July Empties

Herbal Essences Smooth & Soft Sensuously Smooth Shampoo // Advance Techniques Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner // Batiste Dry Shampoo Tropical // Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator // Anti-blemish Skinetica // La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo // Liz Earle Skin Repair Light Moisturiser // Impulse Tease Body Fragrance Spray // Collection Illuminating Touch Brightening Concealer // Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder

Herbal Essences Smooth & Soft Sensuously Smooth Shampoo & Advance Techniques Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner - As I have mentioned in previous posts, I'm on a mission to improve my hair. I think my wedding, a year today, has kicked me into gear but also because I'm sick of my own hair and how unhealthy it is. I only want to use shampoo and conditioners which have no nasties in them from now on but I didn't want to waste all the other shampoo and conditioners I had left. The shampoo has a delicious scent and made my hair feel smooth, soft and silky (but that is what the harsh chemicals are supposed to do!) When I first used this conditioner a year ago  I loved it but I wasn't as clued up about ingredients then. I'm not an expert now but I just don't want to wash my hair in parabens and sulfates. 

Batiste Dry Shampoo Tropical - I love Batiste dry shampoo and out of all of the scents I have tried, this is definitely my favorite. It's just so fresh and clean. I have already repurchased this one but I have a few different scents in my collection now. I quite like the blonde one as it does a great job of disguising my roots! I don't use this on a daily basis - it is for emergencies only! My hair is pretty damaged and dry so I only wash it twice a week, anymore and it will become more damaged. However, some days it can be greasier than others (probably down to sulfates and chemicals in my shampoo and conditioner) and if I don't get the chance to wash it, I'll just give it a quick refresh and I'm good to go. (Please note, this is only on occasions and I'm not disgusting! A can of this lasts me forever!)

Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator - I have already repurchased this as it really is gentle on my face and doesn't do any damage to my skin. I try and use it twice a week, usually before a face mask, to remove any dead skin cells. A lot of people are hating on the manual exfoliators these days but this one is full of natural ingredients and it contains fine jojoba beads which gently buff away the dead skin cells. The Liz Earle website states it is not suitable for sensitive skin so please bare that in mind. Sometimes I mix it with my Cleanse & Polish for an even gentler exfoliation.  

Anti-blemish Skinetica* - I received this in a goodie bag from a blogger event that I attended. It contains no harsh chemicals and the active ingredient is a highly sophisticated quaternary Ammonium Chloride compound combined with a Sylyl base. (How scientific does that sound?!) It does contain ethyl alcohol but I haven't found it to be drying on the skin. I applied this twice a day, morning and night before my moisturiser and I saw a difference when using it alongside La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo. 

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo - I caved into the hype surrounding this despite some people saying it did nothing for them or breaking them out, never the less, I purchased it. I have already repurchased it as I was amazed at the difference in my skin. The week or so between, before I managed to repurchase, my skin had returned to it's usual horrible self. This was confirmation enough that I needed to repurchase this baby. I originally purchased this in Boots while it was on 3 for 2 offer, however, I repurchased it from escentual.com when they had 20% off. So it's worth keeping your eyes peeled for offers.

Liz Earle Skin Repair Light Moisturiser - I have been using this moisturiser for about a year now and I have repurchased over and over again. In the Winter, I use this moisturiser in the morning under my make up but opt for Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser for Normal/Combination skin at night. Throughout July, we have experienced some extremely hot days and I have been applying the light moisturiser morning and night. It is a lovely light moisturiser, as the name suggests, which is easily absorbed and doesn't clog pores. You can read my review here. 

Impulse Tease Body Fragrance Spray - Another repurchase of mine. Body spray is something I wear on a daily basis when the occasion doesn't warrant perfume such as work (I work in a school) and popping to the supermarket. This scent is my favourite impulse fragrance and I always pop a few in my basket when they are on special offer for 99p!

Collection Illuminating Touch Brightening Concealer - This concealer isn't as well loved in the 'blogosphere' than the Lasting Perfection concealer but I have been using it for just as long. I use this concealer under my eyes as I find the Lasting Perfection a little to thick for my delicate eye area. This one is illuminating so it doubles as a highlight and it is super easy to blend under the eyes. I find it doesn't crease either but I do set it with powder. 

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder - I love this powder and so do many other beauty bloggers. I get the shade transparent as I just want it to set my foundation/concealer and make my face matte. I use bronzer and blusher to add colour where I want it. It doesn't appear too chalky on the face and it mattifies my foundation. My only negative is the packaging - it isn't very sturdy which makes transporting it impossible. You can read what I think more in depth by reading my review. 

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

Rachel x

Lost In Lipstick

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My Haircare Routine - Shampoo

This is going to be a three part post - shampoo, conditioner and then after care/treatments. I love reading haircare/skincare posts so I thought I would share my routines and the products I use. First up is shampoo. I'm not loyal to a particular brand as I haven't found a miracle shampoo just yet. There are currently seven shampoos in my 'collection'. Is seven a bit excessive? They all have different jobs, well mostly, so I feel like they are justified! They are in no particular order. I photographed them in height order (roughly!). My hair is pretty dry and damaged from years of heat and colour. It's naturally curly and very frizzy but I often wear it straight. 

Keratin Complex Keratin Color Care Shampoo - This is almost empty. I'll probably get one or two more uses out of it. My mum got me the shampoo and conditioner last Christmas. They've lasted because I have so many other shampoos and I've tried to make it last as long as possible. This shampoo is sodium chloride and sulphate free, so no nasties are being put on your hair! I think it has quite a weird scent to it that I'm not so keen on. But it does leave my hair feeling super smooth and nourished.
Edit: Since writing this I have finished all of the shampoo!

Herbal Essences Smooth & Soft Shampoo - I think I picked this up in Boots because it was on offer, I can't remember though. I have used this shampoo before and I think it's quite good for the price. It's for dry, damaged and frizzy hair, which are the three words I would use to describe my hair! I don't have the money to use high end haircare products every time I wash my hair, so I use drugstore brands in between. This has a lovely fruity smell and leaves my hair feeling clean and fairly conditioned. Some shampoos make my hair feel really dry and knotty but this is quite moisturising for a shampoo.

Paul Mitchell Strength Super Strong Daily Shampoo - My parents seem to like buying me hair products for Christmas as this was in a set I received this year! I absolutely love this range. It makes my hair feel nourished and I have actually noticed a difference in the strength. I wouldn't describe it as 'Super Strong' just yet, but I have noticed less breakage. I have been finding I need quite a bit of both the shampoo and conditioner though, which is not good! I don't think they will last a lot longer. They leave my hair feeling soft, silky and shiny! It's like looking at someone else's hair! 

Tresemme Deep Cleansing Shampoo - I use this shampoo once a week, usually on a Sunday, as my detox shampoo. I can't afford Bumble & Bumble Sunday Shampoo but I would love to try it out. Until then, this is a cheap alternative. My hair can sometimes feel heavy from build up as I do use quite a few products and this is great at thoroughly cleansing my hair. I like having freshly washed and 'squeaky' clean hair on a Monday. I do find it leaves my hair a little 'squeaky' but once I have applied conditioner I don't have a problem. 

Trevor Sorbie Beautifully Straightened Protection Shampoo - I picked this up just after Christmas in a set for £7 but I actually used Boots points so I got it for free! However, it wasn't till I got home that I noticed the shampoo was for fine/normal hair, which is the complete opposite of mine! It doesn't moisturise my hair and it actually makes my hair feel dry but it cleanses it so I use a hair mask when using this shampoo. I don't really have anything else to say about this. I would like to try the version for thick hair though. 

Avon Advance Techniques Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo - This a fantastic product from AVON. I prefer it over other shampoo products from AVON. However, I much prefer the oil and mask from this range (more to come on these when I discuss the treatments that I use.) After just one use of this range my hair felt amazing. However, each time I've used it since, it just doesn't feel the same. Maybe in the long run I will notice a difference. This is my second bottle but I'm not sure I will purchase it again. 

Pro:Voke Touch Of Silver Twice A Week Brightening Shampoo - Even though it's called twice a week brightening shampoo, I only use it once a week as I don't wash my hair enough times in the week to use it twice. That might sound disgusting to some people but my hair is very dry and I only wash it when it's greasy, which is usually 3 times a week. If I wash it any more, my hair would just be in worse condition. I use this shampoo along with the conditioner to keep my colour fresh so it doesn't appear brassy. I have noticed a slight improvement but there has been weeks where I've forgot and I desperately need to do my roots. I say roots but it'll look like I've had Ombre done soon!

How many shampoos do you own in your 'collection'? Do you recommend any shampoo based on my hair type?

Rachel x

Lost In Lipstick