Paul Mitchell strength & clarifying cruelty free duo

paul_mitchell_cruelty_free_duo_review - 1On a daily basis we put all sorts of products in your hairs: smoothing, styling, conditioning, heat protecting… And the list goes on.

I’ve been a massive fan of clarifying shampoos for a while. They deep clean the hair, removing the build up.

Paul Mitchell’s Clarifying Shampoo Two does just that: the cleanses hair leaving it squeaky clean. It deep cleanses hair and oily scalp, and help minimise oil production.

paul_mitchell_cruelty_free_duo_review - 3It’s clear in colour and has a slight lemon smell. It’s gentle on the scalp and hair and hair feels super clean and fresh, with more body, afterwards.

I use it once or twice a week, or when I had some heavy styling.

At the moment you can buy it in the special strength & clarifying duo pack, which is part of the special cruelty free duos, with great savings.

paul_mitchell_cruelty_free_duo_review - 2It one comes with the Super Strong Liquid Treatment, a product that repairs hair from inside out, helping sela split ends and contains marine extracts and vegetable proteins, and is also a joy to use.

Although I haven’t noticed strengthening per se, after use on the ends hair feels soft and supple, styling well.
Always worth remembering that Paul Mitchell never has and never will test on animals, since the 80s they have been very strong on the ethics front!

Usually worth £29.75, you get get this duo for £24 from various retailers, including lookfantastic. Duos are also available in Color Care (£20) and Forever Blonde (£26).

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This post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.

So Many Lovely Things beauty retrospective 2015: hair and body

hair_body_somanylovelythingsToday we get to the final instalment of the So Many Lovely Things retrospective 2015. What a fantastic year it has been!
And to finish it off, see my favourite which products rocked my hair and body in 2015.

Hair

Multitasking

got2b_allstar_review - 1The Schwarzkopf Got2B All Star tends to 10 hair concerns. Although the volumising and texturising properties on this are my favourites, it delivers in all fronts.
revlon_professional_uniq_one_coconut_hair_treatment_review - 1With the coconut bonus, the Revlon Uniq One spray also delivers on its promises. Hair is soft, hydrated, easy to brush.

Serum/oil

got2b_oilicious - 4The Schwarzkopf Got2b Oil-licious styling oil is a little delight. Smells great, tames, gives shine and leaves hair feeling fantastic.
wella sp luxe oilThe Wella System Professional Luxe Oil is another little gem, with a great smell, leaving hair smooth and silky.
ultimate blends honey treasures reviewThe Garnier Ultimate Blends Honey Treasures Strength Restorer serum is great. De-frizzes, smooths and has the most amazing smell of honey.

Shampoo and conditioner

liz earle hair careA great duo: Liz Earle Botanical Shine Shampoo and Conditioner. Smell fresh and leaves hair super clean.
ultimate blends honey treasures reviewI am in love with the whole Garnier Ultimate Blends Honey Treasure range. It smells divine and leaves hair feeling soft and nourished. Plus, it is great value for money.
Swell is still part of my routine. It has been since before 2015, but it’s just too good to leave out!

Mask

The Taya Inner Core Hair Strong Anti-breakage mask is great. Feels supple and extra moisturising on the hair and smells delicious.

Dry shampoo

Swell Ultimate Volume Dry ShampooThis is undisputed: The Swell Ultimate Volume Dry Shampoo is the king of my tresses. All natural and with a powder spray, it is a must have. Last forever!

Styling tools

revlon_perfectionist_2in1_dryer_review - 1My styling tool discovery was the Revlon Perfectionist 2 in 1 Dryer. A hot air hair brush that works and delivers great blow dry results at home.
babyliss diamond waves wandThe Babyliss Diamond Waves Curling Wand was also well used this year. With the easy guide to creat lovely curls.
Also, a mention to my faithful GHDs, which never, ever let me down way pre 2015 to straighten, curl and wave.

Styling

Schwarzkopf got2b Mind Blowing reviewBeen totally in love with Got2b Mind Blowing Express Styling range. All products are great and speedy.
Talking about Got2b, their Rise ‘n Shine hairspray is also amazing. Styles without stiffness and smells amazing, like all other Got2b products!

Vitamins

hairfinity2Definitely Hairfinity for me. Made a massive difference to my hair, I am still using it; have it on auto-order.

Extensions

irresistible_me_hair_extensions_review - 3Of course, the fabulous Irresistible Me. Just wow. Great quality, fabulous colours, friendly service. Never been so happy and intend to purchase more.

 

Body

Moisturiser

A tough call between a few favourites…
dover_derma_spa - 1The Dove DermaSpa range is just fantastic and the DermaSpa Goodness³ Body Lotion and cream are just great!
I am a fan of Bath & Body Works; Velvet Sugar is one of my favourites scents. Sweet Pea comes a close second. Rich and yum.
coconut_products_somanylovelythings - 6The Yes to Coconut Ultra Light Spray Body Lotion was also a fave this year. I love it is a spray lotion; it feels light and nourishing. And yes, it is coconutty!

Oil

thisworks_energy_bank body makeoverThis Works Energy Bank Body Makeover oil is fabulous. Great on the skin, an awakening smell and integral part of my gym bag.
The Spa Technologies Hydrating Laminaria Oil is one I’ve been using all year and is almost over.

Scrub

fake_bake_coconut_macaroon_scrub - 1I love a good scrub, especially pre-tan. The Fake Bake Dolce Dreams Coconut Macaroon Body Scrub works a treat and smell divine.

Tan

heshi_express - 1Hands down my favourite tan, the HeShi Rapid One Hour Liquid Tan. not only delivers a great tan, but doesn’t smell and works as fast as one hour. Sold!

Hands

crabtree_evelyn_hand - 3There is no competition: the Crabtree & Evelyn  60 Second Fix for Hands. The scrub is amazing and their hand moisturiser is just the best. Take note.

Deodorant

dove soft feel deodorantThe Dove Soft Feel is the deodorant of the year on my books. It has all the quality of a Dove deodorante and the fragrance is absolutely stunning. Love.
I am going to include the Halo deodorant wipes here. Just too handy!

Body wash

dove_empower_hour - 3Again, it’s a Dove item. I love their Gentle Exfoliating Nourishing Body Wash. it is very gentle, but effective. Skin is left clean and moisturised after use.

Bath Oil

An awful lot. Too much. It is soothing for the body and the mind. A true moment of calm, so needed in everyday life.

Intimate wash

sass_intimate_refreshing_mist - 2Sass was a great discovery this year. Their Refreshing Mist and Intimate Wash are just amazing. They are very mild; gentle and effective.
What worked for you in 2015? What are your favourite hair and body products this year?
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This post mentions some press samples.

Want an easy blow dry? Revlon Perfectionist 2 in 1 Dryer does just that!

revlon_perfectionist_2in1_dryer_review - 1Another memory from childhood: you know those electric round hot brushes, very spiky? When Revlon got in touch about the Perfectionist 2 in 1 hairdryer, that’s what I thought about.

I couldn’t have been more wrong!

To start with, I was a bit sceptical; after all I had my share of 2-in-1 products that won’t do either 1 or 2 properly. Well, this is not the case here.

Hair routines usually consist on a couple of steps at least: drying and styling. This tool promises to style while drying, saving time and stress from multiple tools on the hair.

revlon_perfectionist_2in1_dryer_review - 2The Revlon Perfectionist 2 in 1 hairdryer is, putting it bluntly, a hot air hair paddle brush. It has three settings including a cold one.

It does looks quite bulky but it’s light, and feels slightly too big in my hands but is quite comfortable to use, as it is ergonomically designed The brush feels comfortable on the hair and scalp, there was no tugging and it detangles quite well.

I went straight for the higher speed. In the beginning I thought it would take ages to dry my hair but then I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe it is indeed due to the Iconic Conditioning Ioniser for quick drying.

It did take a bit longer than my usual (super) quick dry but the results were amazing: almost that of a professional blow dry with little effort.

revlon_perfectionist_2in1_dryer_review - 4My hair was lifted from the root and had great volume, I was very impressed. It also had more shine to it.

Better still, I went to bed and woke up with hair that didn’t need any styling re-touches, which is usually the case when I just quick dry or let it dry naturally.

revlon_perfectionist_2in1_dryer_review - 3My hair is fine and kinks a lot at night so always needs some smoothing in the morning. I just needed a normal brush and go.

The new Revlon launches in January 2016 and will retail for £39.99.  it will be available from big retailers nationwide.

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This post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.

Heavenly tresses with the Revlon Professional Uniq One

revlon_professional_uniq_one_coconut_hair_treatment_review - 1The Revlon Professional Uniq OneCoconut Hair Treatment is a fantastic hair treatment designed to care for 10 hair care concerns.
It has he most amazing coconut smell – did I mention o love coconuts? Oh yeah, only 1000 times!
Anyway, apply to damp hair after washing and immediately hair feels super soft. It’s a great help to brush as it helps detangle.
The spray is fine and the mist is light, not weighing at all on the hair.
revlon_professional_uniq_one_coconut_hair_treatment_review - 2After drying, the hair feel soft, shiny, nourished and of course, coconutty!
I can say I  did notice improvement on most of the ten areas mentioned, especially shine, frizz control, body, easier styling and detangling and smoothness. Thumbs up!
This product is part of the professional range so we can get that from your salon, Amazon and other online retailers. It costs around £10.
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This post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.

A 10 in 1 hair product? Meet Got2b All Star Styling Treatment

got2b_allstar_review - 1You know I have  thing with Schwarzkopf, from hair spray to oils, they are my go-to styling products.

You also know I love a multi-tasking product and they don’t come more multi-tasking than the Schwarzkopf 10-in 1 All Star Styling treatment.

Yes, yes, you heard it right. Ten. In one. How? Well…

Its (magical?) formula sees to style and shape hair at the same time as treating it. It gives shine, smoothness, volume, combats frizz and humidity, protects against heat and adds thickness and volume. Phew!

It is meant to be used on damp hair and the smell is amazing! I apply to the tips after washing and it helps tame to create a smooth style and keep hair in place, even in the London weather. Hair feels lovely when using it.

got2b_allstar_review - 3The volumising, texturising and thickening effects are, for me, the best feature. This product is great to use before you have your hair styled in any way; it gives hair grip and “puffiness”, but tames the frizz at the same time, helping create sturdy styles.

Plus, I love the colours in the packaging!

It is perfect to have on the go, especially when travelling, so you don’t have to carry lots of heavy and voluminous bottles around.

On top of that all, there should be an 11th wonder: its price. At under £3, from major retailers nationwide, this is a no-brainer.

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This post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.

Nominate So Many Lovely Things for the Cosmopolitan Blog Awards 2015

Those who know me will know I really blog for myself. It’s something I love. But I suppose getting an award wouldn’t be so bad…

I would be forever grateful if you could nominate So Many Lovely Things for the Cosmopolitan Blog Awards 2015 under the Best Beauty Blog (ambitious, I know).1441186218-cosmoblogawards-2015-nominatemebadge

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the followers, the comments, the interaction with people who share the same love as me, the fabulous brands that believe in me and in what I do.

 

And oh, the unique ability to inspire, even if one person out there, and to perhaps give them a little nudge to enhance their amazing selves… it is truly priceless.

But my blogging has a more selfish reason to be: me. My passion for beauty, style, fashion – and shoes – that is so huge that leaks out from my small person into these virtual pages.

Most importantly, it has given me comfort when I needed the most.

I never thought that, in claiming my little corner of the internet, I would be exposed to so many amazing things.

It has given me the chance to work with amazing brands, it has exposed me to a wealth of knowledge which is ever growing, backing up my love for the subjects.  And the people… I met amazing people.

I feel extremely lucky, privileged and humbled. Oh, and eternally grateful.

However, I take an award wouldn’t go amiss, right? So please (I say again, just in case) nominate me for the Cosmopolitan Blog Awards 2015 in the Best for Beauty category. It’s super quick, and you can do it by filling the form on their page.

You never know, I might even get shortlisted! Should I be, there will be a little post asking you (yes, I always ask too much) to vote for me.

And thank you. Not just for this, but for being here. There’s a lot of love going round.

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A little hair saver from Schwarzkopf Got2b

got2b_oilicious - 1As you read this post I am getting to the end of my holidays. And I can tell you the Schwarzkopf Got2b Oil-licious Tame & Shine Styling Oil was an all-round lifesaver.

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Bronde, strobing, baking and clown-contouring: are they really new?

feature1Recently we have seen “new” beauty “trends” popping up everywhere: strobing, bronde and clown-contouring.

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Fresh hair: Liz Earle Botanical shampoo and conditioner (review)

liz earle hair careLiz Earle is a brand I am very fond of and pretty much everything I try from them is an instant hit. With their hair care  is no different; I really enjoyed trying the Botanical Shine shampoo and conditioner.

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Review: Garnier Ultimate Blends Honey Treasures Strength Restorer

ultimatd blends honey treasures reviewOne thing I love is honey, so there was no way I’d say no to Garnier’s new addition to the Ultimate Blends range, the Honey Treasures Strength Restorer, with honey, propolis and royal jelly.

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