Herbal Essences Out; Garnier Fructis In

How clueless I was! For over a year, I fell victim to the advertisements. Orgasmic women steeped in flowers, relishing the (help me out here) Ulangalang. Even some of my favorite magazines seemed to be in raptures: "Hawafena!" they heralded. Wow!

As my hair got drier and coarser, I thought it was my fault. How careless of you, Real Girl, I told myself, to keep your hair in a pony-tail all day. Those fly-aways must be from breakages. The harsh texture must be from your highlights. It couldn't be the Hawafena! Wow!

But no. I've been blaming myself for naught all these months. My new conditioner for every day use (because there has to be another one for special occasions, doesn't there?) has left my wavy hair softer, bouncier, and all around better looking. I can't stop touching it. My hair, that is. It just feels so silky. Can you blame me for ignoring the Garnier Fructis commercials? Who got the bright idea to give Sarah Jessica Parker the ugliest yellow hair imaginable so that we'll think--oh yeah. I want to look like Big Bird too!

I would like to use my first Real Girl post to extol the virtues of Garnier Fructis Fortifying Cream Conditioner for Fine Hair. What a quality product for only about $3.50. I have long hair, so I used a lot of the product, which was more liquidy than I imagined. The minute I stepped out of the shower, bent down, and then flipped my camera-ready curls backwards, I could tell immediately: there were the spirals, bouncing away.

What a revelation.



I've got fine, wavy hair. Of course, yours may be different. I hope people will respond with any of their own experiences with Herbal Essences or Garnier Fructis. My goal is to create a community here, where we can help each other out. Who has money to waste on a beauty product that you use once, decide you don't like, and then stick in the medicine cabinet for another year because you don't want to throw out what you paid for?

That's my beef, y'all. From one Real Girl to another.