There’s nothing as deflating as heading into your morning shower, half asleep, only to be jarred awake by the smell of aggressively scented, ordinary shampoo. We need beauty in those early hours to gently coax ourselves into the ‘what fresh hell awaits us today’ world.
These three haircare products above are excellent and their fragrances are “inspired by” best-selling perfumes. Do I like them more because they smell so good? Yes I do.
Left to right: Unbreak My Blonde Leave-in Treatment from Matrix, Chatters,ca $24.50, softens and strengthens straw-like, bleached blonde hair, all the while evoking Bvlgari’s classic Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert, ($130, Holt Renfrew), the smell of the early ‘90s. Endless copied since its launch in 1992, Bvulgari’s mix of seemingly disparate notes like bergamot, coriander, orange blossom jasmine and rose on a woody and green tea base still smells new.
Bounce.Me Curl shampoo from DesignMe, $27, (centre) is note-for-note Bobbi Brown’s Beach, $105, Sephora, another classic, this one an homage to 70s sunscreens like Coppertone and Bain de Soleil. Remember that metal Bain de Soleil tube of orange ‘gelée’? Nothing was more glamorous. Bounce.Me transforms even the most egregiously fuzzy steel wool hair into soft waves and defined curls. (I always adored the Beach scent and never forgave Bobbi Brown for discontinuing their Beach-scented ‘sandbar' soaps, with their thick crowns of sand for handy exfoliation. They were probably massively injurious to skin, but I loved them.)
From the singular white flowers and sandalwood scent to its suede-finished, parchment coloured bottles, Authentic Beauty Concept’s line for damaged hair both looks and smells like Donna Karan iconic Cashmere Mist deodorant (the Bay, $39). It makes sense given that - fun fact - Cashmere Mist stick deodorant, has been the #1 best selling prestige body product in the US since 1996. ABC’s replenish line (conditioner, above) provides much needed moisture to restore winter-battered hair. And the sueded bottles are especially nice to grip with soapy hands when you are still asleep during that morning shower.
For screen-capping:
