Area H20 Shampoo & Conditioner for Hard Water Review

Area H20 Shampoos and Conditioners are actually rather revolutionary as they have been developed by bioscientists (yes, bioscientists) to counteract the effect that different water types have on our hair.

With three ranges developed specifically for use with hard water, medium water and soft water, the products contain special ingredients that are supposed to get rid of the nasties lurking in our water pipes.
Here's a little blurb from the H20 website that explains this process in an undoubtedly more concise way than I can.

Metal ions, present in all types of water, react with shampoo to form mineral deposits that cling to your hair. AreaH20 shampoo is designed to act as a magnet, attracting mineral ions and allowing you to wash them away far more easily.

 As a result of these metal bits leaving the hair strands, the hair is supposed to in turn become noticeably cleaner, smoother and more lovely in general. These are some pretty tall claims so I've been left with no choice but to try out the shampoo and conditioner for myself to see if there was anything to get excited about. The Area H20 website features a nifty little map that helps you to determine what kind of water you're showering in, no matter where you are in the world. Of course, London is a distinct 'Hard Water' area, so I've been trying out the shampoo and conditioner for coloured hair and hard water.

The first thing I noticed about the shampoo was the scent - the best way I can describe is 'unisex'. It just smells quite clean and fresh, but not particularly chemically, which is a bonus. The labelling on the bottle states that the shampoo is 'very concentrated' so only a small amount is required, once again, big tick for this as obviously using a product sparingly means it will last longer. Duh. The shampoo lathered up easily and rinsed out well, preparing my hair for the conditioner.

I've gotta say, I don't think I've seen a conditioner of this consistency before. It's very opaque and very creamy. Sort of looks like a delightfully rich vanilla icing, yet I wasn't game to lick it. The conditioner had that clean, unisex scent going on too, though maybe smelled a tiny bit more feminine than the shampoo. I found that it washed out easily as well and didn't really leave any slimy residue like so many conditioners do.

I've used the Area H20 Shampoo and Conditioner for Hard Water three times now so I think I'm in a position to give some decent feedback. I found the products to be very clarifying for my hair and definitely made it shinier in general. My three flatmates have all given it a go too (including 2 boys) and they had nothing negative to say about Area H20 - just that their hair felt "very clean". While I don't completely understand the science behind how this shampoo and conditioner works, I do know how it makes my hair feel - clean and refreshed with a healthy sheen to it!

You can find the Area H20 range at Debenhams on Oxford Street in London and online at Look Fantastic with prices starting from £6.99.
If you want to know more about Area H20 you can visit them here.

*The Area H20 products were kindly sent to me for consideration

Hairy Jayne Hair Perfume

I was having a little wander around the Herne Hill market today and spotted a little stall by the name of Hairy Jane Handmade Hair Care. Among the shampoos and conditioners were a trio of exquisitely packaged little hair perfumes that I simply had to check out and I ended up walking away with one.

I picked up the Musk scent that's packed with neroli, vetiver and patchouli essential oils and designed to keep things smelling lovely between washes while taming frizz, adding shine and protecting against heat damage.

Hair perfume has always appealed to me but I've never tried it before so at £9 I think Hairy Jayne is a pretty good place to start.

The Hairy Jayne Hair Perfume can be used on freshly washed hair before blowdrying or drying naturally and contains an ingredient that protects the strands before you see to them with straighteners, curlers or hairdryers.

So far I've only tried the hair perfume on dry hair and I can happily report that the scent lingers for quite some time and does seem to make it feel a little softer and nicer in general.

The Hair Perfume is also available in Floral (gerainum, bergamot and vanilla) and Citrus (grapefruit, may chang and jasmine) so I think Jayne's covered all bases in terms of creating fragrances suited to every taste. I was in a bit of a hurry when I purchased the Musk scented spray and I sort of wish I'd gone for the Floral scent (which Jayne actually recommended!) as I'm a huge fan of vanilla scents.

You can find out more about Hairy Jayne Handmade Haircare here and have a browse at her other products. Jayne is also a pretty raved about hairdresser.
Follow Hairy Jayne on Twitter: @hairyjayne

I do love a small beauty business and Hairy Jayne products are definitely worth checking out. I'll be ordering from the site or visiting her stall again in the very near future!

The Hair Perfume is packaged in a cute glass bottle with a pump spray

What do you think of hair perfumes?
p.s. It's worth mentioning that Hairy Jayne shampoos and conditioners are free from sodium laurel sulfate, if you're interested in that sort of thing.

Nars Luminous Moisture Cream Review

I was lucky enough to receive the Nars Luminous Moisture Cream for my birthday back in September so I think it's about time I talk about it.
The moisture cream is my first and only product from this iconic beauty brand famous for its range of blushers with dirty names and Sheer Glow foundation, so I had high hopes for this little pot of decadence.

My flatmate picked this up for me because he simply had no idea what to get me, knows I'm a beauty fiend and was cornered by some friendly Nars staff at Ha department store who advised him that the Luminous Moisture Cream had been used during LFW to give models 'luminosity without the need for foundation'.

Unfortunately I don't have the kind of skin that looks flawless with just a bit of sparkly face cream rubbed into it but I think that this is quite a nice moisturiser nonetheless.
To be honest, I didn't get a great deal of use out of this throughout September because it was still pretty warm and the Luminous Moisture Cream is quite  heavy. Hot weather + heavy creams = sweaty face for me, so I've only really been patting this on for the last few weeks since the Siberian weather has started to set in.
My face has positively been drinking this up lately and it's keeping things nice and hydrated, so I'd say it's more of a cold weather cream if you're skin is combination like mine.
You might be wondering what's so 'luminous' about this cream? Well that comes down to the 'light reflecting complex' floating about in it which adds a sort of subtle sheen to the skin.

The cream contains Beech Bud Extract that works to stimulate collagen production and antioxidants to combat damage from free radicals. Scent wise, the cream smells quite similar to Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base so it has a slightly citrus-like fragrance which I find quite pleasant!
The Nars Luminous Moisture Cream is thick, rich and luxurious and I can see myself reaching for it a lot over the coming months. Just a tip - if you do happen to give this ago, use it sparingly. It's so rich that you only need a little bit for the whole face.

The Nars Luminous Moisture Cream retails at £46 for a 50ml jar and is available in various places online and instore at Space NK and department stores.
Have you tried anything from the Nars Skincare range?

Dermalogica Age Smart Skinperfect Primer

I've been meaning to write about the Demalogica Skinperfect Primer for a while because I've found it to be a pretty decent product that seems to come through with the goods!
Part of the AGE Smart range, the Skinperfect Primer is designed to brighten and smooth the skin, allowing foundation to apply evenly and stay in place for longer. The primer gives the skin that slightly odd velvety feeling due to the silicones in the formula that provide a smooth base for make up.

The Dermalogica Skinperfect primer is neutrally tinted and contains pearl powders and 'natural earth minerals' that work to brighten and even out the complexion. I found that the primer gives a sort of 'blurring' effect when used alone and I'll often wear it without make up over the top as it sort of peps up the skin. It's also worth mentioning that the Skinperfect primer is SPF30, which is always a bonus.

Blending...

Blended! Observe the light-reflecting bits!

The primer also has that fresh, herbal sort of fragrance that most Dermalogica products have and reminded me of my Dermalogica skin regime from my early twenties. It's actually made me want to revisit the brand and try out the anti-ageing ranges!

At £37.50 a tube, this primer is on the pricier side but the 22ml goes a very, very long way so I don't think the price is a deal breaker if you're after a good primer by a pretty fabulous brand. I have read that this primer is not particularly suitable for darker skin as it tends to leave things looking a bit chalky, so hopefully the powers that be at Dermalogica take note of this and release some darker colours in the future.

Do you use Dermalogica skincare and have you got a favourite product?
p.s. I've heard that this is quite a good product for blokes too!

*PR Sample

Sjal Rose Aura Cleansing Set

Sjal Rose Aura Cleansing Set

For the last week or so I've had the pleasure of cleansing, toning and moisturising with the Sjal Rose Aura Cleansing Set.

I tried a couple of incredible masks from Sjal back in February (you can read about them here) and have been following this beautiful brand ever since, so it's been really wonderful to experience this totally indulgent collection of skincare goodies.

The Sjal Rose Aura Cleansing Set contains the Balans Deep Pore Cleanser, Mineral Kalla Energy Tonic, Cela Intuitif Light Cellular Renewal Creme and a natural Konjac Sponge.

The cleansing ritual has been designed to cleanse, detoxify and brighten the complexion using a unique blend of gemstones and minerals.

The Balans Deep Pore Cleanser

Sjal Balans Deep Pore Cleanser

When used in conjunction with the Konjac sponge (two or three   pumps applied directly to the wet sponge) the Balans cleanser works to deep clean the skin, improving the texture and targeting blackheads as it clears away sebum and excess oils. The cleanser is infused with gold, silver and , germanium, pearl extract, fig leaf extract, rice bran extract, Vitamin E and African Whitewood extract. The cleanser is quite milky and smells really beautiful and comforting- the perfect first step in an indulgent cleansing ritual.

The Mineral Kalla Energy Tonic

Sjal Mineral Kalla Energy Tonic

My favourite product in the set, this tonic is luxurious, refreshing and     completely decadent. Infused with skin-loving ingredients such as energising Siberian ginseng, the spritz contains Rose Quartz and little particles of gold and silver that you can actually see floating around in the bottle!

Sjal Mineral Kalla Energy Tonic

 The Mineral Kalla Energy Tonic is great for toning after you cleanse and as a pick-me-up throughout the day. I've also found it handy for setting foundation and, like the Balans Deep Pore Cleanser, it smells absolutely gorgeous.

The Cela Intuitif Light Cellular Renewal Creme
The perfect finishing touch to the cleansing ritual, the cellular renewal creme contains Vitamin C and fruit acids to promote gentle exfoliation and pearl and licorice to even out skin pigmentation. Light yet incredibly hydrating, the creme contains 'saphire elixir' and nano gold and silver to brighten, protect, clear and strengthen the skin. 

Sjal Cela Intuitif Light Cellular Renewal Creme

Sjal Cela Intuitif Light Cellular Renewal Creme

I haven't been using the Sjal Rose Aura Cleansing Set for long so I can't tell you about long term results, but I can tell you that this collection is incredibly indulgent and leaves my skin feeling baby-smooth and hydrated without any oiliness, and you can't argue with that!

The Rose Aura Cleansing Set is around £100 and available at Mankind.

Have you tried anything from Sjal?