Empty Products- the January Edition.

Hiya Lovelies, I've got my January Edition empties post for you today. Hope you enjoy :-)

Johnsons Cotton Buds- Yeah not much to say about these, after all, they are cotton buds. They are so handy, especially when applying makeup I find them invaluable to correct any smudges or create sharp lines with eye makeup!
Will I buy these again?
Already have.

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Hairspray- The fact that this has lasted me since I bought it in August is perhaps an indicator that I don't use all that much hairspray. I thought this was great when I did use it and would buy it full size. It held the style for a good amount of time and didn't smell as hidesouly strong as my Elnett hairspray!
Will I buy this again?
Yes.

Ojon Dry Recovery Shampoo- This month turned into one of those 'using up' months and I had a couple more washes left in the bottle. Whenever I have a shampoo and conditioner duo I have a terrible habit of ditching the rest of the shampoo when my conditioner bottle inevitably runs out first. What is with that by the way? I love the scent of Ojon products but really question the price tag.
Will I buy this again?
No.

The Body Shop Banana Shampoo- This doesn't lather up particularly well which was a surprise considering it contains SLS. That aside, I really enjoyed this shampoo and used in conjunction with the banana conditioner left my hair feel really lightweight and soft. I know I have got Catrine of Unnaked Nails addicted to this!
Will I buy this again?
Yes! And would recommend.

Clinique Take The Day Off Eye Makeup Remover- This was a deluxe sized sample however I cannot find it on the website so maybe it has been discontinued? Luckily I didn't particularly like it, it was one of those eye makeup removers that is really oily and left a residue behind, but it was fairly effective at lifting off long wearing eye makeup. I never thought I'd see the day where I say that I do actually miss Estee Lauder's Take It Away eye makeup remover because it was so good and oil free. Still too expensive though! The search continues....
Will I buy this?
No.

Etat Pur Miscellar Water (not pictured)- I won this in Sandra's giveaway along with a purifying mask and I have got to say I love both products so much that I might do a seperate blog post on them anyway. At first I was put off by the floral scent this had in comparison to my previously used unscented Bioderma solution. However I soon got over it and enjoyed using this. It worked really effectively and didn't leave a residue behind. Miscellar waters are great for removing makeup gently before cleansing, but don't let them replace your cleanser like I have seen so many bloggers do :-/
Will I buy this?
Yes I will as it is the cheapest miscellar water I have seen at only £6-7 pounds on the Etat Pur website and I am keen to try more of their products.


LUSH 'Cupcake' Fresh Face Mask- Ben and I shared this after we had drunk a couple of Baileys. We really didn't like the consistency or the sickly chocolate smell. As with all the fresh masks from LUSH that I have tried, I couldn't wait to wash this off, the consistency bought me to gagging point- so thick and lumpy! It did however make my skin feel soft and smooth afterwards as it exfoliates as you remove it. This was given to us, so I'm not disappointed as I didn't spend cash on it.
Will I buy this?
No!

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum- I'd become a bit slack in using this so this 30ml lasted me a while. To be honest I am not too sad to see it go, I don't notice a huge difference in my skin when I am using this to when I am not it had just become a staple in my routine for the past year and it felt odd not to use it. Some of you may know that I am on the hunt for a more natural serum, as this one does contain parabens.
Will I buy this again?
No.

Sample Pot- This was a sample of Bare Minerals' answer to Advanced Night Repair, similar in colour and texture this serum absorbs quickly and left the skin feeling a bit plumper and nourished. It is paraben free along with other undesirable ingredients however again, I'm not sure I loved this enough to buy it. Or perhaps I am just being stingy ;-)
Will I buy this?
Maybe.

Super Facialist by Una Brennan Tea Flower Deep Clean Mattifying Moisturiser- I loved this and have already repurchased. It is my perfect day moisturiser as it is a light lotion that absorbs so quickly leaving the skin feeling fresh and ready for makeup! I have written a full review here but in short it is great for combination or blemish prone skin as it contains salicylic acid which cleans out pores. Really lovely stuff but I do wish it had inbuilt SPF.
Will I buy this again?
Already have :-)


Origins High Potency Night A Mins- This lasted me approx three months and was my chosen night cream. Firm in consistency, I was worried it would feel too heavy on my skin but it was quite the opposite. It soaked in fairly quickly and in the mornings my skin didn't feel dry or irritated. It's only since this has run out that I've realised how much I liked it. I LOVED the smell, it smells like orange sherbert.
Will I buy this again?
It's been ordered!

Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment

Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment, £3.40 for 10ml from Hairtrade.com.

I have never used an oil specifically designed for hair before so I am just a wee bit late to the party. My hairdresser has used Morroccan Oil on me with every visit but I have never taken the plunge so when I had the opportunity to try this Macadamia Oil I jumped at it! They're similar in consistency- a fairly thick oil that doesn't weigh down the hair or make it greasy- which I think is always a concern when dabbling in hair products, especially something oily. It absorbs into wet hair and makes drying time quicker too.

I have been impressed by this. It keeps the ends of my hair feeling soft and nourished rather than frazzled after a blow dry and the ends remain silky soft until I wash my hair next. It doesn't leave behind an icky residue and is so easy to use! It does contain silicone which is my only gripe with this product (thanks to Fran for pointing that out). Similarly to Moroccan oil I feel they are branded and marketed as natural products, and while they do contain natural products, they're not 100% one ingredient. It can be a little misleading but I imagine wouldn't bother most people, hell it doesn't bother me as long as it does the job, I just think something called 'Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment' sounds a little more pure or organic than it probably is.

You can buy it for only £3.40 for a 10ml sample, a size like that is an excellent way to try out hair oils without spending around the £30 mark for something I wasn't sure I would really like or take to using. P.S. don't assume that this is only for over processed, frazzled or heat damaged hair. Hair oil is suitable for all hair types (including oily) and will help maintain a soft and polished finish!

This product was sent for me to review. Hairtrade.com is one of the UK's leading online retailers of hair extensions, hair care and beauty products. You can order this product by clicking here

Clynol Sealed Ends Fluid Review.

Clynol Repair Caress Sealed Ends Fluid, £8.37 for 75ml here.

After just three uses of this product I was in awe of the difference I could feel on my hair, it's not often you can feel almost instant results with a hair product. I've since been using it daily and my experiences with it so far have been positive, I've been looking forward to sharing it with you all!

I was attracted to Clynol because of it's dedication to creating salon quality hair at an affordable price. The ingredients in this Sealed Ends Fluid excite me; it contains macadamia and olive oil, marula and argan oils along with sweet almond and and apricot kernal. These active ingredients help restore and protect the ends of hair against further damage.

Sealed Ends Fluid is a gooey white serum that you massage into the ends of your hair to help combat dryness and split ends. The packaging states it can be used on wet or dry hair, and while I am normally dubious to put wet products on dry hair it was actually absorbed fairly quickly and was weightless afterwards. The ends of my hair look glossier and they feel nourished. 
Though it is hard to comment on it's long term benefits as I have only been using it for three weeks, I am impressed so far and will continue to use this to see how much the condition of my hair improves.

In times where money is short for many, a product like this could help prolong the time inbetween haircuts as it helps prevents the ends of the hair from looking shabby and uncared for. I do get my hair cut every 2-3 months, so while the ends of my hair aren't in a particularly unkempt condition, they do split quickly due to dryness from long term hair dye and constant straightening.
I would recommend this product for you girls out there who have dry ends from dye or bleach, or overstyled hair which suffers from heat damage. I've been using this product after washing my hair with The Body Shop's banana shampoo and conditioner which are really gentle and soften my hair, and this Clynol fluid seems to work with them well as it helps prolong the softness and works on repair inbetween washes.
  

Have you tried any products from Clynol? Would you be tempted to try this?

This product was sent for me to review. Hairtrade.com is one of the UK's leading online retailers of hair extensions, hair care and beauty products. You can order this product by clicking here.

Mini haul- The Body Shop.

 
I've not bought from The Body Shop in ages so was well due a visit. I got a 50% off code to use online but it expired before payday which was a huge shame as I had quite a few things in my basket. I decided what I really wanted to try and just went and got them, thankfully I've not been disappointed!

Banana Shampoo £4.50 for 250ml- While this doesn't lather particularly well (only on the second wash) it does cleanse the hair and rinses easily. I love the sweet banana smell but it isn't overpowering or too heavy.

Banana Conditioner £4.50 for 250ml - This creamy product feels good on my hair and keeps it really soft. Unfortunately it doesn't help with my knotty hair (anyone have any tips for knotty hair? The tangle teezer does nowt for me.) It is like banana puree in consistency, I always feel like I should be feeding it to a baby, not putting it on my hair! This is light and gentle enough to put all over the hair should you wish to.

While this shampoo and conditioner duo don't particularly brighten or make my hair glossier, it is the softest I have felt it in a very long time. And I'm talking baby soft, people! The natural ingredients must be nourishing it nicely and both wash out well, there's no heavy feeling to my hair (which I hate!) and no residue left behind, they both seem very gentle and for this reason I give them a thumbs up and would definitely recommend them to people who may suffer with a sensitive scalp.

Beautifying Oil in Coconut £9 for 100ml- Yes, so far so good with this one! I'm not sure it has done much for my hair, but it makes my skin feel smooth and soft and doesn't take too long to soak in so is great to whip on after a morning shower. I absolutely adore the smell this leaves on my skin; it's feminine, warm and tropical so is great used on it's own but it also doesn't react to any perfumes I've applied afterwards. The skin loving ingredient of marula oil also contains anti oxidents which is a bonus! I imagine this would be lovely to take on a summer holiday to top up that 'holiday smell' and keep the skin looking supple. 

Do you use any of these? Are you a fan of The Body Shop?

 

John Frieda Full Repair x2 Review

John Frieda Full Repair Deep Conditioner, £6.29 for 150ml. 
John Frieda Full Repair Perfect Ends Sheer Mist, £6.99 for 75ml

I have dyed my hair since I was 13, when I had my first set of highlights put in. Since then I have had white/lilac hair, yellow (don't ask), brown hair, black hair, ginger hair, and I've gone back full circle recently and opted for blonde highlights run through with my natural hair colour. We'll see how long this lasts...

10 whole years of hair abuse has seen my locks loose most of it's vitality, it's certainly had a time of it. Sorry hair!

I only started taking a proper interest in hair products when I placed a Bumble&Bumble and Ojon order in the spring. While I got on with the Ojon dry recovery range, I can't help but feel it doesn't quite justify that exortionate price tag and I have an on/off relationship with BB Salt Spray.

When I was offered to try two products from the John Frieda Full Recovery range I gladly accepted, I hoped that I'd see positive results so that I'd be able to repurchase in the future as they are reasonably priced and easily accessible. 

The Deep Conditioner is something my hair obviously needed. A scoop of this from the tub and massaged into the ends of my hair and left for a few minutes has made my hair smooth and soft, and also reduces the knots in my hair that I, annoyingly, always have after washing. It's scented with a fruity salon smell and it doesn't create that icky product build up that some conditioners can leave behind (no matter how long you rinse), resulting in an intensive mask that feels lightweight on the hair. I will continue to use this and will definitely buy this one again, I just wish it wasn't packaged in a tub- they're so awkward when you're in the shower and have wet hands!

The Perfect Ends Sheer Mist is an after wash treatment, that sprayed into towel dry hair maintains the smooth feel that the conditioner created and also offers protection against heat treatments. Similarly to the conditioner, there's no residue left behind that products in the same price range do, in my experience. As heat protection sprays go, this is a nice one, it seems to hold the blow dry well- my hair stays straighter for longer after using this.

I've been more than impressed with the Full Repair range and am thankful to have been sent them as they have helped my hair maintain a good condition and are within the price range that I am comfortable with spending on hair products. (I'm running really low on the Deep Conditioner already!)

I'd be really interested to try the Perfect Ends Deep Infusion Serum when I'm next in Boots or Superdrug, as I think it would accompany the Sheer Mist well by optimising protection and perhaps helping condition and smooth out my knots.

What hair repair products do you use? Will you be picking any of these Full Repair products up in the future?

If you want to watch some helpful how-to videos created to promote the John Frieda repair range, see my post here with a link to the videos. They've since added more for you to check out so it is worth subscribing to the channel. I'm off to learn how to do a hair bow now, laters!

VO5 Hot Oil Review #1

VO5 Hot Oil Nourish Me Truly, about £4 for 4x15ml

My friend at University introduced me to V05 Hot Oil when I was complaining about my bleached hair (it was in AWFUL condition) snapping, being uncontrollable and dry. She used Hot Oil herself and swore by it. So I bought some and along with some other hair treatments, my hair was pretty much transformed as best it could be in a matter of weeks. I had bleached, white hair for a couple of years and used V05 Hot Oils weekly until I (stupidly) dyed my hair jet black in 2009 (but that's a story for another time...)

Bleached;

This past year I have focussed on recuperating my hair after years and years of complete abuse. I get it cut regularly, and am now proud to say not a touch of dye has touched my scalp in 10 months (you may have seen in my pictures a slight unintentional dip dye going on, it's because I'm simply growing the black out and letting my natural hair come through). I now use heat protection products, and try to use my GHDs a lot less, and I'm careful to let my hair do it's own thing a couple of times a week, I'll either hide it up in a bun or wear it wavy so that I can give it a 'rest'.

Until lately my hair was in quite good condition, but I noticed it was becoming quite dry again. I remembered, VO5 HOT OILS! The next time I was in Boots I picked some up.

The packet comes with 4x15ml treatments. I use one weekly. I place the tube under hot running water in the shower until it heats up and apply to wet hair before shampooing. Massage it into the hair and leave it on for one minute only, any longer can lead to irritation because it is an intense treatment. I wash it out as normal and commence my usual shampooing and conditioning routine.

Like I have mentioned, this benefited my bleached hair so much and was affordable on a limited student budget. I have been using the Hot Oils again for 2 weeks (2 treatments) and this is what I think so far;

• The first time I used them, the hair felt soft and healthy again after washing. It made my hair easier to handle after washing, and smoother when styling (I used my usual heat protection products). I noticed that it made my hair so silky and soft that it looked quite flat/sleek. However, by the next day my hair had gone greasy. My hair felt quite heavy and like I had used too much product in it.
• The second time I decided to apply the hot oil just to my ends, as this is where the dryness was occurring and I was hoping to avoid greasiness the next day. Bearing in mind I had been to get my hair cut inbetween treatments so the ends weren't as bad as they were, but after I washed my hair (cue soppy moment) my boyfriend was stroking my head and commented on how soft it was. He normally comments that my hair smells nice, or that it feels good after a cut but I think this comment shows that it works (I hadn't told him I'd used Hot Oil, cos let's face it, what kinda man cares?!) The next day it felt soft, and nourished, but not greasy or flat like the time before, result :-)

If you have seriously damaged hair, then I cannot praise this product enough. It works wonders on dry hair, but be prepared that it might be so nourishing that your hair might feel greasy the next day. Plus if you're a busy gal, this only adds on a couple of minutes to shower time and you're done. If you think of it as a pound a week spent on nourishing and restoring your hair, then I think it is a price worth paying. If your hair is healthy. naturally quite oily, then you do not need to use this product. I believe it benefited me mostly when I had bleached hair, but now I'm happy to continue using Hot Oil because it is without a doubt doing my hair good.

If you're interested in hair related reviews, then I'll be reviewing some Lee Stafford products in a couple of weeks, once I've had the chance to use them!

Have you ever used VO5 Hot Oils, did they work for you?