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BED HEAD TIGI RECOVERY MOISTURE RUSH CONDITIONER: Thank you Beauty Heaven and Tigi for the opportunity to trial the Bed Head Recovery Moisture Rush Conditioner. My frizzy, shoulder length hair is forever tangling itself into knots and, in the battle to detangle it, I lose handfuls of locks, so I am always on the lookout for a conditioner that will finally allow my hair to grow into luscious waves. The packaging screams “practical” rather than “luxury”, which is just the way I like it. The conditioner comes in a generous, family-sized 750 ml bottle. I love the bathroom-safe solid plastic that won’t shatter if it slips out of my hands. The push-top lid is simple to use and the product flows easily from it the first few times you use it. However, as the level gets lower it becomes harder, requiring quite a bit of squeezing on the bottle. A flat top lid would have been handy to allow upside down storage and easier access. You will need a nook to store a tall, heavy bottle as most shower caddies would struggle to contain this together with the shampoo. Like its companion shampoo, the ingredients were mostly synthetic, with the exception of cactus water (Opuntia Ficus-Indica Extract), so this won’t appeal to those who like natural products. The benefit of the conditioner as maintained on the packaging is to “drench dry hair with a rush of moisture”. The conditioner has a sweet, fruity scent, a bit like an apple. Although the scent is strong in the bottle, it was quite tame on the hair and didn’t last long. The product has an opaque green colour and a slightly thicker consistency than the shampoo. The instructions on the bottle about how to use the conditioner are easy: “After washing with Recovery Shampoo, apply from mid-lengths to ends and rinse.” There are no instructions about leaving it in the hair, although instructions on the website indicate the conditioner should be left in the hair for 3 – 5 minutes. Although I usually finish off my hair washing with a leave-in conditioner, I initially trialed the Recovery Conditioner with just the Recovery Shampoo according to the instructions we had been given. The result was surprisingly good. My hair was soft and shiny and sat neatly on my head without flyaways. The ends, though untidy (needing a trim), felt moisturised rather than brittle. So the conditioner definitely did live up to the claims made by on the packaging. However, the conditioner by itself did not succeed in removing the knots. On the next wash, I added back the leave-in conditioner, to see if the knots would be eased. The results were magic. Soft, moisturised hair right to the ends with minimal knots. The benefits lasted through to the next wash. With fewer strands being torn out, the next six inches of growth may appear in less than forty years, making me a very happy Rapunzel. Would I repurchase the Recovery Conditioner? Definitely! I would just make sure I also used a leave-in conditioner to take out the knots. Would I recommend the conditioner to others? I would happily recommend it to anyone with dry hair. The conditioner was very effective in moisturising and softening my hair right down to the ends.

BED HEAD TIGI RECOVERY MOISTURE RUSH SHAMPOO: Thank you Beauty Heaven and Tigi for the opportunity to trial the Bed Head Recovery Moisture Rush Shampoo. I have very curly, hard to detangle, shoulder length hair with lots of split, very dry ends, which poses an insurmountable challenge to most products. I am always on the lookout for new shampoos and conditioners that may edge closer to the perfect outcome, so I was keen to give this a go. The product comes in a very generous, family-sized, 750 ml bottle, so the average user will find it lasts .... forever! The bottle is practical (made of solid, safe plastic for the bathroom) with a push top lid. It’s a bit large and heavy for the average shower caddy, so you will need a shelf or a window to park it on. The ingredients were, for the most part, out of a laboratory, so lovers of natural products will not be attracted. The most intriguing ingredients were cactus water (Opuntia Ficus-Indica Extract for the scientists amongst us) and guar gum (Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride). The claim on the packaging was that the shampoo gives “a hit of moisture and a boost of shine”. The shampoo has a citrusy, fruity scent, but it is not overpowering and did not last long in my hair. I could still happily wear whatever perfume I wanted without fear of a clash. The product has an opaque green colour but a lotion-like consistency. The first few times it flows easily out of the bottle, but as the level gets further down, it gets harder to extract. A flat top lid to allow upside down storage would be very handy. The instructions were very simple: “Lather up and massage into wet hair and rinse.” It lathered very easily and could be applied throughout the hair effortlessly. It also rinsed out completely with no difficulty. Although I usually add a leave-in conditioner into my arsenal, for the trial I just used the Recovery Shampoo and Recovery Conditioner. The result was surprisingly good. My hair was soft and shiny and sat neatly on my head without flyaways. The ends, though untidy (needing a trim), felt moisturised rather than brittle. The shampoo/conditioner combination was not successful in removing the knots. I struggled getting the brush through my hair. But the shampoo itself was clearly non-stripping of moisture while effectively cleansing my hair. Would I repurchase the shampoo? While I wouldn’t buy it to replace my usual shampoo, I do like varying the products I use every few months and this would definitely be one of the shampoos I would alternate with. Would I recommend the shampoo to others? From my experience, anyone with dry, frizzy, damaged hair should give it a go. I found that on my hair, the shampoo did live up to the claims of boosting moisture and shine.

Thank you Beauty Heaven and Tigi for the opportunity to trial the Bed Head Recovery Moisture Rush Conditioner. My frizzy, shoulder length hair is forever tangling itself into knots and, in the battle to detangle it, I lose handfuls of locks, so I am always on the lookout for a conditioner that will finally allow my hair to grow into luscious waves. The packaging screams “practical” rather than “luxury”, which is just the way I like it. The conditioner comes in a generous, family-sized 750 ml bottle. I love the bathroom-safe solid plastic that won’t shatter if it slips out of my hands. The push-top lid is simple to use and the product flows easily from it the first few times you use it. However, as the level gets lower it becomes harder, requiring quite a bit of squeezing on the bottle. A flat top lid would have been handy to allow upside down storage and easier access. You will need a nook to store a tall, heavy bottle as most shower caddies would struggle to contain this together with the shampoo. Like its companion shampoo, the ingredients were mostly synthetic, with the exception of cactus water (Opuntia Ficus-Indica Extract), so this won’t appeal to those who like natural products. The benefit of the conditioner as maintained on the packaging is to “drench dry hair with a rush of moisture”. The conditioner has a sweet, fruity scent, a bit like an apple. Although the scent is strong in the bottle, it was quite tame on the hair and didn’t last long. The product has an opaque green colour and a slightly thicker consistency than the shampoo. The instructions on the bottle about how to use the conditioner are easy: “After washing with Recovery Shampoo, apply from mid-lengths to ends and rinse.” There are no instructions about leaving it in the hair, although instructions on the website indicate the conditioner should be left in the hair for 3 – 5 minutes. Although I usually finish off my hair washing with a leave-in conditioner, I initially trialled the Recovery Conditioner with just the Recovery Shampoo according to the instructions we had been given. The result was surprisingly good. My hair was soft and shiny and sat neatly on my head without flyaways. The ends, though untidy (needing a trim), felt moisturised rather than brittle. So the conditioner definitely did live up to the claims made by on the packaging. However, the conditioner by itself did not succeed in removing the knots. On the next wash, I added back the leave-in conditioner, to see if the knots would be eased. The results were magic. Soft, moisturised hair right to the ends with minimal knots. The benefits lasted through to the next wash. With fewer strands being torn out, the next six inches of growth may appear in less than forty years, making me a very happy Rapunzel.. Would I repurchase the Recovery Conditioner? Definitely! I would just make sure I also used a leave-in conditioner to take out the knots. Would I recommend the conditioner to others? I would happily recommend it to anyone with dry hair. The conditioner was very effective in moisturising and softening my hair right down to the ends.

Thank you Beauty Heaven and Tigi for the opportunity to trial the Bed Head Recovery Moisture Rush Shampoo. I have very curly, hard to detangle, shoulder length hair with lots of split, very dry ends, which poses an insurmountable challenge to most products. I am always on the lookout for new shampoos and conditioners that may edge closer to the perfect outcome, so I was keen to give this a go. The product comes in a very generous, family-sized, 750 ml bottle, so the average user will find it lasts .... forever! The bottle is practical (made of solid, safe plastic for the bathroom) with a push top lid. It’s a bit large and heavy for the average shower caddy, so you will need a shelf or a window to park it on. The ingredients were, for the most part, out of a laboratory, so lovers of natural products will not be attracted. The most intriguing ingredients were cactus water (Opuntia Ficus-Indica Extract for the scientists amongst us) and guar gum (Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride). The claim on the packaging was that the shampoo gives “a hit of moisture and a boost of shine”. The shampoo has a citrusy, fruity scent, but it is not overpowering and did not last long in my hair. I could still happily wear whatever perfume I wanted without fear of a clash. The product has an opaque green colour but a lotion-like consistency. The first few times it flows easily out of the bottle, but as the level gets further down, it gets harder to extract. A flat top lid to allow upside down storage would be very handy. The instructions were very simple: “Lather up and massage into wet hair and rinse.” It lathered very easily and could be applied throughout the hair effortlessly. It also rinsed out completely with no difficulty. Although I usually add a leave-in conditioner into my arsenal, for the trial I just used the Recovery Shampoo and Recovery Conditioner. The result was surprisingly good. My hair was soft and shiny and sat neatly on my head without flyaways. The ends, though untidy (needing a trim), felt moisturised rather than brittle. The shampoo/conditioner combination was not successful in removing the knots. I struggled getting the brush through my hair. But the shampoo itself was clearly non-stripping of moisture while effectively cleansing my hair. Would I repurchase the shampoo? While I wouldn’t buy it to replace my usual shampoo, I do like varying the products I use every few months and this would definitely be one of the shampoos I would alternate with. Would I recommend the shampoo to others? From my experience, anyone with dry, frizzy, damaged hair should give it a go. I found that on my hair, the shampoo did live up to the claims of boosting moisture and shine.

Thank you to Beauty Heaven and The Jojoba Company for the opportunity to trial the Australian Jojoba For Face as part of the Winter Warmers Discovery Bag. Although I usually apply moisturizing lotions rather than oils on my face, I’m hoping to find a facial oil that suits me as part of my skincare regime, so I was looking forward to this trial. My face tends to be dry and itchy in winter, making it a great time to try out this oil. The Jojoba Company specialize in one hero ingredient – Jojoba oil. It is a fully natural, Australian grown product. It is manufactured in a cruelty free manner and recyclable packaging is used. So neither my face nor my conscience had anything to fear. The box itself is an attractive mix of yellow hues reminiscent of the product itself. The box tapers into a complex petal-like shape at the top – like a bud opening. It is a fun concept, although I found it a bit finicky to open and shut regularly. (I like to store products in their boxes.) The oil is contained in a solid, weighty plastic bottle shaped like an upside down funnel. Again, attractive to look at, but a bit awkward to hold for a clumsy person like me. The pump spray is very practical and disperses one drop of the product sparingly. I found the easiest way to operate the sprayer was to put the bottle on a flat surface. Otherwise, trying to juggle the broad base of the bottle with the narrow pump on top was inconvenient. The bottle holds a generous 85 ml of oil, which is likely to last me for a very long time. I liked the single ingredient contents of the oil as there was less for my sensitive skin to react to. It is a lovely golden colour, leaving me feeling like a queen. I found that about 3 drops of Jojoba oil was plenty for every application. It spread easily on the face and was at room temperature – a definite advantage in winter over serums, which tend to feel icy when first applied. To my nose, the Jojoba oil was scent free, making it easy for me to spray my favourite perfume afterwards without risk of it clashing. The oil was easily and quickly absorbed by my skin leaving my face with a matt appearance. I have been using this for about two weeks twice a day and have been very happy with the results. My skin feels soft and moisturized mid-winter. I have experimented with putting moisturizer over the oil once the oil had been absorbed. Although the moisturizer was absorbed in the usual fashion, I could see no advantage in applying both. My skin felt equally moisturized and didn’t look any differently from simply applying the oil. I concluded that the oil is an effective moisturizer in itself and nothing further needs to be added. The packaging claims that the oil provides up to 8 hours of moisturisation. While I didn’t time it, my face certainly felt moisturized over the day. The packaging also says the oil helps to moisturize, soothe and repair the skin. The good news is there was no need to soothe or repair the skin on my face while using this oil. There was enough moisturisation to keep my skin happy and healthy. This is in contrast to the skin on other parts of my body that developed itchy scabs despite the use of creams. So from me, this Jojoba oil gets a strong endorsement. It works!

Thank you to Beauty Heaven and Koko & Kush for the opportunity to trial the Hemp and Watermelon Serum as part of the Winter Warmers Discovery Bag. This is my first experience with this brand, and I must say I’m impressed. The credentials of the brand are impeccable. Cruelty free, naturally derived, Australian made and environmentally friendly. You couldn’t ask for more. The ingredients had a list of juicy natural extracts, including hemp, watermelon, paper mulberry bark extract, goji, finger lime, aloe vera, and so on. The claims made for these ingredients are wide ranging: reduces wrinkles, calms inflammation, helps speed cell turnover, hydration, brighten skin tone and reduces appearance of dark spots. So that was a high bar to achieve. The packaging of the serum is novel and attractive. I loved the pink melting into the green as reminiscent of a watermelon. I could almost taste it. The generous 30 ml bottle was uniquely design to be refillable. When you twist the bottom clockwise the pump pops out the top. If you twist it anticlockwise, the pump pops back to sleep. A lovely safe way to prevent accidental squirts of the product. When you run out of the serum, you can purchase a refill and use the same bottle by popping out the tube at the bottom and clicking in the refill. A great way to reduce the use of plastic. I found the serum was safe to use on my sensitive skin. I had no adverse reaction to it. When first applied the serum was very cold on the skin. A great summer product, but I had to brace myself before applying it in winter. The best time to apply it was after cleansing, while the skin was still damp. It was absorbed by my skin very quickly and left no shininess or stickiness. The instructions say to use one or two pumps – I tended to use about three to cover the dry skin on my face. The instructions also emphasize to press the serum into the skin so that it is absorbed more deeply. I have to admit I found this a bit messy and ended up taking the easy way out and just smearing it on. This serum is said to be scent-free, and to my nose it was. I did not detect any trace of scent from any of the ingredients, which is unusual and pleasing. (I don’t like skin care products to compete with my perfumes.) Initially I used the product on its own twice a day. After a few days, I also started using a moisturizer on top of the serum. I have now been using it for a couple of weeks and have been happy with the results (although my expectations were much lower than the claims made above). When used on its own, the serum left my skin feeling soft and moisturized without any stickiness. When a moisturizer was applied after the serum, it was absorbed more easily than if applied on its own. So the hydrating and absorption benefits of the serum were apparent in both cases. My skin felt youthful. However, there was no real change in the appearance of my skin. My wrinkles survived happily untouched and the dark spots on my face continued to thrive and remained as dark as ever. Perhaps two weeks is not long enough for the later results to show, but I was not expecting any change to my appearance from any serum. I was only hoping for hydration, so I was happy.

This body lotion was recommended to me by a sales assistant as a very effective moisturizer. Although I had never heard of the brand before, I liked the sound of the naturally derived ingredients and that it was not tested on animals, so I decided to give it a go. I’m very glad I did. The body lotion comes in a generous 400 ml pump bottle with a neat, no frills presentation. I liked the brown bottle as a way of protecting the lotion from sunlight. I also liked the fact that the bottle was plastic, which made it safe to use in the bathroom with slippery hands. The white lotion pumps easily from the bottle, and each pump gives enough lotion for one section of the body. The long list of ingredients was, as promised, naturally derived, including coconut oil, shea butter, aloe vera, almond oil, macadamia seed oil, evening primrose oil, and so on. It sounded very luxurious. The lotion sinks easily and quickly into the skin. There is no shiny or slippery feel to it. However, don’t be fooled by this, as it is a very effective moisturizer. I suffer from itchy, scabby skin in winter and very few moisturizers can deal with the itching quickly. This one did! In fact, after applying it once, I derived itch-free benefit from the application until I washed it off at the next shower. On the other hand, most body butters provide a layer of protection for my skin and tend to buffer me from the cold. This body lotion was not thick enough to do that. I found the scent very strong and unsuitable for daytime wear, as it overpowered any perfume I tried to wear. It is a pleasant coconut scent with a powerful sillage and, again, very long lasting – even into the next day. The scent continued to linger on my clothes until I washed them. For this reason I chose to apply it only at night before bed.

Thank you to Beauty Heaven and to Mor for this opportunity to trial the Mor Bergamot and Blackberry Eau de Parfum as part of the Winter Warmers Discovery Bag. I am a perfume addict who wears a scent every day, has a bedside cabinet full of perfumes and who mixes and matches scent according to mood. So this trial was an absolute joy to participate in. My first impression was of the packaging. I’ve owned perfumes that are four times the price and that are not so carefully packaged. When you take off the neat cellophane wrap, you find a handy little tab at the top of the box that makes it so easy to open the box. How many of us have ripped the top of the box of perfumes and skin care because there is nothing to grab on to and it’s so tightly packaged? Problem solved. I wish it would catch on with other companies. When you open the box, you find an insert that keeps the perfume from juggling, breaking or leaking. The outside of the box is a peaceful lavender colour (which matches the “blackcurrant” theme), while the inside is lime green with a pretty swirly pattern. I loved it all. The bottle itself is very plain and solid, but the lid fits tightly and the sprayer works well. Again, you can’t always say that about more expensive perfumes in fancy bottles. It is a generous 50 ml size, which will ensure that even with my usage, I will get many months of wear from one bottle. Of course, the most important part is what is in the bottle. I’ll pre-empt this by saying that every perfume smells different on every skin so I can only comment on my own experience. My first impression of the scent was a sparkling bergamot scent – a bit like an olfactory champagne. Pleasant and energizing. But this quickly faded to a powdery, musky smell, which lingered for about 8 hours. Personally, I like the smell of musk. It leaves me feeling like I’ve just stepped out of the shower. But this was not what I expected from a Blackcurrant scent. I don’t mind surprises. Other people might. I then checked the “notes” in this parfum to see if I was imagining things. It would appear not. The top notes are: Sicilian bergamot, Mandarin and Blackcurrant liqueur. The middle notes are: Rose de Mai, Neroli, Egyptian Jasmin and Freesia. The base notes are: Patchouli, Woods, Amber, Orcanox and Vanilla. I’m guessing that on my skin the top notes faded quickly, the middle notes were skipped and the base notes wafted around for 8 hours. On the basis of my experience, this is a very long lasting eau de parfum. I’ve never owned one where the scent lingered on my skin for this amount of time. Although it is not a “skin scent”, the sillage is not strong. I could smell it when I sprayed it on my neck, but for the spritz on my wrist I had to put my arm much nearer to my nose to smell it. As such, it is not a scent that is likely to offend anyone if worn to the office or in other such close-contact environments. I would describe it as a “fresh” smell, not a sexy one. I would use it for daytime wear, not for a night out. And, yes, I would happily repurchase this when I run out.

Thank you very much to Beauty Heaven and Glow Lab for the opportunity to trial the Age Renew Retinol Booster Oil as part of Natural Beauty Month. As a 65 year old whose face is showing her age, I am keen to try out any product that will reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and pigmentation. I have only used one other product from the Glow Lab range (the Soothing Day Cream, which I loved), so I was looking forward to further exploring this brand. The booster oil is packaged in a dark brown, glass bottle with a dropper dispenser for the 20ml contents. I liked the use of dark glass to protect the ingredients from degrading due to light. The dropper made it easy to control how much oil I used. The ingredients list included a number of nourishing oils, such as sunflower seed oil, Pracaxi seed oil, Rosehip seed oil, Marula seed oil, and Rose Geranium leaf oil. It also included Bakuchiol, which is derived from the Babchi herb and has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is a natural alternative to retinol, which is known to cause irritation of skin in some people. The instructions were easy to follow. Apply 2 – 3 drops to hands and massage into cleansed face using upward strokes. Use morning and night. Avoid contact with eyes. I actually found I needed four drops to cover my face but this wasn’t a problem. You can use this oil on its own, or mix it into a moisturizer. For the purposes of this trial, I used it on its own. The claims for this product are impressive but not completely consistent. On the front of the box it says, “reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and pigmentation”. On the rear it says, “Bakuchiol has been clinically proven to reduce the depth of wrinkles by up to 31% after 12 weeks.” So in the first claim, only the appearance of the wrinkles change. In the second, the actual depth of the wrinkles is altered. Since we didn’t have 12 weeks for this trial, I simply looked at the appearance of my face. The booster oil has a light-weight, flowy consistency and a yellow colour. It smooths easily onto the face and is absorbed readily. It has a pleasant, mild, sweet fruity scent which fades quickly. I found the oil was completely non-irritating to my skin. After applying the oil, my skin immediately felt softer. However, I could not see any immediate change to the appearance of my skin. Nor did I see any change over the days (about a week) that I used it. My skin was not firmer or smoother, the wrinkles and sunspots did not change appearance. So while this oil did contribute to my skin’s hydration, it did little else. As I said above, the appearance of my skin may take time to change, and I will persevere, but at this stage I have nothing to report. I was happy that my sensitive skin was not irritated and that my face felt soft and hydrated. But I’d probably use a simple moisturizer for that effect.

Thank you very much to Beauty Heaven and Nude by Nature for the opportunity to trial the Natural Setting Spray as part of Natural Beauty Month. I was particularly happy to discover the hint in the instruction sheet sent by Beauty Heaven. This indicated that the setting spray can also be used as a base for hydrating the skin prior to make-up application. I decided to apply the setting spray both ways when testing it. The setting spray was packaged very carefully in plastic wrap which made it tamper-proof (though perhaps not environmentally friendly). The 60 ml plastic spray bottle was solid and looked sophisticated. The spray itself is a scent-free, clear liquid. I found it hard to control the amount of spray that came out of the pump, and the first time I used it my skin got soaked. The ingredients of the setting spray include anti-oxidants and anti-aging components. Specifically, the ingredients list includes glycerin, Kakadu plum extract, Desert Lime extract, Quandong fruit extract and Wattle seed fruit extract. Overall, it sounded like a very nourishing setting spray. The instructions for use were easy. Shake well before use. After makeup application, close your eyes and mouth and spray all over face, holding bottle at least 20 cm away. Following the hint given by Beauty Heaven, I also sprayed the product over my face before makeup application and allowed it to dry. Once I learned how to use the pump properly (by holding the spray well away from my face) my skin became less wet and dried faster. However, the spray still took a while to dry and I found it hard not to inhale some of it while it was drying. After application, my face felt soft to touch, but there was no change to the appearance of my face and my skin felt tight. However, my sensitive skin was not at all irritated. (There was no tingling or itching.) I then applied a blended face powder and re-sprayed the setting spray over the foundation. The foundation looked like it always did – there was no enhancement. I don’t wear makeup often and this test took place in winter (there was no issue with perspiration), so I am uncertain if the setting spray helped the makeup stay on any longer than otherwise, but it certainly stayed on for much of the day. Overall, I preferred the Nude By Nature Skin Primer to the Setting Spray. It was less messy and it enhanced the look of the foundation. My skin was hydrated by the primer without feeling taut. There was less irritation from the setting spray (no initial tingling) but I would still be more likely to repurchase and recommend the primer than the setting spray.