The Green Beauty Guide

Space NK, our Brit version of Sephora, is one tricky store. Whenever I stroll into their cute tempting space, I end up buying not what I wanted. Today, I didn’t even want to buy anything. Space NK launched a so-called natural line, and the store girl assured me it’s “free from all nasties” - of course it was, it depends on what “nasties” mean to Space NK and what “nasties” mean to reputable dermatological institutions. Anyway, the line, as cute as it looks, with a polar bear working as a key character on the packaging and price tags shamelessly rising up to 15 GBP (28 USD) per some really basic body wash, I wasn’t that much into buying anything. Maybe a lip balm. No. Must stop.

Until I saw the new Oribe hair line. I was salivating instantly. As someone who chose plain apothecary style glass bottles for her skincare, I could not help but admire these true works of plastic art, Oribe bottles are being such. Custom-moulded, with adorable prints, truly gorgeous. I bet they paid at least $3 per bottle for their shampoos. But the ingredients are not worth the luxurious containers!

OK, so there’s sodium laureth sulfate. Why do I keep on reviewing these? Because I have splurged (twice) on a cut at Oribe? Or because the line is called “natural” and “green” despite the funky chemical stuff in the ingredients lists? I was truly moved by the abundance of natural plant extracts in the conditioners, by the way. The plant ingredients (sans the chemical junk) were really, really good. They were chosen for performance. The chemical junk was chosen for storage and smell. Overall, Oribe products may even work for someone who is not too picky about the toxins they rub into their scalps.

The worst rip-off was the Original Pomade by Oribe. For $35 you’d get 1.7 oz of beeswax blended with petrolatum and scented with a rather cheepishly smelling fragrance. The ingredients cost $0.50 (possibly $.0.30 considering the amount of beeswax blended with petrolatum in China - an oil-tank full?). The jar costs $3.00. The rest? The rest is the tax paid by the people who believe that luxury is in the deep burgundy colored “sophisticated” plastic jar, not in the truly luxurious ingredients.

THE BOTTOM LINE: If you want a lovely bob that will grow better with age, head on to Oribe salon. If you want some lovely looking bottles for your bathroom, buy Oribe hair care line. If you want to repair your hair with natural ingredients, buy John Masters Organics. They are true mane saviours.

PS. Speaking of Space NK and their ability to twist one’s mind, here’s what I bought today: Phylosykos by Dyptique. This scent really performed well on my skin! Love it. Not exactly the hair potion I needed today, but it lifts my mood perfectly well.