Beauty Vixen: scrub

Last September I stopped by The Body Shop to use up my birthday gift money (FYI in Canada you can join The Body Shop's free Love Your Body club and rack up points towards free products and get $10 to spend in your birthday month). While I was there I picked up their Banana Truly Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner. Since then I have told just about everyone about them. The Body Shop has even added some limited edition body products in the Banana scent for the summer.

I cannot count the number of times someone has said "I used to use that in the '90s!" when I mention the shampoo and conditioner. The second thing I hear is "Does it smell like antibiotics?" and yeah it kind of smells like banana penicillin that you probably took as a kid, and that is because it is made with real bananas.

Banana Truly Nourishing Shampoo & Conditioner

Since being reintroduced, the shampoo and conditioner are now made with Comunity Trade organic bananas from Ecuador, vegetarian, and silicone free.

The shampoo is pretty creamy if I don't pay attention I often grab the wrong bottle mistaking it for the conditioner. I need a modest amount to get my hair clean. It lathers extremely nicely while still being nourishing and not stripping my hair or scalp. I also find it rinses very easily.

The conditioner is of average consistency, not too thick or to thing. I need about the same amount as I do the shampoo to get full coverage. I find it feels super smooth and semi-absorbs into my hair. When I am swimming a lot my ends get dried, when that happens the conditioner is not enough for them, I need a mask on the ends. Other than that it really is nice and hydrating. It too rinses well.

Both products leave my hair light and bouncy, my waves are more formed and my hair is just more manageable. I love that there is no silicone and no buildup occurs as a result.

Limited Edition Banana Shower Cream

This body wash looks just like banana pudding, it is kind of freaky. It is creamy and hydrating while creating a decent lather. I don't find it lathers as well as one of their clear body washes, but then again it is sold as a shower cream and not a gel. It rinses really well and actually leaves me feeling nice and hydrated, all while smelling like yummy bananas.

The shower cream is also vegan so that is nice.

Limited Edition Banana Body Polish

When I saw that there was a body polish in the limited edition line and that it came in a tube I got super excited. I love The Body Shop scrubs in a tube, Satsuma is my all-time favourite. They act as a body wash and a scrub and come in a way better package then the tubs. Unfortunately, this was a big let down for me. There is barely any scrubbers in it at all. It really is just the shower cream with a tad bit of exfoliants in it. So it was let down.

Overall, I am loving the shampoo and conditioner, and I will be getting more as soon as I run out. The body cream is a good choice if you want to get something from their summer limited edition line, I would not recommend the polish.

There is also a Body Yogurt and Body Butter in the limited edition body line and a Hair Mask in the Truly Nourishing hairline. I would have picked up Body Yogurt if I didn't have so many body lotions and butter hanging around my home half used.

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Recently I got the chance to try out a few of L'oreal Paris Canada's new masks and scrubs. There are two lines, the Pure-Clay Mask line and the Pure-Sugar Scrub line. Now, I haven't tried every product in both lines, but I will share with you what my experiences are with these products since they suite my skin type.

I have dry, oh so dry, skin. It also is mid-late 30's skin now, so off-balanced hormonal break out skin now too (fun new things happening every day).

Pure-Clay Cleansing Mask - Clarifying & Smoothing:

First off I am going to look the Pure Clay mask I got to try, Pure Clay Cleansing Mask. Made with Yuzu lemons and three different clays, it is supposed to help with removing built-up impurities, dirt and pollution.

You are supposed to apply a thin layer over your skin and let it sit for 10-15 minutes and use it two times a week. It is a yellow clay tone and goes on real smooth onto the face with just a tiny bit of grit to it. It feels really creamy on the face and dries up on the skin like a typical clay or mud mask.

With repeated use you should have some improvement on uneven skin tone and texture.

I really like this mask, which surprised me because mud isn't always nice on my dry skin. I think since it has such a creamy texture and maybe the blends of clay in it really help stop my skin from getting all dry or burn (yes mud can make my skin burn like hot fire). Overall my skin was left feeling smooth and soft after using it.

Pure-Sugar Scrub For Dull Skin - Brightens and Refreshes

This scrub is formulated with three types of sugar, what types? I honestly don't know, but they feel nice and scuff of my dead skin with almost no effort. It also has grapeseed oil, acai and monoi oil in it to help it brighten up the skin.

This one you apply to your skin (and lips), massage around and then rinse off, they recommend using it three times a week. I like to leave it on for 10 minutes. This one really reminds me of Fresh's strawberry sugar scrub, which I love so much, but without the strawberry seeds.

I like how well this texture of mask removes my dead skin. I often get flaky spots on my skin and only a sugar scrub seems to get rid of it. Oh also my skin feels so smooth and soft after using it, I just love it.

Pure-Sugar Scrub For Dry Skin - Smoothes and Nourishes

This baby is a lot like the Dull Skin version, three sugars in it as well. Unlike the other mask, this one has a creamy texture, and the sugar is a little less prominent making it feel less abrasive. It also feels buttery on the skin, that is because it has coconut oil and cocoa butter in it to help nourish dry skin.

Just like the other mask, L'oreal recommend applying it, massaging it on face and lips and then rinsing it off and using it three times a week. I like to leave it on for 10 minutes like I do with my other sugar masks (Fresh for example).

This mask feels way more buttery then the Dull Skin version. I can only assume that feeling comes from the coconut in it.

There is also a Pure-Sugar Scrub for Oily skin, which features Kiwi seeds and is green just like a kiwi puree. As well there is Pure-Clay Energizing Mask, it is grey toned has charcoal in it. Since my skin isn't inclined to respond well to these masks (dry skin here) I haven't tried them.

Overall I really like these products! I have been switching between the two sugar ones in my routine and really like how they both work. The Pure Clay mask also has been great to my skin, no burning plus, my post acne pigmentation seems to be responding well to it.

What do you think of these masks or scrubs? Have you tried them yet? What is your favourite type of face mask or scrub?