vitamins B5, B3, C & E that moisturizes your skin making it soft & smooth all over!
• Has none-greasy & non-sticky formula leaves your skin feeling light.
• Has spf20 provides skin total skin protection
• Available in 10ml, 50ml and 100ml

PROs: CHEAP! I bought the smaller one. (88+) Big applause for the SPF 20!

DID it whiten my skin? I don't know. BUT READ THE CONS.

CONS: BAD PACKAGING, BAD SMELL, IT LEAVES A HEAVY FEELING IN THE SKIN ANNNNNNNNND The precursor of my SKIN ALLERGIES!!!!!!!!!!

I only used it twice. I have tried it for the first time in my arms in lower content and I added Witch Hazel on it. NO sting, NO rashes. BUUUT.

The second time I have used it, it was last August 22. I decided to put it all over my exposed skin. Arms and Legs. Thank God I didn't put in my neck. I still included Witch Hazel thinking it will protect me if ever I will experience anything. BUT it didn't protect me. The night after that, I experienced itching on my elbows. The part where I put too much. August 23, I ate to a Japanese store and didn't mind much about the itchiness.

August 24, I’ve got these bumps (as seen in the pic) in my KNEES (I also put too much on this) and they are SOOOO itchy! Around afternoon, it spread in my legs, I scratched and I felt these measles like rashes! *goosebumps*

I blamed the Japanese food cause I ate Shoyu Ramen and I found out that Shoyu Ramen has a 1tbsp or SAKE (Japanese Rice Wine) and I am allergic to alcohol. August 25, I woke up really feeling bad and my eyes are swollen too. I went to the hospital cause my grandma’s been bugging me to have a check up. A dermatologist checked me and said that they have developed into pustules (eww) and they have hairs which means they developed into hair follicle and so its probably something I have put which rejected my body or skin. She believed that the lotion did it not the Japanese FOOD. The food might aggravate it maybe but since I was already itching the day before my Japanese food trip, the lotion is more of the suspect.

Gosh, you dont know how hard it is to have these bumps. I am itching as I type this entry. My first entry after a long hiatus and yet I encountered this one. :( Anyway, I was prescribed a steroid cream and anti histamine. I don't see any improvement yet cause I still itch. The meds are for 7 days. I hope I get well cause ugh…they are so unsightly.

OH I have to stop everything. Including my whitening soap. I will only use Ivory and no harsh chemicals in my body until these subsides. Including the Jojoba Oil – which I am trying not to remove cause its love. <3

CONCLUSION:

NOT RECOMMENDED. No need to rate its way below for me. Beware of the Whitening Lotions available in the market today especially if you have a sensitive skin. I didn't know I have until I was checked by my derma. Do have a skin test at the wrist or insides of the arm first but they are not really accurate I believe so better yet, stay away from whitening lotions first if you don't want to end up like me with all of these bumps in my arms and legs. But what didn't work for me may work for you. So its your choice to use it and take the risk. :)

[Review] Opal Conditioner

I purchased this conditioner last April 29, 2009 and I can count the times I have used this. Three? Four? The first time I tried it, it was a disaster. By the way, I bought this since there are a lot of raves about this product in GT forum.

Testing of the hypothesis using the 5 Senses.

Look: Packaging is in 225ml tube. The texture is the same with other conditioners except that it has pink micro beads on it. I believe those tiny bits give illuminating effect in the hair. After using it in a day, I noticed that I became a brunette in direct sunlight or even in normal daylight room.

Smell: It really has a strong fragrance. Which at first I thought its really cool but eventually I find myself having a headache and with a few sneezes. Fragrance is not a good indication in a product by the way. My head started to itch after a day.

Touch: When I put the conditioner in my hair, within a few minutes while washing off, I notice a lot of hair falls and I do not normally see that numerous amount before using Opal. It probably didn't help when I let it stay for at least 2 mins while cleaning my body (this is my shower routine: Head to toe) I didn't directly put the product in my scalp, I put it directly onto my roots then used the remaining on my head. The after effect is silky smooth hair but a lot of disturbing hair falls even after a few days without using OPAL. By the way, the smell stayed strong even after 3 days or more. :( When I used it the second time after a week, I only put it in my hair roots and didn't let the product touch my scalp. No difference, hair fall is still there.

Taste: N/A

Hear: N/A

Conclusion:

Look at the ingredients^. The probable cause of my hair fall is due to the parabens and alcohols OR the strong fragrance of this product. As I quote from another website:

Avoid products with artificial fragrances and parabens especially as these are some of the more damaging chemicals both for the environment and for your health.

and

Avoid hair conditioners containing alcohol. This holds true for all hair types --dry, oily and normal; as alcohol results in dries the hair and might cause hair loss.

Recommended? Not. Score? 2 out of 5.

Disclaimer: Some people don't have problems with this product. Their bodies can probably tolerate the ingredients. But for everyone's safety and after using this myself, I do not recommend it for everyone since I experienced hair fall and scalp itching and even redness in my neck after using it.

Just my two cents :)

PS: It’s so unfortunate that my Opal Conditioner is just laid in peace in my bathroom’s closet. I want to give this to anyone but since probably my family is allergic too, I dont know who to give this away. If you are interested, send me an email if you know it or comment at this post. Im giving it for free, you pay the shipping or we can set a meet up.