Cherry...Cherry Baby!

Picture courtesy of Batiste.

Batiste never cease to amaze me with their never ending line of scents! There is always a new one before you know it and the new Batiste Cherry is definitely my all time favourite Batiste scent. As soon as I smelt it, I knew it was for me and from the existing scents, if I buy a new Batiste, this is the one I will pick! I adore it!

It has a lovely fruity fragrance (so me!) that lingers and the packaging design screams vintage glamour - love it! This is one that I'm not going to take too lightly to other people using in my household :-).

It is available for £2.99 from the usual stockists; Superdrug, Boots, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Asda, Waitrose, Wilkinsons, Savers, Lloyd chemists and many more places that you can see here.

Batiste have a competition on their website at the moment, inspired by the release of Batiste Cherry. You can win a £600 pair of Louboutins in classic Cherry Red! You can see the shoes on the banner below, aren't they gorgeous?! I have entered myself and although I hope I win, I thought I would tell you all about the competition too! So kind of me, I know. You can enter by clicking on the banner below and filling in a few details :-). You have to enter before the 15th April 2012. Good luck everyone! Oh and let me know if any of you happen to be the lucky winner :-) - I might be on the lend, he, he only joking.

Picture courtesy of Batiste.

Much Love,

Gem XxOo

Disclaimer: I received this as a sample to introduce me to the new scent. All my opinions are and always will be 100% honest. See my disclaimer tab for more information.

The Only Way is Batiste...

I used to be guilty of washing my hair pretty much every single day. I hated my hair looking greasy, lank and flat and I loved the fresh, bouncy just washed look - who doesn't?! When I was first introduced to Dry Shampoo - about two years ago, it was Batiste and I haven't looked back since.

I have spotted a lot of other Dry Shampoo's in stores like Superdrug and Boots, including Tresemme and own store brands. Some are even cheaper than Batiste but I always go back to Batiste and can honestly say I haven't bought or sampled any other brands of Dry Shampoo.

Batiste works perfectly for me. I love how they have so many different variations and scents including: Tropical, Boho, Fresh, Blush, Diva and many more, which you can see here. I also love how they have different sizes including: travel (50ml), regular (200ml) and large (400ml).

This is Batiste Dry Shampoo's Unique Selling Point:

'Batiste Dry Shampoo banishes oily roots, giving dull, lifeless hair the makeover it needs without any water. A quick burst revitalises hair, adding body and texture and leaving it feeling clean and fresh. No need to worry about skipping a shampoo'.

There used to be many a mornings where I used to be late for things because if I hadn't had time the previous evening to wash my hair, I HAD to wash it in the morning. I didn't like going out with my hair looking horrible - finding Batiste was like a life saver and saved me sooo much time! Now I leave it at least a day in-between washes and sometimes even two, as I know I have Batiste to spray on to leave my hair looking, clean, fresh and bouncy...perfect!

I have tried many scents myself, those being: Boho (sweet, spirited scent), Diva (spicy, sensual scent), Original (clean, light scent), Tropical (coconut, exotic scent), XXL Volume (sweet, perfume scent), A Hint of Colour in Dark or Deep Brown (sweet scent) and Blush (floral, delicate scent). I tried out the hint of colour one for my hair type (Dark Brown) the once and it was great as it matched my hair colour but it doesn't stop me from buying any of the other non-colour types. To be honest it doesn't really matter to me, even though they are white in colour, as long as you spray it at the right distance and massage/brush it in, it is fine and looks great :-). I have never had a problem with the non-colour ones or with anyone saying that my hair looked white.

It is advised to use Batiste Dry Shampoo by doing the following: Shake the can vigorously and spray into your roots (just lift or section hair off and spray different parts of your hair), keeping the nozzle 30cm from your hair (this is important because if you spray it nearer your hair it will be a lot whiter and will be harder and take longer to massage in). Massage the Dry Shampoo into your hair using your fingertips, brush your hair and style as usual :-). Batiste have a video showing you how to do this and you can view it here. 

The most recent ones I have used are the 200ml Boho (£2.99), 200ml Tropical (£2.99) and the travel size 50ml Tropical (£1.55-which is great for travelling but also for popping in your bag for when you are out and about and your hair needs a quick re-fresh).

The Boho Dry Shampoo is a sweet fragrance with a citrusy vibe and perfect for festivals (as all Batiste Dry Shampoo's are). The Tropical Dry Shampoo has a lovely coconut smell and reminds me of holidays!

I have also tried one of the new Batiste Dry Shampoo's recently, this being the 200ml XXL Volume (£3.99). I was interested to try this because to be honest I think that the other scents provide your hair with a little volume (which I love), so I was keen to see how much volume this one gave.

 The XXL Volume Dry Shampoo has a sweet, perfume scent and does provide a lot of volume! You can really see the difference and you almost have to tame it down a little as it really does plump up your hair. It is an amazing product. The other scents do provide volume, but maybe not as much.

This is what the Batiste Dry Shampoo looks like when sprayed (apart from the hint of colour ones):

The product has a light, powder feel. It isn't sticky at all and doesn't weigh down your hair or make it feel gross or like it is full of product, it just makes your hair feel a little fuller/thicker and more so the more you use it over the day(s). As long as you stick to the 30cm distance before you spray it, it will look fab. It will affect how it looks and feels if you spray it any closer.

I tend to buy my Batiste Dry Shampoo from Boots or Superdrug, but there are many other stores that sell the product. You can view them all here.

The prices I have put against the most recent ones I have used (above) are the RRP prices, but different stores have different prices and offers - so you might want to shop around to get a good deal :-).

If I do more reviews on new Batiste Dry Shampoo's or new sizes I will do a before and after shot so you can see the difference the product makes :-).

Do any of you lovelies love Batiste as much as me?

Or do any of you swear by any other brands of Dry Shampoo?

I would love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks so much for reading my post-please follow, like and comment :-).

Much Love Gem XxOo

You can find me on YouTube here.

You can find me on Twitter here.

Disclaimer: I have been sent the pictured products to review but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Pictures: All pictures unless otherwise stated are my own. If you wish to use them please credit my name by them-Gemma Tranter.

Matrix Design Pulse Mix In Shine Serum...

I don't usually buy or get to try out 'Professional' hair care items that are used in Hairdressing Salons/Beauty Salons. As much as I would like to, there are plenty of products on the market at a preferred price and most do the same thing. However, recently I came across a website that sold Salon Professional Hair, Skin and Nail Products called Gorgeous Shop, you can view their website here. They are known for selling Salon Professional Brands, that are used in Hairdressing/Beauty Salons.

They have a HUGE array of products ranging from Hair Care, Skin Care, Make-Up, Nail Care, Tanning, Accessories, Bath and Home. They also have their own prices/discounts, so the products aren't always priced at the R.R.P on their website, they are cheaper-which is a bonus!

I was very lucky to have the opportunity to try out one of the products from Gorgeous Shop. This being the Matrix Design Pulse Mix In Shine Serum (89ml), which you can view here. Now if your anything like me, you are always look for new products to improve the condition/look/style of your hair, right? So I was really excited and keen to start using this to find out how it worked with my hair and whether it improved the condition of my hair (I unfortunately suffer a lot with split ends due to my regular use of heated styling tools-which I am now trying to cut down on).

I received my product within three days and was really impressed with how it was packaged. I opened the brown envelope and inside was a lovely clear, gorgeous shop printed, plastic pull string bag. It is water-proof, wipe clean and definitely re-usable (I think I will keep mine for when I am travelling for my make-up or toiletry items). The actual product itself was sealed in thick bubble wrap, inside the bag. I was impressed with how well packaged my one item was and I was certain that if I ever ordered something from there that was a little bit more fragile (a hair styler for example) then it would definitely be well packaged and protected. The shipping prices are also really reasonable, starting from £3.50 (3-4 working days) for UK delivery with unlimited items or you can have next day delivery for £5.49. International shipping prices are also reasonable, you can see these here.

So, onto the actual product itself. You get 89ml (random amount-ocd kicking in, as I would have had to just round it up to 90ml lol) of product for £10.50 from the website-it isn't a product that you use in big amounts, so it is going to last a long time! The first thing I did when I received it was smell it (as I tend to do with most things, cause I'm sad like that ha, ha) and it smells GORGEOUS-the only way I can describe it is sweet, light and refreshing (with a tinge of Lemon and Orange). It smells like most products do in a hair salon-lush! You know when you've just had your hair done in a salon and you can smell your hair for ages afterwards because of all the lovely products they have used on your hair? Yep, it reminds me of that :-).

The packaging is also really sleek and stylish. It feels nice just to have it-you know when you have a high end make-up product, well it feels the same in this case. It makes you feel just that little bit more special when you have used it. I have been using it when I have dried and straightened/curled/waved my hair. As I have layers I have split ends in different areas so I have been taking about two pea sized amounts rubbing it between my fingers and then through my hair, working specifically on my split ends/layer sections. This has been my main reason for using the serum, to seal my split ends and make my hair look more sleek and shiny. It leaves my hair feeling really soft (it even leaves your fingers feeling soft after using it :-/ and it isn't greasy at all). On the website it says that the serum also delivers long lasting shine (true), eliminates frizz (I don't tend to have frizzy hair but it definitely makes my hair look more sleek, which is basically the same thing so...true) and protects the hair from harmful UV rays (not sure how I would be able to see if it does this, but I trust that it does as it contains the ingredient Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, which is like a chemical sunscreen and protects from harmful UV rays). The serum is suitable for all hair types and is directed to be used on dry hair. I use this most days (unless my hair is just shoved up) and have had many compliments on the shine of my hair since using it :-) good times!

It is a really light serum, it doesn't weigh down your hair or make it look/feel greasy.

I know that this is a fairly new product on their website so it has been amazing trying it out. The price is the only thing that would maybe hold me back from buying it, but the quality and results of the product are well worth the price. So if you wanted to treat yourself to a Salon Professional Hair Care product, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a serum to seal split ends, provide shine and sleekness and make the hair look dazzling! The fact it protects from harmful UV rays is a bonus.

Thanks so much for reading my post-please follow, like and comment :-).

Much Love Gem XxOo

You can find me on YouTube here.

You can find me on Twitter here.

Disclaimer: I would just like to add that even though I have been sent this product to review, I am an honest person and all my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Pictures: All pictures unless otherwise stated are my own. If you wish to use them please credit my name by them-Gemma Tranter.

Lee Stafford Argan Oil Hair Care Range...

                   (Picture courtesy of Lee Stafford Argan Oil Press Release)

In May, I was lucky enough to be sent some hair care products from the new Lee Stafford Argan Oil range. I felt extremely privileged as the products weren't available to buy until June 2011, so I got to try them a month earlier which was exciting! I have been using the products I was sent for approx two months now and I have been really looking forward to doing this Blog post for you all to tell you about these wonderful products.

I would like to start with the prices (which I know most people would leave till last when doing a review), I don't want to shock you with any prices at the end when you have read my review and I want to be able to explain within my review what I feel is the justification for the prices.

The products I was sent along with prices are as follows;

Lee Stafford Argan Oil Nourishing Shampoo 250ml £10.99-you can buy this here.

Lee Stafford Argan Oil Nourishing Conditioner 250ml £10.99-you can buy this here.

Lee Stafford Argan Oil Miracle Heat Defence Spray 200ml £12.99-you can buy this exclusively at Boots (I can't find it on the Boots website, but it should be in-store).

Lee Stafford Argan Oil Deep Nourishing Treatment 200ml £14.99-you can buy this here.

Now, I know you might be thinking that the price is slightly steep for each of the products, I suppose it depends on whether you are used to paying these kinds of prices for hair products. Personally, I am used to sticking with Herbal Essences or Aussie which you can get for about £3/£4. So when I first saw these prices, I did think myself that it was pretty expensive and that if I randomly went into Boots for example and saw these products, I would probably look but carry on past them simply because of the price. Hence why I was so excited about doing this Blog post because now I have used these products, I feel the quality of my hair after using them totally justifies the price and I will definitely be re-purchasing these products in the future when I run out.

So, I bet you are all wondering what is so good about these products. Well, let me get onto that but first let me just tell you that I know from the press release that Lee Stafford was involved every step of the way in creating this gorgeous range and he stated - ‘I tried and tested these products again and again until I was happy that the range did exactly what it says on the bottle, driving my team half mad in the process!’

The main ingredient that is used to create this range is Argan Oil and this is what it says on the back of the bottles/tubs to explain the oil and the inspiration behind it;

‘Argan Oil is a rich, nourishing oil, native to Morocco. It contains many of the ingredients associated with repairing hair and the creation of luxurious healthy hair. The Berber women of Morocco have used Argan Oil as part of their daily beauty regime for hundreds of years and consider it to have many benefits, including preventing moisture loss in their unforgiving desert surroundings. Now these ancient beauty secrets, proven for centuries, are spreading worldwide!’

So let me start explaining the products, starting with the Nourishing Shampoo. The first thing I noticed when using this shampoo is that it doesn't come running out of the bottle. The shampoo is of a thicker consistency to what I am used to with other shampoos, it feels more like a serum. It takes a little more time to rub in because of its thickness but believe me it is worth it and it doesn't weigh down your hair at all! I also noticed that when massaging into my scalp, my hair felt a lot thicker. This impressed me because it doesn't state to do this on the bottle, so it was a surprise, but a very good one because I have really fine hair and struggle to get thickness unless I have it cut short, so I absolutely love this feature of the shampoo.

On the tub it advises you (if you have it) to use the Deep Nourishing Treatment in between shampooing and conditioning, leaving in for five minutes before rinsing out. This is like an intensive treatment and is advised to be used every wash until the condition of your hair improves and then used once a week. I must say, although I feel like my hair has improved and feels much better, I do still use this every wash because it just makes my hair feel so silky, soft and luxurious-like I have had some miracle treatment at the hairdressers. It is really easy to glide through your hair, it feels just like the conditioner and both have a much lighter and thinner consistency to the shampoo. It doesn't leave your hair weighed down either, as some products can do when using special treatments. When I rinse this out, my hair feels so incredibly soft I feel like there is no need for a conditioner, but I do still use it to complete the process and who doesn't want even softer hair?!

The Nourishing Conditioner like I said has a much thinner consistency to the shampoo. Don't get me wrong it doesn't run out all over your hands and the bottom of the shower, but I use this comparison because the shampoo is a thick serum like shampoo, whereas most shampoos and conditioners have the same consistency. The conditioner, like the Deep Nourishing Treatment is easy to glide through the hair and leaves it feeling amazingly soft, silky and luxurious. If this is even possible it leaves the hair feeling even softer after using the Deep Nourishing Treatment, you have to see it to believe it or use it to believe it, but you can take my word for it. It is also lightweight so doesn't weigh the hair down.

When it comes to the Miracle Heat Defence Spray, I must admit I was a bit wary about using this. Simply because I am fussy about what I use on my hair out of the shower, worried that it will make my hair look greasy. So upon using it I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was a lightweight mist, so didn't soak into my hair making it feel heavy and plain nasty! I also noticed it wasn't greasy-which was a major thumbs up for me as some products on the market can make your hair feel greasy even if it does protect from heat. I didn't want to ruin all that good work done by the other Lee Stafford products in the shower, but this just added to the luxuriousness of my hair! It left it feeling exactly as it would feel without any extra product after a shower, whilst still protecting my hair from any heat-which is major for me as I use lots of heat appliances!

Now obviously apart from the way my hair feels after using the products, the first time I used all these products I didn't know whether I would see much difference when it came to blow drying my hair and straightening it. The first major thing I noticed and I say major because normally I hate the way my hair looks after it has just been blow dried, hence why I have to straighten it. When drying my hair, with no effort at all it looked sleek. Now I say sleek because to be honest I could probably get away with not straightening it. I tend to just use clips and my hands to dry my hair quick (because I tend to have most of my showers just before I go to bed), so without any effort of brushes or anything like that my hair looked straight and sleek and not big, bushy, frizzy or out of control! I must say I was impressed about this and extremely happy with the fact that in the future I could totally get away with not using heat on my hair every day with a straightener-bonus! This would be if I had a shower during the day though and blow dried before going out, because if I blow dry at night before bed by the time I wake up my hair is everywhere anyway and I have to straighten it cause I look like I've been dragged through a hedge, but yeah if blow drying during the morning/day to go out, I could deffo get away with it!

All of the products smell divine and this light perfume smell lingers in your hair! Which is just fab considering they have so many benefits already (you can find some really good products that smell disgusting!). Also, considering the main ingredient in all of the products is the Argan Oil, most people would probably think that the products are oily and leave your hair feeling greasy after a while, but I promise and assure you that they don't! Lee Stafford and his creators have obviously incorporated this ingredient into the products well enough for it to not do that. Very clever!

The only thing I did notice is that because the products make my hair so soft and silky, when it came to styling my hair in an up-do it can take a couple of tries because of how soft the hair is. However, this didn't bother me as I don't mind it taking a while longer to style my hair in return for the quality of my hair after using these products.

So as you can see I highly rate these products and as I said before I will definitely be re-purchasing. I will probably have to buy the conditioner and the deep nourishing treatment sooner as I seem to be using these up quicker than the other two products I have. The shampoo lasts longer because it is thicker and I don't feel you need as much (it lathers up a lot when you keep adding water to your hair whilst massaging the shampoo in) and the miracle heat defence spray is lasting ages, so far I have used it every day for approx two months and only a quarter of the bottle has been used. This is using it before blow drying (spritzing all over) and whilst straightening (spritzing each section).

The range also has another product which is the Nourishing Miracle Oil, designed to add protection and shine. I haven’t tried this product myself but would use it either before drying or after drying to rub this through the ends/layer ends of my hair to seal in any split ends I might have and also add shine. I have no doubt whatsoever that this product would be just as good as the rest! This retails at £11.99-you can buy this here.

The range isn't targeted towards a specific hair type, so anyone can use it. However, I would say if you have damaged, dry, frizzy, out of control or in need of some TLC hair, then this is the perfect range for you! Give it a try...you won't be disappointed. Your hair just feels light, swishy, soft, silky and luxurious! So you can see what I mean when I say I am no longer surprised at the price of these products-their quality definitely justifies their price!

Have you tried this range yet?

If you have any questions about any of the items please feel free to ask me :-).

Thanks so much for reading my post-please like and comment :-).

Much Love Gem XxOo

You can find me on YouTube here.

You can find me on Twitter here.

Disclaimer: I would just like to add that even though I have been sent these products to review, I am an honest person and all my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Pictures: All pictures unless otherwise stated are my own. If you wish to use them please credit my name by them-Gemma Tranter.