What's in My Shower Right Now

And no, it's not Jon Stewart, much to my chagrin! :-)

Here are the beauty products currently in my shower:

• Neil George Everyday Shampoo ($20)- smells delicious, like Orange Blossoms, and doesn't weight my fine hair down
  
• Neil George Everyday Conditioner ($22)- same scent as the shampoo and detangles very well
  
• Neil George Intense Repair Treatment Mask with Indian Gooseberry ($38)- good for restoring shine and moisture
  
• Neil George Detangle Nourish Spray ($24) detangles and protects my hair from heat styling.
  
• Oscar Blandi Marine Mud Treatment ($26)- I use this as a deep conditioner every now and then
  
• Philosophy Amazing Grace 3-in-1 Milk-Based Shampoo, Bath and Shower Gel ($22)- I love the way this scents my skin
  
• Red Flower Ocean Purifying Body Wash ($20)- smells just like the ocean somehow and I love the pure ingredients
  
• California Baby Super Sensitive Shampoo and Body Wash ($11.49)- for sensitive, winter skin
  
• LaLicious Island Guava Sugar Souffle Moisturizing Body Scrub ($34)- see my previous review of this incredible line here
  
• LaLicious Coffee Bean Sugar Souffle Moisturizing Body Scrub ($34)
• Nude Skincare Facial Cleansing Wash ($34)- I've reviewed this before. I always wash my face in the shower
  
• Pangea Organics Facial Scrub ($32)- exfoliates with Adzuki Beans. This is too rich for my skin in the summer but is perfectly moisturizing come winter
  
• Carol's Daughter Body Aches Bath Salts ($18)- I don't take baths, but I sprinkle some of this on the floor of the shower for an aromatherapy treatment. It's great for days when you feel stuffy or have a headache
  
• Alba Mango Vanilla Moisturizing Shave Cream ($5.99)- I'm not a fan of the product but it smells incredible
  
• Detangling Comb
• Pumice Stone- for my feet!
  
• Mach 3 Razor- until I'm finished with my laser hair removal treatment
  

Early Shampoo and Conditioner Rave

A few weeks ago I used the evil, awful L'Oreal Creme Gloss hair color, a semi-permanent formula that is supposed to wash out in 28 shampoos and leave your hair in even healthier condition post-coloring. Not only has the color not washed out at all, but since I used it my hair has been extremely dry and unbelievably static-filled. Nothing I do (and I've tried everything) eliminates the static. I use a serum during the day to reduce the effect, but as soon as I run a brush through my hair (and I bought all new brushes), I look like I stuck my finger in a light socket. I emailed L'Oreal but never heard back. The damage to my hair is so severe that this, coupled with the utter lack of customer service, means that this will be my last foray into the land of L'Oreal.

I purchased Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo and Conditioner thinking that a shampoo and conditioner switch might cure me. I'd been using Neil George previously and liked it, but figured a change sure couldn't hurt. The Organix smells very nice but the shampoo left my hair feeling hay-like and while the conditioner did ameliorate this somewhat, my hair just felt dry, tangled, and eventually started breaking off! Next!

I then bought Phytojoba Shampoo and Bumble and Bumble Creme de Coco Conditioner (I usually prefer matching sets but made an exception in this case) and I can't believe the difference in my hair after just one shampoo. I obviously can't say that the breakage issue is resolved but the look and feel of my hair is much better--it's softer, shinier and smoother than before (albeit still filled with static. I could not hate the L'Oreal color any more than do). I'm hoping that with time the duo will have an even greater effect on my poor hair! These are not inexpensive at $24 and $22 each, but if they can improve my hairs condition they will be worth the cost.

What's In My Shower Right Now

I am definitely a shower and not a bath girl. Here is what's I've currently got crammed in there:

• Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo
• Organix Coconut Milk Conditioner
• Neil George Intense Repair Mask
• Neil George Detangle Nourishment Spray
• Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo
• Red Flower Ocean Shampoo
• Red Flower Ocean Conditioner

• Nude Skincare Facial Cleansing Wash
• Philosophy Amazing Grace 3-in-1
• Origins Ginger Burst Body Wash
• California Baby Sensitive Baby Wash
• Dr. Bronner's Tea Tree Soap

• Carol's Daughter Body Aches Bath Salts (I sprinkle these on the floor of the shower for an aromatherapy treatment)
• LaLicious Sugar Souffle Scrubs in Coconut Cream, Coffee Bean and Island Guava
• Pangea Organics Facial Scrub- Egyptian Geranium with Adzuki Bean & Cranberry
• Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Gentle
• Avalon Organics Shave Cream
• Clarisonic Mia

Kiehl's Argan Oil Hair Care

I've been using the highly recommended Alterna Caviar Shampoo and Conditioner for the past few months on my long, straight, fine, dry hair and was still waiting to see the magic when I got to the bottom of the bottles. The products were absolutely fine, but not spectacular enough to repurchase, certainly for the price, and I started searching for replacements. I've had a Kiehl's gift card burning a hole in my wallet forever and figured haircare was a good prospect since I dislike their skincare. I had used the Olive Oil line in the past but given that it contains parabens I opted for the sulfate and paraben free Argan line.

The Superbly Smoothing Argan Shampoo and Conditioner ($18 and $19 respectively) have a slight chemical scent and definitely won't have anyone coming up to you telling you you're hair smells fantastic. The shampoo does a decent job of cleaning the hair without terribly stripping and the conditioner feels very light but has tamed my static-y fly aways. My hair looks smooth and doesn't feel weighed down, and enable me to skip a day of washing my hair without looking greasy.

One small nitpicky issue--the packaging is so ugly! I don't mind the cheap, recyclable bottles since they are typical of the Kiehl's pared down aesthetic, but the color combination is not enticing or attractive. Nonetheless, the products have been working well and I intend to finish them.