Naturalla Beauty

Avalon Organics Clarifying Lemon Shampoo
I bought this when I was having issues with buildup and an oily scalp and alternated between it and another non-clarifying shampoo.  The combination worked well without over-stripping or drying out my hair.  I figured out a few months ago that my scalp problems were more likely a mild case of seborrheic dermatitis, rather than just oilyness, and started treating that internally with oregano oil, and since then, my scalp issues have stopped, so I don't have any need for a clarifying shampoo anymore.  
Repurchase? For the time being, no.

Rachel's Plan Bee Original Body Polish*   [Review]
I've raved about the Rachel's Plan Bee body polishes several times now, so I won't go into too much detail here. These are one of my favorite scrubs.  The texture is perfect, they don't separate, and they're highly moisturizing, but not overly greasy or oily.
Repurchase? Yes.  There are a couple different scents I want to try in the future.

Meow Meow Tweet Grapefruit Mint Soap
I have problems with some bar soaps drying out my hands in the winter and unfortunately this was one of them.  The soap smelled nice and has worked great during the summer, but I had to put it away in the colder months when my hands became dry and cracked.
Repurchase?  Probably not.

Desert Essence Italian Lemon Hand and Body Lotion
I really enjoyed this lotion.  It was scented with only essential oils and had a much milder fragrance than most Desert Essence products.  My big nitpick is with the packaging.  The label started wearing off early and quickly began shedding blue flakes.  In and of itself, not terrible, but the flakes would magnetize and stick to anywhere I applied lotion, which became a big nuisance.  
Repurchase? Maybe.  The lotion itself was great, but I'm not sure I want to deal with the hassle of the label again.

Nourish Organic Wild Berries Body Wash
I featured this in my most recent favorites post, which is a pretty good hint about how I feel about this product.  Nourish's body washes are a longtime favorite of mine and the berry scent is really lovely.  It's sweet and fruity but also has an herbal/fresh note that keeps it from being overly saccharine or sickly.  
Repurchase? Yes.



Weleda Almond Soothing Facial Oil*   [Review]
This is a great multi-purpose oil to have on hand.  Made with just almond and plum kernel oils, it has a light marzipan-y scent and is very soothing and gentle on the skin.  I liked it a lot as both a regular face oil and to remove eye makeup, and I even used the last inch or so of the bottle as an allover body oil.  I'm actually very tempted to buy it again specifically to use on my body, as it left me with the softest skin ever.
Repurchase? Maybe.

Weleda Rosemary Conditioning Hair Oil*   [Review]
I mostly used this oil as a leave-in on my ends, but I also used it as a pre-shower treatment a couple times too.  Honestly, my hair is easygoing when it comes to oils, so I don't notice a huge difference between different ones, but this one worked well.  It smelled like rosemary and did a good job taming minor frizz and flyaway hairs. 
Repurchase? I'm not sure

Acure Marula Oil
I'm a little conflicted on this marula oil.  I loved it at first, but partway through the bottle, it stopped agreeing with me.  It stopped absorbing into my skin at all and would just sit on top and feel greasy.  I used the last half as a body oil and while it was fine in that capacity, it wasn't anything spectacular.
Repurchase? Probably not.

Yarok Feed Your Ends Leave-In Conditioner
I used another mini Feed Your Ends a couple years ago, and while the first one didn't impress me all that much, I really loved it this time around.  On my hair, it feels very lightweight and non-greasy and I also enjoy Yarok's signature lemon scent.  I used the spray mainly as a refresher on dry second-day hair, but it's also marketed as a heat protectant.  
Repurchase? Yes.  I have a couple other hair products to use up first, but I think this will be my next purchase after those.



Triumph & Disaster Old Fashioned Shave Cream (samples)
Triumph & Disaster is marketed as a men's line, but the Shave Cream certainly works for women too.  With a lotiony consistency and a great cushiony feel, it worked really well and, though definitely more of a masculine scent, I thought it smelled great too.  That said, as much as I enjoyed it, as someone who doesn't even buy shave cream half the time - that's what failed conditioners are for! - I can't see myself spending the extra money on a higher end shave cream.  tl;dr: Great product, but a little pricey for what it is.
Repurchase? I doubt it.  

Weleda White Mallow and Calendula Face Creams (samples)
I've used samples of both of these creams before, and they're okay.  The White Mallow contains coconut oil, which doesn't tend to agree with my face, and I don't love the scent of Weleda's Calendula line, so I actually used these sachets on my body, not my face.
Repurchase? No.

Studio 78 Off We Go Concealer in At Dawn (01) (sample)
I'm going to do a full review of this concealer once I get around to ordering the full size, so I'll save the details for that post.  Needless to say, I like it.  It's a much-talked about product amongst green bloggers, but I'd say it's worth the hype.
Repurchase? Yes, I plan to very soon.

Ilia Vivid Concealer in Cassava (C1) (sample)
The concealer itself was okay - light to medium coverage and nothing extraordinary - but what tipped this product over for me was the smell.  I don't even know what it smelled like, but it was fairly strong and I was not a fan.  I know I swatched this in The Detox Market a few months ago and I don't remember noticing a smell then, so I'm wondering if this sample just went off or something.
Repurchase? Definitely not.

Mineral Foundation Samples
I've been working through an accumulation of mineral foundation samples the last couple months.  I ran out of ones that actually matched me, so this batch is a mix of ones that, by themselves, did not, but I was able to mix and tinker between the lot to make them work.  Lucy Minerals is still the biggest standout for me and unmatched by any other mineral foundation I've tried in terms of both coverage and lasting power.  I also like Urban Minerals a lot and The All Natural Face foundation is okay too, though pretty light coverage.  As I've said before, I'm not a big fan of the Alima Pure foundation, which I find disappears off my face by halfway through the day.
Repurchase? I'm leaning towards going back to Lucy Minerals when I next need foundation, but I'd also consider purchasing Urban Minerals.

Real Purity Desert Rose Blush (sample)
Desert Rose is a very pigmented matte mauvey-rose shade.  I liked it, but it needed extra care and blending to not look ridiculous and clown-like on my fair skin.  I enjoyed using the sample, but considering the number of blushes I have and the little bit of extra work this one required, I'm not sure I liked it enough for a full size purchase.
Repurchase? Probably not.

Total Products Used Up in July
Skincare: 2  (Lip Balms: 0)
Bodycare: 4
Haircare:  3
Makeup: 0
Skin/Body/Hair Samples: 5
Makeup Samples: 7

Total Products Used Up in 2015
Skincare: 23 (Lip Balms: 7)
Bodycare: 28
Haircare:  9
Makeup: 9
Skin/Body/Hair Samples: 54 
Makeup Samples: 19

There's something delightfully nosey about watching What's in My Shower videos on Youtube, and even though I don't make videos, I thought I'd give you all the chance to poke around in my shower.  This is completely candid and without any editing of products, so you'll get to see it all: what I love, what I'm trying to use up, and what I'd half forgotten was even in there.  Here goes!


The Body Washes
I'm a bit of a shower gel/body wash junkie, so I really enjoy having a couple different ones to switch between.  I've praised Nourish's body washes over and over and I've almost always got one of them on the go.  Spiced Orange is not very spicy at all and has more of a candy-orange scent than anything else, but I've been enjoying it nonetheless.  Another citrus option is Scentuals' Grapefruit Body Wash*, one of the newer additions to my shower.  It's super gentle and the creamy consistency reminds me of a cross between aloe vera gel and a rich body wash.  Lastly, we have Leap Organic's Eucalyptus, Mint & Anise Body Wash, which is heavy on the peppermint and super refreshing in warmer weather - it's kind of like air conditioning in a bottle!  

The Shampoos

Acure Organics' Argan + Argan Stem Cell Shampoo has been a longtime favorite.  It's great for curls or anyone looking for a hydrating shampoo that won't weigh down your hair.  I like to rotate between the Acure and a more clarifying shampoo, which is where the Avalon Organics Clarifying Lemon Shampoo comes in.  I've only had it for a short time, but so far so good.  I use it about once every week or week and a half, to get rid of any buildup.  I'm also slowly working through Carina's Daily Moisturizing Shampoo.  It's a castile-based shampoo with a nice tropical, pineapple scent, but I don't find it does much for my hair.

The Conditioners
Acure Organics' Argan + Argan Stem Cell Conditioner is my favorite in this category as well and is what I use on a day-to-day basis.  Weleda's Oat Replenishing Treatment* is the last holdout from when I did the 30-Day #WeledaHairDare in the spring.  It's an intense conditioner, meant to be used as an occasional deep conditioning treatment, but it's not something I reach for very often at all.  I don't love the powdery, sweet tonka bean scent, and I'm not convinced it does anything more for my hair than a regular conditioning with the Acure.

The Randoms
I rarely buy actual shaving products, but Kiss My Face's Key Lime Moisture Shave has been nice for a change.  The pump is convenient and it has a light, refreshing scent and a creamy consistency that does the job well.  It's also super inexpensive and the 11-ounce bottle lasts just about forever.  Curelle's Build-Up Remover is an interesting product that you're meant to use in conjunction with your regular shampoo to get rid of product build up, mineral residue from tap water, or chlorine from pool water.  I don't know how it performs in the other regards, but I haven't found it very effective at cutting through ordinary product build-up.  I'm still on the fence about the Preserve razor, although I'm liking it slightly more than when I first reviewed it.  I just don't feel like I get as close of a shave as I'd like, plus because of how rigid it is, I still end up nicking myself a lot more than with other razors.  Lastly, the body brush is something I picked up at a local health food store.  It doesn't actually live in my shower, but I like to dry brush with it a couple times a week, before my shower, so I decided to sneak it in here anyways.  Dry brushing is great for both your skin and your lymphatic system.


And that's it!  I hope you enjoyed this quick peek behind my shower curtain.  Lining everything up, it seems like a lot of products, but - with a couple exceptions - they all do get used on a regular basis.  Some products, like the body washes, change pretty frequently, while others, like the Acure shampoo and conditioner, tend to remain as constants.  As you may have noticed, I don't keep any face products in the shower.  Instead, I just grab what I want to use  at the time - usually a scrub of some sort - and bring it in with me.  

What does your shower look like?  Clean and streamlined, or more of a product explosion like mine?

I knew I'd accumulated a lot of samples recently, but it wasn't until I was able to scrounge up enough shampoo and conditioner packets to last me the entire three weeks it took for my Acure replenishment to arrive, that I realized just how out of control this sample situation has gotten.  Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful I had these, but it does makes me wonder just how long I could manage off my sample box alone!  (A challenge for another time, perhaps?)

I'm not always the bravest when it comes to trying new haircare products, so this was also a good nudge for me to try some new things and get a look at what's out there.  Keep reading to see what samples I had kicking around and my first impressions of each.


Seaweed Bath Co. Unscented Argan Shampoo + Citrus Argan Conditioner
So-so.  The shampoo was pretty thick and was a little difficult to work through the hair at first.  It produced a decent lather, but left my hair feeling a bit too squeaky clean when I rinsed it out.  The citrus conditioner smelled great, but it didn't give enough moisture to my hair.  When all was said and done, my curls were left looser and frizzier than I'd like.

Bröö Frizzy to Sleek Shampoo + Conditioner
Mostly nice!  The beer in Bröö's products has always seemed a little kitschy to me, but the shampoo lathered well and wasn't drying at all.  From the feel, I thought the conditioner would be too light, but it worked well also.  The duo also smells like you're walking by a Cinnabon - a mix of cinnamon, sugar and yeast (maybe from the beer?)  It's a strong scent and it hung around for two more washes before it was completely gone, so bear that in mind if you're sensitive to smells.  Unfortunately, I got a massive pimple right on my hairline the same day I tried these, so something in them obviously didn't suit. 

Himalaya Rejuvenating Shampoo + Amla & Holy Basil Conditioner
Not impressed.  The shampoo smelled fresh and minty and it worked fine, although it had a funny, jelly-like consistency.  The conditioner was, quite frankly, horrible.  It felt like I hadn't used anything and I had to use something else immediately after.  I was also not a fan of how the conditioner smelled. 

Avalon Organics Nourishing Lavender Shampoo + Conditioner
I liked this one, but I'm not sure it would work for me on an every-wash basis.  I did a double wash with the shampoo and while my hair felt okay after the first wash, after the second, it was pretty dry and straw-like.  It removed some buildup that I'd been struggling to get rid of since my 30-Day #WeledaHairDare though, so that was great.  The conditioner was nice enough, but nothing spectacular.  Also worth mentioning is that the lavender scent of both products was a win.  It smelled like real lavender, not the perfumey imitations that you sometimes get, even in natural products.  I like to keep a more clarifying shampoo on hand for occasional use and I think I'll be picking this up - or another of Avalon's shampoos - for that purpose. 

Rahua Original Shampoo + Conditioner
A total letdown!  Rahua has gotten a lot of hype, but neither product especially impressed me, and they both smelled heavily of palo santo.  Palo santo is often described as a smokey/woodsy scent similar to sandalwood or cedar, but to me it always has notes of burnt rubber as well.  Sadly, the smell lingered and was strong enough to give me a headache.  I ended up taking a second shower within a couple hours just to wash it out!

Green People Intensive Repair Conditioner
I only tried the conditioner here, but it was lovely.  The scent is pretty flowery, but not offensive - even to a non-floral lover like me - and it left my hair feeling very soft and my curls well defined.  Green People isn't the easiest to get one's hands on here, but I'd consider buying it in the future.  

John Masters Honey & Hibiscus Hair Reconstructing Shampoo + Hair Reconstructor
So good!  I've tried several different John Masters shampoos and conditioners and have always been underwhelmed until this set.  These are really all around lovely.  The shampoo is slightly creamy and the conditioner is great too.  The duo is intended for dry/damaged hair and offers the perfect amount of moisture - eliminating frizz and defining my curls without weighing them down.  The scent is floral and a little perfumey, but hibiscus is a scent that usually works for me, and this one was no different.  The only thing stopping me from scooping these up immediately is the price.  At $26 for 6 ounces of shampoo and $28 for 4 ounces of conditioner, they're John Masters' most costly range.  I'm holding off for a sale! 

Green Beaver Cranberry Delight Shampoo + Conditioner
There are Green Beaver products I love, but unfortunately, the shampoo and conditioner didn't make it onto that list.  The shampoo was another one that I struggled to distribute through my hair, and perhaps for that reason, I didn't feel like it cleaned my scalp very well.  The conditioner was a little better, but ultimately too light for my hair.  The duo left my hair okay in terms of frizz, but while I initially had good curls, they ended up falling pretty flat within 2-3 hours of drying.  

The Bottom Line
So many samples!!  After testing all these, I'm still feeling pretty loyal to my Acure Argan + Argan Stem Cell duo, which I think says a lot about just how good those are.  Out of the all these samples, the only ones I can see myself buying are the John Masters (if I'm feeling flush), the Andalou Naturals (as an occasional clarifying shampoo) and maybe the Green People conditioner (if I was already placing an order from the UK).  The rest will be getting the pass from me.  

Because of my curls, I think haircare is possibly one area where I'm pickier than the average consumer, so do bear that in mind.

Have you used any of these?  What's your favorite shampoo/conditioner?