Review: Xcuse me! Shampoo & Conditioner

The joys of searching online and finding a great product to try!  I happened to be on Instagram and landed on xcusemehaircare and saw that they were offering free samples.  I emailed and Wendy kindly told me that the samples are free and all I was responsible for was $3 shipping and handling.  Wendy is involved in her business from several aspects including research & development and quality control.  Not many small business owners are highly involved in different levels of creating a product, but I sense her passion towards her brand and creating a product that meets her standards. 2 sample packs were sent with 1 oz each of the dual-action creme shampoo (Smoothing & Shine) and dual-action creme conditioner (Repairative & Manageability).  Xcuse me! is sulfate free and paraben free, two factors important and I try to consider when choosing hair care products.  The shampoo is made with non-drying botanical extracts for color hold and the conditioner has natural repairative oils for color protection.

My hair texture is coarse and now that it is treated, it can be dry and frizzy.  The last thing I need or want to experience are hair products that can make my hair worse.  That lovely foaming in most shampoos is from Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, but that could also be causing your scalp to itch.  After reading Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) ingredient in Shampoos, Bad for Eczema?, it made sense for me to try and avoid SLS in shampoos as well as other body care since I have eczema.  Lucky me.  :\ What's good to know is that you don't lose some of the foaming action while shampooing.  We've all been tricked that if it foams, it cleans better.    

I gave Xcuse me! a week trial before reviewing.  I normally wash my hair every other day if I can.  Daily only if its been a grimy day or I worked out.  The consistency of both the shampoo and conditioner is thick and the scent is light and fruity.  I noticed that after shampooing, my hair felt clean, but I could still run my fingers through it.  That was a definite plus for me!  The conditioner rinsed clean and left my hair soft, smooth and lightly scented.

Xcuse me! Hair care sample pack.

1 oz samples of shampoo & conditioner

Here is my hair after shampooing and conditioning with Xcuse me! haircare and blow dried with a round brush.  My hair was manageable and soft, still a little bit frizzy.  I'm not great with a round brush, I need a third arm to be able to have salon results. Ha!  I still styled my hair after with a little bit of pomade and oil to smooth the frizzies and flyaways.  Overall, I'm impressed and love the way my hair feels and smells after using these products.

Pros:  -Sulfate & paraben free
          -Non-drying formula
          -Leaves hair soft
          -Great scent

Cons: -Online purchase only (but it makes it easy to purchase and have this delivered)

Cost: $15/set+$5.99 shipping & handling

Would I recommend this to a friend? Yes!

Interested in trying Xcuse me! shampoo and conditioner for yourself? Send Wendy an email at consciousliving01@gmail.com to inquire about samples and/or purchase.

Garnier Fructis Instant Melting Conditioner Sleek & Shine

I'm always in search for hairproducts high and low end that work well. Especially with my thick & coarse hair! I have been very pleased with products from Regis and the Straight Sexy Hair line. Not to mention Sunsilk products which have been good. I tend to stay away from drugstore haircare since all it does is heavily coat your locks with silicone. No thanks. I want my hair to breathe but Sunsilk has been pretty good!

Here is me with a damn shower cap on and this conditioner in my locks. I was going to leave this on for an hour while I cleaned, but I ended up leaving it on for 2 hours because I was so focused on cleaning! I wasn’t too impressed with this product and was slightly disappointed because I have had some good interactions with other Fructis products. For $5, it’s a deal, but I don’t feel that it left my hair softer than using regular Sexy Straight Hair conditioner. I’ll probably try and use the rest of this product in conjunction with my other conditioner if I feel its not enough.

Peace out and no thanks to repurchasing. I don't think this product worked well. Even after having it on for such a long time!