They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but I would go a step further and argue that it's also the most delicious and versatile. Whether it's 10:30 a.m. or 3 a.m., an egg sandwich on an everything bagel, maybe with a little sausage or turkey bacon (no pork on my fork) is always appropriate and satisfying. Especially if that egg is cooked over easy and you've got some bougie cheese and avocado on that bad boy. Man, I'm ready for a Hobbit-style second breakfast right now just thinking about it.
As a native New Yorker (BX, stand up!), the breakfast sandwich is like mother's milk — and I love all kinds. The simple bodega sammie is always a convenient favorite, but I will hit up a chain or small, locally-owned business to get my fix every once in a while. The smell of melted cheese and breakfast meat is the smell of greatness happening, but that smell in your hair? Oh, it's a whole different story.
And it's a story Einstein Bros. Bagel Shop is looking to write. The eatery recently launched its Cheesy shampoo and Wakin' Bacon conditioner to promote its new Cheesy Wakin' Bacon sandwich. As Kerry Coyne, SVP of marketing, product, and innovation for the brand told Delish, "We often find ourselves on autopilot in the mornings as we cope with the transition from sleep to a productive day. Einstein Bros. Bagels wants to awaken consumers’ morning routines with something totally unexpected that will get them excited about breakfast and our delicious Cheesy Wakin’ Bacon sandwich."
Now, the promise of an egg and bacon (again, in my case, turkey) nestled safely in a cheese bagel is enough to get me excited about breakfast. Heck, the empty feeling in my stomach every morning alone will do the trick. Personally, I don't need my hair products to get me pumped for eating, but I can totally appreciate Einstein Bros.' hustle. Bacon and cheese-scented hair products aren't exactly something you can find in the drugstore, so the idea is fresh and definitely intriguing.
So intriguing, that I had to try it for myself. When the $10 duo came across my desk, I immediately cracked open the bottles and took a whiff. The products don't exactly smell like cheese or bacon, but I kind of figured before that they wouldn't. To me (and a few other people I asked), the cheese shampoo smelled more like the popcorn-flavored Jelly Belly jelly bean and the bacon conditioner, as our deputy digital beauty director Sophia Panych put it, like cereal milk after all the cereal is done. It's definitely got an ever-so-slightly salty/smoky scent, but the overwhelming thing I'm getting is sweetness and sugar from the product.
So, Imma keep it 100: These are not my favorite scents. The shampoo was tolerable because I'm the weirdo who loves the popcorn-flavored jelly beans, but the bacon conditioner was not agreeing with my olfactory. It just didn't smell....clean. And as someone who is constantly testing hair products, most of which have their own delightful scents, I want it to smell as if I washed my hair whenever I've done so. The bacon conditioner simply smelled, to me, like I'd put a ton of different products on my hair, sweated a bunch, and not washed it for two weeks. Just...not my bag at all.
Though I wasn't too keen on how the stuff smelled, I have to hand it to Einstein Bros., because the ingredient list doesn't look terrible. The first ingredient in both products is organic aloe juice, and as I looked down both lists, there seemed to be quite a few naturally-derived or natural ingredients. So I wasn't mad at it. I was also pleasantly surprised by the shampoo. Shampoos can often be stripping on my curls, but this one didn't work up too much of a lather and didn't leave my hair feeling all dried out. Unfortunately, my hair also didn't smell clean, even though I could tell the 'poo had washed away the residue from the products I'd used that week.
As for the conditioner, it's gonna be a no from me, dawg. I didn't feel as if it was particularly moisturizing on my typically frizzy 3c curl type. I also, again, really was not into the scent. I had a date that evening, and the last thing I wanted was to hug 'ol boy and have my hair smelling unwashed. So I cheated and I went in with a conditioner that had a smell that was a little more pleasant for me.
I'm willing to wager that the actual sandwich smells and tastes better than this now sold out shampoo and conditioner duo. And yes, I am a good sport and more than willing give it a try. However, let's just say that bacon-scented beauty products won't be making another appearance in my shower anytime soon.
More hair stories for ya head-top:
And for your foot-bottom, check out this video on foot-care trends of the past century.
