REVIEW: Herbal Essences bio:renew Shampoo & Conditioner 400ml, £4.50 each

Letting Life in in North Carolina with Herbal Essences Bio:Renew
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Image result for herbal essences bio renew“Letting life in – combining the beauty of nature with the power of science, for hair that smells incredible and feels full of life”

Thanks to SuperSavvyMe’s Savvy Circle, we were sent a whole parcel of their new Herbal Essences Bio:Renew Shampoo and Conditioners to test and share. They sent through a pack which had loads of info and 3 sets of shampoos and conditioners:

  • White Grapefruit & Mosa Mint (for volume)
  • Rosemary & Herbs (for moisture)
  • Coconut Milk (for hydration)

We tested these with the help of some of our friends. We were sad to miss out on the other 4 variants (for repair, cleansing, smoothing and shine) as these would probably have suited us more, but we were still eager to see what the new Herbal Essences bio:renew range was all about.

Why were we so excited?
We already highly rated the Nourish Me Butter shampoo and conditioner (followed by the Bee Good line) from the existing Herbal Essences range. It excels for a drugstore product available at a more than reasonable price, especially with frequent promotions.

How is bio:renew different?
The range is silicone, colourant, parabens and gluten free. We were surprised they were not SLS (sodium laurel sulphate) free but welcomed the progressive attitude that the new range embraces. It is pH balances and safe for colour treated hair.

Herbal Essences sent us info on how bio:renews brings us closer to nature. The only way it did that was when we took some of our samples to the US and into the North Carolina woods…at the end of the day, shampoo and conditioner is not a natural thing.

What did we think of it?
Overall – we felt that the new scents were pleasant, the product was pleasant to use but did need to dispense a little more than usual to achieve the same results. With the slightly higher price and increased amount required – this brings it in at a higher price point than the existing range. The results are good, but not any better than the original range. So unless you are looking for a shampoo/conditioner duo that is silicone, colourant or gluten free then we would suggest sticking with the original range purely from a price/performance perspective.

However, this product is better for the environment – so with that in mind or if you suffer with buildup or have coloured hair then it’s worth giving this range a whirl.

Our favourite so far? The rosemary and herb <3
Our least favourite? The white grapefruit and mosa mint smelt somewhat artificial.

UNBOXING: You Beauty Box August 2017 – Sumptuous spa edit

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“A series of calming and restorative products to leave you relaxed, refresh and raring to go.”

We love You Beauty Box for sourcing good quality brands that are less known but not trash. This box had a strong focus on skincare and relaxation…right up our street. There was a stand out item but the overall offering was a strong shortlist of relaxation products. Love Philosophy too, although we all moan about sachet samples. Still nice for free.

[Comfort Zone]: Sublime Skin Essence, 5ml
Value: £2.20

“Intensive concentrated solution that stimulates skin regneration and bestows an even, compact and youthful appearance to the skin.  Rebalances the hydrating factors of the skin (NMF) and encourages the synthesis of structural proteins of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Immediate hydrating action, maximising the efficacy of the anti-age products which are applied thereafter. Science-based conscious formulas.”

BT INITIAL THOUGHTS: Well that is an awful lots of pseudo-scientific babble isn’t it?  A lot for a 5ml sample to live up to, but we do love trying out nutrient-rich essences and this one is silicone free.

111Skin: Bio Cellulose Facial Treatment Mask, 23ml
Value: £17.00

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“Utilises the most advanced technology on the market to deliver beneficial nutrients into the dermis. The mask adheres to your skin like a second skin. The gel like structure of the mask will instantly cool and regulate body temperature.  Since the fibres of the mask are 500x finer than tissue masks, the bio cellulose instantly locks moisture into your skin.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – This was the star product of the box for us. Despite it’s suspect claims to regulate body temperature (!!!), can a face mask possibly be worth the £17 it costs? It’s our once chance to find out!  We love hydrogel masks (which we assume this is from the description) – they are sooo moisturising and it’s normal for them to cost more than normal sheet masks.

EXTRA TREATS:

Philosophy: Purity made simple 3-in-1 cleanser, 6ml
Value: £1.74

Philosophy Purity 3-in-1 Cleanser - 240ml.

“An award-winning, one-step daily cleanser for face and eyes. It rapidly dissolves dirt, oil and makeup to deep clean pores while maintaining moisture levels.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – Great that this is suitable for both face and eyes and love this brand, but well, y’all know how we feel about sachet samples…

OTHER OPTIONS:

The shortlist this month was:

  • L’Occitane Jasmin & Bergamot Shower Gel 30ml
  • Roger & Gallet Sobert Dynamisant Gingembre Rouge & Fresh Fragrant Water Gingembre Rouge Duo 50ml & 1.5ml
  • Aromatherapy Associates Renewing Rose Body Cream 40ml
  • SenSpa Sleep Therapy Bath Soak 50ml
  • Sanctuary Ultimate Cleansing Oil 50ml
  • Elemental Herbology Cell Plumping Facial Hydrator 15ml
  • [Comfort Zone] Sublime Skin Essence 5ml
  • Kneipp Devil’s Claw Back Comfort 20ml
  • The Vintage Cosmetic Company Duo Pencil Sharpener
  • 111SKIN Bio Cellulose Facial Treatment Mask 23ml
  • Sancturary Ultimate Salt Scrub Sachet 60g

OVERALL VERDICT:

A mainly nice selection of items this month, other than the rather random pencil sharpener. It was great to have such a premium item as the 111Skin face mask in the shortlist. We took a while choosing between all the pamper items but decided to take a gamble on the skin essence as we hadn’t heard of [comfort zone] before. There were some good size samples on offer (other than the sample sachet) – all in all a good month for You Beauty.

Box price: £6.95 inc shipping
Total value: £20.94

Note: We paid for this You Beauty Discovery Box with our own hard-earnt pennies

Like the look of You Beauty Discovery? Sign up here http://www.youbeautydiscovery.co.uk

UNBOXING: You Beauty Box July 2017 – Come fly with me!

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The selection this month was so so, with only one stand out item. The Skin Chemists serum was an easy choice and we chose to augment this with the facial oil. Could the serum possibly be good enough to justify the skyhigh price?  The freebie sachet is pretty tiny so a bit of a meh inclusion but it’s just an extra.

SKIN CHEMISTS: Aqua Repair Facial Serum, 30ml
Value: £64 (although available for £39)

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“Our SkinChemist 24 Hour Aqua Repair Facial Serum has been formulated to sooth and hydrate the skin for all day moisturisation. This serum would be the perfect product to use on the go for a quick zap of hydration. The main active ingredients include: Rose Water to calm and sooth the skin, Allantoin to moisturise and soothe and Aloe Vera to stimulate the healing process of the skin.”

BT INITIAL THOUGHTS: We love good skincare that’s compatible with combination skin, so love the trend towards serums and layering.  We couldn’t resist trying the serum right away. It sinks right in and isn’t sticky at all. Would recommend it being used before a moisturiser as we needed that extra hydration. Will report back on how much our skin likes it and whether it’s worth the splurge.

THE BODY SHOP:  Oils of life, 7ml
Value: £7.00

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“A lightweight daily facial oil to intensely revitalise skin, instantly replenish moisture and revive radiance.  Made from 99% oils of natural origin, this lightweight, quickly-absorbed formula effortlessly melts onto skin leaving a non-sticky, velvety-soft finish.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – We weren’t totally happy to see this in the shortlist as it’s available as a sample easily from Body Shop stores. However we did want to try it out as from cleansing to night treatments, we do love a good oil…they tend work so well with combination skin so much better and contrary to what you’d expect. Oil cleansers actually reduce how oily our skin is. This is a particularly lightweight oil that does absorb pretty fast. Hoping it will also nourish as well. We’ll see if it can compete with the likes of Kiehl’s Midnight Concentrate.

EXTRA TREATS:

OMS (OhMySkin) : Sublime Enzyme – Exfoliate & Surface Mask, 3ml
Value: £1.74

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“OMS’ natural formulation of Cacti & Wheat enzymes separate the old from the new, revealing an instantly brightened complexion.  OMS refines and perfects with each treatment, using no harsh acids, abrasive or microbeads. Concentrated vitamins and plant extracts leave the skin nourished, supple, firmed and uplighted.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – Look forward to trying this out, but think we’ll need more than one sample to see if it really makes a difference.

OTHER OPTIONS:

The shortlist this month was:

  • Acqua Cacteen Hydrasoothe Cooling Spray
  • Physicool Cooling Mist
  • Vita Liberata Self Tanning Night Moisture Mask
  • Years Rich Shea Butter Soap, Jasmine or Vintage Rose
  • Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Air Soft Face SPF30
  • Aromatherapy Associates Support Breathe Bath & Shower Oil
  • Skin Chemists Aqua Repair Facial Serum
  • The Body Shop Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Facial Oil
  • Simple Kind to Skin Micellar Cleansing Water
  • Green People Age Defy+ 24Hr Brightening
  • Invisibobble Traceless Hair Ring, True Black
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure, Jolly Jade
  • Bohemian Chic Minerals Pretty in Pink Eyeshadow

OVERALL VERDICT:

The Skin Chemists serum saved this box! The rest of the list was pretty uninspirational. It’s always nice to try a luxury product without paying to premium to see if it’s really worth the hype. Another worthwhile item in the list, or another freebie would have raised the bar. Still amazing value for the price and this remains our favourite subscription box where you get to pick the items you receive.

Box price: £6.95 inc shipping
Total value: £72.74

Note: We paid for this You Beauty Discovery Box with our own hard-earnt pennies

Like the look of You Beauty Discovery? Sign up here http://www.youbeautydiscovery.co.uk

UNBOXING: Birchbox Jan 2017 – Sprinkle of Happiness

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“There’s no better time to shake up your beauty routine than a new year, which is why we’ve filled this month’s box with shiny new products.”

Say what? New products…shower gel, concealer, hand cream, day cream and a conditioner pack. Really? More like everyday totally ordinary items! Looking at the box variants that other people have received, there have been LOADS of variations. Was this just an exercise to throw whatever leftover samples they had at us?

LORD & BERRY:  Conceal-It Crayon in Beige, 1.6g
Value: £12 (full size)

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“This creamy pencil not only disguises imperfections but it’s also great at highlighting areas that you want to show off.”

BT INITIAL OPINION:  Hmm. We tend towards cream concealers and are skeptical that this can provide coverage. At first swatch, it seems chalky and don’t see it being useful as a highlighter, but we look forward to trying this as we do have a Lord & Berry eyeliner crayon that is great.

ELEMIS:  Hydra-boost Day Cream, 15ml
Value: £14.63

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“This hyaluronic acid-packed formula works to strengthen your natural moisture barrier throughout the day, improving your skin texture over time.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – We like Elemis for high quality, good performing formulas. It is however too expensive, this cream being no exception. Hope it will at least deliver on its promises.

MERCI HANDY:  Hand Cream in New Wave, 30ml
Value: £4.90 (full size)

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“Make sure you show your hands some love with this sweet-smelling lotion. It’s packed with tiny pearls and nourishing extracts to papmper and soothe.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – We thought this was toothpaste when we opened the box! But no, it was a hand cream from the people who make the hand sanitisers and fruity tooth gels that have flooded lots of boxes lately. We don’t really get this brand. It’s very cheerful, but it’s just hand sanitiser and hand cream in fruity flavours after all…

PRISMOLOGIE:  Yellow Day Shower Gel, 10ml
Value: £1.50

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“Add a splash of sunshine with this foaming formula packed with uplifting bergamot and zesty citrus. Tiny micro-crystals smooth skin and restore radiance.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – Blimey! This is a premium product (£30 for full size), but how good can a shower gel really be? The sample is tiny – we’ll be sure to appreciate this splash of sunshine for the one shower it will last for 😀

JOHN FRIEDA:  Frizz Ease  Miraculous Recovery Deep Conditioner, 25ml
Value: £1.16

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“Formulated with an amino repair complex, this treatment delivers an intense shot of moisture to leave hair silky, smooth and shiny.”

BT INITIAL OPINION –  A sachet? As an actual box item? Really? And this is a product you can see in supermarkets and chemists everywhere. Not saying it’s not good, but what’s it doing in this box?!

OVERALL VERDICT:

This theme was laughable as were all most of the contents. Who would this box appeal to? The items are all handy but very much not special except the Elemis. We’re thinking about unsubbing at this stage.

Total value: £34.19

Box price: £10.00 plus £2.95 shipping (rolling month by month subscription) – although we got this on a discount offer

Note: We paid for this Birchbox with our own hard-earnt pennies

Like the look of Birchbox? Subscribe at www.birchbox.co.uk and you’ll get £5 off your first box! You’re welcome 😉

UNBOXING: You Beauty Box July 2016 – The Jet Set Edit

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YOU Beauty Box: The Jet Set Edit for July

It’s definitely the summer box! And although we don’t use tan products ourselves, we appreciate that the extra treat being a generous tube of ST Tropez In-Shower tan means we’re off to a good start. Illamasqua? Rodial? Alpha-H? Squee, you’re spoiling us this month!

We did get up early to order some Alpha-H liquid gold as we have yet to try this classic product, however it was already sold out. It seems like they only had a few bottles :-/

ILLAMASQUA: Precision Ink Liner in Abyss, 3ml
Value: £21 (full size, although the product sold has now gone down to 1.8ml vs the old 3ml…sneaky!)Image result for illamasqua ink liner

“Precision ink creates perfect lines with its long-lasting water-proof formula  The high percentage of pigment in the water-based formula proves ultimate pay-off. Also makes a great nail art pen.”

BT INITIAL THOUGHTS: Not sure how this is water-based but dries waterproof or how it can last long enough to use as a nail art pen, but we jumped at the chance to pick one of these up!  We absolutely love Illamasqua and use liquid liner every day.  We usually pick up whichever pigmented one we can get on a deal so it’s so exciting to get to use a premium product like this.  Fingers crossed it doesn’t disappoint us!

RODIAL:  Stemcell Super-food Glam Balm Multi, 25ml
Value: £27.50

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Something weird has happened this month and not everything in the shortlist is featured on the featured image or the information booklet. We guess they received some extra products last minute?

BT INITIAL OPINION – Rodial is one of those brands you see in Space NK that sounds absolutely lovely but you can’t justify the money just to try it out. We like hard working products, so basically a multipurpose balm from Rodial is right up our street…

EXTRA TREATS:

ST TROPEZ: Gradual Tan In Shower Lotion in Medium, 50ml
Value: £3.63

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“Gradual Tan In Shower Golden Glow Lotion lets you gradually build a deeper golden glow as part of your daily shower routine. This streak-free and easy to apply lotion is also ultra-hydrating and won’t transfer.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – Self-tan isn’t for us (or tanning in general), but St Tropez has a very establish (albeit with a premium price tag) reputation. This is a great freebie considering sometimes we get tiny sachets and will make a lovely gift for a friend.

OTHER OPTIONS:

The shortlist this month was:

  • Resultime – Regenerating Collagen Gel, 15ml
  • Illamasqua – Precision Ink Liner in Abyss, 3ml (full size)
  • White Rabbit Skincare Lime & Coconut Cleansing Water, 30ml
  • Aethic L’Air Bien Tubes in-flight Face and Hand Cream, 30ml (full size)
  • Carmex Peach & Mango Burst, 10g (full size)
  • Hawaiian Tropic Satin Protection SPF 15, 200ml (full size)
  • M&S Rosie for Autograph Nuit Parfum, 15ml
  • Philip Kingsley Swim Cap, 50ml
  • Rimmel London 60 Seconds Super Shine Nail Polish By Rita Ora in Glaston-Berry, 8ml
  • Alpha-H Liquid Gold, 50ml
  • NUXE Huile Prodigieus, 10ml
  • Rodial STEMCELL Super-Food Glam Balm Multi, 25ml
  • Balance Me Congested Skin Serum, 7ml
  • Bloom & Blossom Bath and Shower Gel, 50ml
  • INIKA Organic Eyeliner in Black Caviar

OVERALL VERDICT:

What a fantastic selection this month! We wish we had made it on time for the Alpha-H but as we login as soon as the selection is live, having discussed with other enthusiast we’re all pretty sure they had next to none of these. It was a tough decision between the items we chose and the Aethic L’Air Bien Tubes and the Resultime Collagen Gel, however the cult brands won out and we feel like we’ve received some extra lovely treats this month. You spoil us You Beauty…thumbs up!

Box price: £6.95 inc shipping
Total value: £52.13

Note: We paid for this You Beauty Discovery Box with our own hard-earnt pennies

Like the look of You Beauty Discovery? Sign up here http://www.youbeautydiscovery.co.uk

REVIEW: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel foundation 30ml, £10.99

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We found this foundation when we trialled Chantecaille’s Future Skin gel foundation, but the price made us want to cry. We started looking for other oil-free gel formulas and the one that everyone was raving about was Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum. It’s almost a dupe for the Future Skin.

It was hard to work out which shade we were as there were never the right testers in store, but we’re glad we persisted. This has become our drugstore foundation of choice. It basically does everything you’d want a foundation to do – provides good medium coverage that lasts well. It didn’t produce a ‘luminous’ or ‘dewy’ finish and can’t say we noticed the ‘anti-fatigue’ claims but it did look natural and didn’t separate or go patchy as foundations often can with combination skin.

Best of all, whilst it’s not weightless (but it is fairly lightweight), it feels pretty good and lasts relatively well even in the T-Zone on combination skin (would need a touch up during a full day). Best of all, Bourjois cater relatively well for yellow-toned shades.

This went straight in as our Holy Grail drugstore foundation.

PROS: Inexpensive, breathable, lightweight, well suited to combination skin

CONS: No added radiance

4.5 out of 5

REVIEW: Collection Fast Stroke Eye Liner (black) 3.8g, £2.99

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We like the control of a pen, dislike the faff of gel liners with separate brushes. Our favourite liquid liners are definitely the dip style felt tip liquid liners. You get great control with these.

This Collection product was at a pretty good price but was very average. It stung our eyelids a little for the first couple of weeks, but the main issue was that the colour was not really as dense as we would usually like.

Not terrible/average in all. Our favourite so far is Rimmel Exaggerate (or the Clio Kill Black Eyeliner Pen, not available in the UK) which gives a really opaque line.

PROS: A good-quality tip for producing nice shapes/lines, relatively cheap

CONS: Colour bit watery

2 out of 5

REVIEW: Laura Mercier Primer 50ml, £29

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Basically the best primer we have yet tried!

It’s weightless, transparent, you can’t feel it on your skin and it helps your makeup perform better and ‘stick’ to your skin. Because it’s weightless, we particularly recommend this for combination skin as it doesn’t aggravate it or ‘sit’ on the skin like some primers can.

It doesn’t have any pore filling or blurring properties, it just helps your makeup last longer. Combine it with fixing spray and your makeup’s not going anywhere!

It’s our HG primer but because of the price, we keep this one for more special occasions or when we need our makeup to last particularly long.

Remember though, that for a primer to work well, your skincare regime needs to already be sorted.

PROS: Does everything a primer should and does it well

CONS: Pricey, but a little goes a long way

5 out of 5

REVIEW: NARS Kalahari Duo Eyeshadow 4g, £25

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This is just one of those products that we didn’t realise we needed until we tried it!

The shades are hard working, flattering and versatile – a pearly mid heather and a buttery, metallic mauve. The shades work really well on oriental skin for a made-up but natural appearance, that also works up really well with a black or grey for a super stylish smokey-eye

 

Highly-pigmented, these wear well especially when applied wet and basically do everthing you would want an eyeshadow to do.  This has become our go-to eyeshadow in combination with a matte black.

It has gone straight into our hall of fame.

PROS: Looks super stylish, wears well

CONS: A little pricey, packaging picks up finger prints and marks really easily.

4.5 out of 5

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