Here am I, playing catch up on my merry backlog of reviews again! Today’s focus will be on one of my favorite indie bath & body brands of all time – Cocoa Pink. If your memory rivals that of an elephant, you might remember that I once did a review on my very first Cocoa Pink haul some months back. Basically there were hits and misses and a sensitive reaction from the Argan Therapy Creme conditioner that left me with red patches all over my forehead, ears and neck. I wrote to Beverley asking for her help in pinpointing the possible cause of the reaction and we both agreed that it might have been my choice of scent since it contained cinnamon. She offered to credit me a new bottle of the conditioner in my next order so I could try it out again. And of course, since I loved the products that I got, I just had to get some stowaways.

Long story short, I loved every single thing in this order. And I mean, in a way where if I ever ran out of something and the universe plotted to prevent me from getting to it, I would asphyxiate on the spot. It amazes me how I somehow end up falling deeply in love with whichever samples that Beverley sends me – it’s almost as though that lady gets me and understands my needs. Or it could be that everything that Cocoa Pink makes is magic.

Here’s my Cocoa Pink haul:

Soulmate Ultra Intensive Conditioner in Vanilla on the Rocks

in Vanilla on the Rocks I’m 29 Anti-Aging Cell Renewal Serum (4.5ml)

(4.5ml) Meow Intimate Cleansers (2oz) in Lavender and Green Tea Spritzer

(2oz) in Lavender and Green Tea Spritzer Underarm Candy Deodorant (0.75oz) in Soda

And here are my freebies:

Argan Therapy Creme Conditioner (free replacement bottle) in Vanilla Rose

(free replacement bottle) in Vanilla Rose Princess Poo Shampoo (1oz) in Dolphin Cove

(1oz) in Dolphin Cove Coco Mango Butter in Banana Coconut Cream Pie

in Banana Coconut Cream Pie Soft Bubbles Foaming Sugar Scrub in Tahitian Monoi Cake

As you can see, Beverley is amazingly generous and it’s such fun because I always end up discovering new loves with every purchase. Although some scents weren’t really up my alley, these are quality products at really reasonable prices – and that’s a definite win in my book!

♥

a quick brand overview

Cocoa Pink is a darling little company which specializes in high quality and sweet smelling bath and body products that are freshly handmade with each order. More importantly, like every other respectable indie company, they are cruelty-free. They have a pretty extensive range of products which range from the classic body butters and hair treatment creams to deodorants and even an all natural cleanser for your delicate little lady parts. The aesthetic of the site is frothy and adorable (just look at that little cupcake!) and the website features the adorable artwork of Irene Calleja. This art isn’t featured on their normal line of products, although it does make an appearance for limited edition sets. While it does have some vegan products like the popular Voluptuous Body Butter, the company doesn’t postulate itself as vegan since there are products that contain goat milk and honey.

I’m 29 Anti-Aging Cell Renewal Serum

Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Camellia sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Rose Flower Water (and) Lavender Flower Water (and) Glycerin (and) Rose Flower Extract (and) Violet Leaf Extract, Matricaria recuitita (Chamomile) Flower Water, Glycerin, Water (and) Glycerin (and) Enteromorpha Compressa Extract (and) Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum (Homeostatine), Algae Extract (and) Pullulan (Pepa Tight), Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Glycerin (Syn-Coll), Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), Coenzyme Q10, Glycerin (and) Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyloyl Hydroxythreonine (and) Palmitoyl Dipeptide-6 Diaminohydroxybutyrate (Syn-Tacks), Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid), DL Panthenol, Propylene Glycol (and) Diazolidinyl Urea (and) Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate.

This serum has been on my must-try list for quite a while since I’ve never failed to see rave reviews from anyone who has tried out this product. Do not be fooled by the tiny size of this sample. I’ve been using this for over a month and it’s still about half full. True to the promise in the store description, just one pump of this hardworking serum is sufficient for the entire face. I have really sensitive skin and I’m starting to see some worry lines on my forehead which is why I’ve declared a nation-wide panic and started to hunt down anti-aging products. This serum goes on all light and velvety on my skin and it absorbs so quickly that it feels as though my skin is eagerly drinking it up. I haven’t really seen any major changes as of yet, but I do feel like the lines on my face are growing fainter so I’ll keep using this religiously.

I’m 29 is chock full of skin loving goodies like Green Tea Extract, Rose Phytolate, Chamomile Extract, Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid and other wonderful things and I’m really hoping that it delivers. As it is, I’m definitely hopeful and I love how light it is. I’ll use up my sample before deciding if I want to repurchase this but so far, I’m really liking it!

I’m 29 Anti-Aging Cell Renewal Serum costs $4.99 for a 4.5ml tester and $39 for a 30ml bottle.

Underarm Candy Deodorant

in Soda – a little citrus, a little tea, and a lot of fresh soda water.

Ingredients: Propylene Glycol, Deionized Water, Sodium Stearate, Saccharomyces Ferment, PEG-200/hydrogenated Castor Oil, Isosteareth-2, Salicylic Acid, Steareth-100 Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract (Chamomile), Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, EDTA. Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Phenoxyethanol and Caprylyl Glycol, Fragrance.

I’ve been on the prowl for natural deodorants to keep me smelling fresh as a daisy even after HIIT sessions at the gym so I just had to pick this up. This travel sized deodorant is adorable and fits nicely in my purse. The soda scent is extremely light; I actually have to sniff it rather closely to catch a whiff of that fresh and slightly effervescent scent. I do appreciate how lightly scented it is since it doesn’t interfere with my perfume of the day (yes, I do wear perfume to the gym, don’t judge me).

Despite how subtle the scent is, this is one really effective deodorant. Granted, I have really sluggish sweat glands so I probably don’t sweat as much as the average girl. Still, with this deodorant on, I can feel the sheen of sweat but I can’t smell it. I’m not sure what kind of sorcery this is, but this baby has been faithful through the most tedious and intense workouts so I feel a need to be loyal to it. It’s very gentle on my sensitive skin which is a definite plus and I feel no irritation whatsoever even if I apply it right after shaving.

I’m still eager to try out other deodorants along the way, but I foresee myself picking up another one of this in my next Cocoa Pink purchase because this stuff really works.

Underarm Candy Deodorant costs $3.75 for a 0.75 oz tube and $9.50 for a 2.75oz tube. It is available in 13 scent options as well. There is an unscented version as well.

Meow! Intimate Cleanser

Ingredients: water, diammonium lauryl sulfosuccinate, oat amino acids, rosa damascena (rose) flower oil, chamomile extract, lavender water, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, lauramidopropyl betaine, glycerin, disodium sulfosuccinate, fragrance.

I raved about this cleanser in my previous review so I won’t be talking about it too much this time. Here’s a snippet from my previous review (Warning: This might veer into the NSFW and TMI territory so please read at your own discretion. I tried to keep it as lady-like as I can). Please highlight to read!

The product itself is slippery smooth and is incredibly gentle. I keep myself clean shaven out of personal preference and on days of pruning, my skin does get sensitive when interacting with normal body wash. I had no problems whatsoever with this little gem. It gives the impression that it’s doing its job without being invasive, and I appreciate that in an intimate cleanser. This is definitely something that I’d treasure, especially during when that pesky time of the month comes along (a common woe that all ladies share). It also does a great job of keeping your lady parts fresh and sweet smelling which is definitely awesome. It just makes me feel so clean.

Scent-wise, I found that lavender does the best job of covering the original base scent of the product. The Green Tea Spritzer is incredibly light, but somehow, the base product smell isn’t as distinct in this scent choice as it was in my previous bottle of Cocoa and Marshmallow. Having said that, the base scent isn’t terrible, but I would probably go with Lavender for repurchases.

I will always have this product in my shower regime, so needless to say, I love it and recommend to all you lovely ladies.

Meow! Intimate Cleanser costs $2.99 for a 1oz bottle and $5.50 for a 2oz bottle.

Soulmate Hair Rescue Treatment

in Vanilla on the Rocks – A rich buttery vanilla.

Ingredients: water, aloe, cetearyl alcohol, castor oil, shea butter, jojoba oil, cocoa butter, babassu oil, meadowfoam oil, dimetihicone, sodium lactate, cetyl alcohol, olive oil, lecithin, panthenol, sodium PCA, calendula extract, nettle extract, horsetail extract, lavender extract, sage extract, yarrow root, rosemary extract, green tea extract, behentrimonium methosulfate, hydrolyzed silk protein, hydrolyzed wheat protein, hydrolyzed cotton protein, hydrolyzed oat protein, guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, vitamin E, niacinamide, polyquaternim-10, fragrance, potassium sorbate, phenoxyethanol, benzoic acid, dehydroacetic acid.

This is indulgence in a tub for neglected hair. The consistency of this conditioner is pretty thick and it feels like a buttery paste that you can really dig your eager fingers into. I’ve found that I got the best results out of this product when I appled it to damp hair after a shampoo and gave it about 20 – 30 minutes to work its magic. A little goes a long way with this product and I found that less is more if you’ve got fine, ultra straight hair like mine. I once went overly enthusiastic and plied on too much product and it did weigh my hair down a little. I can imagine this working really well on ladies with thick, luscious locks that require a nice dose of pampering. As it is, it really softens my hair and nothing gives me more delight than washing the product off and discovering that I have a silky veil instead of the straw-like dryness that I’ve grown accustomed to thanks to my drugstore hair products.

I use this about twice a week when my hair needs a little more love than usual. I find it a little too rich and heavy for my hair texture to use it on a daily basis, and this results in this product lasting for a good long while. It might be one of the pricier conditioner options offered by Cocoa Pink, but considering how much bang you get for your buck, I’d say that it’s very fairly priced.

Scent-wise, I went with Vanilla on the Rocks because I really wanted my hair to smell like creamy vanilla ice cream. I’m not sure how I feel about this choice of scent for this conditioner though. I found the creaminess of the vanilla to run a little sour at times straight out of the tub and I’m not sure if that’s a result of the base smell of the product. On my hair, the vanilla scent is creamier but it somehow feels a little generic; it has a simplicity that makes it slightly reminiscent of a Bath and Body Works scent. Not my favorite vanilla scent, but I’d say that this is pretty good for layering and since it lasts for a good long while, that’s a good thing!

On the whole, I’m happy with this conditioner but I feel like my hair isn’t really in need of such a pampering treatment so I’d probably stick with the Argan Therapy Creme Conditioner for future purchases. If you’re looking for a dependable intensive conditioner though, definitely give this one a try!

Soulmate Hair Rescue Treatment costs $13.99 for a 6oz tub and is available in Cocoa Pink’s entire scent collection.

Argan Therapy Creme Conditioner

in Vanilla Rose – Bulgarian white rose petals caressed with pale cream infused with decadent vanilla and softly sprinkled with sugar crystals topping fluffy white squares of angel food cake.

Ingredients: Water, cetearyl alcohol (and) PEG-40 caster oil (and) Stearakorium cloride, behentrimonium methosulfate and cetearyl alcohol, centrimonium bromide, centrimonium chloride, cetyl alcohol, argan oil, coconut oil, c12-15 alkyl benzoate, panthenol, dimethicone, cyclomethicone, polyquat 10, silk amino acid, propylene glycol (and) diazolidnyl urea (and) iodopropynyl butylcarbamate.

I like to think of this as my second chance conditioner since it really didn’t work out for me the first time I tried it. I am eternally grateful to Beverley for actually going the extra mile and giving me a replacement bottle even though it wasn’t in any way the company’s fault at all. This is what I call excellent customer service and it is certainly a factor that makes me want to stick with this company for life.

This little conditioner is a dream in a bottle. I absolutely love everything about it. The texture of this conditioner feels like melty vanilla ice cream and it is such a joy to coax this into my locks because I can how it instantly softens my hair upon first contact. You just know that this product is going to work when you are greeted with the softest curtain of hair just seconds after application. Argan oil is a wonderful thing for the hair and it is the star player in this conditioner. I can’t really survive a day without my Argan Therapy Creme because everytime I use it, I end up with such soft, shiny and bouncy hair. The Fox has been sniffing my hair and running his fingers through it more often than usual and that, to me, is a huge endorsement of this product.

I adore my choice of scent for this product. Vanilla Rose is the perfect creamy rose scent that is just so enchantingly soft and feminine. It’s a gourmand floral that takes itself lightly and it just whirls around you in a yummy, pastel pink cloud. I loved this in perfume oil form and I adore it in this conditioner. Like the Soulmate conditioner, this product leaves my hair scented for a good long while after rinsing it off and it’s never overwhelming. It just lingers there intimately and plays peek a boo with whoever comes within nuzzling range.

I will be repurchasing this in the 10oz size because I don’t want to ever run out of it. Needless to say, I am head over heels in love with this baby.

Argan Therapy Creme Conditioner costs $8.50 for a 6oz bottle and $15 for a 10oz bottle. It is available in Cocoa Pink’s entire scent collection.

Princess Poo Shampoo

Ingredients: Water, Sodium Glucose Carboxylate and Lauryl Glucoside (natural surfactants), Rosemary Extract, Lavender Extract, Rose Extract, Lemon Grass Extract, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Fragrance, Mica, Phenoxyethanol and Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid (Paraben Free Preservation System).

Despite the fact that I am not all that enamored by this shampoo’s rather silly (but still adorable) name, let it go down in Minkish history that this is The Shampoo that convinced me to go all indie in my hair care products from now on. I have struggled with various commercial shampoos all my life which irritate my sensitive scalp, cause hair fall and makes my hair look all limp and icky. One wash with Princess Poo and I suddenly have tresses like a fairy tale princess. I kid you not, this stuff is magical.

The consistency is a little more viscous than the average commercial shampoo and it lathers up amazingly well. I feel like I’m really getting a good wash, which is especially incredible considering how gentle this product is. I sometimes wash my hair twice a day which leaves me mourning over the straw-like hair that I have to labor over. I actually find it possible to to skip the conditioner with Princess Poo because lo and behold, it doesn’t dry out my hair at all. I’ve also noticed extremely little hair fall as well every time I use this product which is like a Godsend. However, the icing on the Cocoa Pink cake is that it gives my hair unimaginable body that I’ve never been able to attain from any commercial shampoo on the market.

If I have any criticism at all, it’s that since this product was tailored for normal to dry hair, my hair does get oily a little faster than usual. It’s not really a big deal since it only really starts to oil up at the end of the day, but I might try the Squeaky Clarifying Shampoo the next time I order since that one is for normal to oily hair. As it is, I’m amazed by this product and I’m really really glad that Beverley added it as one of my free samples. I have medium long hair that falls slightly above my bra line and this bottle lasted for about 4 to 5 washes.

Princess Poo Shampoo costs $7.50 for a 6oz bottle and $14 for a 10oz bottle. It is available in Cocoa Pink’s entire scent collection.

Coco Mango Body Butter

in Tahitian Monoi Cake – Vanilla cake batter injected with candied citrus, moist white cake smothered in whipped buttercream icing touched with nuances of Polynesian Monoi oil.

Ingredients: Water, cocoa butter, mango butter, babassu oil, avocado oil, rice bran oil, meadowfoam oil, polylyceryl distearate, calendula oil, cetyl alcohol, glycerin, aloe extract, vitamin-e oil, fragrance, xanthan gum, phenoxyethanol, benzoic acid, dehydroacetic acid.

I got this as a free sample in my previous order, and I wasn’t opposed to having it make a reappearance because I really do love this body butter. I’m a little lazy, so here’s a snippet from my previous review.

The consistency of this butter is wonderfully smooth and glides onto the skin with ease. It does leave a bit of stickiness but the moisturizing effect makes it worth it. Plus, after a couple of minutes, it gets completely absorbed into the skin, leaving just a light sheen which gives you the semblance of a healthy glow. This is a beautiful formula and kicks Body Shop’s body butters right to the curb.

By the by, this is a vegan product and is shea-free, so if you’re sensitive to shea butter or latex, this would be perfect for you!

Scent-wise, I really love, love, LOVE Banana Coconut Cloud Pie. I’m not the biggest fan of banana scents, but the banana in this is dangerously creamy, and combined with the milky decadence of the coconut milk and the buttery crust of the pie, this is a total guilty indulgence and it makes no apologies whatsoever. The scent lingers on for a good long while and it takes all my wavering self control to not attempt to lick the butter off myself. It is that yummy.

I currently have a mountainous stash of body moisturizers so I will probably hold off ordering more of this for a while. I do have a slight preference for this over the Voluptuous Body Butter, so if I have to make a decision, I would go with this one for sure. Plus, you really can’t beat that huge amount of mouthwatering scent options.

Coco Mango Body Butter costs $7.50 for a 2.75 oz tub and $13.99 for a 4.75 oz tub. It is available in Cocoa Pink’s entire scent collection.

Soft Bubbles Foaming Sugar Scrub

in Tahitian Monoi Cake – Vanilla cake batter injected with candied citrus, moist white cake smothered in whipped buttercream icing touched with nuances of Polynesian Monoi oil.

Ingredients: Sugar, Sodium Coco Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Organic Cocoa Butter, Olive Oil, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Shea Butter, sorbitol, stearic acid, Behentrimonium Methosulfate (and) Cetearyl Alcohol, Emulsifying wax, Fragrance, Glycerin, Vitamin-E, Citric Acid, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid.

This gloriously scented scrub raises all kinds of conflicted emotions in me – on one hand, I want to throw a lei, a little polka dot bikini and do the hula on a sandy beach, but on the other hand, I smell so much like an intoxicatingly decadent dessert that I feel all the phantom calories hopping on my tummy, hips and thighs. That’s Tahitian Monoi Cake for you. It’s an incredibly creamy , lush and fluffy coconut cake that is lightly scented with tropical blooms apd sugared petals. I am so in love. The best part is that I probably would not have picked this scent choice myself.

Pardon my obsession with this particular scent, because the actual product does also deserve its moment in the spotlight. I have to admit that I was slightly sceptical when I first tried out this scrub because despite having bubbles in its name, it actually didn’t really have much of a lather for me. I really love the texture of the product though; it’s like a thick sugar cookie batter that melts into a scrubby delight upon contact with damp skin. I think I must have been a little spoilt by Haunt’s sugar polish and its incredible silky and creamy lather, but once I looked past the whole minimal lather issue, I began to appreciate the scrub for what it actually is. It leaves my skin feeling all smooth and totally not dried out. The best part is, it leaves behind a glass-like sheen that is absolutely wonderful for shaving. I just love it when scrubs double-up as shaving products as well.

I’m not sure if I’ll repurchase this because I am currently in love with so many wonderful sugar scrubs and am simultaneously lusting after even more of those scrubby babies. As it is, I would definitely recommend picking up some of this if you want to make the most of Cocoa Pink’s shipping. It’s a really dependable and effective scrub and the tiniest bit of product really goes a long, long way.

Soft Bubbles Sugar Scrub costs $8.99 for a 6oz tub. It is available in Cocoa Pink’s entire scent collection.

On the whole…

As you can probably tell by now, I am a die hard fan of Cocoa Pink and will probably be patronizing them for as long as I live. The hair products are particular stand-outs for me and I really don’t know what I’d do without my Meow! cleanser (which incidentally seems to be sold out on the site right now, oh WOE! D:). I definitely want to try out their new Ends with Argan Benefits Detangling and Conditioning Spray in my next order.

Cocoa Pink has recently launched their fall and winter scents collection as well as an insanely adorable and mouthwatering Masquerade Ball Sampler Set for Halloween. It’s a wonderful way to try out their body products, so I’d definitely recommend picking it up. For $19.99, you get:

Voluptuous Body Butter net wt 2 oz — Harlequin Mask – Smooth Shea gently sweetened with tinges of warm vanilla, yellow pear smothered within gobs of golden honeycomb.

Coco Mango Body Butter net wt 2 oz — White Veil – Crushed black vanilla bean soaked in white rum, cocoa absolute, red rose petals, white peppercorn, nutmeg.

Linen Spray 1 fl oz — Phantom Kiss – A pinch of black sea salt accented with hints of mysterious clary sage, rice flower, crackling firewood embers touched by single drop of Oud.

Ends w/ Benefits 1 fl oz — Masquerade Ball – Black currant mingles playfully with melodic nuances of wild fig, cassis, black oak, maple leaf and sheathed violet.

Soft Bubbles Scrub net wt 2.75 oz — Venetian Waltz – Distinct aroma of molasses cookies, candied ginger pieces, gently spiced pumpkin soufflé drizzled with burnt sugar crystals in delicate black ramekins.

While I’m not that big a fan of their linen sprays (then again, I know people love those so YMMV), everything else sounds wonderful. Heck, I’m probably going to pick it up myself once I’ve shifted some funds around.