Kevin Murphy Young.Again Dry Conditioner

As a brand, Kevin Murphy is one I am just getting to know and not so long ago on my blog I shared the Touchable Spray Wax, a product which I really liked.  Today I am back with another product from the kevin Murphy range and this time it is the Young.Again Dry Conditioner and it really intrigued me.

I am sure we are all aware that as our skin ages, so does our hair and many of us sit around waiting for those grey and white hairs to start showing through.  For some people, it is much earlier than others, for some it really suits them and for others, it horrifies them. I am somewhere in the middle of the two, I have blonde hair, which in the winter is darker than the Summer but having lighter hair means I am starting to get my fair share of white hairs, not something that surprises me too much because as a child, my hair was almost white anyway.

To help protect our hair as much as we can, Kevin Murphy comes to our rescue with his Young.Again range.

Created to counteract the oxidation process caused by straightening irons, blow dryers and colourants which, much like rust, causes decay and ageing to the hair. There's a YOUNG.AGAIN for every step of your haircare routine, from wash & rinse to masque & oil, and last but not least the newly launched Dry Conditioner.

The Dry Conditioner has been designed to revive your hair in between washes as well as give you more time between shampoos without having to forgo that softness and moisture that comes from freshly washed hair.  I am guilty of overwashing my hair, it is mentioned pretty much every time I step foot into a salon and the conversation as to 'what products do you use on your hair' begins.  I overwash because I live in London and the air is grim, travelling around on public transport is grim and just sometimes when you get home, you want to wash the day away and this includes from your hair too.

So working to enhance shine and relieving dullness, Young.Again Dry Conditioner helps to not only get rid of those pesky flyaways but it also effectively smoothes out the hair with the aim of giving you a fresh and styled look within seconds. Well almost seconds, but more like 20 minutes because it takes so long for me to do my hair.  This conditioner has been infused with sunflower seed extract and babassu oil which together deeply condition the hair, it also uses Panthenol (Vitamin B5) which is said to deposit deep into the hair to make it easier to brush, comb, and style leaving you with a silky finish. Immortelle, the signature ingredient in the YOUNG.AGAIN product range has also been added for its ongoing ability to help protect and soothe the hair from the elements and environmental stressors.

I am not going to lie, here we have a product that moisturises, nourishes, conditions detangles and has antioxidant properties all whilst being sulphate and cruelty-free.  For my hair, what I love is that despite has greasy roots and dry ends when used, this dry conditioner can give me an extra day, two, if I am really, cannot be bothered, between washes of my hair, when beforehand it would be every other day without fail.  It manages to make my hair look and feel as though it has been freshly washed and also masks that grim smell of London, one I can't quite describe but essentially exhaust fumes and smog just about cover it.  It also doesn't leave any white marks in your hair and when you comb through, it doesn't create a snowfall effect either.

The Kevin Murphy Young.Again Dry Conditioner priced at £24* for a 250ml can and is definitely something I intend to keep in my bathroom cabinet.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Gallivant Nomad Discovery set

Purchasing a fragrance is often a hard choice, department stores and shops are full to the brim of old-time classics, the celebrity endorsed fragrances, the new and the yet to be discovered and if I am honest, I am always unsure as to what I like the most.  In recent years,  I have become a bit of a fan of fragrance discovery sets and the option to try them at home, in surroundings you would normally find yourself in so that you get a good understanding of what does and does not work for you and your skin. Today sees the turn of this Gallivant Nomad Discovery set which I have been getting to know over the last few months.

Gallivant describes itself as being is an indie perfume maker from London and it was founded and created by Nick Steward. With a 'less is more' design ethos, Gallivant believe that a quality perfume can speak for itself; it doesn't need to be loud and flashy. This Nomad Discovery Set is a collection of unisex, gender-neutral eau de parfum which brings a thoughtful, honest and unfussy approach to perfumery.

There is a total of eight fragrances to be discovered from Gallivant and each one of them comes with their very own story and each one is named after a city or country and they are as follows:

• Amsterdam - This fragrance sits within the floral woody scents but with added spice. It has top notes of elemi, schinus molle CO2 extract, Szechuan pepper and saffron, heart notes of tulip and rose and sitting within the base notes you will find cedarwood, musks, sandalwood and amber. To me, this is quite a green, fresh scent which as it settles allows the spiciness to come through. It is warm, it is cosy and the floral notes are not overpowering for those who don't want a floral fragrance.
• Berlin - This is a definite Citrus, woody and spicy fragrance one that I have really liked wearing. It has top notes of grapefruit, clementine, lemon and Schinus molle CO2 extract, heart notes of black pepper and black tea and base notes of Haitian vetiver, cedarwood and patchouli. A wonderful light, clean scent with Vetiver being the ingredient which stands out to be noticed and I love how it opens with the boldness of the citrus notes before they settle down to allow the heart notes to clear the path for the base notes.
• Brooklyn - This fragrance is said to be a musky citrus scent with extra spice which has top notes of bergamot, squeezed lemon and orange juice. Incense, cardamom, ozonic. The heart notes of magnolia and orris root and finally base notes of white woods, benzoin, amber and musks. For me, this is almost like the powder you get from a lemon sherbert, tangy and citrusy and a bit of a contrast between the lemon and the orange to start with before it settles down and the citrus notes mix with the woods to settle. One of the longest lasting on the skin from the collection.
• Istanbul - Described as being an ambery, woody, spicy fragrance. It has top notes of bergamot, cardamom, red thyme. Heart notes of lavender absolute, Egyptian geranium essence, patchouli heart and sweet myrrh (opoponax) essence. Finally base notes of sandalwood, vanilla, tonka bean, amber and musks. When I first sprayed this I was reminded of Marzipan, not something I am a fan of admittedly but as soon as it dries down, the heart notes come through to give it quite a sweet but spicy tone and the vanilla thankfully doesn't overwhelm the other notes.
• London - This is my second most worn and I can't help but like it a lot. Described as being an ambery, woody, spicy fragrance. It has top notes of bergamot, cardamom, red thyme. Heart notes of lavender absolute, Egyptian geranium essence, patchouli heart and sweet myrrh (opoponax) essence and base notes of sandalwood, vanilla, tonka bean, amber and musks. This is a scent for Spring in my view, it is light, it is crisp, it is fresh with the cucumber note being quite prominent but working well with the heart notes. For me, a scent that is hard not to like.
• Los Angeles - Described as being a hot, sensual woody floral, this fragrance has top notes of eucalyptus, clary sage, mandarin orange and pineapple; heart notes of narcissus, tuberose and sea notes; base notes of cade oil, cypriol oil or nagarmotha, musk, heliotrope and guaiac wood. I am on the fence with this scent, I like the inclusion of eucalyptus which keeps those citrus notes from being over the top but as it dries down the Heliotrope note for me is a little too strong, but I don't dislike it.
• Tel Aviv - This fragrance my favourite of the set and it is described as being a floral fruity fragrance and it has top notes of clementine, bergamot, and blackcurrant bud. Heart notes of jasmine sambac absolute, Comoros’ ylang-ylang, rose oil and freesia with base notes of sandalwood, musks, Deer’s Tongue absolute (liatrix) and benzoin. This has all the notes I love within a fragrance and it is a beautiful floral with the dominance coming through from the Freesia. Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine whilst the note of bergamot is just ever so slightly there in the background.
• Tokyo - The final fragrance of the 8 and one which is described as being a zingy, spicy, woody fragrance. It has top notes of yuzu and bergamot with black pepper and cardamom, electrified with a dash of wasabi. Heart notes of hinoki, cedarwood, and incense, with iris, rose and nutmeg and base notes of amber, sandalwood, patchouli and vetiver. I was expecting this scent to be quite heavy given some of the ingredient notes within and with the spice coming from the likes of wasabi and nutmeg, they don't dominate. For me, the notes of Yuzu and Bergamot as an opener bring to life the zingy side before the base notes, which bring everything together for a fresh but calm fragrance and this is one which reminds me of another fragrance, I just can't think what it is.

What we have here from Gallivant are eight individual fragrances and no two are similar or even alike, the only thing they share other than the kit they arrive in, is one or two notes within the fragrances.    The likes of Tokyo and Istanbul are unique and will test your nose but for me, Tel Aviv and Berlin would be the ones I would opt for.

Each one of these fragrances costs £65 for 30ml or this Discovery set which I was kindly gifted costs £25 here from the Gallivant site.

Have any of these fragrances caught your eye from their descriptions?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Lee Stafford Shampoo Massage Brush and Smooth & Polish Paddle Brush

Lee Stafford is a haircare brand I’ve been a fan of since they first launched Lee Stafford Poker Straight hair protection spray, a product I have used over and over again for many years and there is something about the scent that I just happen to adore, not forgetting just how good at protecting your hair from any form of heat it is.  When it comes to hairbrushes, I have a comb from Lee Stafford that has seen me through quite a few years now and just recently, the brand has relaunched their hairbrush collection with the aim of ensuring that it contains every brush or comb that you will ever need.  With nine different tools to choose from, all of which are available from Boots, you will without question find one that you really need.

I was kindly sent two products from the range, the first is the Lee Stafford Shampoo Massage Brush and the second one is the Lee Stafford Smooth and Polish Paddle Brush.

The Massage Brush is the one I was particularly looking forward to trying because the one I had from another brand has managed to disappear and I have become quite a fan of them.

Priced at £5.99 it is amazing value for money and it is described as being perfect for cleansing and exfoliating, helping to maintain a healthy scalp and fabulous looking hair. Pair it with your favourite Lee Stafford shampoo for that extra foaminess! With an ergonomically designed handle making it easy to grip when wet, massage with the soft silicone tips to lift away dead skin and stimulate your scalp!

This massage brush is absolutely brilliant to use.  For someone like me who suffers from scalp irritations, usually linked to stress, I need something that not only helps to massage my head and exfoliate my scalp but also something that helps aid that exfoliation process when I use particular products to help exfoliate my scalp.  I also use this massage brush when I have applied a hair mask to my hair, it helps to ensure I get as even a coverage as I can.  The brush is also a great size for sitting in the palm of your hand and because the tips are made from silicone, they are not too rigid that they hurt the scalp, instead they do give quite the relaxing massage.

The second brush, the Smooth and Polish Paddle Brush is again reasonably priced at £10.99 and it is described as being a must-have for making the most of your hair, every day. Whether you want silky soft hair or to just detangle and combat frizz this paddle brush with soft-touch grip is the perfect go-to tool. With flexible nylon pins that can be used on wet or dry hair, the soft cushion adapts to the shape of your head to ensure a comfortable styling experience!

Most of the brushes that I use on my hair are paddle brushes.  I have shoulder length hair which has a fine texture, but I have a lot of hair, so anything I can do to prevent tangles and knots.  This brush features an easy-grip handle which has a rubberised coating to it and what I love is how large the brush head is.  Again, with silicone bristles, this brush doesn't drag its way through your hair, it glides without pulling and scraping against your head.  A delight to use and one of my most used brushes.

Do you have a favourite brush or brush brand that you couldn't be without?

You can find these brushes and the entire Lee Stafford hairbrush collection at Boots.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

REN Clean Skincare - Hero Products

One of my absolute must-have bathroom skincare brands is REN, now known as REN Clean Skincare.  Over the past year, REN has been on quite the journey with their efforts to become more sustainable and throughout the whole of 2019, I have been lucky enough to share some of that journey with them.  

Today I am sharing three hero products from the REN skincare range and each one of them is completely different from the other and yet all three are just fabulous.

The first product is one I loved from the very first use and it is the Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic. I first reviewed this product here, but the reason I wanted to include it within this post is because it is suitable for the most sensitive of skin.

Described by REN as being a toner that provides a daily dose of clean bio-active extracts to help your skin get glowing, it is formulated with the pH of 3.5; the optimum pH at which your skin naturally exfoliates. Within Ready Steady Glow, REN use and harness the power of three sustainable, natural bio-actives - Lactic Acid, Salicin and Azelaic Acid Precursor and each one of these ingredients works together to dissolve dead and dey skin, cleanse your pores, help balance the skin's natural sebum levels and helps to boost radiance, hydration and elasticity.

I have been using Ready Steady Glow for some time now and the very first time I used it, there was a slight tingle on my skin, but what it didn't do was turn red. After using my skin has never been left feeling dry and nor has it caused any irritation.  Priced at £25 for a 250ml bottle, if you have been wanting to try an exfoliating acid, then this is a great place to start.

The second product within my trio is one you might have seen featured quite a lot on my Instagram stories and that is the REN Evercalm Overnight Recovery Balm. The Evercalm collection is described as being soothing care for sensitive and sensitised skin.

The Evercalm™ range is packed with soothing, calming and anti-irritant bioactives and it is formulated to reduce redness and restore skin’s protective barrier against environmental stress.  Within the range, you will find not only find cleansers, moisturisers, masks and serums, but also the Overnight Recovery Balm, which is a firm favourite of mine.

This Balm is perfect for anyone who feels their skin is in need of some TLC if its dry, irritated and is in need of some calming.  This balm is really rich and is said to feed your skin with lipids from Olive, Almond, Borage and Linseed oils, all of which have been activated so they are easily absorbed into the skin, in doing so, they work to intensely nourish and moisturise your skin whilst you sleep. Within this balm, you will also find both Jojoba and sunflower oil which supports the skin's natural lipid balance which in turn helps to strengthen the skin protective barrier. Then we have an ingredient called Beta-glucan which soothes and alleviates signs of irritation from dryness.

I use this balm every evening currently, always when I was freshly cleansed my face and usually after applying a serum to my skin.  Once the serum has absorbed, I will then add this balm.  Once on the skin, it absorbs without being greasy and it leaves my skin feeling incredibly soothed and nourished.  It is worth noting that this balm can also be used on your lips, knees and elbows too for soothing dryness.  Priced at £40, this is one product that should always be on your bedside table.

The final product within this trio is one for those who, like me, love spending time in the bath for some well-deserved R&R and it is the REN Moroccan Rose Otto Bath Oil.

Made with one of the worlds most expensive oils, this bath oil is not only an absolute luxury it is just the tonic after a really stressful, tense working week. Moroccan Rose Otto oil is best known for its anti-bacterial, hydrating and anti-depressant properties. When a few drops of the oil are added into the bath, it disperses pretty much instantly into the water and as it does so, it turns that water into a milky white colour and what I absolutely love is that you can step into the bath and then get out of it again, without the fear of slipping on a slippery oil.  

As the bath continues to run, the steam vapour manages to capture the scent of the Moroccan Rose Oil and fills the air with the most beautiful, natural scent, rather than one which is manufactured.  On the skin, this is very much a moisturising product for your skin, especially if you have dryness.  Priced at £32 for a 110ml bottle, this makes such a wonderful treat.

I would love to know whether or not you are a fan of REN skincare and whether you have a favourite product from the brand, or if you have never tried them, do any of these products stand out?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.