Ojon Rare Blend Infusion Shampoo and Rare Blend Deep Conditioner - Review

My mum is a big fan of Ojon products, swearing by the products that are best suited for her hair type she has already repurchased.. Her hair always looks healthy and luscious so she must be on to something there. I recently spent an evening with a few of the Ojon team and was really looking forward to trying out a few products from the Ojon range suitable for my hair type. Today I am focusing on the Shampoo and Conditioner designed for my hair... (dry and coloured)

Ojon Rare Blend Infusion Shampoo

Ojon say 

Deeply nourishing shampoo to restore as it cleanses.
Fortified with a rare blend of legendary "healing" oils including pure Ojon™ Oil, this moisturizing shampoo nourishes to restore every time you wash your hair. Beads of antioxidant-rich Rouge Oleifera release on contact to revive and bring vibrant life to parched, damaged hair. Hair is visibly rejuvenated. And coconut cleansers formulated without sulfates help protect hair's vital natural oils.

My thoughts

The infusion shampoo has a really pleasant subtle vanilla scent and I like the fact that the bottle is clear so I can see the amount of product inside. I wish all products were like this to be honest as I hate not knowing how much I have left! The shampoo is clear with these hard micro beads inside suspended within it which burst open when you massage the product into the hair. The shampoo foams in abundance.

I found it to be gentle on my scalp and appreciate the lack of sulfates (being a scalp psoriasis sufferer)

Ojon Rare Blend Deep Conditioner 

Ojon say 

A dual-phase, multitasking, conditioning treatment that deeply nourishes to repair, detangles, hydrates, smoothes and restores high-gloss shine.

This deep conditioner contains two potent phases:
The amber is a restorative blend of 7 rare oils including pure hair-repairing Ojon™ Oil plus African Shea, Brazilian Muru Muru, and Indian Kokum butters.
Tthe ivory is a moisture-rich cream infused with deeply nourishing plant-derived conditioners.
Just a dollop softens, hydrates and helps restore high-gloss shine and healthy look to even the most dry, damaged hair.

My thoughts 

Just like the Shampoo, the Conditioner bottle is see through so I can see how much product is left. It has a really nice creamy lemon scent and I love the novelty of the dual phase that means that two colours come out of the tube. I think it looks just like the inside of a Cadbury's creme egg.. tempted to lick it!

After shampooing and rinsing, you apply this blended together onto your scalp, leave for 2 minutes and rinse out.

Rinsing it out, hair feels so silky smooth.

The results 

I am really pleased with the results I have to say. Immediately, I noticed my hair was tangle free, brushing it after washing with ease. The condition of my hair was much improved, healthier looking, smoother, sleeker after styling and the all important shine was there! Oh the shine, how I love thee...

For me I can really see the difference swapping to these products from what I was currently using. Hair is super soft, shiny and healthy looking, easier and more manageable to style and my ends rather than looking frazzled and tired have perked right up.

Ojon Rare Blend Infusion Shampoo 240ml £25
Ojon Rare Blend Deep Conditioner 150ml £29

*PR Samples

Elemis Skin Nourishing Body Scrub - Review

Elemis say 

This luxurious creamy body scrub uses natural exfoliators of rice, Bora Bora sand and bamboo to gently polish the skin, whilst sweet almond, macadamia and wheat germ oils nourish and condition. An exquisite milk protein base rich in vitamins is combined with organic oat extract tp help leave skin feeling soft, supple and velvety smooth.

My thoughts

Smelling soft, creamy and powdery this is an effective and gritty feeling body scrub. Coming out of the tube in quite a solid consistency, I found the screw top a bit hard to juggle with the product, I would have preferred a flip top. However, this is a tiny niggle. This Spa at Home Body Scrub smooths and softens skin wonderfully. I suffer from keratosis pilaris on my upper arms and this leaves my skin feeling ultra smooth, helping me to wave goodbye to the bumpy surface.

Elemis Skin Nourishing Body Scrub 200ml £28.50

*PR Sample

Burberry Lip Velvet Pink Apricot Lipstick

I was so impressed with the Burberry lipsticks that I have tried in the past that when I was on the hunt for a new nude lipstick I headed to the Burberry Beauty counter for some assistance. I was intending to try and get a dupe for my all time favourite nude shade by No7 a limited edition matte shade called Nude Rebel. As it happened there was nothing quite like it, with the help of the friendly assistant in John Lewis I took a closer look at Pink Apricot No301 in the Lip Velvet collection as I liked the look of it from the website.

The lip velvet collection are matte, are not at all drying on the lips but hydrating. Are packed full of pigment and smell wonderful. Pink Apricot is a delightful peachy nude and a welcome addition to my nude collection.

Swatch of Pink Apricot second in from left

Burberry Lip Velvet Lipsticks £22.50

Twinings Butter Mint Sensation and Camomile & Maple Sensation Herbal Teas - Review

I am always up for trying new teas and the amount of different teas I have tried is quite startling, given  my penchant for tea I always surprise people when I say that I only started drinking tea aged 25!

These prettily designed boxes from Twinings initially caught my eye in the busy tea aisle and then when I read the descriptions on the box they soon found their way into my shopping basket.

Note: Tea bags are individually wrapped for extra freshness.

Twinings Butter Mint Sensation * - Peppermint leaf & creamy vanilla flavour

The box smells exactly like Murray Mints so I was just a little bit excited about trying Butter Mint Sensation. It has to be noted I tried and really couldn't get into drinking pure Peppermint tea. Not a fan of its taste, it just tasted horrid to my palette and my stomach couldn't well.. stomach it.

Butter Mint Sensation is SO much nicer, if you think you are going to be drinking the liquid version of Murray Mints sadly you will be disappointed. However, it is a milder version of Peppermint tea with a delicious creamier and smoother aspect to it. For me, far more palatable and a real pleasure to drink after dinner as an alternative to a caffeine milky straight up tea. I would purchase this again.

Twinings Camomile & Maple Sensation - Camomile Flower with maple and Madagascan Vanilla *

Once again I have tried pure Camomile tea and didn't see what the fuss was about, I found it tasted how I would imagine dishwater would taste, bland and altogether yucky.

I actually bought this because I was enjoying hot chocolate as a bedtime drink a little too much and felt that was the ideal compromise, Camomile is calming and I felt this version would be worth a try as a bedtime alternative.

Thankfully it tastes wonderful, it is gentle and delicately sweet with the maple tones just poking through. It is perfect and calming before bed ensuring a good night's sleep. I would definitely purchase this again.

Finally some non caffeine, herbal teas I enjoy drinking! :)

Have you tried any of the Twinings Sensation ranges?

** Please note these have been renamed Intensely Buttermint and Intensely Camomile & Maple

Seven Nude Glosses and Lipsticks In My Handbag - With Swatches

My handbag is a treasure trove of mystery, it always seems so heavy and in an attempt to lighten the load I realised that it was being weighed down by makeup and more accurately umpteen lipsticks and glosses.. I thought I had removed a few of the offending items (yes, there are even more nude shades that are not shown here) but it seemed when I yet again emptied my bag that there were no less than 7 nude shades of lipsticks and glosses that I came across. I might add I do also have two bright shades of lipstick permanently in my bag, you know for those just in case moments!

Pictured above are the 7 shades that seem to live in my handbag or get thrown in when I fancy yet another shade of ..nude.

Swatches 

Pictured from left to right

New CID Cosmetics i-gloss in Honey Pot

Burberry Lip Velvet in Pink Apricot 

No7 High Shine Lip Crayon in Daydreamer

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Nudist

Collection Little Mix Jade's Lipstick

Benefit Hoola Ultra Plush Lip Gloss 

No7 High Shine Lip Gloss in Coral Kiss

Think All Mascaras Are The Same?

I have tried quite a few mascaras whilst blogging and I thought I would document the ones I have tried so far in a video so you can see just how different my lashes can appear using different mascaras!

Mascaras Featured & Shown In Order

Barry M Lash Vegas Mascara 
Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara 
L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara 
Eyeko Magic Mascara 
Avon SuperShock Mascara
No7 Exquisite Curl Mascara
17 Wild Curl Mascara
Max Factor Xperience Mascara Black/Brown

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara 

No7 Intense Volume Mascara - Waterproof

Lancome L'Extreme Waterproof Mascara (shown twice)

Benefit They're Real Mascara

No7 Lash Adapt Mascara

Terre Doc Natural Mascara

Derma ReWork Dreamweave Mascara

Clinique High Impact Mascara

Benefit They're Real Mascara

Flawless You Forever Luscious Mascara

Rimmel London Scandaleyes Lycra Flex Mascara

No7 Stay Perfect Mascara

Seventeen Back Lash Mascara

Max Factor Extreme Volume Mascara

Looking forward to trying and reviewing even more mascaras in 2014!

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