The Saviour of Oily Roots and Dry Ends! (AKA, Extraordinary Clay by Elvive)

L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Clay Shampoo and Conditioner

(3 for £10 at Boots!)

For me, this shampoo and conditioner are long awaited! I've suffered from oily roots for years and although I've had shampoo's that worked for my hair, they never worked as well as this does. 

This new range by L'Oreal Paris Elvive, is the stuff dreams are made of (OTT?). As soon as I heard about it I know I had to try it, and then when I first tried it I knew I never wanted to change shampoo again. Some of you may think I'm crazy for being this excited about a hair range but, if you have oily hair, you'll probably share my joy.

The range is called 'Extraordinary Clay' and features 5 products (to view the full range click here). The two picked up are the 'L'Oreal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Clay Anti-Dandruff Shampoo' and 'L'Oreal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Clay Re-Balancing Conditioner'.

There are 2 different shampoos in the range. The shampoo I decided is the one for 'Oily Roots with Dry Ends Prone to Dandruff'. Now, I don't really have dry ends but I think everyone's ends can use a bit of extra loving. However, I do suffer from dandruff at the front of my scalp. I always thought it was just me that has strange hair that's somehow oily but prone to dandruff but no, it must happen to other people too! So the fact this shampoo sorts out my oiliness, dandruff and dry ends is great. 

Elvive claim this shampoo uses '3 refined clays and Piroctone-O' to create a range that re-balances the hair and keeps it purified for up to 72 hours.

As you can see from the images, I've only tried 2 of the products from the range, but I'm extremely impressed. There's a dry shampoo in the range and that's something I'm definitely going to purchase next time I'm out shopping.

Will you be purchasing anything from this range? If so, let me know if you've had the same great experience as me!

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Becky

XO

Greasy Hair? Don't Care!

I've suffered with greasy hair all my life. I'll wash it one day and it'll be greasy the next. I've searched many times online for shampoo's that are specifically for greasy hair but often to no avail. There have been about two shampoo's I've been able to find and try that are actually for greasy hair, but one was discontinued and the other just seemed to make my hair worse. I've also searched for tips and tricks for my hair type but it seems as though it's a taboo subject or something that I can't find much information on. After doing a lot of digging, I found out about clarifying shampoos and wondered if maybe one of those could do the job.

A clarifying shampoo is one that is used to remove product build up and give your hair a total refresh by deeply cleansing it. Now, I don't use a lot of product on my hair, as I feel this contributes to oiliness, but had an inkling that it could remove excess oil. As you may have guessed by now, clarifying shampoos work for oily hair! I'm not saying they banish it forever but they definitely help keep it at bay for longer than normal shampoos. I've also found that some shampoos designed to add volume can help with oiliness, but, on the other hand, some can make your roots seem full of product. It's just all trial and error really.

These three shampoos are my favourite ones at the moment. They are, Soap & Glory Glad Hair Day, Kebelo Clarifying Shampoo and Tresemme 24 Hour Body. The Soap & Glory Shampoo isn't actually a clarifying shampoo, but it acts like one. It says on the tube that it has a 'no build-up formula', so when looking for a shampoo, it's often best to read the small print. This is my most used shampoo as it works wonders for my hair and smells really fruity. I also use the Tresemme one a lot, I like to switch up the shampoos a bit so my hair doesn't start getting too used to one type. The Kebelo one is actually a new addition that I got in a Birchbox. This one is marketed as a clarifying shampoo (unlike Soap & Glory), so I'd suggest only using this every now and again. 

One quick tip is that although clarifying shampoos are great for greasy hair, they can also dry the scalp out and make it itch and also dry the ends of the hair. This is one reason you shouldn't use a clarifying shampoo every time you wash your hair. After you've thoroughly rinsed the shampoo out, make sure to apply conditioner only to the ends of the hair (I also sometimes put it on the very front of my scalp/hair line as it can get a bit dry there). Applying conditioner only to the ends will ensure you're not adding any extra moisture to the scalp.

I probably don't need to tell you this but, Batiste Dry Shampoo is a life saver for greasy hair too. If you have darker hair and don't like getting white roots (who does..?) then get the ones for coloured hair. I either get Medium & Brunette or Dark & Deep Brown, it just depends which is available. 

Also, If you have flat hair as well as oily hair, then here are two great products for creating lift without creating product buildup and greasy roots. TIGI Small Talk is a 'thickifier', 'energiser' and ' styliser' so fulfils all your needs in one! Just beware not to use too much as this will make your hair greasy, you only need a small amount rubbed between your fingers. Another option is the Percy & Reed Volumising No Oil Oil, this is another product I got in a Birchbox. I was always scared to use an oil on my hair, because oil = oily scalp in my mind, so I was very intrigued to see if this would work and it actually does! Same as before though, don't use too much. Just 2 or 3 drops should do the trick. 

I hope this helped some of you. If you want any more information or have any questions, don't hesitate to leave a comment.

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Becky

XO

Go Emoji Crazy With Birchbox's August 2015 #Beautyjunkie Box

This is the cutest Birchbox I have received so far! It's got all these little beauty themed emoji's all over is and I just think it's so lovely and playful.

In the box you get the usual information booklet along with 6 beauty/hair products in a drawstring bag. Also in this month's box you get a set of emoji stickers, you can just see them peeping from behind the lid of the box in the picture above.

1. Rituals Rice Scrub - Organic Rice Milk and Cherry Blossom. 

This smells DIVINE. As soon as I smelt it I basically made my mum smell it too because it's just that good! It smells so fresh and clean, if that even makes sense. The scrub is quite coarse so will be good for exfoliating legs to get rid of any dead skin cells before hair removal. It states in the booklet that it can be used on sensitive skin and when it comes into contact with water it turns into a foaming cream. I can't wait to try this one out!

2. Kebelo Clarifying Shampoo.

To be honest, this doesn't really smell of anything. I don't mind that it doesn't have a scent because, on the bright side, at least it doesn't smell awful. I quite like clarifying shampoos because I have an oily scalp and they help to get rid of any excess oils and product buildup. It says to apply once or twice a month, I believe this is so you don't remove too much of your natural hair oils as this can cause your scalp to become dry and irritated. 

3. BioNike Cleansing Water.

This is a fragrance-free cleanser that is suitable for 'hypersensitive and intolerant skin'. It is meant to sooth spots and leave skin feeling smooth and soft. Apparently you massage this into your face and neck using your fingertips, afterwards you wipe off the excess with a cotton pad, sounds interesting! One thing I like about receiving these little samples from Birchbox is that they are great to use when travelling. My normal cleansing water/toner is in a largish bottle, so now I can just take this instead. 

4. thebalm Cosmetics Balm Desert Bronzer.

A teeny bronzer sample from thebalm. The last product I received in my Birchbox from thebalm (the Cindy-Lou Manizer) was really good so I'm looking forward to using this. It's a really subtle and natural shade, perfect for my pale skin! There's a tiny bit of shimmer but nothing too over the top. 

5. Lord & Berry Blush in the shade Lotus.

This is a gorgeous rosy pink coloured blush, perfect for giving you that natural rosy cheek look. The booklet says that this is buildable so you can either create a natural look or add a pop of colour to your cheeks buy building it up. The texture of this is lovely, very silky smooth.

6. L. Erickson Grab & Go Ponytail Holder.

To put it simply, this is a hair bobble (or hair tie, whatever you may call them). There is no metal on the bobble which means no snagging! I probably wouldn't go out with my hair in this because it's silver/grey and my hair is a darkish brown so it stands out a mile. However, it'll be perfect for bed or when I'm doing my make up. 

There you have it, that's this months Emoji crazy Birchbox in a nutshell!

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Becky

XO

Blow Away Your Holiday Hair Blues

I don't usually take travel sized hair tools with me on holiday, I just put up with the crappy hair dryer in the hotel and take my normal sized straighteners. However, just before I went on holiday a few weeks ago, I saw this set on offer in Boots and thought it was about time I invested in some travel sized tools.

Ego Trip Special Edition Gold Travel Set

This is the box that the items come in, it's a really sturdy box so I've actually kept it and now store other things in it. I believe it's Special Edition because it's gold and also comes with a brush, the normal one is red and doesn't include a brush.

Everything is really neatly packaged inside the box. As you can see it comes with straighteners, a hairdryer with two different attachments, a diffuser and a regular nozzle, and also a 'medium contours hair brush'. Both of the electric hair tools come in Gold and Black with an ombre effect.

Ego Travel Hair Straightener

The straightener is super easy to use, there's just one heat setting so you just flick the on switch and wait for it to heat up. It literally takes about 15-20 seconds to heat up (I timed it on my phone!), although there is no indicator as to when it is completely heated up, there's just a little red light letting you know it's turned on. I just figured that when it's really hot, it's ready for you to use! 

It features a 2.5m swivel cord, this to me is a really good length, it isn't too short or too long. There's also a little velcro strap so it is easy to wrap up ready to put in your case.

Ego Travel Hair Dryer

The 1200W hair dryer has two heat settings and you can also change what voltage you want it to be, either 230V or 120V, it comes set to 230V so I've just left it at that. As previously stated, the hair dryer comes with two attachments, I've only ever used the diffuser once but it seems to do the job, and so does the regular nozzle which is the one I always use. 

I think one reason I've often been wary of buying a travel hair dryer is that I didn't think they'd be any better than the ones you'd get in a hotel but this one is actually really good. I'd even go as far as saying it drys my hair just as well and just as fast as my regular hair dryer I use at home. 

The cord on the hair dryer is the same length as the straightener (2.5m) and also features the velcro strap.

Ego Medium Contours Hair Brush

Finally, we come to the hair brush, I don't usually use a hair brush and dry my hair at the same time (if that even makes sense). I part dry my hair, turn the dryer off, brush, then dry again, brush...etc etc until it's dry. I know you're supposed to use a brush like this one whilst drying to create volume at the roots and to smoothen your hair but, to be honest, I can never get the technique right and just end up with the brush matted in my hair. So I haven't really used this brush, I think I used it once but just gave up in the end because, unfortunately, I obviously don't have the knack for drying and brushing at the same time!

I hope you enjoyed this review of these travel tools, if you want any further information on them please don't hesitate to leave a comment.

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Becky 

XO