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TRESemme Smooth & Silky Conditioner like its partner shampoo claims a "salon quality formula" and it does tame the frizz reasonably well, without using harsh chemicals, parabens or alcohol. Still I found it a little heavy, weighing down my thick, wavy hair, a little too much. With only a small amount needed, the large 940mls bottle it comes in will last a very long time. After washing with TRESemmé Smooth & Silky shampoo, I applied the conditioner through my hair. Running my fingers through the length to coat it and detangle. I then left on for 2-3 minutes then rinsed. While it certainly detangles I found the conditioner took a lot of rinsing! And even after I had rinsed... a lot, my hair still felt quite heavy and slippery with conditioner. A little bit goes a very long way!! I dont really like the feel of the conditioner on my hair even though it is reasonably taming for my fly aways. My hair felt a bit flat. Still an ok and economical stand by to use occasionally.

TRESemme Smooth & Silky Shampoo states it has a "salon quality formula" but it is basically a supermarket shampoo which is very economical to buy and does an ok job. The shampoo contains sunflower seed oil and vitamin A which are thought to be beneficial for drier hair, and I was very pleased to see that it states it contains no parabens, alcohol or dyes. However it does contain the lathering agent, sodium laureth sulfate (which many shampoos do contain). The bottles the shampoo comes in are a huge 940mls. Over the last few weeks I have regularly used the shampoo on my thick wavy, frizz prone hair and found it is reasonably effective. It cleans and lathers up well but I did find I needed to use quite a bit of it, and I needed to wash my hair more often, (so its giant size bottle is probably a good thing). I found the fragrance or smell of it quite strong and my husband did comment on how strong the smell of it was too . It has a slightly artificial, fruity bubblegum smell which is ok but not really my favourite. Having said that the smell dissipates quickly when your hair dries and my frizz is quite well tamed by this shampoo. It is not as stripping as a lot of supermarket shampoos can be. However after two weeks of use my hair was crying out for something more nourishing.

L'Oréal Midnight Serum I love trying serums and after seeing advertisements for L'Oreal Midnight Serum was keen to try it. So I was delighted to trial this product. It absorbed very quickly and easily and I was pleased that unlike some lotions or serums, it did not make my face feel sticky or oily after applying. It just melted into my skin, making it feel instantly soft to the touch. This velvety feel is probably because the serum contains an ingredient called Dimethicone, which is used in a lot of products to give that silky texture. However while it felt nice, I noticed very little real change to the wrinkles, fine lines or darker age spots on my skin. The serum itself has quite a fresh but subtle smelling fragrance, which quickly disappears anyway. So if you are not a fan of perfumed lotions no need to worry as the fragrance soon dissipates. While my skin did feel nice and more hydrated after using, I am not sure if it actually was getting much hydration from the product, as I did have some breakouts, a few dry patches and some redness over the trial period. Looking at the long list of ingredients in this serum I suspect that the denatured alcohol may have caused this. I generally try to avoid alcohol based products as they can cause me some sensitivity. While 3 drops is recommended I found this a lot and when my skin became a bit irritated I dropped the dosage to 1 or 2 drops which worked better for me. Two drops is more than enough to provide ample coverage to both the face and neck. I would suggest trying less than the recommended number of drops to see if it is enough for you. The packaging is a beautiful vintage style. Box itself is standard, but inside is a classic, heavy, opaque, 30ml amber glass bottle with a stopper. While it's retro looks are good, one disadvantage of it is that you can’t see through the bottle to see how much is left. I don’t think this will be a repeat purchase for me. I had high hopes for this product but it just didn't really do anything extra for me.

BOOST LAB Vitamin B3 Blemish Rescue Serum is as the name suggests designed to gently banish blemishes like redness, acne, enlarged pores and oiliness. The key ingredients it uses to fight these blemishes are the essential nutrient Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide), Zinc and Pollustoc an antioxidant which apparently fights environmental pollutants. You can use the serum as part of your usual daily skin care routine. So after washing my face with my usual cleanser I massaged two or three drops of the Vitamin B3 Blemish Rescue Serum into my face, neck and décolletage. I chose to concentrate my efforts around my nose and chin area which is where I have enlarged pores and oiliness. The serum glides on smoothly and a little bit goes a long way, quickly absorbing into the skin. It feels gentle and silky on your skin and has a very light, pleasant fragrance. It certainly seems like the Niacinamide otherwise known as Vitamin B3 really does work on skin texture as my enlarged pores did seem to be less noticeable and my face generally (and nose in particular) seemed to have less excess oil. Niacinamide is known to be able to smooth your overall skin texture, and brighten your skin, and it does seem to be improving my skins appearance. I will definitely be keeping up this serum as part of my skincare routine!

BOOST LAB AHA Glow Resurfacing Serum is a daily exfoliating serum that uses Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA), Manuka Honey and Aloe Vera. It is designed to smooth and brighten, as well as to revitalise your complexion, and I couldn't wait to try it! My skin is starting to show the signs of aging and an outdoor lifestyle - fine lines and wrinkles, so I was very keen to see what kind of a difference it could make. Packaged in a fairly simple, minimalist style, the small 30ml eye dropper style bottle certainly has a more medicinal/scientific look to it than a beauty product look. I cleansed my face as usual, as per the instructions, ready to apply the serum. When I massaged the serum into my face and décolletage it felt lovely and silky with a slight tingle and had a pleasant very subtle fresh fragrance. Two little drops seems to go quite a long way. It feels very gentle and soothing and can be used twice a day - morning and evening after cleansing, and before moisturising, as part of your usual skin care routine. There is no doubt that the use of Manuka Honey and Aloe Vera really helps to soothe and calm the skin while the Lactic Acid AHA does its job of exfoliating. Unlike with a lot of exfoliants I found this Glow Resurfacing serum was very gentle - no stripped feeling or peeling. It just seems to buff the skin and give it a soft, subtle glow (true to name)... gently exfoliating the dead skin cells that build up on the surface of the skin so that new, more evenly pigmented cells have a chance to generate and take their place.

The finishing brush is a longer brush, and like the smaller mineral brush, is amazingly soft on your skin. It is made of ultra soft high quality synthetic fibres, and has a really luxurious look and feel. It has a large domed shape, and has been ergonomically designed, making it easier to use and control. I must admit, I am never sure which brush to use for what, but I found that this one was great for buffing in and also for applying the finishing powder. It was easy to do a light sweep over my face to give a nice sheer finish. I felt a bit like a professional makeup artist when I used it. As with the medium sized mineral brush, I liked that you can keep this chocolate brown, long handled brush clean and hygienic in its own clear plastic cylinder storage case too. And it is good to know that all Nude by Nature items are cruelty-free.

The mineral brush is a medium sized brush and it has a lovely soft feel on your skin. The densely packed bristles on its rounded head neatly picks up a good amount of mineral powder, making it easy to apply and blend the loose powder make up into your skin. I was concerned that the powder might look too flat but with the mineral brush it was easy to make my skin appear nice and natural and to blend it, evening out my skin. The brush certainly makes it easy to attain a natural, flawless finish. It is a versatile chocolate brown handled brush that I imagine could be used to apply any type of face powder, and is also small enough to easily carry in your hand bag. I particularly liked that you can keep the brush clean and hygienic in its own clear plastic cylinder storage case too.

How good that Nude by Nature mineral makeup gives great coverage and luminosity to the skin, doesn't clog your pores and is free from nasty chemicals or fillers. I had not tried mineral makeup before before, but was very keen to try it and I was not disappointed. I used the Translucent Loose Finishing Powder to finish off my look. It is meant to be applied after your makeup and its purpose is to lock your foundation in place. I applied a light brush of the Finishing Powder to my cheeks, around my nose, under my eyes and down my t-zone. The Finishing Powder can also be used for any touch ups. However, I found the shade 'natural' that I got is a bit lighter than my usual skin colour. It was still ok unless I used too much, but I would probably have choosen a shade a tiny bit darker.

Even though mineral makeup has been around for awhile now, I had not tried it before, but was very keen to. So I was thrilled to be part of the Trial. The Nude By Nature Mineral Cover Foundation is a loose mineral powder type of foundation, and you just need a little of the Mineral Cover Foundation on the brush to powder your face. It is easy to do, and you apply it in light circular motions. You just re-apply or build it up to get the coverage you want. I didn't need much at all to achieve the natural clean look I prefer. I found that the Nude By Nature Mineral Cover Foundation worked quite nicely to even out my complexion, covering any redness and pigmentation, and was good at concealing my enlarged pores. It achieved this with just a few sweeps over my face. Nice to know that it is also SPF15. My husband even commented that my skin looked nice and smooth.

I have always loved Maybelline NY Lip Balm, who can resist the cute packaging? and Baby Lips Loves Colour in Rose Addict is just lovely. A beautiful “lick” of colour that looks very natural and gives just a nice hint of shine. It glides on smoothly and is so moisturising that your lips feel more supple and luscious. Also great is the fact that it has SPF 20 for sun protection.