Colourful Haircare: Infuse My Colour Copper & Ruby Wash review

A couple of months ago, I started to experiment with dyeing my hair with henna (see what I used and read about my experience here) and have since re-henna'd it a further two times. I love the results with henna, but find that like most hair dyes, it does quickly fade within a few weeks, so I've been looking for something to freshen up the colour in between dye jobs.

There's been a lot of hype surrounding the Infuse My Colour Washes when they launched on LoveLula recently, so I decided to pick two of them up and give them a go.

Created by two globally celebrated hairdressers, Rob Forgione & Denis Kovalyov, the Infuse My Colour range offers a variety of shades to refresh, revive and tone your coloured hair. These types of products are nothing new as many women use purple shampoos to banish the brassy tones that can build up on coloured blonde hair, but what I did find interesting is that the Infuse My Colour Washes are all free from sulphates, silicones and parabens, as well as being cruelty-free and vegan-friendly, which naturally gets a massive thumbs up from me. With this in mind, I was excited to jump into the bathroom and put them to the test!

 Infuse My Colour Copper Wash* (250ml, £14.95, link)

First up, I tried the Copper Wash which helps to maintain the brightness of Strawberry Blonde, Copper, Auburn and Warm Brown Hair. As my henna'd hair colour has a rich brown, reddish tone to it, I was hoping that this would perhaps revive some of the warmth of colour that tends to fade after a few weeks, and I'm pleased to say that it did help to brighten it up.

I used it in place of my regular shampoo and found that the consistency was a little thinner than I was expecting, however, it created a light foam and was easy to spread over the hair and massage in. The instructions say to just wash and rinse, and then apply again if required, so I used it twice to see what the full effects would be like. After conditioning and drying, my hair looked noticeably shinier and definitely brighter with a greater depth of warmth coming through, especially when it caught the sunlight. It didn't change my hair colour (not that I expected it to as it's dark to begin with), but I loved the extra brightness and life that it brought back.

Infuse My Colour Ruby Wash* (250ml, £14.95, link)

As my henna'd hair has a deep red tone to it, it made sense to opt for the Ruby Wash which has been specially formulated to boost Red, Red Brown and Burgundy hair colours. The formula felt identical to the one above when it came to shampooing with it, and I followed it up with my regular conditioner, then allowed my hair to air-dry. I was a little disappointed when I checked my reflection in the bathroom mirror as I couldn't see any immediate difference, but once I was outside in the sun, I could see that it had successfully revived the red tones and added a lovely glossy shine which made it look like I had just freshly henna'd my hair. 

Overall thoughts?

I was hoping that these Colour Washes would add a bit of warmth and brightness to my hair, and I'm pleased to say that both delivered a subtle, but noticeable result which is really impressive on dark hair. I'll definitely continue to use them alongside my trusty henna!

Do you use colour infusing shampoos?

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Luxury Green Beauty: Azara Beautique Oat, Sidr Honey & Madina Rose Soap review #PlasticFreeJuly

One of the easiest ways to join in with #PlasticFreeJuly this month is to embrace the original multi-purpose beauty product; the humble bar of soap! You'll always find at least one bar of soap in my bathroom, and if you're in the mood for some serious luxury, why not try this one from Azara Beautique?

The days when soaps were seen as old-fashioned and always smelt like something your Grandmother would use are thankfully long gone, as the traditional bar of soap is undergoing a fashionable revival thanks to changing consumer attitudes that are linked to reducing the amount of plastic that we consume. In fact, if there's only ONE thing that you do to cut down on your plastic waste, ditching your regular bottle of handwash for a solid, zero-waste bar of soap is an easy step in the right direction.

I've been using soaps for years and I love discovering new brands that use interesting natural ingredients in their formulas. One such brand that has recently caught my attention is Azara Beautique who have a whole range of fascinating Arab-inspired/Middle Eastern soaps that come wrapped in the most beautiful paper packaging. The unique recipes for these soaps have been passed down over the generations, from mothers to daughters, and all of Azara's products are free of parabens, sodium and ammonium sulfate, palm oils, alcohol, formaldehyde, harsh preservatives, lanolin, glycol, gluten, mineral oils, petrochemicals, and microbeads.

Instead, they use natural, eco-friendly, vegetable based preservatives and olive oil based emulsifying agents to create luxurious soaps that feature key ingredients which are carefully sourced throughout the Arab world. For example, their Extra Virgin Olive Oil comes from Palestine and Syria, whilst fragrant Pink Roses are picked in Saudi Arabia’s second holy city of Madina. The soaps are then handmade with love here in the UK.

Azara have a luxury soap for every skin type and concern, and I decided to try out their Oat, Sidr Honey & Madina Rose Soap which you can see below.

Specially formulated for sensitive skin, and suitable to use on babies and children, Azara's Oat, Sidr Honey & Madina Rose Soap is a sheer delight to use and such a pampering treat for dry, eczema-prone skin like mine! Made from an exquisite blend that features Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Extra Virgin Sweet Almond Oil, Organic Shea Butter, Pure Madina Flower Water, Extra Virgin Castor Oil, Organic Oats, Sidr Honey and Organic Cinnamon Powder, this soap is incredibly moisturising and has a delicate sweet and floral honey-ish scent.

Packed with natural anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial agents, it will instantly soothe and hydrate even the most irritated and dry, cracked skin, and high content of lipids, fats and reparative proteins help to protect and regenerate the skin’s protective barrier. I've been using this soap all over my body in the shower (it's also gentle enough to use on the face) and I feel like I can skip using a body moisturiser afterwards because it leaves my skin so soft. The oats in the soap also give it a slightly grainy texture which offers a little gentle exfoliation for even smoother skin.

It's rare that I'd dedicate a whole blog post to just one bar of soap, but this really is something special! It is on the pricey side but if you're feeling spendy, this would be a lovely luxury treat for anyone who has dry and sensitive skin.

Azara Beautique Oat, Sidr Honey & Madina Rose Soap* (100g, £22, link)

Do you use bars of soap?

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Summer Beauty: Lavera Self-Tanning Body Lotion & Self-Tanning Face Cream review

Let's face it, the only healthy way to get a tan this Summer is to fake it, so I've been putting Lavera's Self-Tanning Lotions for Face and Body to the test.

Many of my regular readers will know that I love the popular German natural brand Lavera, but I didn't realise that they had a self-tanning range until recently. Now, my past experience with natural self-tanning products has been a little hit and miss, to say the least, but having loved pretty much everything else that I've tried from Lavera, I was keen to test these two out.

 Lavera Self-Tanning Body Lotion* (150ml, £14.90, link)

Most mainstream self-tanning products can be incredibly drying on the skin, but Lavera's Self-Tanning Body Lotion is completely different. Packed full of nourishing natural and certified organic ingredients, it features Macadamia Oil, Jojoba, Shea Butter, Calendula and Aloe Vera, so it feels lovely and hydrating. I found it easy to rub into the skin (it just feels like a regular non-sticky body lotion), and the colour developed in around 5-6 hours, with no streaks or staining the bedsheets issues. It has a scent, but it's not overpowering and doesn't smell like stale biscuits which is always a good thing! 

Colour-wise, it's certainly nowhere near as dark as some conventional tanning brands, but it gave me a light, even and subtle colour that looked very natural - more like a weekend away in Devon, rather than two weeks in the Bahamas if you get what I mean. This would be ideal for anyone who has pale skin as I feel you would get a much better result than what showed up on my light olive complexion, and it's perfect for those who are looking for a more natural tan colour with no orange in sight.

Lavera Self-Tanning Face Cream* (50ml, £11.90, link)

To complement the Self-Tanning Body Lotion, I also decided to try out the Self-Tanning Face Cream, which as you can guess, has been specially formulated so that you can use it on the face. Whenever I fake-tan, I always, always use a separate product for my face because I've experienced a lot of breakout issues with various brands in the past, so it's best to pick up a dedicated facial product like this one instead.

It has similar ingredients to the Self-Tanning Body Lotion, but the DHA comes up slightly higher in the INCI and the naturally derived fragrance is much lower down in the list. It feels like a moisturising face cream, has a pleasant scent, and it's best applied to clean, dry skin (I would also recommend exfoliating beforehand too). The colour develops within 4-6 hours and you can apply a second layer afterwards if you want a darker tan. I really loved the results of this as it looked natural, but gave a much more sun-kissed glow to the skin. Definitely one to try for the Summer!

Have you tried either of these?

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June Empties: Products I've Used Up

A little later than usual but here are my June Empties! I've managed to use up another bunch of products and there are some firm favourites in this particular pile, so let's jump right in!

Barefoot SOS Soothing Face & Body Wash*

If you have dry, sensitive and/or eczema-prone skin, Barefoot SOS is a really great natural skincare brand to look into. This Body Wash is 98% natural, SLS-free and is something that I always reach for when my skin is playing up because it's so gentle. Feels like a light creamy body wash and has a delicate fresh scent. Repurchase? Yes.

Madara Brightening AHA Peel Mask

One of my faves and I highly recommend it to those who are looking for an effective AHA-based exfoliator. Does a brilliant job and always makes my skin look brighter and better after every application. Repurchase? Already have a full size.

Bia Beauty Lemon Myrtle Hand Cream*

This is a beautiful hand cream that smells like lemon sherbert! It has a wonderfully rich texture, but it's not too thick consistency-wise and absorbs into the skin easily without any greasy/sticking feeling. I loved using this before bed. Repurchase? Will do once I've used up some other hand creams.

Leonor Greyl L'Huile de Leonor Greyl*

As my hair is naturally dry, I like to use a deep conditioning treatment at least once a week to keep it hydrated, and L'Huile de Leonor Greyl is one of those cult French beauty products that just works wonders. You only need to use a tiny amount of the oil treatment and apply it an hour or so before shampooing. I'll often leave it on overnight for the best results and I absolutely love the fragrance! Repurchase? Yes.

Conscious Skincare Amyris & Vetiver Organic Body Lotion*

Another product that I fell in love with the scent of was this Amyris & Vetiver Organic Body Lotion from Conscious Skincare - it smells so wonderfully uplifting and comforting. It has a light lotion formula that requires a bit of effort to rub into the skin as it doesn't absorb immediately, but once it does, it's perfect for dry skin. Repurchase? I have too many body lotions open at the moment to justify buying anything new, but I'll definitely consider picking this up again in the future.

REN Flash Hydro-Boost*

Hydro-Boost is an amazing hydrating facial serum that you add a little water to in order to 'activate' it, so I mostly used this in the mornings and it made my skin feel really lovely and plumped up. Great as a base underneath makeup, so much so, that I rarely reached for a primer when I was using this. Repurchase? Yes.

CV Skinlabs Calming Moisture

This is one of the best natural eczema creams that I've ever used, which is really annoying as it's quite expensive and difficult to get hold of in the UK (it's quite a niche US brand). A friend picked up some samples for me when she was in New York last year, but this is sadly the last one! Repurchase? Not unless I can get it for the price in dollars.

ESSE Body Oil*

I'm a big fan of the organic, probiotic skincare brand ESSE and this Body Oil was such a pampering delight to use! It's rich and nourishing, but not greasy and smells incredible. The only downside is that it comes with a hefty price tag and given that's it's only a 100ml bottle, it doesn't last very long at all. Repurchase? Sadly not, it's just too expensive.

Beauty Pro Rejuvenating Collagen Mask

Received this a while ago in a beauty subscription box and I was very surprised by how much I liked it. It's infused with Green Tea extract and has a targeted anti-ageing formula which also balances oily t-zones and hydrates drier areas, so it's perfect for combination skin like mine. Left my face feeling balanced, plumped up and super soft - win win! Repurchase? Yes.

Geo Mitchell Relax Naturally Bath Salts*

Despite featuring a combination of Epsom and Dead Sea Salts as well as essential oils such as Eucalyptus, Lavender, Rosemary and Peppermint, I was very disappointed by these because they just didn't have any scent when they were dissolved into the bath. Repurchase? No.

Organii SPF 50 Sun Milk

This sunscreen has a thin and milky consistency, but once you apply it, it comes across as quite thick which is a bit odd! It leaves a white cast and is on the greasy side, so I wouldn't recommend it as a facial SPF, but for the body, it would be ideal if you're looking for a more natural, higher protection sunscreen. Repurchase? Not sure.

Have you tried any of these? What have you used up recently?

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