Charles Worthington London Moisture Seal Mask Sample Review

 

My hair is dry, parched, bleached and thinning - blame the menopause and the constant need to disguise the greys. However, as a busy single mum I simply don't have the time to faff around with deep conditioners, wrapping my head in clingfilm and blasting with a hairdryer. Nor do I have the time to walk around for 10 minutes, with a product dripping on my head. I need results and I need it done now. Welcome to my life Moisture Seal Intensive Oil Rescue Mask.

This mask has all the ingredients that you would expect from a good deep conditioner however, it works in just 1 minute. That's right, so you can slap it on (mid lengths to ends), in the shower and by the time you've frothed your body with shower gel, it's time to rinse off. 

Some of the ingredients include:-

• Argan Oil - nourishing, can prevent breakages and split ends.
• Coconut Oil - repairs and moisturises dehydrated, dry hair.
• Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil - loaded with fatty acids, so very hydrating for dry hair types.
• Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil - an ingredient that is used for it's non-greasy and lightweight properties, whilst deeply nourishing to chemically, damaged hair.

It has a lovely fresh fragrance, is a light, creamy, whipped texture and makes detangling a doddle and left my hair feeling much stronger. In fact my usual serum wasn't needed before I blasted with my hairdryer. Even my hairdresser commented that my hair was in good condition (to the point she allowed me a few extra blonde streaks on Wednesday)! 

It costs a very reasonable £6.99150ml and is available to buy from www.boots.com

OJAR Wood Whisper Absolute Sample Review

 

I always find fragrances very difficult to review. Having spent most my adult life writing up reviews, giving tips on how to test perfumes etc, helping others choose the correct fragrance - it's very difficult as it's such a personal journey. To me fragrance is just that, it's part of a journey as it evokes memories and emotions. 

However, I do tend to stick to one brand, often a higher end such as Tom Ford as I find the fragrance can last longer however, I often become 'stale' in my choice and use the same fragrance notes. Today, I was proven just why we should review our fragrance, like our skincare. Today I was introduced to the brand OJAR, and I can honestly say, this is by far one of the top fragrances I have tested. 

OJAR (founded by Omani businesswoman Hind Bahwan), together with the Swiss company Givaudan (leading flavour and fragrance company in the world), created a vision of combining both Eastern and Western fragrance, resulting in 18 finished perfume oils. The oils are based around 6 core ingredients - Frankincense, Rose, Honey, Sandalwood, Oud and Musk. All the fragrances can be worn alone or layered to create a different experience each time. Not only are the oils unisex but they take out the guess work when buying as a gift, as you can base your choice around the wearers current scent they own. 

OJAR is not your standard 'perfume'. In fact OJAR comes from the word HOJARI, a frankincense resin of the highest quality founded in Oman's Dhofar mountains.  The fragrance is made without alcohol and it's an oil. It's made of the purest and finest oils, using a process that ensures the fragrance is long lasting on the skin. Decanted into an exquisite blue glass bottle, the roller ball application ensures precisely where the fragrance is applied. It is far better to have a small amount on warmer areas of the body, so that when reacted to the heat, your scent will continue to emit it's notes. As this comes in an oil formula it binds the fragrance even more so to the skin. Not only does it come in a rollerball application but you can unscrew the lid to reveal a glass dropper (I added some to my moisturiser for an all-over body scent), as well as putting a drop with some carrier oil to add to my bath. 

After writing this review, I tested the fragrance for it's longevity and it was still as strong 6 hours later - I also had a few compliments from my dog walking friend, my son (who loves a woody scent) and a school mum.

Whilst each bottle is £130 for 20ml, you only need a single drop for the scent to last all day, and whilst they don't advertise this as such, as mentioned above it can be used and added to other carriers to enhance the layering effect.  Available to purchase online at www.ojarofficial.uk  or  www.harrods.com

Blueberry Siberica Anti-Ox Wild Blueberry Cream-to-Foam Face Cleanser l Sample Review

 

I discovered this wonderful brand just before Christmas last year, and so impressed by the quality I have ordered some more products to sample - you may see a few items pinging up on this blog over the next month or so!

One of the products I was sent was a 'Christmas Cracker' filled with mini treats from the Blueberry line. So delicious in scent and full of anti-oxidants, it got me excited in testing their Cream to Foam Face Cleanser.

Firstly, apologies for the poor quality of my photos - having dropped my phone, I need to find time to update to a later version. Anyway looking at some of the ingredients:-

• Wild Volcanic Blueberry - high in antioxidants and vitamins, helps prevent damage from environmental pollutions. 
• Hyaluronic Acid - a sugar that occurs naturally and helps the skin maintain moisture, as it can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water. 
• Allantonin - anti-irritant, helps calm the skin so good for wound healing.
• Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract - aka Elderberry, an ideal addition to skin care for it's refreshing and skin conditioning properties. 
• Rhamnoides Fruit Extract - otherwise known as Sea Buckthorn, and used in many skin products as is high in Omega 7 and Vitamin A. An excellent ingredient for anti-aging.

Upon application the creamy texture emulsified into a light foam, it rid all my makeup, include my 'water resistant' eyebrow makeup. It smelt good enough to eat, making the whole process more of a spa ritual. Best of all it didn't leave my face feeling tight, something that often happens to me with foaming cleansers (I have a drier skin type).

Please do check out the reviews from other customers (of all the range), otherwise I would suggest trying for yourself, it's a reasonable £6.99 for 100ml at www.naturasiberica.co.uk

Revox Line Relaxer by Revision Skincare Sample Review

 

I was sent this a few months ago to test and wanted to see the results of using it for a month before I wrote about it. Unfortunately, I had done a 'before and after shot', and when I went into my iPhone camera roll today, many of my photos had disappeared, I suspect from the eldest messing around with iCloud (I will put her on her own one this year)! That saying you don't really need to see 'before and after' shots to realise the quality of ingredients in this 'line relaxer'.

The makers of Revox Line Relaxer promote it as a line serum to be used in between anti-wrinkle injections, to maintain longevity of the treatment. However, it can be used without having anti-wrinkle injections which is good as I don't have them. 

The serum is formulated using patent pending 'Line Relax' technology, and claims that after 3 months expressions lines are reduced by a whopping 38%. Included in this formula are a cocktail of ingredients that include 8 peptides, hyaluronic acid and arnica.  It can be used by both men and women and used on both horizontal and vertical lines. Before I start stripping back the ingredient list here are some of the claims.

'93% of subjects showed improvement in crow's feet wrinkles at maximum smile'

'90% of subjects showed improvement in skin texture in the periorbital area at maximum smile'

Whilst I don't have the before photo I can also tell you that there was a visible difference when I smiled after using the product for a month. Also I found the under eye crepiness disappeared instantly as soon as applied, of course this instant result was just temporary but very handy on a night out. 

Below is a brief over-view of some of the ingredients and how they work to reduce lines:-

• Acetyl Octapeptide-3 - an anti-aging peptide that helps relax and relieve facial wrinkles. It's a synthetic ingredient made up of many types of acids and is more stable than botulinum toxin, commonly known as Botox and used in anti-wrinkle injections.
• Palmitoyl Tripeptide 28 - another group of amino acids that can actually penetrate the deeper layers of the skin, whereby it stimulates collagen production.
• Dipeptide Diaminobutyrol Benzylamide Diacetate - a small molecule that imitates anti-wrinkle injections, targeting fine lines and wrinkles. 
• Sodium Hyaluronate - attracts moisture to the skin and so helps hydrate the area, giving a plumping effect and reducing flakiness.
• Inulin - this is a type of prebiotic and helps rebalance the skins moisture and oil levels. It helps nourish good bacteria and is often used to prevent acne and premature aging.
• Arnica Montana Flower Extract- an excellent plant extract that helps with bruising, swelling and is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory.

There are more peptides included, but I will sound like I'm repeating myself however, one look at the back of the box and I was suitably impressed - this serum is packed full of active ingredients that work.

Finally and what is very important to me, is the packaging something comes in. As far as eye serums go this is the best application process I've tested (and believe me I've tested hundreds of eye serums etc over the years). Firstly, with just one press down on the tube it delivers the correct amount of serum and secondly, the tip is cooling and smooth and so when pressed around the eye area, helps reduce puffiness. Also I much prefer tube applications as they limit germs spread from fingers, that often happens when dipping into little pots. Again, please remember this isn't just for the eye area but can be used around the mouth too. 

This is expensive but a little goes a long way, you only need a tiny amount. Also I always think if you're going to splash out on skincare then spend where you usually see aging first. Therefore line relaxers, serums etc are worth the money and, like this one, you get what you pay for. It's priced at £147.00 and you can buy it here at www.revisionskincare.co.uk

Dry January with Heineken 0.0 Alcohol Free Sample Review

 

Dry January for me isn't that difficult, I only drink wine or spirits possibly 1 or 2 units a week, albeit this does depend on whether my son is losing at FIFA and I can hear the desk slamming. Joking aside I suffer from something called 'Asian Flush', which basically means that my body doesn't contain the enzyme to digest alcohol well. Nearly 50% of the Asian population suffer from this, and for me it stems from my late fathers DNA made up of mainly Chinese, Japanese and Burmese. The result is 1 unit and I am bright red in the face and I can get heart palpitations. So I am always on the lookout for a decent non-alcohol beverage that doesn't make me a cheap date. 

There are many reasons aside for 'Dry January' to just going along with the 'trend' to omit alcohol. Not only does it cause liver damage, dehydration and a huge host of side effects, but it is also expensive and pretty much January most of us are cutting back on the finances after Christmas. That saying we need something to drink be it at home watching Netflix or having friends over for a take-away, and sometimes a cuppa just doesn't cut it. 

I was lucky enough to be sent a case of 0.0% Heineken to test, well I say lucky it was my friends that were lucky to receive it, as I don't drink beer. I put it to the test of 4 friends NYE (at the stroke of 1 minute past midnight) - and here's the feedback. 

"The beer is refreshing and clean tasting".

"It must be served cold for the full effect so keep it in the fridge"

"It's up there with some of the best of the rest for the taste of beer without alcohol"

"It looks the same as any other beer and has the right amount of gas/froth".

The reason why there is not much difference in the alcohol version is that the beer is made using exactly the same ingredients as the alcoholic version, 5% ABV Heineken Original. For those watching their weight it's only 69 kcal per bottle/can 330ml. Not only is it available to buy on the shelf, but it is also soon to be a great addition to many British pubs, as this year 2022 will roll out in draught form. It's the first of it's kind to be included next to other draught beers and will feature in hundreds of pubs. This goes without saying that it will be incredibly popular, and will be a huge welcome for many drivers and those who have to take medication.  

Heineken 0.0% is available in 4 and 12 packs of 330ml bottles, and a 6 pack of 330ml cans in major supermarkets and convenience stores. RRP £3.50 (4 pack) Tesco.