LUSH HALLOWEEN HAUL

I am a big Lush fan, especially during the festive months. I went a little mad on the Lush website and bought a lot of the new items this year that caught my eye and which I haven't tried. I'm much more of a bath person, but hopefully I've got enough items to last me up until Christmas and the Boxing Day sale. I thought I would share my views on the Halloween range and do a Christmas Lush Haul too in another blog post. This is probably the first time I have bought quite a few products for Halloween, but I'm very excited for the cute designs, scents and lots of glitter!
The first product I wanted to try was the Sparkly Pumpkin bubble bar. Pre-warning you will have glitter everywhere after using this! But it's so cute and perfect to use with the run up to Halloween. I really like bubble bars as you can use them for quite a few baths instead of just one when using a bath bomb. This changes your bath water to a lovely, bright orange with glitter and so many bubbles. The scent is a blend of Juniperberry, Lime and Grapefruit oils. This is also quite nice to use before a night out, as it leaves glitter on your skin. I might have to pick up another one of these before they go!
Another bubble bar for Halloween is the Wizard. This is another shimmery product and I just love the scent! The scent is energised with Tangerine oil, Juniperberry and Fennel essential oils. It turns your bath water a vibrant purple shade which I love and I think I will get quite a few uses out of this one. He is quite a cute design and I love the star on his hat!
A bath bomb which I haven't tried before is the Lord Of Misrule bomb. I'm kicking myself for not trying this one before as the scent is just gorgeous! It's not a very exciting design with just a star imprinted on the top but when you throw this into your bath you find out that the outer layer is green but the inside is a rich wine shade. The scent is really spicy, it has a blend of Patchouli and Black Pepper oil, this also has a fun ingredient of Popping Candy in it. It makes your skin so soft and it's a shame this one isn't around for longer.
The last two products are more inspired by Bonfire Night and are called Northern Lights and  Sparkler and are both bath bombs. I love the unique design of these bath bombs, they're not round like your average bath bomb but more of a tube shape. Sparkler is a bright yellow, Rose Jam scented bomb which fizzes and crackles as it spins around your bath. It is definitely one to lift your mood. Northen Lights is a similar design but this time purple with tiny gold stars in the middle. I'm so impressed with the colours this made in my bath, the ends fizz away first and reveal a blue and green middle. This design is also great to split in half so you get more value than just one expensive bath. I'm also in love with the soothing scent of Jasmine and Ylang-ylang which is right up my street!

Lush have also brought out a few exclusive products from past years, which are available on their website. Lush have definitely upped their game for Halloween!
What are your Lush recommendations?

FIVE AUTUMN BEAUTY FAVOURITES - OCTOBER 2014

As the the nights are getting colder and darker my beauty routine has started to change to suit the Season. Last week I was in 30+ degree weather on holiday and now I'm back in rainy England, so my skin and shade preferences have adjusted dramatically and my skin needs more looking after. I have started to bring out the heavier scents as I wear lighter fragrances in the Summer. One of my favourite to wear during the day or evening is the Thierry Mugler Alien Essence Absolue. I love the original Alien fragrance, but this one is more musky, woody and just reminds me of Autumn. The scent is intense and deep, it's main notes are Jasmine, Vanilla and White Amber. The fragrance stays around for hours and I love the shape of the bottle and liquid amber colour.
My skin starts to get drier as the weather gets colder and one of the main product I reach for it the Origins Make A Difference Rejuvenating Hand Treatment. This is a sample size I got in a Christmas set and it does wonders for your hands! It's not too thick a formula and doesn't leave a greasy film on your hands either. The scent is a nice light, orange blossom scent and I like to use this on my hands as well as any other dry areas like my elbows and knees. This is a handy sized bottle to throw in my handbag and I think this would make a great gift for Christmas!
I like to wear a higher coverage foundation in the colder months. My favourite higher end foundation has to be the Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation, which I have loved for a few years now. This gives a lovely, flawless base which looks natural but can be built up to a full satin coverage. It has light-reflective properties which cause fine lines and wrinkles to optically vanish. I like that this foundation stays around all day and the shade Soft Ivory matches my fair skin tone perfectly as my tan fades.
My make-up preferences have also changes to darker, vampy shades instead of the bright lips and nails I was sporting in Summer. The Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains have fast become one of my favourite lip products to apply. I currently have three shades, but this is my Autumn favourite in Parisian Passion which I mostly like to wear in the evenings. They're easy to apply, create bold colour and lasts on the lips for hours. I have done a full blog post on these here. My nails have also been painted in berry shades, I especially like this Butter London Nail Lacquer in Shambolic which is a lovely sparkly, glitter purple. I bought this in a set which comes with a matching lip gloss. I think this lip and nail combo would look great together!

What are your favourite products this Autumn?

BEVERLY HILLS FORMULA - PERFECT WHITE BLACK TOOTHPASTE

When I first heard about the Beverly Hills Formula Perfect White Black Toothpaste*, I was a bit sceptical and was worried that it might stain my teeth than do any good to them. As a naughty soft drink drinker, I'm always looking for new products that can help with whitening and the appearance of my teeth. If i'm honest I haven't tried many products from Beverly Hills Formula's range, but I was interested to start using this to see if I could see a difference with use. With Halloween coming up it's the ideal product to use and is definitely unique to everything else on the market. I'm sure children would love to use this to scare their siblings and more liking to brush their teeth! The advanced ingredient activated charcoal is proven to be one of the most effective and safest teeth whitening ingredients. It also helps to eleminate bacteria which can cause bad breath and helps remove tannis from the surface of your teeth. When using this my teeth and mouth felt super clean and refreshed without being overpowered with mint. I really like the taste, but it's a bit funny to look in the mirror whilst brushing your teeth. The only thing I didn't like about using it was the colour of my sink after brushing, but obviously this just washes away. I would really recommend this if you are an avid coffee, tea, red wine drinker, if you eat berries or spices or are a smoker. This is Beverly Hills Formula's first ever black toothpaste, it's the same texture as a normal toothpaste and it also helps combat plaque and gum disease. The toothpastes are proven to be less abrasive than many regular teeth whitening toothpaste brands, so are kinder to your teeth and are suitable for children and everyday use. I will definitely continue to use this toothpaste as I saw results after just one use, so don't be put off by the colour of the formula. It's an affordable way of keeping your teeth whiter. After recently having a wisdom tooth out, I have become even more interested in keeping my teeth healthy and happy! 

You can pick up your own tube from Amazon here.

Black is the new White.

*PR Sample

BAKING - MINI VICTORIA SPONGES RECIPE

On Sunday, me and my Dad decided to bake something. After watching the Great British Bake Off Final I think we must have been inspired to make some tasty treats, as we aren’t regular bakers. We decided to make mini Victoria sponges as we haven’t made them before and one larger cake seems to go to waste in our house. We followed the Waitrose Recipe, see the full instructions here, we found it easy to follow and quick to make with not too many steps. The only problem we did have was not having the right cake trays, the recipe asks for a rectangular baking tin but we had to make do with a couple of muffin trays. This was a problem during baking but after they had cooled down we were able to cut them into shape with cookie cutters. For a first attempt I think they turned out really well and tasted great. Hopefully next time we can buy a proper tray and make even better ones. You can watch the Waitrose video on how to make them below. Helping to make these has inspired me to bake things more often. Hopefully I will try another recipe in the near future, Jamie Oliver’s new book called Jamie's Food Tube: The Cake Book looks great!

What is your favourite thing to bake?

WHAT'S IN MY TRAVEL WASH BAG/IN-FLIGHT BAG - DUBAI EDITION

I'm off to Dubai next weekend and of course the first thing I've packed are my toiletries. I have collected so many mini sized samples by getting numerous beauty boxes a month, so it's a great time to use them up and try new things. I always find these sort of posts helpful when I'm packing myself and by doing my own version I can look back on this when I travel in the future. Let me know if I have forgotten anything or think I might benefit from taking something else or if you have tried any of these products and what you thought about them.
In my main Kate Spade wash bag which I will be putting in my main luggage there is; Kerastase Nutritive Bain Satin 1 and Lait Vital which I received in a Look Fantastic beauty box, my hair loves these. I have also popped in a couple of Bumble and Bumble samples of the Surf and Thickening shampoo and conditioner, if I want to use something different. For styling products I have; the KMS Free Shape Quick Blow Dry Spray, KMS Hair Play Texturising Spray, Bumble and Bumble Shine Finishing Spray and the Philip Kingsley One More Day Dry Shampoo. I have my favourite Mitchum Shower Fresh Deodrant, Korres Citrus Shower Gel and Body Milk which I also received in beauty boxes, thought this scent would be great to use on holiday! For sun lotion I have packed the Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration SPF 30 Protective Sun Lotion and the matching After Sun, which I always get along with. I also have a Coola SPF 30 Classic Sunscreen for my face, which I'm looking forward to using properly. My skin is very pale so I have also throw in a St Tropez Instant Tan Wash Off Face & Body Lotion for the start of the holiday. For skincare I have packed the Ren Rosa Centifolia 3-in-1 Cleansing Water, which I already use full-size and the Ren Rosa Centifolia Cleansing Gel. For toning I'm using the Premae Skincare Balance Rescue Face Tonique and if my face wants a treat I have the Ren Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial. I also have a couple of sachets of Origins GinZing Refeshing Scrub Cleanser and a tub of Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream, which I can't get enough of. I then just have essentials like the Elegant Touch Nail Polish Remover Pads, a standard razor, flannels and muslin cloths, cotton pads, cotton buds, hair elastics and a tanning mitt.
In my In-Flight bag which contains 100ml and under products which will be in my hand luggage I have packed; the Cowshed Cow Slip Antibacterial Hand Gel, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream (which is holy grail!), Gatineau Collagene Expert Smoothing Face Cream, La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water Spray which will be my life saver at the beach. Origins Make a Difference Rejuvenating Hand Treatment and Peace of Mind On-The-Spot Relief which I like to use just before boarding my flight. I also have my mini toothpaste and toothbrush, hand and face wipes, Eve Lom Kiss Mix Lip Balm, a mini first aid kit containing plasters and a hair bobble. I also have three mini perfume samples; Thierry Mugler Alien, Ghost Eclipse and Chanel Coco Noir as I'm hoping to pick up the new Chloe - Love Story perfume in Duty Free. I will definitely have to review my favourite products of the holiday when I come back.

What are your holiday wash bag essentials?

CIATE BIG BEAUTY BUS COLLECTION - BOOTS OFFER OF THE WEEK

Ciate London is such a cute nail brand. I have brought many of their sets in the past including the Mini Mani Month Advent Calendar, the House Collections and the Caviar Manicure gift sets. I'm always impressed with their huge shade range and how long lasting they are on the nails. Boots have started to bring out their Offers Of The Week and star gifts which change every week before the run up to Christmas. One of the offers this week is this Ciate London Big Beauty Bus Set which is so cute, I had to pick it up! This is £25.00 on the Ciate website and is reduced to £12.00 at Boots, which is great value! You receive six 5ml bottles in must-have shades; Ferris Wheel, Pom Pom, Hopscotch, Pool Party, Locket and Snow Virgin. There is a lovely mix of fashion shades in the obviously London colours, red, white and blue and then a baby blue, a hot pink and a silver glitter shade. It's great to try the mini polishes in a set before plumping for your most used shade in the full-size. The polishes are highly pigmented, give a high gloss finish and the brush is so easy to apply with. The long handle provides the best strokes every time and the curved bottle is designed to sit comfortably in your hand for maximum control. Ciate is a new brand to be stocked in Boots and I have added the Candy Cane House gift set to my Christmas Wish List. Ciate also do a Nail Taxi Collection with the same London theme, which features three full-size paint pots. The packaging is so creative and playful and this would be a great gift or even just a treat for yourself! My favourites shades in the set are Pool Party the gorgeous bright blue and Locket the silver foil, which is great to apply over the other shades. I would really recommend picking up this set if your a nail polish junkie like me, it works out at £2.00 per polish so you are getting such a good deal. You could even split up this set and give your friends a single nail polish as a stocking filler. I will be keeping my eye out for more great Boot's offers. Ciate are also doing there own Nail Advent Calendar again this year, so exciting!

Have you tried Ciate paint pots?

#bigbeautybus

GEORGE CLOTHING AT ASDA - AUTUMN DRESS DAY TO NIGHT

As Autumn has come around quite quickly, I have noticed that I need more seasonal clothes in my wardrobe. George clothing at Asda offer quality, affordable fashion that you can wear for lots of different occasions by dressing them up or down. So you can buy a few new, key items and wear them over and over that season. I normally only shop in supermarkets for clothes whilst grocery shopping but I decide to give their online shop a try. I found this really versatile dress with a Jacquard print and embellished neck trim. The dress comes in a light grey or a burgundy berry colour. You could wear this either during the day and I would team it up with thick wooly tights, black biker boots to toughen up the dress, a cute bobble hat if the weather is super cold and this pink longline cardigan. The dress could be great as a work dress or a more relaxed look at the weekends and I like that it has short sleeves so I can choose to wear something warmer over the top of it.

I think the burgundy dress is perfect to be dressed up for a night out. The embellished neck line is a striking detail and means you don't have to wear a separate necklace. I would pair this with these gorgeous embellished heels, this contrast monochrome clutch bag and a simple, smart, black blazer - which would look great for a christmas party. For £14 each for the dresses, you can't go wrong and can afford to have it in both colours. They're great for layering or just to wear on their own. George at Asda also have a few other dresses that I have my eyes on this season, see the whole dress range here. And you can find all the other pieces mentioned on their too!

What are your key Autumn pieces?

*Sponsored Post

LOOK FANTASTIC BEAUTY BOX - OCTOBER 2014

Look Fantastic is the newest beauty box to hit the market and this month (October) is their second box. After the success of last months box, I had high hopes that good sized samples and well known brands would carry on and I'm pleased they have, I just can't get enough of this box. It's a couple of pounds more than competitors Glossybox and Birchbox, but I think it's totally worth it to receive products you want to try.
KMS Free Shape Quick Blow Dry, full-size 200ml £11.45 - I was very excited to see KMS in the box, I have been wanting to try something from the brand for ages. I think they are also featured in Birchbox this month too. This product claims to reduce your blow dry time by up to 50%. As I wash my hair most mornings this is ideal for me and means I can quickly dry my hair and get out the door. This also provides heat protection, so is a multi use product. This is a bi-phase solution that you have to shake really well before use and the product helps to condition the hair as well. I really like the fruity scent and will look into buying the full-size version if this continues to work.
Gatineau Collagene Expert Ultimate Smoothing Cream, full-size 50ml £54.19 - This product can be used as a day or night cream, which works to give you younger and more radiant looking skin. This product contains a high concentration of elastin and collagen, it has a gel like texture which instantly absorbs to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and improve the feel of the complexion. The formula is thick and creamy and leaves a nice smooth, fresh feeling on the skin. This is probably my least favourite product in the box just because I don't know much about the brand. But I will be taking this sample on holiday with me at the end of the month to give it a good test run.
Korres Citrus Shower Gel, full-size 250ml £8.00 - I received the body milk in this range in last months Birchbox. So it's quite nice to use them both at the same time to layer up the scents. It's more of a summery scent, so again this is ideal to take on holiday with me. I've really got into using Korres bath and body care. The product contains wheat proteins which form a protective film on the skin, maintaining it's regular hydration level, leaving the skin soft and moisturised.
Balance Me Facial Expression Filler, 15ml £22.00 - This is a full-size product and is probably targeted at a slightly older customer than me but there is no harm in giving it a go. This product is marketed as a daily natural botox fix and helps to tighten and tone skin fast. It's suitable for all skin types and is 99% natural. I have really enjoyed using Balance Me products in the past and this product contains ingredients to soften the appearance of forehead lines instantly. I will probably mainly use this around the eye area before applying make-up.
L'Oreal Professionnel Pro-Keratin Refill Shampoo, full-size 250ml £10.99 and Hair Masque full-size 200ml £13.99 - These are probably some of my favourite products in the box, they're made for damages hair and L'Oreal claims that hair feels 70% more resistant to breakage with use. I currently use the L'Oreal Professionnel silver shampoo, so know their products are of good quality and certainly make a difference. The shampoo cleanses and replenishes the hair and leaves a smooth, reinforced feeling. The masque intensively repairs and creates a defensive shield providing day to day protection from external aggressors. These both smell heavenly and I would look into buying the full-sizes when these run out.
This Works Sleep Plus+ Pillow Spray, full-size 75ml £25.00 - Last month, we received the normal version of this and this month we have the stronger version. I really liked using the spray last month, so was happy to see another sample. It really does help me to relax and helps you feel less restless during the night. The scent is stronger but only time will tell if this version out does the original. Looks like this product hasn't been released yet, but you can pre-order on the website - out 17th October, so that's really nice to receive an exclusive sample.
The October box is now sold out, but you can pre-order November's box. I already have! It would be nice to see some make-up products being introduced into the box, but is that why this box is so successful? Are cosmetic items too individual to that person's taste? But if Look Fantastic beauty box carries on like this, their competitors better watch out!

Have you ordered your Look Fantastic beauty box yet?

BOOTS CHRISTMAS WISH LIST 2014

For me, the Boots Christmas Catalogue is kind of a big thing, sad I know. When the 3 for 2 gift sets hit the shops, I feel it's the start of that christmassy feeling and getting my hands on the catalogue is the next best thing. This year the catalogue includes brands that we know and love and are featured every year and a couple of brand new ones to get excited about.

One gift that is on everyones wish list is the Soap & Glory £60.00 gift which is always reduced in the star gift promotion a few weeks before Christmas. This year it's called The Next Big Thing and contains 10 full-size products and some of my favourites including the Orangeasm body wash and the Whipped Clean shower butter. I'm very excited about this, it's such great value!

Next up is the Nails Inc Alexa Hearts Collection which features six of the new Alexa range nail polishes, a nail file and a make-up bag. I am most excited about the stars and hearts polishes. I recently brought one of the new polishes in the new bottles and was really impressed with the new brush shape and the bottles are so luxe, read more about my views here. This set is priced at £45.00.

All of the Benefit sets are so pretty and last year I received one of the cute tins with the Benefit girls on them. This year they've stepped up the game, they have these lovely gingerbread shop tins filled with make-up and skincare, I have my eye on the skincare set called Complexion Confections which is £39.50 and includes the Triple Performing Facial Emulsion, It's Potent Eye Cream, a mini The POREfessional and a mini Instant Comeback Facial Serum.

A bit of a pricey gift which is now available at Boots is the Foreo Luna Mini Skincare Device which is similar to the Clarisonic. The facial device directs T-Sonic pulsations through the silicone brush. It's compact, gently cleanses deep into the skin and there is no need for replacement brush heads, I've heard good things. These come in lots of different colours and are priced at £99.00 each.

Another cute nail polish set is the Ciate Candy Cane House, this contains four polishes which are glittery, scented and perfect for the holiday season. I love the packaging and these shades would look great on Christmas day. For £25.00, this is a little cheaper than the Nails Inc version.

A brand that I love to lust over when they release their Christmas sets is Smashbox. This year Smashbox Christmas sets are part of the On The Rocks Collection. Their biggest set is this gorgeous On The Rocks Eye Shadow Palette with 28 party perfect eye shadows which you could create so many looks with. Smashbox eyeshadows are super blendable, highly pigmented and long lasting, so this is ideal for any palette lovers. This is priced at £49.00.

A great stocking filler is the Soap & Glory Santa Gloss for £6.00. This would look great coming out of a stocking and the Sexy Mother Pucker lip shine lacquers are lovely! The shade is called Charm Offensive and there are so many other great Soap & Glory gift sets at different price points.

There are so many Gifts I could of chose for my wish list, but those are a few of my favourite picks. You can view the Christmas catalogue online or pick up one now from your local store. Boots are also doing a No7 Advent Calendar which is coming later this month. It's a shame that they aren't doing there own Advent Calendar like last year, as I loved opening that every day. I now have my eye on The Body Shop one.

If your looking for the lastest offers from Boots, vouchercloud have some great online discounts which can help you save money whilst Christmas shopping. What is on your Christmas wish list from Boots?

CLINIQUE SUPERPRIMER - DULLNESS

I have been wanting to try one of these Superprimers since they first came out. I am a big primer user and will try anything that claims to help keep my make-up on for longer, my oily skin needs it. Clinique have six different shades of colour correctors in the range. The one that I chose was for Dullness but you can also get Superprimers for Discolourations, Dullness for Deeper Skin, Redness, Swallowness and a Universal shade. The primers are all priced at £20.00, but I spotted this at Bicester CCO for £14.00 which swayed me to try it. The formula itself is lightweight, oil free and preps skin for foundation. The primer feels just like the texture of the Benefit POREfessional, silky, smoothing and absorbs straight into the skin. The Dullness primer is suitable for all skin types and colour corrects the skin making it look brighter, I’m into anything that can make my skin glow and I think out of the six primers this is the most suited to me and my skin. The primer comes out a pale pink tone but after evening out your skin tone, you can’t see it on the skin. This evens out pores, fine lines and blurs imperfections. I would say that this product does make my make-up stick around for longer. After a full day at work my make-up is still in place, I wish I could say the same after going to the gym in the evenings. If I was to go out in the evening I would touch up my make-up. Overall, The primers are fragrance free, silicone based which leaves a velvety touch to the skin and echances radiance but at the same time leaves a matte finish. But it’s not going to do the job of a concealer so you won’t be missing out any make-up steps by using this. A little goes a long way and I like that you get 30ml the same size as a standard foundation. I have even been enjoying mixing this with my foundation first to create more of a natural finish, definitely worth a try!

What are your Clinique make-up recommendations?

CURRENT AUTUMN SKINCARE HEROES

I wrote about my evening skincare routine back in July here, I have since then used up products and swapped in new products that suit the change in season. I have combination to oily skin type and these products are currently working for me, as you may be able to tell I'm a big fan of Origins.

Origins Dr Weil Mega Mushroom Skin Relief Soothing Face Cream - This is the first Dr Weil product I have tried from Origins and I’m really enjoying it so far. It’s much thicker than what I’m used to, I normally use Origins Night-a-mins or Make a difference plus + rejuvenating treatment which are more of a gel like formula and oil free. This cream hydrates and instantly calms skin, so I like to apply it in the evenings. This formula visibly reduces redness and sensitivity. This is great for the colder months, the scent is very pleasant too. I bought this in a Christmas set last year, the cream is pretty pricey separately but I’m looking forward to trying the other products in the range.

Origins Plantscription Youth-Renewing Face Oil* - This is a product I received to try through the Debenhams Beauty Club. This is again the first product I have tried from the Plantscription Anti-Ageing range. I like to apply this in the evenings and swap and change between this and The Body Shop Vitamin E one. It has done my skin the world of good, it contains 20 precious oils from around the world including; Raspberry Seed Oil, Argan Oil, Tamanu Oil and Evening Primrose. This helps repair skin’s barrier and replace vital youth-renewing lipids lost with age. This oil leaves my skin silky soft and is soothing without being greasy. I like to use 2/3 drops of this oil, warm it between my hands and gently press the oil into my skin before applying my moisturiser.
Indeed Labs Eysilix Eye Cream - I have really got into using Indeed Labs recently, after really enjoying Hydraluron and the Facial Powdered Exfoliator religiously. I picked up this eye cream as it looked very similar to the Balance Me wonder eye cream which I love. I think I prefer a squeeze tube eye cream than a pot, it's more hygienic as you can squeeze it straight into place. It is a little more pricey than what I'd normally like to spend on an eye cream but I have really enjoyed using this and Indeed Labs are always on some kind of offer in Boots. It helps reduce the appearance of puffiness, dark circles, fatigue and crows feet. It's creamy but still light on the skin. At 23, I haven't got many wrinkles but it's nice to know I might be preventing them.

Benefit They're Real Remover - I was a bit sceptical about using a cream based eye make-up remover as I normally like to use an oil based remover, but I was surprised how much I liked using it. As we know They're Real mascara is a pain to remove, but using this makes it so much easier. It's creamy, not irritating on the eye area and removes every last bit of mascara before I go in with a cleanser. The cream formula feels like it's conditioning my lashes as it's not harsh at all. It lifts off waterproof makeup and even the new push up liner, read more here.

Clarins Gentle Exfoliator - This is a brightening, exfoliating toner which I like to use after cleansing. It helps to smooth and soften skin and prevents a build up of dead skin cells. It's great for blemishes, helps to strengthen the skin's resistance to wrinkles and encourages cell renewal. This is so gentle to use and I like to use it about 2 or 3 times a week. It's suitable for all skin types and I'm a total convert to chemical exfoliants as they get rid of flaky, dry skin and leave my skin looking radiant and fresh.

What skincare products are you using this Autumn?

REDKEN BLONDE IDOL SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER

I mentioned in my everyday hair care post back in July that I was using the new Blonde Idol range from Redken. Now that I have nearly used up these hair care products, I thought I would review them properly in their own post. I have enjoyed using Redken products in the past, especially the All Soft and Extreme range, so when I saw this range for blonde hair was being released I knew I had to give it a go.

Redken knows that no two blondes are the same that’s why they have brought out two conditioners in the range, one for cool blondes and one for warmer tones. The new formula has the exclusive Kera-bright system which balances and brightens to guarantee no brassiness. The shampoo has to be my favourite out of the two, like other Redken shampoo’s their really moisturising and gentle. This daily cleansing shampoo is sulphate free and I tend to use this every other time I wash my hair. It leaves my hair super soft and brings my highlights out more than before use. I have read reviews saying the formula is not as good as Redken’s discontinued line Blonde Glam but my hair has preserved it’s colour between trips to the hairdressers. It lathers up nicely for a sulphate free shampoo and contains violet leaf extract and lactic acid which helps to strengthen and boost shine.

I chose the custom tone conditioner for cool blondes. The clever convention allows you to choose how strong or weak you want it by changing the dial weekly to adjust colour deposit. The dual chamber releases conditioner from one side and violet pigment from the other, to condition, strengthen and help preserve tone. I find the product itself lovely and I really like that you can adjust it yourself. But the packaging lets the conditioner down, the bottle doesn’t dispense enough product, so you have to press down quite a few times to release enough product for my long hair. It would also be nice to know how much product I have left, as I’m sure one side will run out before the other. I would buy this again for the product, but I hope they improve the packaging. The packaging also means you get far less conditioner (196ml) than shampoo (300ml).

They also have some other products in the Blonde Idol range which I haven’t tried, like the BBB spray which is a lightweight, leave in or rinse out conditioning spray, which helps to balance, beautify and brighten blondes. They also have a hair mask in the range which is a nourishing rinse out treatment. I will definitely have to give these a go after really enjoying the shampoo and conditioner, but they seem to be hard to get hold of in the UK. I ordered these haircare products online at HQHair, you can buy the duo for £21.35 here.

Have you tried Redken haircare?