Sunday, 22 June 2014

HER Haircare Rituals

Whenever I am asked if I would like to try some new haircare products, I always jump at the chance. As well as trying my best to ensure my skin is kept in tiptop condition, my hair is just as important.

HER Haircare Rituals is a brand I had never heard of until a wonderfully packaged lot of products arrived at my door. The brand, if you haven't heard of them comes from a place called Veneto in Italy and is co-owned by entertainer John Barrowman who is also the co-creator. From his own eyes, he has seen first hand what women’s hair has to endure on a daily basis. whether it is colouring and blowdrying to curling and straightening, a performer’s hair has no time to recover from these treatments. And neither does yours. It is said that the average woman’s hair endures a great deal more stress than most men’s. This is why John and HER haircare have designed these products which help combat the effects of daily styling, air conditioning and many environmental factors to reverse the damage caused by everyday life.

So in my package was the Nourishing range which comprised of a shampoo, conditoner, hair treatment and a nourishing oil. My hair is combination, it has greasy roots and dry ends, is quite fine but I have a lot of hair on my head. I tend to wash my hair every other day in the summer and every two days in the winter unless I feel it is necessary to wash it more frequently. Once a week or at least once every two weeks, I use a treatment on my hair as I have always been told to do by any hairdresser.


HER Haircare Rituals


The first things to note about this range is the rather stylish packaging. Pure white bottles with black lids and the HER logo right in the centre of the bottle, they are sleek in design whjch wouldn't look out of place in an exclusive salon.

Nourishing Shampoo, £15.00. This is described as follows:

"This luxurious cleanser offers complete nutrition for dry, damaged hair. A blend of revitalising natural sugars with hydrolysed sweet almond, wheat and rice proteins, intensely nourishes the hair leaving it soft, supple and brilliantly shiny"

As soon as you open the lid, as I always do with any new product to smell it, this is most definitely a scent I really like. It has one of those fresh scents combined with a citrusy blend which makes for an uplifting scent and something you would probably like as a candle to create an atmosphere to give you that get up and go. Once on the hair it lathers with ease and you only need a small amount to cover your entire head, something I particualy like in a product as there is nothing worse than using half the bottle and only get minimal lather, it never feels as though you have washed your hair. It is as easy to wash out as it is to apply and once you have done so and my hair always feels lovely and soft, not lank or overly heavy.

HER Haircare Rituals


Nourishing Conditioner, £17.00 described as follows:

"This velvety conditioner contains natural oils including Olive, Avocado and Brazil Nut which effortlessly nourish, to replace lost moisture and protect dry, distressed hair restoring weightless body and natural shine".

I don't use a conditioner everytime I wash my hair, I have found they weigh to heavy on my hair, but this conditioner I really really like. Again ti has a fresh scent too it, though totally different from the shampoo and you can get a definite scent of Avocado. Once this has been applied to the mid-lengths and ends of you hair, you leave it on for 30 seconds before rinising out, again an easy task which doesn't require a lot of rinsing to ensure every last trace is removed.


The final two products withing my package was the 300 Trecento Treatment and the Nourishing Oil.

The 300 Trecento Treatment comes packaged in a box which mimics the design of the shampoo and conditioner bottles, only inside the pot if black and looks even more exclusive. It won't surprised you to hear that this treatment smells good enough to eat, it is almost heavenly. Unlike most treatments, you actually use this before washing and conditioning and to use you ensure your hair is slightly damp, towel off any excess water and then apply from root to tip and leave for 300 seconds (clever name) or 5 minutes. You can of course opt for a deeper conditioning treatment which you leave on for 15 minutes.

HER Haircare Rituals

HER Haircare Rituals


This Treatment is described as follows:

"This weekly pre shampoo treatment is at the core of the Her haircare ritual. A one-step deep conditioning treatment clinically proven to rebuild and repair dry/damaged hair. A must have for anybody using hot styling tools.

In just 300 seconds (5 minutes) natural plant extracts including Shea butter, Olive and wheat protein penetrate the hair to rebuild, strengthen & moisturise from within. The Trecento Treatment creates a protective layer to restore resilience, strength and elasticity to minimise frizz, enhancing health & shine". 

HER Haircare Rituals

HER Haircare Rituals


Once you have had the treatment on which the allotted time, you simply wash out using warm water (not hot). When I used this for the first time, I had expected it to leave my hair feeling lank and greasy, a problem I have encountered with similar products, however it did neither of those and once I had completed the washing and conditioning process, my hair felt soft and smooth and really well conditioned. Given it is packed with oils, vitamins and natural ingredients like Shea Butter, Olive and Ginseng, it is no wonder my hair always feels so lovely after use and what's more, an absolute pleasure to style.

Finally the Nourishing Oil which is a clear see-through bottle this time, is described as follows:

"This luxurious, weightless elixir powered with four precious oils; Argan, Radish, Sweet Cherry and Moringa nourish, tame, detangle, and protect the hair leaving it feeling silky, supple, and with a lustrous shine".

HER Haircare Rituals


To use you simply rub 2 or 3 drops between your fingers and run all the way through the mid lengths to the ends of the hair, it is easy to use because the bottle has a pump action dispenser to make life much easier. Once you have combed through and styled your hair as you would normally do, like me you should notice how super soft and shiny your hair is, not to mention how amazing it smells.


I have really enjoyed using these products, they smell amazing, they leave my hair feeling soft, smooth and super shiny and I just love the packaging.

Have you tried this range?  

Friday, 20 June 2014

Murad Balance and Protect Travel Kit

As you read this, I will be in France for a few days and the stress of deciding what I need to take with me has arrived.  I am only doing hand luggage as it is which means I can't take numerous pairs of shoes (always a good thing) and the crazy liquid limit always annoys me!

The lovely people over at Murad sent me one of their 'Travel Light, Stay Clear and Bright' travel-sized skincare sets which are exclusive to Marks & Spencer and cost just £10! There is a choice of three different sets:
  • Smooth and Soften Travel Kit - Tackles fine line and wrinkles
  • Youthful You Travel Kit - Firms and Brightens the skin
  • Balance and Protect Travel Kit - Balances oily, blemish-prone skin.
I was sent the Balance and Protect Travel Kit which arrives in this cute little bag, which you can see below.  What I instantly liked about this kit is that it is travel handy and you can see everything in it and you don't need to faff about getting all your liquids out because it is all within the limit.

Murad Balance and Protect Travel Kit

Within this kit you will find:

Clarifying Wipes x 5
Clinically proven to keep skin clear by removing dirt, bacterial and excess oil.  To use, you simply wipe over your face and neck

Oil-Control Mattifier SPF15 P++ 10ml
Immediately mattifies the skin and controls oil for up to 8 hours.  To use, you massage evenly over your face and neck

Skin perfecting primer - dewy finish 5ml
An oil-free, pore-minimising formula which can be used under or in place of foundation. To use you apply after moisturising by smoothing a pearl sized amount over your face.

Murad Balance and Protect Travel Kit

Murad Balance and Protect Travel Kit

Murad Balance and Protect Travel Kit

Murad Balance and Protect Travel Kit


Murad Balance and Protect Travel Kit

Working together these products claim they will:
  • Reduce excess oil and leaves a matte finish
  • Restore skin's smoothness
  • Give a radiant glow
  • Minimise the appearance of pores
For just £10, I think this is a bargain and I am looking forward to seeing how my skin reacts to it whilst away.  Finally this kit is:
  • Hypoallergenic
  • Dermatologically Tested
  • Suitable for Vegetarians
  • Skin Type it is for -  Oily
What do you think to this travel kit? Have you tried it or any other Murad products?

{Guestpost} - Top 3 Summer Foundation and SPF Cream Essentials

Hello everyone, I'm Maria and I'll be taking over Rachel's blog today! Before I get into my top 3 summer foundation and SPF cream essentials, I'd like to thank our kind, lovely Rachel for letting me guest post on her blog. You are a doll!

Since we're already in summer, rain or no rain, we should highly consider stepping up on our solar protection, the damaging sun rays cause nothing but wrinkles, spots and pain and no matter what age you are, you still need a great sunscreen cream.

As a person with sun allergies and sensitivity, I live in SPF creams all year around, I've tested many of them so today I?m here to talk about what worked best from my point of view.

If you never leave the house without foundation, like me, here are my top 3 picks for foundation with a high solar protection factor added:

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Adding layers of sunscreen followed by foundation can feel pretty heavy on your skin, but luckily Shiseido makes an amazing sun protection liquid foundation that keeps your face flawless and protects it from the damaging sun. This is my all time favourite as it worked great and had a pretty good coverage.

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Le Blanc by Chanel also has a good level of sunscreen and a bit of coverage, it?s just perfect if you are going for a natural, dewy look.

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Clinique's Moisture Surge CC cream is also a great pick, somewhere in between the two previous ones as far as coverage goes, and it comes with SPF 30, which is just perfect for your face.

Now if you don't care much about coverage, or foundation at all for that matter, it's ok, you don't need to wear it. But you do need to protect yourself with a good sunscreen.

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The best sunscreen for sun allergies that I have tried is the La Roche Posay Anthelios SPF 50. It protects you from the sun even in the middle of the day, but I must admit I don't love the smell of it too much. It doesn?t remain on the skin though, so don't worry.'



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Even if it?s just SPF 30, Dermalogica?s sunscreen is a very effective one. I enjoy the refreshing feel and the clean scent of it also.
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Another good liquid SPF 50 sunscreen is the Pure & Free liquid daily sunblock by Neutrogena. Liquid sunscreen is perfect if you have oily/combination skin, but if your face tends to get very dry in the summer, you can go for the cream version of the ones I mentioned.

I hope you found this helpful, thank you beautiful people for reading and thank you Rachel again for having me. Never forget your sunscreen!
Love, Maria.

Thursday, 19 June 2014

{Guest Post} Pixi Silky Eye Pens

Today's Guest Post comes from the lovely Karen from A Delicate Rosie Beauty.

I'm no stranger to raccoon eyes. I have slightly oily eyelids which usually results in whatever eyeliner I'm wearing migrating from my lash line to under my eyes within about 30 minutes. For years I had given up on wearing anything other than powder eye liner because every time I tried a pencil co-workers would look at me in horror and beg to know why I as crying. 

However, I found these Pixi Silky Eye Pens last year, and it's been a game changer for me. These don't budge. The colors are gorgeous, and they're fairly inexpensive. The only eye liner I've found that's even better at staying put is Chantecaille's 24 Hour Eye Liner pens, but those are more than double the price of these Pixi eye liners and Pixi offers a wider range of colors. Needless to say I'm a fan. 

 Pixi Silky Eye Pens
Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pens in Bronze Beam and Cafe Gold

 Pixi Silky Eye Pens
from left: Bronze Beam, Cafe Gold
 Pixi Silky Eye Pens
cute green floral design
 Pixi Silky Eye Pens
Swatches from top: Bronze Beam, Cafe Gold 

Look at how pretty these colors are! Bronze Beam is a limited edition so it has slightly swankier packaging. It's a shimmering bronze that just adds a subtle pop to your eyes. It's gorgeous. Cafe Gold has more glitter and is an antique gold. I love it. It reminds me of a few higher end Chanel liners I've had in the past....except unlike those it stays in place. These last all day on me without traveling. Thank goodness. 

These each retail for $12. I purchased them at Target, and I've been using them every day since. I use these with Chantecaille's Wild Horses palette for a subtle smoky brown eye, but these could be used with Urban Decay's Naked palette or any brown/bronze eye shadow combination. They're gorgeous, but most importantly they don't melt off of your face.
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