Shampoo and Conditioner from Lush

 Next week we'll get back to regular cosmetics reviews, but since I can't build up a good dance-sweat to stress test face makeup and this new nail product I have needs to be subjected to a week of wear to determine its durability, we're going to talk about shampoo and conditioner!

So even though I have long, gorgeous hair that I really love, I've always been a bit of a cheapskate when it comes to shampoo and conditioner. I usually use some $3/bottle stuff from Trader Joe's. Every now and then I go through a stage of using bar shampoo (as in, it's in the form of a bar like soap, not I get it at the pub), but since we have hard water here I have to do a vinegar rinse and that is not. fun. Anyway, I went to Lush to have the professionals do my henna (so much easier!) and they of course talked up some of their hair products and I decided, well, why not, my hair is worth it, I'll buy some fancy, expensive products and see how I like them.

Well, I love them! The Jasmine and Henna Fluff-Eaze is a pre-wash conditioner that is ideal for brown or red hair. It also smells amazing! Because my hair isn't actually very fluffy or frizzy, just kind of dry on the ends, I only use it every week to ten days. It has a creamy texture like mayo or yogurt, and it's easy to apply it just as far up as you want it, then leave it in for 20 minutes while doing dance practice or browsing Pinterest.

Cynthia Sylvia Stout is a shampoo made with beer. BEER. I was pretty skeptical about the scent but it was supposed to be ideal for my hair type and color, so I decided to buy the smallest bottle. It also has balsamic vinegar and lemon in it, so my husband says it sounds like a salad dressing (kind of looks like one, too). Although it has a beery smell straight from the bottle, it rinses out and leaves my hair with a fresh lemon-herbal scent that I find very clean and appealing. And the results of these two products?

I used them both the day before this photo was taken. What do you think? Clean, vibrant, shiny hair! It's also VERY soft and fragrant, but of course you can't tell that from the photo. I'm very happy with the results and I have a feeling I'll have to go buy a bigger bottle of the shampoo soon.

I can definitely recommend these products for anyone with hair similar to mine (long, red, and wavy, with a oily scalp and dry ends). They're especially nice for if you want to wear your hair down for a performance. I probably wouldn't use the conditioner any time I was going to tease my hair or do something else where I wouldn't want it to be too silky and thus slippery. Both of these products are also recommended for women with curly hair, but obviously I can't speak for that personally.