The Price Is Probably Too Much For The Performance. (Lush Coolaulin Conditioner)

Member Name: Machair1

Product:	Lush Coolaulin Conditioner
Date:	28/08/09 (67 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Smells beautiful.

Disadvantages: Too expensive.

I have quite a few hair conditioning products in my bathroom, more so than shampoos, as I have recently started to use the Lush shampoo bars on many occasions because I find them very successful, and easy to transport if I am going away. All but Godiva (the yellow 2in 1 bar) require a conditioner, and as I have coloured hair with weaved highlights it is really essential that I use a good product.

I have been using the Lush coconut based conditioner called Coolaulin for several months now, so I thought I would give you an insight into its performance, and my feelings towards it.

Now in the town where I live Lush and The Poundshop lie opposite each other, you can be in one, and out into the other in a flash, but price wise they are mountains apart. I am just as likely to be spotted in the Poundshop gathering bargains, as Lush, and spending time and money in both seems to be the ideal compromise, since to use Lush conditioners all the time would cost a fortune, and for reasons I will explain in a moment, not necessarily good money management or consistent value for money.

The conditioner called Coolaulin is made mainly from coconut milk and lemon juice, and this combination is designed to care for dry hair which has a tendency to become frizzy. So if you have curly, permed, or processed hair then it is worth a look.

Lush have been making this for 11 years, so this is testament to the quality, and to the following it has gained during this time. They also pride themselves on adding some unusual ingredients, and this has Eastern essential oils of vetivert and benzoin gum, which are added to calm your scalp. I don't really have any irritations in that department, but maybe if you have it would be worth trying.

It is available in 3 sizes, 100mls which is a travel/trial size (£3.15) 240mls which is £6.30, or a giant bottle which is £10.34 for just under 500mls. As I like to try a product consistently over a decent period of time to be able to review it well, and to know if indeed it is something I would like to purchase again, I bought the large bottle.

The white liquid is thinner than many conditioners I normally use, and incidentally places like Superdrug and Tesco, as well as Boots, do some pretty good coconut conditioners, which come in at a fraction of the price of this, which is at the luxury end of the market.

It covers the hair well, and I personally feel it is the fragrance, more than any other attribute, that makes this a product worth buying. It lasts in the hair for in excess of 24 hours. I know this because when I wake up in bed in the morning my husband always compliments me on the smell of my hair, which still lingers in coconut aromas from the wash I gave it 24 hours before. It is not pure coconut in smell, but it has a faint hint of citrus which is provided by the organic lemon juice they add to it. It is a very fresh product, and I really love the smell, it makes it a pleasure to use.

Now for the bad news, or at least the not so good truth. Yes it performs well as a conditioner. It is easily rinsed and leaves no sticky residue, and the hair is tangle free afterwards, in fact my comb glides through it with no problem, time after time when I wash it the results are the same. It performs well; no doubt, as I have chemically treated hair, and it's a good head of hair to test it on because it can get out of control, and I do have to tame it daily with my straighteners.

However it is not the "queen of the industry" by any means. I can cross over the precinct and spend £1 on a bottle of Schwarzkopf Gliss conditioner,or something coconutty elsewhere, and these will match it on all the attributes, even the depth of smell, and I will have a massive amount of change from a £10 note in the Poundshop or in Superdrug, whereas in Lush I would have very little left if I repeatedly bought this conditioner.

Now I do buy some toiletries, and pay extra for quality, or for organics, but to be honest I feel buying this it is buying a fragrance, not a performance, and for this reason I think I would buy a travel size bottle in future, only if I was going away for the night, and wanted to have a treat. The fact that the smell lingers on the hair makes this one great for travelling. In fact I shall use it in the morning before I go on a couple of flights I am making to and from Scotland.

It just isn't good enough to warrant spending the extra to use daily, but having said that it is a good conditioner, just carrying a hefty price tag.

A final point which is worth thinking about. This conditioner is quite thin so you have to be careful when you pour it or you can use more than you intended. It isn't a major factor as you soon grow accustomed to this and dispense enough to produce good results with minimum outlay.

I really love to buy Lush products, and this one is no exception, but sometimes it is good to stand back and to reflect wherther this product or that one, really is giving something extra for the cost, over and above a perfectly good competitor. I don't think Coolaulin really is worth the extra cost, but it's a treat and a change every now and again, and the best thing is of course- it isn't tested on animals, and comes from an ethical company which makes it well worth a look in my opinion.

This review is also published on Ciao by myself under the user name Violet1278.

Summary: A good conditioner but can't justify daily use as there is just as good in The Poundshop.