Sample Saturday - Philip Kingsley Body And Shine Try Me Kit*

My name is Louise and my hair is driving me mad :( Thanks to illness and a great deal of medication I've been having problems on and off with my hair for a few years now, and at the moment I just so happen to be having a bad spell. I wouldn't say it was particularly dry but it's definitely lacking in life and volume, and it seems to thin and break at the drop of the hat, particularly around my hair line.

I'm forever trying new hair products and trying different things to try and boost my lowly locks, and over the past couple of weeks I've been trying out a few products that I was sent from Philip Kingsley. Philip Kingsley is a top salon brand, but he isn't a hairdresser, he's actually a trichologist, with over 50 years of experience in dealing with serious hair and scalp problems. As well as having his own well respected trichology clinics both here and in the USA, he also produces a range of products that are designed to deal with some of the most common hair and scalp problems.

I've been using the Body and Shine Try Me Kit for the last couple of weeks now. This kit contains 3, mini 20ml, products that are specifically designed for fine, limp and flyaway hair with heat or chemical processing.

Philip Kingsley Body Building Shampoo - 20ml

The first product in the kit is a 20ml shampoo, and this one is the Philip Kingsley Body Building Shampoo. Specifically designed for fine, limp and flyaway hair, this gentle, frequent use shampoo contains both natural cellulose and keratin proteins which help to improve the hair texture and to strengthen the hair and add shine

This shampoo has a clear gel formulation and a pleasant almost floral, parma violet like aroma. It's quite a thick gel and you only need a small amount to produce a  creamy, soft foam. Ir rinses away easily, and the hair almost instantly seems smoother and fuller. It isn't the most moisturising shampoo that I've ever used, so if you have dry hair you'll definitely need to follow it with a conditioner, but my hair definitely looked a felt more silky when I used it and it didn't look quite as frizzy.

Philip Kingsley Moisture Balancing Conditioner - 20ml

The next product in the kit is a hair conditioner. I did try the shampoo on it own a couple of times to review it in it's own right but more often than not I followed it with a blob of this conditioner. This is the Philip Kingsley Moisture Balancing Conditioner. Designed for medium, textured wavy hair or fine processed hair, this conditioner is specifically designed to deliver moisture at the end and the mid lengths without adding an extra weight.It contains both elastin, which is designed to leave the hair shinier, smoother, and tangle free, and wheat proteins which have natural anti-static properties.

The conditioner is off white in colour, and has a milky, lotion type texture -  it wasn't quite as thick as I was expecting but it still felt quite creamy. It spread through the hair quite easily, and it rinsed away quickly, leaving the hair with a clean, but subtle, almost musky, herbal, aromatherapy type scent. The hair felt smoother and less tangled almost instantly, this isn't the most intense conditioner that I've used but it definitely gave my hair a god moisture hit, and tamed my frizz and fly aways without leaving my hair, heavy, weighed down or overloaded. If your hair is really dry, this might not be enough for some people, but it's perfect for frequent use, and people with finer hair.

Philip Kinglesy - Elasticizer - 20ml

The final product in this kit is probably the product that Philip Kingsley is most famous for Elasticizer! Originally created by Philip Kingsley in the 1970's Elasticizer was created for one of Philip's most famous clients, actress and all round icon, Audrey Hepburn. Elasticizer was the world's first pre-shampoo conditioning treatment and it's designed to improve hair manageability, bounce, strength, shine and elasticity, without coating or weighing down the hair.

I'm going to be honest and say that this I've used this product on and off for a few years now, and it's one of two intensive hair treatments that I swear by. Its easy to use and I genuinely think that it makes a difference in just one use.

It's unscented, white in colour and has a lovely thick creamy texture, that spreads easily through the hair. This is a pre-shampoo conditioner, so all you do is apply it to wet hair. You don't need to have a shower or shampoo your hair, you just need to wet your hair down before you apply it. Then just leave it for at least 20 minutes to give it a chance to work - You can leave it for as long as you like though, I've even left it on overnight, and if you're using a sauna or you're on holiday then you can use it to both protect and condition your hair.

As it soaks in to your hair, your hair can start to feel a little bit sticky, but don't worry about it, it's just doing it's thing. It takes a little bit of rinsing, but just rinse it out with warm water,  and work it through your hair, then shampoo and condition as normal.

Even after just one use Elasticizer, which contains castor and olive oils, elastin and glycerine, makes a difference to my hair. Every time I use it my hair feels smoother, and stronger, I seem to lose less hair and it seems to give my hair a huge boost. This particular product has an almost iconic status in the beauty industry and for me it thoroughly deserves it.

I've only managed about 4 uses out of each tube but it's easy to see why both Philip Kingsley and his products are held in such high regard. I've only used them a few times but they definitely seem to do what they promise. My hair looks smoother, and I've definitely noticed an improvement in  the manageability and the texture of my hair

Although you only get a small amount of product, a little goes a long way,  and kits like this give you a good opportunity to try out a more expensive product before shelling out for the full size items. This Philip Kingley Body And Shine Try Me Kit retails at £6 and it comes in various versions depending on your hair type or concern. I think that these kits would make an ideal small gift or a stocking filler for anyone who is new to the brand or for anyone that spends a lot of time travelling and uses a lot of minis. If you're already a Philip Kingsley devotee though, there are lots of other Philip Kingsley gift sets available this Christmas containing an assortment of his most popular products.

You can buy Philip Kingsley products directly from the Philip Kingsley website and various other retailers including Feel Unique, John Lewis, QVC and Look Fantastic.

Even though my hair product game is already strong I have my eye on quite  a few of the Philip Kingsley products and I would especially love to receive some of the new Geranium and Neroli Elasticizer in my stocking, so if your listening  Santa you know where I am ;) Have you get any Philip Kingsley products on your festive wishlist this year? Let me know x

*Sample

Life Lately And Trimming My Stash - June 2015 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

Hi everyone x It's been a couple of days but I'm back with my June empties post. I'm glad to see the back of June if I'm honest, it's being a very stressful, rubbishy, up and down sort of a month. A slight case of the sniffles developed into a full on chest and lung infection that I'm still trying to get rid of, and that I've have subsequently passed on to my mum. Throw in the fact that the bathroom fitters turned up pretty much unannounced last week and left us without a bath or shower for over a week and you'll get some idea of where I'm coming from.

It's been a tough couple of weeks, and circumstances have not only affected my blog but they've also affected June's Trimming My Stash.

Avon Violet Bubble Bath - 1000ml

Mini MAC Zoom Lash Mascara - Black

Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment - 100ml

Avon Blackberries And Vanilla Bubble Bath - 500ml

May Beauty The Incredible Face Mask - 10ml 

May Beauty The Incredible Face Mask - 10ml 

Total - 6 Items

Although I managed to finish 6 items, if things had gone my way it could have been a lot more. Illness meant that I just couldn't be bothered to carry out a full face, body and hair care routine, let alone wear a make up so I've still got a few nearly finished, products teetering on the edge 

I did manage to finish two bath products and a few Lush and Bomb Cosmetics pieces, but due to the bathroom fitters turning up at least a week ahead of schedule, I ran out of time to finish all my bath things and I've been left with a few bottles of bubble bath. I should be able to use the majority of them as shower products though so hopefully nothing will go to waste. 

So what were the products that I finished in June and what did I think of them?

1. Avon Violet Bubble Bath - 1000ml

I'm a huge fan of these Avon Bubble Baths, they are really affordable, and they come in a variety of permanent and limited edition fragrances. This one was a full litre size of the Violet Bubble Bath. When I first used it I was a bit disappointed as it wasn't the strong Parma Violet fragrance that I'd anticipated but on reflection it was still a nice product with a pleasant violet aroma, without being too strong or too sweet. I think this was one of the limited edition fragrances but it's always worth taking a look at these when you see them in the brochure no matter what the fragrance. They are great value for money and they do exactly what you'd expect from a bubble bath.

2. Mini MAC Zoom Lash Mascara - Black

I'm not sure how big this was but it was a tiny little sample that I got with an online purchase. This is one of MAC's best selling mascaras and I got around 2 weeks use from this size. I've used the full sized version and whilst I don't think it's anything special or exciting, it's a decent mascara that separated and seem to lengthen the lashes. I'm not sure I would repurchase but it's isn't bad.

3. Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment - 100ml

This is a pre wash, hair mask that I love, and that Mummy Lou loves. I've used this for a few years now on and off and it's something that I will continue to use. I think Mummy Lou bought this one but I was recently sent a batch of Ojon goodies which included another pot of this magical substance so I'll do a full review for you soon.

4. Avon Blackberries And Vanilla Bubble Bath - 500ml

Another bubble bath from Avon and another limited edition. This one had quite a runny formulation and the blackberry and vanilla fragrance to me smelled quite fruity, and almost creamy and coconut like. Like all of the products I've used in the this range, a small amount of product goes a long way and produces a mass of bubbles, so these large bottles last a long time, and are good value for money. I think I only have one of these left, a strawberry fragrance, so I'll be using that one as a summer shower product.

5.May Beauty The Incredible Face Mask - 10ml 

6.May Beauty The Incredible Face Mask - 10ml 

This is one of the reviews that I should posted a week or so ago. I was sent these masks to review and the review will definitely by live on the blog this weekend so if you have blemish prone skin, then stay tuned x 

So they were my June empties, if you have questions on anything I've used up please leave me a comment and I'll get back to you x 

Our new new shower room should hopefully be finished tomorrow and do you know what? I can't wait to give my new shower a try and to get some products used up x It's been a festival like existence in my own home and believe me it hasn't been fun especially since we've all been so poorly.

Speaking of which I just want to thank you again for your patience and good wishes during my poorly patch x I'm hoping to start posting regularly again from today and I'm going to try and get things back to normal. I've got a few overdue press sample, PR and brand reviews so they will probably go up first, but after it will be the usual mix of hauls, reviews and recipes x Thanks for reading and following and I'll see you soon x 

A Review Of The Old Wives Tail Jojoba And Clove Organic Oil Hair Treatment*

I think I mentioned it in a recent blog post but over the last five or six months or so the condition of my hair has literally gone down the drain. Health related I assume and whilst probably unavoidable that doesn't make it any easier to swallow. The texture's changed from straight-ish to so wavy it's almost curly, it looks dry and frizzy, yet lank at the same time, and every wash it I pretty much lose a small handful. It's got me down at times, I've always had lovely thick glossy hair and I want it back!

I've washed and conditioned religiously, and I've tried to cut down on the heat tools and the styling products and I've only seen minimal improvement :( 

Something had to change and touch lots of wood over the last couple of months I've found a few things that seem to be helping - one is a vitamin supplement, and the other is a hair product. Quite a few product that I've tried have made a bit of a difference but nothing has made as big a difference as this product.

I'm a firm believer that the biggest companies don't always produce the best results and in this case I've been proven right. A little while ago know I was contacted by a natural hair care company called Old Wives Tail.  Based in the UK but with South African and Portuguese roots, this company produces a range of natural, chemical free, and environmentally friendly hair care, with Mediterranean olive oil at its heart. As well as being a 100% organic brand, they're also a very animal friendly company -they don't test their products on animals, or deal with suppliers that do, and 10% of their profits are donated to charities that campaign against animal testing. The very kindly allowed me to chose one of their products to review and after a lot of humming and haaing I eventually decided to try the Old Wives Tail Jojoba and Clove Organic Oil Treatment.

Containing just 4 ingredients, organic jojoba oil, shea butter, clove flower oil and olive oil, the description of this product just screamed to me. It is specifically designed for dull, thinning, brittle or broken hair - that's me! The jojoba oil helps add strength, volume and texture to the hair, and the other ingredients are stimulating and anti bacterial, and can help to encourage hair growth.

The product comes packaged in a jar, and appearance wise it resembles almost a thick custard. The appearance is nothing though compared to the smell. Think Christmas, Pumpkin Spice Latte and your about there wow the smell is amazing, so autumnal and wintery and perfect for this time of year.

It's a pre shampoo treatment so to use the mask all you do is apply a dollop to damp hair, and comb it through. You don't need a lot and a little does go along way as it's quite creamy. I combed it right the way from root to tip, concentrating on my tangled, lengths and ends. You can leave it as it is, but since my hair was a bit drippy I rolled it up and popped a shower cap on. Then leave it for at least an hour to soak in. You can also leave it on overnight if your feel your hair needs it x

After an hour or so all you do is just rinse and shampoo. It was really simple to wash out and almost instantly, my hair felt a lot smoother. I'm must admit I'm lazy and more often than not I leave my hair to dry naturally, hence the waves and curls, but after using this my hair was definitely calmer, and less tangled and wild. It also felt much, much softer and looked shinier. The amazing clove scent also lingered on the hair, the towels and anything else that touched so there was no need for scented candles !

I'm not going to say that my hair is perfect now, far from it but I can definitely see a big difference from using this treatment just once a week. It's easier to style, I don't seem to be losing quite as much as I was and it definitely feels nicer and looks shinier, and smells yummy! In fact I've been so impressed with the improvement that I'm actually braving the hairdressers tomorrow, for the first time in a long while!

Like most homes everything in my bathroom is fair game for anyone else, and Mummy Lou has also being trying this out with me, and I have to say I've never heard her rave so much about a product. Her hair like a lot of peoples with grey hair, is coarse and a bit dry, and she says that this product has improved the condition and feel of her feel no end, and she loves the smell too.

This isn't the cheapest product out there but you really do get what you pay for, This brand, it's products and the ingredients they use have real integrity, and it's great to know that by buying this product your supporting a environmental and animal friendly brand. The pot isn't huge either at 100 ml but believe me you don't need a lot, this pot has easily lasted both me and Mummy Lou, four weeks plus. Will I buy this product again? Definitely we both would, it did exactly what it promised and the results we've seen speak for themselves.

Old Wives Tail Jojoba And Clove Organic Oil Treatment retails at £13.99 for 100ml from the Old Wives Tail website. Please have a look at their website to find out more about their philosophy and to see their full product range x Thanks for reading and if you have any questions please leave me a comment x

(*Sample)