A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Hair perfume. Hair what?! Hair perfume!

I’m sure you’re familliar with the idea of spraying your perfume onto your hair for a scent that follows you around like a haunting?

Well, this inventive conditioner from LUSH works on the same premise and uses your hair as the carrier for its wonderful scent.  And wonderful it is, a positively uplifting blend of neroli, rose, grapefruit, rosewood, orange flower absolute and benzoin that works really well now, but will work even better in Summer’s warmth.

It’s not cheap… priced at £18 for 250g (which is about the size of a standard bottle of conditioner) but I fear that once you try it, you might be as hooked as I am. Unfortunately, it will be a habit that is ultimately too expensive for me to maintain – for one reason, and one reason only.  I have to wash my hair daily/once every 2 days at the least, I literally dream of being one of those women who wash and straighten their hair only once a week.  DREAM.  If you’re one, please tell me your secrets!

So, you see… I would need to purchase this fairly often… and I just can’t justify it.

Conditioning properties? Well, it’s neither here nor there, it does the job – though not as well as some of my intensive conditioners… mind, this isn’t supposed to be an intensive conditioner – just an incredibly well-scented one.

I have found a cheeky solution though via the LUSH reviews on their website… the consistency of the conditioner is rather thin and after using my regular conditioner, I have been using just a little of the LUSH Happy Happy Joy Joy as a leave-in conditioner on the ends (I KNOW I PROBABLY SHOULDN’T!)  but my hair doesn’t seem to have suffered as a result and I get to use far less product.  If you hair is very fine, you may find that it weighs your locks down too much to do this.

Try and get a sample instore and see how it works for you.

LUSH Happy Happy Joy Joy Conditioning Hair Perfume is available to buy instore and online at lush.co.uk, priced from £9.00

* press sample

If we’re not straightening it, we’re curling it.  If we’re not dye-ing it, we’re stripping it.  Our hair goes through more daily turmoil than the cast of Eastenders and I’m always on the lookout for ways to protect my locks, because heaven forbid, I should actually just stop mistreating them!

Philip Kingsley, major hair guru (or trichologist to give him his proper name), offers an anti-breakage, heat protecting conditioning spray for all hair types in the form of his Daily Damage Defence* spray.  It’s spendy at £22.50 for 250ml but if you only straighten your hair a couple of times a week (like me), this hefty bottle is going to last you 6 months or more with no trouble.  If you straighten your hair daily, stop that at once!

Many of us straighten our hair to eliminate the frizzies, at least… that’s what I do.  I’m a little bit addicted to the glossiness that ironed hair imparts and I haven’t yet discovered the secrets to achieving the same with a decent blow-dry.  I’m only washing my hair a maximum of twice or three times a week at the moment because I lose too much colour, too quickly if I wash more frequently and I’m finding that this by itself is helping my hair retain more moisture than normal.

I wash (still keep cheating on my SLS-free shampo), condition (deep condition once a week), pat dry with a towel, spray with the Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defence, and comb through with a boar-bristled brush.  Then I blow dry, and finally… run my straighteners through at as low a temperature as I can (anything above 180 degrees is really too hot for hair to handle).

The Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defence is a silicone-based heat protectant (silicone avoiders beware) with added nourishing benefits from ingredients such as: hydrolised elastin, almond seedcake extract, amino acids and other hygroscopic (moisture-attracting) properties.  It smells good and dispenses a fine mist so I don’t overload my fine hair and weigh it down.  It’s the only styling product I’ve been using except for hairspray in an attempt to grasp any other benefits that it may be delivering.

Has my hair been breaking less?  Not really… at least, not that I’d directly attribute to the use of this product.  My hair breaks more so (in my opinion) because of my polycystic ovarian syndrome, I’m also a terrible shedder and I can’t have a shower without emptying the plughole of enough hair to stuff a pillow.  I haven’t noticed any improvements in this regard since using the Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defence.

Do I see any benefits at all?  I find that it’s helping my straighteners glide through my hair more efficiently and more quickly, something which I believe is lessening the scope for damage whilst still delivering good results when I’m done.  I haven’t noticed it causing any additional colour leech, infact… I’d say that I’ve had less since I’ve been using it (and it does say “suitable for use on color treated hair”), something which has become a bit of a priority recently.  I’ve just been for the chop (4 inches off) so I can’t comment on split ends but I hadn’t noticed a significant improvement and really don’t believe that any product will deliver on that score!

It’s more than I’d want to pay for a heat-protectant… but you get a lot of product for your money and it’s packaged in such a way that there is no waste during use, so if you don’t already have something that you’re happy with and can stomach the initial splurge, I do recommend the Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defence.  If you already use something that you swear by at a more bargainous price, I’m all ears!

I’ve tried a few and hadn’t (until now) found a happy balance between the product weighing down my hair and not actually achieving anything other than a bit of additional scent!  Thumbs up for this one.

Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defence (250ml) is priced at £22.50 and available to buy instore and online at Marks&Spencer

* press sample

Pantene are introducing a new range to the UK market next week called Pantene Colour Protect.  It will come in two variants:  Pantene Colour Protect & Smooth and Pantene Colour Protect & Volume.

Designed to protect coloured hair from premature fading, it claims to achieve this by reducing hair porosity which over time can facilitate faster colour fade.  Coloured hair (by it’s very nature) is particularly vulnerable to damage from environmental factors and anyone who colours their hair should be looking to provide it with some extra protection from the rigours of styling.

Pantene Colour Protect & Smooth (priced from £2.19) is designed for coloured hair that is prone to frizzing… great for thicker hair types that want to protect their colour without compromising on the ability to perfect a sleek style.

Pantene Colour Protect & Volume (priced from £2.19) is designed for coloured hair that lacks volume.  That would be me (although, show me a rain cloud and I can frizz up with the best of them too!), ideal for finer hair that needs a lightweight formulation that will rinse quickly and cleanly.

The shampoo ingredients can be seen below (I know you savvy lot love to see a list!):

And the conditioner:

Alongside the shampoo/conditioners, Pantene will also be introducing 3 treatment products to the range:

~ Pantene Pro-V Colour Protect Colour Seal Concentrate (£3.99/58ml)
~ Pantene Pro-V Colour Protect 2 Minute Damage Rescue Treatment (£3.99/200ml)
~ Pantene Pro-V Colour Protect Instant Nourishing Shine Spray (£3.99/150ml)

I’m most interested by the Colour Seal Concentrate and Shine Spray… I love the idea of treatments that offer a boost to complement my current routine (which rather unglamourously is designed to protect my flakey scalp more than my colour).  Being able to mix and match in this way is like having the best of both worlds!

If you want the opportunity to get your hands on the new range before anyone else, be sure to follow PanteneUK on Twitter as they’ll be giving away 10 sets of the new range on Tuesday.

…and she really, really does.

I rarely get really excited about haircare – it’s happened 3 times so far this year.  First, with Pantene’s new Aqualight which I’d still be using now if my sensitive scalp hadn’t kicked up a fuss about it.  Secondly with my mysterious high street deep conditioner (don’t get too excited, it’s only mysterious ‘cos I haven’t written the review yet) and thirdly, with this fabulous offering from Liz Earle.

If you’re a regular beauty blog reader, I know that you will have read at least 10 other reviews on these products seeing as they’ve done the ‘blog rounds’ in recent months and I wish I could bring something new and exciting to the table.  But really, all I can do is offer up another rave on how lovely these products are.

Whilst I may not be sold on the powers of the original Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish (I prefer my Cleansing Oil routines), I have always been impressed with the philosophy behind it of finding a gentle but effective product to suit all skintones.  The same philosophy has been applied to the Liz Earle Botanical Shine Shampoo (only for hairtypes) and for mine?  It works like a dream.

On a completely superficial level, I adore the scent.  I think it’s easy to underestimate just how big an influence scent plays in our bathing products.  In my bathroom, it’s right up there with performance… my haircare needs to smell divine, or I’m just not interested.  This smells… divine.  It’s understated, fruity and most importantly… clean-smelling and non-artificial.  It leaves my locks delicately scented without being overpowering.

The texture of the shampoo is almost slightly gel-like and the quantity shown above is about the amount I use to wash my hair.  Adding just a small amount of water, I lather the mixture up between my hands before applying to the roots of my hair.  Considering this is a SLS/SLES shampoo, I’m impressed with the amount of lather I can achieve.  My hair rinses clean in under a minute and actually feels clean (though not squeaky).  I only need one wash… none of that rinse and repeat stuff.  It cleanses my hair effectively and leaves my scalp happy and calm.

I was also sent the conditioner for dry or damaged hair (one of the three varieties available) and it’s a very thick, almost masque-like opaque cream.  Rich with shea butter and yangu oil (known for it’s inherent uv protection), the conditioner offers a deeply moisturising experience.  I tend to keep this away from my roots and concentrate instead on the ends and main hair shaft.  It lacks the tell-tale silicone slip that if I’m honest… I still miss but does prevent my hair from taking on a straw-like appearance once dry.

The scent of the conditioner is heavier than the shampoo and to my nose, I smell licorice which I’m putting down to the Rose-Scented Geranium essential oil… a scent that has always reminded me more of anise and licorice than roses!  Love it.

Both shampoo and conditioner come in two sizes (50ml and 200ml) and are priced at £4/£7.50 respectively.  Despite a full month’s use… I’ve only used half a bottle of the shampoo and will absolutely be repurchasing.  The conditioner tube is nearly empty and I’m not quite in love with it enough to repurchase.

Liz Earle’s new haircare ranges can be purchased online.  I’m not sure if they’re available from John Lewis, which would be my preferred source (I know the candles/bath oils aren’t) – I’ll check and get back to you on that one.

I think it’s about time for an update to this post.

It’s been a month and I’ve been sticking to the new routine, using The Body Shop’s Rainforest Haircare.  Infact, I’ve finished the bottles that I was given at their blogger event in the Summer.

I know it’s taken me a while to review, but not only did my hair need to get used to the new products, I needed to get used to the new routine too.  It’s a big difference going from normal detergents and condtioners and it takes a while to adjust.

So, I’ve been trialling The Body Shop Rainforest Moisture variety which is aimed at dry hair types.  My hair is coloured (frequently) and as a result, a little over-processed and dry.  It needs something that isn’t stripping.

My first impressions of this weren’t positive.  Within the 3rd use, my hair felt like straw.  It was unmanageable and bushy… rough and knotty.  I tried using more conditioner, but didn’t experience any improvements.  I nearly gave up on it completely.

Instead, I tried using it in conjunction with my normal conditioner.  I was worried that by using a normal conditioner, I’d be giving the sls-free shampoo too tough a job to clear my hair of build-up… but for me?  This is working well.

The shampoo takes a little getting used to, it doesn’t lather very well on the hair.  It’s recommended to rub it between your palms to build up a small amount of lather before applying to your hair and this does make a difference.

I simply found that the condtioner didn’t do enough to smooth the hair shaft.  Whilst I’m not in love with either of these products, I would purchase the shampoo again.  It left my hair feeling clean and since getting rid of my scalp issues (thanks Nizoral!) it hasn’t caused any further irritations.

Priced at £4 for 250ml, I think the range is pretty good value for money considering the natural and eco-friendly ingredients, but I’d need to see more moisture from the conditioner before I’d purchase again.

You can buy The Body Shop’s Rainforest Haircare range online or instore.

With my fine hair, I’ll happily admit that I don’t always use conditioner.  I love how conditioner makes my hair feel smoother and softer, but I simply feel that with each extra product I use on my hair, the heavier my hair feels once dried.  With my current hairstyle (a bob) – it’s important to get a bit of root lift to stop my hair looking lank.

Pantene Pro-V’s new Aqualight Range is designed with one thing in mind.  Weightlessness.  It achieves this with some clever technology which I’ll try to summarise as well as I can.

1. Slimmed-Down Silicone. The Aqualight Range has re-evaluated the amount of silicone needed in products for those with finer hair.  Simple no?

2. Clean-Rinse Technology. Making the products as water-soluble as possible means that not only will the product rinse away faster, it will also leave less residue on the hair.

There were other sciencey things that involved molecules and the way in which they break apart, but I’m not gonna pretend to you that I understood it enough to explain it in layman’s terms!

There are 4 products in the range:

Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light Shampoo – New Clean-Rinse Technology allows the products to be rinsed fast meaning hair feels cleaner and lighter. RRP £2.19 (250ml), £3.69 (500ml)

Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light Conditioner – New “Liquid Conditioning” ingredients which stay liquid at room temperature and provide optimum conditioning levels without excess deposits.  RRP £2.19 (200ml), £3.69 (400ml)

Pantene Pro-C Aqua Light Spray Rinse-Off Treatment – A clever, ultra-light intensive hair treatment for extra nourishment without weighing hair down. RRP £3.99

Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light Leave-In Treatment Spray – A lightweight nourishing spray to style and refresh your hair between washes.  The clever “dual phase” formulation contains nourishing ingredients at the top and detangling refreshing ingredients at the bottom. RRP £3.99

First impressions from my samples are good.  Better than good!  After washing and conditioning, my hair feels gently nourished yet light.  But where I really notice it making a difference, is after styling.

I shampoo, condition and then style with a root lifting product and the lift seems to last far longer than normal.  My idea of ‘styling’ is the rather lame “pointing the hairdryer at my roots and hoping for the best” trick, but I’m delighted with the results all the same.

I’m in love with the Aqua Light Rinse-Off Treatment too which is seemingly doing wonders for my dry ends.  Ok, they’re still splitting (need a haircut STAT!)… but they feel smoother and less rough when I roll them between my fingers.  Completely unscientific testing going on here!  I’m a bit unsure about the Aqua Light Leave-In Treatment Spray though.  The whole range smells beautiful and this is no exception.. but I just can’t get it to ‘refresh’ my hair.  It gives it a touch of gloss… but at the moment, I’m not noticing much more than that.

Honestly, I’m always seduced by new hair products that work fabulously well for a couple of months before they simply stop working, so I’ll be sure to come back and update this post if anything changes as I work my way through the products.

I think the Aqua Light range has been out in parts of Europe for a little while but I’ve spotted the shampoo and conditioner online at Tesco last weekend, so I look forward to hearing what you guys think about the range too!

Before you go, I’m curious!  Would you lovely ladies mind letting me know if I’m alone in shunning conditioner in preference for more ‘swishable’ hair?

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I was invited along to The Clothes Show London courtesy of Pantene Pro-V on Friday and my God was I ‘glowing’ by the time I arrived.  How hot was it?  I was with Rowena from Cosmetic-Candy who looked far more ‘together’ and composed than me.

Flared nostrils, crazy-eyed “too many sweaty people near me” expression, melting eyeliner and foundation that had pooled somewhere around my ankles meant that the ladies behind the press desk had a genuinely hard time accepting me as a bonafide member of society let alone someone they should let in without a chaperone.

However, once safely inside Earls Court, we were led to the Pantene Pro-V stand for a wash and blow dry.  I was positively foaming at the mouth over the thought of getting a hair wash (that’s how hot I was) and if they’d retracted their offer at that point, they would have found me moments later with my arse wedged in the sink hosing my sweaty head down anyway.

After the most beautifully refreshing hair wash with some brand new products due for release this Summer, (more on those when I get the info next week) I got to experience a proper blow dry thanks to session stylist Lara Zee.  It was very different to my home attempts which generally involve me flipping my head upside down till all the blood rushes to my nose.  This actually achieved some incredible volume.  Gotta love a professional!

The blow dry was followed up by a fabulous makeup refresher from MUA Laurey Simmons who shared some of her current favs with me (Max Factor Lash Extension Effect & Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser – or was it False Lash Effect… bollocks, now I can’t remember!).  The woman is a psychic… opening up her Shu Uemura palette, I watched her reach for (what looked to me like) the beautiful ME 850.  I walked away a rejuvenated, regenerated and slightly less sweaty version of my former self.  Fabulous.

Time for shopping!

Bar some black tops from ASOS, I actually can’t remember the last time I bought something for myself that wasn’t in powder, liquid or creme form.

Eagle-eyed Rowena spotted this on a stand and practically challenged me to walk away without it.  I couldn’t.

Say Cheese!

Mr. L is unimpressed.  It’s apparently screwed up his plan for my Birthday present as he had his eye on this.  I reckon I should have both AND something else now too seeing as he gave away his surprise by telling me about it DUH!

The Clothes Show itself was a bit disappointing… the discounts were mostly underwhelming… £7 for O.P.I polishes (or 3 for £20), Make Up Store offered some products at 2 for £15 but things like the eyeliners were set at their standard instore price and they didn’t bring the High Light creme things to the show either.

OMG Marketing had a tough time accepting ‘no’ or even “do you have a website?” for an answer which put me off the Art Deco konad-a-like’s more than I thought possible.

However, in fairness… this isn’t IMATS and I ain’t no fashion blogger (or fashion anything really).

The Style Stage attracted a lot of positive attention with Caryn Franklin (I grew up watching her!) putting in an appearance and Pantene encouraging the audience to ‘swish’ their hair in order to win a goodie bag, those in attendance seemed to be thoroughly enjoying all the onstage antics!

And look what I saw!

I spent a wee while hovering at the Eclectic Eccentricity stand which hands down had the prettiest jewellery on display at the show.  All the pieces were so tactile and kinda interactive… I’m surprised I didn’t drive the owner a little bit mad ooh-ing and poking at things *blush*.  If I hadn’t been a little bit naughty in Harrods Beauty Hall earlier in the day, I would have definitely walked away with one of these and one of these too!

All in all, a lovely afternoon made even better by reading this little snippet of news the night before attending.  Ahhhh.

Have you ever been to The Clothes Show?

Whilst on the subject of GOSH, I’ve just come across their new haircare range which is currently on offer in Superdrug.  Usually priced at £4.39 each you can currently pick up 2 for £5.99 – definitely worth a look.  If you’re ordering from the website make sure you enter: abbey100809 during the checkout stage to get a further 10% off your order (valid ’till November ’09)

Standard shampoo/conditioner range includes:

Damage Control

Nourishes and recharges dry, damaged and chemically treated hair with revitalising moisture…

Pump up the Volume

Contains special proteins which add body and fullness while rstonring elasticity and strength…

Colour Rescue

Protects the colour in dyed hair from fading and daily UV exposure…

The images on the GOSH website show the bottles as pump bottles (which I prefer to these squeezy tube types) but maybe that’s for the European market.

There are other products in the range, they appear to have introduced a full range of styling products – but you’ll have to head in store to check those out as Superdrug’s shitty website only displays the shampoo and conditioners.