December: Used, Abused And Reviewed.

I know it's not the end of December yet but I cant see myself fully using up any more products between now and then so I'm just going to go ahead and post this. The whole point of doing the 'Used, Abused And Reviewed' posts was that hopefully I'd concentrate more on what I already have instead of letting it go to waste and buying more products that I want rather than need. If you want to read last months post then here it is.

Ok so enough rambling

Liz Earle Botanical Shine Shampoo & Conditioner. 200ml, £8 Each: I've already reviewed both of these here.

Would I Repurchase? Shampoo - yes. Conditioner - probably not.

Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara (Black) £10.99: 'Finding a high impact volumising mascara that doesn't leave your lashes looking clumpy and clogged can be a challenge. Masterpiece Max Mascara is the next generation of mascara. It delivers bold, thick lashes with up to 400% volume but defines and smoothes at the same time for a surprisingly, sleek effect. One swipe of its high tech IFX brush gives a chic, catwalk finish in seconds - no wonder it was the official mascara of Milan Fashion Week!' A decent mascara with a big plastic brush. I prefer big brushes but would rather have bristles than plastic/rubber. I wouldnt describe the results as the same or even similar to false lashes but still, it does a good job and wont break the bank. I did find though that after a few hours it tends to flake a bit but I can deal with that.

Would I Repurchase? Yes, if there was a 3 for 2 offer on but it wouldnt be my first choice.

Philosophy Eternal Grace Shampoo, Bath & Shower Gel. 480ml, £19: A luxurious shower gel that can be used as shampoo or even a bubble bath. Infused with crisp citrus notes, and delicate floral scents of eternal grace. Like most things I own from Philosophy, this came in a set from QVC. I'm a huge fan of all the 'Graces' they smell so clean and fresh and the scent tends to stay on your skin for hours after plus it fills your bathroom aswell. I used this on my hair once, I didnt find it the best for my hair type (Coloured/Dry) but it did give an amazing shine and everytime I swished my hair I'd be able to smell it, even after the first day.

Would I Repurchase? In a set, yes.

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic. 200ml Bottle, £12.25: 'Moisten a cotton wool pad and sweep over face and neck every morning and night after cleansing with Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser or using one of our special treatment masks. Whether your skin is dehydrated, oily, dull or congested, the nourishing and brightening botanicals will help to leave your skin feeling soft and looking fresh for longer. It also primes your skin perfectly for your choice of Liz Earle Moisturiser.' I've lost count of how many bottles I've gone through now, maybe 6? Skin Tonic (toner) comes in different sizes and also as a spritzer. It has such a calming effect on the skin and after using, the skin is left feeling really moisturised. Brilliant product and the price isnt too bad either. Anyone on the look out for a new toner or even if you've never used a toner before but want to introduce one into your skincare routine then definately give this a try. Theres no sting like you get from most drugstore toners. I know a lot of people dont bother using a toner but its essential, cleansing removes the skins acid mantle, to restore this you need to use a good toner to reset the skins natural PH balance, it also helps remove any dirt you missed while cleansing.

Would I Repurchase? Definately.

Review: Liz Earle, Botanical Shine Shampoo & Conditioner.

My Scalp Saviour
For the last few years my scalp has been giving me loads of bother, it  felt irritated and itchy, and always seemed to be worse around my hairline. I thought that hairspray was maybe causing it so I stopped using it but there was no improvement, tried every anti-dandruff shampoo you can think off but they made things worse and stripped my colour in the process.

I was really fed up so went online to find out what was the cause and how to get rid of it.. Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulphate kept popping up. For those of you who dont know, SLS is a potentially harmfull chemical used in so many mainstream haircare lines, it not only damages your hair but also your skin and health, it really dries out the scalp and theres some evidence that SLS may cause hair loss too by attacking the follicles.

I started searching for a shampoo that didnt contain any then remembered that Liz Earle doesnt use them in her shower gels so probably wouldnt use them in her shampoo either.

Liz Earle Botanical Shine Shampoo, 200ml £8

I've just finished my second tube of this and it has made such a big difference to my scalp, even after the first use! The shampoo like Cleanse and Polish (for the face) is for all hair types. It contains west african shea butter, natural source vitamin E, shine-boosting apple and orange extracts plus naturally derived cleansers. The shampoo gently cleans without stripping to leave hair soft, shiny and smooth. A shampoo has never made my hair as shiny as this one has and because it contains no silicones it really leaves the hair squeaky clean. Its not the most moisturising shampoo in the world, my hair tends too be a bit fuzzy once its air dried but I'd rather have that than hair with a false softness due to silicone build-up. The smell is amazing and lasts untill you next wash your hair. Because theres no SLS, SLES it takes a bit longer to foam up but instead of adding more shampoo just add more water to your hair.

I'd recommend this to anyone with scalp problems.

I also got the conditioner, there is 3 options.. Fine or oily hair, normal hair, dry/damaged hair.

Liz Earle Botanical Shine Conditioner. 200ml £8

I went for the dry/damaged option. This also smells amazing but unlike the shampoo, it isnt a 'must have' for me. It's specially formulated with west african shea butter, yangu oil, blue seakale and shine-boosting apple and orange extracts. 'Our ultra-rich colour safe conditioner leaves dry or damaged hair hydrated, under control, soft and smooth.' I've still got another tube of this to use up but once its gone, I dont think I'll repurchase. The texture is almost balmy and takes longer to rinse out than other conditioners but that doesnt bother me, I just dont feel that its moisturising enough for my hair.

The whole SLS thing has made me more conscious about what I'm putting on my skin, I'm being sent a few Organic products to review so I'm really excited to see what difference I notice in my skin while using them. I'd love to say that I'll only buy products that contain no nasties but I'm only human, I like to try different things but I definately try to avoid products packed full of parabens etc.

xo