Garnier Nutrisse

I colour my hair intermittently.  As a rule, I don't make New Year resolutions, but I am on a constant quest to treat my hair better.  Last year I managed to do semi-regular hair cuts:  my hairdresser reckons I can get away with a cut every 10 weeks and I skipped just one of those.

I already have a weekly hair mask routine under control so this year, I'm going to try keeping my colour up.  After all, there's nothing worse than a last minute invite somewhere when your hair's looking a little sad.

Hair colouring in a salon is pretty expensive (my hairdresser charges about $60), but you can usually pick up a permanent colour for around the $10-15 mark.  That's a big saving, given that your time investment is likely to be around the same.  I'm sure a colour done in salon looks a little better but no one is ever inspecting my hair that carefully!

This time round I chose Garnier Nutrisse colour 5.25 (Frosted Chestnut).  Skin test done, I was ready to colour. 

Good things at the start:  you apply to dry hair, not too smelly and the conditioner comes in a resealable container, rather than a sachet.

I always find colours a pain to rinse out and this was no different. 


Grey coverage was very good, and the colour has lasted really well.  Unlike many reddish colours, the white hairs haven't faded to pink - they've held the actual colour.

Definitely both a product and a colour I'd use again.  Though knowing me I'd experiment with a different colour!

Clarins Cleansing Milk with Alpine Herbs

The Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel is my favourite cleanser at the moment but I finished it off and I seem to have a loads of Lait Démaquillant Velours from gifts with purchase.  I used it while I was on holiday (perfect holiday size!) and was happy with it, so I'm continuing to use it to clear something of a backlog (my mum uses Clarins too so I often get donations from her gifts with purchase!).

The normal-dry skin version of this works well on my combination skin - leaving it feeling nice and smooth.  Being a cleansing milk, you can either wipe or rinse off - I always rinse off and I apply it to dry skin and give it a (very brief) massage in.

It rinses off easily and has a pleasant, not too strong, herbal scent.  I personally prefer the way the gel feels and leaves my skin feeling:  it's almost like it's a bit more squeaky clean but without the drying sensation.  However,the Cleansing Milk would be fantastic for anyone with really dry skin or who is not into oil based cleansers.

I don't think I've tried a Clarins cleanser I haven't liked:  this is one area where the brand seems to really know its stuff.  Another solid tick.

Available from a Clarins counter.  RRP $40.

Clarins.

Source:  gift with purchase.

L'Oreal Revitalift Eye Cream

At some point last year I used L'Oreal's Youth Code eye cream and was pretty impressed with it.  The Youth Code range is pitched at people in their 30s whereas Revitalift is for women in their 40s.  While I'm not quite there (!) I like trying something new and the Revitalift eye cream contains Pro-Retinol A which is L'Oreal's trademarked vitamin A rich serum.  Vitamin A is an antioxidant and well known anti-aging ingredient.  And I'm all for as much anti aging as possible.

The cream is very light and I found I didn't need to use too much of it.  As it's very light and non oily there's no drag when you apply it which, around the delicate eye area, is a good thing.  I'm always a bit wary of products that are too thick and heavy.

I personally thought this was a good maintenance product but I'm not sure that, in the time I've been using it (I'm almost at the end of the pot, and I use it twice daily pretty religiously) that there's been any real reversal of any signs of aging.  L'Oreal claims that in 4 weeks wrinkles and crows feet will be visibly reduced but if they were, it wasn't so dramatic that I noticed.

This is a product I may, or may not, buy again.  I'd pick it up if it was on offer and I was in a hurry.

I do like the fact it comes in a pot so you can actually use ALL of it!

Widely available, RRP ~ $30.

L'Oreal.

Source:  purchase.