Nu Skin vs Aveda - my top shampoo of the year

 

Hair care is as equally important as washing my face or moisturising my skin from head to toe. I intend to grow my hair down to my knees and now that it's being looked after from root to tip, I believe I will reach that goal sooner than I think!

Why? Well, after trying various brands of shampoo's, conditioners, hair masks, hair sprays , hair oils, treatments, I have same problems after a short period of time and even though I take my multi-vitamins, I still do get the off fall outs. I wash my hair every single day, even though they say its bad for you, its always been a priority for me ever since I was a kid. Working in a hospital environment and having my hair done for photo shoots kills my hair strands so of course I need to look after it well.

Take a look at my previous blog post for more pictures including the amount of fall outs I have in just 2 days! Do you have that problem too?

 Did you know that as you age, your hair follicles reduces its diameter hence why we have thinner hair as we grow older - this can be due to many factors including diet, lack of vitamin absorption, pollution, stress AND the products we use on our hair, so looking after it now will prevent you from having thin hair or going bald whether you're a male or female. 

 Throughout last winter I used this shampoo by Aveda, known for using natural plant extracts and natural oils to help maintain the hair and ' professionally developed, clinically tested, and go to exceptional lengths to be respectful of the earth. '

Aveda can be found in most department stores such as Selfridges, Debenams, House of Fraser, as well as salons and some hair boutique stores. It can also be purchased online.

 
After receiving samples from Aveda counter, I decided to buy the full price bottle for £20.50. I bought 2 bottles in total as I wanted to use it for at least 2 months.

There is 200ml of the product and having use this every day, I finished 1 bottle in about a month and half as a little goes a long way.

The scent smelt like herbs but didn't last on my hair, which I wasn't too bothered about because I found the scent of the shampoo abit too over whelming as it smelt like I had worked in a chinese herbal shop all day!

The consistency was thick and it did slide off my fingers very quickly in the shower which meant it would end up on the floor, not in my hair. I was quite disappointed by the lotion as it was £20.50 I felt like I had wasted some of this product if I wasn't careful enough. I learnt from this mistake anyhow and continued to use this but to pour out the product slowly into my dry hairs then onto my wet hair.

I didn't notice much of my fall-outs reducing even after using it for over a month, but I did notice the hair felt thicker and more wax-like in terms of texture. After air drying it, the scent of the herbs remained in my hair but if I was to blow dry my hair, it felt slightly sticky and thick at times and I can assure you, I did wash it thoroughly.

The lid is a push-down top lid which means the lotion can be squeezed out the bottle.

It promises to:

• Cleanses, exfoliates and renews the scalp with wintergreen-derived salicylic acid.
• Clinically proven to remove the build-up of sebum and product residue that can clog pores and affect healthy hair.
• Nourishes dry, tight scalps with extracts from millet seed and milk thistle, equalizing the lipid balance.
• Contains densiplex^TM-an invigorating blend of Ayurvedic herbs, including turmeric and ginseng.
• One of 7 groundbreaking products honoured with Gold-level Cradle to Cradle certification.

VS

The exfoliating shampoo deep cleanses the scalp to remove debris and buildup in the follicle

I was recommended this Clarifying shampoo to try and I saw the active ingredients - totally intrigued. If you are a hair freak or work in the hair profession - you must check this one out!

For £16 there is 250ml of product in the long tall bottle with a flip lid on top.

I used this everyday for the first 7 days (due to curling, hair spraying and backcombing) then 2-3 times a week after that if need be and its lasting me just over a month, in fact I am still using my first bottle. I tend to use this more when my hair goes through a lot of damage such as heat appliances, hot sun, backcombing and hair prep from photo shoots I recently did.
The beauty of this shampoo is you can feel that your hair is loved from the first use and now my hair feels so much fuller, thicker in each hair strand and shines. My split ends are taken care of and I can continue to grow it.

It promises to:

On day one, Nu Skin® Clarifying Shampoo provides a deep clean without stripping the hair of natural moisturisers for renewed manageability. By day seven, hair actually feels stronger. Formulated with shea butter seedcake extract, this powerful cleanser attaches to build-up - including nicotine, chlorine and environmental pollutants - and washes away the signs of ageing. Your hair will feel clean, shiny and manageable after just one wash.


The consistency is thick but once it is applied to the hair, it sinks in. I love it when it is massaged on my scalp, it feels very minty and revitalised. It turns into a foam on the scalp but not as thick as soap, which means it doesn't leave the hair feeling sticky but only to gently cleanser overworked hair.

The main active ingredients:-

•    Cotton Bloom Extract - smoothes the cuticle, protects the keratin structure and moisturises naturally with seven actively synergistic oligosaccharides.
•    Shea Butter Seedcake Extract (butyrospermum parkii) – acts as a detoxifying agent to remove chlorine, heavy metals, nicotine, exhaust, gas and other environmental pollutants.
•    Nettle - cleanses hair and helps control sebum production.



To conclude this, my ultimate favourite is definatly the Nu Skin Clarifying shampoo because after seeing the results within 7 days using a small amount, I didn't have the results from the Aveda shampoo until after a week and the texture of my hair was very sticky whereas the Nu Skin shampoo smoothed my hair making it more manageable - this is without the use of a conditioner so imagine what my hair would be like with the use of a conditioner or a hair mask?!

Long term wise - buying 2 bottles of each, definatly saving more money on the Nu Skin Clarifying shampoo and longer lasting. My scalp feels moisturised and the hair is loved from root to tip, it rediscovers my hairs strength which I lost ever since I was in my late teens as my hair went through a lot of hair dye, straight perms, curlers, straighteners. Now I am keeping it all natural & growing it mega long for my big day!


Suitable for all ages and highly recommended to those who put their hair through a lot of stress or people with thick and hoarse hair.

If you're interested to try, send me an email to be registered to buy -

 Much Love

XOX

strawbeefull@gmail.com

Love my strenghthened hair - Necklace is from http://www.tigeressboutique.com (quote Jess when purchasing)

Uniq One Hair Treatment Spray Product Review

Every time I blow dry my hair, I must use a heat protectant on my hair! If the sun is out then a few sprays on my hair is a MUST!! My hair use to dry out so much due to the excessive heat and I wash my hair everyday, even though it's meant to be bad for you, washing out your natural hair oils, drying the hair out, can attract nits etc.

I recently wrote a review for another heat protectant spray I have continuously bought and used over and over again, click here to read it .

I also have enjoyed using this one by Uniq One , it was recommended by my amazing hair dresser back in Hong Kong.

Uniq One is an innovative hair care brand which creates effective hair care treatments to nourish, hydrate and perfect hair, (as stated by Beauty Bay which is an online beauty store available world wide).


The bottle has lasted me for a good 6 months! I love how evenly the lotion sprays out, and the effects is pretty good and decent!

It was roughly $150hk , which is about £12uk - quite an expensive price especially if the brand is unknown to you but I trust my hair dresser completely as he has been cutting my hair for over 10 years now. Believe me, I have tried different hair styles, and I don't let anyone cut my hair!! 

Not only did the red colour bottle attracted me to want to try this, but also the fact that is is an all-in-one hair treatment. \


It claims to:

1. Repair for dry and damaged hair.
2. Shine and frizz control.
3. Heat protection.
4. Silkiness and smoothness.
5. Hair colour protection/with UVA and UVB filters.
6. Easier brushing and ironing.
7. Incredible detangling.
8. Long-lasting hairstyle.
9. Split ends prevention.
10. Adds body.

From my experience, I have experienced all 10 of those above from my very first use.
The scent of this spray is quite strong! Even after the hair is dried, it is long lasting on the hair! So if you are a person who don't like heavy scented products then you might not like this!
The results are very good and true, my hair is very smooth and manageable on the next day, and a lot of people have commented on the shininess of my hair.

If your hair is already damaged then you cannot save it by using products, it is only short term fix but long term fix you would have to cut it off! painful - I know but if you want healthy hair then cut off the damaged hair and then look after the hair even more hence why you should consider purchasing good products that really works!

I don't have coloured hair as I haven't dyed it for quite a few years now, the last time I dyed it was about 3 years ago to black as my hair goes to a lighter brown from the sun, this spray protects my hair and I don't feel my scalp burning as hot in the sun (when we get any in the UK that is). However, I cannot say if this is good for coloured hair or not as my previous hair dye has grown out and chopped off!


Pro's:

• makes my hair look so silky and smooth
• it does feel like my hair is protected well as it doesn't dry up after using heat appliances on it
• there is quite a lot of product that is dispersed from the spray per pump
• the bottle has lasted me for 3-4 months which is good considering I use it every single day
• the formula is actually creamy but it squirts out from the pump as liquid
• can be used on dry or wet hair and is very effective with the heat appliances

 

Con's:

• scent may be too strong for those who don't like heavy scents, and it lingers on the hair even the next day
• can make the hair feel sticky when you spray too much
• not easy to get hold of in stores, I have never seen this product in stores in the UK but only online
• not a brand many people have heard of therefore they won't want to try

When I want to volumise my hair later on in the day, I spray this on my dry hair then use a hair dryer and it still makes my hair feel fresh, smooth, volumised and smells great! Not a lot of spray's can do this and this works so well with my GHD's or my curlers! IT makes my hair remain smooth, shiny and slick after direct hot heat has been applied, it really does protect my hair well and I have grown to love this product it even more!
I also love the fact that the lotion does not tip out, but it comes out as liquid form from the spray, how amazing is that?!

I use mine on my damp hair after I wash it, I spray a fairly equal amount all over my hair concentrating on the roots and tip to protect the split ends and hair fall out as I do suffer from that. Luckily my hair is hardly in tangles but I find that it makes my hair feel smoother.I would half air dry or air dry the hair for as long as possible, then I use my hair dryer set to medium heat. As you can imagine with long hair, it can damage the hair but this spray helps to keep the hair looking slick, smooth and more manageable. 

I personally don't like all-in-one products but I am really glad my hair dresser recommended this to me and it's been incredible to use! I would definatly re-purchase it again!
I would highly recommend this for people who want to try a product that really works! No point in wasting more money on products that don't work right?

Hope you enjoy using it as much as I did!

XOX

Umberto Giannini Incredible Body Hair Spray Product Review

I have tried lots of different types of hair spray ever since I decided to care for my hair which was about the age of 17. I never use to do anything with my hair until I one day decided to have my hair out at school and live like a girl. I use to tie it up in a pony tail all the time, no fancy plaits or ribbons or flowers, I was quite a tom-boy at school.

I use to have really thick hair, so thick that my hair bobbles would snap often and it was difficult to manage. Now, it is thin, and very flat. I actually call it boring but in reality, it is very manageable.
My hair use to be long and then I went through alsorts of colour and cuttings, usually a fringe/bangs every year and let it grow out, then a totally new style once a year. Now it is all natural, no hair dye, no fringe/bangs, no layers. I decided to go au naturel and sort out my skin whilst I am at it!

I hate blow drying my hair, it takes too much of my time just adding heat to dry up the hair strands, damaging the hair and then split ends grow quick, I have to protect it by using heat protecting hair spray.

I blow dry my hair if I need to get to bed as soon as possible which is atleast 5 nights out of 7 per week. I usually get home from work and shower, then need to be up in work in less than 7 hours time so you can imagine, I don't have much time to waste. I am on-the-go all the time, running from one place to another.

I am a full time nurse, I work day and night shifts, sometimes even a mixture in the week. I also do part time modelling so I am here there and everywhere, and I also have a business in Nu Skin so I do run up and down the country juggling all my jobs. I always make sure my hair is maintained well and is washed every single night.

I always use a heat protecting spray to protect the hair from heat damage, but I am a little picky on what I use. I have tried alsorts of brands and this one by Umberto Giannini has been my ultimate favourite so far. I have purchased about 5 bottles of these in the last few years and always prefer this one. Let me tell you why....

Pro's:

• it doesn't dry my hair out whereas some I have tried makes the ends dry so quick
• the scent makes my hair smell clean
• this volumises my flat hair
•  professional product from an award winning hairdresser
• You can get a travel sized bottle from big stores of Boots to try
• affordable price
• doesn't leave my hair feeling sticky, rough or greasy
• makes the hair look smooth and healthy

Con's:

• only available in the UK
• only available in big stores of Boots or Umberto salons
• this particular bottle is discontinued in some stores but there is a similar product available

 This was priced about £5.49 which is very affordable, especially when it does so much for my hair! One bottle would last me about a month and half atleast which is decent!

I discovered this product when I had my hair cut 3 years ago at the Umberto salon and I loved how it made my hair feel volumised. I find it difficult to find a spray which would hold my hair well and keep it volumised but this lasts for half a day and is the best so far.

I would spray it on my damp hair before I blow dry it, and also in the morning if I know the sun will hit my hair then I would give it another spritz as I don't know how long the heat protectant would last for after it has been touched by the hair dryer the night before.

The product comes out from a pump which is situated at the top of the bottle. The product sprays evenly and I use about 10 spritz all over my hair as my hair is so long.

It doesn't make the hair sticky like some I have tried, therefore I am not afraid to spray on more.
The scent can be quite strong at first but it isn't strong on the hair the next day, which is why I like it even more. I hate it when products have a heavy scent, it puts me off using the product and the range!

Unfortunately this bottle is discontinued, but the newest one which does the same trick is a purple coloured one. There will be another product review on that soon! I promise!

This hair is suitable for fine to medium hair, long or short and great for if you want a lift in your hair! Great for if you are creating a volumised hair-do!

XOX

Superdrug Samy Fat Hair Thickening Shampoo & Conditioner Product Review

 

My hair use to be thick but due to stress and bad health, it has thinned out a lot over the years and I really do miss having thick hair again *sigh* We always want what we can't have don't we?

I try and buy hair thickening products to make it thick because for me, I think my hair is boring. It's so flat and lifeless, but straight and shiny.

One of UK's famous and easily accessible drugstore is Superdrug , you often hear UK beauty/make up guru's talk about this store. They sell the majority of the make up brands, skin care at affordable prices - they don't sell the designer items though. It's very family friendly. I remember when I started getting pocket money, I use to love going in Superdrug because it had so much choice and items for me to test out and discover!! Was defiantly a childhood favourite store and still like going in there nowadays!

I chose to buy this shampoo and conditioner set because it was sulphate free, and it was to thicken the hair. I have been cutting down on buying sulphate hair products for the past year or more because the sulphate damages the hair and can cause hair loss and that isn't what I want.

Each bottle is £5.59 and they are 300ml each which would last me for a good 2-3 months. 

I wash my hair every single day so I go through bottles of hair products quite quickly!
 Also my hair is very long so I need to look after each strand of hair hehe!

It claims to:

• thicker, fuller, stronger, healthier looking hair.

Pro's:

• affordable price for a big bottle of shampoo/conditioner to last for atleast 2 months (depending on how often you wash your hair and the length of your hair)
• makes the bathroom look interesting with the bright red bottles living in there

Con's:

• makes my hair so sticky after washing it out
• the lotion is thick gel like and it does not sit in the hair well, it just glides off
• the scent reminded me of soap and I don't favour that in my hair but it didnt last long in my hair which was good I suppose!

 I used both the shampoo and conditioner together to get maximum results, I even tried to use different shampoo/conditioners to see if it would make my hair any different but unfortunately it didn't. Infact, it made my hair feel very unmanageable and uncomfortable.

The lotion comes out from the top of the bottle which means you would need to tip the bottle upside down, when it comes to using it at the very end, it would be abit diffficult to get every last drop out! unless you fill it with some water then shake it all out! 

Sometimes there are offers on this range like buy 2 for a certain price or buy one get one free. It is also usually a huge sell out so it is difficult to get hold of sometimes.


Unfortunately I won't be buying this again, I bought the whole range to try but they didn't give me the results they promised so no point in repurchasing again. I couldn't wait to finish using the shampoo and conditioner to be honest!

I also bought the hair wax, volumising moose and spray hold. If anyone is interested in buying them off me then let me know! I would be happy to sell them at a discounted price! 

Schwarzkopf got2b Heat Spray Product Review

I quite like using Schwarzkopf products for my hair, it feels soft and more manageable. I have tried the shampoos, conditioners, and volumising sprays for my hair, they all have strong scents to it, some pleasant, some too strong for me.
I don't often had problems with my hair, it's hardly oily/greasy, dry or tangles, the only problems I have is that the hair goes lighter in the sun and also I have split ends as I am growing it out. I do trim it every few months myself and maintain it's length as best as I can.

I air dry my hair majority of the time, my Grannies and mom always tells me not to air dry it as it can give you headaches, I have always done it as a kid and I don't suffer from headaches. I have some friends who have got to blow dry it straight away and they say they get headaches if they don't but for me, it's quite the opposite.

I blow dry my hair if I am in a rush to go out or go to bed. I really really dislike blow drying it because it dries my hair out and it takes me about 25-30 minutes to blow dry it as it is so long, I also try to give it a break every 5 minutes to let the hair cool down. I also try using the cool air option but it makes my face so cold and I feel too tired from it lolz so I try to avoid it!

I use heat protecting hair sprays to protect my hair from using heat appliances and prevent having more split ends and also so the hair does not dry out as quick. I also spray the hair spray before I head out into the sun (if we get any that is). The last thing I want after being in the sun, is my hair to break or burn.
If I use my GHD's to curl my hair or hair curlers, I always make sure I thoroughly spray my hair with heat protecting spray. Just imagine using 180-260oC heat on the hair without protector? You can smell the hair burning and the hair actually is falling apart!!!

I bought the Schwarzkopf got2b Guardian Angel to try as it was advertised everywhere!! I love the bottle shape, the pretty design, I couldn't wait to have it in my bathroom lol.

For aboutt £4.10 you get 200ml of the product which lasted me about 2 months which is quite cheap over the period of about 8 weeks. I have long hair which means I tend to use hair products quicker than others with shorter hair. I use about 5-6 spritz of spray each time on my hair from top to bottom.

If you are like me, who love playing with the hair then protecting it is also an important task, especially when
The product comes out from a pump spray at the top, I don't favour this pump because the product comes out unevenly. I use the spray after I wash it, when my hair is wet, I spray it on my hair then I use my fingers to distribute it evenly as possible.




Pro's:

• cute design bottle
• budget friendly

Con's:

• the product does not disperse evenly from the pump
• made my hair feel abit sticky
• the smell is very strong even after the hair is dried
• made my hair feel damaged further
• not available in all supermarkets or drug stores

This product claims to protect the hair up to 220oC, am not sure how much of this I can believe as I have seen and felt the results on my own hair. If I use my GHD's or hair curlers then it is set to 220oC maximum so this is a great spray to use if it really does protect the hair up to 220oC.
I won't be purchasing this product again, I could see that it damaged my hair even more. My hair would feel and look a lot dryer than if I didn't use it, and it damages my hair which defeats the object of using it.