Review: Liz Earle Botanical Shine Shampoo and Conditioner

Hey beauties, just a quick review today, as promised. Sorry I have been rather absent from le interweb....

Anyway, I have been really fortunate and was given the opportunity by the kindest team at Liz Earle to try out their shampoo and conditioners. I'm so pleased as I really like their products.

Shampoo

"High performance, colour safe formulation with innovative, naturally derived cleansers for a rich, creamy lather"

It took me a few washes to get used to this new shampoo, but now I love it. A little shampoo really does go a long way, I didnt realise this at first and squeezed a very over-generous amount into my hair...which took a long time to rinse out. This then left my hair feeling a little sticky... which I think is why I didn't get on with the product at first.

You only need the tiniest amount, it doesn't lather up too much either, which personally, I like.

It left my hair feeling LITERALLY squeaky clean. Beautiful. The Shampoo contains Vitamin E, Aloe Vera, West African Shea Butter, Apple and Orange Extracts and 8 essential oils and all together they smell fantastic.

Conditioner

"Creamy, colour safe conditioner leaves hair glossy and in perfect condition, ready to style"

Again, it wasn't love at first use for me. I applied to much again (I'm used to just slathering my hair in conditioner), and even when I thought I had rinsed it all out, I had difficulty curling my hair as there were still traces of conditioner in it.

When I read the instructions though, it clearly says to use a small amount and apply only to the mid lengths and ends of the hair. When I actually did this, I liked the results much better. Happy days.

This conditioner contains Meadowfoam oil, blue seakale and Kenyan yangu oil to provide ultimate conditioning and like the Shampoo- Apple and Orange extracts to restore natural shine and them wonderful 8 essential oils to leave your hair smelling clean and fresh...fancy!

The shampoo and conditioner cost £8 each for a 200ml tube and £4.25 for a 50ml tube is available on the Liz Earle wesbite

Have you tried any Liz Earle haircare products?

xx

Things I love Friday

 

Always use humour as your therapy

Morning all,


It's a little late now but I thought I'd share some of my favorite weekend snaps again, no-one can ever resist a bit of a nosey, can they?!

I spend the weekend cycling through Hyde Park with my dog and the boy (if any of you are in London and you get a chance to rent the boris bikes, do! They're so much fun), and then I nipped over to Portabello market to start my Christmas shopping...eeee. I picked up some great little barainous prezzies, and some pretty amazing food too.My little woodland creature

Did any of you have weekend adventures? I promise I have a couple of product reviews coming up, some more Liz Earle bits. I was a little bit naughty yesterday, and had a splurge at the Chanel counter... everyone needs a Chanel injection every now and then right?! So I have some real gems for you :)

Tata for now :) xx

Mad Hatter: "Am I mad?"

Alice:"I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are"

Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation...

Good afternoon beauties,


just a quick one from me, wondering what your thoughts are...


Having read so many great reviews, today I am testing out Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation.
I have pondered about changing my foundation for a couple of weeks now. I currently wear Chanel Vitalumiere in shade 20. I'm not sure if my skin has changed, or is just going through a bad phase... but I've gone off the way this looks on my face. A little too dewy, and generally just shiney I think. I'm a tad upset about this as it's been my holy grail foundation for so long now, and I find it so hard to find the perfect foundation.


So off I toddled off to The Garden Pharmacy, and I picked up a cute mini sample of this Estee Lauder foundation in shade "Ecur". I have to say, the lady on the counter was extremely unhelpful... she even told me to pick my own shade. I'm aweful at doing this... I didn't even have my old foundation with me to match up with. So, concequently I do think this shade is a little too pale for me, perhaps that's why I am uncertain of it... but hey, better than being too orange right?!

good points
♥ It is pretty long-wearing make-up and stays fresh. It literally hasnt budged since 7.30 this morning, 9 hours so far with no need to re-apply or use powder.
♥ It gives amazing coverage. I'm running out of concealer at the moment, so I couldn't apply much. This foundation meant that wasn't a problem, it's pretty much flawless.
♥Application is smooth, and it's easy to get even.
♥ There are quite a range of colors.


bad points
♥ I think it's a matt finish. I was hoping it would be a little dewier. I Love the dewy look, I know I have said this a billion and one times, but personally, this is the look I would always want for my face. I hate the matt look. HATE IT.
♥I feel abit cakey, I'm very aware of it on my face. Perhaps because I've been used to wearing a more liquidy formula by Chanel. I don't think this is very lightweight at all.


I know some of you are probably thinking it's way to soon to summerise a product after using it for only one day, but having read so many glowing reviews, I am dissapointed with my initial reaction, I expected it to be love at first sight. It retails at £26.50, which is cheaper than my regular foundation. I'm not sure weather to splurge on the whole bottle yet, I think I'll try it out for a few more days and then re-evaluate.


Have any of you ever tried Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation?
If so, what did you think?
Can anyone reccomend a foundation that gives good coverage but is also dewy?


Xx

P.s I'll add some photo swatches when I get home, possibly not a full face, not looking my best today :(

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic and Skin Repair Light Moisturiser skincare

Hello beauties...
I hope you all made the most of the freak heatwave?!
I spent the weekend sunning myself amoungst the autumn leaves, sipping Pimms in a rooftop garden on Southbank, dancing away in Camden and then BBQ-ing in the garden. Lovely.




Call me crazy, but I'm actually looking forward to the winter weather now. There's just something I love about snuggling up under a wooley blanket with a cuppa coacoa and watching an old film...any of you agree?!
Also may have to do with the fact that I'm starting to think about Christmas now too, before we know it it'll be that time of year again... is anyone else panicing yet?!

Anyway, onto skincare...

Those generous ladies at Liz Earle, kindly sent me the next 2 steps of their skincare to try out, thanks again :)

I've been using these for just over a week now (I think), alongside the  Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser.

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic

The Blurb 

"This heavenly floral-scented, non-drying toner refreshes, soothes and brightens your skin. Gentle and alcohol-free, it also adds a fine layer of moisture.
Pour onto a cotton wool pad and sweep over face and neck after using Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. Alternatively spritz over face and body to revitalise at any time.
Naturally active ingredients include organic aloe vera to revitalise and soften and calendula, chamomile, cucumber and natural source vitamin E to soothe and refresh the skin.

Suitable for all skin types"

Natural ingredients

Aloe Vera, Vitamin E, Calendula Extract, Chamomile Essential Oil/Extract, Hops Extract, Cucumber Extract, Geranium Essential Oil, Glycerin (vegetable derived), D-panthenol (B vitamin).

My thoughts so far

♥ Let me start off by saying that the fragerance, may just be my favourite smell ever. It is, as it claims to be, heavanly.
I know it may be a little too strong for some people, and I've read some reviews where this put people off, but I thought it was lovely. I actually look forward to putting it on, especially before bed, I find it quite soothing. 

♥ I find this toner really refreshing and helpful in removing left over residue from the cleanse, this is especially the case when I use a thick cleanser such as Cleanse and Polish.

♥ Instant Booost Skin Tonic doesn't have the alcohol in it so it's more gentle for your skin, I've used toners in the past that make my skin feel tight, this absolutely does not.

♥ I love the packaging - the bottle is sturdy, and you twist it to open it, which personally, I think is a alot less fiddley then a screw top.

♥ You can also buy it in a spray bottle form, which is great if your worried about wastage and not bothered about using cotton pads.

♥ 200ml Retails at £12.25, which isn't bad at all, depending on how long it lasts for... (Obviously I can't tell you that yet!)

Skin Repair Light Moisturiser

The Blurb

"Light and gentle, this easily absorbed moisturising lotion is ideal for combination, oily or problem skin.
This finely balanced blend of naturally active skin-conditioning ingredients includes borage oil (a rich source of the essential fatty acid GLA), echinacea, hops, avocado oil, panthenol (pro-vitamin B5) and natural antioxidants beta-carotene and vitamin E to replace lost moisture and help protect your skin, leaving it soft and smooth with a naturally healthy glow.
Massage into face and neck, morning and night, after Instant Boost Skin Tonic.
Includes borage and avocado to lightly moisturise and balance the skin."

Natural Ingredients

Wheatgerm Oil, Avocado Oil, Borage Oil, Beta-carotene, Hops Extract, D-panthenol, Glycerin, Echinacea Extract, Vitamin E

My thoughts so far...

♥ I adored it as a day cream

♥ Although it seems like a bit much to be spending at once on a moisturizer (£18.25 for a 50ml pump), I found 1 and a half pumps is the exact right amount to cover my face and neck, so a little really does go a long way.

♥ I liked the fact that this was in a pump bottle, it's more sanitary then dipping into a pot. The only thing that concerns me is, when the moisturiser starts to run low, I wont be able to get the end out as I would be able to in the screw top pot version... hmmm.

♥ I know a few people who have reviewed this product have complained about the smell (as with the toner). I wasn't too keen on it at first, but after I had used it for a few days, I could hardly notice it. I only use a tiny amount of this anyway, so the smell doesn't bother me too much.

♥ The only bad point I can mension is that it did take a little longer to sink in than some other moisturisers.
♥ I'm not too sure if I like it as a make-up base yet, either, I suppose time will tell. I haven't decided yet if I'll be purchasing this item when it runs out... I'll let you know. To be honest, I think I prefer my old faithful Clinique moisturiser.

Skin change

I have noticed that changing from my normal skincare routine (usually Clinique 1,2,3 step) has upset my skin a tad. I'm having a few more breakouts and blemishes than normal. I'm not sure if maybe my skin just doesn't agree with Liz Earle, or if it's due to the fact that my diet at the moment mainly consists of fast food and alcohol....changing what I am using and eating too much can really upset my skin. It's probably a combination of these things, but I'll update you when my skin gets more used to the products.

Have any of you tried these products, if so what did you think?
Can anyone reccomend any more Liz Earle products for me to try next?

Tata for now beauties Xx


#I was sent these products to review, curtisy of Liz Earle PR. However all opinions expressed are my own, honest :)