L'Oreal Extraordinary Clay Review - Shampoo & Conditioner

I do love to try before I buy so I was happy that last month's Red Magazine had sample sachets of L'Oreal's newest hair care range - Extraordinary Clay - both shampoo and conditioner to try.

I managed to get two uses out of the sachets and have to say I was pleasantly surprised, I had envisaged a clay like texture to the products but actually they were just like a regular shampoo and conditioner.

L'Oreal say 

Introducing our breakthrough innovation from Elvive, Extraordinary Clay. For the first time we have combined 3 refined clays into a hair care range to break the vicious cycle of oily roots & dry ends.

Clays have been celebrated in beauty rituals for thousands of years due to their unrivalled ability to cleanse, purify and energise. In terms of hair care, Clays combat the excessive oil production at the roots but also any dehydration throughout the lengths and ends.

THE SECRET OF CLAY FOR 72 HOURS OF PURE ROOTS AND HYDRATED ENDS

• Scalp feels deeply purified for 72 hours with freshness and light, lifted roots.
• Dry hair feels hydrated right to the ends for fluid, free-flowing lengths.
• Revitalises the hair with softness, shine and bounce.

L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Clay Re-balancing Shampoo - 

L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Clay Re-balancing Conditioner - 

Deeply purified roots, hydrated feeling ends. For perfectly balanced hair.

My thoughts 

The products smell fresh and gorgeous, the shampoo lathers well and the conditioner leaves hair soft and silky. Hair smells lovely once dried and feels super clean. I was actually really surprised that this did what it promises. My ends have really looked dead and dry and I wasn't expecting much but the result once dried and styled was that my ends looked healthy and smooth. Hair looked glossy and bright, so bright in fact that my mother in law asked if I had just had my hair highlighted!

I have thick, coarse highlighted hair and Extraordinary Clay rejuvenated my hair and worked a treat. My only reservation which would stop me buying the shampoo is the fact that it contains SLS. As I have scalp psoriasis, continued use of this shampoo would start irritating it. I would definitely consider buying the conditioner however. 

Have you tried this new range? 

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes So Couture Mascara Review

Day 2 of Mascara Week and I am reviewing L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes So Couture Mascara. Now the original Volume Million Lashes is one of my favourite mascaras so I had high hopes for this one.

L'Oreal say 

Volume Million Lashes dresses your lashes in a liquid black silk for lash by lash definition.

• Refined volume
• No clumps
• No stiff lashes

The Couture brush has been tailored by experts to coat every lash without clumps. Its extra soft & small bristles gently thicken the look of each lash while its rigid wand enables you to spread the formula evenly from root to tip.

My thoughts 

This mascara came as part of a gift with purchase when I bought two L'Oreal L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipsticks. 

My lashes seem to like the rubber type of wands and the shorter bristles. I find this wand really easy to use and it certainly grips every single lash which you will see from the after photo later. The mascara coats my lashes with a wonderfully rich and dark black colour. I have reasonably dark lashes already so I chose the 'Extra Black' version for real impact and it doesn't disappoint. As the name suggests it gives fantastic volume to the lashes and fans them out. The only thing it doesn't really do is curl the lashes. That isn't something that bothers me too much as I really like the result and the definition that this mascara gives.

As for wear I don't find it smudges or flakes at all through the day.

Before 

After 

I would buy this again most definitely.

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes So Couture Mascara costs £10.99

L'Oreal Makeup Gift With Purchase Offer - L'Oreal Paris So Couture Gift Set

I have had my eyes on a few makeup bits from L'Oreal MakeUp for a little while now and so when I saw they had a GWP in Boots worth £30 (which incidentally came with the mascara I was wanting to try) when you spent £14.99 I had to indulge.

I bought the following items

L'Oreal Paris Color Nail Gold Leaf Top Coat
L'Oreal Paris L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick by Color Riche in Nude Vibrato and Nude Ballet

*I spent £22

and received the following 

Gift With Purchase -  L'Oreal Paris So Couture Gift Set

Containing all full size products of

L'Oreal Paris Million Lashes So Couture So Black Mascara

L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Lipstick in Scarlett Creme 

L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Nails in Exquisite Scarlet

L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Le Khol in Immaculate Snow  

I'd say that was a bargain!

Gold Leaf Top Coat Over Black Nail Polish - Party Nails!

I absolutely adore today's Nails Of The Day. I applied L'Oreal's Gold Leaf Top Coat over *Wild About Beauty's Michael Black Nail Polish. 

I needed two coats of the Nail Polish to achieve opacity or you could get away with applying one thick coat but I prefer two thinner coats.

Another fabulous Christmas party look don't you think?

*PR Sample

L'Oreal Infallible Nail 001 Stay Nue - Nails Of The Day

Today's Nails Of The Day are from the L'Oreal Infallible Nails Collection - The shade (Stay Nue) is such a pretty shade of fleshy/peachy nude.. I love it!

L'Oreal Infallible Nails are inspired by a salon gel manicure, with glorious shine and up to 12 days wear. I am wearing 3 coats and managed 3 days before wear and tear started to show on one nail...

L'Oreal Hair Expertise EverPure Reinforcing Intense Mask

I recently had my hair highlighted and felt it needed some TLC, it seems to have lost its way after styling and heat damage so I thought a treatment was in order.

I absolutely love the L'Oreal Ever Sleek range and fancied trying something else from within the Ever range - I opted for the EverPure Reinforcing Intense Mask for coloured and dry hair. It is designed for colour weakened hair.

This range is sulphate free and features botanical oils of Rosemary and Mint. It claims to respect the hair fibre and protect coloured hair, just what I am looking for!

Instructions for use - A generous walnut sized blob of the mask on the hair, distribute evenly and leave for 3-5 mins.

My thoughts

The mask has a lovely and rich minty scent and the texture is relatively thick. As soon as it is rinsed out hair feels instantly smoother. Having blow-dried my hair and then straightened it I noticed a real difference to the finish, smoother, sleeker and more defined hair. It looked and felt so healthy.

I will be using this once a week to keep my hair healthy and manageable.

Top marks for this as my hair loves it.

L'Oreal Hair Expertise EverPure Reinforcing Intense Mask costs £7.30

L'Oreal L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick - Gorgeous Nudes!

I spotted these gorgeous nudes from the L'Oreal L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick collection whilst out shopping the other day - they have decent colour opacity and are super glossy, plus they smell fruity lovely too!

Nude Vibrato is a pinky/peachy nude and Nude Ballet is a browny nude - both are equally lovely, I think I need to purchase them both...

 L'Oreal L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick £8.99 each

Glossybox June 2014 - What's Inside Mine

June's Glossybox has the theme of Summer ready. Glossybox are also guaranteeing 3 out of 5 full size products in the box with a minimum box value of £45.

So what was in mine ...

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes mascara £10.99 

This was a welcome inclusion. It is one of my favourite mascaras.. although in Summer because of hay fever I need a waterproof mascara.

Teez Beautiful Eyes Flat Stiff Brush €19 

This is a new brand for me but the product features a super pretty print brush handle and soft natural bristles. I haven't used this yet but I will.

Rituals Qi Gong Organic White Lotus & Yi Yi Ren 24h Anti-perspirant spray 50ml £3.50 

A travel size version of the full size version that is available to buy. This smells very fresh and light. I will use this for a weekend away.

Nail Girls 3 in 1 Base Coat/Top Coat and Nail Strengthener 10ml £13.50 

I rarely apply a top coat to my nail polish so I am looking forward to giving this a go and seeing if it adds super glossy shine to my polish.

So Susan Concealer Quad £17

Another new brand for me to discover. This small quad  contains 4 concealer shades to cover dark circles, blemishes and minor imperfections. I like the range of shades, it could carry me through all seasons.

Final thoughts 

Value wise this is a stonking box and I did essentially receive 4 full size products and a travel size one. In addition the products are all ones that I would use or at least give a go.
Great box for June.

Glossybox costs £10 plus P+P

*PR Sample

L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil UV Filter For Coloured Hair - Review

L'Oreal Elvive's Extradordinary Oil UV Filter for Coloured Hair was one of the first hair oils I tried. I bought this quite a while ago and after the first use I wasn't totally convinced that it was as amazing as the reports I was hearing as I didn't really notice much difference from before when I wasn't using a hair oil...

However, as with all things that I review on BeautySwot.com I gave it the benefit of doubt and carried on using it, trying it in different ways to see which best suited my hair and gave the desired results and of course to give it a proper testing.

L'Oreal Elvive say 

A precious blend of 6 flower extracts with nourishing properties

Sublime Hair Enhancer

Versatile Use
Luminous Colour
Sumptuous Softness
Weightless Touch

To use - Rub 2 drops between the palms of your hands. Apply evenly through the lengths and ends of wet or dry hair. Before shampoo for extra colour protection; before styling to protect and transform your hair; as a finishing touch for sumptuous softness and luminous colour.

My thoughts 

As the oil comes out it has quite a chemical scent to it but as you warm it in the palms it transforms to a really rather pleasant fragrance. The oil is really light, not greasy and it doesn't weigh down the hair . After experimenting I found the best way to use it on my hair was to apply after towel drying and allowing to dry a little before blow-drying and straightening and then one pump as a finishing touch when hair is dry (if required) for extra sleekness. This way I get soft, silky hair with decent, light reflective shine.

L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil costs £9.99 for 100ml

Makeup Inspired By A L'Oreal Advertisement

Flicking though a magazine I came across this L'Oreal Advert and it pretty much sums up my favourite makeup look. It is so chic and polished. I liked it so much I thought I would give it a go...

The products I used to recreate the look -

Base

No7 Stay Perfect Liquid Foundation in Cool Vanilla
Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place Flawless Wear Concealer SPF10
Burberry Warm Glow Natural Bronzer in Summer Glow

Contour & Blush

Smashbox Blush Rush in Silhouette
Cargo Blush in Tonga

Eyes

Palladio Herbal Eye Shadow Trio - Chocolates

Benefit Peek-a-Bright Eyes Eye Illuminating Kit
Clinique Quickliner For Eyes Intense in Intense Chocolate
Paul & Joe Eye Liner WP and Eye Crayon Duo 001 St Tropez (cream shade for waterline)
No7 Stay Perfect Mascara in Black

Lips

No7 Nude Rebel Lipstick (ltd edit)
No7 High Shine Lip Crayon in Daydreamer

The finished result 

What do you think?

L'Oreal Paris Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil - Review

I am pretty thorough with  my cleansing and skincare routine and I will spend a reasonable amount of time morning and evening in doing so however I have been known to be lazy on occasion (who hasn't!), whether that is from a late night out or otherwise... and this is where L'Oreal Paris Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil comes in very handy.

L'Oreal Paris say 

High performance cleansing for all skin types. Instantly dissolves even waterproof make-up, skin feels perfectly clean with a non-greasy finish. The oil formula helps to re-balance skin's natural oil production for healthy-looking skin. Dermatologically tested.

To use 

With your fingertips apply 2-3 drops onto dry skin, massaging over the lashes, lids and lips.
Then, rinse well with warm water.

My thoughts 

As the name suggests this is fast, effective cleansing. The oil smells absolutely wonderful, it feels light on the skin. As it mixes with water it becomes milky and is easily rinsed off the skin. It leaves my skin clean and feeling beautifully soft to the touch. The oil is a fantastic cleanser and it works particularly well on removing and making light work of my eye makeup.I sometimes just use it on my eye area (if I have been wearing heavy eye makeup) as it is so gentle. 

I like it a lot.

L'Oreal Paris Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil 150ml costs £7.99

*PR Sample

L'Oreal Hair Expertise EverRiche Nourishing & Taming Shampoo and Conditioner Review

I usually add the words My Hair Loves in the title of hair care posts but the title was far too long so they were omitted but hair does indeed love these products!

I don't often write hair care posts as I am rarely wowed by a product. I have to see a real difference for me to put finger to laptop and recommend a hair care product, in this case I am very excited to share my thoughts on this Shampoo and Conditioner.

L'Oreal Hair Expertise EverRiche Nourishing & Taming Shampoo 

L'Oreal Say

This shampoo is specifically designed for very dry and rebellious hair. Enriched with botanical oils Cameling and Apricot Seed and non-sulphate cleansing surfactants, the formula leaves hair feeling intensely nourished whilst helping to protect from dryness.

My thoughts

The shampoo is opaque colour and texture wise is thick and creamy much like a conditioner. Despite being SLS free it foams up nicely to give that all important feeling of really cleaning your hair. As an aside I personally don't feel the need for loads of foam but I know a lot of people need the reassurance.

It smells divine with a very subtle coconut scent which just adds to the experience.


L'Oreal Hair Expertise EverRiche Nourishing & Taming Conditioner

My thoughts

The conditioner has the same divine scent as the shampoo, it is opaque and slightly thicker than the shampoo (as you would expect). After rinsing out I can see and feel the difference in my hair, it really feels conditioned and smooth. It is incredibly manageable and the comb just glides through it. It doesn't weigh the hair down.

Results 

Background -
My hair is thick and porous. I have been highlighting it in some way every year for nearly 20 years now. I have frizzy, wavy hair that has a mind of its own. If I leave it to dry without touching it, it goes wavy and frizzy, basically resembles someone who has been dragged through a bush.

Using this shampoo and conditioner combination I can achieve salon textured hair at home, something I have only dreamed of in the past. My hair after styling is super soft, sleek and silky to the touch and it stays this way until the next wash. My hair looks healthy and shines. In fact the first time I used the products a woman at the school complimented me on my hair and said that it looked like I really looked after it!

My usual routine is to air dry for a bit and then blow dry it and then straighten but using these products I could just blow dry it straight and leave it like that, it is that smooth. For the sake of extra sleekness I run the straighteners over it but it just needs going over once.

I love these products and as they are such a great price I would certainly purchase over and over again.

Holy Grail material.

L'Oreal Hair Expertise EverRiche Nourishing & Taming Shampoo and Conditioner 250ml cost £5.99 each.

*PR Sample

Nails Of The Day (NOTD) L'Oreal Color Riche Sex On The Peach

With Flash

The sun was out in its full glory today and in a nod to Spring I applied this pretty pastel peach shade. This is so lovely in the bottle and just as pleasing on. 2 coats provides opacity.

It is a gorgeous colour that is like a fleshy nude..I only bought this on Saturday but after just one day of wearing it already that I will be using Sex On The Peach a lot. A fab polish

Benefits - Lasting glossy shine. Precision paddle brush. Built-in top coat.

I find the paddle brush makes application so easy, perfect for me!

L'Oreal Color Riche Sex On The Peach (602) costs £4.99 for 5ml. 

Sample Sachet Sunday - L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Repair 10 BB Cream

I was spending an impromptu  night away from home and in an effort to keep things ultra light AND use up the rather full sachet collection I decided to kill 2 birds with one stone and picked up this sample - L'Oreal Revitalift Repair 10 BB Cream. 

L'Oreal Says 

Our NEW anti-ageing multi-tasker with BB perfection. Available in 2 skin perfecting shades. SPF 20.

Multi-perfecting anti-ageing moisturiser. Targets 10 signs of ageing. Apply each morning. Avoid the eye area.

Sample shade - Medium Tinted

My thoughts

Obviously I cannot comment on the effectiveness of this product as an anti ageing cream as I couldn't possibly know after just one use, however sachets give a a fair idea of whether based on the sample you would go out and purchase a full size bottle...

My sample sachet was in shade medium and I was concerned that it was going to be too dark but in the event it was ok. I wasn't keen on the scent at all. I used this as my moisturiser and instead of a foundation.

Texture wise this was quite thick and it felt like I had to drag it around my skin. It absorbed fast into my skin and felt really dry on my skin. I was hoping to have felt more moisturised and hydrated. This BB Cream calmed down the appearance of the slight redness that I suffer from and evened out my skin tone but I would have liked far more coverage than this provided... You can see from the images above that it is barely detectable on my skin.

After an hour I really did not like just how dry my face felt and it started to feel itchy too, what I really wanted to do was remove it and apply a normal moisturiser but as I didn't have one with me I had to settle for some foundation (YSL) that I found in the bottom of my make up bag applied over it instead!

Not for me.

My Hair Loves - L'Oreal Paris Hair Expertise EverSleek Absolute Smooth Intense Mask

This is the second of the My Hair Loves series of posts. You can read the first one here.

I was recently sent the 3 hair masks in the L'Oreal Hair Expertise range of hair care. The range is sulfate free and features natural origin botanical oils and extracts.

Colouring and styling have taken a toll on my hair leaving it dry and frizzy so I need to treat my hair regularly with deep treatments and have really got into the habit of using masks. I am always on the look out for affordable treatments and this fits the bill nicely.

There are three programmes in the Hair Expertise range - EverPure for coloured hair, EverSleek for frizzy hair and EverStrong for fragile, brittle hair.

I have been using the EverSleek Mask as I felt my hair has been wild, frizzy and just harder to style. However, as I have just had my hair highlighted I am going to be switching to the EverPure one next.

EverSleek Absolute Smooth Intense Mask

L'Oreal says

For frizzy, overworked hair. Respects hair fibre. Controls Fizz. No Silicone. Smoothing and Nourishing. Contains Botanical Extract Sunflower.

My thoughts 

The mask comes in screw top tub and scent wise is pleasant but reasonably strong.

To use - Apply a walnut sized amount to wet hair (concentrating on the ends) after shampooing, leave on for 3-5 mins and rinse off.

This feels rather luxurious to use, the consistency of the mask is thick like a body butter. Once I rinse it off my hair feels smooth and silky.It is easier to comb through and tangle free. After drying and styling it leaves my hair looking smooth, sleek and wonderfully shiny. Exactly how I like it.

This is one of my favourite hair masks as it restores life to my otherwise lifeless looking hair.

L'Oreal Hair Expertise EverSleek Absolute Smooth Intense Mask costs £6.99 for 200ml

Nails Of The Day (NOTD) L'Oreal Color Riche Perle De Jade

My current favourite shade of polish is featured as my nails of the day. L'Oreal Color Riche Perle De Jade.

It takes me ages to get through a bottle of polish so I do like the idea of mini bottles.

A gorgeous minty green shade not too dissimilar from the iconic Tiffany Box. I am in love.

Best worn with silver/platinum jewellery or jade for max effect.

L'Oreal Color Riche Perle De Jade (602) costs £4.99 for 5ml. 

L'Oreal Lumi Magique Foundation Review

L'Oreal Lumi Magique Foundation  - Shade N4 Pure Beige - Review

This 1ml sample was a free sachet sample in a magazine. I do like trying out foundations this way, it can be a great way to see how a foundation works for you before shelling out your hard earned cash.

L'Oreal says


With age skin can becomes dull and tired. Lumi Magique helps give instant skin radiance. You will be glowing inside and out. Light texture lets skin breathe with 24 hours of hydration.
Contains SPF 18

My thoughts 


I have to admit that in the last few years I have become a little addicted to the radiant look, I love face highlighters and any make up that helps to give me that all important healthy 'glow'.


This shade was a bit too dark for me really however it meant I just had to blend well to avoid the tell tale tide mark dark line. I warmed up my neckline with bronzer but it also meant that I didn't have to warm up my face with a bronzer which I normally do. I managed to get 3 applications from this foundation sample.

The first time I used this foundation my skin was looking tired and dull so an ideal time to test out the claims of providing radiance from within. The foundation is a runny liquid and glides on feeling incredibly light and comfortable on the skin and looking very natural.

Coverage is a decent light-medium and is buildable. I found that it evened out my skin tone, smoothed it out and provided a real healthy 'glow' and radiance to my skin which was really rather nice, considering how dull my skin had looked moments before.

The foundation lasted for about 6 hours with no powder or primer. The only thing I would say is that my skin is normal/combination and I did notice that as the hours went on I did get an oily t zone and felt that it was starting to look a bit shiny although others said it didn't look like that to them but more dewy. Personally I wouldn't say this would be great for people with oilier skin but ideal for those with normal skin.

I really liked this foundation, especially the way it lit up my face when the light hit it. As a budget foundation this is one worth considering.

L'Oreal Lumi Magique Foundation costs £10.99 for 30ml 

L'Oreal Paris Rouge Caresse Lipsticks in Aphrodite Scarlet & Cheeky Magenta

L'Oreal Paris Rouge Caresse Lipsticks are one of the newest crazes to be taking the beauty world by storm, promising to be delicate in texture, they glide onto lips creating a veil of colour with luminous shine.

Nice packaging and good tube design for easy application.

I was sent two shades from the range and I have to say they are just gorgeous. Buttery soft to apply and light on the lips. Rouge Caresse have a hint of colour that will work with the natural pigment of your lips. I found them to be quite long lasting,  wearing off slowly,  even when I had a drink the shine disappeared but the colour remained. Ideal for a lighter Spring/Summer look.

Aphrodite Scarlet looks scarily red in the tube but actually I felt it was a beautiful and flattering raspberry red shade with a hint of shimmer. For deeper colour, just reapply.

Cheeky Magenta is a pretty hot pink shade, due to its sheerness a great alternative to full creamy colour for day.

If you like a pop of colour with shine, you should give these a try.

L-R Aphrodite Scarlet and Cheeky Magenta

Swatches of L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Aphrodite Scarlet and Cheeky Magenta

L'Oreal Rouge Caresse are available in 10 shades and cost £7.99


*PR Sample

Neon Lips Of The Day - Lord And Berry 20100 7272 Fucsia

Hot lips!

These lips are so bright and vibrant, they are almost neon, which is perfect for the neon trend this Spring. I matched it with a pink blush but kept the eyes understated by using a gorgeous light mushroom taupe eye shadow and a couple of coats of mascara.

My lips were doing all the talking.

Products used 

Lord & Berry 20100 Lipstick Pencil in shade 7272 Fucsia
L'Oreal Glam Shine Reflexion in Sheer Watermelon Lip Gloss

Eyes Of The Day - EOTD

Today's Eyes Of The Day actually belong to my sister - she has beautiful big brown eyes. These were her eyes on Saturday night.

She used just 3 products

Eye Shadow - L'Oreal Quad Pro Hazel Eyes - Colour 1
Eye Liner - Collection 2000 - Fast stroke Eye Liner in Black
Mascara - Rimmel Extra Super Lash in Black/Black


Just gorgeous, I would love to have big eyes!!