Cocktail: Shampoos and Conditioners

Ok, so not so much a "cocktail" as a perfect pairing of Lush shampoo and conditioners.

I think I love Lush hair care more than anything.  It's done wonders for my hair and the shampoo bars are just so dang ingenious!  I've tried most of the shampoo bars, aside from the obvious that wouldn't work well with me (Soak and Float, Jumping Juniper), and my husband has toiled around with all of the liquid shampoos.  The winners?  Well, he loves Rehab.  My favorites are:

Irresistible Bliss shampoo bar with American Cream conditioner -- I was really surprised with Irresistible Bliss and the mild honeysuckle scent that lingers.  However, its cleansing agents are also mild.  It leaves my hair a little dry, so I feel like I need to use a heavier conditioner with it.  Luckily, the scent of American Cream conditioners pairs nicely and my hair smells yummy all day.

Karma Komba shampoo bar with Veganese conditioner -- I never thought I would like anything Karma scented, but the orange oil really balances out the patchouli smell.  Also, its magical oils (orange and lavendin) really nourishes my hair, so a light conditioner like Veganese pairs well.  Also, the light citrus scent of Veganese matches the citrus tones of Karma Komba perfectly.  Lush really knows their stuff, huh? (:

Godiva solid shampoo bar with Forever in Bloom -- Godiva is my favorite shampoo bar, and I've reviewed it before.  Because there's no need for conditioner, I use it on my three year old.  In the past, I've rarely used it because I used to pair it with American Cream, and the combination of the two was really too heavy for my hair.  But since, I've discovered Forever In Bloom...

Forever in Bloom was made to be paired with Godiva!  The consistency is very runny, similar to Coolaulin, both more runny than Veganese.  I also feel like it absorbs into my hair quickly, so I find myself using more of it than my other conditioners.  But it works, so I don't mind.  It has infusions of chamomile, jasmine and honeysuckle.  The scent is very mild -- you don't feel like you've been hit with a heavy floral scent, but it does pair nicely with floral shampoos.  If it works for you, you could also pair it with Irresistible Bliss.

With the many shampoos Lush has to offer, I feel like there's something for everyone.  These are just a few of my favorites.

Review: Godiva

Every Lush soap / shampoo bar deserves a good soap dish!

Yes, it is a shampoo.  Yes, it is solid and shaped like a hockey puck.  Yes, it is amazing.  Let's start with its super-scientific qualities.

How to use: Get your hair wet.  Slide the puck down your hair (like you're combing it) 3 times -- left, center, right.  Then put down the puck, that's all you need!  When you start to lather your hair, it will be plenty of shampoo-y goodness to get you nice and clean.  If you have longer than shoulder-length hair, you may need an additional swipe or two, but not much more than that.

This tiny little solid shampoo has revolutionized the way I think about packaging.  Ok, so I spent $11 on shampoo the size of my palm.  But because you need so little, this puck will last the equivalent of three shampoo bottles!  Not only are you saving money, but you're also saving on packaging.  Less packaging means less trash in the world,  less raw materials being used, and a smaller carbon footprint!  Win win!

So the hippy part of my brain and the nerdy (financial) part of my brain are happy, but also the girly part of my brain is cheering for joy because this stuff works!

Lush advertises this as a shampoo & conditioner in one because there's cocoa butter and shea butter in the puck to moisturize your locks.  The jasmine absolute (and I think there are even jasmine petals in it) leaves your hair smelling heavenly!

MY SCORE: 5 OUT OF 5 !!

I have a three-year old and I use this on her hair because it's gentle, and I don't have to fuss with conditioner to get her hair silky soft.  I still follow with conditioner when using Godiva because I have thin, fragile hair.  It never hurts to follow with a conditioner -- everyone's hair is different.  The scent is mild enough for the whole family to use, ie: the husband doesn't think it's "girly shampoo."

To get the most bang for your puck (ha! get it?), place it on a soap dish that drains well.  My shower caddy broke the other day, so I placed my soaps and shampoo bars temporarily on the shower shelf.  The next day, the shampoo bars formed a gelatinous goo on the bottom.  It still worked just fine, but I prefer to not have any goo in the shower.  So find a nice home for your precious shampoo bar, ok?