This is a sponsored feature. All opinions are 100% from Her Campus.
Recently, Her Campus Kenyon was gifted with a box full of goodies from the one and only Garnier. For those of you who don’t know, Garnier is a hair and skin care branch of the French cosmetics company L’Oréal. Each individual package, fit with the tagline “Green Your Back to School Routine,” included Soothing Facial Mist, Micellar Cleansing Water, and four hair masks of varying scents. Exciting!
To begin, I first tried the Soothing Facial Mist. It’s made with rosewater, and though the floral scent is subtle, it definitely exists. The package states the product “instantly hydrates and refreshes anytime and anywhere.” The second part is definitely true, given you feel comfortable enough with your surroundings to pull out a little bottle and spritz your face with rosewater at any given moment. And to what extent does it actually hydrate and refresh your skin? To be fair, you are essentially just spraying water on your face. Nothing more hydrating than that.
The next product was the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. I was pleasantly surprised by this one because I’ve tried a lot of cleansing products before and most of them are extremely dehydrating and can be damaging to the skin if not used properly. Garner’s version, however, is surprisingly versatile. It’s gentle enough to remove eye-makeup but strong enough to remove dirt. The best part is that it isn’t oil-based, so you can actually let it dry on your skin without having to worry about it causing a breakout. There’s no oil, no alcohol, and no fragrance. The directions warn against harsh rubbing—all you need is to swipe carefully across your face with a soft cotton ball. I actually liked this one enough to consider introducing it to my daily skincare routine. It’s quick, easy, and shows good results. Lastly, the Garnier hair masks. There are four different fruits, each with different purposes: banana for strengthening, papaya for damage repairing, coconut for nourishing, and avocado for smoothing. They each have their own scent, of course, due to the different fruits used in each. My favorite was the coconut mask, which is a classic since coconut oil is known to fortify hair and make it shinier. The back of the package actually offers three different ways to use the mask: apply after shampooing, use in place of conditioner, or leave it in damp hair after the shower. The mask itself has the consistency of conditioner, so if I had to suggest a way to use it, I would recommend in the shower. I tried the coconut mask as a leave-in, because it promised frizz-control and lasting nourishment, but all it did was make my hair look slightly stringy and greasy, and yes, still frizzy. Not the best look, but it sure did smell nice.
All in all, trying out the Garnier products was definitely an experience. The rosewater is refreshing, the cleansing water is very practical, and the masks are super fun! None of them are completely life-changing, but that’s a lot to ask from a single self-care product. The search for the perfect mask that doesn’t leave my hair looking like I haven’t showered in days continues, but for now, I’ll enjoy the simple pleasure of smelling like coconut.