EVERPRO BEAUTY BACK2BLONDE (REVIEW)

Having highlighted my hair for what seems like a gazillion years I've often dreamt that a product like this would come along...

As you know the dreaded root re-growth always accompanies an expensive visit to the hairdresser and you know it's that time again "highlights time". 
I usually go around every 6-8 weeks, but there have been so many times where I've longed for a quick, easy to use at home product that would literally just conceal the dark re-growth or grey hairs just until I had the time to get my hair "fixed'.

I know there are many of you that can relate to this problem and I don't know of any other product on the South African market that can be used on blonde hair, however there are a couple that can be used on darker hair. Temporary root concealing products are a relatively new addition to the category of "Temporary Hair colouring", but I personally believe it's a sector of the market that could go from strength to strength, as R&D improves.

As you can imagine I eagerly accepted an invite to an event here in Durban, to find out more about the EVERPRO BACK2BLONDE and ZERO GREY range of products which claim to temporarily and instantly fix those dark roots. 

I was given four products from the BACK2BLONDE range to try and review.

Back2Blonde is available in two application formats and both are available in 3 blonde shades: 

Light Blonde
Medium Blonde
Dark Blonde

Back2Blonde Touch Up Spray

EVERPRO beauty ZERO GREY & BACK2BLONDE Touch-Up Spray

BACK2BLONDE temporary touch-up spray for blondes is the instant at-home fix for dark and grey roots.  Revolutionary spray-and-go formula, for visible blending in seconds that stays put until you next shampoo.

Prismatech pigments self-adjust to match and blend visible dark and grey roots.
Natural emollients give hair a healthy shine and natural feel

• Pinpoint applicator for targeted coverage only where you want it
• Quick-dry formula dries in 2 - 3 minutes
• Sweat-resistant
• Washes out with shampoo
• 
  
• For best results, apply to clean, dry hair.  Hold can 4 - 5 inches from hair.  Move can continuously back and forth until roots are evenly camouflaged.Let dry 2 - 3 minutes.  Apply more if necessary.
    Not to be used on facial hair, eyebrows or body hair.
  
  
  

  My Thoughts...

  
  

  I had to wait for my roots and grey hairs to show through, hence the delay with this post and as you can see from my pics below my re-growth is reaching desperation stage.

  I apologise for the quality of photos, but it's really quite difficult to take close up shots of your scalp and hair, but you can notice the difference between the before and after shots.

  
  

  The nearest colour to my highlighted hair was the Light Blonde, the medium blonde also worked, whereas the Dark Blonde had a brassy tone and was not suitable at all, so it's important to choose the correct colour.
  
  

  The Touch-Up spray was super easy and quick to use and the pinpoint applicator allowed for precise directional application and as EVERPRO beauty claim, it drys fast, gives your hair a shine and more importantly it washes out easily.

  What you do need to have on hand though, is a wet face cloth to just run along your scalp to remove any of the excess spray, otherwise it results in a blonde line along the scalp as you can see in the "After" pic.

  
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  

Back2Blonde Root Touch Up Magnetic Powder

EVERPRO beauty ZERO GREY & BACK2BLONDE Root Touch-Up Powder

BACK2BLONDE temporary root touch-up magnetic powder is an instant, effective and easy to use solution to get rid of those unwanted dark and or grey roots. Unique, binding formula attaches along each hair strand like magnets providing the ultimate coverage that stays put all day long. 

Self-adjusting colour technology blends undetectably and matches hair colour for a natural finish.

Mineral-infused powder leaves hair soft, shiny and natural to the touch

Hidden sponge applicator allows for precise control and coverage

Compact packaging is perfect for on the go & small enough for travel

Washes out with Shampoo.

Remove base to reveal the sponge applicator. Lift top lid for powder. 

For best results, apply to clean, dry/styled hair. Using the sponge applicator, sweep a small amount of powder over dark or grey roots starting from the scalp and working outward. Re-apply as necessary.

My Thoughts...

Again Light Blonde was best suited to my hair colour and I opted to use this product on the temple areas of my hair. I often tie my hair back and the one area of re-growth that I hate to see is the temple area, above my ears.

The compact definitely takes more time to apply, however the sponge applicator does allow more control with focusing on the areas of coverage.
For this reason I preferred the nifty Touch-Up powder and it's so easy to pop into your handbag or gym bag, but it can easily be used as a touch up during the day after initially using the spray in the morning.
That being said I feel that with a little application practise with both the spray and the powder, anyone could become pretty good at being an "expert" temporary concealer of those roots and grey hairs.

ZERO GREY & BACK2BLONDE would work well for both male and females, as thinning hair is a common problem this product may just be a "godsend" for colouring in those thinning areas and giving it an appearance of being fuller and thicker.
Considering my long hair grows very quickly this product certainly couldn't take me from one colour to the next, but if your hair is short and slow growing then root concealing products could literally "fill in the gap" in between colours.

I enjoyed both formats and was quite happy with the results, as they both, in different ways, came to my rescue to cover the grey hairs and conceal the root re-growth, just enough to make it less obvious that what I really needed was 
an urgent appointment with my hairdresser.

Available from April 1st at selected clicks countrywide

Touch-Up Sprays
150 mls

R225

$7.99

£12.99


Touch-Up Powders
3.7grs

R225

$7.99

£12.99

SUNDAY SAMPLE

Recently added to my Sunday sample jar was this cute trial size of the Lancôme Hypnôse Doll Eyes black mascara, which is designed to coat every single lash for a volumised, extended, lifted look.

I'm excited to try the Doll Eyes mascara as it seems to address all that my lashes are looking for. I haven't used a Lancôme mascara since being in my late 20's where Lancôme Definicils type (I can't just remember the name) was my daily mascara for several years.

As always I will post my full review this coming Sunday.

BENEFIT PUFF OFF! {REVIEW}

I've recently bought my second tube (which is always a good sign) of "Puff Off!" from benefit and I've been using it for the past 5 or 6 months, under the belief that I had posted my review, only to find that the half written post was sitting in my drafts folder, so finally after a very long trial period I bring you my findings and opinions on this strangely named beauty product.

PUFF OFF! ,as do many of the benefit names, sounds "gimmicky", but I discovered a couple of years ago that often behind those "gimmicky" names lie really good effective products that have become firm favourites of mine.

Puff Off! is an under eye gel that helps to reduce both puffiness and helps to soften and smooth out those fine lines around the eye area.

The packaging and applicator of the Puff Off has to be the most unusual that I have ever tried, as you are mimmicking ironing the skin under the eye.

benefit PUFF OFF!

Iron on…puff off! 

Puffies & creases look “satiny smooth” with this innovative under eye gel. The custom “ironing” tip instantly helps to cool and smooth the look of under eye puffies & fine lines.

Squeeze once and dot under each eye…then go back and glide on with “ironing” tip. This product can be worn alone or over makeup with a gentle pat and blend action.

The iron metal tip has a cooling effect and glides surprisingly easily over the skin, with no dragging. However if you wanted to, you can just apply Puff Off! to your ring finger and dot under the eye.

I found this product a pleasure to use especially on those mornings where my under eyes definitely appeared to be puffier than normal and applied in place of my morning eye treatment it both smoothed and tightened the skin and literally de-puffed the area, enabling me to apply my concealer and foundation far easier.

As with most benefit products it comes with a hefty price tag of R415 for 10mls, but it's a unique product that tackles a specific issue that is a concern for many 
those pesky - Puffy Eyes.

If you are still unsure as to whether you need this kind of product then check out this short fun video

Available from benefit counters in selected Edgars and Red Squares

or 

order online

www.benefitcosmetics.com

PUFF OFF!

10mls

R415

£24.50

$29

QUICKIE PRODUCT REVIEWS {MARCH 2017}

Here are 3 products that I've tried recently and I've decided to include them in this months QPR (Quickie Product Reviews)
As you know some products, if they don't impress me or don't warrant a full review just get a quick mention...

Enjoy! 

Brand : Garnier

Product : BB Cream Original Classic

Price : R110

Verdict 
I recently bought this only to go home and find that I have reviewed it back in 2013,

so click on this Pink Link to read my original review.
I wouldn't have bought this BB Cream again, as I have so many others that I'm wanting to try, but now that I have it - I will use quite happily.

6/10

~~~~~~

Brand : The Body Shop

Product : Moringa Shower Gel (250mls)

Price : R99

Verdict 

I received this as part of a Christmas gift and I've never rated The Body Shops shower gels or foam baths and my view on this remains unchanged
Pleasant soft fragrance
Soap free cleansing shower gel

2/10

~~~~~~

Brand : essence

Product : Kajal Eye Pencil

Price : R19.95

Verdict 

 I was quite excited when this was included in the essence Beauty Advent Calendar

Not easy to find a white Kajal I thought this could be an alternative to my Michelle Ori

as I wear a white pencil daily to accentuate my eyelid and use to highlight under the arch of my brow.

This pencil is far too hard to use over the eyelid, even on the back of the hand you need to press quite hard to get any colour transfer
Causes way too much dragging on the skin and is "not a patch" on my current white pencil
 Doesn't come with an applicator on the one end to blend
My advice don't waste your R20

1/10

GARNIER EXPRESS 2 in 1 EYE MAKE-UP REMOVER (REVIEW)

I'm still on a mission to bring you reviews on budget eye make-up removers and gauging by the selection on offer this series of posts will run on my blog for months, if not for years to come.This particular review is long overdue, as I purchased the Garnier Express 2 in 1 Eye Make-Up Remover back in November from Boots in the UK.

Garnier Express 2 in 1 Eye Make-Up Remover

I hadn't seen it here in South Africa, so I thought I would give it a whirl around my eyes and report back to you.
I've been using this product "on and off", but I've delayed writing this post, due to the fact I was undecided as to whether I actually liked this product or not.

I generally prefer bi-phase products (those are the ones that generally have an oil phase and a lotion or water phase and the bottle needs to be shaken well) but for some reason this one didn't grab me initially, wanting to give it a chance to redeem itself I went back to give it another whirl and I then l discovered I quite enjoyed it.

Having said this I continued to yo-yo backwards and forwards with my indecision, hence my delay, as I didn't want to be unfair with my review.

I soon realised that it tackled the removal of my eye make-up really quickly and efficiently on some days, yet on other days it seemed to battle, whereas all of the other eye-make-up removers  that I've put to the test handled the same eye make-up consistently with ease.
I found this quite baffling, as it claims to be formulated to ultra-efficiently remove all eye make-up even waterproof, it's also enriched with Arginine to protect and condition the lashes.

Even though it's all the usual Opthalmogically tested, fragrance free, can be used on sensitive eyes and leaves no greasy residue, it also claims "No Rubbing Required". 

Unfortunately on those days when it struggled to remove my make-up I did resort to some rubbing to fully remove, which isn't recommended for the skin around the eye and especially for my crepey eyelids.

In my opinion, even though I shook the bottle well before use,I believe the ratio of oil/water mixture becomes imbalanced and hence the oil content is reduced meaning that the ease of removal of waterproof mascara or eyeliner becomes more difficult.

This is only my personal explanation, but if I'm correct then why haven't I experienced this before with other bi-phase removers.

Based on this I wouldn't re-purchase, which is disappointing as I'm a huge fan of many of the Garnier cleansing products and nobody formulates Micellar Waters...

 better than Garnier.

Garnier Express 2 in 1 Eye Make-Up Remover

125mls

As far as I am aware this product is not yet available in South Africa

£3.49

Previous reviews on Garnier products

Garnier Skin Active Micellar Oil Wipes Review

Garnier Skin Naturals Micellar Cleansing Water Review

Garnier Cleansing Wipes Goodbye Dry Review

Garnier Softening Cleansing Lotion and Softening Toner Goodbye Dry Review

Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector Review

COLLAGEN LIFT® PARIS RED CARPET WITH HYALURONIC ACID {PART 4}

This is my fourth and final post of my 8 week trial of using the daily drinkable collagen ampoule
Collagen Lift Paris Red Carpet with Hyaluronic Acid 
 and after a sceptical start, it's interesting what can happen over an 8 week period.

I settled into my daily morning routine of drinking the fruity amber liquid, mixed into a small amount of water, very easily 
(I think I only forgot to take on one occasion, which for me was a success)

If you have read my 3 previous journey posts (click on the Pink Links below to catch up) 
you may well be aware that I didn't notice any changes whatsoever in my skin until around the 5th week of taking.
(this is to be expected as cells take 28-30 days to renew themselves)

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Collagen Lift Paris Red Carpet with Hyaluronic Acid

I was more focused on the firming benefits of taking the ampoules along with the softening of some of my more prominent wrinkles and furrows 

and it's important to remember, these drinkable Collagen ampoules are not a "quick Fix" so patience is required and in my opinion this is why it's important to buy two boxes of the ampoules to cover the initial two month use period, then after 2 months it's advisable to drink 1 ampoule every 2-3 days for ongoing maintenance. 
The ampoules per box (28 days supply) 
retail for R980 
(so this is an ongoing financial commitment)

Collagen Lift Paris Red Carpet with Hyaluronic Acid

Having cared for my skin since the age of 15, along with nearly a lifetime in the beauty and cosmetic industry I wasn't expecting to see any remarkable results and I was correct... I didn't see any remarkable results, but what I did notice and so did my friends and family, were very subtle changes.

There was a definite softening of my naso labial folds and my forehead furrows, but what I was most impressed with, were the changes I saw on the jowl area, which is always an area of concern,for most women, as our skin ages.
My skin looked visibly firmer around the jawline which gave me a softer, gentle more contoured appearance, in simple terms I looked less "Jowly".

With regards to my skins hydration and moisturisation I can't say I noticed any great improvement, but I'm aware that my skin is well balanced and I always use a daily skincare product containing Hyaluronic Acid, which is a wonderful moisture binder and skin plumper that offers immediate benefits and results for all skin types.
So if your skin needs a little TLC then expect it to feel smoother, plumper and more hydrated.
I've also read reviews on the improvement seen on both the hair and nails, which stands to reason, but I unfortunately didn't notice any significant changes in those areas, but that doesn't mean to say that you won't, as ageing can cause hair thinning, so any help in this regard will be of great benefit to most women.

There are two different types of Collagen ampoules available from Collagen Lift, the original black box, which I'm not going in to and the newer red box, which contains the same as the black + the Hyaluronic Acid making for a more powerful combo.
In my view it's a "no brainer" as the red box is the one to opt for, as the inclusion of Hyaluronic Acid is an all important ingredient that most skins respond well to and love.


I'm glad I entered into the two month trial and even though I initially declined the offer,
I feel that a daily drinkable Collagen can work "hand in glove" with a good anti-aging skin care routine.
As I said earlier just drinking a daily tot of collagen is not going to give you an instant beautiful, ageless looking skin. 
Lets get real here, it takes time and a twice daily commitment for most of us to externally treat and protect our skins with products in order to combat the inevitable signs of the ageing process. 
But internally healthier eating habits, exercise and general good lifestyle choices will all go a long way to help and support the way in which our bodies age and taking the ampoules should be viewed in the same way, as another anti ageing option.

However that being said - for a neglected damaged skin, or for someone who is a heavy smoker or maybe in their late 30's or 40's and have just woken up to the fact their skin is ageing rapidly then I would highly recommend a good skin care regime and to embark on an extended course of ampoules and fit the "hand in the glove" quicker, as I can assure you before long it will fit very comfortably.


Collagen Lift is available from selected Dischems countrywide or order


Online

CLARINS INSTANT LIGHT NATURAL LIP PERFECTOR {REVIEW}

I'm rather late to the party with this product from Clarins, 

as the Award Winning Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector has been around for some time now and after several weeks of using,

is it really worthy of all the hype?

Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfector

There are 8 subtle shades available of this deliciously scented, protective and light reflecting lip balm.

I decided on 07 Toffee Pink Shimmer and it can be worn either on its own to give the lips a natural sheer and shiny shimmer or over any lipstick to enhance the colour and add shine.

The Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfector is like no other lip balm I've ever tried and I've tried many, as this melting gel has a beautiful luscious, balmy, smooth texture, with no stickiness.

Shea Nuts

Containing extracts of Shea Butter and Wild Mango to repair and soften the lips plus derivatives of Vitamins A and E, this lip balm both repairs and protects against free radicals (yes free radicals do affect the lips as they do the skin) making this product both a treatment and a lip colour.

Clarins have delivered again and this Instant Light Lip has found a permanent home in my handbag and it's "whipped out" several times a day either to moisturise, tint my lips or pop over another colour.

The sponge applicator, which I thought would soon become tacky and messy has stayed remarkably "clean" (even when using over another lipstick) and the squeezy tube makes for an easy, quick and smooth application.

In reply to my own opening question

"Is it worthy of all the hype" 

YES it is...

I highly recommend you check out the Instant Light colour options if you're not a huge lipstick fan, but  are still wanting to wear a natural lip colour that's quick to apply and easy to wear.

12ml

R265

$26

£18

Available from Clarins outlets countrywide and on line

Clarins

RECENT BEAUTY PRODUCT EMPTIES {MARCH 2017}

Not being a beauty blogger that writes a regular post on my recent empties, I thought I would just let you know what products I have recently and completely finished, which is always a good sign.

However I am guilty, as many of you are - I'm sure, of hoarding remnants of beauty products at the back of the cupboard or on the dressing table, not wanting to part with the last few drops or the fancy jar.

I'm not averse to this type of blog post at all, my problem is a simple one, I forget to hold onto the empty containers, meaning no photo, so no post.

Over the past few months the empties below somehow avoided the "bin toss" and all but one have made it back into my beauty life.

(If you would like to read the original reviews on these products then click on the 
Pink Links below)

1. 

benefit Roller Lash:

I have mentioned this mascara so many times and in my opinion it's a "must have" mascara and its replacement is already in daily use.

Review

2.

Avène Eau Thermale Spring Water Spray:

I just love my daily, post make-up, spritz of the Avène Thermale Spring Water and if kept in the fridge it's such a welcome refreshing and cooling mist on a hot Durban day, which means it's a permanent fixture in my house and even my hubby and the kids sneak a spritz on the hottest of days.

Review

3.

L'Occitane Pivoine Sublime Perfecting Toner:

The L'Occitane Pivoine Sublime Perfecting Toner is unfortunately the only product that hasn't been replaced and it's not for any reason, other than - I'm constantly trying new toners and very rarely replace any that I review, as there is always another one waiting to be tried and written about.

Review

4.

benefit GOOF PROOF BROW PENCIL:

benefit GOOF PROOF BROW PENCIL has been, literally a "brow" changer for me and even when the end of the pencil appears and you know it can't last forever,(even though you wished it would) it still comes as a shock. After saying that and considering it's a daily used product, it does last a good long while.

Review

5.

Collection Lasting perfection Concealer:

I currently have as stash of this concealer, as unfortunately its not available in South Africa.

I have written a series of blog posts on budget concealers and this certainly is my tops in terms of both price and effectiveness and if you can get your hands on one it really won't disappoint.

Review

Hopefully I will write more posts in the future about my 'recent empties" as long as I can remember not be too eager to throw the empties away...