Click and Make-Up Beauty Blog: haircare

Showing posts with label haircare. Show all posts

Wednesday

Beauty Empties | April 2013

There are a few gems in this month's round-up so it's looking like I will have to bend the rules somehow of my spending ban as I really don't want to be without some of these!

Bioderma Crealine H2O - definitely repurchase

This watery make up cleanser lives up to the hype. Unfortunately you can't pick it up on the high street, but I believe it's stocked in Harvey Nicks, or you can get some good deals online especially if you buy in bulk. This make up artist favourite is an all rounder that even removes stubborn eye make up. The best thing is it leaves skin feeling clean, without the icky residue some heavier cleansers leave behind.

Batiste Dry Shampoo (Cherry)* - no repurchase

It is what it is, and I know loads of people loath Batiste for its residue. I can't stand the Blush scent, but Cherry is pretty nice. However I'd recommend the 'Fresh' one in the blue bottle instead. Batiste works best if you spray it on before going to bed as this allows it to work its magic overnight and with a quick brush through in the morning you have clean(ish), voluminous hair.

Clean & Clear Exfoliating Daily Wash - definitely repurchase

This is easily my tenth go-around with this face wash. No matter what else I try, I always come back to it. It's pretty harsh so I wouldn't recommend using it more than once a day, but it's got the finest grain to it which really exfoliates, it's great first thing in the shower. Inexpensive and miles better than more expensive cleansers. Recently other brands have released similar exfoliating cleansers with gorgeous fruity scents which I'm trying and will let you know if they knock this one off top spot.

i.d. bare Minerals in Fairly Light - maybe repurchase

This was my first mineral foundation and it lasted for an age. While it's still a favourite, I find this type of foundation emphasises the appearance of pores. You definitely need a 'Poly-fila' type primer like Benefit Porefessional or Garnier Perfect Blur underneath for a truly flawless look. Recently I've discovered Laura Mercier's Mineral Powder (I use Tender Rose) which is just phenomenal. Flawless skin with the swirl of a brush.

Maybelline ColorSensational in 112 Ambre Rose - couldn't repurchase even if I wanted to!

Of course the minute I fall in love with a cosmetic, it gets discontinued! However, looking on the US website, it looks very similar to 120 Pink Satin. Alas, I shall miss this gorgeous bright pink with gold flecks.

Aromatherapy Associates Renew Rose Hydrating Body Gel* - no repurchase

I reviewed this gel here so won't go into too much detail now. While it's a nice product to keep in the fridge to use on very hot days, I can live without it.

L'Oreal Elvive Renutrition Nourishing Milk - definitely repurchase

I can't say enough about this Nourishing Milk which is really more of a creamy serum. It's the perfect consistency for my hair, adding just enough moisture to wet hair to help the drying process. If yours is too fine for hair oils I urge to to try this, even for the scent alone.

Kiehl's Creme de Corps - no repurchase

This product is so hyped and I'm not sure why really. I find it very greasy and the scent is nothing to write home about. If you have dry, problem skin you're better off with a body oil like Garnier Body Ultimate Beauty Oil or if you prefer a cream the Garner 7 Day Moisture range is gorgeous. This isn't an advert for Garnier, they just have some seriously good body products!

Have you tried any of these products? Do you agree with my takes on them?

Beauty Empties | March 2013

March was a bit of a dud month in terms of the products I finished for review. I don't particularly like writing negative reviews, but I do like reading them as they've saved me from wasting a lot of money over the years. Of course everyone's skin chemistry is different, but I'll just go through my honest opinion of each for you.

Joico K-Pak Moisture Intense Hydrator Treatment* - no repurchase

Let's get the good news out of the way first. It smells nice. Not fabulous, but very sweet and tropical. I've seen this hair treatment raved about all over the interwebs and the mind boggles as to why. I've seen people with much drier hair than mine hail it as a saviour for their locks but if anything, it worsened the condition of my hair. It performed no better than your standard couple of quid conditioner, definitely not worth the approx. £16 price tag. My blogger friend Angel also detested it, so I got back up on this! My advice is save your money for Kerastase.

Garnier Pure Active Blackhead Clearing Scrub - no repurchase

This face scrub bored me to tears. It was such a slog to get through. I've got my fair share of blackheads and it did nothing to sort them out. The blue 'scrubby' particles are just too large to be of any consequence. Other than that it was very creamy and not foamy enough to even perform as a decent cleanser. Pass.

Natura Bisse The Cure Pure Serum* - maybe repurchase

Natura Bisse is a Spanish skincare line and let me tell you upfront that I've just googled it and found it on sale for over £230. I received this small sample in an event gift bag and didn't touch it for ages, however when I did, it was used religiously every morning given its perfect consistency and texture for under make up. I never realised it was some sort of wonder serum which scores 4.7/5 on Makeup Alley. It contains loads of fancy skincare Science, but I think at the time my skin was thankfully too young for me to notice any major changes.

Clinique Sheer City Block SPF 25 - no repurchase

This has been a perennial favourite since my early 20s. I still have one more back tube to power through and then I'm done with this stuff, I just feel I've outgrown it. I'm not entirely convinced by its SPF 25 claim, although it is pretty greasy. A few years ago it was the only tinted moisturiser pale enough for me, but cosmetics companies have woken up to the fact that daywalkers like make up too, so there's a lot more on colour range on the market to choose from now. My current favourite is No7 Triple Protection Tinted Moisturiser with SPF 15, not very greasy but fabulous buildable coverage and a great shade for ginger skin.

Clinique Pore Minimizer Refining Serum - no repurchase

This was another Clinique staple until recently, and like the City Block I have another tube to get through even though I'm over it. Stockpiling and buying back ups is a beauty blogger ritual, but I'd advise against it because there are always so many new fabulous products on the market there's just no point. There will always be a hotter, younger product to take your fancy! I would hardly call this stuff 'serum' because once it sinks into skin and dries, it almost has a chalky texture. I find it hard to find an appropriate time to use it on its own because my skin has become less oily than it used to be and so I definitely need some sort of moisture over the top. However, if you struggle with super oily skin, this may work as a good make up primer for you as it's pretty absorptive.

GHD Thermal Protector - no repurchase

I received this with my GHDs many moons ago and it was a slog to get through because I didn't really feel it did much to protect my hair, and I am quite naughty in being lazy with heat protectors. The best thing about it is the Gucci Rush scent.

Nivea Visage Aqua Sensation Anti Shadow Eye Cream - no repurchase

Forever Amber wrote about it a few years ago raving about it's under-eye-shadow busting properties. It 's a great eye cream for the budget price, and if you're just starting out with skincare I'd highly recommend it. However my eyes need anti-aging and luckily my dark circles aren't too bad. For now.

Bio-Oil - maybe repurchase

When I was on the pill a few years ago, its diuretic properties gave me super dry legs so in a bid to relieve the itchy hell I tried out Bio-Oil. It really did the job of reviving my poor parched skin, but it just smells so dang nasty, like some sort of medicated treatment rather than something nice and luxurious to pamper yourself with. Fair enough that it's raison d'etre is to sort out scars and other skin blemishes, but I really think the brand, and if possible, the scent could do with some serious sexing up. An equally nice treatment for super dry skin in Waitrose's Baby Bottom Butter. It's mega cheap, so hydrating and smells far better than Bio-Oil.

What's your eye cream of choice? Let me know in the comments!

Sunday

Beauty Empties | February 2013: Haircare Special

This February empties post is ridiculously late, but I'm sure you'll forgive me as it's a haircare special! My March review will be up very soon also. As a point of reference, my hair is pretty normal; greasy roots, dry ends (from the constant washing to get rid of oily roots) and easily tamable.

Liz Earle Botanical Shine Shampoo & Conditioner* - no repurchase

For a shampoo that doesn't contain Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulphate we actually got on pretty well. While it didn't give my hair the cleanse of the century, it's good for everyday washes where I don't need a very strong detergent. It contains shea butter, apple and orange extracts, making it both nourishing and shine-enhancing. It's £8.75 and although it claims a little goes a long way, I didn't find this the case and probably won't repurchase. I definitely wouldn't repurchase the conditioner either because it wasn't very...erm...conditioning! (despite it being aimed at dry/damaged hair). However, it is apparently colour-safe, not a concern for me as I don't colour mine anymore. I'd rather invest in a tub of the legendary Kerastase Masquintense (review).

Kerastase Nectar Thermique* - definite repurchase

This stuff is amazing. A slightly more high brow version of L'Oreal Elvive Renutrition serum which is divine but doesn't have the heat protection properties of Nectar Thermique. This stuff smells amazing, you only need a small blob and it is ideal for fine hair which can flag under heavy hair oils. When I had this, it was my one stop shop for hair styling, I didn't need anything else. It's around £15, but well worth it as it lasts a couple of months (I wash my hair practically every day).

Elvive Nourish & Shimmer Highlights Serum - no repurchase

This is a bog standard serum with that lovely smell of the Elvive Renutrition range. I can't tell you how long it took me to get through the bottle, but no doubt it's been through a repackaging. I found it a little too heavy for daytime use so ended up smoothing it through my ends before bed and using it as an overnight leave-in treatment before washing out in the morning.

L'Oreal Professionnel Mythic Oil* - maybe repurchase

This was the first hair oil I tried and it's a pretty decent offering. Moroccan Oil is far too heavy for my hair but Mythic Oil is just the right consistency when used on wet hair. The only thing off-putting is the scent: it's just not feminine enough for me. L'Oreal have since brought out a cheaper Elvive version and there's no discernible difference in performance. You can pick up Mythic Oil for around £16.

John Frieda Blonder - no repurchase

This shampoo does lighten your hair over time, and it was fine while I had highlights, but they've pretty much grown out now. If you're looking to lighten your hair, leave it to the professionals because this shampoo lightens indiscriminately and leaves hair looking brassy. Worst of all, I found it a little corrosive. I wouldn't recommend using it in the shower as it will really dry out your skin. Definitely give this one a miss. If you're blonde you're better off trying the purple tone correcting range.

Aveda Dry Remedy Shampoo* - no repurchase

This is possibly the worst shampoo I've ever used. It feels like a body cream and fails at shifting grease at the roots (nice!). I can only see this working for someone with haystack hair who suffers from chronically dry tresses. At around £20 for 200mls, this is a definite non repurchase.

What's your top haircare discovery of late? Let me know in the comments!

Thursday

Review | Vidal Sassoon Shine Envy Hot Air Styler

You may have already seen the Babyliss Hot Big Hair Hot Air doing the rounds on YouTube and I initially thought this Vidal Sassoon styler would work along the same lines. From what I can see from demos of it, they're quite different as this barrel doesn't rotate making it a bit easier to use for hair styling novices or super lazy people like me!

I had visions of creating a Kate Middleton flicky blow dry, but I had to manage my expectations downwards after the first five minutes wrestling with it. It's 1000W so does actually dry hair quite effectively, but I found it much more time consuming that my usual technique of tipping my head upside down and going at it with a normal hairdryer.

If your hair requires a bit more styling effort than this - if you HAVE to blow dry it properly with a big round barrel brush every time, then this is much easier to handle than a brush and blow dryer and you'll only be left with one dead arm rather than two!

This styler would work best on short to mid length hair - I think mine is slightly too long and therefore too heavy to create any meaningful volume. I'd also recommend using it on at least 50% dry hair - unless you have a lot of time to devote to hair styling!

The large attachment - 50mm - is best for drying hair quickly, the smaller 25mm barrel works best for creating flicky curly ends and creates a straight style with more volume that poker straight flat ironing.

Overall it gave me a bit more volume at the crown, but you have to watch how you position the barrel. The ends look much more 'finished' than usual thanks to the ionic generator to eliminate frizz. If you've got silky, smooth hair already that you struggle to volumise I'd stay away from Ionic stylers as they tend to just flatten the hair. I had an iconic hairdryer years ago and chucked it as my hair felt practically greasy after drying it. Thankfully the Vidal Sassoon ionic technology doesn't do this.

The Vidal Sassoon Shine Envy Hot Air Styler* is £39.99 (as of 07/02/2013 it's got £5 off) and exclusive to Argos.

Tuesday

Beauty Empties | January 2013

You may have already seen my special review post on perfumes I've 'emptied' recently, but as promised here are the other bits and bobs I've powered through in January. Many of these have been hanging around my dressing table and bathroom cabinet for too long and I'm glad to see the back of them and create space for new exciting things!

...Yes, I really do need to get out more.

Neutrogena Deep Clean Make Up Remover: Refreshing Oil-Free Cleansing Lotion - no repurchase

I bought this off the back of a recommendation from Laura's (Lollipop26 now buynowbloglater) blog many moons ago and while it was an 'okay' make up remover it's definitely not an all rounder and didn't do very well with waterproof mascara, or any mascara for that matter despite the claims.

There are so many other efficient all-in-one cleansers on the market now like hot cloth cream cleansers and very liquid solutions like Bioderma that you'd be better off investing in rather than having to use multiple products in your cleansing regime.

However, if you don't tend to use eye make up and like the old lotion and a cotton pad routine, this is a nice option as it is refreshing and doesn't leave too much of a nasty residue, although you do get the urge to wash and/or tone afterwards.

L'Oreal Elvive Re-Nutrition Replenishing Masque - definite repurchase

Elvive make many a hair masque, but none smell as delicious as their Re-Nutrition range.

It's great for those days you feel your hair needs more than a standard bottle conditioner but you don't have the time to put in a Kerastase masque. When I 'Kerastase' my hair I always leave it on at least 20 minutes 'cos that stuff ain't cheap and I want to make sure I get my money's worth!

Even if your hair doesn't need conditioning, just buy this for the heavenly scent!

**Organic Surge Eye Gel* - no repurchase**

I honestly can't remember if I got this free with a magazine or if it was sent to me, so I've included a disclosing little asterisk just in case. It sat around for ages as I was never one to tend to eyecare in my morning routine, but the ravages of age kicked in and now I wouldn't dream of ditching my routine.

I've moved over to using a more moisturising undereye cream in the morning but gel was a nice little introduction.

It's refreshing and sinks in fast and was a treat for sleep-wearing eyes. However at this stage in my life I really need something more anti-aging for that area and so won't be repurchasing.

No7 Protect & Protect Intense Beauty Serum - no repurchase

Note that this is the INTENSE serum.

I absolutely adore the regular version of Protect & Perfect Serum and thought that the Intense one would ramp it's amazing properties up a notch. It certainly does, but for once, my skin is too young for this product.

Every time I used it (and as you can see I carried onto the bitter end determined not be be defeated!) my skin felt overloaded and I woke up the next morning with the beginnings of spots.

I am not spot prone at all which God is his almighty wisdom chose to spare me from, so if you are then this serum would go Rambo on your face.

Essentially this heavy serum is aimed at mature/parched skin - at least 45+ - so if you're under this, stick with the original version which is a few quid cheaper anyway.

Aussie Aussome Volume Shampoo - no repurchase

I'm a huge fan of their Miracle Moisture shampoo which is a treat for frazzled hair, but if used all the time translates into lank hair, for me anyway.

It's always handy to have a volumising shampoo around for days your hair feels like it needs a REALLY good clean. Essentially what they do is strip out the product buildup, and some of your hair's natural oils in a bid to counteract lankness and therefore promote volume.

This Aussie shampoo did a good job and I did repurchase several times, but this will be my last bottle as I've since discovered Bumble & Bumble's Sunday Shampoo which is harsh but very good at removing buildup. I have super greasy hair mind, so it might be too harsh for normal/dry hair types.

I also wasn't keen on the scent of this Aussie shampoo, odd because their known for great smelling products.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel - no repurchase

This was part of a Clinique skincare set so I didn't feel massively let down when it didn't live up to it's claims. Simply put, it didn't make my skin 'dramatically different'.

The major drawback is no SPF - in something designed to be your main daily facial skincare product, it's just not on.

I do have oily skin so the gel formula worked well and created a good base for applying foundation over, but I don't feel it brought any benefit to my skin.

Obviously this Clinique range is aimed at problem skin, so I can see where this lotion might be a good option for someone looking to get some moisture into their skin without overloading it and exacerbating break outs.

Nice to try as it's one of those raved about products, but I can't see a repurchase on the horizon.

Boots Teatree + Witchhazel Cleansing and Toning Lotion - maybe repurchase

I can't even tell you how long I've had this toner but let's just say it's been through a repackaging and doubled in price!

This toner isn't for the faint hearted. It STRIPS yours skin. But I'm such a greasey monkey I sometimes feel I need it.

I've been through the most extensive cleansing routine, been 100% sure every scrap of make up is removed and then swiped a bit of this on a cotton pad only to be horrified. No pictorial evidence as there might be minors reading this!

If you like Clinique Clarifying Lotion which is equally as eye-watering harsh, it's a fab budget alternative.

The more I think about it's amazing grime removing properties, the more I want a full bottle in my skincare arsenal again.

Have you tried anything from this motley crew? Anything you would definitely repurchase?

Friday

Event | L'Oreal Paris Spring/Summer 2013 Product Showcase: Make Up, Nails, Haircare, Tanning, Skincare & More

Tonight I popped along to a swanky venue (which is actually someone's swish real-life home!) for a preview showcase of L'Oreal's Spring/Summer 2013 products.

There was an exhaustive array of lovely brand new products and new shades and formulations of tried and tested favourites.

I haven't ventured out to a blogger event in a while but I bumped into the lovely Gemma and Jen and met Ree, who were all so sweet - you probably already follow them but check out their links.

I'm most excited about the Nude Magique CC (colour correction) Creams (£9.99), BB Blush (£7.99) and Glam Shine Stain Splashes (£7.99) which are a lipstain/lipgloss hybrid and will be available in 8 shades.

My pretty manicure is Color Riche Dating Coral with Gold Lurex topcoat.

I won't go into detail on the products now, but I'll be playing with these all over the next few weeks and will let you know how I get on and what you really have to look out for when they launch over the next few months in your highstreet.

Drop me a comment below on which products you'd like me to review first.