Lifestyle April 15, 2020
Is $22.00 for a small bottle of shampoo or conditioner worth it?
“Tested on film stars, not on animals.” So goes the tagline for Tara Smith’s vegan shampoo and conditioner. Patricia Arquette got the royal treatment before her 2019 Golden Globe speech. And you can too… For only $22.00 per small bottle.
But are you just paying for the animal-friendliness? Or are Tara Smith’s hair products also a step above in quality?
I tried her “Gorgeously Gentle” shampoo and conditioner. I then compared them to TRESemmé’s “Smooth and Silky Shampoo and Conditioner,” purchased at the far more affordable price of $6.99.
Although $22.00 for a small bottle sounds costly, I have to hand it to Tara: her shampoo and conditioner truly are gorgeously gentle. They are a step above the cheaper products and, with lasting results, they’re worth every penny.
Here’s why…
Simple. Small. Bright. With a yellow lid that compliments the limonene ingredient, it is clear that much thought has been put into the branding.
Unlike TRESemmé’s bottles — dark, uninviting — Tara Smith’s shampoo and conditioner are unimposing and friendly. How can you go wrong with a vegan shampoo with a smiling Grey Crowned Crane on the front?
As stated on the bottle, the “Gorgeously Gentle” conditioner is, “loaded with kelp extract, B5, bisabolol, and aloe vera to lock in moisture while soothing dull hair.”
The “Gorgeously Gentle” contains “[sweet] almond protein and aloe vera, give[ing] hair a natural bounce and shine.”
Both are made with limonene, giving the product a lemony smell. Neither are made with citric acid – unlike TRESemmé’s products – or sulfates. And there’s nothing quite like vegan shampoo without sulfate.
I’m usually skeptical of vegan-only ingredients (the product tends to not be as effective) but the fusion of Tara Smith’s ingredients allow for a product that is just as good – if not better – than non-vegan hair products.
When I poured the shampoo into my hand, I was unimpressed. The yellow liquid had a bitter lemony smell, and I’m partial to shampoos that are thicker. TRESemmé’s shampoo, by contrast, has a soothing fruity smell and it does not fall through your fingers.
Tara Smith’s conditioner, although lacking a bitter smell, smelt like nothing.
It is safe to say that, before putting it in my hair, I was sure that I was judging a book by its cover; the packaging was much better than what was inside.
But then I put it in my hair…
It takes seconds for the fruity smell of TRESemmé’s product to leave my hair. But the bitter smell of Tara Smith’s product dissolved and was replaced by a delightful lemony smell that lasted for hours.
The conditioner provided a smoothness that made it easy for me to style my hair and, unlike TRESemmé, the smoothness actually lasted.
Tara Smith’s $22.00 vegan shampoo is worth every penny.
Gluten-free, cruelty-free, and U.S.A. made, the product has the right message.
But it backs up this message with fine packaging and fine ingredients that lead to even finer results.
Yes, it’s a small bottle. And, yes, it won’t take long before you’re buying a new bottle of Tara Smith’s shampoo and conditioner for three times the amount of other products like TRESemmé.
But the $22.00 is money well spent. Your smooth, lemon-smelling hair says so.
