The Body Shop's Argan & Nails Blogger Event

Last Sunday, I was invited to The Body Shop in Preston by the lovely Rachelle from Inspired by the Retired. The event was to have a nosy at the new launches, in particular - the Wild Argan Oil range and the Colour Crush nail varnish collection. I met Rachael (From Rachael Claire) on the train and we headed into Preston together. Three Rachels in one day, all spelt differently! A little confusing! We did a little bit of shopping in Primark first before making our way to The Body Shop. We were greeted by Rachelle and lots of yummy nibbles with Bucks Fizz!

She introduced us to the new Wild Argan Oil range and briefly explained the products to us. Rachelle and her co-worker had brought in all the Moroccan decor which I love and I now want to decorate my house in the same way! I'll have to visit Morocco! I had a play around with some of the products and my favourites were the solid oil lip balm, which I purchased on the day, and the body scrub. (This will no doubt be a future purchase!) 

For me, the most exciting range of the day was the Colour Crush Nail Varnish collection. I adore nail polish and have a pretty big collection already but it didn't stop me walking home with 5 of the shades! I purchased Gorgeous Grey, Meet Me At Dusk and we were kindly gifted Got The Blues. (I already had Mint Cream and Rosy Cheeks which were kindly gifted to me for review by The Body Shop PR - look out for a review soon.)

I almost purchased this too but as finances aren't great right now, I was very sensible and put it back as I already own most of the Vitamin E range along with even more skincare products from other brands! But it looks super luxurious and I will DEFINITELY be trying it out in the near future. Rachael did purchase this so she may review it on her blog if you're interested.

Both Rachael and I, purchased a Colour Crush Shine lipstick (in exactly the same shade!) We picked up shade 15 which is called Fuchsia and I cannot wait to try it out. (Obviously, it's got to be photographed first!) I haven't tried much of TBS make up before but I love the Honey Bronzer and the texture of the lipstick felt lovely when I swatched it. 

I didn't actually purchase anything from the Honeymania range but as I love honey and include it everyday in my breakfast, I may be picking up some products soon! I still have loads of body butters and body scrubs etc that need using up first. Maybe one for the Christmas wish list although the gingerbread scent will hopefully be making a return!

I adore the Almond Hand & Nail Cream but unfortunately, I'm coming to the end of my tube. (Side note - I must buy one of those tools to squeeze all the product out.) I wanted to try something different this time. TBS have recently released new hand creams but they're only minis which would only last me a week! Instead I picked up the Vitamin E Hand & Nail Cream based on Rachelle's recommendation. 

I couldn't resist taking a picture of this beautiful rainbow wall made out of body butters. I have a few in my collection but this makes me want one in everyone colour to make my own rainbow! 

Thank you Rachelle for organising and hosting another fabulous event. I love seeing all the new product launches and obviously I love meeting up with new bloggers and existing blogging friends. 

Have you tried any of the new products from The Body Shop? 

Rachel x

January Empties

Sorry guys I had to take this picture in the snow! It was too hard to resist! I think it looks pretty cool and it's making the most of the natural light that we have at Winter time (which is not a lot). This is my very first empties post and I'm excited to be doing it. I love reading blog posts and watching videos on YouTube of empty products. It shows which products people are actually using and get their real opinions once they've used all the product up and not just for one day! Some of these items I have reviewed and I will leave the links for them below. But I plan to leave a mini review on this post anyway. 

Schwarzkopf Kids Supersoft Detangling Spray - This has lasted a long time! I use it every time I wash my hair. I have long, thick hair and after shampooing and applying conditioner my hair can become quite knotty. I simply spray this all over my hair, focusing on the ends, and comb through. My hair is very damaged and I'm always worried that I will damage it further by combing whilst knotty. It doesn't make my hair greasy or weigh it down. I absolutely love the scent of milk and strawberries. It's sweet yet refreshing. I will definitely be repurchasing (if they still make this). If not, I will be on the look out for another detangling spray. Do you have any recommendations? I think I want a Tangle Teezer too!

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser - This needs no introduction! This is probably Liz Earle's most sold product and it has won a variety of awards. I have been using this for a year and I have repurchased it several times and I will continue to repurchase it for a long time. I love how luxurious it feels on my face and I like how it dissolves my make up. I use a muslin cloth with the cleanser and it gives my face a daily gentle exfoliate, which leaves my skin feeling smooth and soft.

Impulse Body Spray Tease - You can't beat an Impulse body spray! I reckon everyone has bought at least one Impulse body spray in their life! Out of all the fragrances that I have tried, Tease is my favourite and it's the one that I bulk buy when I see it on offer for 99p! Bargain. I have noticed actually that they have repackaged them. I have been using them that long, I remember them having a different packaging before the above design! I use a body spray on a daily basis. I want to smell nice but I work in a school so I don't particularly want to waste my perfumes. Especially as I have an expensive taste in perfume!

Simple Eye Make Up Remover - I have sensitive eyes and I've found this the only bearable eye make up remover that I have tried. But I still have to rinse if off straight away. If I don't, my eyes sting so much. Not good. I use this to remove my eye make up then follow with Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish to remove the rest of my make up. The remover isn't oily, which is a good thing as I can't stand putting oily removers on my eyes. This is another product that I have purchased over and over again and I will continue to unless I find something that doesn't sting my eyes!

Liz Earle Skin Repair Normal/Combination Moisturiser - I bought this in October and I have been using it every night since. It's lasted me three months before I ran out, which I think is pretty good going. Luckily, I had already repurchased it so I will continue to apply it each night until mid Spring to keep my skin moisturised. I think it will be too much for my skin in Summer and possibly late Spring/early Autumn so I will use it for a half a year each year before switching back to using just the light version morning and night.

Avon Advance Tecniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil Mask - Another product that I've already repurchased. I'm not stuck in a beauty rut! Why fix something if it's not broken? I use this hair mask 3 to 4 times a month. Usually once a week if I remember! As I mentioned in my review, I only apply this to the ends of my hair. It leaves my hair feeling smooth, soft, silky and manageable. Result! This is supposed to be £5.50 but it's almost always on offer for around £3. 

Which products have you used up this month? Have you been loving any of these products?

Rachel x

Lost In Lipstick

Avon Advance Tecniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil Mask - Review

Avon Advance Techniques Moroccan Argan Oil Mask £5.50 (currently £3.75)

This is a weekly hair treatment which aims to strengthen, nourish and protect your hair. I apply it when I feel my hair needs a boost of moisture. It might be once a week or sometimes twice a week. I have fairly dry hair, but it is improving slowly thanks to all the treatments I have been using. As I have dry hair, over washing it can cause it to dry out even more and break. I can get away with only washing my hair two/three times a week. I usually wash my hair and then leave it two days before washing it again. 

Avon suggests applying the mask all over your hair, from root to tip. Even though I have dry hair, my roots can get quite greasy quickly especially if I apply too many products. Therefore, I only apply the mask to the ends of my hair. I can tell when I have used the mask. My hair feels smoother and healthier afterwards. It's a lot more manageable and it gives my hair a subtle shine. I use the mask once or twice a week and leave it on for about 5 minutes.

I have the full range of Moroccan Argan Oil products from Avon. You can read my review of the shampoo, conditioner and oil here. After using the shampoo and conditioner more, I am on my second bottle, I have to admit I don't think it is actually that great and I won't be purchasing it again. However, I love the oil and this mask and I will continue to repurchase these. I have actually repurchased the mask and I'm waiting for it to arrive.

Do you use any Moroccan Argan Oil products? Have you used Avon's version? 

Rachel x
Lost In Lipstick

Avon Advance Tecniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo, Conditioner and Leave-In Treatment - Review

Avon Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo £2.80

Avon Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner £2.80

Avon Moroccan Argan Oil Leave-In Treatment £5.50

Even Avon have jumped on the argan oil bandwagon!

I have dry, frizzy, naturally curly, long and coloured hair as mentioned in this post. Personally, I haven't used any of the other argan oil products, however, I have had the MoroccanOil applied to my hair by a hairdresser. Along with the other hair products used, my hair felt gorgeous. But whose hair doesn't after a visit to the hairdressers?

Argan oil is a plant oil produced from the kernels of the argan tree, which is found in Morocco. The actual name for the oil in the ingredients list is Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil and in all three products it appears quite far down the list. This can only mean that not much argan oil is actually used in the products. How much needs to be used to call it Moroccan Argan Oil? Surely, the ingredient should be further up the list?

The Shampoo

The shampoo claims to be gentle which helps to transform dry hair and leave it feeling moisturised. It contains Argan Oil, Provitamin B5 and Vitamin E, which claims to instantly detangle hair, leaving it soft, smooth and silky. The shampoo is priced at £2.80 but it is on special offer at the moment for £1.10! I bought it for £1.99.

I have used a few different Avon shampoos and to be honest, I would say that this smells the same as the others. But it does make my hair feel soft and silky after shampooing alone, even though I have dry hair.

The Conditioner

The conditioner claims to be hydrating which helps to transform dry hair, locking in moisture from root to tip. It contains Argan Oil, Provitamin B5 and Vitamin E, which claims to deeply condition and leave hair noticeably more beautiful and manageable. The conditioner is priced at £2.80 but it is on special offer at the moment for £1.10!

Similarly, I have used several Avon conditioners and I would say that this smells the same as regular conditioner from Avon. I always take a wide toothed comb into the shower to comb through my hair after I have applied conditioner. I have long, thick hair that gets tangled very easily. However, when it was time to comb my hair, I found it was already detangled and it's down to the shampoo and conditioner. I have only used the shampoo and conditioner together, so I couldn't tell you if the claims are correct about the shampoo instantly detangling hair.

The Leave-In Treatment

The leave-in treatment is an exotic blend containing rare Moroccan argan oil, which absorbs instantly to infuse hair with moisture and shine. It claims to help nourish and smooth dry, damaged, fragile hair to leave it looking softer, stronger, healthier and irresistibly touchable. The oil comes in a 30ml glass pump bottle, which is perfect as you can control how much you use and there is no waste. It is meant to be applied on towel-dried or damp hair, which for me is every third day as that is how often I need to wash my hair. This may seem a long time to wait to other people, but my hair would honestly break off if I washed it every day plus I would spend half my life drying it, I have that much hair!

This is the first time I have used oil on my hair as I mentioned earlier. Even though my hair is dry, I find that some products can make my hair greasy and product can build up. I was especially worried about oil, so I only used one pump! I soon realised this was not enough, I think I used 4 or 5 pumps altogether. I haven't found this product heavy or too greasy, quite the opposite in fact. I didn't apply it directly to my roots to avoid greasiness but my hair felt so soft and it was actually irresistibly touchable! The leave-in treatment is priced at £5.50 but it is on special offer at the moment for £3.30. I actually got this for £3, so it's gone up slightly. But it is totally worth it!

The Verdict

I would have to say that I agree with these claims, I was so impressed with the whole range. I am going to continue using the whole range and I have actually ordered the mask, which is an intensive weekly treatment. The mask is priced at £5.50 but it is on special offer at the moment for £2.20. Bargain! I will do a review of that once I have used it for about a month. The whole range is affordable and it has transformed my hair. My hair is soft, smooth and silky and my frizz is reduced. I would like to try other argan oil products so I can compare, but I am really happy with Avon's version.

Have you tried any argan oil products? Have you tried Avon Moroccan Argan Oil?

Rachel x
Lost In Lipstick