➥ Emi-Jay Hairbands
➥ L’Oreal Total Repair Extreme Shampoo & Conditioner
➥ Estée Lauder Enlighten Dark Spot Correcting Night Serum
➥ Bond No.9 New York in Chelsea Flowers
➥ Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara
Quality wise, the Emi-Jay hairbands remind me a lot of the Sephora ribbon ties, except these have a little more resistance. I’ve been using the dupes from Sephora for ages and love them, they also happen to be about half the price and usually on sale for a dollar a hair tie… The Emi-Jay bands average at about $2 a hair tie, BUT they are handmade in the US and a percentage of their profits are donated to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Which is pretty nifty.
The L’Oreal shampoo and conditioner worked well enough for drugstore haircare, but it still doesn’t leave my hair as soft or manageable as using the co-washing method. I’m also trying to not use hair products with sulfates or parabens in them, which these definitely have.
I love how fast the Estée Lauder night serum sinks in and absorbs overall. It also smells quite lovely, and has a nice texture. It does pour a little awkwardly out of the bottle, but it’s easy enough to put some back in (if that kind of thing doesn’t gross you out). Wish I had more to say about it, but as a 20-something I don’t need anti-aging focused products as much as hydrating ones.
The Bond No. 9 Chelsea Flowers bottle was wrapped up as a cute little candy, though thankfully smelt nothing like sweets. I went through this sample so quickly it was ridiculous. It’s a little too fresh and floraly for winter, but I think this would make a great fragrance to have on hand come Spring, especially with the peony and hyacinth notes. Looking at the price-tag though ($325 for 1.7oz), it’s definitely more of a christmas/birthday wish list item than something I’ll actually pick up for myself.
Common knowledge about me is that I am a total mascara addict, who has pretty high (yet subjective) standards for what I don on my lashes. The Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara falls somewhere in the middle of my preferences, I don’t hate it in the slightest, but I don’t love it either. Overall, it’s a decent, average, choice. At $28, it’s also a little more expensive than my go to HG lash product: Tarte Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara ($20), and about the same price point as my favorite waterproof mascara: Guerlain MaxiLash ($30).
♡Em
