Just some notes on B&B stuffs that are awesome, and some that just didn't work.
Tried CocoaPink's Princess Poo and Shine Sweetie: As much as I hate to admit it, this is the best shampoo and conditioner I have ever used. It makes my hair extraordinarily soft without being greasy. Also, it didn't weigh my hair down one bit! The Vanilla Bean Noel reminds me of the Vanilla Betty Crocker cake frosting. Not too bad! Overall..... This product rules! Their So Broke Sugar Scrub is the best thing for my legs to keep away ingrown hairs and all other types of bad things. At first I wasn't liking the scent (Cactus and Honey), but it has grown on me. The scrub is sufficiently scrubby and foams slightly. The only drawbacks to Cocoapink are their spotty customer service, horrible TAT, and many of their scents fall into the "OMG I got ultra sweet sugar up my nose!"
Okay, in response to the Cocoapink review above, I took Andra's suggestion to heart and tried the Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo and Conditioner. It is wonderful and leaves my hair softer yet fluffy than Cocoapink's products. The only drawback is that they only have one scent (though I believe they also carry a lavender shampoo/conditioner?). However, this is the first shampoo and conditioner that leaves my hair so nice, that I don't feel the need to blow dry my hair all the time anymore. This product is wonderful, and I hope it is never discontinued. Also, it is incredibly cheap! Less than $4 for a 16 oz. bottle each.
So, now I am trying out the Aubrey Organic shampoo and conditioner. I started out with the Primrose and Lavender Shampoo and the GPB Conditioner since the new winter environment of Wisconsin has been making my scalp peel more than normal. So itchy too! I have used their shampoo and conditioner three times now and have to comment that when they say you need to shake the product in the bottle every time before use, they mean it. I forgot once, and the shampoo was so liquidy, that it did not do my hair any favors. These products are nice, but my bleached hair tips are extremely dry and brittle after use, which I have never really encountered before using any other product. Might be the new climate or something else. I love the smell of the shampoo. It reminds me of something, but I have no idea what. This shampoo and conditioner combo does not make my hair quite as soft as the Trader Joe's shampoo and conditioner, but it is still a nice change.
Need to try Chagrin Valley again. Their Grapeseed Shea Soap worked wonders on my skin! So soft and slightly scented. Wonderful! Tried the Neem and Tea Tree soap and found that it was way too drying for my skin. Not getting that one again. The Shea Rose Clay soap was also very pleasant.
Still need to try: Castile & Calendula Baby Soap, Chamomile & Calendula Soap, Chocolate Orange Twist Soap, Cornmeal & Honey Scrubby Soap, Honey Beer Soap (sounds incredibly interesting!), Honey Butter Soap, Orange Creamsicle Soap, Primrose Complexion Soap, and the Rhassoul Clay & Yogurt Complexion Soap.
As for Mad City Sue, I am in love with her Amber Embrace shower parfait. Excellent smell, and works great with a loofa. I also adore her soaps! Have only tried the Honey I Washed the Kids so far (pretty!!) and I have a Violet soap waiting to be used still. Very soft and pleasant on the skin. I am afraid that her sugar scrubs weren't really my kind of thing, but overall I adore Mad City Sue! Her Customer Service is excellent! Oh, I can't believe that I didn't mention her Shea Whip Body Butter from the beginning! It is the best thing for dry winter skin. As soon as you scoop some of this lotion out of the jar and put it on your skin, it melts into a moisturizing oil that sinks into the skin quickly and moisturizes really well. The texture in the jar doesn't remind me of whip or normal lotiony body butters, it is quite a bit harder at first, but it softens up quickly with a bit of body heat. So heavenly! Need to have a stash of this every winter.
Moonalisa
Gudoya Too
Crater Lake Company
I tried their All Tressed Up and Moisture Whip Conditioner. Sadly, their products really weighed my hair down and made it greasy even though I was careful in making sure that I washed out all of the product. I like to blow dry my hair after a shower, but even after using their products for a few weeks, the blow dryer wouldn't do anything. There was not a single bit of volume to my hair. Also, it made my skin break out along the sides of my face. I would consider trying out something other than those two hair products though. Their scent list is amazing, and there are other types of shampoos/conditioners.
I am seriously loving the face stuff by Woobie Bath. I got their Fluffy Facial Cleanser, Botanical Facial Lotion, and Night Time Botanical Facial Lotion. Within the next few days I will know whether or not it is the official cure for the stubborn, horrible acne that I have suffered from for nine years now. If it does end up being my miracle cure, now I will just need to find something to repair all the scars.... Yay for hope! -Update- It definitely worked wonders!! Even when I was supposed to get my horrible "that time of the month" acne, I only had two tiny little breakouts! Of course, the minute my skin started to clear up, I stopped washing my face religiously and the breakouts were back. So, this means I have to use the stuff twice a day, or else!!
Just tried Haunt soap for the first time! I have a few bars still to try, but I decided on the Milk and Nectar first. I love the texture of the soap. Nice lather and my skin loves it! The only thing I didn't like so much about this bar in particular was the scent. It smelled like those sweet tarts candy. Not really my thing. I have the Empire soap in my shower now. It is nice as well. This one's lather is a brown color, which was slightly disconcerting at first. Was sick the first time I used it, so I have no idea how it smells. Very good! The only drawback to the Empire soap was that it stained parts of the tub brown. Be sure to wash the tub out well when using this one.
I got a few Villainess soaps for a friend, and one just happened to fall in the cart for myself.... Jai Mahal is AMAZING!! I love the soft spicyness and the soap itself is nice and cleansing/moisturizing! Jai Mahal is one of my new fav's and the boy loves it as well! I also loooove the smell of Villainess' Embargo! I also got a Villainess scented soap, but I am not sure about it. It is REALLY heavy on the leather. I'm not sure if it is one of my favorites, but I do like it in a way.
BoondockG
Okay, so the next soap on my list to try is from the Beer Soap Company. I ordered from their etsy store since there were more scent choices there, but I would suggest using the Soap Box Co. instead. It took forever for the package to arrive to me.... Anyways, on to the soap reviews. I got my boy the Wood Cashmere one. It is a nice, sweet, woodsy scent. Very pleasant. I have yet to use it in the shower though.
I have been using the facial serums from Dress Green on Etsy for a month now and have seen some amazing improvements in my skin. I had to stop using the Woobie bath facial cleanser because I started getting horrible cystic acne that was not effected by it. Anyways, I have been using Dress Green's Smoothing and Reparative Serum as both facial cleanser and moisturizer in one. It is amazing! Ever since moving to WI from CA, my face has been dryer than normal to the point of intense flakiness. Dress Green's facial serums got rid of the flakiness over night and I have only had two small breakouts since starting up with it. Also, it smells wonderful! I am definitely going to be a repeat customer!
I tried the Timeless Shampoo and Conditioners from Heaven and Earth Essentials but sadly together they weren't for me. The shampoo itself seemed to coat my hair with something and after using the conditioner, my hair was just weighed down and kind of greasy. Really weird. I did like their bar shampoo though! Substituting the timeless shampoo with the bar shampoo made things nice and soft!
