This year has been way more about skincare and body care than my past blog posts in other months and I am quite okay with it. Lately, my skin has needed some major TLC and I have been going sans makeup for awhile, not to say that I don't use it anymore, but my collection has been the same for some time now. 

I've talked about both of these two brands, Khiel's and The Body Shop, many times on my blog. They have been two of my all-time favorite brands to use. I love The Body Shop's butters, gels, and lotions so much and Khiel's skincare range is out of this world. 

The Body Shop Mango Body Butter & Lotion- The mango scent has always been my go-to Body Shop scent. However, I also love the coconut and strawberry scents just as much! When you walk in the stores, it is so relaxed and doesn't overpower you with a fragrance like many other body care stores do. I love how subtle the mango scent is and how moisturizing the butter and lotions are. I can't find myself using any other body butters except The Body Shop's! 

Khiel's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve- When my hands really need repair or any skin on my body that needs extra love, I use this hand salve and immediately overnight it is 100 times more smooth. I also never need to keep reapplying it once I put it on my skin. It's a skincare staple that everyone needs to have. 

Khiel's Creme de Corps- Another lotion I love is this Creme de Corps. It is unscented and super rich and moisturizing. When I'm not feeling in the mood for mango (which is rare), I'll use this one as well! I usually have a couple of these lotions lying around when I need it. These small tubes are perfect for travel. The best is when you just shave your legs and moisturize all over for silky smooth skin. 

I would say that it takes me a while to go through lotions and body butters, but actually, I really don't want to use them all up so I can have them with me all the time! I just love these body care products so much and need to extend their lives! Are there any lotions, scents, or skincare brands you always use? 

If you didn't already know from my instagram or other social media (links on my homepage), I actually just dyed my hair. It was time for a change and I am obsessed with the balayage trend. That said, I've kind of switched up or have been using some fairly new products for awhile for my lob hairstyle. My look when I usually curl or style my hair is with texture and loose hold. 

I actually have two dry shampoos that I have been using on occasion. The first one is the Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing dry shampoo in toasted coconut. It is probably my favorite drugstore dry shampoo so far. It reminds me of vacation and the best part is that it gives your hair more volume and texture while also getting rid of the excess oil. 

Another dry shampoo that has come in at a close second is the Herbal Essences Bio Renew dry shampoo in cucumber and green Tea. I honestly am not a fan of cucumber, but the combination is just so refreshing and nice. This one doesn't add texture, but is probably better at cleaning my hair more than the NYM's one. Both are great and inexpensive options! I use them interchangebly when I feel like it. 

So my experience with the products may have been affected by using the different formulas together, but I don't see how that would be a major issue since it's the same brand. Following many other bloggers and seeing the great reviews, I wasn't too skeptic paying ten dollars for a shampoo and conditioner that has been praised by many. I was just trying to switch it up a bit with my hair care.

Not only are these containers aesthetically pleasing, they are very small and you don't get much product for how much you spend. Since I was the only one using them, though, I found it fine and both lasted me a couple months. Both different types of shampoos and conditioners smell entirely different. The gentle formula smells like coconuts and vanilla which I love, but the signature formula smells very strongly of rose and floral which I did not enjoy at all. 

My main issue with this product is that there is an insane amount of build up. At first, I thought it was my college's really bad water pressure, but I brought the shampoo and conditioner home to see if normal pressure affected the distribution and rinse of the product and I still woke up with greasy and sticky hair. I wasn't noticing it much until I started to style my hair and I noticed combing through it with my fingers that it felt oily and not soft or fluffy. 

While I appreciated the easy-to-close cap and how it was paraben-free, sulfate-free, and aluminum-free, there are way more options that work better than these two do. I haven't tried any of Kristen Ess's other products, but I'm not entirely swayed by these two to give the rest a go. Tresemme and L'Oreal have some great products that I always fall back on.

I'll be honest, I am the type of person to buy things because they look pretty or because a majority of people enjoy a product. However, I've tried to stick to my own opinion when it comes to products because some just don't work out for some people, and that's okay! You don't need to spend much for great beauty products and this goes to show that not everything is as great of quality as it seems.