100% Pure Coconut Nourishing Body Cream -AKA: A Swaggable Mini Review

I'm a member of a beta website called Swaggable, whose mission is to bring "people and products together in new and fun ways. When people try products they fall in love with, they want to share those experiences. Swaggable is here to help users discover great new products together." Basically, you sign up on the site, let them know what your favorite products are, and from time to time they invite you to sample some new ones in line with your taste. I've gotten to sample a powder chai latte mix and most recently was sent a trio of body creams from Purity Cosmetics.

100% Pure Coconut Nourishing Cream (MSRP $15.00 for 8 oz.) is all natural, 100% vegan, and gluten free. According to the website, it is: "Highly nourishing, luxurious cream concentrated with potent anti-aging antioxidants, vitamins, skin softening fruit oils and moisturizing cocoa and avocado butters. Delicious smelling body cream will immediately hydrate, soften and feed your skin nutrients for a healthy, glowing complexion. Truly, 100% Pure - never any artificial fragrances, synthetic chemicals, toxic preservatives, or any other unsafe ingredients. Made only with the highest quality, organic nutrients for your skin."

Ingredients: Aloe Juice, Rose Hydrosol, Cocoa Butter, Avocado Butter, Grapeseed Seed Oil, Rosehip Seed Oil, Candelilla Wax, Blackcurrant Oil, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Coconut Flavor, Vanilla, Coconut Extract, Organic Green Coffee, Organic Wild Cherry, Pomegranate, Organic Raspberry, Blackberry and Organic White Tea, Citric Acid, Witch Hazel, Japanese Honeysuckle, Rosemary, Oregano, Thyme and Goldenseal, Grain Alcohol, Acai Berry, Resveratrol, Organic Green Tea, Mangosteen, Goji Berry, Maqui Berry, Elderberry and Muscadine Grape

My Take: Since my sample arrived in something akin to a ketchup packet, I didn't quite have high hopes for this cream. Well, they say never judge a book by its cover, and I suppose the same can be said for products and their packaging because this cream was FANTASTIC! It smelled like warm, toasted coconut and the texture of the cream itself was to die for: something between a thick, whipped mousse and a rich, luxurious cream. It left my rough, dry hands and forearms silky smooth and soft-my hands literally felt moisturized from the inside out! I will definitely be buying a full size of this cream; I was that impressed!

Until next time...

Balm Good Enough to Eat (But Don't)! AKA: Surya Brasil Moisturizing Lip Balm

Among many other things, I'm kind of obsessed with lip balms. And who can blame me; dry, chapped, flakey lips are not cute, and I teach my babies that at a young age! The downside to that is even the baby is sort of addicted to lip balm. If any of my girls see me whip out a tube, they all line up and pout their lips to get some too! Even my hubby has a healthy obsession with balm (and trust me, it's a great thing ladies-life is much more fun when your man pays attention to even those little things!). The downside to this household preoccupation with soft puckers, is that we run through tubes quite frequently. Also, particularly with the lil bits showing interest in them, I have to pay special attention to the ingredients list (because let's face it-Lo is putting it on just to lick it off and if Kenzie gets her hand on a tube, she's know to take big honking bites out of it). So considering that my kids are basically eating and digesting lip balm, what I use on them has to be worthy of their diets.

Pureology Precious Oil System AKA: A Curly Girl Chronicle

Quick side note: I can't see the name of this line without hearing Golam in my head saying "My precious."

I was super stoked to try out this line, because as y'all know, I'm OBSESSED with oils! Plus the information I read on it said that it would do some awesomely major stuff for my hair: Experience radiant haircolour and 10X softer hair after just one use with Pureology Precious Oil™ haircare system for all hair types for ultimate softness. The Precious Oil system features the groundbreaking Green Seal Certified Versatile Caring Oil, the first 100% biodegradable product that is free of silicone and parabens for colour-treated hair, as well as a first of its kind Shamp’Oil – an oil-infused Zero Sulfate and silicone free featuring a unique oil delivery system that penetrates deep into hair fiber to deliver 4X the active ingredients to drastically replenish hair from the inside out. The Precious Oil system also includes an oil-infused Condition and Softening Masque. Together, the system evenly recharges every hair strand for softer, shinier, fuller and longer-lasting hair colour guaranteed. Each product in this system is designed to cleanse, condition, treat, or restore the health of the hair’s protective layer. Additionally, the Precious Oil haircare system features Sunflower Seed Oil for softness, Coconut Oil for elasticity, Olive Oil for shine and Jojoba Seed Oil for moisture. The Precious Oil system also features the exclusive oil-based OleoAntiFadeComplexTM/MC that replicates the way hair absorbs nutrients to deliver 4X active ingredients from root to tip to provide superior colour retention for longer lasting hair colour, guaranteed.

See? Pretty awesome! I don't have color treated hair, but often times I find that products marketed towards color treated hair are well suited for curly hair as well, as they are super moisturizing and non stripping. So here's what I thought after trying Pureology's Precious Oil Line...

CGC: Jessicurl Too Shea Extra Moisturizing Conditioner

Jessicurl Too Shea! Extra Moisturizing Conditioner (photo via naturallycurly.com)

Product Description:  This thick conditioner uses shea butter for its moisturizing properties, adding great softness to super dry hair. It also utilizes the beneficial properties of 14 different herbs and spices. Good for daily use for those with thick, dry hair, but might be too heavy for hair that gets weighed down easily. Finer curlies might want to try our Aloeba conditioner. It adds moisture, shine,  and aids in detangling.

Ingredients:  Water infused with Lemongrass, Nettle, Burdock, Kelp, Marshmallow Root, Horsetail, Basil, Bay leaf, Oregano, Rosemary, Peppermint, Sage and Thyme, Aloe Vera Juice, Behentrimonium Methosulfate and Cetearyl Alcohol, Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil, Avocado Oil, Letchin, Hydrolyzed Oat Flour,Fragrance,Propylene Glycol (and) Diazolidinyl Urea (and) Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate (the last three are the preservative system.

silicone free, sulfate free, paraben free, glycerin free, animal friendly, and available in a  fragrance free option



My Take: The Citrus Lavender scent is pleasant and I like that the product is cruelty free and vegan (though I am not one). The appearance/texture of the conditioner struck me as a bit unusual; at first glance it almost appears paste like. The ingredients list reads like a veritable herb garden; it's full of good for your hair ingredients. It provided enough slip in the shower for me to be able to detangle and while it made my hair look curlier (if that's even possible), I didn't feel like my hair was as soft as I would've liked (even though I left it in for 5 minutes). I do like that it can be used as a traditional conditioner, leave in, or deep conditioner, so perhaps my tresses will like it better as a leave in moisturizer.

PS- Product was provided by NaturallyCurly.com for review. I was not paid for this review and all opinions stated are 100% honest and my own. :)