December 7th

So yesterday I got a sad little 30 ml treatment that was rattling around in the drawer. Today I got a 100 ml product. Finally a product that almost fills the drawer! It feels weird to get small products that would rattle around in the drawer if it wasn't for the filler. It really feels like Schwarzkopf should downsize the cardboard container it came in.

Unfortunately this "big" product is a styling product. A hair spray. Sigh.

At least the Ciaté calendar had something super cute: A pretty and metallic pastel pink nail polish. The colour name is "sweet treats" and they definitely got that one right! It was a little hard to photograph, but it's very pretty.

Schwarzkop Osis+ Extreme Hold Hairspray ingredient list
Dimethyl Ether, Alcohol Denat, Aqua (water, Eau), Octylacrylamide/acrylates/butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Parfum (fragrance), Linalool, Limonene, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Benzyl Salicylate

Today's hair is a braided cinnamon bun. I'm getting some slip from the braid losing its structural integrity and would have wanted to redo it, but my hair appreciated being left alone after a CO wash.

December 6th

Today's product is a 30 ml hair treatment. The mask is pink and smells pink too!

So far the only product I could find on the internet with an identical ingredient list!

Weird how big the regional differences are in the products?

Schwarzkopf BC Bonacure pH 4,5 Color Freeze Treatment ingredient list
Aqua (water, Eau), Cetearyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Myristate, Behentrimonium Chloride, Distearoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate, Steardimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Keratin, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Benzophenone-4, Calcium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Cetyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Parfum (fragrance), Phenoxyethanol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Methylparaben, Cetrimonium Chloride, Panthenol, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Benzyl Salicylate, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Linalool, Limonene, Citric Acid, Ci 17200 (red 33)

COSDNA analysis here, but it's not great. Some acne triggers, irritation triggers and red ingredients. Good thing there is too little to use it for anything other than my ends? Benzophenone-4 is a sunscreen ingredient though, so that's good.

Hair was in a braided Nautilus bun all day and it held perfectly.

December 5th

The Schwarzkopf calendar held a 50 ml shampoo bottle which smells super weird. Like sweet dirt or something? I like that it claims a pH of 4,5 but the ingredient list is just awful with high scores for acne, irritants, mostly yellow and several red ingredients.

Schwarzkopf BC Bonacure pH 4,5 Color Freeze Micellar shampoo ingredient list
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lactic Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide MEA, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Steardimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Keratin, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Panthenol, PEG 12 Dimethicone, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, PEG 7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Polyquaternium-10, Calcium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Parfum (Fragrance), Glycol Distearate, PEG 40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Laureth-4, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG 120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, PEG-12 Allyl Ether, Benzophenone-4, PEG 12, Mica, Benzyl Salicylate, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Linalool, Limonene, Propylene Glycol, Calcium Carbonate, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 17200 (Red 33)

Hair is freshly CO-washed and super slippery, so it's in a simple single braid for now.

As annoying as that freshly washed slipperiness can be, it still feels good when it's as close to "soft" as my hair can ever really be.

December 4th

The Schwarzkopf Christmas calendar held a 5 ml bottle of Ultime Argan finishing oil. It's so tiny!
I don't like that this has a "highly flammable" warning on it??
It smells strongly like alcohol and has a little bit of glue-like residue stuck inside the cap. Like the product has semi dried?

Ingredient list for the Ultime Argan finishing oil
Cyclomethicone, Dimethiconol, Alcohol Denat. (18,7%), Phenyl Trimethicone, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Helianthus Anuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Parfum (Fragrance), Linalool, Anise Alcohol, CI 40800 (Beta-Carotene)

As much as I love my cones, this is a disappointing product: Cone, cone, alcohol, cone, oil, oil, fragrance, fragrance and pigment (Weird, because it's colourless) I would have been more happy with this product if it hadn't bragged about the oil.

The folder that came with the calendar with all the ingredient lists and directions tells me that there will be three more oils in the same line in it.

Compare this tiny little bottle to Rituals 50 ml bottle of The Ritual of Ayurveda Foaming Shower Gel that I also got today. I mean, a 50 ml bottle of shower gel isn't exactly a big portion, so this puts the tiny hair"oil" in perspective.

It's cold and miserable up here in the north and I worry about getting sick. It's usually around this time of year where I will take probiotics to boost my immune system.

It tastes awful, but hey, maybe it helps. At least it can't hurt, right?

December 3rd

Today's Schwarzkopf Christmas calendar had 10 grams of Schwarzkopf Osis+ Mattifying volume powder Dust it Light control. I'm not really sure how much of this is the actual name of this product(?).
I will not use this, because I honestly wouldn't know what to use it for. It's a styling product, but I never use anything other than leave in conditioners for styling.

Schwarzkopf Osis+ Mattifying volume powder Dust it Light control ingredient list
Aqua (Water/Eau), Silica Silylate, Sodium Benzoate, Octyl Acrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Citric Acid

December 2nd

The Lyko advent calendar has two hair product today: Kevin Murphy Hydrate Me Shampoo and Conditioner. So that's nice.

But. They. Are. So. Small. Barely sample size if you ask me. 40 ml each. Who would they be good for? I think I can do a nodosaurus with the rinse, and Mr Igor can use the shampoo for travelling. 

I hate that the official website doesn't have the full ingredient list, but only a bullshit one:

"Native to Australia’s Northern Territory, Kakadu Plum has the highest concentration of natural Vitamin C of any known plant. Helps smooth the surface of the hair to lock in the moisture.
An excellent emollient for adding moisture to the hair, Jojoba Esters help make the hair more resilient to tangles, and also help to prevent damage and split ends.
Shea Butter delivers moisture to dry or damaged hair from root to tip, and helps repair and protect against environmental stressors, dryness and brittleness. Quickly absorbing, this naturally beneficial butter, helps rehydrate the hair and scalp without clogging the cuticles.
High in Omega 6, Evening Primrose Oil hydrates and helps soften the hair. It contains Phospholipids that are hydrophilic, meaning they are moisture-loving and attracted to moisture."

Wow. So helpful. Not.
I mean, it's not unusual that companies do this and only post bullshit ingredient lists like this, but it really puts things in perspective when I just had Body Shop's banana mask from yesterday where the ingredient list was so easy to find. Nothing to hide there and full respect for any customer who has concerns about the ingredients.

I found the ingredient list on cultbeauty.
Kevin Murphy Hydrate Me Conditioner ingredient list

Water (Aqua) (Eau), Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Stearalkonium Chloride, Behentrimonium Chloride, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Biotin, Pyridoxine HCl, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Jojoba Esters, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Extract, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Glycerin, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Amodimethicone, Cyclotetrasiloxane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethyl Palmitamine , Polyquaternium-7, Silicone, Quaterniuim-18, Trideceth-6, Trideceth-12, Cetrimonium Chloride, Alcohol Denat., Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Sorbic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Fragrance (Parfum), Limonene, Benzyl Benzoate

COSDNA gives it a pretty good analysis, but this ingredient list is just unnecessarily long. 43 ingredients. Not the record, but very close. Also, five (5!) extracts. But why? Is this why they don't want you to find the ingredient list?

The Schwarzkopf Christmas calendar had a small leave in conditioner spray. 50 ml. It's a pretty nice little travel size. It smells nice and clean. I will put this in my travel bag.

Schwarzkopf BC Bonacure Hyaluronic Moisture Kick Spray Conditioner ingredient list
Aqua (Water, Eau), Cyclomethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Steardimonium Hydroxproply Hydrolyzed Keratin, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Dimethiconol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Polyquaternium-16, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Parfum (Fragrance), Cetrimonium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Limonene, Phenoxyethanol

That's a really nice ingredient list! No acne or irritation points and all ingredients in yellow or green. I will definitely be using this, and I will buy this in a full size when I find it!

Speaking of travel. Today I was informed I will be going away for work after Christmas. I'm actually looking forward to it. I'll be staying in the same nice little Bed and Breakfast as last year, and there is something relaxing about being there. Just work, sleep and relaxing. No housework that needs to be done, no school stuff I didn't bring with me and no social obligations.

December 1st

And we are off to a good start with the Christmas calendars!

I cheated and went for the 25th for the Body Shop calendar right away because it contained the reindeer headband. Now, is it me, or is it odd to save it for the 25th? I mean, wouldn't you want to give the season-themed headband right away so people could use the season-themed headband for all of December?
The headband was actually my reason for buying the large Body Shop calendar instead of one of the two smaller ones, which contained some bath bombs and I kind of wanted. The headband won so I bought the bath bombs separately.

Mr Igor laughed and said I was cute.

Damn straight I am.

The big body shop calendar had the Banana Truly Nourishing Hair Mask for December 1st. A full size 240 ml tub. (I really don't know why their website refuses to let me go on the main website, so link is in Danish. Sorry)

As always, Body store gets extra Igor-points for having their ingredient list so easily accessible on the website.

The Body Shop Banana Truly Nourishing Hair Mask ingredient list
Aqua/Water/Eau, Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract/Banana Fruit Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter/Cocoa Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter/Shea Butter, Behentrimonium Chloride, Distearoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Parfum/Fragrance, Tocopheryl Acetate, Diheptyl Succinate, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Isopropyl Alcohol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Ascorbic Acid, Linalool, Panthenol, Tocopherol, CI 19140/Yellow 5, CI 15985/Yellow 6.

COSDNA gives an analysis of it: A few ingredients have remarks for acne and irritants, but all ingredients are in green or yellow.

But I will not use this.
In fact, I hate it.

Why?

Because I hate bananas. Really. I do. More specifically, I hate the Cavendish banana, the yellow bastard culprit responsible for basically all the bananas you can find in supermarkets. I hate the smell and I hate the taste. The riper, the worse it is. It's nauseating.

I also hate the Gros Michel, the other yellow bastard culprit that has been extinct since the 1950s. However, it's the basis of the artificial flavoring and smell we today use for anything "Banana flavored". Which is why artificial banana flavour is different from regular bananas.
But still nasty. Just a different kind of nasty.

Strangely I found that I loved bananas on Madeira! But some Googling informed me that the Madeira bananas can be different species: Dwarf Cavendish, Robusta, Grand Naine and Gal are found all over the island. They used to be exported to Europe, but due to ridiculous EU laws about length and curvature of bananas (Groan), they can't be sold outside of Portugal. 

For a short second, I hoped that the Banana Truly Nourishing Hair Mask would be based on a different smell, but no. It's gross. Although it's not too overwhelming, I still hate it. This will go to a friend instead.

The Schwarzkopf Christmas calendar had a 50 ml BC Bonacure hyaluronic moisture kick micellar shampoo. Smells nice and clean. I'm a little disappointed in the size though: They could easily have fit a larger bottle in the little drawer. Or made the calendar packaging smaller.

This has a very different ingredient list from other online sources, which is strange.

Schwarzkopf BC Bonacure hyaluronic moisture kick micellar shampoo ingredient list
Aqua (Water, Eau), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Disodium Cocamphodiacetate, Sodium Chloride, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Steardimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Keratin, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Polyquaternium-10, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum(Fragrance), Linalool, Citronellol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Alpa-Isomethyl Ionone, Propylene Glycol