Product Review: Radiante

Shea Butter: More appealing packaging and labeling has been one of the key improvements in the local manufacturing sector.
Shea Butter: More appealing packaging and labeling has been one of the key improvements in the local manufacturing sector.

Product Specs                                            

Ingredients: Shea butter, Coconut oil, Jojoba oil, Lavender essential oil, Basil essential oil, Rosemary essential oil, Ylang Ylang essential oil, Vitamin E oil.

Size: 8 ounces

Price: $3500 GYD

Bought at: Koko, Robb and King streets, Georgetown

Pros

I first tried this shea butter mix last November when I found it at the spa at Princess Hotel. I am a ‘sucker’ for branding and packaging, and loved that the butter came in a little mason jar.

The company is pro-recycling so you can return your empty, undamaged jar for 15% off your next buy— that takes it down to $2975 per jar, which may be a bit more palatable to the general public. I actually kept mine and currently store my lipsticks in them.

What’s inside: Consumer information critical to customer appeal.

Anyone who actively buys natural products for their hair and body has already accepted that it will cost them an arm and a leg. Comparable products available in Georgetown from foreign brands like Shea Moisture and Cantu also run between $3200 and $4500; so the pricing isn’t that far off. The price shocked me initially but I do think it’s reasonable, considering the fact that premium ingredients are used and that there is premium packaging.

But I really, really like how it smells…almost a woodsy, subtle minty, smell.

I find raw shea butter a bit harsh, and this does a good job of masking it, so I definitely don’t mind smelling like it all day.

The butter is really thick but creamy; it’s also super light and true to the description, “whipped.” Application on both hair and body is very smooth and it absorbs into my skin really quickly. I think it was made for hair specifically, but when I first bought it I still had a pixie cut so I ended up using it as a lotion and lip balm and I became obsessed. It made my skin incredibly soft. When I did start using it on my hair I saw an immediate difference in how my curls dried and overall moisture retention.

Cons

In terms of the product itself, hard as I tried, I couldn’t find a bad thing to say about it. But let us talk branding because I have a few notes on that aspect. The logo is very clear— I understood it right away— it’s an outline of an afro which in retrospect makes me wonder why I didn’t ‘get’ that this was a hair product. I think all the colours inside the afro are a visual to go with the name Radiante. I am the definition of a ‘font snob.’ I just don’t understand the need for 4-5 fonts for your branding— you can see what I mean in the image on the left. Pick two fonts, a regular and an accent and use different weights and letter spacing.

The added touch of the hangtag tied around the lid is great— gives the buyer additional information as well as manufacturing and usage directions.

Something for the brand to think about is marketing this as hair AND body treatment— it really is unbelievably moisturizing and you see an instant difference in your skin!

Overall Experience: 9/10

  This product is currently available at three locations in Georgetown:

–  Koko on Robb and King streets

–  Bromeliad.rnc on Queen Street Kitty (2 houses before Windjammer)

–  Wanza’s Designs on Robb Street