Review:- Nip+Fab Pistachio Sundae Dry Skin Body Butter | #Livebloggers

It’s another #Livebloggers Review!!!!! Seems like I’ve been pushing a lot of these at you recently but at least youre getting a reviews with my colourful personality added to it (vain moment *cough cough*) but on a more serious note, I’m really happy that I’ve been introduced to a lot of wonderful brands like Nip+Fab and its pistachio sundae goodness.

Nib+Fab Pistachio Sundae (RRP. £9.95) is 200ml of Clinically tested, smooth and nourished skin, pistachio goodness. Containing Shea butter, mineral oil and a 24 hour moisture-boosting hydraconcept Aquaxyl ™, the Nip+Body Butter Range is scientifically proven to ‘improve the water reserves in the skin, limit water loss and visually improve the surface of the skin’

 



When I first used this I did think the scent was a bit too strong and I wasn’t too sure if I would like it as I felt that the strong scent would give me a headache by the end of the day but after applying it, I found myself sniffing my arms randomly during the day because it just had a warm, homely scent to it, that my subconscious was just so comfortable with.

I have fairly dry skin on random areas of my body (elbows . . .knees downwards etc) so if something claims to be great for Dry skin and my skin turns grey from lack of moisture . . .then I know someone is fibbing.

While this honestly doesn’t work as well on my dry skin as my Jergens Ultra Healing; Consistency wise, the Pistachio Sundae Body Butter has a very rich and thick formula and it’s light green tinge blends into skin very easily and without much effort and wait for it  . . . is actually not bad at moisturizing my skin. My skin doesn’t feel tight or dehydrated and I HAVENT REACTED TO IT YET *sensitive skin problems*!!!!!!

I will use this all til it finishes because it is fast become my favorite part of my morning routine; if a hot shower doesn’t wake up, then the warm scent of this pistachio sundae at least helps to get me out of the door.  The only thing I would recommend is not to use this on your face when you are in a half-awake daze (as I did one rainy morning) loool the smell is intense!!!!!  Woke me right up! Honestly I quite like this and I want to see what else they’ve got in their range *crosses fingers for something strawberry or cherry infused*

Don’t forget, I’m holding a giveaway right now so if you want to get your hands on Love Goddess from the Limited Edition MAC Marilyn Monroe Collection , then best get clicking!!!!

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Abi O's Beau Bronz #TFWOC summary post

As you know the TFWOC project has been live and kicking for two weeks now and we have managed to cover 3 brands in that time. Each week we will all test out and review the products on our individual blog and also link back to each others blog so it is easy for you to find a similar skin colour match and discover some new blogs in the process but I thought I should make it that much easier by doing a quick summary post on on all the blogger results here with a link so you can go onto that blogger's blog and read their opinions first-hand.

So these are the fabulous ladies working on the TFWOC project:-

Sophia Tattooed Tea Lady

Safiyah FrootiBeauty

Tass Une Tasse

Grace All That Slap

LaaLaa Dolce Vanity

Hafsa Muslimah Beauty

Yinka Vex in the City

Stephanie Nerd about Town

Dija Dija’s World

Lola LolaStar Heart

Abi O's Beau Bronz - W/B 10th Sept 2012

Dija gave an amazing event review on the Abi O Spray Tanning event. She certainly has a way with words and hopefully this project can fulfil every aim she has set out.

Image courtesy of Dija's World

Another great review of the ABI O event. Lola has an insightful view of the event and has also added lots of points that will help you get through the tanning process just that bit easier. Plus the pictures she took for the evening came out AMAZING, I am actually a bit jealous.

Image Courtesy of LolaStar Hearts

Sophia from Tattooed Tea Lady shows us how the Beau Bronz gradual tan and shimmer tan works on Olive skin tones, so ladies if you use a MAC foundation around a NC/NW30 then the gradual tan might just be what you need to get your skin tanned without looking orange.

Image Courtesy of Tattooed Tealady

Laalaa from Dolce Vanity is loving the Abi O products are ethical, green and cruelty free as this is a BIG ethics factor for her and her blog. I also loved that Laalaa showed how the product gave her hands the 'Midas Touch' so Ladies remember mitts and gloves!!!

Image Courtesy of Dolce Vanity

Dija from Dija's World is a bit anti-shimmer so she shows us the different ways she has experimented with using the shimmer tan, including mixing it with her daily moisturiser

Hafsa of Muslimah Beauty gives us a few tips on how to use this product to keep your holiday glow for just that bit longer.

Safiyah from Frootibeauty might not love the 'potato' like smell of this tan but she certainly loves the glistening gold effect

Image courtesy of Frootibeauty

Lola from Lolastar Hearts definitely loved the glow this product gave her. She even started using it on her legs almost every day after she received it.

The Shimmer that the Shimmer Tan gave Tass from Une Tasse is just amazing. While she is right to mention this product would not be strong enough to tan brown or black skin, it will give you a great shimmer.

I always love reading reviews from Grace of All That Slap. She loves the whole ethical and natural aspect of this product and while she might not use this that much right now because of the season, she would take this on holiday with her.

Last but not least, I give my little two-pence opinion on how the shimmer tan works on NW45 skin

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Battling London's Hard Water with AreaH20

When I opened up the mountain of products; and yes it was a mountain, I received at the #Livebloggers event on the 11^th of Sept. I was super ecstatic to see that a AreaH20 Shampoo and Conditioner set had been included in the goodie bag especially after reading a review about the AreaH20 Set on Fleur the Force the day before and thinking I would how well that would work on my hair.

AreaH20 is a brand new haircare brand that tailors its product to the water type of the area you live in. London is a hard water area, but the further north you go the softer water gets. If you aren’t too sure about your water type for your area, there is a cute little map on the back of the packaging to help you out (so as long as you passed GCSE geography you are fine).

I am not going to lie. As Fleur’s review was not the most positive, I was shitting bricks (aka a bit apprehensive) because I have quite dry and fine hair and if all the moisture in my hair is stripped without being replaced my hair breaks like straw . . . .straw that has been left in the hot sun on a metal sheet in the middle of the desert (and yes I am slightly exaggerating with that metaphor but you get the idea) but I actually quite like this shampoo.

After shampooing my hair felt very light and squeaky clean and the conditioner works like a deep conditioning balm (and we all know how much I love my deep conditioning hair products). As I detangle my hair as I wash and condition it, I didn’t have a detangling problem and overall I think this did a good job.

The only thing I didn’t really like about this shampoo & conditioner set is its smell. I prefer my shampoos to smell sugary sweet and this has a very natural and cool scent; which would be great as a skincare fragrance, but I’m just not a huge fan.

Overall I actually think this did a better job on my natural chemically straighten afro hair than on my human hair extensions, but I’m going to wait a few more weeks before I subscribe to that train of thought. I think I would class the shampoo as being in between a good clarifying shampoo and a moisturising shampoo as it doesn't completely nourish hair or strip all the oils from it. I’m going to start using this on my natural hair as a replacement for my normal clarifying shampoo from Concoctions and see how that goes.

What do you think of this shampoo and its formulation to work with your area’s water? Is it another gimmick or something that would actually have a big improvement on your hair?

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Glistening, Golden and Bronzed - Beau Bronz Shimmer Tan Boost Review

Paraben free, Cruelty free, Formaldehyde free, Sulfate free, Lanolin free, Alcohol Free, PABA free and UREA free with no Artificial Colours. We are starting off the Tans for Women of Colour project with the very ethical, green and organic Shimmer Tan Boost from Abi O’s Beau Bronz

Beau Bronz was started in 2004 by beauty TV presenter and Celebrity Tanning Specialist Abigail Oleck, who developed the brand with the ethos of being committed to using highest quality, organic ingredients but also being Paraben free.  Supplying products for every skin shade, regardless of if you are an English Rose, dark brown like yours truly or a skin shade reminiscent of a vampire, this holistic progressive tanning solution is available in spas and salons across the UK and we are so happy to have them involved with the TFWOC blogger project that is taking place over the next 5 weeks.

Abi O’s Shimmer Tan Boost is a golden tan that is meant to complement a variety of skin shades. On black and brown skin types the shimmer tan adds a yellow tone that recreates a glow that black/brown skin tones natural have when exposed to the sun. 

First off, I love the white and gold packaging to this. It looks really luxurious and very neat. Second, when I swatched this product I actually squeezed a bit too hard and got enough product to cover the length of my entire arm so a little goes a long way (don’t say I didn’t warn you). It’s very easy to work into the skin and leaves my skin with covered in gold particles

For some strange reason - my camera didn't pick up the shimmer that much (MUST REDO!!!)

As this tan only has 2.5% Ecocert DHA it is not enough to actually tan my skin, as I need a tan product with a DHA of 8% or over to make a darkening effect, I do love the glistening gold particles that this product deposits as my skin does tend to do something quite similar when I go on holiday to Africa or UAE so it gets top points for mimicking what my skin does naturally. My only negative comment would have to be the smell

I’m not sure if it is because I’ve never used a tan before and I am not used to the smell but I found that after 5 minutes of using this, my nose picked up a very unusual, musty, smell that can only be likened to freshly cut potatoes. I know that might sound a bit odd but the nose knows, you know.

I’m a big fan of looking glowy and sunkissed. I would definitely use the shimmer tan boost on my shoulders and legs on a night out to get that golden toned shimmer but I would probably soak my body in the strongest perfume I own to get rid of the musty potato smell (I really don’t love the smell)

You can get 25% off til the end of September by using the voucher code ‘LOVEABIO’ on the Beau Bronz Website

Read More Abi O Reviews from the TFWOC Bloggers 

Tattooed Tea Lady - Sophia's kicked our TFWOC project with the first and frankly amazing review of the Beau Bronz Gradual Tan & Shimmer Boost

Frootibeauty - After using the Shimmer Tan Boost for a few hours, Safiyah got a hint of colour with the Shimmer boost and lots of shimmer but I think she's very happy with the results

Dolce Vanity - Laalaa was given the Midas touch by the shimmer tan but it doesn't matter as her skin is GLOWING!

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Review:- Naked Rescue Repairing Hair Treatment

If you’ve ever met me or had the misfortune of following me on instagram then you’ll happen to know that my hair and I have a very fickle relationship.

In the last 3 or 5 years I have died my hair blonde, then red, then black, then blue , then black, then grey, then blonde which turned ginger and then back to black (and by next week it will be BLUE!!!!) and it the last 4 months I’ve gone from long hair to a short crop (very Miley Cyrus) to curly hair to my infamous kinky afro to the most recent shoulder length style (thank God for whoever discovered extensions). So as you can imagine my hair is not always in the best condition. I find that it can be very dry and if not taken care of and conditioned properly gets frizzy, coarse and breaks

 I was recently introduced to Naked which is a 97% natural skincare/haircare brand that are 100% transparent about what ingredients go into their products. If you check out their website they will tell you that while they use natural extracts like Sunflower, Cocoa Butter and Argan Oil, and have no toxic parabens and petrochemicals, they are not 100% natural because they want to ensure that the products you are buying are preserved properly so you can get your moneys worth without it going off and separating before you’ve finished using it up.

I was sent the Naked Skin’s Repairing Hair Treatment for Frizzy and Damaged Hair, which is an Argan oil, Sunflower Seed Extract and Meadowfoam conditioning treatment that you use after washing your hair and gently comb through before wrapping your hair up in a shower cap and leaving for 3-5 minutes.

Being lazy, stubborn and never reading the directions, I left this in my hair and extensions for a little longer than the 5 minutes that was recommended (*cough cough* 3 hours) and honestly I think that the added time and the 32 degree weather worked to my benefit as my hair is sooo soft.

I'm actually not joking you can stroke it if you want!!

Although I didn't really love the smell when I put it in my hair (smelt a bit like henna) the henna smell wears off once you wash it out and you're left with a lovely shea oil scent in your hair.

I'm going to buy a container on this tomorrow so I can try it out a bit more, if you want to try it out for yourself the satchet costs £1.29 or you can get a 400ml jar for £7.99. They are both available on the Keep Me Inspired Website or Boots.

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POTW: Keracare's Weave & Extensions Gentle Cleansing Shampoo and Nutritive Conditioner

Another week, another product.

This week's product of the week is a shampoo and conditioner combo courtesy of Keracare. With it's pointed nozzle (aka nibby-thing) applicator that allows you to apply shampoo/conditioner directly to your scalp, it helps to remove product build up and protect your scalp.

So no more worrying about how to wash the tracks under sewn in extensions.

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Product of the Week #1 - Nazila Loves Glamour Nail Glitz

 I am really just too in love with these 3d Nail Glitz from Nazila Love Glamour, I'm sure if I start investing in these, I might never have to see a nail technician the day again before a big night out Woohoo!! 

 As my first product of the week, product review, I really hope that you like this and keep tuned for next weeks product . . . I just have to decide what it is first

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Review: Robinkka Essential Oil Hair Refreshener in Palmura*

Ok . . . Let me just skip my normal (and sometimes long-winded) introduction when I tell you all about a product positives like ‘It’s made from Essential Oils’ and how it leave your hair ‘Freshly scented’ and skip straight to the point. Robinkka’s Essential Oil Refreshener offends my nose!

The scent is SO strong, it borders on obscene. 

Now it might sound super harsh to admit that I point blank refused to use a product just because of its smell especially as I have a personal and blog policy to try and always give POSITIVE criticism but honestly I couldn’t bring myself to use this and allow the smell to waft around my hair all day as honestly one spray of this baby had me feeling woozy and a bit ill.

So rather than rip into the Essential Oil Refreshener (completely), I passed it on to Fiona from Love Your Tresses who is a Hair Blogger to give her spin on things.

My first impression of this product based on packaging and labelling was; 'not bad' and 'cute looking'. I gave the spray head a squirt to see how efficient it was and it gave the perfect amount of spritz. Plus, out of it came a very pleasant, potent smell, one I knew I wouldn't mind using on my hair. That was until the Haircare Geek in me decided to take a look at the ingredients list first. As great as a product may smell, more important is what ingredients the product contains that will be going on your hair.

The first ingredient was 'Alcohol' which immediately sent stress signals down my spine. 

As the first ingredient this means it is the main ingredient in the product and therefore, I decided not to use the product at all. In most cases when Alcohol is present in a hair product I use, it finds itself at the bottom of the ingredients list. I would rather use a product with Alcohol in it but with other beneficial ingredients such as water as the main ingredient.

As a product that is marketed as being made from Essential Oils and natural ingredients, you would assume that it would be kinder to the hair and less alcohol based but it just goes to show; Check the ingredients. . . . and trust the nose!

*Disclaimer:- I did not purchase this product. It was either given to me to review or given in an event goody bag. This is no way or form affected mine or Fiona's review.

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Review: Kiehl's Bath and Shower Liquid Body Cleanser in Coriander

Kiehl's is a Premium skincare retailer with a Apothecary Cosmetics Heritage that produces skincare products with unique formulations that are made with the finest quality of Natural and botanic derived ingredients e.g. Lavender, Caffeine, and Coriander

When I first received this wash in its sample size container, aesthically I was not too impressed. It looked way too simple and uninteresting and I would have relegated it to the depths of my sample drawer but I popped the bottle cap and took a whiff and it smelled absolutely amazing . . and I thought why not.

This product is absolutely amazing, it is refreshing, light, gave off a rich lather and left my skin feeling gorgeous after a wash, which for me is the basis for a good wash. If you are looking for a great and natural derived body wash, I would recommend this but I honestly will not buy this product only because I broke out in an itchy rash like you would NOT believe.

It turns out that I am allergic to certain types of plant proteins and therefore Kiehls products are not my poor skins cup of tea.

In 2 weeks, this body wash has managed to hydrate and itch-itise my skin like you won't believe. 

I am actually very disappointed with my body's chemistry at the moment as I was planning to buy the full 500ml product

What about you? Have you ever fallen in love with a product just to find your body doesn't think the same?

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Review: GHD Straight and Tame Creme

Some like it curly . . . I need it poker straight! No excuses!!

Doesn't it just grind your gears when you need your hair to be poker straight but the Hair gods just don't seem to care, or have hearing problems??!!

Since I've been rocking a full fringe hairstyle for the last few months, I have really come to realise that putting the best straightening products in, can save you from looking like a portable bird's nest. and a wrestling match with your paddle brush. A few weeks ago, I was contacted me asked whether I would like to review the GHD Straight and tame cream from their Style Range and I (being the experimenter that I am) jumped at the opportunity.

What They Say

Bring curly and rebellious hair under control with this luxurious taming cream that calms, smoothes, straightens and protects against heat damage with each application" You can "Tame and de-frizz hair throughout the day by working a little cream through your style"

What I Say.

Having had about 3 weeks to play around with the GHD Style Straight and Tame Cream and having used it on both my human hair extensions and my natural hair. There are many things I happen to LOVE about this product and a few things I could do without.

No flash 

 The packaging for the Style Straight and Tame cream is absolutely gorgeous! I love how sleek and simple it looks,  the emerald colour code is vibrant and captivating, and really stands out against the black packaging. Now what I cant stand about the packaging is the cap. I know this is a touch silly but I am extremely biased towards products with caps on them and I do just tend to throw them away (or lose them) but this product comes with a pump (which I love) so it trumps the cap fiasco. The cream is very light, non sticky and smells . . . manly . . . I don't know how to describe the smell correctly but it does bring back memories of an aftershave my Dad used to use when I was younger; so I kept having memory lane throwbacks every time I've used it.

I've used the straight and tame cream by itself, with just serums, in combination with my John Frieda 3 day straight and as a dry tame cream and I can honestly say that this product is like diamond dust for human hair extensions. My hair did stay straighter for longer during washes, the longest duration it stayed straight was 5 days which is bloody amazing!!! I loved it as a tame cream and would definitely recommend it for that. However as a tame cream for relaxed afro hair . .  not so much. GHD's Style Straight and Tame would be a perfect addition to your blow drying routine but I felt that on my natural hair it can be a little bit drying.

Overall I do quite like this product and will be adding it to my hair care routine, so I will be leaving you with a little instruction video courtesy of GHD on how to use properly use the Style Straight and Tame for the best results . . . Enjoy

Disclaimer: This product was sent to me to review. This has not affected my review in any way, shape or form 

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