John Frieda Frizz-Ease Miraculous Recovery Intensive Masque & 3 Day Straight Spray

John Frieda’s Frizz-Ease Miraculous Recovery Intensive Masque

I’ve managed to start swimming again, well I say swimming, I just really float about and wave my arms now and again. This is good news for my body, I get a bit of relief from my pain but it’s not so good for my hair. Regular swimmers will know that swimming can ruin your hair, it can dry it up and at worse frazzle it. Mine has been getting a bit dry and in need of a deep conditioner. John Frieda’s Frizz-Ease Miraculous Recovery Intensive Masque* has been working a treat to repair my damaged hair, making it silky smooth. I don’t have curly hair but it does have some kinks in it and get a bit wild due to its thickness. I’ve found this masque just relaxes it a bit, making it a bit easier to control.

John Frieda’s Frizz-Ease Miraculous Recovery Intensive Masque contains milk protein, vitamin e and avocado oil for an intensive treatment. I use this around 1-2 times a week, anymore and it’d make my hair too oily. If you do have an oily scalp like me I’d recommend focusing on the end of the hair, trying not to put too much on the roots. This is a lovely treatment for hair that’s suffering from too much heat damage, colouring and other treatments, or really anything that can affect your hair, even medication. 

John Frieda Frizz-Ease 3 DAY Straight Spray

I’m pretty lazy with my hair. I had it short for ages because longer hair was just too much work for me. My hair’s a bit longer now- just below my chin and all one length- so I need to put in a bit more effort, but you know, not too much. So a spray that promises to keep it straight for three days sounded perfect. John Frieda 3 Day Straight Semi-Permanent Styling Spray for Curly Hair* promises to do that. It:

Transform curly, frizzy hair into a straight, smooth style that lasts up to 3 days.Designed to work with your hair straighteners, this weightless spray with heat protection blocks out frizz as you straighten. A revolutionary blend of polymers with keratin protein wraps each strand, sealing in straight style for up to 3 days.* Keeps hair glossy, smooth and swinging with body.Safe for colour-treated and chemically-treated hair.

I’ve been using it with my Denman ceramic brush and straighteners with this spray and it works pretty well. Like I said above I don’t have curly hair, but it is unruly and kinky (cough). I found this easy to apply, the spray nozzle distributes the product nice and evenly over the hair. It’s applied on wet/damp hair not dry, so you need to get used to how much you’ll need to keep your hair in place. The directions on the bottle say around 7-15 spray, I think I used around 10. It doesn't feel heavy or sticky on the hair. In fact, I can't feel it at all.

The spray keeps my hair straight and sleek but there was a couple of bits that remained kinky, I can never seem to get these bits to go straight though. It also protects my hair when using straighteners, which is brilliant. There was no heat damage which I have experienced with other supposedly protective sprays/serums. I’m not sure how it’d stand up to really super-curly hair but I reckon it’s worth a go. It did keep my hair straight for the two days before I washed it, I reckon it’d have made it to the third but two days is about my limit. I’m happy with this product. If you like your hair sleek without too much fuss this would be a good product to try. 

*PR Samples

John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Shampoo & Conditioner

I’m a huge fan of John Frieda’s Precision foam colour. So when I was offered the chance to try more products from his range I was more than happy. I’ve been using Brilliant Brunette Liquid Shine Illuminating Shampoo* and Brilliant Brunette Moisturising Conditioner* for the past week and I really like them. Previously I’ve been using shampoo from the Phyto range and Aussie. How does John Frieda’s compare? Pretty darn good. I’m impressed with both the shampoo and conditioner. 

Brilliant Brunette Liquid Shine Illuminating Shampoo “showers hair in pure radiance for a long-lasting, high-gloss brunette” and it’s also non-colour depositing. So, did it shower me in radiance? Yes, yes it did. My hair’s been super shiny, manageable and clean. I have quite thick hair and lots of it so it can get a bit unruly but this shampoo has been great. It also has the loveliest lather, it actually feels soft and nourishing. It has a delicate scent to it, which, according to my husband, smells like holidays. It’s lovely whatever the actual scent is.

In conjunction with the shampoo I’ve been using Brilliant Brunette Moisturising Conditioner. I love my Aussie 3 minute conditioner so this had a bit of a challenge on its hands. I always leave my conditioner on for a bit extra shine, a tip I picked up from one of the Chippendales (not Fabbio btw) and it works a treat. Brilliant Brunette Moisturising Conditioner contains crushed pearls and almond oil for deep conditioning and extra shine. I love the smell of almond oil so this was a delight to use. It left my hair shiny, smooth and tamed. My hair can get a bit oily but the conditioner and shampoo hasn’t irritated my scalp in anyway. 

I’m really happy with both these products and I’d purchase them both. The shampoo and conditioner are 250ml. That’ll last me quite a while, especially the conditioner as I only needed a small amount. I’m also trying out a couple of products from the Frizz-Ease range , I’ll write up my thoughts soon. 

Have you tried John Frieda products? Anything you recommend? thanks!

*PR samples

Laura Mercier Silk Creme in Soft Ivory

Laura Mercier's Silk Creme is definitely one of my favourite foundations, sometimes. I have combination/oily skin and if my skin's playing up this isn't a great choice. It can feel annoying around the t-zone and can melt away if not set properly. It can also cling to dry patches so make sure these are moisturised before application. If you've got your skin sorted this is a dream of a foundation. It applies and blends easily. Covers almost everything without looking cakey or mask-like. It also lasts most of the day.

I'd say this is medium to full coverage which is easily buildable. It's a thick foundation with plenty of give in it making it easy to blend. I use a brush and my fingers for application. A sponge would also work well with this. It evens out my skin tone and covers blemishes and discolouration wonderfully. It still looks like my skin though, but much better. 

I've had Silk Creme for several months and I use it pretty regularly and I've still got loads left. A little really does go a long way. It's also good for concealing little blemishes. Sorry about the slightly different lighting conditions in the following photos, it's been a nightmare trying to get decent light but it gives you an idea of coverage and finish. I've applied Laura Mercier Silk Creme lightly then added more where I needed extra coverage. I've used a translucent powder to set.

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Illamasqua Skin Base 02 and 3.5

(spot is for demonstration purposes)

I've had Illamasqua Skin Base foundation for quite a while now. I tried it for my wedding foundation in the Summer last year. Initially I really loved it, I thought it blended lovely and gave a good amount of coverage without looking heavy. However, after wearing this for a while before my wedding I just went off it. It began to melt off my face and oxidise, so yeah I didn't use it on my wedding day. It really is a bit of a love/hate with this foundation. I love it when my skin's 'normal' otherwise I don't particularly like it.


"Inspired by the cult Asian market Beauty Balm creams, Skin Base Foundation is a brand new, refined formula unlike anything on the UK market. Easily blendable, it effortlessly creates a perfect complexion, and like the entire Illamasqua foundation range, is undetectable in a professional HD environment. Suitable for all skin types, it smoothes, softens and conditions your skin whilst providing natural, buildable coverage.

The Ultimate 'Skin Realism' Foundation."

Illamasqua claim that this is suitable for all skin types. I don't think it is. It clings and highlights dry patches. It exacerbates oiliness and melts of within a few hours, even with powder to set. If you have 'normal' skin this foundation will probably be a dream. The coverage is great and leaves the skin looking fresh and glowing. 

The texture of Skin Base is super thick, almost like a concealer. In the photo above I'm only wearing Skin Base foundation over the spot, and it really is a belter of a spot so you can see just how well this covers. It's definitely a full coverage foundation but you can sheer it out to give a lighter coverage if you wanted. It blends into the skin pretty well considering the thickness of this and provides a nice even coverage. That's if you don't have any dry patches. 

The colour selection is impressive but again I have a bit of a problem here. The lightest colours just aren't quite right for my skin tone. I'm pretty pale with pink undertones. 2.0 is just a bit too light, then the next colour up 3 is described as 'olive with yellow undertones' which is just all wrong for me. 3.5 is a bit closer, described as pink with yellow, so to get the right colour I mix 2.0 with 3.5 ( I got these in sale btw) but it takes a bit of faffing about to get it right *sigh*. Oh and it oxidises on my skin. That's too much work so I really suggest if you're thinking about this foundation get a sample and try it out for a bit to see how it works on your skin. It might be perfect for you, unfortunately it just doesn't work for me.

Illamasqua Skin Base from Debenhams and ASOS. 

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Denman Ceramic Hairbrush

This ceramic hairbrush by Denman is my new favourite toy. My hair is a bit longer than it was and it can get a bit unruly. I don't really like using straighteners. My hair always ends up straw-like and I worry that my house is on fire for the rest of the day. So, Denman's ceramic hairbrush is perfect for me.

It's super easy to use. I blow-dry my hair until it's almost all dry then I use the ceramic brush to straighten it out. I have really thick hair that likes to get kinky and this brush just helps tame it and keep it in shape. While clamping the hair between the ceramic-plated brushes you place the blow-drier over the vents. This ensures even distribution and lessons damage. It leaves the hair lovely and smooth. The handles don't heat up either. I have problems with my hand sometimes so gripping things can be painful. This is easy to hold and is soft to the touch, Denman describe is as 'velvet-touch'.

When I first saw the brush I thought the bristles (which are natural boar) would be rough and hard but they're not. They're pretty similar to a Mason Pearson brush (something else I really love). These get a good grip on the hair without damage and leave it straight and glossy. My hairstyle lasts all day.

Denman ceramic hairbrush is only £10 too. I got mine from Amazon and I really do love it.

Sleek MakeUP True Colour Matte Lipstick in Stiletto 778

I like red lipsticks and I cannot lie and er I especially like them matte. Anyway, Sleek MakeUP True Colour Matte Lipstick in Stiletto certainly fits this. It's a reasonably creamy matte thanks to it containing Vitamin E. It still drags a bit but who cares? It's a beautiful red with raspberry pink undertones that gives it a lovely 'vintage' feel. I don't find it too drying on the lips but I am used to wearing mattes and not everyone loves the feeling. 

It wears really well. It shouldn't budge with tea, coffee, gin etc and there's also little transfer. If you put a little bit of lip balm over this when it starts to fade it turns it into a nice understated pink/red. 

So again I'm loving Sleek's products. I'm not being paid to say so btw! The products I've tried namely: True Colour lipsticks, concealer kit and blushes have all been really high qiality products for a very reasonable price. If you're on a budget but still want good solid products I highly recommend giving Sleek a go. I haven't been disappointed yet.

A Mini Comparison with MAC Ruby Woo

Sleek's Stiletto in some ways remind me of MAC's Ruby Woo (seen in the photo above). The finish and texture are similar, both give full matte, pigmented colour. MAC's is more pigmented though but Sleek's is easier to apply, MAC's mattes are notoriously pulling on the lips and Ruby Woo especially so. To remedy this though apply some lip balm a wee while before application then just before putting lipstick on completely remove any traces of lip balm. This makes application much easier. The colour's aren't quite the same either. Sleek Stiletto veers towards a raspberry pink-red while Ruby Woo stays a true-blue red. And of course there's the price: Sleek is £4.99 and MAC is £14. I wonder if Sleek's Russian Roulette is more of a dupe, has anyone tried it? *adds to list*

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