New In Haircare: Aveda Pramāsana Purifying Scalp Cleanser & Protective Scalp Concentrate review

A healthy scalp is essential if you want strong and healthy hair, but it's often an area that most people don't really talk about or spend much time on, which is why I've been so excited about Aveda's new Pramāsana range. 

I have a sensitive scalp that gets easily irritated to the point where it can sometimes be unbearably itchy and flaky during really bad flare-ups (I've discovered that these bad times are often linked to seasonal changes, dealing with too much stress and when my eczema plays up). It's not a pretty thing to imagine and it can be a real confidence killer, but it's a very common problem for many people. Whilst I'm working on my coping mechanisms for dealing with stress, I've found that using SLS-free hair care has helped me enormously, and I'm sure my regular readers will have spotted numerous SLS-free haircare reviews on here for that very reason!

I've experimented with various scalp treatments and oils over the years, and although I've had the most success with using Philip Kingsley's Scalp Toner, it still hasn't completely solved my problem, so I was interested in trying Aveda's new Pramāsana range as soon as it launched. 

The Pramāsana range is basically a three-step targeted system that gives the equivalent of a facial to your scalp. It deeply exfoliates, cleanses and balances, giving it that extra TLC that a sensitive scalp so often needs. 

Step 1: The first step involves dry brushing the scalp to increase micro-circulation and there's a handy video here showing you how to do this. This method feels amazing and is something that I've been incorporating into my daily routine. The next two steps use the following products which I've been testing out for the past month and they've really been helping me so far:-

Step 2: Aveda Pramāsana Purifying Scalp Cleanser* (150ml, £23.50, link)

Used as a cleansing treatment before you shampoo your hair, this Purifying Scalp Cleanser is made from 98% naturally-derived ingredients and features Wintergreen derived Salicylic Acid to deeply exfoliate the scalp. It removes any build-up from styling products, dead skin cells and helps to rebalance any excess sebum, so it's a good one to try if you hit the gym a lot or like to do hot yoga! To use it, I apply a small amount directly to my scalp all over, making sure that I cover the top of my hairline which is where I get itchy and flaky the most. Once applied, I massage it in, where it starts to lightly lather up (in an SLS-free manner of course) and it feels so nice and cooling when I do this! There's no leave on time with this, so I head straight into the shower, rinse with warm water and shampoo and condition my hair as normal.

Step 3: Aveda Pramāsana Scalp Concentrate* (75ml, £35, link)

The next and final step after you've finished shampooing and conditioning is to apply the Scalp Concentrate which contains 96% naturally derived ingredients and feels like a protective skincare serum, but for your scalp. It has a handy dropper applicator and the concentrate feels ultra-lightweight so you can use this on towel-dried, damp or dry hair, without it making your hair greasy (if it does this, you'll definitely using way too much!). The concentrate works to penetrate the surface layers of the scalp in order to nourish it, and it helps to support the scalp's natural protective barrier, which in turn helps to further protect it from pollution and other irritating free radicals. To use, I part my hair and apply it directly to my scalp like I did with the cleanser above, and very gently massage it in.  You only need to use a tiny amount as the formula is so concentrated and as it's a leave-in treatment, you can just style your hair as usual afterwards and you're done.

Overall thoughts?

As I mentioned earlier, I've been using these products for just over a month now and I've already seen a big difference in how my scalp is looking and feeling. It's a lot less itchy and flaky, and feels clearer and cleaner than it's ever been before. Really impressed, and I look forward to seeing what the long term results are like - watch this space!

The Aveda Pramāsana range is available from all Aveda stockists and salons nationwide, and online at aveda.co.uk / There's also an In-Salon Scalp Facial Treatment available (from £50), so contact your local Aveda salon for booking info.

Have you tried this new range yet?

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Beauty Box: Love Me Beauty - June 2017 review + 20% Discount Code

After seeing a sneak peek of one or two of the new products that have been added to June's Love Me Beauty edit, I couldn't wait to see the rest. 

If you're new to Love Me Beauty, they're basically a beauty subscription service where you can choose the products that you want. You're given 60 credits every month to spend in the current online edit and products can be from 10-30 credits each, depending on the size and brand (e.g full-size products will cost more than travel size samples etc). You also get a free makeup bag every month (the new June design is super cute as you can see above!) instead of a box, and there's the option to purchase add-on credits if you want more products.

This month's new edit is called #HelloSummer and there are some fantastic goodies up for grabs from high-end brands such as Perricone MD, Caudalie, YuBe, NUXE to name but a few. The range of products also appears to have almost doubled since last month, giving you more choice than ever before to kit out your summer holiday bag.

Below are just some of the products that you can expect to find in the new Love Me Beauty edit - some change throughout the month depending on popularity and stock levels, so move fast if something catches your eye!

Caudalie Divine Oil (15ml travel size - 15 credits)

I've been a long time fan of this amazing multi-purpose oil (check out my original review here) and these travel sized bottles come in so handy. You can use it on the body, face and hair, and I generally like to use a few drops on the ends and lengths of my hair as a leave-in conditioning treatment, but it's lovely to use all over your body as a pampering treat as well!

Caudalie Vinoperfect Concentrated Brightening Essence (50ml travel size - 15 credits)

Although I really love Caudalie's Vinoperfect range (their Radiance Tinted Moisturiser is brilliant), this essence has managed to pass me by so I've been enjoying trying it out, and so far, so good. Use it after cleansing and toning, but before your serum/moisturiser for an extra brightening boost.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum (10ml travel size - 15 credits)

If your skin is looking dull and needs a helping hand in the brightening department, you can also pick up the Radiance Serum from the same Vinoperfect range, and this works so well with the essence above.

Caudalie Nourishing Body Lotion (50ml travel size - 15 credits)

As well as skincare, Caudalie do some amazing body and pampering products, and their Nourishing Body Lotion is a lovely body moisturiser to reach for during the summer months. It has a really fresh scent and leaves skin feeling silky soft.

Perricone MD Face Finishing Moisturiser Tint (30ml deluxe travel size - 30 credits)

I was so happy to see this in the edit because I've been wanting to try it for ages! I've used Perricone MD's No Foundation Foundation and the No Concealer Concealer on and off for years and this Face Finishing Moisturiser Tint is somewhere in between a moisturiser and a tinted moisturiser if that makes any sense?! It's one of the brand's bestsellers and just gives a really subtle hint of colour to the skin - so nice to use when you just want a fresh face for the day. It also includes SPF 30 so it's perfect for your holiday bag.

PIXI Nourishing Lip Polish (full-size RRP £14)

To keep lips prepped and looking their best, PIXI's Nourishing Lip Polish is a make-up bag must-have, especially if you love wearing matte liquid lips like I do. It does exactly what it says on the tube, but in a gentle and effective way. Love it!

Love Me Beauty* is £10 plus £3.95 P&P per month - lovemebeauty.com

Special reader offer: Use my discount code beautywolfgirl20 to get 20% off your first box!

Do you subscribe to Love Me Beauty? 

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Foodie Friday: The Vegan Kind Box - June 2017 review #TVK44

After such a crazy week in the UK, I was happy to get my hands on this month's The Vegan Kind box which arrived a couple of days ago. It's a good 'un!

June's The Vegan Kind box contains six products, five of which are food and drink, and one that's a home/lifestyle item. I always love the interesting mix of treats that you get in these boxes and if you fancy checking out my past reviews of TVK, just click here.

So then, let's jump into this month's box shall we?

 Harper's Candles The Great British Summer Kind Candle (RRP £5)

I love these tin candles from Harper's Candles, and was thrilled to receive another limited edition scent that they have created just for TVK subscribers. This one's called The Great British Summer Kind and it smells so lovely and fresh with a clean, cut grass and slightly floral scent. Made from 100% soy wax, these candles have an impressive scent throw for their size and I can't wait to use it.

 Goupie Salted Sticky Toffee (80g, RRP £2.50)

Anyone who knows me will know that I adore anything that's a salted caramel flavour, so I was curious to try this Salty Sticky Toffee from Goupie. Hand-made in Kent to a 50-year-old family recipe, these triangular pieces of heaven are completely different to what I imagined them to be as they're soft, a little chewy, a little crunchy and covered in dark chocolate with a good sprinkling of Maldon Sea Salt. Super moreish, it's hard not to eat more than one piece at a time!  

 Metcalfe's Sweet 'n' Salt Skinny Popcorn (25g, RRP £0.85)

Now this is a familiar snack in my household as I regularly buy bags of Metcalfe popcorn as a healthier snack alternative to crisps. Sweet 'n' Salt is my favourite flavour that they do because you get the best of both worlds - sweet and salty of course! These smaller bags are great for portion control and are only 115 calories per bag.

 Bounce VLife High Protein Energy Ball in Almond Kale (40g, RRP £1.79)

Bounce balls are perfect to have in your bag for a post-gym/post workout snack and this is one of their new vegan-friendly flavours, Almond Kale. It contains 9g of plant based protein, is gluten-free and high in fibre, so it's an ideal nutrient-dense snack to help keep your energy levels up during a busy day. This flavour is really good and I'd definitely buy it again - though I'm likely to wait until it's on offer in Holland & Barrett as you can usually pick these up for half price or in the penny sale.

 Chewsy Chewing Gum in Lemon (18g, RRP £1.49)

I've never tried a lemon flavoured chewing gum before, but these are actually quite nice and refreshing! The flavour doesn't last very long though, but I do like the fact that they're 100% natural and sugar free. Curious to see what the minty flavours are like.

Sunsoul Raspberry & Elderflower 100% Natural Energy Drink (250ml, £1.30)

I haven't heard of this brand before, but Sunsoul make 100% natural energy drinks and as someone who quit drinking Redbull years ago, these definitely appeal to me. I received the Raspberry & Elderflower flavour which was absolutely delicious - really fruity and it definitely gave me a boost when I stayed up to watch the election results last night!

Also in the box was this month's recipe card for some yummy looking Pizza Bun Swirls, and June's chosen charity is Hart Wildlife Rescue, who provide a rescue, treatment and rehabilitation service for local wildlife in the North East Hampshire area.

To find out more about The Vegan Kind, visit their website here. £10 + p&p each month in the UK, with worldwide shipping options available.

Have you signed up to The Vegan Kind?

What's your favourite, non-beauty lifestyle subscription box?

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Budget Beauty: New Solait Self-Tanning / Bronzing Range (exclusive to Superdrug)

Calling all fake tan junkies and bronzed goddesses - this post is for you! Here's the brand new, new look range from Solait, with tanning mousses, sprays, bronzers, shimmery body oils and more!

When it comes to affordable beauty shopping, you can't beat a good old trip to Superdrug. Their own-brand self-tanning / bronzing range Solait, has recently undergone a makeover and they've now launched a complete line to get you bronzed and beautiful for Summer. The whole range is certified cruelty-free and everything is also suitable for vegans, plus all of the products have a lovely tropical scent. Perhaps best of all though, there is nothing in this range that's over £5, so you can happily treat yourself and try something new without breaking the bank.

Here are just some of the products available to give you a cheeky taster of what you can expect to find from Solait.

Solait 360 Dry Tan Mist in Medium* (150ml, £4.99, link)

One of the new releases is this tanning mist that has a rather nifty multi-angle spray so that you can easily get to all of those hard to reach areas. It comes out as a fine mist and then you can just buff it in to get a good even coverage with no streak issues. I find that this mist dries very quickly, so it's a good one to use if you're in a hurry! The tan starts to develop instantly, but it does need around 4-5 hours to get a lovely, medium, natural looking tan colour. I loved the overall shade of this and it lasted well for around 3-5 days. My only bugbear with this product is that when it starts to wear off, it goes incredibly patchy as it fades, so best to whip out the body scrub sooner rather than later.

Solait Express Tan Mousse in Dark* (150ml, £4.99, link)  

Mousses are my favourite way to get my tan on, and this one is one of my favourite budget fake tans, in fact, I think it's one of the best that you can pick up on the high street. It goes on so beautifully and develops very quickly, plus you can choose the level of darkness that you want to go by the hour e.g one hour for a light tan, two hours for a medium colour and three hours for the maximum darkest shade. I always leave this on for the full three hours, sometimes longer, and I absolutely love the colour. I get so many compliments from it - an amazing budget beauty find for less than a fiver!   

Solait have two tanning mitts in their range; a two-sided mitt (£4.99, link) and a regular tanning mitt (£3.49, link), but I wasn't impressed with either of them as they sometimes have a tendency to have lots of fluff bits coming off them when you're applying your tan - not a good look! I'd recommend sticking with brands like Velvotan, He-Shi and St. Tropez instead, who all have excellent tanning mitts that are around a similar price point anyway.

Solait Wear Off Tan Wipes* (pack of 25, £2.99, link)

For topping up your tan, these wipes are a genius idea and so easy to use. Just exfoliate and moisturise your skin before using them and then wipe them over the areas that you want to top up. I really like using these wipes on my legs if I'm wearing a dress or shorts to give a little bit more depth and colour to them, but they're great to use all over. Super handy for travelling with as well!

Solait Overnight Tan Mask* (50ml, £4.99, link)

Having used only high-end facial tanners from the likes of James Read, St. Tropez, He-Shi and Vita Liberata for such a long time, I wasn't expecting much from this budget overnight tan mask but I was pleasantly surprised. It feels like a normal facial moisturiser and you apply it before going to bed, leave it on overnight and rinse off in the morning. It develops into a natural looking light tan shade that gives such a lovely, healthy looking glow to the complexion. Small downside is that it's rather strongly scented which may put some people off, but I haven't experienced any breakout issues yet and I've been using it for over a month now.

Solait Shimmer Oil (125ml, £4.99, link)

A touch of shimmer looks stunning in the sunshine and I've been really enjoying using this shimmer oil for a light and natural looking glow. Although it looks insanely glittery in the bottle, it actually goes on much more subtle once it's massaged into the skin, and gives a beautiful sheen to legs, arms and the decolletage without being OTT. Smells gorgeous and is a fab budget dupe for many of the pricier shimmer oils on the market.

Solait Bronzer* (22g, £4.99, link)

If you're a fan of using a pressed bronzing powder on your body, you'll know that you need a big pan to get a big brush in, and this one gives you a huge surface space to work with! You get 22g of product with this bad boy and the colour is a true dark brown/bronze with not a hint of orange in sight. Blends easily with a kabuki brush and is suitable for using on the face and body, though I tend to use this mainly on my body as it is quite dark.

The full range of Solait products are available exclusively at Superdrug, in stores nationwide and online at superdrug.com

Have you tried any of these?

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