Target

Checking In: New Hair Brands at Target, and the Eternal Conundrum | Wardrobe Woes and Camisoles | Flossin’

March 11th, 2021 by Karen 19 Comments

HOMEGIRL. There are so many new hair care lines at Tar-ghey! I’m talking about stuff beyond the usual suspects, a la Pantene, Garnier, L’Oréal. I was there yesterday perusing shampoos, and I almost short circuited in the “clean hair” aisle.

There are so many new up-and-coming brands!

I swear, I stood there for 20 minutes trying to decide whether to stick to the Odele Shampoo, Conditioner and Leave-In I’ve been using and loving for months, or whether I should try something new… That’s the eternal conundrum for beauty lovers, isn’t it? Do you stay with what works for you, or do you succumb to temptation to try something new??

This time, I ended up staying with my Odele staples, but I’m grabbing the Function of Beauty Wavy Hair Shampoo and Conditioner next time I’m there.

First of all, look how cute the packaging is! I’m such a sucker for pretty pastels.

Now, look closely at the bottles… See the different lines and how some are curlier than others? The lines correspond with the hair type each bottle is made for. Super cute and totally GENIUS.

Feel free to geek out. 😃

Apparently, the way this brand works is that you identify the shampoo and conditioner ($9.99 each) for your hair type first — straight, wavy, curly or coily — and then decide on an add-on called a “booster” ($2.99) to mix into your shampoo and conditioner. Each booster has a specific job, like to add volume or heat protection, and you can add as many or as few boosters as you want to create a custom hair brew.

I don’t think I’ve seen anything like this before. Seems very innovative!

After checking that out, I headed over to the clothes section because I needed a new camisole to wear with a white button-up shirt I recently got.

Actually, let me back up a little first…

I haven’t owned a practical white, long-sleeve button-up shirt (or button-down shirt, however you like to say it) in a very, VERY long time. Long story short, I’ve been putting off buying new clothes for years, and my body completely changed when I had Connor. I held onto the belief that I’d eventually get back into my pre-pregnancy wardrobe, but ya know…it’s just not gonna happen. It only took me five years to accept this, but hey, better late than never!

I’m having to rebuild my wardrobe from scratch, but I had no idea where to start, so I googled a checklist of wardrobe basics, and I found this one by a wardrobe stylist/Youtuber named Erin Busbee. She specifically caters to fashion for women over 40, and I’ve learned a lot from her videos.

One of the things on her list of basics is a white button-up shirt, so I bought this one because of the great reviews, and I’ve been looking for a camisole to wear underneath it, because I’m not about to show my DNKY bra to all the parents at preschool pickup, LOL!

At Target, they have a camisole, that’s also a bodysuit, by a brand called Auden. It’s $16.99 and comes in beige, white and black.

Seriously, where has this been all my life? I normally don’t like to wear camis because I can’t stand when the fabric bunches up around my waist, so I love the idea of having a body-hugging tank that I don’t have to keep readjusting and pushing down.

One last thing — Target carries my favorite floss now, Cocofloss.

I ran into it in the section I lovingly call “THE DEATH TRAP,” which is the display in the makeup department with all the tiny sampler bottles of lotions and potions and whatnot.

I realize this floss is hella expensive, but let me tell you — your teeth will be the cleanest they’ve ever been in your entire life! JUST DO IT, and thank me later. 😁

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Target Hair Haul! Help for Dry, Thirsty Hair With Hask Argan Oil Hair Mask and Shampoo, Pantene Damage Repair Nourishing Overnight Restoring Serum, Odele Leave-In Conditioner and Air Dry Styler

September 9th, 2020 by Karen 16 Comments

odele pantene hask — Just a few affordable hair goodies from Target!

Hi, guys! 👋 Got dry hair? GIRL. I feel you. 🤦🏾 I went to Target last week because my ends have been feeling bone dry lately, and here’s what I picked up. I think you might like these things, too!

Lately when I get up in the morning, my first thought is, “What’s gonna happen today in this level of Jumanji?” Because seriously, life right now could pass for a crazy dangerous video game. Smoke-filled air from wildfires, ash falling from the sky, dusky twilight at 10am, economic crisis, a pandemic… If I stepped outside and saw a herd (flock?) of angry ostriches stampeding toward me, honestly, I would not be shocked.

Weird and unexpected things are happening almost daily, on both a large and small scale. In the category of “not a big deal in the larger scheme of things but still mildly concerning in my immediate world” is the current state of my hair.

It’s wicked dry!

Has your hair ever gone from pretty decent to crazy wicked dry in a matter of weeks? Something verrrry mysterious has sucked the moisture out of the ends of my mane, which has gone from relatively healthy (for someone who hasn’t cut it in over a year) to drier than horse hay.

My best Scooby Doo detective agency guess is that it has something to do with the smoke in the air, coupled with the stress from the wildfires and the virus the past few weeks. I’m also long overdue for a cut, and that’s not helping, either.

Anywho, I recently went to Target and picked up a few things that have helped with the dryness. If you have dry, thirsty hair, they might help you, too.

Two goodies by Hask

This first one is an old love, Hask Argan Oil Hair Mask ($2.49). When I reviewed this workhorse for dry hair last year, I said:

My hair feels silky soft, but not in the way that feels like your hair is coated in sedimentary layers of silicone… The tangles and knots are gone, and the obnoxious white ramen noodle flyaways in my hairline — which normally stick up at every unfortunate angle you can imagine — are relatively tame and smooth and lying in one direction (SAY WHAT?!).

Ya know what? It’s as fabulous as ever. Just as great as the $$$ masks at high-end lines like Kerastase.

hask argan oil mask shampoo — Hask Argan Oil Repairing Shampoo and Hask Argan Oil Repairing Deep Conditioner

I stretch one package out to use it twice. Depending on how thick your hair is, you should be able to get anywhere from 2-5 treatments, I think.

I also grabbed a bottle of the Argan Oil Repair shampoo by Hask ($5.99), although I’ve yet to try it. I’m hoping it’ll be just as good as the mask. It’s sulfate- and paraben- free.

A lightweight but rich hair serum with volume for days…

Now, onto Pantene, which is currently one of my favorite drugstore hair brands and has been ever since Rosewater Shampoo and Conditioner from the Nutrient Blends line came into my life. If you have unruly or dry hair that needs TLC, the Rosewater line is a gamechanger.

This time around, I grabbed a bottle of their Fortifying Damage Repair Overnight Repair Serum ($7.99), a rich, moisturizing serum for dry hair that doesn’t weigh it down (and therefore preserves your volume).

pantene fortifying — Pantene Fortifying Damage Repair With Castor Oil Overnight Restoring Serum

It feels like a thin, runny lotion, so it’s easy to work through your strands. Massage it through your mane, starting from the ends and working up, after you shampoo and condition, and let it air dry.

I’ve used it a few times so far, and I’m already in love because my ends are definitely a lot softer and smoother and less crunchy overall. I also love how bouncy my hair looks. I’ve been embracing my natural volume lately, and this definitely does not weigh it down.

It’s pronounced “oh-dell.”

Their Leave-In Conditioner ($11.99) and Air Dry Styler by the Odele ($11.99), which is a vegan cruelty free line only available at Target, are also new to me.

Confession time: I bought these two because I liked the font. LOL!

odele leave in conditioner hair styler — The Odele Leave-in Conditioner for Deep Moisture, Detangling + Frizz Control, and the Air Dry Styler

odele closeup — That lower case “e” though! 😍

Speaking of fonts, I’m pretty sure that seeing Papyrus on the Hask Argan Oil Shampoo is slowly going to chip away at my soul every time I see it in the shower! 🤣

Gosh, I’m all over the place today… OK, technically, Odele is pronounced “oh-dell” (which is a phonetic translation of Norwegian for “to share”), but I keep wanting to call it “oh-dah-lay,” as in “Órale” in Spanish.
[Continue reading…]

Practical Stuff I Like: The New Baylis & Harding Goodness Natural Hand Washes at Target, a Budget Beauty’s Version of Molton Brown

August 21st, 2020 by Karen 8 Comments

baylis harding hand wash soap — Fancy (but totally affordable) hand washes at Target from across the pond

What song do you sing when you’re washing your hands? Normally, I sing “Happy Birthday” to Keanu Reeves two or three times to keep it simple (because Keanu 😍), but sometimes I veer into Prince territory (“She wore a raspberry beret, the kind you get at a secondhand store. Raspberry beret, and if it was warm she wouldn’t wear much more. Raspberry beret. I think I love her.”)

I would wear his blue suit with clouds in a heartbeat to Trader Joe’s.

’tis a sign of the (pandemic) times when one gets their thrills from testing different hand soaps… Seriously, the bar for my amusement is set so low now!

So…I like to try new hand soaps, and right now I’m into Baylis & Harding Goodness Natural Handwashes, a new line of vegan liquid hand soaps at Target.

They smell fancy! The scents have notes, base notes, middle notes — the whole shebang — and they lather up into big, luscious bubbles. Think Molton Brown, but at a drugstore price.

They’re made in the UK and don’t contain parabens, silicones and dyes. The suggested retail price for a huge 16.9-oz. bottle is $5.99 (although here in the Bay Area, apparently it’s $7.39).

From Target.com:

“Baylis & Harding Goodness Oud, Cedar & Amber hand wash is inspired by nature with carefully blended plant-based formulas. Using only the finest, natural and organic extracts and essential oils to deliver a 98% naturally derived formulation that is vegan, 95% biodegradable, packaged within a 100% PCR (post-consumer recycled) bottle. Dermatologist approved (mild & gentle) and made in England with love, Baylis & Harding’s Goodness natural hand wash line is also dye free, paraben free, silicone free and uses a mild coconut-derived surfactant as an alternative to SLES, making it SLS/SLES/ales free.”

The different scents are surprisingly complex, like you’re having a perfume experience every times you wash your hands. For example, Oud Cedar and Amber, one of my faves, smells like an expensive, handsome man driving you to work in his new car with leather seats. And the Rose and Geranium instantly transports you to teatime in an English garden blooming at the height of spring. So nothing basic, scent wise, here.

Scent notes:

Oud, Cedar & Amber: Woody and aromatic with a blend of citrus fruits with herbal notes and strong woody undertone.
Lemongrass & Ginger: Top and heart notes of ginger and lemongrass blended with black pepper, citrus and bergamot. Nutmeg and cinnamon add a spicy undertone.
Rose & Geranium: A zesty top note of lemon blended with rose, geranium and rich amber.
Sea Kelp & Peppermint: Top notes of peppermint, green tea and sea salt, combined with sea kelp and grounded by base notes of cedar and amber.

The bevy of bubbles rinses quickly, leaving your paws squeaky clean and lightly scented. Good stuff, and super affordable, too.

Pack your bags (literally)

Thanks guys for sharing where you live and why you love it yesterday in the comments. I really enjoyed it! Apparently, I’ve been talking non-stop about leaving California enough that El Hub thinks I’m pretty serious about it. And ya know what? I think I am. I know it’s not going to happen RIGHT THIS SECOND, but I’d like to leave within the next few years. I don’t think I can endure many more fire seasons without turning into a walking ball of anxiety.

Not that anything right now is normal anywhere, but fire season here, on top of the pandemic, is working my already frayed nerves. Like today, I wanted to take Connor to play in the park, but there are two big fires within 20 miles of us (the LNU Complex Fire and the Point Reyes Wildfire), and the air quality is poor. It smells like a campfire outside.

Also, on my to-do list this weekend: packing our go-bags in case we have to evacuate. Super uncomfortable, but it has to be done, because you just never know living here.

I’ve been using these two lists I found online as guidelines:

Do you think it would be silly to set aside some camping gear? I keep thinking about where we’d go if we had to evacuate, because I just don’t know. Everyone we know has been isolating themselves with their families. I guess we could pitch our tent in my parent’s backyard? I have absolutely no idea.

With that…I really don’t want to leave you on a weird note, I swear! Things are currently not dire where I am (knocks on wood). We’re fine. I would just rather be prepared than get caught totally off guard.

I’m pretty happy all things considered. 😊 Just glad to be here, healthy with my family and a roof over my head.

Take care of yourself, k? And have a good Friday.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

It’s a Jungle…at Target

April 12th, 2019 by Karen 10 Comments

When terracotta zebras are surprisingly punk rock.

I slowly entered the ~~enclosure~~ store the other day, doing my best not to alarm the residents, and the more I explored the grounds, the more I felt like a zookeeper checking up on her charges… Animal theme is LIT! 🐈🐵🐘🦒🐢

Does a bird on top of a box qualify as a “bird box”? Filed under “things that make you go hmm….”

I spotted these mugs on clearance and they spoke to me…

I was there to get a Hask Hair Mask (say that fast five times), but ya know… One cannot simply dart into the beauty department at Target without wandering around for a bit. Wandering around is the right thing to do.

Soooo…is it a mask made from unicorns, or a mask designed for 🦄 unicorns…?

[Continue reading…]

A Teeny, Tiny Target Hair Haul (Kristen Ess)

June 5th, 2018 by Karen 11 Comments

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Also, if you leave Target with only two beauty products, does that count as a haul?

So many philosophical questions!

Purr usual, I went to Target today with a short list. I only needed a tub of spinach (I’m back on a green smoothie kick), but I walked out with all kinds of nonsense, including these two products from Lauren Conrad’s homegirl/hairstylist Kristen Ess.

One’s her Signature Hair Water Spray ($10, 7-oz. bottle), which, to be honest…I’m kinda murky on exactly what it’s supposed to do, but my ends have been dry lately, and I like the idea of having a moisturizing spray on hand to use whenever whenever the mood strikes.

INGREDIENTS
Water, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Algin, Chitosan, Carrageenan, Litchi Chinensis Pericarp Extract, Hypnea Musciformis Extract, Sargassum Filipendula Extract, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Gelidiella Acerosa Extract, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Sorbitol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coco-Glucoside, Cetearamidoethyldiethonium Succinoyl Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Xanthan Gum, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fragrance

The other one is her Frizz Management Cleansing Conditioner ($14, 8.45-oz. bottle), which I actually needed (“needed,” she says. HAHA!), because I just finished another bottle of R+Co Analog (which costs twice as much) and was in the mood to try something new.

It’s supposed to be good for curly girls, frizzy hair, humidity control and damage.

K, sounds good. Sign me up!

[Continue reading…]