Posts tagged wash
Review: John Frieda Highlight Activating Moisturising Shampoo and Conditioner
0The other day a friend commented on my hair – she asked if I’d had it dyed, saying it looked lighter and brighter. I thanked her and explained that no, I haven’t had my hair done for a very long time, but I had started using a new shampoo and conditioner that is designed to make my highlights stand out.
I’d been using John Frieda Highlight Activating Moisturising Shampoo and Highlight Activating Moisturising Conditioner (for Lighter Shades) for about a week when I had that lovely complement. The shampoo contains Jojoba oil, sunflower and white tea complex which help to bring out highlights for “maximum blonde impact”, and the moisturising formula adds shine without actually adding colour. The conditioner incorporates the sane blonde-enhancing ingredients while gently removing those residues that build up and dull the hair.
Looking at the photo what do you think I’m going to say about the packaging? If you’ve been reading Splodz Blogz for a long time you might remember I have featured John Frieda Go Blonder Shampoo and Conditioner, and I mentioned this then. It’s the labelling. The difference between the shampoo and conditioner packaging is so small that if you’ve got water in your face it’s very difficult to see which one is which. John Frieda have used different colours and I think I’ve just about remembered that blue is shampoo and green is conditioner (or is it the other way around), but ideally it should be much more obvious.
I do like this pair of products, they are nice to use and obviously work as I mentioned above. I have found, though, that the moisturising effect of these means by the evening my hair is looking flat and a little greasy. I have very fine hair and have to wash it daily, but if I’m out in the evening I am finding it necessary to refresh using dry shampoo (my favourite ever hair product!). I don’t mind that too much because I think my hair looks better in the daytime than it does with my normal choice or shampoo and conditioner, and I know my hair is very prone to looking lifeless, but it is a bit annoying that it doesn’t last 12 hours.
Disclaimer: I was sent some Shampoo and Conditioner to review. I have not been told what to say and have been no less honest as a result of receiving the product for free.
Refresh Your Hair Without Water – Batiste
1Regular readers of Splodz Blogz will know I like and use Batiste Dry Shampoo – I’ve reviewed several of the fragrances.
They have recently sent me a can of their Fresh version, which has been designed as a unisex fragrance.
Dry shampoo is designed to refresh and revitalise greasy, dull, lifeless hair. It helps make your hair feel clean, full of body and fragrant. And of course it does all that without water – which in today’s drought (I shan’t comment on the amount of rain we’ve had here since the hosepipe ban kicked in) could be one way to help us reduce our water usage. Apparently we each use up to 150 litres of water every day – and Batiste say we could reduce that by using Batiste Dry Shampoo instead of washing our hair every time it needs refreshing. We should definitely not be washing our hair more than once a day.
This particular version “Fresh” has a clean, cool and crisp fragrance. Using it is very simple – shake, spray, massage and brush.
Would you consider using dry shampoo instead of washing your hair as regularly as you do now?
Disclaimer: I was sent this product for free to review on Splodz Blogz, but I have not been told what to write and am always honest.
Dermalogica Power Duo Exfoliation Kit
1A few days ago I reviewed the Dermalogica Body Hydrating Cream here on Splodz Blogz – I’ve also been testing the “Power Duo” Exfoliation Kit by Dermalogica recently, also sent to me by John and Ginger Beauty.
This limited edition twin pack of Dermalogica exfoliation products is designed to give you the best of daily and occasional exfoliation products.
The Daily Microfoliant is just that – a daily use product that gently lifts surface debris (I hate that phrase – “surface debris” – makes my face sound like a building site!) to give you brighter skin.
It’s a bit of an odd product in my opinion – not a cream or a lotion or a gel but a powder. You sprinkle some of the powder into your hands and once it’s mixed with water it turns into a cream. My sister, who also trialled this with me, said “odd but nice” and I’d agree with her totally on that. We both used too much the first time and ended up having to rinse over and over again (oops), but once we got the quantity right (you only need a little bit – this isn’t a cleanser you do this after cleansing) it felt nice on the face and rinsed off easily. This product hasn’t helped my spot prone skin (I’ve still got as many spots as ever) but it does make my skin feel nice and smooth and like all that “debris” is gone. Yes, odd, but nice.
The other product is the Gentle Cream Exfoliant, which is a once or twice weekly product. I assumed I was supposed to use this instead of the Microfoliant product, and so that’s what I did. A more traditional exfoliation product, I found this easiest to use in the shower where it’s dead easy to rinse it off. I liked this creamy face product, I did feel it was doing my face good.
John and Ginger Beauty currently have this twin pack of products for £12.50.
mypure Review – A'Kin Hand Wash
0This month I have been testing two hand washes for mypure – the A’kin Lemon Myrtle Hand Wash and the A’kin Eucalyptus and Tea Tree Hand Wash.
These are both Australian Native Rainforest Botanics products, with natural oils chosen to cleanse and care for your hands.
Lemon Myrtle Oil is known for its anti-bacterial properties and is combined with other aromatherapy oils to soft, cleanse and stimulate while you wash your hands. The organic eucalyptus and tea tree oils in the second hand wash are blended together with gentle, natural cleansers, to capture the fresh essence of the Australian bush and make your skin perfectly clean.
I have given these two a really good test. I mean – these have been the hand washes I’ve used when doing all my unpacking – all that newspaper does make your hands dirty and dry. And I’m impressed with them. First off, they both smell fresh, clean and full – your hands smell clean as well as look clean. One squirt of soap from these pump bottles is enough to clean grubby hands. The shape of the bottles is good too – unusual but sturdy on the edge of the sink. My personal preference is the eucalyptus and tea tree one, mainly because I really like the scent, but they both perform well.
Each hand wash is £9.99 for 240ml which is indeed a lot more than Carex but a really nice treat or present. You’ll find them at the bottom of the A’kin Body Care Range page over on on mypure.
Visionary Soap
1Did you know that the minimum requirement for soap to be certified as Fairtrade is just 2% of the ingredients?
Soaps from The Visionary Soap Company contain a minimum of 60% fairtrade ingredients, which makes them a great choice if you are wanting to do your bit to help those in developing countries all over the world.
The Visionary Soap Company sent me a couple of bars of soap to try out. And when it arrived I could smell the soap through the jiffy bag! Not a horrid chemically soapy smell, but a lovely, fresh, natural smell.
The two “flavours” I received were Geranium Rose and Lemongrass – and wow, what a feast for the nose! And the eyes – just look at these cold-pressed, hand-trimmed soaps:
It’s not difficult to describe the scent. For example, imagine what lemongrass smells like, and you’ve got it. There’s nothing else here, just a very natural and expected perfume. And it’s strong – your whole bathroom will smell amazing!
Each soap comes in at approx 100g and is made using Fairtrade certified oils and butters (as relevant to the particular soap), along with essential oils to give them a real kick. They are soft soaps which lather up really easily with a bit of warm water – great for the sink, bath or even shower. Despite being soft mine still appear to be lasting very well.
They’re £3.25 each and there are eight scents to choose from and also an unscented version if you prefer. There’s also a soap of the month club if you’d like to be sent a new bar every month – what a brilliant Christmas present idea.
But they’re not just about soap. I was also sent a lip balm and a hand salve to try out.
This is the Rosemary and Lavender Gardener’s Hand Salve. I admit, probably oweing to the fact my fingers aren’t very green, I have never tried a hand salve before. It is basically a oil based product that repairs and protects well used hands. It says you should use liberally on the bottom of the lovely brushed-silver 60ml tub, but actually that’s quite difficult to start with because it’s really packed in there and is solid. After a bit of use, though, it softens up and is easier to get out of the tub and onto your hands.
This is really lovely on dry hands, and it smells fab too – just like the soaps. Actually this one reminds me of roast dinners (being rosemary) but I guess the scent has been chosen to match the gardening theme.
The hand salve is £6.25 and they do a gift box that contains this and the Gardener’s Soap which would make a fab present for whoever is getting your garden ready for winter right now (even if that is you!).
This little green glass jar is the Peppermint Lip Balm. You all know by know that my preferred lip balm is the Burt’s Bees sticks, and any product is gonna have to go a long way to beat that for me. But this is really nice actually. Again, the scent is good – and it doesn’t taste bad either (oops!). The jar is great for sitting on your office desk or on your bedside table, so I guess there is no reason why this and the Burt’s Bees can’t both be in my life!
The 5ml jars are £3.25 each and I love how the colour of the glass matches the scent – pink for grapefruit (which I really want to try), yellow for lemon and orange for, well orange! I reckon if you’re buying from The Visionary Soap Company then you have to add one of these to your shopping basket… it would be rude not to.
The Visionary Soap Company is well worth a browse as they have a range of other products too.
If you’ve tried these or any of the other things they make please let me and my readers know what you think by commenting below.
mypure Review – Lovea Bio Coconut Shower Gel
0One of the two products I’ve been testing this month for mypure is the new Lovea Bio Coconut Shower Gel. I chose the coconut version of the three on offer because it’s a scent I usually like very much.
http://www.mypure.co.uk/lovea-bio-b136/coconut-shower-gel-p1467
£4.99 / 200ml
As with all Lovea products, the Coconut Shower Gel is a certified as organic. It is described as a non-drying shower gel and is made from “gentle plant ingredients”.
Coconut is generally a very subtle scent and that is definitely the case here. In fact there isn’t much scent at all – good if you want to have a morning shower and then wear your favourite perfume (no scent clashes!), but not so good if you want a strong smelling shower gel. As for the non-drying claims I’d certainly agree with those – it lathers up much like Dove Body Wash (I used it with and without one of those body puffs and found it was just great when used with one) and was very nourishing.
I was impressed with the Lovea shower gel but am not sure whether I would buy it instead of Dove – although the organic and natural properties do make it a tempting exchange. If you want to give it a go but are not sure of the subtle coconut scent, there are two other “flavours” in the range – Guava and Monoi, which both promise to be stronger.
