Trader Joe’s Beauty Haul

This is a Trader Joe’s beauty haul from earlier last month.  I was going into Trader Joe’s to pick up some food items and decided to grab a few things in the beauty section.  Liliana had posted about the face wash and I decided to pick up a bottle to try out for myself.  I admit, I purchased it but haven’t tried it yet.  I’ve been using a skincare routine and I’m trying to see if it’s working – basically I’m allowing my skin sometime to get used to the routine to see if it’s going to freak out.  The bottom line is the face wash was created with a dermatologist who sells a similar version for a larger price tag.  If you want to read about the All-In-One face wash from Trader Joe’s marketing words – see here: http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article.asp?article_id=257.

While looking through the beauty items I noticed they had a tea tree line of shampoos and conditioners and I figured I’d grab it since me and my boyfriend get very dry scalps (even though my hair gets oily).  A dry scalp usually leads to incredible itchiness and/or dandruff so I have hopes this will help the both of us.  That is, if I can get my boyfriend to use it.  Last I picked up a jar of coconut oil because I saw a post by Lyndsay talking about how this is great to moisturize your legs when shaving.  I was hoping my Trader Joe’s would have a smaller jar, but this was the only size available.  The woman that worked there told me it’s great to use as a moisturizer (as in slathering on and leaving for a few and/or shaving) she also said it’s good to cook with and she even said her sister-in-law uses it in her coffee.  That made me raise a brow because I love coffee …. so perhaps we’ll see!

Here’s what I picked up:

-          Trader Joe’s Nourish All-In-One Cleanser

-          Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo

-          Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner

-          Trader Jot’s Organic Virgin Coconut Oil

Dollar Tree beauty essentials haul

I popped into Dollar Tree again (because really, there are so many and they all have magnets inside them that draw me to them).  I knew I needed to get gel for my boyfriend since we somehow misplaced the bottle that I picked up at Walgreen’s a few weeks ago.  I also knew I wanted to get some clarifying shampoo to stick in the shower.  I use to use clarifying shampoo all the time when I was using Pantene shampoo because it would leave a film in my hair after a few washes.  I since stopped using the Pantene so I stopped purchasing clarifying shampoo.  My scalp has been annoyed as of late, probably with me using different shampoos, so I want to just clear the gunk out of my hair and start from fresh.  I also want my boyfriend to try it since he does use gel in his hair and I swear he just needs to strip his hair follicles clean.

Here’s what I picked up:

-          Vo5 Herbal Escapes Clarifying Shampoo – Kiwi Lime Squeeze

-          Vo5 Herbal Escapes Clarifying Conditioner – Kiwi Lime Squeeze

-          Xcess – Styling Gel

REVIEW: Aussie – Aussome Volume Shampoo & Conditioner

I purchased this Aussie brand Aussome Volume shampoo and conditioner at Target a while back. I’d say about two months ago? Since I purchased, I have been using this shampoo and conditioner since then. I originally purchased because of two reasons 1) the smell (it smells rather fruity) and 2) its promise to volumize. I have generally straight hair that has a very tiny bit of body to it., but on the other side of the coin my hair is also oily Unfortunately with my hair there are a number of things that work against me and any product that is too “heavy” is VERY noticeable in my hair. And by noticeable, I mean, it creates a build up on my hair and scalp and regardless of how much I scrub the heck out of it in the shower, it does not come off. I have to usually use a clarifying type of shampoo to strip my hair of whatever is on it. Plus if products are too heavy, my hair looks very weighed down and extra oily, looking rather … stringy for the lack of a better word.

I can say I absolutely LOVE both the Aussome Volume Shampoo & Conditioner. Not only do they both smell amazingly, they most definitely volumize and they do not weight my hair down in any way. The shampoo is rather lightweight in the fact that it doesn’t leave any sort of residue on my hair, it doesn’t make my scalp itch, nothing. It cleans very well and even if I use the shampoo alone it volumizes wonderfully. The conditioner reduces any tangles I have in my hair and leaves it silky smooth (I rinse all conditioner out of my hair BTW) and after combing my hair has a bit of oomph to it. As it air dries you can see the volume in it come to life. And I don’t mean crazy volume; it’s a nice noticeable plump.
The Aussie brand is relatively affordable. They tend to go on sale 2 for $5 at stores like Walmart and Target, but if not on sale the bottles are generally $3. I can say Target, Walmart and Big Lots all sell the large pump bottle of Aussome Volume shampoo for around $6. Big Lots has it for sale for $5, which is where I bought my last bottle and it now resides in my shower on a shelf.

Overall, I would give this product 5 out of 5 stars. Yes, I REALLY love both the shampoo and conditioner. I don’t see myself switching shampoos for a while now because this one just works fabulously for me.