TJ Maxx haul

TK Maxx is a favourite haunt of mine back in the UK and when I saw TJ Maxx in the States, there was no way that I was going to walk on by. They always have lots of bags, clothes and shoes but I have always been drawn to the beauty section like a magpie to shiny things. After all, this is a beauty blog!

First up is the Charcoalogy Bamboo Charcoal Detoxifying Face and Body Bar Soap.  This claims to be non-drying and suitable for both the face and body. I picked it up for $2.99. Now the bar soap itself is really dark grey in colour and the foam when you lather it up is actually a shade of grey too! On the skin it does not look clean because of what we are so used to seeing (white foam or suds) but it rinses off just as easily and does not leave any residue behind. I do not find it drying and have really enjoyed using this soap!

The Jason Nourishing Apricot Pure Natural Deodorant Stick is formulated without aluminium which means it is a deodorant (deodorises any odour) but is not an anti-perspirant. I have lamented on this at length every time I blog about a deodorant but essentially I do not think it is healthy to stop the skin from perspiring and it is something I stay clear away from. I choose to use deodorants but not anti-perspirant for skin health. This costs $4.99.

The deodorant stick comes protected by an extra layer of plastic. I am not entirely sure but I believe the extra bit at the top is to help with the removal of the said plastic.

The actual product smells quite sweet, leaning slightly fresh. It is very soft compared to The Natural Bar Natural Deodorant (which I blog about HERE) and I think I prefer the softer texture but it is of no real consequence. I find the scent to be pleasant without being overwhelming.

The ZionHealth Oatmeal Souffle Claymask is a random pick and as you can see from the clear price tag, it costs $4.99. The product is made in the USA itself and the instructions say to apply a thin layer and leave for 1-15 minutes. That is a pretty big range of timing! It also states to use this daily which I clearly do not. I tend to leave it between 5-10 minutes because it starts drying at this point and I rinse it with lukewarm, room temperature water and I use it once or twice a week or whenever I feel like my skin needs a boost.

Oatmeal is meant to be quite a gentle product and the souffle texture of this clay mask certainly makes it something quite different. I found it very pleasant to use and it is not overly drying like a lot of other clay masks. I try not to use traditional clay masks on my cheeks as it can sometimes feel quite dry or raw afterwards. This mask is absolutely fine everywhere and when I rinse it off, I do feel like it leaves a slight layer of film on the face.

I personally have no issue with that film on my face as it actually feels quite nourishing. The masks feels both clarifying and nourishing at the same time. How do they do it? I also tend to massage the mask a little before I rinse it off for extra circulation to the face.

I bought another mask and this is from Being For Skin & Soul. It is a French Green Complexion Clay which is in powder form so it has to be mixed up with water to create a paste and applied to the face. This costs $14.99.

Although this is housed in a glass jar, I still think this is quite travel-friendly because the powder form means that this is not counted as a liquid and there is no danger of leakage. Yes the product is heavier because of the glass jar but it is well protected and there is no risk of spillage!

The mask is a little difficult to use unless you grab a spoon and use it is the ratio of 2:1 for powder to water. The resulting paste smells really lovely because of the Lavender in it and it is a clarifying mask that I reserve for my T zone.

The final item I picked up is the Phyto Beautiful Hair On The Go Deep-Down Repair Travel Set which costs $12.99. The set includes the Phytokeratine Shampoo (repairing shampoo), Phytokerating Mask (ultra-repairing mask) and Phytokeratine Spray (repairing heat thermal protecting spray).

The products are clearly from the same range and are targeted at dry, damaged hair. I have really dry, frizzy hair and it is just the natural state of my hair. The three products have a certain scent, which is not the most pleasant. It is not floral or fresh but has a certain honey, dense smell to it. I personally do not find it repulsive or unbearable but it certainly does not qualify as a top scent in my books!

The Phytokeratine spray is one of my favourite products in the trio (it was hard to pick a favourite). The spritz is fine and I think it helps to calm the frizz down. I feel better blow drying my hair when I use a thermal protectant spray because whilst the results are not immediate, any form of protection is better than no protection surely! I would repurchase the full size.

The Phytokeratine shampoo was definitely an interesting one. The shampoo itself is housed in a metal bottle which is not squeezable and the shampoo itself is quite dense. So I found myself having to wait for the shampoo to be poured out. Being sulphate-free, it does not lather supremely but still manages to clean the hair, make it feel clean whilst not drying it out. I would prefer an alternate packaging as I was not a massive fan of having to wait for dense shampoo to finally be out of the bottle to be used!

The Phytokeratine mask is different in that it is actually more watery/liquidy than I expected! When I hear ultra-repairing, I expect a thick, creamy mask but this is actually quite fluid. When used it does not feel particularly nourishing but after rinsing and blow drying, my hair is definitely smoother whenever I use this!


My TJ Maxx haul was quite a successful one in my opinion as I did not dislike anything but rather enjoyed most of them! Some are lovelier than others! Have you tried out these products?