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NARS Zulu Nail Polish Swatches, Review & Comparisons Vampy Varnish
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Review: L'Oreal Full Restore 5 shampoo and conditioner

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The claim
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According to the adverts L'Oreal developed this formula to target and treat the top 5 hair care problems we struggle with in the UK.

1) Weak hair
2) Limp hair
3) Lifeless looking hair
4) Dull hair
5) Dry hair



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The bottle
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All of L'Oreal Elvive shampoos and conditioners use the same shape bottle. The FULL RESTORE 5 range has the bottle coloured white with a red cap.

The cap on the conditioner is on the base of the bottle so you can tell it apart from the shampoo bottle instantly, which is good for when the bottle is nearly empty.

The texture of the recyclable plastic bottle is easy to grip in a slippy shower.

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First impressions
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The creamy consistency and pearlessence appearance of the shampoo is very similar to Elvive's Nutri-gloss and Re-nutrition ranges - both of which I love - so I felt confident that this product would give similar results. However once applied to wet hair the comparison ends - This product feels so runny and slippy that I was reminded of the slime thingy in Noel Edmunds House Party. Not nice.

The floral fragrance is very fresh and clean smelling, but is quite strong. This doesn't bother me, but it could be strong enough to irritate some people. Once the hair has been dried the smell dissipates, though I still got the occasional whiff when my hair blew in my face.

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After 2 months of use
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I'll start by stating that I gave this range a fair chance by completely using up to full bottles of the 400ml shampoo and conditioner (during a buy-one-get-one-free I picked up two shampoos instead of one of each, so ended up going back for two conditioners as well. I'm a clever girl).


Did I see the promised results of hair that looked stronger, fuller, revitalised, shiny and silky?

The only thing I noticed was the shine - and that shine was due to my hair becoming greasy on the SAME day I washed it. I would wash it in the morning and by the evening it would be heavy and shiny with grease. My scalp also seemed to itch. As mentioned above I didn't have the conditioner at first, so the heaviness, grease and itchiness wasn't caused by a conditioner build-up. honestly it felt so grubby by the next day that I'd need to shampoo at least twice and I'd stay under the shower rinsing the product out for up to 10 minutes.


** Shampoo **

Using the shampoo on it's own also left my hair knotty, full of frizz and I noticed that there was a increase in strands of broken hair in my combs [no matter how wide toothed] and brushes. Hmmm - I suppose frizz might count as "fuller" hair.


** Conditioner **

The conditioner did solve the above problems - the FULL RESTORE 5 conditioner is good for detangling and it reduced the frizz caused by using the shampoo alone.

I finished the shampoo bottles before the conditioner, so I keep using the conditioner with the Elvive Re-Nutrition shampoo and it seemed like I didn't use a conditioner at all. The limited results I experienced with the conditioner are the same as using the Re-Nutrition shampoo alone.


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My opinion
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I've loved every other Elvive product I've ever used, so it pains me to say that their FULL RESTORE 5 range is pretty much useless. Liking the fragrance means nothing when the results vary from limited to non-existent.

I also felt cheated by L'Oreal when I learnt that the range's spokes-model [Cheryl Cole] wore acrylic hair extensions in the ads (I'm well aware that she has used extensions for years, but L'Oreal lead everyone to believe she was using ones made from human hair by adding a disclaimer stating she was using 'natural' extensions).

If you do decide to try this range then the matching conditioner is something I'd really advise using; That did seem to work somewhat.


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RRP
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250ml: £2.55
400ml: £3.59

There is also a 300ml hair mask and a 200ml conditioning replenishing spray available.

Rumour mill: Lady GaGa to release fragrance?

The First Fragrance by Lady Gaga Created by Coty Inc!

After a lot of speculation about the first fragrance by Lady Gaga, WWD publishes that a contract has been signed for her fragrance with Coty Inc. The first fragrance for women by Lady Gaga can be expected on the market in spring 2012!

Stephan Mormoris, vice president of global marketing for Coty Inc. states that the contract was signed last week and that Lady Gaga is a 'phenomenon' and a 'fascinating culture force' of today's world scene.

 [Credit: Sandra Raičević Petrović at Fragrantica.com]

 

Interesting. I love Lady GaGa and I love perfume, so my fingers are tightly crossed.
 
This is a highly reliable source, but I'm aware that previous rumours in this vein have been denied by GaGa's camp, so best not to get too excited just yet.
 

Review: Radiance EDP by Britney Spears

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The fragrance

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RADIANCE was released in September 2010 and is described as a fruity/floral. I've not come across any matching body products, which is unusual for a Britney Spears release.





I'd personally say that RADIANCE is way more fruity than floral, which is odd [but a relief] as I'm sensitive to both tuberose and musk - too much of either is usually a migraine trigger-puller. It's sweet on first application, but it's sweet in a fresh and zingy way. I can separate raspberry from the berry jumble, but am guessing when I suggest that the other note is red currant.



The initial fruity blast burns down with ten minutes, but some of the zesty sweetness lingers throughout the fragrance, so maybe they added berry notes in the heart and base of the fragrance too? The floral notes are light and the zingy berries make everything seem sparkly and fresh. The jasmine is the strongest floral on my skin, followed by the orange blossom. I could detect a hint of tuberose, but thankfully it's only brief and soon becomes lost under the jasmine.



The slight powdery note of the orange blossom lingers throughout the base too, but a sweeter scent (vanilla?) over takes it. The musk note is light and clean, so the sweetness has a hint of airiness to it. I usually find musky fragrances too heavy, but this seems 'watered' down.





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Scent notes

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Berries, tuberose, jasmine, orange blossom, iris and musk.





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The bottle

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The blue and pink faux crystal bottle is extremely tacky - but in a fun way.



However; I think it's a miss-match to the juice inside; The fragrance is largely ageless, but the bottle is aimed firmly towards the under 20 consumer. A shame - they'll drastically reduced their prospective market.

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Other buying considerations

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The staying power is not very good, which isn't a big surprise considering this is a Britney brand, mass market release. It burns down in 3/4 hours - whilst that's not great for a EDP, it's not the worst out there.



The fruitiness makes this a good choice for daytime and the light florals mean you can safely wear it to work. I personally think it's too quiet for evening wear, but if you plan on hitting a packed club then the fragrance's lightness could be good for avoiding scent-induced headaches.



Being fruity and light I'd actually class this as being better suited to spring/summer. I think it's too zesty and fresh for autumn/winter and was surprised that Elizabeth Arden chose to release it in September.





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Verdict

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I'd describe RADIANCE as a blend of the fruity freshness of Believe and the surprisingly sophisticated white florals found in Curious - It's more adult then the Fantasy range, but the fruits provide a light sweetness, so the younger customers will still enjoy it.



I found it pleasant, but it doesn't appeal to me in this colder weather and it's not unique enough to buy. If I come across it on special offer I might be tempted to get a bottle for casual wear.



I think it would make a good gift choice as it's not a disagreeable fragrance and women of just about any age could wear it.







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RRP

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50ml: £23

100ml: £28



As it's just been released it is currently exclusive to Boots stores. It will receive a wider release in a month or so.
 
 

Just launched: China Glaze Halloween 2010 LE polish set

China Glaze 2010 Halloween - Awakening Gift Set
[3 Full Size Polishes & Full Size Top Coat]

Zombie Zest - Mossy Green with Gold Flecks of Micro Glitter

Mummy May I - Purple with Flecks of Hot Pink Micro Glitter

Ick-A-Bod-Y - A Dark Green Base with Orange Glitter

Fast Forward Top Coat - Fast Drying Protective Top Coat