Review: Hair is Fabric HIF Cleansing Conditioners

As my hair has been long and coloured for many years I am always on the lookout for gentler ways of washing it to ensure it doesn’t become dry and frizzy. I am a big fan of cleansing conditioners as they don’t strip your hair of natural oils, so when I was offered the new HIF (Hair is Fabric) range to review I jumped at the opportunity.

Hair really is like fabric. It’s made up of dead cells that can’t be repaired. The most effective way of achieving healthy hair is simply by preventing it’s fibre from being damaged in the first place. HIF is designed to be akin to dry cleaning for hair….only with water!

 

The HIF range of 15 Cleansing Conditioners has been formulated to fully cleanse using Fractionated Cleansing Particles that do not strip the natural oils from the hair and scalp. The unique particles bind only to dirt and leave the hair fabric alone. This allows for all impurities to be fully removed and rinsed away without stripping or damaging the hair.

A first-ever Fabric Depositing Technology has also been included to deliver next-generation active ingredients effectively to the deepest parts of the hair. This technology is used in the textile world to deposit dyes into fabrics and stop them from being rinsed away through consistent washing. Most haircare products target only the cuticle, leaving a superficial healthy look, but no long-term benefits. HIF’s delivery technology allows actives to remain anchored to the cuticle, even through washing, thus facilitating the penetration of ingredients into the deepest parts of the hair. Thanks to nourishing and conditioning ingredients such as Hyaluronic Acid, Exotic Oils and Precious Rock extracts hair will become stronger, shinier and smoother with each and every wash.

Unlike most cleansing conditioners, which do not foam, HIF offers an exaggerated foaming feeling by creating a unique fake foam (in seven of its formulations).

The collection includes:

·         Hydration Support

·         Intensive Detox

·         Colour Support

·         Volume Support

·         Straight HairSupport

·         Curly Hair Support

·         Anti-Frizz Support

·         Growth Support

·         Anti-Aging Support

·         Black Hue Support

·         Red Hue Support

·         Brunette Hue Support

·         Blonde Hue Support

·         Silver Hue Support

·         Anti-Brass Support

I love that the range has so many different formulations so you can really target your hair’s needs. I chose the Red Hue Support (as red is the most tricky colour to maintain) and Anti-Frizz Support to try to keep my hair under control during these humid Summer days. These cleansing conditioners do not foam, but feel very rich and creamy. Personally, I don’t mind the lack of foam as I simply wet my hair, massage the conditioner through and leave it for a few minutes before rinsing thoroughly.

The Red Hue Support was very red when it came out of the tube. As my hair is long I felt like I had to use a lot to saturate the hair on my first wash, but this may be a testament to how dehydrated my hair was as it seemed to suck up all the product. It did take a while to rinse out the conditioner as it is very pigmented and I did feel that some deposits were left on my hair so it felt a little heavier than usual, but the colour looked visibly better. The next time I used it I applied less to the root area and this prevented my hair from being weighed down, but still gave the benefits of hydration and kept my colour vibrant.

The Anti-Frizz Support is a slightly lighter formulation, while still being moisturising and caring for the hair. Once again I concentrated it on my mid lengths and ends and it rinsed out well leaving my hair soft and smooth with a really long-lasting scent.

The HIF range is available through the Deciem webiste here and on www.victoriahealth.com  priced at £20-50. You can get 15% OFF using my discount code NORTHAMERICA15. Enjoy! x

Lipstick Love: Clarins Rouge Prodige Orchid Pink

My recent lipstick obsession is a little gem from the Clarins Rouge Prodige True-Hold Colour & Shine range in Orchid pink (£17.50).

As ever the Clarins packaging makes a beautiful addition to any handbag, clutch or dressing table. The gold casing feels opulent and is handy when you are short of a mirror. The narrow shape of the bullet also makes this lipstick very easy to apply.

At different times I look for different things in a lipstick, but this one seems to have it all. It has a brilliant concentration of colour and shine, is super smooth and comfortable to wear and lasts well without dehydrating the lips. I have never tried a lipstick that feels so creamy and smooth , yet lasts so well. Oh and it also smells delicious. I think I am in lipstick love!

Have you tried any Clarins lipsticks? I am really excited to have found such a fantastic formula and can't wait to try a few of the other colours in this range. 

Hair-Mare

This post has been a long time coming! A few weeks ago I decided I wanted to freshen up my hair with a few subtle highlights. However, my wish for sunkissed locks was not fulfilled and after an absolute disaster involving someone I can't believe is allowed to colour hair, too much bleach and (dare I type it) black hair dye I was left in an absolute panic. Luckily, I was able to get in touch with the right people to rectify some of the damage in the shade department, but my hair was still left feeling dry and ravaged. It has taken me the best part of a month to bring it back to life and get over the shock (I can't recommend Ojon and Philip B haircare enough!!). Yes... I know how melodramatic I sound, but hair is so important and when your hair doesn't look good you can't help feeling rubbish.

Enough of the preamble though, a few of you have asked me to share the new hair...

Frankly after many a wash and a treatment it doesn't look so different. It's a cooler brown tone all over with lots of thin caramel highlights throughout.

The initial post colour skunkalike photos are not making it on to the internet. Seriously.. think the worst hair in history... think *gasp* Tulisa.

So what do you guys think of the new hair? It's good to have a change every now and then, but I have been blonde, dark, mousey and I still think the red is my favourite. It just looked so much more glossy and no doubt I will be running back into its comforting embrace come Autumn ;). xxx

OOTD: Peplum Tropics

Printed trousers is a trend that I have admired over the last few months, but have not been brave enough to attempt. Even though I am tall my thighs are definitely an area I struggle with and usually try to conceal by wearing darker colours and skirts or dresses rather than trousers. However, after seeing these trousers on a host of celebs and fashionistas I decided that I would put my insecurities aside and see if I could work the trend for my shape. I chose a large, colourful print and purchased a size up to ensure that the fit would be looser giving the appearance of a 'straight' rather than 'slim' cut.
I also paired the trousers with a plain flared peplum top to balance out the narrow fit.

 Top: Zara (£29.99 here), Trousers: Zara (£39.99 here), Belt: Reiss, Shoes: LA Boutique, Sunglasses: Prada.

Other printed trousers I have had my eye on are:

ASOS Crop Trousers In Floral Print

£40.00

 

Warehouse Eastern Tropic Trouser

£38.00

 

ASOS Skinny Trousers in Floral Print

£35.00

 

Sportmax floral print cigarette trouser

£287

 Are you a fan of printed trousers? What do you think of this tropical version? xxx

Urban Decay: Build Your Own Palette

As a beauty blogger I try not to play favourites, but sometimes I just can't help myself. Urban Decay eyeshadows are amazing! Their Naked palette has been my most used beauty item and has accompanied me on business trips, nights out and beach holidays alike! I am so excited that UD have now brought out a customisable palette - so whether you love their ridiculously vibrant shadows, glitters or nudes you can easily build your own, individual eyeshadow wardrobe.

In usual Urban Decay style the palette is fun and bold, yet durable in its metallic outer casing that opens flat to reveal 6 shadow wells and a large mirror.

Each palette comes with a Good Karma shadow brush and Walk of Shame eyeshadow (top left), the perfect nude, which can be used as a highlighter, base or blending colour and would work perfectly with different colours and finishes. I was kindly given the opportunity of choosing the other five shadows and decided to go for a mix of my favourites - neutrals and brights.

What I love about the design of these little shadow pots is just how easy the pans are to pop out of their original packaging and put in the palette. There are no fiddly magnets, sharp implements, heating glue, fumes or brute force involved (yes I'm talking about you MAC...). All you have to do is press on the bottom of the pot and the pan snaps out. 

This not only saves time, but also makes the palette super versatile so you can use it to store and organise shadows or if you want to throw one in your bag for touch ups on the go you can quickly transfer the pan back into it's original individual pod. Voila!

Top (L-R) Walk of Shame, Sin, Mushorrom. Bottom (L-R) Haight, ACDC, Busted.

Build Your Own Palette retails at £14 and is available at House of Fraser here and Debenhams here.

Are you a fan of Urban Decay shadows? Which are your favourite shades? Are you tempted to add the UD Build Your Own Palette to your collection?  xxx

Out and About with Essie

This fabulous Jubilee weekend Essie have been celebrating their launch in Boots and Superdrug by offering free manicures in a host of glamorous London locations. I am so excited that Essie will now be readily available as this American brand has been difficult to get hold of in the past! I caught up with one of the 6 teams on Saturday in one of my favourite places - Kensington Gardens to sneak a peak of the colours on offer.

The team were busy polishing and handing out flyers to encourage people to look out for the new Essie displays - featuring the full range of 70 shades.

The shades on offer on the day were Cute as a Button, Tart Deco, Mint Candy Apple (my top pick), Lilacism (2nd fave), Fiji, Lapiz of Luxury, Ballet Slippers, Watermelon, Splash of Grenadine, Muchi Muchi, Flawless and Mademoiselle.

Essie is currently on a 3 for 2 offer at Superdrug here (£7.99 each). Essie can be found in Boots here.

Have you checked out Essie in your local Boots and Superdrug stores? Which are your favourite shades? My all time hero colours are Essie's St Lucia Lilac, Sexy Divide and Watermelon.xxx

*Sponsored Post*

OOTD: Azure

This gorgeous dress from Oasis combines a ridiculous number of trends, while being so easy to wear.

It's gorgeous bright blue colour, sheer, pleated maxi skirt with two thigh high splits and draped back make it an absolute Summer must have!

Dress: Oasis (£70 here), Belt: Reiss, Bag: Mulberry, Bracelets: Oasis, Glasses: Fiorelli,            Sandals: Primark.

There are so many gorgeous dresses in Oasis this season I am constantly tempted! Have you purchased any new summer dresses recently? xxx

OOTD: Galaxy

Wrap dresses are so comfortable and flattering, but I somehow always overlook them when I am shopping as they can appear a little lackluster on the hanger. However, when I spotted this Forever Unique number on the ASOS website I was so enchanted by the galaxy print I ordered it straight away!

 Dress: Forever Unique (On sale from £110 to £65 here).

Apologies for the rubbish photos! We were heading out and the hotel only had horrid fluorescent lights. You can get a better idea of the colour below...

What do you guys think of wrap dresses? Are you a fan of the Forever Unique brand?

OOTD: Mary Katrantzou Inspired

Mary Katrantzou's bright, eye catching designs have exploded on to every fashion editor's radar over the last few seasons. I absolutely love her style and given a lower price tag I would definitely be investing in her pieces.

Therefore while browsing Love's website I was super excited to see an MK inspired shirt dress at a purse friendly price of £40 (check it out here).

Shirt Dress: In Love With Fashion (£40 here), Belt: Mango, Leather Jacket: Reiss, Tights: M&S, Cool Suede Wedge Trainers: Ash (£139 here), Glasses: Fiorelli.

I love the fact that all the dresses are individual, mine just happened to be mostly yellow and red, but as you can see from the picture on the website all the dresses have a unique mix of colours.

Keep your eye out for an exclusive Love competition for my readers where you will be able to win your choice of their fabulous dresses... coming soon! xxx

YSL Glossy Stain

Glossy Stains from Yves Saint Laurent are designed to provide intense colour and shine, while being extremely long wearing. They look like a gloss, last like a stain and have the deep pigment of a lipstick. I love a bold lip colour so I was really excited to try these to see if they really deliver in all these categories!

I was kindly sent the Glossy Stain in shade 1 - an extremely deep and vampy purple.

On the skin this shade definitely has a plummy undertone with a high gloss finish. When first applied it has a smooth gel texture and can be sheered out a little or built up for greater impact. It fades down to a matte dark pink, which actually lasted on my hand all day!

My lips are quite pigmented so they counteracted the blue/ purple tint and gave the overall colour more of a red undertone. The application did require a steady hand, but the pointed tip of the applicator made it easy to get a defined edge without the aid if lipliner.

As you can see with just one slick of gloss the colour is extremely intense, however I did find that it looked darker on the inside of my lips in some areas. I'm not sure if this is just because my lips were dry that day so the tint clung to these areas more... I definitely need to play around with this shade a little more as I am determined to make it work for me in the future!

I am also keen to try out some of the lighter colours to see how intense they will look and play around with adding the Glossy Stain over a lipstick.

The YSL Glossy Stain retails at £22.50 and can be purchased online here.

Have you tried any of YSL's lip stains? What are your favourite shades? xxx

Revlon Lip Butter - Strawberry Shortcake

I know that the Revlon Lip Butters have been reviewed by a myriad of blogs, but having recently purchased one (slow on the uptake...) I thought that I would show you some swatches of my favourite shade - Strawberry Shortcake (080).

The lip butters have a lovely, creamy texture and give a subtle colour to the lips.

If you have quite pigmented lips you can build the colour up with a few coats, but I wouldn't say that it is overly buildable as it is very glossy and smooth.

As much as I enjoy the light texture, effortless application and hydrating properties of these lip butters I can't say that I share the huge amounts of enthusiasm expressed when these are mentioned. Perhaps the hype has set the bar too high, but if I am completely honest I actually prefer the 17 Mirror Shine Lipsticks as they are just as smooth, but are slightly more opaque and longer wearing. This lip butter has made it into my handbag as the colour is so easy to wear and very versatile, but I doubt I will be repurchasing it when it runs out as I just don't find it that unique!

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters are £7.99 here and available in a great selection of colours.

Are you a fan of the Revlon Lip Butters? What are your favourite shades? xxx

Schwarzkopf partnership with LIVE Salon Style home hair colour

Remember Louise Redknapp from Eternal? The gorgeous yummy mummy and wife of equally yummy Jamie Redknapp has been announced as the new face of Schwarzkopf LIVE Salon Style.

 Her blonde locks have been transformed into a gorgeous, rich chocolate brown shade using LIVE Salon Style’s Chocolate Brown.

If you want some tips on choosing the right shade for your the video below is really helpful! It shows you some of the colour results you can expect, lists the selection of colours available as well as recommending different colours, or colour families for different skin tones.


You can also check out the the Live Salon Style Colour Booth Ap, which allows you to upload a picture of yourself to try out different hair colours. This is my before and after (using the dark brown shade). What do you guys think?

Schwarzkopf LIVE Salon Style is available nationwide now from Superdrug, Tesco,
Boots (where it is currently on offer for £3.99 here!), Sainsbury's and all leading pharmacies. Plus at RRP £5.99 it makes an affordable treat to get your tresses ready for the party season.

Have you tried the new shades from LIVE Salon Style? Are you thinking of changing your hair colour? xxx

*This is a sponsored post*