Reviews and Other Stuff

Alterna Haircare CAVIAR Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisture Shampoo review

Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisture And Anti-Frizz Shampoo + Conditioner Review

Hey guys! I’ve got a new haircare brand to love and I’m excited to tell you about it. I’ve known about Alterna Haircare for quite some time since you always see their products being displayed in one of Sephora’s or Ulta’s counters. But for some reason, I just didn’t bother to explore this brand at all. I thought it might be just another one of those fad haircare brands that are pricey and will probably just fade away after a couple of years, only to be replaced by another fad haircare brand. Oh well, my point of view changed when I got a sample of their Caviar Anti-Aging Replenishing Shampoo and Conditioner which was inside my Sephora Play! Box and it was love at first wash. LOL.

 

alterna haircare caviar anti-aging anti-frizz shampoo and conditioner review

 

I know I raved about my other two favorite haircare products before: The Living Proof No Frizz Haircare Line and the Kerastase Aura Botanica, both which I still use even to this day. However, I’d like to expand my choices and also look for some other alternatives just in case Sephora or Ulta will run out or stop carrying one of my favorite haircare products. Speaking of these two favorite hair products, as you notice, both of them are sulfate-free, paraben-free, phthalates-free, and I like my shampoo and conditioner that way. I like them with clean and natural ingredients that won’t weigh the hair down. I also love a hair product that works to tame those horrible frizzies. My hair tends to get oily fairly easily, so I prefer something that cleanses well and adds bounce. I’ve tried looking for a cheaper alternative before, like the L’oreal Everpure Sulfate-Free line but I couldn’t seem to love those. They made my hair really oily and heavy the next day and my hair didn’t look as shiny compared to using the stuff from Living Proof and Kerastase. Another thing I wanna point out is that it’s very important for me to have an easy access or easy reordering of my favorite haircare products, but that has been quite a challenge lately especially with Kerastase. If I don’t plan to reorder them on their website ahead of time, I would typically get them at my local hair salons. Oh well, that proved to be quite annoying because some salons will try to sell you some other stuff that you don’t really need, and I don’t like being bothered like that. I just want my favorite Kerastase stuff. Ya know what I mean? So yeah, I need to look for some other alternative haircare holy grails.

 

Ever since I stumbled into Alterna’s Caviar Haircare line, I feel like OMG, this is it! The smell and feel of their shampoo and conditioner kinda remind me of Kerastase and Living Proof, but they have a very interesting bunch of ingredients. First of all, they have caviar extracts from France and vitamins A, C, and D which they infused in this particular line, thus the name “Caviar Anti-Aging”. They also added a blend of seasilk to moisturize the hair. Second, their product’s style of packaging is really pretty and unique with an easy to twist bottle, although there’s one caveat with it which I’m gonna talk about in the next few paragraphs towards the end of this review. Lastly, you can find the Alterna Caviar line in just about any Sephora or Ulta locations everywhere, and lately, they added their new Anti-Frizz collection to this line as well.

 

Replenishing Moisture

 

alterna haircare caviar anti-aging replenishing moisture conditioner

 

Replenishing Moisture Shampoo (mini/1.35 oz: $10, 8.5 oz: $34, value size/16.5 oz: $52) – This shampoo doesn’t feel too thick and not too thin either, yet it seems very concentrated. It doesn’t lather immediately upon application and it needs to be mixed well with water, but once it starts to foam, then it cleanses thoroughly. You may need to rewash with this if your hair is extra oily or if it’s on the oily type. Personally, I find this to be a moisturizing shampoo and I like that it makes my hair smell fresh and clean without making it heavy.

 

Replenishing Moisture Conditioner (mini/1.35 oz: $10, 8.5 oz: $34, value/16.5 oz: $52) – This conditioner feels a bit thicker than most regular conditioners and it has a light sort of vinegar scent that washes off immediately and won’t really bother your nostrils. What I love about this conditioner is that I don’t need to use a lot of it and it keeps my hair feeling moisturized and relaxed. Unlike most regular conditioners where my hair tends to look and feel dry after a couple of hours and oily the next day, this particular Caviar Anti-Aging Conditioner from Alterna keeps my hair looking hydrated, healthy, and silky. It even keeps it that way the following day without looking like I drenched my hair in oil.

 

Anti-Frizz

 

alterna haircare caviar anti-aging anti-frizz shampoo review

 

Anti-Frizz Shampoo (8.5 oz: $34) – This particular shampoo feels a bit thicker than the Replenishing Moisture Shampoo above, and it lathers pretty well at first use. It also feels to be a lot more moisturizing and has a fruitier scent than the Anti-Aging shampoo above. I like this a lot and I also love the way it keeps moisture on my oily-prone hair, which actually didn’t get so oily lately because this particular shampoo sorta regulated it.

 

Anti-Frizz Conditioner (8.5 oz: $34) – This feels really thick, even a lot thicker than the Anti-Aging Replenishing Conditioner above and it’s pretty obvious why. This conditioner is meant to tame frizzies, combat hair dryness, and restore moisture not just for people with fine hair, but also for those with medium to thick hair. You don’t need a lot to actually use this product and it works really well so far. As we’re approaching the summer heat and humidity, I’ve noticed that I haven’t had any frizzy strands somehow, and mind you, my biggest hair problem is fighting those annoying frizzies. I will continue to use this as we dip into the coming high temperatures and see if this Anti-Frizz haircare line will live up to its promise. So far, I’m really loving this not just for its anti-frizz benefit, but also, I love the way my hair looks. It’s as if I straightened it and it looks really healthy and shiny. I have yet to try their Anti Frizz Blowout Butter which seems really good, but it’s on my wishlist so that hopefully I could put it to the test and update you guys soon.

 

alterna haircare caviar anti-aging shampoo and conditioner

 

I truly recommend that you give these Caviar Anti-Aging and Anti-Frizz Shampoo + Conditioner a try. I think they’re awesome, even though they can be pricey, but they also come in a travel size. The only thing that bothers me about these is their packaging. I appreciate their unique twist and squeeze type of bottle which looks luxe, pretty, and almost spill-proof, but for that same reason, they’re also a challenge to dispense, especially for the conditioners because they have such thick consistency. So halfway throughout your usage, you’re basically going to be squeezing and squeezing the bottle until it releases the product. Then imagine doing that with slippery foamy hands. It can be quite annoying. What I usually do is, I just keep the bottle close and turn it upside down – ready for the next use. Oh well, I hope Alterna will improve their packaging soon.

 

alterna review

 

To sum it up. I think the Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisture line is great for anyone who needs to restore or keep moisture in their hair and for those who tends to have oily hair that needs to be regulated. They’re great as everyday hydrating haircare products. On the other hand, the Anti-Frizz collection is great for those hot and humid months when you want your hair to behave, and it’ll work for just about any hair type, not just for medium to thick hair.

 

Have you tried these already? What are your favorite hair care products? Any recs for frizzies?

 

The Alterna Haircare is currently available at Sephora, Dermstore, Ulta, Nordstrom, QVC, Zulily and Saks Fifth Avenue

 

Sephora Play! January 2018

sephora play box january 2018 box contents

 

Nothing starts the new year makeup resolution like hydration, hydration, and hydration. Sephora’s January 2018 Play box is all about skin prepping and the practice of moisturization. So definitely my box has a couple of skincare stuff, primer stuff, and even haircare stuff which I haven’t tried before, and I had quite a lot of fun playing and testing these;

 

GlamGlow Supercleanse Clearing Cream-to-Foam Cleanser

 

Fresh Rose Floral Toner (8.05 oz: $40) – Smells like a freshly plucked rose, this toner is very refreshing to the skin, and I love that it never gave me any irritation all throughout my usage with this. It can be used as a makeup setting spray, as a primer, or as what Fresh recommends, it can be placed in the refrigerator and use it to cool down the skin on the summer days. I really like this and I would like to have this in its full size because it has a sprayer. This would be really good as a face mist/toner right after washing the face post-workout at the gym or even at work to freshen up the skin and clear those pores.

 

GlamGlow Supercleanse Clearing Cream-to-Foam Cleanser review

 

GlamGlow Supercleanse Clearing Cream-to-Foam Cleanser (5 oz: $32) – This cleanser is surprisingly good. I thought this was gonna be like meh, but actually, this feels really good on the skin. It doesn’t have that strong charcoal scent which I thought it would just like the GlamGLow Supermud Mask (reviewed HERE), instead, this is quite soothing, a bit like menthol and herbal blend with slight charcoal in it. Surprisingly, it’s not gritty, it doesn’t sting, and it’s not irritating to my skin. I love how creamy it feels being a charcoal cleanser, and this foams really well. It does a thorough job of cleaning my oily-prone skin, but it didn’t dry it. It’s quite impressive.

 

Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer

 

Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream (0.5 oz: $26.50) – Seen this eye cream a lot. It’s everywhere and I’m glad that Sephora Play sent me this. It doesn’t have any strong scents, in fact, I don’t think it has any scent at all. It’s really moisturizing and quite refreshing once it comes in contact with the undereyes. I love that the packaging allows for an easy glide around the eyes, and it has kept my lid and undereyes moisturized for hours. I haven’t seen any lightening or any dramatic result yet, but I seem to like this cream. Just be careful upon application though, try not to squeeze too much while applying this around the eyes or else it’s gonna squirt right into it.

 

Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer (mini/0.5 oz: $15, standard/1 oz: $42) – Hmmm, didn’t know Smashbox made something like this. It’s a primer and moisturizer love child, a primerizer. Cool name, huh? this doesn’t have any strong smell, and it contains hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, which felt really nice on my skin. It’s very moisturizing and it’s true that it holds my makeup for several hours. It’s great for this chilly season, and it gives that nice dewy look. Hmmm, I might switch my favorite primer for this.

 

Lancome Cils Booster XL Super-Enhancing Mascara Base (0.19 oz: $25.50) – I already have a few of this because I’m a fan of lash primers. I use this and the Dior one, which are both so good, and they add further volume and length to your eyelashes. This really makes me look like I have full lashes no matter what time of the day. It also works with any mascara, and overall it just takes your eyelash drama to another level. Further reviewed HERE.

 

Alterna Haircare CAVIAR Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisture Shampoo

 

Alterna Haircare CAVIAR Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner (mini/1.35 oz: $10, standard/8.5 oz: $34, value/16.5: $52) – These caviar-infused shampoo and conditioner are very interesting. I’ve seen them a lot in Sephora, just didn’t pull the trigger on them because I’ve always been a Living Proof, Kerastase and Drugstore haircare fan. They smell a bit like Kerastase Aura Botanica (reviewed HERE), but a bit stronger, in my opinion. The Shampoo doesn’t seem to lather much, it took me three washes to get a good clean even though my hair wasn’t really that oily when I washed it. But it did clean it well after that. The Conditioner, on the other hand, is very creamy and I only had to use 1/2 of the sachet to coat my hair. It noticed a very faint smell of vinegar on this, but hardly noticeable. No worries because this conditioner still has a nice fresh scent to it. Overall, I like the effect that these two products did to my hair. It felt really clean, soft, and bouncy. I had no frizz or dry strands, and it just seemed to relax my hair quite well without looking oily and heavy. Hmmm, these are really promising.

 

Aren’t these products cool? I had a great time testing them, so far, I seem to love all the products for this month. They’re very useful and I hope February’s box will be as fun as this.

 

 

What’s your fave from this month’s products?

 

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