Showing posts with label shampoo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shampoo. Show all posts
Despite Kevin Murphy's credentials: a stylist for Vogue, Harper's Bazaar... and the exclusive hair care for Melbourne Fashion Week, I had never heard of this Australian brand before. So when, a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to try Kevin Murphy's hair care products at the Blonde salon's event in Toronto, I decided to give it a go. First of all, these products are paraben and sulphate free - which is good - but I was particularly interested in the Luxury line since it is especially designed for thick, coarse hair. And God knows, if my hair was any thicker, I would probably be a horse!
Anyway, the stylist from Blonde first used the maxi.wash shampoo ($25) to remove all the crap hair product residues from my hair, followed by the luxury.rinse conditioner and my hair was so smooth that I made Lisamarie caress touch it (and she liked it).
This time, I tried the smoothing shampoo (luxury.wash, 250ml, $25) which contains mango butter and Buriti nut oil (a source of vitamin A) as well as the restoring conditioner (luxury.rinse, 250ml, $25) which contains Kukui nut oil and Murumuru butter... again I had never heard of these nuts before (testing beauty products can be educational, apparently) but the scent is gorgeous without being overpowering and I have to admit the results are great. My hair feels clean, soft, and most of all combined with the phyto defrisant - once flat-ironed, my hair stays smooth and frizz-free for days!
The downside? $25 is not exactly cheap... but if you've got thick, frizzy hair, you should give this luxury duo a try!
The Blonde salon carries Kevin Murphy products amongst others and is located at: 82 Power Street, Toronto, ON, M5A 3A7 - Tel: 416-361-3131.
-Christelle-
A friend called me yesterday to tell me she had seen a picture of a football player who had more hair than me! My friend is pretty obsessed with big curly hair as hers is fine and poker straight. Yes ladies, we always want what we cannot have! When I looked at the picture, I immediately recognized Troy Polamalu from the hilarious Head & Shoulders latest commercial. Sadly, I had to break the news to my friend: while Troy has a beautiful naturally curly mane, he was definitely wearing a wig on that picture. My friend's fantasy came crashing down. Don't thank me. That's what friends are for!
It seems that many companies are attempting to follow the Old Spice model: ridiculous, funny and therefore memorable. Some attempts are just fine like the Gilette "Clean Your Balls" but Polamalu makes me chuckle every time I watch him.
-Christelle-
Disclosure - PR sample. We also received goody bags and jewellery as a gift from Pantene.Pantene have stormed the blogosphere with their latest release - Aqua Light. You'll have seen it on pretty much every UK blog, thanks to a wide-reaching social and online media campaign. Pantene are talking to bloggers, and bloggers are talking about Pantene.
Last week Gemma went to meet the new Pantene ambassador, Cat Deeley, who embodies the "hair you can swish!" concept of the campaign with her shiny honey locks. Apparently she was extremely lovely and likeable, and excited about her new mission of getting women to "Swish!" their hair.
Trust us though, readers. We won't be swayed by charismatic Cat, brand attention, or gifts and goody bags. We'll tell you the truth about this new product from Pantene. The hard fact of the matter is...
... it's very good stuff.
Anticlimactic as that might be, this product range definitely does what it says on the tin.
Aqua Light's purpose is to address the needs of the startlingly large percentage of women who do not use conditioner when washing their hair. Apparently many people prefer to skip the conditioning step as they feel that their hair stays cleaner and less weighed down for longer.
At LBR, where some of us use nothing *BUT* conditioner, this way of thinking is totally unfamiliar. Surely conditioner is the best part of a hair wash?
Pantene's answer to this frankly disturbing behaviour is to create products so lightweight that they leave even the finest, limpest hair "virtually weightless" ("virtually weightless" is a key line for Aqua Light and appears at least 3 times on each bottle).
The "science bit" is threefold - firstly, Pantene have minimised the amount of silicone in their conditioner (ask Gemma, silicone is terrible for building up on hair, that's one of the reasons she's given it up altogether). Secondly, they've formulated the products to rinse very clean, choosing ingredients that group together in a loose, layered arrangement that is easily disrupted by water and doesn't cling to the hair. And thirdly, they've implemented "liquid conditioning" - choosing ingredients that are liquid at room temperature and won't turn into solid "gunk" on the hair once it's dried.
So you've thought it through Pantene, we'll give you that. You've also explained your technology in a way that actually makes sense and keeps the PR fluff to a (relative) minimum. But what are the products like to use?
There are four products in the line. Shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner and a leave-in spray. They come in fairly typical drugstore bottles, not a massive departure from the rest of the Pantene range. They won't wow your guests or give you that high-end smug feeling, but they're usable, robust and gender neutral (good for the fine-haired man in your life). The shampoo is clear, the conditioner translucent and typically conditioner-y (likewise the deep conditioner), while the spray is an interesting two-phase liquid in a clear bottle.
Scent-wise, the familiar parfum-de-Pantene is in evidence. It reminds me of high school. Aaahhh. Nostalgic, but not especially unusual or luxe.
The shampoo lathers readily (it contains SLS) and does rinse very clean. The conditioner spreads easily through the hair and does a fine job of detangling. I leave it on for around 10 minutes, and it also rinses very easily, leaving hair feeling soft and smooth.
A few squirts of the leave-in treatment has taken the place of my usual Bed Head serum while I've been testing this out. It doesn't leave the ends of my hair as silky as the Bed Head does, but since my hair's in such desperate need of a cut I won't judge it too harshly for that.
Once dry, hair is bouncy, shiny and has even attracted compliments at work. I was skeptical at first, expecting that I'd experience silicone build-up after a few days' repeated washing. However it seems that Pantene's formula tweaking has paid off (at least in my case), and these products are fine for repeated use. I haven't noticed any dullness, scalp irritation or loss of volume.
Verdict - a great drugstore staple and well worth trying if you don't like to splash out on haircare. If you prefer a more indulgent experience, stick to the high end brands, but for a functional and effective budget haircare range, this certainly succeeds.
Pantene is owned by Proctor & Gamble, who carry out a small percentage of their testing on animals. Read their animal welfare policy here.
As unbelievable as it may seem to anyone who knows me as an adult, I spent my tween and teen years convinced that my hair was the ugliest thing about me. My hair is extremely thick, dense, unruly and carries the visible proof of the diverse nationalities that were incorporated into the genetic material of East European Jews. If you look closely you'll see that some of my hair is very dark brown and curly. Other parts are wavy-to-straight and range in color from auburn to light red. For someone who grew up in the 1970s and 80s, this hair was not a good thing, as there were no products in the known universe that could make it soft, shiny and un-crazy.
I only learned to like my hair and allowed it to grow back from its 80s spiky cut when leave-in conditioners and anti-frizz creams became efficient and available. Hair goop became my friend and I used these products heavily and religiously. Nowadays I rely on good shampoo and conditioners and only supplement with styling products when the weather or my hair demand it.
I wasn't familiar with Tela Beauty Organics until the products were sent to me. After several weeks of use I can say I've found a true love. The Curly shampoo and conditioner are among the best I've ever tried. Both are gentle but effective and are great detanglers without the need to pull and yank. My hair is incredibly soft and manageable and I haven't used a styling product in weeks, even though I have a couple of Tela items waiting to be tested.
It's worth remembering that the weather here in the Northeast has been relentlessly hot and muggy, so it's hard to assess how these Tela shampoo and conditioner fight dryness. Still, not suffering from humidity-induced frizz is a miracle.I love that I can just let my hair be and allow its weight to do all the work of keeping it in place.
Looking at the content of both shampoo and conditioner reveals an unusual amount of natural ingredients and essences, and not just at the tail-end of the list. It seems like there really is a large percent of good-for-you-stuff in there, so maybe that's the secret. Both products have a light lavender scent that lingers close to the scalp even 24 hours later.
Bottom line: I really really like it.
Tela Organic Shampoo and Conditioner ($28, 8.4 oz each) are available at Barneys as well as from select Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus locations. I received them for consideration from the company's PR team.
Photo: myvintagevogue.com
Disclosure - PR sample
Jo Hansford's famed hair-colour expertise makes her a natural choice for a celeb haircare range.
This one's a cut above (owww, I'm going to pun hell, aren't I?) most in terms of how it's pitched - the shampoo is £14.50 for 250ml and the conditioner £16.50 for 250ml, and the range is found in Harvey Nichols. Definitely one for the discerning shopper with a sizeable budget.
What makes them special? Well, apparently "the Anti-Frizz duo combine the repairing properties of ethically harvested Castanha do Brasil from the Amazon, with Sunflower Extract which extends the life of colour. Keratin boosts the hairs strength, improving its protein structure and protecting the hair from further external damage, while UV filters protect against sun damage." (from press release)
The colour-care aspect will be a driving factor for many, as this is JH's whole area. As my hair isn't coloured, I can't comment on how effective the products are in this regard. I applaud the multi-tasking approach though. The ethical considerations are also a welcome aspect. Slightly surprised to see SLS in the ingredient list of a colour-caring product, but I'm sure Jo knows what she is doing.
In practice, both products get high marks. The packaging is neutral and sophisticated, and although having screw tops rather than flip caps makes opening slightly more time-consuming, it's classier somehow - less utilitarian. There's a lovely satsuma-grapefruit medley going on scent-wise ("green jelly" is how my boyfriend, who has also tried them out, describes it), with a slightly baffling undertone of Marmite. Nice, though.I found that after using both products, and the conditioner especially, there was a noticeable "coated" feeling on my hair. The conditioner doesn't create the usual slippy streaming effect on rinsing. Instead it clings to the hair with a kind of waxy, squeaky after-effect. Despite this, hair stays easy to brush and style, and feels definitely clean.
On air-dried, curly hair, I'm afraid I was still getting frizz - but I think that's only because I skipped on my usual serum and curl-styling products when testing these. It isn't a *lot* of frizz, and the curls are quite well defined. On other occasions when I blow-dried smooth, the effect was very soft and shiny with lots of movement.
One warning - after a couple of weeks straight of using these products, I did need to strip the build-up out of my hair with a clarifying shampoo.
Verdict - nice products for a luxurious treat, but honestly not ones I'd buy repeatedly (unless I won the lottery), mostly owing to cost per ml.
Ojon Volume Advance Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner - 250ml - $42.00/set - a lightweight daily shampoo that gently cleanses and hydrates fine, limp hair, increases the volume of fine hair without weighing it down and adds texture and shine while the conditioner adds lightweight body and shine to fine, limp hair and helps detangle and condition without weighing hair down. They contain Ojon Oil which is rich in essential lipids that repair damaged hair, seal the cuticles and prevent future damage; and Peruvian Amaranth which has a high protein content that helps seal the cuticle to increase body and thickness as well as provide fine hair with essential nutrients needed to gain strength, fullness, shine and flexibility.
I knew I would love these when I saw the tagline "Like a mega-phone for fine hair"! The only thing that concerned me was if they would have the typical Ojon smell, which isn't my favourite. I can tolerate it in small doses but I don't think I would want it in a shampoo. Not to worry, there is a faint hint of it, but it mostly smells herbal to me - a little bit of lavender combined with other herby things, I really can't but a finger on it exactly but I find the scent very pleasant.
This line is launching over at The Shopping Channel tomorrow so there is a special launch price of $36 for the set - so it's a great time to give it a try! Check it out at www.theshoppingchannel.com
Volupt Volume Boosting Conditioner - 250ml - $25 - with micro-lite technology. Shields-in volume with lightweight softness. With natural bamboo extract. Colour safe.
This is a great shampoo and conditioner, don't get me wrong, but what is extra genius is putting them in different coloured bottles! I don't know about you but light is not my friend first thing so I tend to take my morning showers in the dark and I don't know how many times I have washed my hair with conditioner and vice-versa - never have that problem with these!
- Lisamarie -
Overworked, overdamaged and overprocessed is reversed and revived with the new Full Repair collection from John Frieda! Women with fine to medium textured hair can really struggle with the deep conditioning agents used to treat damaged hair in many products as they are too heavy and weigh hair down making it even more difficult to achieve their desired style! This line is geared towards fine and medium textured hair with ingredients that give you deep conditioning without the heaviness - being fine haired myself, I was excited to try it out!
Full Body Shampoo - 250ml - $10.49 - formulated with Inca Inchi oil, this bodifying shampoo repairs the look and feel of overworked hair as it weightlessly restores bounce for full, flowing styles.
Full Body Conditioner - 250ml - $10.49 - omega-rich Inca Inchi oil repairs hair as the formula smoothes and detangles, reducing the risk of breakage and snagging when combing or brushing.
Protecting Root Lift Foam - 200ml - $10.49 - this lightweight foam protects hair from heat damage with Inca Inchi oil while creating instant body. Work into wet or towel-dried hair at the roots for weightless lift and high-volume hair when styled.
Perfect Ends Deep Infusion - 50ml - $14.99 - a breakthrough product for medium-textured hair that instantly absorbs into damaged strands instead of just coating the surface and penetrates hair with Inca Inchi oil to weightlessly reverse the look and feel of damage while protecting hair from heat.
Perfect Ends Sheer Mist - 60ml - $14.99 - a softening mist for fine-textured hair protects heat-damaged hair with omega-3 rich Inca Inchi oil. It also protects hair from further damage by providing heat protection from flat irons and blowdryers. Spray evenly through clean, wet hair, concentrating on ends and damaged areas to weightlessly repair and promote smooth, healthy strands.
Touch-up Flyaway Tamer - 14ml - $14.99 - a portable wand that polishes broken strands, smoothing flyaways and frayed ends with Inca Inchi oil to keep hair sleek and smooth. With a crystal-clear formula that weightlessly smoothes flyaways without diminishing hair's volume and small enough to fit in your purse making it ideal for touch-ups on the go. To use, simply brush the wand over dry, styled hair to touch-up and give a boost of shine.
Please stay tuned for my reviews of my favourite products - but I can tell you now that the Touch-up Flyaway Tamer is a must-have! My usual way to get rid of flyaways during the day has always been a bit of hand cream, but that tended to weigh my hair down and become greasy looking if applied too many times. The tamer gets rid of the frizzies without looking or feeling heavy!
- Lisamarie -
If you like the scientific crap, here it is: The uniqueness of ESSENSITY Colour is in its innovative patent-pending technology. Changing a natural hair colour to a different shade relies on the oxidative reaction of hydrogen peroxide on the natural melanin pigment. Rather than using ammonia to lift out the natural pigment to make room for the new one, ESSENSITY is powered by AMEA Technology. AMEA stands for the synergistic combination of two very gentle alkalizing agents: Aminomethylpropanol and Monoethanolamine. By combining these two gentle alkalizing agents, AMEA technology is able to breakdown the natural melansome layer, making the melanin pigments susceptible to hydrogen peroxide. Although the lifting power of AMEA is not as strong as ammonia, the lifting power is impressive and it's done in a gentle way, ensuring a vibrant colour every time. In addition, ESSENSITY colour delivers superb colour performance and leaves the hair shiny and in great condition.
So why have I waited 2 weeks to tell you all about it if it's that wonderful? Well, first I wanted to see how much it would fade before I decided how I really felt about it - and red is the perfect test for this as it fades the quickest of all the colours! After 2 weeks I am happy to say that while there is some fading - the tone is slightly lighter and the colour is not quite as vibrant as it was to begin with, it's still plenty red so I'm happy! I also want to mention my lovely hairdresser for the day at Tony Chaar - Fouad - he gave me exactly the colour I asked for even improving on it a bit by adding a little violet to the mix. Apparently when you add violet to red it will fade more brown then orange - who knew?! Fouad also gave me the cutest little cut - which I am fondly calling my hot Asian chick look - even if he did try to insist that I'm not edgy enough for the cut - that's what you know Fouad - I am too edgy(ish)!
Schwarzkopf also added some new products to the Essensity line:
The stand out product for me is the:
Natural Shine Serum - $21.25 - a feather-light serum that gives a natural velvet shine to the hair surface. Smoothes the hair while leaving it feeling naturally soft and touchable. Tames and controls frizzy and flyaway hair without weighing down even the finest of hair and is formulated with natural UV-filters, which provide additional protection. Contains: Sesame Oil - known for a high content of Vitamins A,B and E and Calcium.Both nourishing and smoothing, it contains a natural antioxidant system that can significantly reduce the rate of oxidation and increases longevity of the colour. Also acts as an anti-humectant which prevents the hair from absorbing moisture from the atmosphere; and Linseed Oil - known for being a rich source of Vitamins A, E and F (an essential fatty acid) which helps improve the quality of hair.
The products are all 100% free from artificial fragrances, colorants, silicones, PEG's, paraffin/mineral oils and parabens.
You can check out the website to find a salon near you that carries the line:
http://www.schwarzkopf-professional.ca/ and if you're Toronto feel free to go see my friends at Tony Chaar Salon - 11 Hazelton Avenue, Unit 9, Toronto - 416-920-9965 - tell them the very edgy Lisamarie sent you!
- Edgy Lisamarie -
For years now I have been forced to listen to my European friends and bloggers rave about the L'Oréal Elsève haircare line. As I never travel to Europe and Christelle is too mean to bring me back presents when she goes - I have never actually been able to get my hands on this line to try it. L'Oréal felt my pain and is bringing me (okay fine,us) products from the line that will specifically meet the demands of Canadian women's hair - to help it cope with the harsh winters and dry, humid summers - with a new look and a new name for the line - Hair Expertise! Consisting of five categories: damaged, dry, coloured, frizzy and dull hair - there is something for everyone!For damaged hair: Total Repair 5 - a pro-keratine (the conditioning formula that reinforces each hair fibre to give it strength to resist daily wear and tear) and ceramide (the formula restores smoothness to the hair fibre, leaving it soft to the touch with a healthy looking shine) enriched formula that targets 5 of the top Canadian hair problems: weak, limp, lifeless, dull and straw-like hair without weighing it down.
Total Repair 5 Repairing Shampoo - 385ml - $5.99 - penetrates the hair to deliver targeted root-to-tip nutrition. hair is thoroughly clean and ultra shiny all over.
Total Repair 5 Repairing Conditioner - 385ml - $5.99 - instantly detangles hair, helping to repair the fibre while strengthening and protecting hair from root to tip.
Repairing Detangling Spray - 250ml - $6.99 - instantly detangles, while strenthening hair to visibly reduce breakage.
Night Elixir - 150ml - $6.99 - infuses your hair with essential nutrients overnight for incredibly soft hair in the morning.
Repairing Mask - 300ml - $6.99 - gives in-depth nourishment and intense repair for damaged brittle hair.
For dry hair: Re-Nutrition - enriched with royal jelly - a rare and precious natural and nourishing ingredient to help your rediscover the sensation of bouncy and incredibly silky hair. your hair regains elasticity and suppleness to leave it looking full of life.
Re-Nutrition Shampoo - 385ml - $5.99 - gently cleanses dry hair, restoring hair's elasticity and suppleness.
Re-Nutrition Shampoo 2-in-1 - 385ml - $5.99
Re-Nutrition Conditioner - 385ml - $5.99 - replenishes hair's softness and manageability and leaves a delicious honey and floral scent. The ultra melting texture soaks into the hair fibre, nourishing the hair from root to tip.
Nourishing Cream Care - 200ml - $6.99 - ultra moisturizing formula instantly nourishes to bring back bounce without weighing hair down.
Deep Nourishing Mask - 300ml - $6.99 - drenches very dry hair with essential nutrients to leave it soft, shiny and feather-light.
For coloured hair: Color Radiance - with a UV filter formula combines an active nourishing ingredient and filters, to work on 2 levels: to nourish the hair and transform the surface, hair feels silky to the touch; and to help protect the hair fibre from external aggressions and accentuate your colour's radiance.
Color Radiance Shampoo - 385ml - $5.99 - is perfectly balanced to cleanse deeply while protecting coloured hair - available in dry or normal formula.
Color Radiance Conditioner - 385ml - $5.99 - instantly detangles without weighing the hair down. It nourishes and protects coloured hair's vibrancy - available in dry or normal formula.
Protecting Detangling Care - 250ml - $6.99 - instantly detangles coloured hair without weighing it down. Brilliant and intense, hair is sublimed and protected all day.
Protecting Mask - 300ml - $6.99 - deeply nourishes and envelopes your hair in a sublime texture.
For frizzy hair: Nutri-Sleek - with Mediterranean Argan Oil, a naturally derived softening ingredient for an intensely smoothing formula with a dual action: intense nourishment - the formula nourishes hair and calms frizz for even smoothing right to the ends for hair that is 4X smoother; and 48H protection - with a shield effect, the formula protects the hair from dampness or humidity to control and prevent frizz.
Nutri-Sleek Shampoo - 385ml - $5.99 - deeply cleanses dry, coarse and rebellious hair while soothing, calming and nourishing for a sleek and manageable result.
Nutri-Sleek Shampoo 2-in-1 - 385ml - $5.99
Nutri-Sleek Conditioner - 385ml - $5.99 - deeply nourishes rebellious hair for perfectly frizz-free, silky smooth renewed hair with softness and shine.
Smoothing Detangling Care - 230ml - $6.99
Smoothing Creme Care - 200ml - $6.99
Deep Smoothing Serum - 50ml - $6.99 - to instantly fight flyaways and prevent frizz.
For dull hair: Nutri-Shimmer - contain protein + pear - the nutritive and energizing elements contained in pearl protein give natural pearls their brilliant shine and resistance. Nutri-Shimmer penetrates the hair to give targeted nutrition to the fibre, balanced from root to tip, without weighing down the hair. Instantly the micro-splits of the hair cuticle are more even. Smoother, the surface of the hair captures and better reflects the light. Perfectly nourished, the hair fibre becomes stronger. your hair looks revived.
Nutri-Shimmer Shampoo - 385ml - $5.99 - penetrates the hair to deliver feather-light root-to-tip nutrition, leaving it thoroughly clean and ultra-shiny all over.
Nutri-Shimmer Shampoo 2-in-1 - 385ml - $5.99
Nutri-Shimmer Conditioner - 385ml - $5.99 - instantly detangles hair without weighing it down.
Shine Detangling Care - 250ml - $6.99 - effectively conditions and detangles hair while infusing mirror-shine effect.
Available this month at your usual haunts. How about you, had you heard of Elsève before and been dying to get your hands on it too?
- Lisamarie -
Charles Baker Strahan, Herbal Essences North American celebrity stylist got a week full of all of that last week and I have no doubt that the highlight of it all was not styling celebrities for the Golden Globes but rather getting the chance to share some of his hair (not celebrity, dammit) secrets for me to pass on to all of you.
He's hanging out in Los Angeles right now so I knew he was just the person to give us advice for cold weather hair care! His biggest tip was to make sure our hair is getting lots of moisture, not only is the cold air stripping it away but our hair is also taking a beating due to all the artificial heating indoors! When our hair has enough moisture not only does it feel soft and silky it also looks shiny and smooth - as we all know, there is nothing worse then winter flyaways!
We also discussed the reformulated Herbal Essences collection which contains a water-activated silkening technology to give your hair the soft and shiny look we all crave and we agreed that the best part of the new formulas is the smell!
And then Charles had to dash off to his next fabulous event in sunny LA and I was left here in cold, snowy Toronto sniffing (yummm) a bottle of shampoo for solace...
Hello Hydration Shampoo and Conditioner - infused with extracts of Hawaiian coconut and orchid
Long-Term Relationship Shampoo and Conditioner - infused with extracts of red raspberries and Brazilian silk
None of Your Frizzness Shampoo and Conditioner - infused with extracts of mandarin creme and pearl - this is the one that I've been using, the scent is amazing and my frizziness is much better after using!
Totally Twisted Shampoo and Conditioner - infused with extracts of wild cherry twist and jewel orchid
Touchably Smooth Shampoo and Conditioner - infused with extracts of pink lily and Asian silk
Body Envy Shampoo - infused with extracts of passion flower sunrise and pearl
Available now at your usual haunts for around $3.99 for 300ml.
- Lisamarie -
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