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I have extremely fine, thin hair (which is sadly getting even thinner with age!) which damages easily, so I'm always on the look out for products that will help strengthen it. I previously had blonde foils in my hair, which I've had to give up due to damage, so I was really excited when BH offered me the opportunity to try the Toni & Guy StrengthPlex Bond Repair Mask I rarely use masks, as they tend to weigh down my hair and flatten any volume (and I need all the volume I can get!) but I thought I'd give this a go, in the hope that the promise of repair would materialise. The mask is quite thick & creamy, so I knew straight away my hair probably wouldn't take to it very well. I was right, my hair ended up very limp, although it was quite smooth and slippery (which is actually not great for me - might work for those with coarse, thick hair) Then I took a closer look at the ingredients and found dimethicone as the third ingredient, which is the same as the conditioner in the range. Dimethicone is great for initially smoothing hair, but is terrible for long term hair health, as it builds up and blocks any nourishing ingredients from being absorbed into the hair. With such super-fine hair, dimethicone is probably the worst ingredient I could use on my hair! I didn't like the smell much, although it wasn't overbearing. Hard to describe, but quite chemically with a hint of over-ripe fruit. I can't say I was impressed with this mask and the high concentration of dimethicone. I couldn't recommend this for anyone concerned with the long-term health of their hair, especially if they have very fine hair.

I have extremely fine, thin hair (which is sadly getting even thinner with age!) which damages easily, so I'm always on the look out for products that will help strengthen it. I previously had blonde foils in my hair, which I've had to give up due to damage, so I was really excited when BH offered me the opportunity to try the Toni & Guy StrengthPlex Bond Repair Conditioner I'd previously used Toni & Guy purple shampoo and conditioner, which was OK for supermarket product, so I figured this would be OK as well. It was barely OK, to be honest. The bottle design is great and the lid is easy to use and pretty much unbreakable. The conditioner is relatively light, but I found it weighed my hair down and made it too slippery to style and manage. Then I took a closer look at the ingredients and found dimethicone as the third ingredient. Dimethicone is great for initially smoothing hair, but is terrible for long term hair health, as it builds up and blocks any nourishing ingredients from being absorbed into the hair. With such super-fine hair, dimethicone is probably the worst ingredient I could use on my hair! I didn't like the smell much, although it wasn't overbearing. Hard to describe, but quite chemically with a hint of over-ripe fruit. I can't say I was impressed with this conditioner and the high concentration of dimethicone. I couldn't recommend this for anyone concerned with the long-term health of their hair, especially if they have very fine hair.

I have extremely fine, thin hair (which is sadly getting even thinner with age!) which damages easily, so I'm always on the look out for products that will help strengthen it. I previously had blonde foils in my hair, which I've had to give up due to damage, so I was really excited when BH offered me the opportunity to try the Toni & Guy StrengthPlex Bond Repair Shampoo. I'd previously used Toni & Guy purple shampoo and conditioner, which was OK for supermarket product, so I figured this would be OK as well. It was barely OK, to be honest. The bottle design is great and the lid is easy to use and pretty much unbreakable. The shampoo is quite creamy and you do need to give the bottle a good squeeze to get it out. It doesn't lather very well on the first wash, so a second is mandatory - which is surprising, given how many foaming agents are in it. Sodium Laureth Sulfate is the second ingredient (after water!) which is known to strip hair oils, with several others listed further down. I didn't like the smell much, although it wasn't overbearing. Hard to describe, but quite chemically with a hint of over-ripe fruit. I can't say I was impressed with this shampoo and the unpronounceable list of ingredients (with SLS as the second one!) many of which are derived from petroleum, didn't inspire confidence either. I couldn't recommend this for anyone concerned with the long-term health of their hair.

I have baby-fine hair and not much of it (thanks genetics!) and I’m always on the lookout for products which will give my hair volume and lift. So I was really excited to be invited to trial the Aveeno Conditioner, partner to the shampoo, which promises thickness and body. I was quite impressed with the shampoo, but sadly the conditioner lets the team down. It still has the amazing rosemary & mint scent, which I adore, but it just doesn’t have the moisturising power it promises. It’s a very thin consistency, which is not a bad thing for a Conditioner designed for fine hair, but it doesn’t seem to actually DO anything. I felt like I needn’t have applied anything at all after the shampoo and in fact it actually felt like it stripped moisture out of my hair. My hair felt a bit stringy and straw-like afterwards, which I didn’t find when I used the shampoo on its own. I ended up using a leave-in conditioner before blow-drying and styling just to get any semblance of shine and smoothness back into my hair. Sadly, I can’t recommend the Aveeno Conditioner as enthusiastically as I can the shampoo. There’s nothing wrong with mixing & matching shampoo and conditioner, as I do it quite often, but it’s quite rare to have such a mis-match between the two as in this case.

I have baby-fine hair and not much of it (thanks genetics!) and I’m always on the lookout for products which will give my hair volume and lift. So I was really excited to be invited to trial the Aveeno Shampoo, which promises thickness and body. Even though Aveeno is owned by corporate juggernaut Johnson & Johnson, I respect the fact they haven’t strayed too far from the original founders ethos of a focus on wellness and scientific research. Those who suffer from fine, thinning or loss of hair will know that research shows that rosemary oil can be as effective as Minoxidil for preventing hair loss, so I’m really pleased Aveeno have included this oil in their Shampoo. The shampoo itself is light & clear, which is always a good indicator it won’t weigh my hair down. I use a lot of product and dry shampoo, so I usually need to shampoo twice to get a good lather, and Aveeno is no exception in this case. The biggest thing this shampoo has going for it is the smell. My goodness - it’s truly divine!! Rosemary & mint top notes, with a beautiful fresh “green” scent that really does live up to its name. It just makes me feel happy :) As far as volume goes, it doesn’t add as much as some others I’ve tried (both supermarket & salon brands) but it certainly doesn’t fail miserably like so many I’ve tried that overpromise and underdeliver. Overall, a lovely shampoo that I would recommend to anyone just for the scent alone!

I’m always on the lookout for great eye products that actually work, so I was very pleased to receive an invitation to join the trial team for the L’Oréal eye serum. I’ve been using NIOD’s Fractionated Eye Contour Serum for a while and it’s a truly incredible product, but quite expensive. So the L’Oreal Serum seems good value, at half the price for a slightly bigger bottle. But does it perform even half as well? Sadly, no. Whilst I do like the real glass bottle, the choice of a purple tint really put me off - it looks cheap and makes the liquid look like some kind of weird chemical I don’t really want anywhere near my eyes. The serum is actually completely clear and fragrance free, which I liked. But the packaging completely misses the mark for me. It looks more like a nail polish bottle than an eye serum, especially next to other brands that use amber glass, which not only looks more premium but also protects the product from light. The touted “Innovative Triple Roller Cooling Applicator” is actually 3 metal balls encased in plastic ribbons (not solid metal, as you’d expect) so you need to be REALLY careful how you use it. It can drag at the skin if you get the angle wrong, which is the exact opposite of what you want when treating the delicate skin around the eyes. I’m also not a fan of any applicator that touches the skin and then is returned to the bottle - it’s a recipe for contamination, especially considering all the things that can go wrong with your eyes. The serum itself is nice enough, it definitely has a plumping effect from the Hyaluronic Acid, but the tightening effect from the caffeine offsets that and I found I had to still use an eye cream over the top to get the hydration I need. The serum is also supposed to reduce dark circles, but thankfully I don’t suffer from this affiliation, so I can’t comment on it’s effectiveness there. I didn’t really notice much of a reduction in wrinkles either, which is promised after only 2 weeks of use. Overall, it’s an OK product which I don’t think is worth the $50 price tag. Especially when you consider brands like The Ordinary, The Inkey List and a myriad of KBeauty brands have products that perform as well, if not better, for a fraction of the price.

I bought the watermelon version on a whim & loved it so much, I went back and bought every tube in stock! There’s one on my desk, one in the car, one on each of my handbags and several scattered through the house. I’ve also since tried the strawberry (love!) and coconut (not a fan, but that’s personal preference - if you’re a lover of all things coconut, this will be up your alley) We often forget about our extremities when applying sunscreen, so the 50+ SPF protection in this balm is a must-have in Australia. It’s clear and leaves a nice shine on your lips. It’s also very moisturising, not drying as some so-called balms can be. I’d love to see a tinted version of this in the future, but for now I’m happy to apply it over a lip-stain for added colour. Highly, highly recommend this - it’s a great price too!

I’ve been using the Red Dahlia and Hibiscus versions of this on & off for a while - I find the Red Dahlia suits me better, as the Hibiscus is quite pink. I’m not a fan of lipstick and I find this balm provides enough colour to brighten up my face, without looking over-done. If you’re looking for a moisturising or soothing balm, this isn’t the product for you. It leaves a waxy film on your lips, which doesn’t penetrate or leave any colour behind (like a lip-stain would do) which may or may not be a good thing, depending on what you’re looking for. It does mean you need to reapply often though. It serves a single purpose for me, so I’ll probably continue to buy it when it’s on sale (it’s quite expensive relative to other balms otherwise) but it’s not a “must have” product in my handbag.

I’ll admit, I bought into the hype around IT CC cream - an SPF 50+ concealer/foundation that smoothes out blemishes & redness, plus is actually good for your skin? Yes please! The reality isn’t quite as amazing, so I’m thankful I only grabbed a couple of travel-sized products to try out. For starters, the colour range is limited and it’s really challenging to find a match. The light is too light for me, but the medium is too dark & very muddy on me. For the 50+ SPF to be effective, you’d need to apply as much product as if you were using a stand-alone sunscreen. I did this and felt/looked like I’d caked my face in a layer of mud! Proper SPF protection is a non-negotiable for me, as I’m out on the road for work and this cream just isn’t suitable on its own. I rethought my use of it and decided to treat it like a foundation over the top of my normal sunscreen. I only needed the smallest amount to even out my skin tone, but it wasn’t great at covering darker spots or under-eye circles. It also fades and I found it looked like I wasn’t wearing any makeup at all by lunchtime. I think it’s quite dangerous to tout this as a 50+ SPF product, as most people wouldn’t apply enough for the protection to be effective. If you treat it as a foundation-type product, you’ll be much safer. For me, it’s seriously over-hyped and over-priced, especially compared to Korean Beauty brands like Missha, which provide far superior products at a fraction of the cost.

I developed rosacea a few years back & was recommended Azelaic Acid as a treatment. I tried The Ordinary version for a while, but had to buy from overseas as our weird import laws won’t allow it to be sold locally (despite it being lower-strength than Azclear!) Then I discovered Azclear at Chemist Warehouse and couldn’t believe my luck - double the concentration at half the price, with no prescription required! If you suffer from Type 2 rosacea (breakouts & pustules, along with the typical redness) this is a must-have product. Initially, I was using this both morning & night to get the breakouts under control. Once these calmed down, I cut back to a maintenance routine of mornings only. As the cream’s unscented and sinks in really well, I find it plays well under sunscreen & makeup. It’s super-effective and easy to get hold of, so if you suffer from acne or Type 2 rosacea, you need to get this into your bathroom cabinet stat!