Must All Drugstore Shampoos Smell Like Fake Apples or Terrible Perfume?
I buy expensive shampoo and conditioner because it smells so much better than drugstore brands. Do all major brands of hair care products, sold for under $10, smell like fake apples to you?, or is my nose just unrefined?
Salon Selectives was the first apple-y shampoo I sniffed, years ago. Ever since then, one by one, every shampoo on the shelf has begun to give off the same apple fumes.
Of course there is another choice. The intense cheap perfume of Pantene. Say what you will about coating your hair in silicone death wax, but when I use that brand in a pinch, it really does make my hair softer, shinier, what-have-you. But it smells so bad to me. Can a fragrance be described as overheated, depressing, and oily?
Lots of products claim to smell unique. Clairol Herbal Essences is the worst offender. Hawaiian Coconut and Orchid, Wild Violet and Pomegranate, Citrus Blossom and Green Tea, O RLY? All apples– fake, awful, apples.
Is that fragrance the least expensive? Or does every focus group of women prefer faux apple scent to all others? The only drugstore brand I that marches to a different beat is Suave. Their Tropical Coconut smells like Coconut, etc. (Not that coconut is what I'm after, just something besides apple!) I have challenging hair and Suave just doesn't do the work. Jane recommended L'Oréal's Everpure. It really does smell different. More like aftershave than it's purported Rosemary and Mint, and I could have worked with that, but when a friend remarked, "It conditions like aftershave, too," my crunchy hair agreed.
So what do I like? Aveda products smell like heaven (ask me about the time I hair-modeled for them at the Jacob Javitz Center, in an elf costume!), but they don't do much for my hair. Pureology smells perfectly herbal and is fantastic in every way except for being pricey enough to make me feel dumb every time I watch it's suds swirl down the drain. I love Terax Crema, a classic. I couldn't quite articulate that scent, so I looked to see how reviewers on Makeup Alley describe it. Well, kinda weird, like plastic, like vanilla celery, and like holidays. Less positive opinions include both wet dog, and dog poo.
Sometimes I buy health food store brands. I'll try anything labeled lemon verbena or lavender. Aubrey Organics makes a deliciously scented conditioner called GHB that I've used forever. And I just discovered Capilo Sole Cinnamon Shampoo and Conditioner. Really intense cinnamon smell, which I love.
Do you choose hair products by scent? Apparently all I really want is spicy, lemony, plasticy, wet-doggy hair. Too much to ask? I would love to know what you want your shampoo to smell like. And please, tell me, am I the only one who thinks they all smell the same?
[Brands are not paying for my mentions. I mean, what brand would pay to be compared to chemical celery and dog poo? And that's the one I like!]
I wanted to help, so I googled for you. I was very happy with the outcome:
http://www.huliq.com/1/80754/twitter-talks-apple-shampoo-without-knowing-why
I like apple-scented stuff! But I don't think all shampoo smells like apples… Garnier Fructis has some nice-smelling shampoos, if you get that in the US. I used to get one that smelt just like nectarines, but I can't seem to find that specific variety where I live now.
That one smells like apples with a citrus-y overtone, to me. Apples!
They now make body wash that smells like wine. It comes in a magenta bottle, of course. Because us women love the vino so much we want to shower off our desperation in it.
And seems a waste to shower in actual wine. But it is important to do what makes you feel good to you, to feel good, about yourself, feeling good, I like that, etc. And if a genuine wine shower gets you there, then.
I bought some health-store peppermint body wash to change it up from the wine scent. Whoa! I don't know how I feel about the way the peppermint leaves a lingering tingling up in my business.
I know some underpants that can help you with that.
PAMPER!
Head and Shoulders. It makes my hair super soft and shiny, and it just sort of smells clean. I get compliments on how nice it smells more than you might think.
I only buy citrus or mint-smelling shampoos and conditioners. I can find good ones at health-food stores for less than $10 each. Right now I'm going through all of the travel-sized stuff that I've been collecting throughout the years, so the scent is always a surprise! Haven't purchase shampoo or conditioner in over a year.
I had to ask a Vegas stripper what she was wearing once because it smelled so good, and it was mint conditioner. She also described 8 other spray, powder and lotion products she was wearing but the mint stood out. Vegas strippers do know how to layer some product.
GAH! Why must so many products marketed to the laydeez smell like food, mostly fruit? There's nothing worse than smelling like a fruit basket. I want to smell green or spicy or herbal, not fruity or vanilla-y or like some food product.
Frederick Fekkai products smell pretty good. The glossing products are green smelling, and they do a great job.
Yep, lots of expensive products smell terrific (gee!, etc.). I just don't know why less expensive ones can't at least smell okay. And I agree. The only fruit scents I like are lemon and lime.
I love that apple smell. Like, I kind of want to put my shampoo on cake, it smells so delicious.
Organix Vanilla Silk 4EVER.
I use Organix almost exclusively! I love the tea tree mint, cherry blossom ginsing, vanilla silk…but my favorite for the last two bottles has been the mandarin olive oil. I like that it's citrusy but also it conditions my hair very well.
I love the giovanni teatree shampoo too, but don't buy the grapefruit 3 in 1 product. it doesn't lather for any of the 3 purposes.
Yes, the mint is good (it's all good!). Normally I shy away from tea-tree after a visit to India. I start remembering the mix of kerosene cabs, tea-tree oil, jasmine and curry and get a bit nauseous.
I will try the mandarin olive oil. Sounds crazy.
I have a natural vanilla dude musk so I don't fight it.
Have to say I diagree with you on the all smelling like apples thing. While most of them don't smell great, I think they're more generally generic than that.
If I was rich, I'd buy these delicious bottles of Alba – http://www.albabotanica.com/?id=323 – regularly instead of just once every few months. Mango and honeydew and gardenia – oh my!
My go-to staple is Freeman Papaya and Lime – http://www.freemanbeauty.com/portal/store/store.asp?nProductID=2592 – which also comes in mango and awapuhi and coconut!
A must for me is also no animal testing.
2-in-1 shampoo/body wash FTW. I used to accomplish this by purchasing the gallon sizes at LUSH, but totally gave up on their crazy cult customer service after a salesgirl at the 34th St [?] location told me she was putting a spell on me to make me "buy more," complete with arm-waving/hand gesture. No thanks.
Switched to TIGI Self Absorbed, which smells like a chemical creamsicle. Shampoo wishlist: fresh pot with notes of coconut and citrus.
Murdear, my love! I want shampoo that smells like fresh pot! And if it's not one thing it's another, right? Shampoo either all smells like apples or you gotta fight through a hex.
I just want to smell like a rich lady with a PhD in ethnomusicology who "takes lovers" and travels the world collecting outsider art for her summer home in Carmel-by-the-sea. IS it too much to ask? Maybe I can call Elizabeth Gilbert and ask her what she uses.
I've used hemp shampoo and conditioner. They worked and smelled pretttttty nice, but not amazing.
The 'skunk bud' creme rinse didn't go over big at the office.
You probably know this already but sometimes vetiver smells a LOT like weed. If that doesn't do it for you, you can always recreate the effect, if not the exact note, by feverishly scenting everything around you with patchouli or nag champa
LUSH's Coolaulin conditioner smells a lot like coconut with some citrus undertones, by the way, not that I'm casting a spell on you through the internet, but if you don't get your ass back in the LUSH store soon… let's just say I cant promise I'll keep my shampoo wicca magic under wraps forever.
I was going to suggest LUSH! It's great.
I use Tramp body wash/shampoo, because it is filled with patchouli and woodsy smells. But I also really like their solid shampoos, which are pretty cheap and some smell awesome. I have also used Big, and it was great for my curly/wavy hair, though I can't really remember what it smells like now…
YES! I was just complaining about this last week. Dove used to be good, but now they're more appley (though not as bad as some others). I want to smell like soap, not fruit. I'm not a jolly rancher.
I have the same problem with fruit scented/flavored sex products. Some things just shouldn't be fruity, especially when mixed with other things.
For great shampoo smells I either go old school – Prell is amazing, Breck if I can find it – or Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Shampoo. Depending on my hair color, I will use color depositing shampoo/conditioner a few times a week but you are kindof stuck with whatever scent they give you. Haven't found it too noxious though.
Prell is really my favorite though! I get so many compliments.
Bonnie–presumably this only happens to you with shampoos? If it's more wide-spread you might consider the possibility that a small piece of apple is stuck to your face just below your nose. Although I suppose one of your friends woiuld have said something by now.
Checking…nodding…
Agree with you completely. Far too much fake apple smell in the world, made worse only by the addition of fake cinnamon smell. Remember how eventually all the Strawberry Shortcake dolls smelled like Apple Dumplin'? That's probably why all shampoo/body spray/air fresheners overuse that awful scent… but I bet 9 out of 10 smokers are just happy to smell something other than their Virginia Slims.
I use Ojon and do so EVEN THOUGH I have to buy it retail (which super-sucks when you are a licensed hairdresser) because it a) smells like incense and b) is really excellent stuff. In that order.
Ojon smells like heaven.
What ojon are you two smelling? I bought it and it smelled like old cigarettes, poop AND dirt.
I can't really deal with frangrances, as they give me major headaches (I AM A SENSITIVE PERSON) so pretty much everything I buy is fragrance-free. Which means it mostly smells like chemicals. Which, to me, is better than fake apples?
Not much talk of flowers here, but…Alba botanica makes a ridiculously nice-smelling gardenia shampoo and conditioner. I'm not a huge flower-y person, but it smells awesome.
Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle is pretty awesome. And tingley.
I was going to say that one! It smells like mint on my head.
Also, I think the other Trader Joe's one I like is citrusy.
And they are cheap.
Ha! You totally nailed Pantene with "overheated, depressing, and oily." So awful!
This is very, very nerdy, but if you want cheap shampoo that smells nice, go to thesage.com and order:
1 gallon shampoo base: $23
Pump for 1-gallon bottles: $3.50 (This is very important!)
4 oz orange essential oil, $6
10-pack of 16 oz bottles: $6
10-pack of dispenser pumps: $5
(You don't actually need 10 bottles, they just come that way. But hey, 9 extra 16-oz pump bottles!)
I have actually done this. A gallon of shampoo lasts for fucking ever. Buy the 2 oz. shampoo sample first to make sure you like it. I did.
That's fantastic, creative, frugal, green, everything a thing should be! But does not take into account how often I enjoy shopping for shampoo, and much I love ready the copy on the back of the bottle, and how easily I get bored.
But if any of you are less annoying than I am, you should def do what she says!
Bonnie do you read the copy on the back of the bottle while your in the shower and your conditioner is taking its sweet time working on your hair? I feel like Ive read "Entice your hair with the rich combination of organic papaya extract and vanilla pod for the outermost regions of Kenya…" ONE. MILLION. TIMES
Oh man, I love making stuff – as a kid I remember making soap out of Ivory Flakes, which they stopped make ages ago.
That site is really dangerous – like going into a craft store and suddenly realizing you need to buy everything in the store, and then you get lazy and never actually make anything and it all just sits in a drawer gathering dust.
But seriously, though, I really want to try the shampoo.
That sounds awesome and I thank you for the link. How would you describe your hair's texture/pickiness?
@theinvisiblecunt: I have the kind of curly hair that's fine but dense. I'm actually on the Curly Girl method now, but back when I was poo-ing I thought this was a great shampoo, not too drying. My husband still uses it — his hair's a little coarser than mine, but not as dense.
@major disaster: It totally is a dangerous site! I justify the box in my craft area full of their wares because homemade massage oils, salt scrubs, and lotions are good frugal/creative holiday gifts.
This is so true!
I find Dove makes some that smell nice (I had a grapefruit/citrus one that smelled amazing and a kind of nutty one) but they weren't great as shampoo. Sometimes I buy men's shampoo.
Johnson's baby shampoo used to have the best clean non-smell smell, but I think they've gone full-fruit too. And old-skool Pert Plus used to have a gender-neutral but awesome aroma, but I don't even know if they make that stuff anymore.
Garnier, Aussie, Herbal Essence= apples apples apples
Loreal Vive, my favorite drugstore shampoo? Old lady perfume.
On the expensive-for-drugstore-but-not-for-brand tip, Wildaid by David Babai is sulfate-free (which my hair hates) and their conditioner doesn't do jack for me. BUT. Most delicious smells. Tropical, herbal, fruity but most definitely pineapple, not sad Garnier apple.
Now I'm using Yes to Carrots, which actually has a disappointing baby powder smell, but is just a testament to its effectiveness.
I blame Blink 182.
I love you for this.
I outhippy you all, I use solid shampoo (basically a superfatted, moisturizing bar of handmade soap) and a honey rinse. And it smells awesome. But for cheap synthetics, may I recommend my roommate's new Aveda knockoff from Suave that smells like Rosemary?
Why yes, you may. I want it!
a knockoff of the aveda romemary mint? Ahhh, that is my favorite shampoo smell. But i'm stuck using color safe stuff which smells like boring.
I use Aveda conditioner and curl cream but I can't commit to any of the shampoo because it does weird things to my hair with regular use. I have spent so much money on shampoo that makes my hair look like caca. So I keep using Herbal Essences shit because it's so cheap and it's good on my hair but when I work out or sweat all I smell is chemicals. I have to open my car window on the way back from the gym, the fake chemical scent is so overpowering. But I'm so scared to switch because my hair is looking so good lately!
I use ShiKai Color Reflect Shampoo, which smells like some kind of bubblegummy jesus juice, but works so well I don't care. The smell fades within hours for the most part anyway.
So, okay, I may be reading too much GOOP (http://goop.com/newsletter/114/en/) (to mock, obvs) but I dreamt about Klorane shampoo last night. IT SMELLS AMAZING. But you can only get it in a Euro drugstore, like Gwyneth (bitch). My drugstore vote is straight up Neutrogena. Because it smells like 7th grade.
also: dreamt? dreamed? christ now I SOUND like Gwyneth.
This is spectacular.
I've definitely purchased Klorane online from a bunch of different sites (even drugstore.com, which is supereasy), including dermstore.com, from whom I get my current stuff (on sale!). And Bonnie? It smells EXACTLY like lemon verbena!
The only shampoo I use – and have used for four years – is Bumble & Bumble, seaweed. I don't use conditioner. I like my hair a little crunchy (it is pixie short anyway, and conditioner = looking like a 9 year boy). Yes it is expensive, but I buy it by the giant zillion-ounce containers. It smells so fresh and so clean clean.
To offset the expense of the shampoo, I make my own "sea spray" – epsom salt, warm water, cheap hairgel (stolen from The Boy). Put in spray bottle. Shake. Voila.
And no apples on my lips either.
I use Nature's Gate shampoo and conditioner. It's organic chamomile-and-something for normal to dry hair and it smells like tea and I love it. And it's like 8 bucks a bottle. And it's paraben and sulfate free! (But it really does smell like tea. Who doesn't like tea? I like tea.)
@Nutellaface – Oh yes! Nature's Gate! I love both their shampoo and conditioner. I sometimes use the shampoo in a bubble bath b/c it smells nice to me. The scent is faint, not overpowering and yes, reminds me of herbal tea or incense.
At the moment, I'm mixing a little bit of my Aveda conditioner with a big blob of Pantene. The Aveda doesn't do anything for my hair, but, as you said, smells so good. The Pantene is great, I think, so long as you use a strong shampoo to strip out the build-up of silicone every few days/once a week. Won't do any permanent damage.
But it's a bit silly. I'm not going to pay Aveda another $15 for what is essentially at this point a tiny bottle of hair perfume.
I really love the scent of John Frieda Brilliant Brunette – in fact I've been using Nexxus and Biosilk for years and recently switched back. It's kind of vanilla-y and dessert-y, so probably not what you're after though. I also seem to recall that Neutrogena Triple Moisture stuff smelling extremely delicious.
I use Brilliant Brunette too, and I just spent the last five minutes huffing it trying to figure out what it smells like. There's actually caramel in the ingredient list, so maybe that's it? (Of course, after reading this post I've convinced myself that it's probably apples. Dammit.)
I also use Pert Plus when I'm feeling lazy. The regular version smells nice, but the last bottle I bought was a "refreshing" type with menthol, and it smells really medicinal, which I don't like. But I'm too cheap to just throw it away, so I only use it when I'm not going to be seeing anyone whose judgment I worry about.
Also, I second the person above who mentioned Prell. It just smells "clean," if you can call that a smell, and I always loved it. But I stopped using it for some reason years ago and don't remember why.
Crucial jpg of the original Herbal Essence! They took it off the market in the early 2000's when the new line of Herbal Essences took over. The original stuff smelled like heaven – green and piney and floral. A college boyfriend turned me on to it and I'm majorly bummed that it now exists only in my memory and creepy 70's ads.
YEP
I can't vouch for this product, but maybe it is close: http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/products/beauty/hair-care-products/natural-shampoos-and-hair-conditioners/Country-Herbal-Shampoo.html
"longtime reader, first-time commenter" … created a username JUST to say YES YES A THOUSAND TIMES YES to the old-school Clairol Herbal Essence in the art with this story. My mom used it when i was a kid and I was so sad when it disappeared. I will definitely check out that Vermont Country Store stuff, thank you! I have one bottle of the old stuff hidden in my bathroom that I worry has to last me the rest of my life. The current stuff they're selling as "Clairol Herbal Essences" is pure crap.
@owlfacedmothmen – Exactly. It was very herbal and pine scented. I loved it. I was crushed when they went "fruity/flowery." Sigh.
Aveda mint shampoo smells like toothpaste to me! I got it from a hotel stay and I didn't like at all. I bought Avalon Organics because it smells like lavender and I'm trying to just line up my smells. Pricey, but I'm allergic to a lot of crap in skin/hair products. Any chemical with benz in it (I'm looking at you avobenzone, jerk) is not my friend.
Oh man. The salon I go to uses Bumble & Bumble and I love the smell. My boyfriend can't stop sniffing my head afterward saying "You need to buy this. Smells so good!" I tell him how much it is and he shuts up. Despite not enjoying smelling of food, Joico K-Pak Deep-Penetrating Reconstructor smells of banana, a scent I'm generally not fond of, but I believe I may be addicted to it. LOVE. You can purchase the shampoo, conditioner, mini intense hydrator & mini reconstructor for $20 and it lasts me forever. For-EV-er.
Yes! Joico K-Pak Reconstructor is the mother of all hair masks, I once put a massive glob on my hair (thinking it worked like your usual hair mask) and it took me about 15 minutes to get it all out in the rinse. You seriously only need a small amount, so it lasts ages!
I think most of the cheaper shampoos do smell awful. Faux apple, sugary sweet or the dreaded fake fruity scents (the ones with a peach or apricot smell are just awful). The fake fruit scents make me want to gag. I remember when Clairol's Herbal Essence actually smelled a little herbal. (I'm old!) It now smells like fake cheap flower perfume with some melted plastic added.
I love Aveda, Weleda and Aubrey Organics but $$$. I usually don't use shampoo that often, washing with Weleda or Aubrey Organics conditioners instead but if I've used a lot of hair product, I do a good shampoo so my shampoos last a long time so it is worth the money in the end.
Oh, and I just remembered, one of my favorite shampoo scents ever was from the samples at the Meridien Hotel in San Francisco. It was some sort of orange blossom or something, and I got some serious compliments on how good I smelled. I was really mad, though, to find out it was specially made for them and you couldn't just buy it in a store.
I also had a similar experience the only time I've ever stayed at the Four Seasons (in LA), when I went to a wedding there about ten years ago. I loved their shampoo and soap so much I took home everything from my room, my brothers' room, and my parents' room. It's killing me now that I can't remember the name of the brand, but I do remember noting at the time that it was the same as a high-end jewelry line, and I wondered at the time if they were related.
It was Bvlgari Green Tea, I'm certain.
YES, that is it! Thank you, it was really bugging me. And I just looked online, and hoo-boy, that shit is expensive.
I am going to second the Nature's Gate recommendation, specifically for their herbal conditioner – the main reason I use it (besides it doing a decent job on my curly hair) is because it smells AMAZING. I have described it in the past as smelling like protected wetlands, and the scent in your hair is awesome. It also reminds me of old time health food stores – before Whole Foods et al, when you had to drive to a random strip mall and search the crammed shelves and bulk bins, and carob was seen as an actual chocolate substitute.
Moroccan Oil treatment is the best stuff I've ever put on my hair, and they do make a shampoo & conditioner. The smell is amazing – spicy, patchouli notes without being overpowering.
Yes it smells incredible. I use it too.I only have the actual "oil." which I use for blowouts, but I do plan to buy the other stuff. What are about ladies less financially dumb than me– ones with retirement accounts etc., — who aren't frivolous enough to put thier cash in a pile and burn it for nice smelling hair? more non-apple hair stuff at all price points!
I use – no joke – Mane N Tail and I love it. The scent is very light, which is important to me because I'm very sensitive to smells, and catching sight of the "Directions for Animal Use" section on the back of the bottle cheers me to no end, which is so nice in the morning.
wha?
Mane N Tail rocks, and you can get it literally everywhere. I only use the conditioner on my mane, but someday I'll have a pony and can buy the shampoo as well.
Bumble&Bumble everything
73 comments so far and no one's asked you about the time you hair-modeled for Aveda at the Jacob Javitz Center, in an elf costume? BONNIE!!? DO TELL.
i don't use shampoo anymore. i have dry, wavy, color-treated hair, so i use the non-silicone condition-only method. the only scents i can tolerate are suave naturals aloe & water lily, suave naturals refreshing tangerine, or alberto V05 kiwi. also check out sally beauty supply. they have nice smelling knock-offs of a lot of salon stuff, among them a rosemary mint one, and a minty-hemp one.
If you like lemony and you have challenging hair try Devachan. They have it at Ricky's I'm pretty sure.
Can I just say as a non-American, my first trip into a Ricky's in New York, December 2009, was truly truly terrifying and/or the most fulfilling experience of my life? WHAT IS THAT STORE. WHAT. I need one in Sydney NOW.
I gotta say, I had no idea so many people out there liked the way Aveda smells. I'm a student at an Aveda Institute right now, and I absolutely hate the smell of Rosemary Mint and Brilliant. And the men's Pureformance line just sticks in my nose hairs like the smell exists in velcro form. I avoid trying to sell it to my clients just because I never imagined anyone actually liked the smell. Maybe I'll actually try and push some products next week (although there is also the problem that I don't actually like the products, and use Kerastase, Redken, Bumble and bumble, and Morrocan Oil on my own hair. It's hard to sell something you don't like to use on yourself.)
for me, not liking the appley smell of drugstore shampoo was the first step on the slippery slope to going no-poo. and now i can never go back! because everything that is not some bicarbonate of soda and half a lemon just smells AWFUL.
and now i have to keep a spare bottle of generic shampoo so that when 'new acquaintances' stay over and want a shower in the morning i don't have to explain to them that i am secretly a total hippy.
I alternate between John Masters Organics in lavender/rosemary shampoo and peppermint/rosemary conditioner and the hippy method of baking soda scrub and apple cider vinegar for rinse. I use the John Masters when I'm feeling fancy. The vinegar sounds weird, but it makes your hair so shiny and bouncy! I promise the smell goes away. Also, I wash my face with coconut oil and honey. My shower is also my pantry.
Kiehls Kiehls Kiehls, Kiehls Kiehls Kiehls…I think I will write a song about it.
I know I know, it really doesn't fit the "every price point" mandate, but I mix it with Tresemme, which is cheap and and you can get the manly-smelling version which is somewhat better than the girly line.
Also if you're near a freestanding store (New York has a few, not sure about any other cities) you can walk in and get pressure-free samples of pretty much anything. And they give you a lot!
I also use their Argan oil line, which now that I'm reading about it might be similar to this Morocaan oil you all are talking about?
I like the Fresh brand Soy Shampoo, despite its ridiculous price. It's light and citrus-y smelling.
Do you guys have John Frieda in drugstores? We have it in ours, and it isnt too painful, esp the Brilliant Brunette/Sheer Blonde ranges – Brunette one smells like hair-appropriate chocolate?