Simply Straight Hair Brush by JML

Like most people, I dream of having hair which is the total opposite to what they have, in my case, this is minimal fuss, easy to style and is poker straight when I want to be, rather than naturally wavy and will be styled straight if it feels like it.  

The Simple Straight Hair Brush by JML and is described as being the amazing new straightening brush which is going to revolutionise the way you style your hair! Quite a bold claim if ever there was one in an age where straightening irons take on new technology and offer to have your hair looking as though you just stepped out of the salon.  Again, Simply Straight is promising to give you perfectly straight hair in minutes for the stylish look of a salon quality blow dry and all in the comfort of your own home.

The ceramic brush is designed to look like a hair brush, it is easy to hold and run through your hair and isn't as heavy as I had expected to find, infact it is about as weighty as my GHDs.  Once plugged into the main and switched on, it takes just 30 seconds to hit heat up and you have a choice of temperatures from 50 degrees right up to 185 degrees which is displayed on an LCD screen and it is suitable for all hair types. At any time you can increase or decrease the heat temperature.

As mentioned, my hair is naturally wavy, so whenever I do want my hair straight, I opt for straighteners and have always found them easy to use.  The Simply Straight brush is much easier. Firstly, you should only ever use the brush on dry hair, never wet and I find that I don't need to section my hair as much to use it.  As the brush heats up, I section my hair into 4 or 5 different bits and then slowly brush through my hair as I would do with my hair brush.  One thing that I like about this brush is that you don't feel the heat on your hands or near your head, unlike other appliances where 9 times out of 10 I will burn some part of my head.  It has a bit of weight in the brush but it isn't too heavy that you get arm ache part way through styling your hair and because the bristles are different lengths, to ensure each hair strand is touched, they don't feel hot against your head and if you have ever dropped a straightening iron and caught it (ouch) dropping this to catch it does not burn your hand, though please do not try it to prove a point.

Using the brush I have found that brushing through my hair twice is enough to leave it straight, then one final brush through before switching everything off, however if you are a bit forgetful, then it does turn itself off after 30 minutes.

For a product which costs just £39.99 I admit I was totally skeptical as were a lot of my friends, but having seen it in action at an event with JML (which I snapchatted) and having used it myself, I am actually blown away at how good it is.  Like most items it does take a bit of time to give it a try and get used to using it, but I absolutely love it and use it all of the time!  Once my hair is straightened then I can leave my hair for the rest of the day, only needing to brush through the following morning for those pesky little flyaways who curl themselves!  If you are still not convinced, then I have a before and after shot below, the only product used on my hair was heat defense spray from Toni & Guy.

As you can see, my hair has gone from a wavy dragged through the hedge backwards look to a much more sleek and straight style but with movement rather than being poker straight and stuck to my head.

What I like about this Simply Straight Brush is that I haven't burnt myself with it, I find it easy to handle, it is easy to use, it heats up quickly and it does the job it is designed for with no stress, no faff, no hassle and I love how quick it is.
. Available for just £39.99 and it comes with a Free Heat Mat and Travel Case

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

KIEHLS ULTRA FACIAL CREAM & CHARITY PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MTV STAYING ALIVE FOUNDATION

MTV Staying Alive Foundation and Laura Mvula are announced as Kiehl's offical 2016 UK Charity partner.  The MTV Staying Alive Foundation is a global charity dedicated to stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS and is again working with Kiehls as  official UK Charity for the 2nd year running. Last year they collaborated with Tinie Tempah.  This time, award winning British Singer/songwriter Laura Mvula has designed a limited edition label for one of Kiehl's most iconic products - Ultra Facial Cream. 

For each limited edition Ultra Facial Cream (125ml) purchased, Kiehls will give £10* to the MTV Staying Alive Foundation to support 3 projects around the world to empower and educate young women abut the prevention of HIV and AIDS. The MTV Staying Alive Foundation is an international charity working to build an empowered and educated generation of young people, equipped with the tools and knowledge to protect themselves and their peers from the HIV epidemic. They provide training and vital funding to grassroots, youth-led initiatives around the world that provide education about HIV and sexual and reproductive health in their local communities. 

Kiehls have been supporting the fight against HIV/Aids since the 1980s and to date have raised more than $2.8million. If you want to donate a little bit more, then Kiehl's and the MTV Staying Alive Foundation have also set up the option to text and all you need to do is simply text HIV1 to 70660 to donate £5 or £10.

So as well as donating to charity, you can get yourself this amazing facial cream. Described as being a light-textured, 24-hour hydrator helps to retain moisture within the skin, leaving skin feeling comfortable and well-balanced and it is not tested on animals. It can also be used both morning and night to keep your skin hydrated and if you are looking for a new moisturising cream, this one ticks a lot of boxes.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

You Beauty Box - Editor Picks!

This months You Beauty Box is titled the Editors picks and is designed to be a pick of beauty products which excel themselves and stand out against the competition. It is also the third birthday for the You Beauty Box and putting those two themes together, admittedly I had expected something a little more exciting and perhaps a bigger choice of products, but that was not to be and this is what was in store and maybe more of a mention it was the box birthday!

There is an inclusion of monthly treats and this months treats start with a treat sized bag of Propercorn and you either get Sweet & Salty or Lightly Salted and I got the latter which I adore. Secondly there is a sachet of Nanoblur, another product that I absolutely love and am happy to add to my stash in case of emergencies and finally a sachet of Glow Drops Dry Touch Facial Oil + Vitamin C, a product I have read a lot about but haven't tried so am looking forward to trying this.

As always with YouBeauty there is a whole host of products to choose from for your box, this month the product selection has AW16 in mind with nails, makeup and skincare the choices to select from. I decided to choose products I had never tried before and knew very little about, even though I might have seen them blogged about.

Eyeko Black Magic Mascara is one of those products I have read a lot about, seen on blogs and heard people rave about and I always seem to miss it when it is a magazine freebie, so now I can give it a go and as a mascara fiend, this is a nice little addition to my stash. Designed for after-hours seduction, Eyeko's ultimate mascara creates drama, volume and curl, with an extreme carbon black finish for a full bodied lash fringe. The curvaceous helix brush lifts, curls and volumises for clump-free, thicker, longer lashes. Enriched with a conditioning keratin and shea butter botanical blend with a superior staying-power. This is a 4ml sample and has a value of around £7.

Sanctuary's Ultimate Cleansing Oil is a product I have never come across and as a brand, it isn't one I have used a lot. The Cleansing oil is a special blend of four oils, this hard-working yet gentle cleanser effortlessly melts away make-up dirt and impurities to leave your skin feeling beautifully clean and soft with no greasy residue.  This is a 50ml bottle and has a value of around £3.

The product from the box that I am most excited about trying is the Erno Laszlo Firming Firmarine Hydrogel Mask. Said to improve skin elasticity, Firmarine Hydrogel Mask provides impeccably contoured smoothness reducing the appearance of wrinkles and the loss of elasticity. The formula contains Argan Oil and extracts of Algae and Grapefruit, and penetrates pores to remove toxins, reviving skin for a smoother, more youthful complexion.  This mask has a value of £12.50.

So there you have the September You Beauty Box and I think there is an interesting mixture of products and I am happy with my choices at £8.95. What do you think?

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise