The Body Shop Honey Moisturizing Shampoo

Time for raves again! After that mini-rant against TBS all natural image, here is something for it. =)

The Body Shop Honey Moisturizing Shampoo

Available: TBS outlets @ $16.90

Volume: 250ml

Star Properties: For Dry/Damaged/Chemically Treated Hair. A rich, creamy, moisturising and gently cleansing shampoo that leaves the hair softer, more manageable and healthy-looking. With regular use it will help improve the condition of the hair over time. (Copied from TBS website.)

TBS Honey Moisturizing Shampoo, picture courtesy of TBS website.

Packaging
Ok, I think we are all too familiar with TBS bottles. hahaha. All I can say is that the suction power is there, despite the way it looks like a toner bottle and everything will flow out without control. It doesn't. Coupled with the viscosity of the shampoo, one definitely has control over how much you want to squeeze out.

Spreadability
Very unfortunately, I find that this shampoo totally doesn't spreads. I squeezed out equal volume as I use from 1 pump of shampoos like Essential/Asience. But ended up, it wasn't enough, and I had to squeeze out another 2 more times that same amount!

So given the small 250ml volume, I think if I use it everyday, I am gonna finish it in a break neck speed of 1 bottle a month!

$16.90 for one month vs $16.90 (for Asience) for 6 months. *faints*

Shampooing Feel
To be honest, I hate this shampoo when I am using it. Unlike other shampoos, this one doesn't gives the immediate smooth feel effect. There was just no way I could glide my hands and comb my hair while shampooing. Very irritating.

The Ultimate Surface Finish After Hair Dries
Superb! I don't know if it's because I couple this with Essential's Orange Hair Treatment as conditioner (since I didn't buy the TBS conditioner), but wow wow! I can feel my hair ultra soft, untangled, straight and smooth throughout 2 days.

And guess what? I couldn't bring myself to wash my hair the next day. Cos I am so scared of losing that silky hair feel.

I really think that the softness is comparable, and maybe even slightly better than Asience shampoo and conditioner. It's definitely better than both Essential Pink and Orange Conditioner.

Just a shampoo alone can make so much difference? I am amazed with TBS Honey Shampoo.

My Skepticism
Yes, I was very skeptical about TBS Honey Shampoo, cos if you ask me, NO, Honey doesn't works for hair.

I have used the full range of L'oreal Elseve Royal Jelly for dry, damaged hair, but none of it works. Not even the night leave-on and day cream. (Maybe I was using a wrong range that's why. But I can swear by L'oreal Elseve Anti-frizz range.)

As for Essential which claims to use high purity honey, I am satisfied for the price. I like the pink conditioner for its volumizing and detangling properties. But the Orange range doesn't seems to work at all. Only the Orange Treatment is quite good.

Yep, so I love it: 5 hearts!
That's if you can afford $16.90 a month for shampoo. I got it cheaper at the atrium sale to try. So probably not buying again.

Essential Damage Care

Essential Damage Care is the new hair care range to try on the market. With its bright sweet pink and radiant lovely orange, it shouts "Sassy Kawaii" to all the girls who love their hair out there. =)

Both ranges of Nuance Airy in Pink, and Rich Premier in Orange, promises to care for even the last 15cm of your hair. And true enough to its words, I found my hair un-frizzed and detangled all the way to the end.

Presenting my latest rave together with a mini competition vs Asience Deep Nourishing Range (Gold):
Essential Damage Care in Nuance Airy (Pink)

Available: Watsons, Guardian, NTUC, Shop&Save, $3.95 at many places for 200ml, $9.95 for 500ml

Volume: 200ml, and 500ml

Star Properties: *1 Protection ingredients: honey and whey (milk) of very high purity
*2 Repair ingredient: lanolin fatty acid

Essential Damage Care in Nuance Airy, picture courtesy of Kao Essential website.

Packaging
The design for the 200ml pour out bottle is simple amazing. It fits *clicks* right into my palm. Staying there so beautifully and will not slip like many other shampoo/conditioner bottles.

Fragrance
All of them, the shampoo, conditioner and treatment, smells wonderfully of sweet fruits, yet not overwhelming.

This is the first time my SO commented that my hair is fragrant after knowing him for so long. Previously, I have been using L'oreal and Asience, which are not known to leave any smell on the hair.

Colour
All of them artificially coloured to be beautifully pink, exactly the same as the bottles of course.

Texture
It is definitely not as smooth nor easy to rub in as Asience. I had to take more to shampoo the whole length of my hair.

Effect
1. Ultra duper volumizing! I didn't expect the results to be so good, and as promised. Can you imagine my eyes wide open when I saw how "popped" up my hair suddenly became, when I sat down in front of the mirror for the first time? My hair has grown so limp from the number of rebonds I did. It always lies flat on my head like forever already. Nuance Airy actually made the silhouette of my head wider by 2 inches around!! 2. Totally detangled! Even with Asience Deep Nourishing, I always found the inner portion of my hair to remain frizzy, and thus easy to tangle/tangled. I think Essential Damage Care straightens out my hair so well that all the knotty problems at the hair ends are solved. As promised, it delivers care all the way to even the last 15cm of your hair.

3. Not soft and smooth. Maybe it is because the pink range only promises light and volume, it just doesn't makes my hair as soft and smooth as Asience does. With Asience, my hair has the super velvety soft feel and shine, like in many advertisements. But not with Nuance Airy.

Treatment
Nuance Airy treatment works. It does makes my hair softer, smoother and straighter than if I do not use treatment. But it is not as "dream-come-true" as Asience. Asience Treatment can keep my hair in the same soft, smooth and shiny state for two days. Which is the longest lasting I can find so far. Dove, Silkpro, L'oreal all doesn't works that well.

What I like about Essential is that it gives damaged hair volume. It's like a 2-in-1 actually. Because none of the other brands can repair damaged hair and give volume at the same time. They only offer a range for damaged hair, and a separate range for volumization.

Overall, I would recommend Essential if you looking for
- care for the last 15 cm
- detanglement
- straightening
- anti-frizz
- volumizing.

But I would still vouch for Asience if you looking for
- soft like flowing water and piece of silk
- smooth
- lasting softening and smoothening effects.

And definitely still recommend Asience Treatment over Essential's.

As for personal preference, I still like Asience, and I would still stick to Asience despite the $3 more price.

Verdict:
I love this: 4.5 hearts

VERY value for money!!!
It delivers the promised quality as written in description despite its lower pricing strategy.

Mane Concern

How to Take Care of Your Precious Hair

My Current Hair Length: Hip long

My Current Hair Condition: Straight, Rebonded, Frizzy underneath and at the ends, Tends to be dry.

My Hair History: Rebonded 4x in Dec'06, Jun '07, Oct '07, Nov '08. Dyed 1x in Nov '08. Last cut, Nov '08.

My Hair Care Regime

Step 1: Use tried and tested effective shampoo and conditioner everyday.

I have tried Pantene Normal, Herbal Essence Normal, Dove Normal, L'oreal Elseve Normal & Anti-frizz range, Silkpro Normal & Colour Care Range, Vidal Sasson Deep Moisturizing, VS Weighted Straight, and VS Diamond Shine Moisturizing Range, Charles Wallington Trial Pack, Asience Colour Shine & Deep Nourishing Range.

For my hair condition, I rank:

1st: Asience Deep Nourishing Range (Conditioner and Treatment specially recommended)
2nd: L'oreal Anti-frizz Range (Anti-frizz Oil specially recommended)
3rd: Vidal Sassoon Diamond Shine Moisturizing (Conditioner is good)

The rest, I think are not up to standard at all, and does not do effectively what is claimed on the bottle. I personally hate Herbal Essences and dislike Silkpro. Silkpro is overly advertised.

Step 2: Apply after wash leave-in conditioner or oil to last the whole day

I have tried $2 hair oil bought from the neighbourhood market, $15 hair oil sold to me by a home-based hairstylist, $16 hair mist from a shopping mall hairdresser, Watson's olive hair oil, Charles Wallington oil spray, Liese oil spray, Good Look jojoba hair moisturizer, Body Shop brazil nut anti-frizz cream, L'oreal Elseve's Royal Jelly Day Leave-in Conditioner, and Night-time serum.

I rank according to effectiveness on my hair:

1st: Liese & Charles Walling Oil Spray (works immediately, but quite costly for everyday use)
2nd: Body Shop Brazil Nut Cream for Anti-frizz (works but does not lasts, expensive, does not spreads well and easy to finish consumption.)
3rd: Any normal hair oil from the market, or Watson's house-brand will do.

Honestly, for healthy hair, there is really no need to apply too much of these after-shampoo products. My mum just uses 1 drop of $2/bottle oil, which can last her more than a year, for maintenance. And her hair is softer than mine. I spend a little on these is because of my damaged frizzy hair after all the rebonding. Please do not waste your money if you don't need it. =)

You may want to try Ginvera Olive Oil at $4 from Watsons.

Step 3: Treat/Mask Hair once/twice per month

I have tried Mineral Mud, Dove Mask, Pantene 1 shot tube, L'oreal Elseve Royal Jelly, Asience Treatment.

I rank by economy to effective ratio:

1st: Mineral Mud (lasts 3 days to a week)
2nd: Asience Treatment (very expensive for the 1 use tube)

Don't ever buy Dove hair care products. They are a body care brand, and do not produce good shampoo and hair-related products. The mask is no use at all. I don't even feel the immediate effect.

L'oreal Elseve Royal Jelly Range is totally no use at all. Don't bother.

I suggest you will have to experiment on your own for this part, as most good hair treatment come from salons. Get your trusted hairstylist to recommend you an economy tub for frequent use. Hair treatment normally comes in quite big pots, so be careful before you go for it, because if you don't like it (which you will know on first try), you will be wasting the whole pot, that means - $ go down the drain.

Otherwise, you can try a Homemade/DIY treatment:
- Fill a 500ml cup with plain water.
- Fill the other half with Apple Cider (can be bought from NTUC).
- Stir and mix well.
- Pour it on the ends of your hair. Remember not to condition your scalp. Keep treatment to after the 10-20cm mark of your hair length.
- Massage your hair with your hands, like how you wash chopsticks/long hair.

If you are scared of the Apple Cider, you may wear a glove.

Take care & good luck.

Step 4: Comb, comb, comb

Long hair entangles very fast, especially in windy Singapore. Frizzy hair is worse. So comb your hair whenever you have the time. I do it every time I go to the washroom, and especially after waking up in the morning and at night. Untangle ALL tangles. If you lazy, and decide to leave that difficult bunch there, it is going to snowball into a BIG entangle clump and form knots! So be careful. I understand how long this process can take. I take at least 15 minutes to comb well.

Step 5: Do not lie on your hair during sleep

Put your hair up on the pillow during sleep. Do not lie on your hair, as you tend to toss and turn during sleep, such that all the long hair gets entangled in the morning.

Step 6: Comb hygiene

Wash your comb by combing your hair during shampoo and washoff. This saves time and effort to clean the many teeths.

******

I think that's all =)
I hope this sharing helps. Though your hair may not be in the exact same condition as mine, I think some parts would more or less apply, as ladies nowadays all do a lot of rebond, dye and perm that damages the hair.

If you have other hair conditions, and good recommendations for your hair type, do post a comment to share with me.

I cannot cannot control when my hair turns white when I grow old, but at least, I will do my best to keep it shining and healthy while I can! All the best, take care.

Asience Deep Nourishing Shampoo, Conditioner & Treatment

Asience Deep Nourishing Shampoo, Conditioner & Treatment

Available: All leading stores (I bought all 3 at promotion set price)

Volume: As labelled under images below.

Star Properties: Specially made for Asian hair.

Asience Treatment - 180g
A highly concentrated formula* containing precious essence of natural Asian ingredients. It repairs and treats damaged hair fibre. Hence, each and every strand is strengthened from the core. *compared to Deep Nourish Conditioner

Asience Deep Nourish Conditioner - 550ml
Perfect blend of nourishing ingredients to penetrate deeply into dry/damaged hair fibre to smoothen and nourish from within.Leaves hair ultra smooth and frizz-free.

Asience Deep Nourish Shampoo - 550ml

Perfect blend of nourishing ingredients to penetrate deeply into dry/damaged hair fibre to smoothen and nourish from within.Leaves hair ultra smooth and frizz-free.

Photos and captions by courtesy of Kao Singapore

http://www.kao.com/sg/asience/

I have just started on Asience immediately after finishing my bottle of L'oreal Anti-frizz Range. Actually, I bought this Asience set more than 1 year ago, after my friend raved about how good it is.

And I must say, it is really effective in keeping my hip length, coloured and rebonded, damaged hair, smooth and straight, not just for the moment after wash, but for an entire day or two!

I especially like the conditioner (the shampoo feels pretty normal amongst good brand shampoos, in terms of effective hair texture). It makes my frizzy hair really soft and silky. Plus if I use the treatment, my hair will be even softer and silkier for two full days. Till a point, I don't feel the need to wash my hair once a day. (I normally wash my hair once a day as it returns to its damaged state after a long day out.)

Compared to L'oreal, which is really effective and my all-time favourite, I think Asience has proven to outshine it, as it lasts so much longer, so I can walk around confidently without getting irritated over my frizzy ends.

As its tagline goes: "If you want to be beautiful, you will be beautiful".

I love it: 4.9 hearts