L'Avoly - The Special One

Hi all!

Hope you've all got lovely things planned for the weekend - it's my birthday tomorrow so I'm spending today catching up on a few jobs, getting my Mother's Day gifts sorted and I'm going to treat myself to a good bath and pamper session later on tonight! I'm quite excited to try out some new bath bombs, turning into such a grandma with my cosy evenings!

Today's review is of a hair wonder product from L'Avoly.

Everyday Favourites: Hair Products

Last week I shared my everyday make up favourite (you can read them here). Today I thought I'd share my hair products I always use.
Label.m Protein Spray* (review)
This is something I've loved since I first tried it. It's a lightweight spray that has helped improve my hair and it seems to grow a quicker while using this in combination with other products listed. This is something I'll be repurchasing. I've had it since July and use it every time I wash my hair and as a heat protection spray. I love that it's multifunctional.
Sebastian Penetraitt Shampoo and Conditioner (review)
This is my go to shampoo and conditioner. I can't be without it. As someone who majorly abuses their hair with lots of heat and dye (I'm such an indecisive person and my hair takes the brunt of it). This is the only shampoo and conditioner that helps to control my hair falling out. It can be too heavy so I tend to alternate between this and others. It's a must for damaged hair though.
Macadamia Deep Repair Masque (review)
After trying this in my hairdressers a few years ago I've always gone back to it when I can afford it. It makes my hair super soft and smooth. I tend to use it once a week. Definitely worth the money. I've not found one that compares.
Avon Advance Techniques Moroccan Argan Oil Leave in Treatment
This is my go to hair oil though since discovery protein spray and the strengthen and protect leave in treatment below I've not been using it as much. It's a really reasonable price and does a good job. It's lighter than most I've tried so doesn't weigh my hair down. A great hair oil. I sometimes like to use this as an overnight treatment if I'm going to wash my hair in the morning.
Avon Advance Techniques Strenghten and Protect Leave in Treatment
This and the protein spray are what I apply to wet hair. I love the combination of these too. My hair feels soft and smooth. It helps my dry ends and has improved the condition of my hair. It's a lotion/gel texture and has taken over from hair oils for me. I didn't expect to find a product like this I liked more than hair oil. This is now a must for me.
Are any of my hair must have products on your list?
Love M
xxx

Label.m Honey and Oat Shampoo, Conditioner and Leave In Conditioner

A few week ago we were contacted by Label.m to see if we would like to try out their new Honey and Oat range.
Having tried their Protein Spray and absolutely love it (our post is here) we were really excited to try these as well.

The packaging is great, simple monochrome colours in square shaped bottles with rounded edges.

I've mentioned a zillion times how much I love simple so these tick all the boxes for me.
These Honey and Oat products were formulated for dry and dehydrated hair, which both me and M suffer with due to highlights and styling (doesn't everyone!).

The first thing I can tell you about these products is that they both smell AMAZING. Such a warm and comforting smell, I couldn't stop sniffing it in the shower!

The shampoo foams up really easily and my hair felt really clean without feeling stripped, which is probably down to the honey oat and sea kelp added in for moisture, strengthening and gloss. I love that it also contains an 'Enviroshield Complex' to protect hair from heat styling and UV rays.

The conditioner felt more like a lotion than other products which have felt heavier, and it seems to glide through the hair. The conditioner also contains Sea Cabbage for additional moisture and it doesn't feel heavy at all.

The leave in conditioner felt more like a serum to me, it was so light it was almost like a gel consistency and when applied to the hair didn't feel heavy at all. This uses ginger, ginseng, bergamot, juniper, mandarin orange and vanilla to enhance layers and control frizz for soothing and strengthening hair.

Having used all three for the past week or two my hair feels so much better, it feels cleaner and lasts longer between washes, and feels smoother and stronger than it did before.
It seems to be behaving a lot better style wise as well, which makes life a whole lot easier doesn't it!

I'm normally quite lucky with my hair as it's generally quite resilient but using these products has shown me how much better it could be. I'm not one to spend more on haircare for this reason but this collection of products is definitely worth the money and I think they're reasonably priced for the effects you get from them.

Have you tried Label.m products? What did you think?

L xxx

After being so pleased with the other Label.m products we tried I was so excited to try these, especially as they are for dry damaged hair.

Firstly the smell of these won me over straight away, it smells amazing!! Sweet but not overly. The shampoo gave a good lather and left my hair feeling clean. Another good thing for me is that it didn't make my hair fall out as I've found with cheaper shampoos.

The conditioner was definitely my favourite. It was a lightweight conditioner so didn't weigh down my fine hair. Even though it was lightweight it definitely has helped make my recently bleached hair more manageable. I also like that silicone isn't one of the main ingredients. It is on the list but almost one of the last ones.

Leave in conditioner isn't something I usually use. I've been using this after shampooing and conditioning and applying just to the ends of my hair. These are really damaged at the moment so I'm trying my best to improve this. The leave in conditioner has helped prevent my hair from becoming tangled and makes it easier to comb when wet.

As my hair is dyed and processed a lot I always find I need better hair care for it and tend to go for more expensive brands as I find my hair reacts better to them and cheaper shampoos just don't work for me. I personally prefer to pay more for hair care.

The shampoo retails for £11.95 and the conditioner for £14.95. I do think label.m products are reasonably priced and will continue to purchase them. Currently if you spend over £30 you get a free gift. You can order from labelm.com

Do you prefer higher end hair care? Have you tried label.m?

Love M

xxx

Ojon Hair Product Bundle

Happy weekend!!!

I will freely admit that I have scheduled this post (it's currently Thursday night) as I've wanted to write about this bundle for a little while. However this combined with the fact that we also planned to go out last night (Friday) and I just knew I wouldn't be in any state to write a post before we head off to my parents caravan for some beach and BBQ fun!

So fingers crossed we aren't too hungover....as we've bought so much pimms to drink later on!

After hearing a lot about Ojon products the past year or so I couldn't resist when I saw a bundle of products put together in cellophane for a discounted price. I mean who could refuse!

The kit contains:
Full Detox Shampoo 250ml £21
Dry Recovery Revitalising Mist 175ml £20.50
Rare Blend Oil 45ml £30

All of these are full size and the bundle retails separately at £71.50.

I managed to pick this up......for £23.

Yes you read that right, £23!!!! How amazing!

I'd wanted to get my hands on this very pretty and gorgeous smelling oil for a while but couldn't justify the £30 price tag.

But are they worth the cash??

I have been using the Full Detox Shampoo for a few weeks now and have noticed a difference in my hair after using it. After a few washes it definitely feels cleaner than it did previously and so I feel that it has reduced some of the build up that was present on my hair.

As well as being detoxifying and helping you to get rid of oil and impurities it contains the Ojon oil, Macadamia oil and Sunflower Seed oil for nourishment.

I do really like this shampoo and am happy to have tried it as part of the deal. However I don't believe that it is worth the £21 price tag, as I don't think any shampoo can be THAT much better than another retailing for a few pound. I do really like this but i'll be keeping it for special occasions and for when my hair is in need of a product detox.

Next up is the Revitalising Mist which I was really interested in!

This claims to revitalise, rehydrate, detangle and tame flyaways all without being sticky or stiff.

I like the idea of this, and even better that its two products you have to shake up and the spray feels really light going onto your hair and it doesn't feel coated.

It did feel a little sticky on the top but that could be from me being so heavy handed with it.......

My hair does feel more nourished and definitely more hydrated from using the mist, probably as this also contains the Ojon oil the collection is named after.
Essentially its a leave in conditioner but I am always looking for additional moisture for my hair and this one is rather lovely!

Now onto the biggie in the bundle, the rare blend oil.

This 45ml bottle will set you back £30 which is quite a lot!

So does it actually work?

They say:

From tropical Tahiti to the Kalahari Desert in Africa, from the remote rainforests of Central America and beyond, Ojon™ gathered potent natural oils legendary for their "great healing powers" and infused them into 3 hair- phases: Amber, Crystal and Red.

One precious drop of this multi-tasking wonder helps protect, nourish and transforms dull, dry or damaged hair to vibrant health. Hair instantly looks glossier, shinier; suddenly feels softer, silkier, more luxurious.

I love that they've listed the oils on the side of the box, knowing that its a blend and the company aren't afraid to let people know exactly what's in it is great. And I love the desert/rainforest type packaging they have going on, definitely makes it feel a lot more special and interesting.

They have a long list of promises on the box; taming frizz, preventing heat damage, nourishing and encouraging shine all of which you would expect from a super oil.

I do really like the three layer presentation, particularly the colours, and even more when it's shaken up into a milky coral colour.

I should mention at this point that the oil smells reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally nice!!! A bit fruity, a bit tropical but definitely not overpowering. As you will be putting this on your head I'd hate for this to be overpowering as it would be hanging around all day. I think they've got the balance just right.

However I beg to differ about the 'one drop' theory. I know I have long hair but I believe anyone would need more than 1 single drop and I personally end up pouring out a few drops onto my hand to ensure my hair is covered and have never found this to be too much and be sticky.

I thought the oil was lovely, smells gorgeous, looks gorgeous and does help to prevent frizz, boost moisture and possibly add shine. I can't comment on how well it prevents heat damage as I rarely heat treat my hair anymore, probably twice a month i'll style it so my hair is in good condition from that anyway but every little helps!

It was a pleasure to try all of these products for the discounted price in the bundle and I can't say a really bad word about any of them. However I would begrudge paying this amount when there are other products out there just as good for less cash.
My hair seems to respond quite well to cheaper products so I'm lucky in that respect, I certainly can't say the same for my skin!

What do you think of Ojon and their products? Would you fork out the full whack for these beauties?

L xxx

Review: Aveda Damage Remedy products

I realise these are only tiny samples but I just had to blog about them after the effect they had on my hair.

This is the Aveda Damage Remedy trio:

My hair isn't in bad condition normally, and in fact I never owned a hair oil until 2 weeks ago.

But recently my hair has been feeling awful, especially at the ends.

It's really frustrating as after straightening it twice all year and curling it about 5 times, as well as getting it cut at least every 2 months, it should be in pretty damn good condition!

I use heat protector and occasionally some Sebastian Potion 9 when I remember and that's usually all it needs.

However I think because I've been growing it for so long it's probably in need of some TLC.

This was why I ended up investing in a hair oil (Tresemme Liquid Gold if you were wondering, post soon!)

I've always been pretty lucky with my hair but in my hour of need, my nan (of all people!) had been given this in a shop and donated it to me, perfect timing!

This is the Aveda Damage Remedy set and contains a shampoo, conditioner and leave in treatment.

The details are:

Damage Remedy Shampoo

Organic Damage Remedy Restructuring Shampoo is a gentle daily cleanser most suited to dry, damaged or chemically treated hair. It helps repair damaged hair. With the addition of Quinoa Protein, Babassu and Coconut Oil your hair is moisturised and restored.

Damage Remedy Conditioner 

Damage Remedy Restructuring Conditioner is a lightweight yet deep daily conditioner. The formula using Quinoa Protein, phellendron and Sandalwood repairs and restores the hair shaft resulting in smoother manageable healthy looking hair.

Damage Remedy Intensive Restructuring Treatment 

Damage Remedy™ Intensive Restructuring Treatment combines essential flower and plaint oils to repair and rebuild. It restores and moisturises the hair shaft and helps to smooth out the hair cuticle. Used twice weekly alongside the three step programme hair is restored to shiny healthy condition.

So onto my thoughts...the shampoo and conditioner both smelt lovely.

It's really hard to describe but I could smell a sort of almond and aniseed type smell at different times which was odd but nice all the same.

Definitely couldn't smell the coconut oil in the shampoo, but it lathered up nicely and my hair felt very clean afterwards.

The shampoo was also thicker than others I've used suggesting it was a lot more moisturising which I'm guessing it was with the result it gave me.

The conditioner felt very nice to put through my hair as it sort of melted as I applied it.

I ended up using the entire tubes of shampoo and conditioner in one go as my hair felt like it needed it and 10ml isn't a lot!

I left the conditioner on for a good few minutes in the shower and my hair felt a lot better even whilst still under the water.

Lastly I used the leave in treatment just before I blow dried my hair which was a serum type product, if a little runnier than normal.

The result was that my hair felt absolutely amazing and I loved it!

I would definitely consider buying these 3 to see what the long term effects are if the short term effects are so instant.

Other products just don't seem the same since and my hair doesn't feel as great a week later so I'm going to have to try something else as at the moment my budget won't stretch to Aveda.

It's a shame that the tubes weren't a little bigger really! I'm going to have to dig through my collection and find some hair products to use up.

Have you used Aveda products before?

I've heard lots about them but have never used them, this was my first time and I'm thoroughly impressed!

L xxx

Also don't forget to enter our Selfridge's Beauty Box giveaway!!!

You can find it here