Phyto Paris Repairing Shampoo Review

With a formula rich in super hydrating hyaluronic acid, Phyto Paris’ Repairing Shampoo is the perfect medicine for dry, damaged hair. While the hyaluronic acid retains moisture, rice bran ceramides repair the outer surface and seal the cuticles to strengthen hair.

To get the most out of this shampoo make sure you massage it into your scalp properly and take time with it. The creamy texture lends itself well to this, while the fruit scent leaves hair smelling fresh.

Using botanical keratin, this shampoo helps repair hair and leaves it feeling much softer, smoother and visibly glossier. The downfall is that the formula can be too heavy for finer tresses.

Phyto Paris Repairing Shampoo is £10.50 from Johnlewis.com.

Rating: 7/10 – The perfect shampoo for the winter months when your hair and scalp feels dry and tired from cold weather and central heating. However it can be too rich and leave your scalp feeling a little oily and hair matted.

L’Oreal Professionnel Serie Nature Oilixir Review

Infused with lavender this hair oil has a beautiful scent, which helps to relax and soothe both you and your tresses. L’Oreal Professionnel Serie Nature Oilixir aka ‘Liquid Gold’ offers more than just a pretty smell though.

Made from 100% natural ingredients, most namely Argan oil, which is renowned for its moisturising and nourishing properties, this hair oil relieves dry, tired hair. Together with vitamins A, D and E, hair is left protected as well as repaired and glossy.

Most notably, one of the best things about this hair oil though is the spray cap, which enables you to apply it quickly and easily with more control.

Due to the amount of rich vitamins and extracts in the formula, finer hair may find this hair oil too strong – use less than a pea size amount and spray into your hands and then run through the ends. However, thicker, naturally drier hair will definitely see and feel the benefits.

L’Oreal Professionnel Serie Nature Oilixir is £12.45 and available from Feelunique.com.

Rating: For thick hair: 9/10 - You get pbang for your buck with this haircare product. For fine hair: 3/10 – The formula is quite heavy and can leave hair feeling greasy and sticky.

Aromatherapy Associates Rose Exfoliating Cleanser Review

In true Aromatherapy Associates style, the Rose Exfoliating Cleanser is packed full of essential oils which not only feed skin, but provide a relaxing, soothing fragrance.

Geranium is a key ingredient in this beauty product as it’s widely renowned for its healing properties and encourages the regeneration of skin cells. It also works in harmony with the second ingredient, jojoba beads, and soothes skin.

Aside from soothing, Jojoba beads are also one of the best, if not the best, natural exfoliators as they are rounded and smooth. With no sharp edges, jojoba beads offer a gentle exfoliation and won’t create micro-lacerations, which can damage skin and cause fine lines.

The cleanser itself has a creamy texture that feels instantly hydrating and doesn’t leave skin feeling tight or dry afterwards. Although the cleanser can be gentle enough to use everyday if you’re suffering for excess oil or concerned with uneven texture, those with sensitive or dry skin should only use it twice a week.

Aromatherapy Associates Rose Exfoliating Cleanser is £23.50 and is available from Aromatherapyassociates.com.

Rating: 8/10 – Keeps skin feeling soft and smooth without drying it out, although one a week a more abrasive exfoliator is still needed.

Revlon Age Defying With DNA Advantage Foundation Review

By combining anti-ageing skincare with natural looking coverage, it can be said that Revlon's Age Defying With DNA Advantage SPF20 Cream Make Up is more than just your typical foundation.


Not only is it full of vitamins B3 and E, both of which help to protect and promote healthy skin, but it also contains West Indian Cherry Extract (Acerola), which is rich in vitamins and perfect for treating and protecting sun damaged skin. Alongside these ingredients, Revlon's foundation also includes sodium hyaluronate, which plays a key part in the formula as it helps skin retain water and therefore stay hydrated.


With a light, smooth and creamy consistency, this foundation is easy to blend into skin and most importantly, rather than just sitting on wrinkle, this foundation actually hides them and doesn't leave a cakey finish.


Revlon's Age Defying With DNA Advantage Foundation also contains an SPF20, which protects skin from UVB and UVA rays and therefore stops further wrinkles and ageing being caused from sun damage.


Revlon's Age Defying With DNA Advantage SPF20 Cream Make Up is £13.99 and is available from Boots.com in 8 different shades.


Rating: 10/10 - Definitely one of the best foundations around at the moment and it's also one of the cheapest so it's well worth trying out.

Clarks Botanicals Clearing Face And Body Wash Review

Clark’s Botanicals was founded by a father and son team after the son Francesco was in an accident which impaired his nervous system and lead to clogged pores and breakouts of acne. Unhappy with the products that were available and prescribed Francesco and his father, a homeopathic doctor by trade, teamed up to create chemical-free, skin clearing products.

Jasmine absolute oil is the brands hero ingredient as it contains soothing, rebalancing properties, and is therefore the key component to Clark’s Botanicals Clearing Face and Body Wash.

Salicylic acid, which helps to clear and prevent blackheads and acne works together with the jasmine to target problematic skin and leave it feeling fully cleansed. The inclusion of algae helps to build a protective barrier and keep skin moisturised.

The gel formula might look a little unorthodox with black specks, but it is easy to use in the shower and lathers up under warm water.  

Clark’s Botanicals Clearing Face & Body Wash is £37 and can be purchased from SpaceNK.co.uk.

Rating: 9/10 – The price is pretty steep for a body wash, however if you do suffer with bad acne and want something more natural, then it’s a price worth paying.

Dainty Doll Eyeliner Pencil Review

Nicola Robert’s branching into cosmetics was definitely an unconventional move and the quality of the beauty products was always going to be questioned by sceptics. Surprisingly though, Dainty Doll Eyeliner Pencils are creditable.

With a range of five wearable shades - granted that some are more wearable than others, ‘Feather’ is slightly garish – the eyeliner pencils promise to ‘define, line and shine’ and offer a more sophisticated take on a traditional kohl liner.

While the formula isn’t revolutionary, it doesn’t smudge or leave a liner print on your upper eyelid. More impressive though is the beauty product’s staying power, it lasts all day give or take a little fading.

My favourite shade is ‘I’m So Pretty’, the dark brown isn’t so dark that it almost looks black and offers eyes softer definition.

Dainty Doll’s Eyeliner Pencil is £8.15 at Lookfantastic.com.

Rating: 10/10 – I really like the ‘I’m So Pretty’ shade and it’s rare that you find an eyeliner that doesn’t smudge alone so that alone is gold-star worthy.

Leighton Denny Diamond Sole Mate Foot Scrub Review

Leighton Denny’s Diamond Sole Mate Foot Scrub would never win an award for the prettiest beauty product with its murky forest green sludge appearance. However, looks aside, this foot scrub does give dry skin a run for its money.

Soak feet in warm water for around five minutes before massaging in Leighton Denny’s Foot Scrub, focusing on the heel area. The fine grains are easy to massage and will help loosen dry skin and leave feet feeling much smoother.

Peppermint essential oil gives the scrub a fresh scent, while avocado oil helps soften dry skin and moisturise.

Leighton Denny’s Diamond Sole Mate Foot Scrub is £11 and available from Johnlewis.com.

Rating: 6/10 – The scrub doesn’t offer a really abrasive exfoliation, so it does take at least two applications and plenty of foot cream to get heels super soft.

Clinique Age Defense BB Cream Review

2012 is clearly the year for BB Creams - aka Blemish Balms - in the UK, however the multi-tasking beauty product has been a hit in Asia for a while. Several beauty brands have launched BB Creams in the last few weeks and each differ slightly in what they offer.

Clinique promises to soothe, hydrate and conceal with its Age Defence BB Cream, but how does it work? Iron oxides and silica pigments provide coverage for fine lines and wrinkles, while vitamin E and a combination of chemical sunscreens provide SPF30 and protect skin from the environment, and caffeine soothes and stimulates. 

To live up to its promise of hydration, Clinique has created a hydration complex comprising of trehalose, carboxylic acid both of which retain moisture, and sodium hyarulonate which is one of the best natural moisturising components. Together all three ingredients help hydrate and moisturise skin throughout the day, picking up where your day cream left off.  

While Clinique’s BB Cream doesn’t quite live up to hype, it does provide a relatively good amount of coverage, especially if you use it as a primer and mix it with your foundation.

On its own the pink shade can wipe out natural colour and leave you with a blank canvas, making foundation and blusher or bronzer essential. If you are looking for a moisturising primer that will conceal stubborn blemishes however, this could definitely be a beauty buy for you.

Clinique’s Age Defense BB Cream is £25 from Clinique.co.uk.

Rating: 6/10 – The beauty product didn’t quite live up to its promises, however it’s a mixed review as if you did use it as a primer it would certainly excel. It just depends what you want from Clinique’s BB Cream.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Intense Kajal Eyeliner Review

While the eyeshadows might have taken centre stage with regards to Estee Lauder’s Pure Color Cyber Eyes collection, it is the eyeliners that are particularly impressive.

Pure Color Intense Kajal Eyeliners are made with 70% pure pigment, which provides a strong, rich line of colour. The creamy formula makes this eyeliner feel more like a gel liner and makes the product soft, smooth and easy to apply.

There’s nothing outlandish about the six shades, instead each one is wearable all eye colours and creates a gorgeous smoky effect. For best results apply the sharpened eyeliner to the base of your eyelashes and gently smudge up and across.  

My favourite shade is definitely ‘Blackened Cocoa’ – the dark brown provides a nice change to heavy black kohl liner and creates a slightly more sophisticated finish.

Estee Lauder’s Pure Color Intense Kajal Eyeliners are £16 each and are available from Esteelauder.co.uk.

Rating: 8/10 – The intense colour and selection of shades are perfect for taking you from the day into the evening, however the slight smudging lets the beauty product down slightly.

Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Cleansing Foam Review

There has been a recent surge of cleansers, which not only wash but also nourish skin, and Bliss’ Triple Oxygen Instant Energising Cleansing Foam, in my opinion, is one of the best yet.

The super lightweight foam formula is easy to massage into skin and you only need one pump for both your face and décolletage. While the product is quick to put on, it’s even quicker to rinse off and once dried skin feels cleaner, fresher and most importantly healthier.

How does it work? The formula gives skin an oxygen boost and is heavily infused with vitamin-A, which leaves skin looking and feeling cleansed and revitalised.

Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Cleansing Foam is £24 and available from Blissworld.co.uk.

Rating: 10/10 – This beauty product is worth every penny. Skin left feeling clean, soft and hydrated.